System, program and the like

Abstract

To provide a system, program and the like relating to detection of a so-called photoelectric tube-type speed measurement device.SOLUTION: An electronic device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 50 and has a control unit 11 that performs alarm control to warn of approaching transmitter / receiver 31, 33 that transmits and receives measurement light crossing a path of the vehicle 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, a program, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose electronic devices that receive microwaves emitted from a vehicle speed enforcement device and output an alarm when the presence of the vehicle speed enforcement device is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-064588 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-096728 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, so-called photocell speed measuring devices are used, which use a light transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives measuring light that crosses the path of the vehicle. As a photocell speed measuring device, there is a mobile speed measuring device called an Orbis, which is not fixed to a specific location because the device is lightweight and compact, and it is difficult to identify its installation location using GPS or map information, for example. In addition, because it does not measure speed by irradiating the vehicle with microwaves or laser light, it is difficult to directly detect a photocell speed measuring device as in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, one object of the present invention is to provide a system and program, etc. that are superior to conventional systems and programs, for example, a system and program, etc. for detecting a so-called photocell type speed measuring device.

[0006] The object of the present invention is not limited to this, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that aim to achieve the effects achieved by parts of the configuration disclosed in the specification and drawings, etc., through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, this specification discloses problems in which the phrases "can" and "is possible" are read as "the problem is." Each problem is described as an independent problem, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that solve each problem separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if the problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to claim part of the configuration described in this specification through amendments or divisional applications. Furthermore, the applicant has disclosed configurations that solve problems that combine these independent problems, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The system has a control unit that is provided in a vehicle and performs alarm control to warn of an approach to a light transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives measurement light that crosses the path of the vehicle.

[0008] In this way, the user can receive a warning in the vehicle of approaching a light transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives measurement light that crosses the vehicle's path. The light transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives measurement light that crosses the vehicle's path may be a so-called photocell type speed measuring device. In this way, the user can be made aware of approaching a location where a so-called photocell type speed measuring device using a light transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives measurement light that crosses the vehicle's path may be installed.

[0009] For example, a photoelectric tube type speed measuring device has a first light transmitter / receiver, a first reflector, a second light transmitter / receiver, a second reflector, and a measurement control unit.

[0010] The first light transmitter / receiver and the second light transmitter / receiver each emit measurement light (hereinafter referred to as the "first measurement light" and the "second measurement light", respectively), and a built-in photoelectric sensor detects the reception of the reflected measurement light. The first reflector is installed facing the measurement light emitting section of the first light transmitter / receiver and can reflect the first measurement light emitted from the first light transmitter / receiver toward the first light transmitter / receiver. The second reflector is installed facing the measurement light emitting section of the second light transmitter / receiver and can reflect the second measurement light emitted from the second light transmitter / receiver toward the second light transmitter / receiver.

[0011] The first light transmitter / receiver and the second light transmitter / receiver are installed, for example, on one side of the width of the roadway, and the first reflector and the second reflector are installed on the other side of the width of the roadway. For example, the first light transmitter / receiver and the first reflector and the second light transmitter / receiver and the second reflector are installed so that the measurement light crosses the vehicle path, that is, so that the measurement light is irradiated in the width direction of the roadway.

[0012] For example, the first light transmitter / receiver is a light transmitter / receiver for starting a timer in speed measurement, and the first light transmitter / receiver and the first reflector are installed on the near side of the second light transmitter / receiver and the second reflector on the vehicle path (specifically, on the rear side of the traveling direction of the roadway (upstream side of the traveling direction)). The second light transmitter / receiver is a light transmitter / receiver for stopping the timer in speed measurement, and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 and the second reflector are installed on the far side of the first light transmitter / receiver and the first reflector on the vehicle path (on the front side of the traveling direction of the roadway). In this way, the first light transmitter / receiver and the first reflector, and the second light transmitter / receiver and the second reflector are installed on the vehicle path (in the traveling direction of the roadway) so that the first measurement light and the second measurement light are parallel to each other and have a certain interval between them.

[0013] For example, the measurement control unit is connected to the first light transmitter / receiver and the second light transmitter / receiver and can receive information from the first light transmitter / receiver and the second light transmitter / receiver. The measurement control unit starts a built-in timer when the first light transmitter / receiver detects the passage of a vehicle (strictly speaking, the passage of the front wheels), and stops the timer when the second light transmitter / receiver subsequently detects the passage of a vehicle (strictly speaking, the passage of the front wheels). The measurement control unit has a function to measure the vehicle speed from the value of this timer, i.e., the relationship between the time and the interval from when the front wheels of the vehicle pass through the first measuring light to when they pass through the second measuring light. The measurement control unit may also have a function to display the vehicle speed as a measurement result on a display unit and to issue an alarm if the measurement result exceeds a predetermined speed.

[0014] (2) The light transmitting / receiving device is preferably used in a speed measuring device, so that the user can be made aware of the approach of a speed control device using the light transmitting / receiving device.

[0015] In particular, it is desirable to provide an alarm control that warns of approaching so-called photoelectric speed measuring devices (also known as photoelectric speed cameras) that use a light transmitter and receiver. The content of this alarm should not be a warning of approaching non-photoelectric speed measuring devices, but rather a warning of approaching a location where a photoelectric speed measuring device is located. For example, instead of "There is a photoelectric speed camera 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!", it is desirable to warn of "There is a possibility that a photoelectric speed camera is installed 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!" or "There is a photoelectric speed camera 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!" While "There is a possibility that a photoelectric speed camera is installed 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!" is also acceptable, it is especially desirable to provide a warning that specifically indicates something related to photoelectric speed cameras, such as "There is a road cone related to photoelectric speed cameras 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!", and especially desirable to provide a warning that indicates at least some of the things related to photoelectric speed cameras. In this way, the user can focus on the object, pay attention to its location, and easily confirm whether or not a photocell speed camera has actually been installed. The warning content can be stored in the system's memory means and output as voice, text, images, etc. Conventional systems store the location of the speed measuring device itself and issue a warning indicating the approach of the device, but this system is configured to change whether or not to install a speed measuring device as needed, as with photocell speed cameras, and in cases where the system does not measure speed by irradiating the vehicle with microwaves or laser light, it can also warn about the approach of a photocell speed camera that cannot directly detect the speed measuring device.

[0016] (3) The control unit performs the warning control by recognizing related elements related to the light transmitter / receiver. The light transmitter / receiver itself, the reflector, and the measurement control unit are all related elements. By recognizing the light transmitter / receiver itself and related elements related to the light transmitter / receiver in this way, it is possible to detect the approach of a speed measuring device using a light transmitter / receiver and warn the user, even when the light transmitter / receiver can be detected directly.

[0017] (4) The control unit may preferably recognize a plurality of related elements associated with the light transmitter / receiver to perform the alarm control, thereby reducing the probability of erroneous recognition of the light transmitter / receiver and suppressing erroneous alarms.

[0018] (5) The control unit may recognize related elements associated with the light transmitter / receiver and perform different alarm control depending on the type of the recognized related element. For example, different alarm control may be performed if the recognized related element is related to road cones or if it is related to a security guard. In this way, different alarm control may be performed depending on the type of recognized related element, thereby clearly indicating to the user the reason for the approach of a photocell-type speed camera.

[0019] (6) The control unit may recognize related elements associated with the light transmitter / receiver and perform different alarm control depending on the number of recognized related elements. For example, the more recognized related elements, the higher the probability of approaching a photocell-type speed camera, so the higher the probability, the stronger the alarm warning the user. In this way, by performing different alarm control depending on the number of recognized related elements, it is possible to provide a more appropriate alarm to the user.

[0020] (7) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a road cone installed on the roadway that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. Small light-transmitting / receiving devices installed on the road are often surrounded by road cones to avoid contact with vehicles or pedestrians. Therefore, by recognizing the road cone in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element of the light-transmitting / receiving device, it is possible to indirectly detect the approach of a speed measuring device that uses a light-transmitting / receiving device that is not fixedly installed and does not measure speed by irradiating microwaves or laser light on the vehicle.

[0021] (8) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a road cone placed near the shoulder of the roadway, which appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle, as a relevant element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. Road cones placed around the light-transmitting / receiving device are often placed near the shoulder of the roadway. Therefore, by recognizing a road cone placed near the shoulder of the roadway from an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element of the light-transmitting / receiving device, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0022] (9) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a road cone installed on the roadway side of the median strip between the roadway and the sidewalk, which appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle, as a relevant element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. Road cones placed around the light-transmitting / receiving device are often placed on the roadway side of the median strip between the roadway and the sidewalk. Therefore, by recognizing a road cone installed on the roadway side of the median strip between the roadway and the sidewalk as a relevant element in an image captured in front of the vehicle, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0023] (10) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a warm-colored road cone that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. Road cones placed around the light-transmitting / receiving device are often warm-colored, such as red, orange, or yellow. Therefore, by recognizing a warm-colored road cone in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element, it is possible to more reliably detect the approach of a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0024] (11) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a road cone with a reflective material that appears in an image captured of the area ahead of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. Road cones placed around the light-transmitting / receiving device often have reflective material. Therefore, by recognizing a road cone with a reflective material from an image captured of the area ahead of the vehicle as a relevant element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0025] (12) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing road cones placed before and after the vehicle on the path of the vehicle, which are captured in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, as relevant elements related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. Light-transmitting / receiving devices serving as speed measuring devices are usually arranged in pairs, one for starting a timer and one for stopping a timer, and road cones placed around the light-transmitting / receiving devices are often also arranged in pairs on the roadway. Therefore, by recognizing road cones placed before and after the vehicle on the path of the vehicle from an image of the area ahead of the vehicle as relevant elements, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0026] (13) The control unit preferably recognizes road cones placed at least 3 meters apart on the path of the vehicle in an image captured in front of the vehicle as relevant elements related to the light-transmitting / receiving device and performs the warning control. A light-transmitting / receiving device used as a speed measuring device has a fixed interval between a timer start and a timer stop for measuring speed, which is often 3 meters. Therefore, road cones placed around the light-transmitting / receiving device are often placed in pairs at least 3 meters apart on the path of the vehicle. Therefore, by recognizing road cones placed at least 3 meters apart on the path of the vehicle in an image captured in front of the vehicle as relevant elements, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0027] (14) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a road cone installed in an emergency parking lane that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. A light-transmitting / receiving device serving as a speed measuring device may be installed in an emergency parking lane where sufficient installation space is available, and the road cones placed around the light-transmitting / receiving device may also be placed in the emergency parking lane accordingly. Therefore, by recognizing a road cone installed in an emergency parking lane as a related element in an image captured in front of the vehicle, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0028] (15) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a reflector located on the right shoulder of the vehicle in an image captured of the area ahead of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. A speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device has a reflector that reflects the measurement light emitted from the light-transmitting / receiving device. Therefore, by recognizing the reflector as a relevant element in an image captured of the area ahead of the vehicle, approach to the light-transmitting / receiving device can be more reliably detected.

[0029] (16) The control unit may perform the alarm control by recognizing a person facing from the sidewalk toward the roadway in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. Light-transmitting / receiving devices used in speed measuring devices are often located near a monitor who manages the speed measuring device. While pedestrians typically walk along the sidewalk and face the sidewalk, monitors often face from the sidewalk toward the roadway to monitor speed measuring devices and passing vehicles installed on the roadway. Therefore, by recognizing a person (monitor) facing from the sidewalk toward the roadway in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0030] (17) The control unit may perform the alarm control by recognizing a person wearing a predetermined type of clothing who appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. The observers around the light-transmitting / receiving device are mainly police officers, and in many cases, they wear a predetermined type of clothing, such as a uniform. Therefore, by recognizing a person (observer) wearing a predetermined type of clothing from the image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element of the light-transmitting / receiving device, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0031] (18) The control unit may perform the alarm control by recognizing a person remaining near a road cone in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. A monitor near the light-transmitting / receiving device often remains in place to monitor a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device. Road cones are installed around the light-transmitting / receiving device, and the monitor also remains in the vicinity. Therefore, by recognizing a person (monitor) remaining near the road cone in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element of the light-transmitting / receiving device, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0032] (19) The control unit preferably recognizes the head of a person who does not move for a predetermined period of time on the sidewalk within a height range of 1 m to 1.2 m from an image captured of the area in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the alarm control. Inspectors around the light transmitter / receiver often monitor the speed measuring device while sitting on a folding chair or the like. In such cases, the head of the inspector is often located within a height range of 1 m to 1.2 m on the sidewalk, and the head often does not move from that position during monitoring. Therefore, by recognizing the head of a person who does not move for a predetermined period of time on the sidewalk within a height range of 1 m to 1.2 m from an image captured of the area in front of the vehicle as a relevant element of the light transmitter / receiver, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measuring device using the light transmitter / receiver.

[0033] (20) The control unit may recognize the measurement light that crosses the path of the vehicle and is captured in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and perform the warning control.

[0034] In so-called photoelectric tube-type speedometers, measurement light emitted from a light transmitter / receiver is emitted in a direction across the vehicle's path. This measurement light is usually invisible to the naked eye, but imaging units such as cameras used in smartphones can capture light with wavelengths wider than those of the naked eye, such as the infrared range. Therefore, by recognizing measurement light crossing the vehicle's path as a relevant element in an image captured in front of the vehicle, approach to a speedometer using a light transmitter / receiver can be more reliably detected. For example, if a telephoto infrared camera is installed on the vehicle facing forward in the direction of travel and an image corresponding to light crossing the road from left to right is detected in the image captured by the infrared camera, it can be recognized as "measurement light crossing the vehicle's path in the image captured in front of the vehicle." In particular, if light is detected that crosses a first predetermined range within the road but does not cross a second predetermined range outside the first predetermined range, it can be recognized as "measurement light crossing the vehicle's path in the image captured in front of the vehicle." The first predetermined range may be, for example, a location corresponding to the roadway, and the second predetermined range may be a range corresponding to the sidewalk. This allows for more reliable recognition of light crossing the road to measure the vehicle speed, thereby reducing false alarms. In particular, the first predetermined range may be the range of lanes on the roadway traveling in the same direction as the host vehicle. For example, if the road is one lane with two-way traffic, the range may be the range of the lane in the path of the host vehicle. For example, if the road is two lanes in each direction, or four lanes in total, the range may be the range of the two lanes in the path of the host vehicle. It is preferable to provide a predetermined space between the first predetermined range and the second predetermined range. This further reduces false alarms.

[0035] (21) The control unit preferably performs the warning control by recognizing, as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, measurement lights that cross a pair of paths at an interval of 3 m on the path of the vehicle, as shown in an image captured in front of the vehicle. A light transmitter / receiver used as a speed measurement device has a fixed interval between a timer start light and a timer stop light for measuring speed, and this interval is often 3 m. Therefore, by recognizing, as a relevant element, measurement lights that cross a pair of paths at an interval of 3 m on the path of the vehicle from an image captured in front of the vehicle, approach to a speed measurement device using a light transmitter / receiver can be more reliably detected.

[0036] (22) The control unit preferably performs the warning control by recognizing measurement light having the same wavelength and crossing a pair of paths on the path of the vehicle, which is captured in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, as a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver. The light transmitter / receivers for starting and stopping the timer as a speed measurement device often use measurement light of the same wavelength. Therefore, by recognizing measurement light having the same wavelength and crossing a pair of paths on the path of the vehicle from an image of the area ahead of the vehicle as a related element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measurement device using a light transmitter / receiver.

[0037] (23) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing a pair of parallel measurement beams crossing the path of the vehicle in a front-to-back direction in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver. A light transmitter / receiver for timer start and timer stop as a speed measuring device needs to irradiate measurement beams parallel to the front and back directions in order to accurately measure speed. Therefore, by recognizing a pair of parallel measurement beams crossing the path of the vehicle in a front-to-back direction in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element, approach to a speed measuring device using a light transmitter / receiver can be more reliably detected.

[0038] (24) The control unit preferably performs the warning control by recognizing a measurement light that crosses the path of the vehicle less than 9 cm from the road surface in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver. A light transmitter / receiver serving as a speed measuring device normally detects the passage of the front wheels of a vehicle, so the measurement light must be emitted below the underside of the vehicle body. Therefore, by recognizing a measurement light that crosses the path of the vehicle less than 9 cm from the road surface in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light transmitter / receiver.

[0039] (25) The control unit may recognize a minivan parked on the shoulder of the road in the image as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device and perform the alarm control. Many of the vehicles used by security personnel are minivans, which are parked near speed measuring devices. Therefore, by recognizing the minivan as a related element in an image captured in front of the vehicle in addition to the related elements, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measuring device using the light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0040] (26) The control unit may perform the alarm control by recognizing a folding chair shown in the image as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device. In many cases, a monitor is seated on a folding chair. Therefore, by recognizing the folding chair as a related element in an image captured in front of the vehicle in addition to the related elements, approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device can be detected more reliably.

[0041] (27) The control unit preferably performs the warning control by recognizing an overpass that intersects with the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range of a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver. Speed measurement devices often have overpasses around them that are used to capture images of the vehicle when the vehicle's speed measured by the speed measurement device is above a predetermined speed. Capturing an image from an overpass that intersects with the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling allows capturing an image from the front of the vehicle. Therefore, by recognizing an overpass within a predetermined range of the related element as a related element based on the captured image, approach to a speed measurement device using a light transmitter / receiver can be more reliably detected.

[0042] (28) The control unit may perform the alarm control by recognizing an overpass that intersects with the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range from the relevant element based on map information as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver. Speed measurement devices often have overpasses around them to photograph the vehicle when the vehicle's speed measured by the speed measurement device is above a predetermined speed. Taking a photograph from an overpass that intersects with the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling allows for a frontal image of the vehicle. Therefore, by recognizing an overpass within a predetermined range from the relevant element based on map information as a relevant element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device using the light transmitter / receiver.

[0043] (29) The control unit may perform the alarm control by recognizing, as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device, information about an enclosure on an overpass that intersects with the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range from a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device, which information is acquired based on information acquired by other vehicles. In order to ensure space for photographing vehicles passing under the overpass from the overpass, fences or other enclosures are often formed on the overpass. In recent years, it has become possible to acquire information acquired by other vehicles. By acquiring the enclosure information from such information acquired by other vehicles and recognizing it as a related element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0044] (30) The control unit may perform the alarm control by recognizing, as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device, enclosure information on an overpass that intersects with the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range from related elements related to the light-transmitting / receiving device, which is acquired based on SNS (Social Networking Service) information. In recent years, road information, etc., which is information about road conditions, is sometimes posted on SNS. By acquiring enclosure information from such SNS information and recognizing it as a related element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to a speed measuring device using a light-transmitting / receiving device.

[0045] (31) The control unit may perform the warning control by recognizing, based on map information, that the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined section with a continuous straight line of at least a predetermined distance as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver. Speed measuring devices are often installed in long straight sections where the vehicle can reach a sufficient speed. Therefore, by recognizing, based on map information, that the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined section with a continuous straight line of at least a predetermined distance as the relevant element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measuring device using the light transmitter / receiver.

[0046] (32) It is preferable to make a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of any one of the systems (1) to (31) above. In this way, the functions of the systems (1) to (31) above can be executed by the computer.

[0047] The inventions described in (1) to (32) above can be combined arbitrarily. For example, a configuration may be created by adding at least a portion of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and subsequent items to all or a portion of the configuration of the invention described in (1). In particular, an invention may be created by adding at least a portion of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and subsequent items to the invention described in (1). Furthermore, any configuration may be extracted from the inventions described in (1) to (32) and combined. The applicant of this application intends to obtain rights to inventions including these configurations. Furthermore, even if a description is made of "in the case of..." or "when...," it is not intended to describe a configuration limited to that case or time. These are merely examples of better configurations, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations other than these cases or times. Furthermore, any descriptions that specify an order are not limited to this order. Configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0048] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system, a program, etc. that is superior to conventional systems and programs. For example, it is possible to provide a system, a program, etc. related to the detection of a so-called phototube type speed measuring device.

[0049] The effects of the present invention are not limited to these, and effects achieved by the configuration disclosed in the present specification and drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to the configuration achieving such effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, in this specification, phrases such as "can" and "is possible" are descriptions that clearly indicate the effects achieved, and there are also parts that demonstrate effects even without the phrases "can" and "is possible." Furthermore, there are effects that can be understood from the configuration even without such phrases. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0050] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic top view showing the arrangement of an electronic device and a speed measuring device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic top view showing the arrangement of an electronic device, a speed measuring device, and an overpass according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an electronic device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are examples of embodiments of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. In the drawings referred to in the present embodiments, identical parts or parts having similar functions are designated with the same or similar symbols (symbols consisting of a number followed by a, b, etc.), and repeated description thereof may be omitted. In addition, in the drawings referred to in the following description, the scale may be different from the actual scale so that each component, each area, etc., can be a recognizable size. Below, a description will be given of a system of the present disclosure applied to a system mounted on a vehicle that detects a speed measuring device. The vehicle is preferably an automobile, but is not limited to a four-wheeled automobile. For example, the vehicle may be a two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle, or a large transport vehicle with four or more wheels.

[0052] Conventional enforcement involves a first location where speeds are measured, and a second location a short distance away where speeding vehicles are parked and drivers are required to sign a speeding ticket, with information on speeding vehicles being sent from the first location to the second location. This requires two locations, and space for two to three police officers and several cars. However, mobile speed cameras are lightweight and compact, and take photos of speeding vehicles on the spot and later send speeding notices to their homes or other locations, making it possible for a single police officer to conduct speed enforcement at a single location.

[0053] <Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. An electronic device 10 is an electronic device to which a system according to the present disclosure is applied. The electronic device 10 is a detector that detects a speed measurement device 30 having a light transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives measurement light that crosses the path of a vehicle 50. Note that this embodiment will be described using one vehicle 50 as an example, but this embodiment can also be applied to other vehicles. The appearance of the speed measurement device shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and a different appearance may also be used. The measurement light is light of a specific wavelength, such as laser light having a predetermined wavelength. The specific wavelength belongs to the infrared light region, for example.

[0054] The electronic device 10 is, for example, a monitor-type device having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 10b. The electronic device 10 is installed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 50. The electronic device 10 is installed via a bracket 10a attached to the dashboard 51 using, for example, double-sided tape. An opening is provided on the front of the electronic device 10. The electronic device 10 has a display unit 12 for displaying an image at the position of the opening. In addition, an imaging unit 13 capable of capturing an image in front of the vehicle is provided on the back of the electronic device 10. The housing 10b of the electronic device 10 is made of resin or other material. Note that, in this embodiment, the electronic device 10 is an electronic device installed on the dashboard 51, but it may also be an electronic device installed in another location in the vehicle 50, such as the windshield (for example, near the top edge) or the ceiling (for example, near the boundary with the windshield).

[0055] The imaging unit 13 is a camera capable of capturing images within a field of view (within the field of view) in front of the vehicle 50. The imaging unit 13 can also capture light in the infrared range, for example. The imaging unit 13 has, for example, a telephoto function. The bracket 10a is configured to allow the orientation of the electronic device 10 to be adjusted up and down and left and right. The imaging direction of the imaging unit 13 can be changed by adjusting the orientation of the electronic device 10 using the bracket 10a. The imaging lens of the imaging unit 13 may be provided, for example, on the back side of the housing 10b of the electronic device 10. An imaging device may be provided outside the electronic device 10, and the electronic device 10 may acquire captured images that are images captured by this imaging device. In this case, the imaging device is configured to be able to adjust its position and attitude (imaging direction) independently of the electronic device 10. The imaging device may be installed, for example, on the windshield, dashboard, or other position where it can capture an image in front of the vehicle.

[0056] The speed measuring device 30 is installed at a speed enforcement point, which is a point where the speed of the vehicle 50 is enforced. The speed measuring device 30 may also be called a speed enforcement device or a speed measurement device. The speed enforcement point is determined taking into consideration the driving conditions of the vehicle 50 (for example, whether the vehicle is likely to speed), the occurrence of traffic accidents (for example, a point where a high number of accidents occur), and other circumstances. An example of a speed enforcement point is a point on or beyond a curve on the route (road) on which the vehicle 50 is traveling.

[0057] The speed measuring device 30 is also called a photocell type speed camera and is installed on routes such as urban expressways and other roads. The speed measuring device 30 has a first light transmitter / receiver 31, a first reflector 32, a second light transmitter / receiver 33, a second reflector 34, and a measurement control unit 35.

[0058] The first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 each emit measurement light (first measurement light L1, second measurement light L2) as measurement waves, and a built-in photoelectric sensor detects the reception of the reflected measurement light. The first reflector 32 is installed facing the measurement light emitting section of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and can reflect the first measurement light L1 emitted from the first light transmitter / receiver 31 toward the first light transmitter / receiver 31. The second reflector 34 is installed facing the measurement light emitting section of the second light transmitter / receiver 33 and can reflect the second measurement light L2 emitted from the second light transmitter / receiver 33 toward the second light transmitter / receiver 33. Hereinafter, the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 may be collectively referred to as "light transmitter / receiver 31, 33", the first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 may be collectively referred to as "reflectors 32, 34", and the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2 may be collectively referred to as "measurement light L1, L2".

[0059] The first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 are installed on one side of the width of the roadway RW (the left side in FIG. 1), for example, as shown in FIG. 1, and the first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 are installed on the other side of the width of the roadway RW (the right side in FIG. 1). More specifically, in FIG. 1, the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 are installed on the shoulder facing the sidewalk SW beside the roadway RW, and the first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 are installed on the center line CL. The sidewalk SW has a separator strip SE formed by a curb as a boundary with the roadway RW, and the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 are installed on the roadway RW side of the separator strip SE. Note that the separator strip SE may be provided with a fence, guardrail, pole, or tree in addition to a curb.

[0060] The first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the first reflector 32, and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 and the second reflector 34 are installed so that the measurement light L1 and L2 cross the path of the vehicle 50, that is, so that the measurement light L1 and L2 are irradiated in the width direction of the roadway RW. The width direction across the road is, for example, a direction perpendicular to the roadway RW, such as a direction perpendicular to the center line CL. The first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 are installed parallel to the road surface and at a predetermined height so that the measurement light L1 and L2 cross the path of the vehicle 50. This predetermined height is lower than the underside of the vehicle body of the vehicle 50, for example, less than 9 cm. The height, emission direction, etc. are adjusted so that the emitted light hits, for example, the tires of the vehicle 50. The first light transmitting / receiving device 31 and the second light transmitting / receiving device 33 can detect the passage of the vehicle 50 when the wheels (for example, the front wheels) of the vehicle 50 block the measurement lights L1 and L2.

[0061] The first light transmitter / receiver 31 is a light transmitter / receiver for starting a timer in speed measurement, and the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the first reflector 32 are installed on the near side (rear side in the traveling direction of the roadway RW (upstream side in the traveling direction)) of the second light transmitter / receiver 33 and the second reflector 34 on the path of the vehicle 50. The second light transmitter / receiver 33 is a light transmitter / receiver for stopping a timer in speed measurement, and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 and the second reflector 34 are installed on the far side (front side in the traveling direction of the roadway RW) of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the first reflector 32 on the path of the vehicle 50. In this way, the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the first reflector 32, and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 and the second reflector 34 are installed on the path of the vehicle 50 (traveling direction of the roadway RW) so that the second measurement light L2 and the first measurement light L1 are parallel to each other in the front-to-rear direction and have a certain distance D therebetween. This fixed interval D is a value set for measuring the speed of the vehicle 50, and is, for example, 3 m.

[0062] The measurement control unit 35 is connected to the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 via, for example, a cable and can receive information from the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33. The measurement control unit 35 may also be connected to the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 via wireless communication. The measurement control unit 35 starts a built-in timer when the first light transmitter / receiver 31 detects the passage of the vehicle 50 (strictly speaking, the passage of the front wheels), and stops the timer when the second light transmitter / receiver 33 subsequently detects the passage of the vehicle 50 (strictly speaking, the passage of the front wheels). The measurement control unit 35 has a function to measure the speed of the vehicle 50 from the value of the timer, i.e., the relationship between the time from when the front wheels of the vehicle 50 pass the first measurement light L1 to when they pass the second measurement light L2 and the interval D. The measurement control unit 35 may also have a function to display the speed of the vehicle 50 as a measurement result on a display unit (not shown), or to issue an alarm if the measurement result exceeds a predetermined speed.

[0063] Additionally, around the speed measurement device 30, related elements are installed that are related to the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and second light transmitter / receiver 33 of the speed measurement device 30. The related elements can be said to be elements that serve as landmarks for the enforcement point where enforcement using a photocell-type speed measurement device is conducted, and may refer to objects, people, and other elements that exist or may exist at the enforcement point or its surroundings. The first light transmitter / receiver 31 itself, the second light transmitter / receiver 33 itself, the first reflector 32, the second reflector 34, and the measurement control unit 35 are also included as related elements. For example, in FIG. 1, the first road cone 41, the second road cone 42, and the monitor 43 are illustrated as related elements in this embodiment.

[0064] The first road cone 41, also referred to as a pylon, has a hollow cone-shaped cone portion 41b standing upright from a rectangular plate-shaped bottom portion 41a. A strip-shaped reflective material 41c that reflects light is attached to the surface of the cone portion 41b. The first road cone 41 has a warm color overall, such as orange, red, or yellow, and the reflective material 41c is white. The second road cone 42 has a similar configuration. Hereinafter, the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 may be collectively referred to as "road cones 41, 42."

[0065] The first road cone 41 is installed on the left side of the roadway RW in the width direction, facing the sidewalk SW, and is installed in front of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 in the direction of travel of the vehicle 50. The second road cone 42 is installed on the left side of the roadway RW in the width direction, facing the sidewalk SW, and is installed in back of the second light transmitter / receiver 33 in the direction of travel of the vehicle 50. In this way, the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 are arranged at a distance of at least the distance D in the direction of travel of the vehicle 50, so that the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 are positioned between them.

[0066] The monitor 43 is, for example, a police officer, and wears a predetermined type of clothing, such as a uniform in cool colors such as navy blue or black, and a hat. Note that the predetermined type of clothing may also include a reflective vest or a helmet instead of a hat. The monitor 43 is seated on a chair such as a folding chair 43a, facing from the sidewalk to the roadway, in order to monitor vehicles 50 traveling on the roadway. The head of the seated monitor 43 is often positioned at a height of 1 to 1.2 meters above the sidewalk.

[0067] 2, an example of an element related to the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 is a vehicle used by an observer 43 parked near the speed measurement device 30. The vehicle used by the observer 43 is parked, for example, further back on the vehicle path than the speed measurement device 30. The distance between the vehicle used by the observer 43 and the speed measurement device 30 is, for example, a distance that allows the imaging unit 13 to simultaneously capture images of them, or a distance that allows the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 to be captured within a predetermined time after the image of the vehicle is captured. The vehicle is often a so-called minivan 44 with a box-shaped body.

[0068] Additionally, elements related to the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 include viaducts 45a and 45b that intersect with the roadway RW on which the vehicle 50 is traveling. In FIG. 2, there is an viaduct 45a on the front side of the path of the vehicle 50 and an viaduct 45b on the rear side, both of which are located within a predetermined distance (e.g., 200 m) from the speed measurement device 30. Enforcement cameras 46a and 46b are installed on the viaducts 45a and 45b, facing toward the speed measurement device 30, and partition fences 47a and 47b are installed around the enforcement cameras 46a and 46b. The enforcement cameras 46a and 46b can communicate with, for example, the measurement control unit 35 of the speed measurement device 30, and can capture images of speeding vehicles that pass the speed measurement device 30. Additionally, another vehicle 60 is traveling on the viaduct 45a in front of the vehicle 50. The other vehicle 60 can transmit information to the outside via vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle 50 or via the Internet.

[0069] 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the electronic device 10. The control unit 11 controls each unit of the electronic device 10. The control unit 11 is, for example, a computer including an arithmetic processing circuit and a memory. The arithmetic processing circuit includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other arithmetic processing circuits. The memory includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or other volatile memory. The arithmetic processing circuit performs various controls by temporarily reading data into the memory and performing arithmetic processing.

[0070] The display unit 12 displays an image. The display unit 12 is, for example, a 3.2-inch color TFT liquid crystal display. The display unit 12 may be an organic EL display or any other type of display device.

[0071] The imaging unit 13 captures an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 50. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 13 is mounted on the electronic device 10. However, the imaging unit 13 may be connected wirelessly or via a wire to another device with an imaging function, such as a drive recorder or a smartphone, and the other imaging function may be used. The imaging unit 13 may be capable of capturing light in the infrared range, including the wavelength range of the measurement light L1 and L2. The captured image may be a still image or a moving image. Any algorithm may be used to analyze the captured image, and examples include methods using deep learning and methods using machine learning (e.g., pattern matching). The control unit 11 analyzes the image acquired from the imaging unit 13 and performs processing to recognize predetermined image portions that indicate related elements related to the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 described above. The predetermined image portions that indicate related elements may be recognized based on, for example, the external shape, color, and arrangement of the related elements.

[0072] The speaker 14 outputs sound. The GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 15 includes an antenna and a receiving circuit, and receives signals from GPS satellites. The GPS receiver 15 processes the received signals and outputs location information. The location information includes, for example, latitude information and longitude information, and may also include altitude information. The location information indicates the current location of the electronic device 10, but it is preferable to consider it as location information indicating the current location of the electronic device 10.

[0073] The communication unit 16 communicates with external devices. The communication unit 16 performs wireless communication using, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other methods. The communication unit 16 is capable of, for example, so-called vehicle-to-vehicle communication for acquiring information from other vehicles 60, and so-called road-to-vehicle communication for acquiring information from infrastructure facilities (roadside devices). The communication unit 16 is also capable of acquiring SNS information on the Internet. The SNS information is, for example, information posted on an SNS such as Twitter (registered trademark), and may include text information. The text information may be a sentence created by the user of the electronic device 10 or a third party, a label called a hashtag, or the like.

[0074] The storage unit 17 stores data. For example, the storage unit 17 stores programs that the control unit 11 uses to perform various controls. The control unit 11 reads the programs from the storage unit 17 into a memory and executes them. The storage unit 17 also stores map data showing maps, data showing the types and locations of various facilities, data for notifying of approach to an object to be warned, data for realizing a route guidance function, and the like. The objects to be warned include, for example, locations of drowsy driving accidents, speed measuring devices (photocell type, radar type, loop coil type, H system, LH system, mobile type, etc.), speed limit switching points, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, no parking monitoring areas, N system, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, red light ignoring prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, areas with high rates of vehicle theft, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branching / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), gas stations inside PAs / SAs (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio reception areas (expressways), prefectural border announcements, roadside stations, and view point parking areas. The storage unit 17 stores the type information of these alarm objects, location information indicating their locations, image data (for example, schematic diagrams or photographs) to be displayed on the display unit 12, and audio data in association with each other.

[0075] The storage unit 17 has a database 17a (denoted as "DB" in FIG. 3) that stores information and programs for image recognition of related elements. The information for image recognition of related elements stored in the database 17a may be information already stored at the stage of product shipment of the electronic device 10, or information distributed by a server device of a predetermined business operator, as will be described later.

[0076] The storage unit 17 may include a storage medium that permanently stores data. The storage unit 17 may include, for example, an optical recording medium, a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor recording medium, or other recording media. The data stored in the storage unit 17 may be stored in cloud computing or other external storage means as appropriate.

[0077] The operation unit 18 accepts operations from the user. The operation unit 18 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a volume adjustment button, and operation buttons. The touch sensor is provided on the surface of the display unit 12 and detects the position touched by the user. The volume operation button is operated to adjust the volume of the sound output from the speaker 14. The operation buttons are buttons for performing various operations.

[0078] The sensor unit 19 includes various sensors. The sensor unit 19 is equipped with, for example, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an illuminance sensor. The geomagnetic sensor detects geomagnetism to determine which direction north is relative to the direction of travel. The acceleration sensor detects the acceleration of the vehicle 50 in the front-to-rear, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions. The illuminance sensor detects the illuminance, which indicates the brightness inside the vehicle cabin.

[0079] The mounting unit 20 is a mounting unit into which an external storage medium is mounted, such as a memory card. In this case, the mounting unit 20 is a memory card slot. Data stored in the storage unit 17 may be imported via the external storage medium. This data includes updated information on new alarm targets (location information such as longitude and latitude, type information, etc.).

[0080] The power supply unit 21 supplies power from a power source to each component within the electronic device 10. The power supply unit 21 includes, for example, a power switch and a DC jack. The DC jack is used to connect a cigarette lighter plug cord, and is connected to a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle via the cigarette lighter plug cord to receive power. The power switch is a switch for turning the power of the electronic device 10 on and off.

[0081] The light emitting unit 22 emits light in various colors and includes, for example, a light emitting diode.

[0082] The cable terminal unit 23 is a terminal to which an external connection cable is connected. For example, the connection cable is a cable that connects the electronic device 10 to an OBD-II connector mounted on the vehicle 50. The OBD-II connector is also called a diagnostic connector, and is connected to the ECU of the vehicle 50 to output various vehicle information.

[0083] The laser light receiving unit 24 receives laser light as a measurement wave from a laser-compatible speed measuring device. This laser light is a pulsed laser with a predetermined pulse width and pulse interval. The wavelength of the laser light is, for example, 905 nm. The laser light receiving unit 24 includes, for example, a visible light cut filter, a lens that collects light that has passed through the visible light cut filter, a light receiving element (for example, a photodiode) that receives the light collected by the lens, and a circuit that processes a signal from the light receiving element.

[0084] The radar wave receiver 25 receives radar waves as measurement waves from a radar-compatible speed measuring device. Radar waves include specified microwaves, stealth waves that are emitted only at the moment a specified stealth enforcement device measures, normal radar waves, new radar waves compatible with K-band and X-band, and cancellation notifications. The radar wave receiver 25 includes, for example, an antenna and a receiving circuit.

[0085] The radio receiving unit 26 receives radio signals of a predetermined frequency. Examples of the radio signals include radio signals belonging to frequencies of police radio, car location radio, digital radio, special low-power radio, local authority radio, police telephone, police activity radio, tow truck radio, helicopter radio, fire helicopter radio, firefighting radio, emergency radio, highway radio, police radio, etc. The radio receiving unit 26 includes, for example, an antenna and a receiving circuit.

[0086] The control unit 11 of this embodiment performs alarm control to issue a predetermined alarm while the vehicle 50 is traveling. For example, the control unit 11 performs alarm control to issue an alarm that the vehicle 50 is approaching a speed measuring device. The control unit 11 of this embodiment has a function to perform alarm control to issue an alarm of approach to one or both of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33, i.e., approach to a photocell-type speed measuring device 30 using the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33. Note that an alarm of approach to the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 may be appropriately interpreted as an alarm of the presence of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33, and an alarm of approach to a photocell-type speed measuring device 30 may be appropriately interpreted as an alarm of the presence of the speed measuring device 30.

[0087] The control unit 11 recognizes the associated element of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33 and performs alarm control. There may be multiple associated elements for performing this alarm control. Different alarm controls may be performed depending on the type of recognized associated element. Specific conditions for the associated elements for performing alarm control will be described later. The control unit 11 also performs alarm control to issue an alarm when the laser light receiver 24 receives laser light as a measurement wave or the radar wave receiver 25 receives radar waves as a measurement wave. The control unit 11 also performs alarm control to issue an alarm when the wireless receiver 26 receives a wireless signal. The content of the alarm may differ depending on the type of speed measuring device and the frequency of the wireless signal. The alarm may be issued by display, light, sound, a combination of these, or by other means perceptible to humans.

[0088] In addition to the above, the electronic device 10 may have functions provided by well-known laser detectors and radar detectors. For example, there are many types of speed measuring devices, such as fixed types and mobile types. Mobile types include, for example, portable types and types mounted on vehicles. The electronic device 10 may have a function to receive laser light from such speed measuring devices other than photocell types and issue an alarm.

[0089] <Operation> The operation of this embodiment will now be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 of the first embodiment. When the operation of the electronic device 10 starts, the control unit 11 executes the process described below. There is no particular limitation on the trigger for starting the operation of the electronic device 10, but it is preferable that the trigger be, for example, when the power of the electronic device 10 is turned on or when execution of a route guidance function in a navigation function is started.

[0090] First, in step S1, the control unit 11 acquires a captured image of the area ahead of the vehicle taken by the imaging unit 13.

[0091] Next, in step S2, the control unit 11 analyzes the acquired captured image and determines whether or not a road cone has been recognized as one type of related element of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33. The determination of whether or not a road cone has been recognized as the related element is made based on whether or not there is an image portion in the captured image that corresponds to a road cone and satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0092] 1, the control unit 11 recognizes both the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 installed on the roadway RW shown in the captured image as related elements. Specifically, in this embodiment, it is preferable to recognize road cones that satisfy the following predetermined conditions regarding road cones as related elements.

[0093] As one of the predetermined conditions related to road cones, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 installed near the shoulder of the roadway RW shown in the captured image as related elements.

[0094] As one of the predetermined conditions regarding road cones, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 installed on the roadway RW side of the median strip SE between the roadway RW and the sidewalk SW shown in the captured image as related elements.

[0095] As one of the predetermined conditions related to road cones, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 that appear in a captured image as related elements.

[0096] As one of the predetermined conditions related to road cones, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 having the reflecting material 41c that appears in the captured image as related elements.

[0097] The control unit 11 may recognize, for example, a first road cone 41 and a second road cone 42 arranged before and after on the path of the vehicle 50 shown in the captured image as related elements. In particular, the control unit 11 of this embodiment may recognize, as one of the predetermined conditions related to road cones, a first road cone 41 and a second road cone 42 arranged before and after with an interval of 3 m or more on the path of the vehicle 50 shown in the captured image as related elements.

[0098] As one of the predetermined conditions related to road cones, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, a road cone installed in an emergency parking lane that appears in the captured image as a related element, although this is not shown.

[0099] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 determines the result of the determination in step S2 as "Yes" when, for example, three or more of the predetermined conditions related to the plurality of road cones described above are satisfied. Note that the number of satisfied predetermined conditions for determining the result of the determination in step S2 as "Yes" is not limited to three and can be set arbitrarily, and may be one or more. Also, at least some of the predetermined conditions related to the road cones described above may not be used.

[0100] Furthermore, when recognizing road cones, both the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 are recognized under the above-mentioned specified conditions, but it is also possible to recognize, for example, only one of the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42 that meets each specified condition as a related element.

[0101] If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S2, that is, if a road cone that satisfies the predetermined conditions as described above is recognized from the captured image, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S2, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S3.

[0102] In step S3, the control unit 11 analyzes the acquired captured image and determines whether or not it has recognized the observer 43 as one type of related element of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33. The determination of whether or not the observer 43 has been recognized as the related element is made based on whether or not there is an image portion in the captured image that corresponds to the observer 43 and satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0103] Specifically, in this embodiment, it is preferable to recognize a person who satisfies the following predetermined conditions regarding an observer as a related element.

[0104] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the observer, for example, in the case of FIG. 1, the control unit 11 may recognize a person (observer 43) facing from the sidewalk SW to the roadway RW in the captured image as a related element.

[0105] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the monitor, the control unit 11 may recognize as a related element a person (monitor 43) wearing a predetermined type of clothing such as a uniform, hat, reflective vest, or helmet in cool colors such as navy blue or black, appearing on the SW side of the sidewalk in the captured image.

[0106] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the observer, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, a person (observer 43) staying near the road cones (first road cone 41, second road cone 42) shown in the captured image as a related element.

[0107] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the observer, the control unit 11 may recognize, as a related element, the head of a person (observer 43) who does not move for a predetermined period of time within a height range of 1 m to 1.2 m on the sidewalk SW shown in the captured image.

[0108] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 determines the result of the determination in step S3 as "Yes" when, for example, three or more of the predetermined conditions related to the plurality of observers described above are satisfied. Note that the number of satisfied predetermined conditions for determining the result of the determination in step S3 as "Yes" is not limited to three and can be set arbitrarily, and may be one or preferably multiple. Also, at least some of the predetermined conditions related to the observers described above may not be used.

[0109] If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S3, that is, if it recognizes an observer 43 who satisfies the predetermined conditions described above from the captured image, it proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S3, it proceeds to step S4.

[0110] In step S4, the control unit 11 analyzes the acquired captured image and determines whether or not the control unit 11 has recognized the measurement light L1, L2 as one type of related element of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33. The determination of whether or not the measurement light L1, L2 has been recognized as the related element is made based on whether or not there is an image portion in the captured image that corresponds to the measurement light L1, L2 and satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0111] 1, the control unit 11 recognizes both the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50 shown in the captured image as related elements. Specifically, in this embodiment, it is preferable to recognize measurement light that satisfies the following predetermined conditions regarding measurement light as related elements.

[0112] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the measurement light, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2 that cross a pair of paths at an interval of 3 m on the path of the vehicle 50 shown in the captured image as related elements.

[0113] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the measurement light, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2, which have the same wavelength and cross a pair of paths at the front and rear on the path of the vehicle 50 shown in the captured image, as related elements.

[0114] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the measurement light, the control unit 11 may recognize, for example, the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2, which are parallel and cross the path of the vehicle 50 shown in the captured image, as related elements.

[0115] As one of the predetermined conditions related to the measurement light, the control unit 11 may recognize, as a relevant element, the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2 that cross the path of the vehicle 50 less than 9 cm from the road surface shown in the captured image.

[0116] In this embodiment, when three or more of the predetermined conditions related to the measurement light described above are satisfied, the control unit 11 determines the result of the determination in step S4 as "Yes." The number of satisfied predetermined conditions for determining the result of the determination in step S2 as "Yes" is not limited to three and can be set arbitrarily, and may be one or more. In addition, at least some of the predetermined conditions related to the measurement light described above may not be used.

[0117] In addition, in recognizing the measurement light L1 and L2, both the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2 are recognized under each of the above-mentioned predetermined conditions. However, for example, only one of the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2 that satisfies each predetermined condition may be recognized as a related element.

[0118] If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S4, that is, if the control unit 11 recognizes measurement light that satisfies the above-mentioned predetermined conditions from the captured image, it proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S4, it proceeds to step S5.

[0119] In step S5, the control unit 11 analyzes the acquired captured image and determines whether or not it has recognized related elements (other related elements) of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33 other than those in steps S2 to S4. Specifically, in this embodiment, the control unit 11 recognizes as related elements elements those that satisfy predetermined conditions regarding the other related elements as follows:

[0120] As one of the predetermined conditions for other related elements, for example, in the case of Fig. 1, the control unit 11 recognizes the first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 located on the right side of the roadway RW on which the vehicle 50 shown in the captured image is traveling as related elements. The first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 may be recognized not only by being located on the right side of the roadway RW, but also by being spaced 3 m apart in the direction of travel of the vehicle 50.

[0121] As one of the predetermined conditions for other related elements, the control unit 11 recognizes a minivan 44 parked on the roadside in the captured image as a related element, for example, as shown in Fig. 2. The minivan 44 may be recognized not only based on its external shape but also on its color (for example, white).

[0122] The control unit 11 recognizes a metal chair 43a shown in the captured image as a related element as one of the predetermined conditions for other related elements. A condition may also be that an observer 43 is seated on the metal chair 43a.

[0123] In this embodiment, when a predetermined number or more of the predetermined conditions regarding the above-mentioned multiple other related elements, for example, two or more, are satisfied, the control unit 11 determines the result of the determination in step S5 as "Yes." Note that the predetermined number that satisfies the predetermined conditions for determining the result of the determination in step S5 as "Yes" is not limited to two and can be set arbitrarily, and may be one, but preferably multiple.

[0124] Furthermore, in recognizing other related elements, both the first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 are recognized under each of the above-mentioned specified conditions, but it is also possible to recognize, for example, only one of the first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 that meets the specified conditions as a related element.

[0125] If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S5, that is, if other related elements that satisfy the predetermined conditions as described above are recognized from the captured image, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S5, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S7.

[0126] In step S6, the control unit 11 performs control to issue a warning of approach to the speed measurement device 30, i.e., turns on the warning control, and returns to the processing of step S1. The warning control may be performed by any method that allows the user to recognize the approach to the speed measurement device 30, and may use at least one of audio output, displaying a warning screen on the display unit 12, and controlling the light emission of the light-emitting unit 22. In this embodiment, the warning is to notify the user of the approach to a speed enforcement site or a site where a photocell-type speed measurement device 30 is installed. In addition, the control unit 11 may store captured images in the storage unit 17 using the imaging unit 13 or a drive recorder of the electronic device 10, along with the warning. For example, the control unit 11 may record captured images for a period including at least one of before and after the time when it is determined that the speed measurement device 30 has been approached.

[0127] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an alarm screen. The alarm screen shown in FIG. 5 is a screen in which a window W1 is superimposed on a map screen M1. The control unit 11 issues an alarm by displaying the window W1 superimposed on a map M. The map M is identified based on map data and position information from the GPS receiver unit 15. An icon I indicating the position of the vehicle 50 (host vehicle position) is placed on the map M. The host vehicle position is identified based on the position information from the GPS receiver unit 15. Note that the icon in this embodiment may be replaced with a character, a symbol, a figure, or other object.

[0128] In the example shown in FIG. 5(A), the window W1 displays a message saying, "You are approaching a speed control point," indicating that you are approaching a speed measurement device 30. The control unit 11 may also output a voice message saying, "You are approaching a speed control point," from the speaker 14. If the control unit 11 can determine the type of speed measurement device (e.g., photocell type, semi-fixed type, fixed type, mobile type) based on the characteristics of the received laser light signal or by other methods, it may perform control to issue an alarm including a notification of the type of speed measurement device. If the control unit 11 can identify a photocell type speed measurement device 30, it may issue a notification message saying, "You are approaching a photocell type speed measurement point," as shown in FIG. 6(B), for example.

[0129] In addition, different alarm control may be performed depending on the type of the recognized related element. For example, different alarm control may be performed when the recognized related element is related to a road cone, a guard, a measuring light, or other related elements.

[0130] Additionally, together with the message indicating approach to the speed measurement device 30, the accuracy of approach to the speed measurement device 30 may be notified. The accuracy of approach to the speed measurement device 30 may be displayed as a percentage or as a graded level (numerical value, large, medium, small, etc.) depending on, for example, the type of recognized related element, the importance of the recognized related element, the number of related elements, etc.

[0131] On the other hand, in step S7, the control unit 11 does not issue an alarm and returns to the processing of step S1. The processing of step S7 is a processing to stop (i.e., turn OFF) the alarm control if it is being executed. That is, in step S6, steps S2 to S3 are all "No", and the related elements of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 and the second light transmitter / receiver 33 cannot be recognized. Therefore, in step S6, if alarm control is not being executed at this point, the state is maintained as it is, and if alarm control has been started in step S5, the alarm control is ended.

[0132] The process of FIG. 4 may be ended at any timing, but may be ended, for example, when the power supply of the electronic device 10 is turned off by operating the operation unit 18 or when the route guidance function is stopped.

[0133] In this way, the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 of this embodiment recognizes the road cones 41, 42 using the imaging unit 13, etc., and issues an alarm regarding speed enforcement. The light transmitters and receivers 31, 33 are small and are installed on the road, and in many cases the road cones 41, 42 are installed around the light transmitters and receivers 31, 33 to avoid contact with vehicles and pedestrians. Therefore, by recognizing the road cones 41, 42 as related elements of the light transmitters and receivers 31, 33 from an image captured of the area ahead of the vehicle 50, it is possible to indirectly detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 that uses the light transmitters and receivers 31, 33, which are not installed in a fixed position and do not measure the speed of the vehicle 50 by irradiating it with radar waves or laser light.

[0134] As in this embodiment, it is preferable to issue a warning regarding speed enforcement when the road cones 41 and 42 are installed in an area where pedestrians do not pass (for example, roadway RW).It is preferable to suppress (for example, not issue) a warning regarding speed enforcement when the road cones 41 and 42 are installed in an area where pedestrians pass (for example, sidewalk SW).

[0135] As in this embodiment, when the road cones 41, 42 are installed close to the (left) shoulder, it is preferable to issue a warning regarding speed enforcement. When the road cones 41, 42 are not installed close to the (left) shoulder, it is preferable to suppress (for example, not issue) the warning regarding speed enforcement. The road cones 41, 42 arranged around the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 are often arranged close to the shoulder of the roadway RW. Therefore, by recognizing the road cones 41, 42 installed close to the shoulder of the roadway RW as related elements of the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 from an image captured ahead of the vehicle 50, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0136] As in the present embodiment, when a median strip S (fence, curb, etc.) is present to separate the sidewalk SW from the roadway RW, and road cones 41, 42 are detected on the roadway RW side of the median strip S, an alarm related to speed enforcement may be suppressed (for example, not issued). When a median strip S (fence, curb, etc.) is present to separate the sidewalk SW from the roadway RW, and road cones 41, 42 are detected on the sidewalk SW side of the median strip S, an alarm related to speed enforcement may be suppressed (for example, not issued). The road cones 41, 42 arranged around the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 are often arranged on the roadway RW side of the median strip S between the roadway RW and the sidewalk SW. Therefore, by recognizing the road cones 41, 42 installed on the roadway RW side of the median strip S between the roadway RW and the sidewalk SW as related elements from an image captured ahead of the vehicle 50, approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 can be more reliably detected.

[0137] As in this embodiment, if the road cones 41, 42 are warm colors, it is preferable to issue a warning regarding speed enforcement. If the road cones 41, 42 are not warm colors, it is preferable to suppress (for example, not issue) a warning regarding speed enforcement. The road cones 41, 42 arranged around the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 are often warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow. Therefore, by recognizing the warm-colored road cones 41, 42 as related elements from an image captured in front of the vehicle 50, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0138] As in this embodiment, if the road cones 41, 42 are equipped with reflective material 41c, it is preferable to issue a warning regarding speed enforcement. If the road cones 41, 42 are not equipped with reflective material 41c, it is preferable to suppress (for example, not issue) the warning regarding speed enforcement. The road cones 41, 42 arranged around the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 often have reflective material 41c. Therefore, by recognizing the road cones 41, 42 equipped with reflective material 41c as related elements from an image captured ahead of the vehicle 50, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0139] As in this embodiment, an alarm may be issued when one or more road cones 41, 42 are detected in the above positions. However, it is particularly preferable to issue an alarm when two are detected. An alarm or a strong alarm may be issued when the distance between the two cones is approximately 3 m. An alarm may not be issued when the distance between the two cones exceeds a predetermined distance (e.g., 10 m, preferably 10 m). Since a large number of road cones 41, 42 are likely to be roadside construction, it is preferable not to issue a speed enforcement alarm (alert for approaching the speed measuring device). The light transmitters and receivers 31, 33 serving as the speed measuring device 30 are usually arranged in pairs, one for timer start and one for timer stop, and the road cones 41, 42 surrounding the light transmitters and receivers 31, 33 are often arranged in pairs on the roadway RW accordingly. Therefore, by recognizing the light transmitters and receivers 31, 33 arranged in front and behind the vehicle 50's path as related elements from an image captured ahead of the vehicle 50, approach to the speed measuring device 30 using the light transmitters and receivers 31, 33 can be more reliably detected. The light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33 serving as the speed measurement device 30 have a fixed interval between the timer start and timer stop for speed measurement, which is often 3 meters. Therefore, the road cones 41 and 42 arranged around the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33 are often arranged in pairs, one in front of the other, with an interval of 3 meters or more. Therefore, by recognizing the road cones 41 and 42 arranged in front of and behind the vehicle 50 with an interval of 3 meters or more on the path of the vehicle 50 as related elements from an image captured of the area ahead of the vehicle 50, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33.

[0140] For example, on the Metropolitan Expressway, traffic enforcement often takes place using emergency parking lanes. When road cones 41, 42 are located in emergency parking lanes, as in this embodiment, it is advisable to process the direction of issuing an enforcement warning (warning about approaching a speed measuring device). Processing the direction of issuing a warning involves issuing a warning when other directional conditions for issuing a warning are met, while not issuing a warning when other conditions for not issuing a warning are met. Processing the direction of issuing a warning also includes raising the level of the warning if there are levels, or issuing a stronger warning if a warning has already been issued. The light-transmitting / receiving devices 31, 33 serving as the speed measuring device 30 may be installed in emergency parking lanes where sufficient installation space is available, and the road cones 41, 42 surrounding the light-transmitting / receiving devices 31, 33 may also be installed in emergency parking lanes accordingly. Therefore, by recognizing the road cones 41, 42 installed in emergency parking lanes as relevant elements from an image captured ahead of the vehicle 50, approach to the speed measuring device 30 using the light-transmitting / receiving devices 31, 33 can be more reliably detected.

[0141] The camera detects objects such as road cones 41 and 42. For example, if two road cones 41 and 42 are installed at equal intervals, they may be photoelectric tubes.

[0142] Or if they detect someone sitting on a chair on the sidewalk, they could be subject to photocells or other enforcement.

[0143] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 of this embodiment recognizes the speed monitor 43 using the speed measuring device 30 and issues a warning regarding speed enforcement.

[0144] If there is a monitor 43 facing the roadway RW from the sidewalk SW, it is advisable to perform processing of the direction to issue an enforcement alarm. The light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 used in the speed measurement device 30 are often located around a monitor 43 who manages the speed measurement device 30. While a normal pedestrian walks along the sidewalk and faces in a direction along the sidewalk, the monitor 43 often faces from the sidewalk SW to the roadway RW to monitor the speed measurement device 30 installed on the roadway RW and passing vehicles 50. Therefore, by recognizing a person (monitor 43) facing from the sidewalk SW to the roadway RW in an image captured in front of the vehicle 50 as a related element of the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0145] Furthermore, if there is an observer 43 wearing a predetermined type of clothing such as a uniform, hat, reflective vest, or helmet in cool colors such as navy blue or black, it is advisable to perform processing in the direction of issuing a crackdown warning. The observers 43 around the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33 are mainly police officers, and in many cases they wear a predetermined type of clothing such as a uniform. Therefore, by recognizing a person (observer 43) wearing a predetermined type of clothing from an image captured in front of the vehicle 50 as a related element of the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33.

[0146] If there is an observer 43 staying near the road cones 41, 42, it is advisable to perform processing in a direction to issue a crackdown alarm. The observer 43 around the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 often stays in place to monitor the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33. Road cones 41, 42 are installed around the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33, and the observer 43 also stays in the vicinity. Therefore, by recognizing the person (observer 43) staying near the road cones 41, 42 from the image captured in front of the vehicle 50 as an associated element of the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0147] If the head of the observer 43 is found on the sidewalk SW within a range of 1 m to 1.2 m in height and does not move for a predetermined period of time, processing should be performed to issue a crackdown alarm. The observer 43 around the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 often sits on a folding chair 43a or the like and monitors the speed measurement device 30. In such cases, the head of the observer 43 is often located within a range of 1 m to 1.2 m in height on the sidewalk, and the head often does not move from that position during monitoring. Therefore, by recognizing the head of a person who is on the sidewalk within a range of 1 m to 1.2 m in height and does not move for a predetermined period of time from an image captured in front of the vehicle 50 as a related element of the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0148] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 of this embodiment recognizes the measuring lights L1 and L2 emitted by the photoelectric tube type speed measuring device 30 and issues an alarm regarding speed enforcement.

[0149] If the measurement lights L1 and L2 are detected crossing the roadway RW, processing should be performed to issue a traffic enforcement warning. In a so-called photoelectric tube-type speed measurement device 30, the measurement lights L1 and L2 emitted from the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33 are emitted in a direction crossing the path of the vehicle 50. While the measurement lights L1 and L2 are typically invisible to the naked eye, imaging units such as cameras used in smartphones can capture light with wavelengths wider than those of the naked eye, such as the infrared range. Therefore, by recognizing the measurement lights L1 and L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50 as relevant elements in an image captured in front of the vehicle 50, approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33 can be more reliably detected. For example, if a telephoto infrared camera is installed on the vehicle 50 facing forward in the direction of travel, and an image corresponding to light crossing the road left and right is detected in the image captured by the infrared camera, the detected image can be recognized as "measurement light crossing the path of the vehicle captured in an image captured in front of the vehicle." In particular, when light is detected that crosses a first predetermined range within the road but does not cross a second predetermined range outside the first predetermined range, it is preferable to recognize it as "measurement light crossing the path of the vehicle in an image captured ahead of the vehicle." The first predetermined range may be, for example, a location corresponding to the roadway RW, and the second predetermined range may be a location corresponding to the sidewalk. This can more reliably recognize light crossing the road to measure the speed of the vehicle 50, thereby reducing false alarms. In particular, the first predetermined range may be a lane on the roadway RW in the same direction as the host vehicle 50. For example, if the road is one lane with two-way traffic, it may be the lane that is currently in the host vehicle's path. For example, if the road is two lanes on each side, or four lanes on both sides, it may be the two lanes that are currently in the host vehicle's path. A predetermined space may be provided between the first predetermined range and the second predetermined range. This can further reduce false alarms.

[0150] When two measurement beams L1 and L2 are detected crossing the roadway RW at a predetermined interval (especially an interval of about 3 m), it is preferable to perform processing in a direction to issue a traffic enforcement warning. When the interval is greater than a predetermined interval, it is preferable to perform processing in a direction to suppress the issuance of a traffic enforcement warning. The light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33 serving as the speed measurement device 30 have a fixed interval between a timer start and a timer stop for speed measurement, and this interval is often 3 m. Therefore, by recognizing the pair of measurement beams L1 and L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50 at an interval of 3 m on the path of the vehicle 50 as related elements from an image captured in front of the vehicle 50, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33.

[0151] As in the present embodiment, the wavelengths of the two measurement beams L1 and L2 are preferably the same, the wavelengths being in the infrared region, and an imaging unit 13 that receives the wavelengths of the measurement beams L1 and L2 is provided for detecting the measurement beams L1 and L2. The imaging unit 13 is preferably a camera sensitive to the infrared region, as in the present embodiment. The light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33 for starting and stopping the timer in the speed measurement device 30 often use the measurement beams L1 and L2 of the same wavelength. Therefore, by recognizing the measurement beams L1 and L2, which have the same wavelength and cross the pair of front and rear paths, as related elements on the path of the vehicle 50 from an image captured in front of the vehicle 50, approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33 can be more reliably detected.

[0152] It is particularly advantageous to combine this with the recognition of the road cones 41 and 42. It is advantageous to record a video (captured image) using the recognition of the road cones 41 and 42 and / or the recognition of the measurement light beams L1 and L2 as a trigger.

[0153] As in this embodiment, it is preferable to have a function for detecting whether the two measurement beams L1 and L2 are spaced apart at a predetermined interval (preferably approximately 3 m). If the interval is not at a predetermined interval (preferably approximately 3 m), it is preferable to issue a notification indicating that there is a possibility of erroneous measurement. In particular, it is preferable to issue a notification indicating that there is a possibility of erroneous measurement when the interval is narrower than the predetermined interval.

[0154] As in this embodiment, it is preferable to have a function for detecting whether the two measurement beams L1 and L2 are parallel. If they are not parallel, it is preferable to issue a warning indicating the possibility of erroneous measurement. The light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33 for timer start and timer stop as part of the speed measurement device 30 need to emit measurement beams L1 and L2 parallel to each other in the front and rear to accurately measure speed. Therefore, by recognizing the pair of parallel measurement beams L1 and L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50 as related elements from an image captured in front of the vehicle 50, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33.

[0155] As in the present embodiment, when the measurement beams L1 and L2 are detected at a position 9 cm or higher above the ground, a warning indicating the possibility of erroneous measurement may be issued. The light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33 of the speed measurement device 30 normally detect the passage of the front wheels of a vehicle, so the measurement beams L1 and L2 must be emitted below the underside of the vehicle body. Therefore, by recognizing the measurement beams L1 and L2 that cross the path of the vehicle less than 9 cm above the road surface from an image captured in front of the vehicle 50 as relevant elements, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33.

[0156] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 of this embodiment recognizes other relevant elements related to the first light transmitting / receiving device 31 or the second light transmitting / receiving device 33, and issues a warning regarding speed enforcement.

[0157] As in this embodiment, it is preferable to determine whether or not there is a reflector (reflectors 32, 34) on the right shoulder of the road, and if there is, to process the direction in which to issue a crackdown warning. The speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 has reflectors 32, 34 that reflect the measurement light L1, L2 emitted from the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33. Therefore, by recognizing the reflectors 32, 34 as relevant elements in an image captured in front of the vehicle 50, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0158] As in the present embodiment, when other installed objects are detected, for example, when a minivan 44 parked on the shoulder of the road together with road cones 41, 42 is detected, processing can be performed to determine the direction to issue a crackdown warning. Many of the vehicles used by the surveillance officer 43 are minivans 44, which are parked near the speed measurement device 30. Therefore, by recognizing the minivan as a related element in an image captured in front of the vehicle 50 in addition to the related elements described above, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0159] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, when a metal chair 43a is detected as another installed object, it is advisable to perform processing to issue a crackdown warning. In many cases, the observer 43 is seated on the metal chair 43a. Therefore, by recognizing the metal chair 43a as a related element in an image captured in front of the vehicle 50 in addition to the related elements described above, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33.

[0160] As described above, the system of this embodiment includes the control unit 11 that is provided in the vehicle 50 and performs alarm control to issue an alarm of approaching the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 that transmit and receive the measurement light L1, L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50. The system also includes a program for realizing the functions of the system. In this way, the user can receive an alarm in the vehicle 50 of approaching the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 that transmit and receive the measurement light L1, L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50. The light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 that transmit and receive the measurement light L1, L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50 may be so-called photocell type speed measuring devices. In this way, the user can be made aware of approaching a location where a so-called photocell type speed measuring device using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 that transmit and receive the measurement light L1, L2 crossing the path of the vehicle 50 may be installed.

[0161] As in this embodiment, the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33 are preferably used in the speed measurement device 30. In this way, the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33 can be used in the speed measurement device 30 to allow the user to know when a traffic enforcement action is approaching.

[0162] In particular, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to provide alarm control that warns of approach to a so-called photocell speed measuring device 30 (also called a photocell speed measuring device) using light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33. The content of this alarm should not be a warning indicating approach to a speed measuring device 30 other than a photocell speed measuring device 30, but rather a warning indicating approach to a location where a photocell speed measuring device 30 is located. For example, instead of "There is a photocell speed measuring device 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!", it is preferable to provide a warning such as "There may be a photocell speed measuring device 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!" or "There is a photocell speed measuring device 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!" While "There may be a photocell speed measuring device 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!" is also acceptable, it is preferable to provide a warning that specifically indicates something related to photocell speed measuring devices, such as "There are road cones related to photocell speed measuring devices 500 meters ahead. Watch your speed!", and in particular, to provide a warning that indicates at least some of the things related to photocell speed measuring devices. In this way, the user can focus on the object, pay attention to its location, and easily confirm whether or not a photocell speed camera has actually been installed. The warning content can be stored in the system's memory means and output as voice, text, images, etc. Conventional systems memorize the location of the speed measuring device 30 itself and issue a warning indicating the approach of the speed measuring device 30, but this system is configured to change whether or not to install a speed measuring device 30 as is the case with photocell speed cameras, and in cases where the speed is not measured by irradiating microwaves or laser light onto the vehicle 50, it is possible to warn about the approach of a photocell speed camera that cannot directly detect the speed measuring device 30.

[0163] The control unit 11 performs the warning control by recognizing relevant elements related to the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33. The relevant elements include the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 themselves, the reflectors 32, 34, and the measurement control unit. By recognizing the relevant elements related to the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 in this way, it is possible to detect approach to the speed measuring device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 and warn the user, not only when the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33 can be detected directly.

[0164] The control unit 11 performs the alarm control by recognizing a plurality of related elements associated with the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33. In this way, by performing alarm control by recognizing a plurality of related elements, the probability of erroneously recognizing the light transmitter / receivers 31 and 33 can be reduced, and false alarms can be suppressed.

[0165] The control unit 11 recognizes related elements associated with the transmitter / receivers 31 and 33, and performs different alarm control depending on the type of recognized related element. For example, different alarm control is performed when the recognized related element is related to road cones 41 and 42, or when it is related to a security guard. In this way, by performing different alarm control depending on the type of recognized related element, the user can be clearly informed of the reason for the approach of a photocell-type speed camera.

[0166] The control unit 11 also recognizes related elements associated with the light transmitters and receivers 31 and 33, and performs different alarm control depending on the number of recognized related elements. For example, the more recognized related elements, the higher the probability of approaching a photocell-type speed camera, so the higher the probability, the stronger the alarm that warns the user. In this way, by performing different alarm control depending on the number of recognized related elements, it is possible to provide a more appropriate alarm to the user.

[0167] As described above, the electronic device 10 issues an alarm regarding the speed measuring device 30, thereby making the user, such as the driver of the vehicle 50, pay attention to speed enforcement, which contributes to safe driving.

[0168] [Second embodiment] In the electronic device 10 of the first embodiment, an alarm is issued when the control unit 11 recognizes any of the traffic cones 41, 42, the monitor 43, the measurement light beams L1, L2, and other related elements, but an alarm may also be issued when a predetermined number or more of related element types are recognized. Since the configuration of the electronic device 10 of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for each part and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0169] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 of the second embodiment. The same processes as those of the first embodiment of FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

[0170] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 acquires a captured image of the area ahead of the vehicle using the imaging unit 13 in step S1, and analyzes the acquired captured image in step S2 to determine whether or not it has recognized road cones 41, 42 as related elements of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33. If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S2, that is, if it has recognized road cones 41, 42 that satisfy the predetermined conditions as described in the first embodiment from the captured image, it proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S2, it proceeds to step S3. In step S11, the control unit 11 increments the number of types of recognized related elements by 1, and then proceeds to step S3.

[0171] In step S3, the control unit 11 analyzes the acquired captured image and determines whether or not it has recognized the monitor 43 as an associated element of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33. If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S3, that is, if it has recognized the monitor 43 from the captured image who meets the predetermined conditions as described in the first embodiment, it proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S3, it proceeds to step S4. In step S12, the control unit 11 increments the number of types of recognized associated elements by 1, and then proceeds to step S4.

[0172] In step S4, the control unit 11 analyzes the acquired captured image and determines whether or not the control unit 11 has recognized the measurement light L1, L2 as an associated element of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33. If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S4, that is, if the control unit 11 has recognized the measurement light L1, L2 that meets the predetermined conditions as described in the first embodiment from the captured image, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S4, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S14. In step S13, the control unit 11 increments the number of types of recognized associated elements by 1, and then proceeds to step S14.

[0173] In step S14, the control unit 11 analyzes the acquired captured image and determines whether or not other related elements of the first light transmitter / receiver 31 or the second light transmitter / receiver 33 have been recognized based on information acquired via the GPS receiving unit 15 and the communication unit 16.

[0174] In step S14, in addition to the first reflector 32 or the second reflector 34, the minivan 44 parked on the roadside, and the folding chair 43a that were recognized as other related elements in the first embodiment, these related elements and related elements within a predetermined range from the positions of the related elements recognized in steps S2 to S4 (road cones 41, 42, monitor 43, measurement beams L1, L2) are recognized. Specifically, in this embodiment, elements that satisfy predetermined conditions regarding other related elements such as those listed below are recognized as related elements.

[0175] For example, as one of the predetermined conditions for other related elements, the control unit 11 recognizes viaducts 45a and 45b that intersect with the roadway RW on which the vehicle 50 is traveling within a predetermined range (for example, 200 m) from the above-mentioned related elements as related elements, as shown in Fig. 2. One method for recognizing the viaducts 45a and 45b may be, for example, to determine whether or not there is an image portion corresponding to the viaduct in the captured image.

[0176] The method of recognizing the viaducts 45a, 45b is not limited to the method of recognizing the viaducts 45a, 45b based on captured images. For example, the control unit 11 may recognize the viaducts 45a, 45b within a predetermined range (for example, 200 m) of the above-mentioned related elements as related elements based on map data stored in the memory unit 17 or location information based on the GPS receiving unit 15.

[0177] As one method for the control unit 11 to recognize the viaducts 45a, 45b, the control unit 11 may acquire information acquired by other vehicles 60 via the communication unit 16, and based on the information from the other vehicles 60, recognize the viaducts 45a, 45b within a predetermined range (for example, 200 m) of the above-mentioned related elements as related elements.

[0178] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 determines that one condition of the other related elements is satisfied when the viaducts 45a and 45b are recognized using any one of three methods: photographed images, map data, GPS information, and information from other vehicles 60. The method for recognizing the viaducts 45a and 45b can be set arbitrarily. For example, if information from other vehicles cannot be obtained, the recognition of the viaducts may be determined using only photographed images, map data, and GPS information. The number of times that the viaducts 45a and 45b are determined to be recognized can also be set arbitrarily. It may be determined that one condition of the other related elements is satisfied when the viaducts 45a and 45b are recognized using two methods or when the viaducts 45a and 45b are recognized using three methods. It may also be determined that one condition of the other related elements is satisfied each time the viaducts 45a and 45b are recognized using one method.

[0179] In addition to recognizing the viaducts 45a and 45b, the control unit 11 may acquire SNS information via the communication unit 16 as one of the predetermined conditions regarding other related elements, and recognize information about the enclosures (fences 47a and 47b) on the viaducts 45a and 45b acquired from the SNS information as related elements.

[0180] Information on the enclosures (fences 47a, 47b) on the viaducts 45a, 45b in SNS information can be obtained by narrowing down posts related to the photocell speed measuring device 30 using keywords with hashtags, for example, and obtaining information on the enclosures (fences 47a, 47b) from the location information described in or accompanying the posts.

[0181] In this way, in a location where there is an overpass 45a intersecting with the roadway RW within a predetermined range (for example, within 200 m) ahead of an already recognized related element, processing should be performed in a direction to issue a traffic enforcement warning. This is because there is a possibility that a violating vehicle will be photographed from the overpass 45a. Also, in a location where there is an overpass 45b behind an already recognized related element within a predetermined range (for example, within 200 m), processing should be performed in a direction to issue a traffic enforcement warning. In many cases, there are overpasses 45a, 45b around the speed measurement device 30 to photograph the vehicle 50 when the speed of the vehicle 50 measured by the speed measurement device 30 is above a predetermined speed. If photographing is performed from the overpasses 45a, 45b intersecting with the roadway RW on which the vehicle 50 is traveling, it is possible to photograph the vehicle 50 from the front. Therefore, by recognizing viaducts 45a, 45b within a predetermined range of the related elements as related elements based on an image taken in front of the vehicle 50 and / or map information, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measuring device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0182] If another vehicle 60 detects that the shoulder of the viaduct 45a, 45b is fenced off, it is advisable to perform processing to issue a crackdown warning. For example, the presence of a screen (such as a construction fence) on the shoulder of the intersecting elevated road can be detected by the drive recorder of the other vehicle 60, uploaded to a server, and information on that location can be obtained from the server. In order to ensure space for capturing images of the vehicle 50 passing under the viaduct 45a, 45b from the viaduct, fences or the like are often formed on the viaduct. In recent years, it has become possible to acquire information acquired by the other vehicle 60. By acquiring enclosure information from such information acquired by the other vehicle 60 and recognizing it as a related element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measurement device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0183] It is advisable to store hashtags related to enforcement on social media (for example, #mobileorvis), search social media using those hashtags, provide a parser that acquires and extracts text information (and location information), and provide a function to obtain location information from that extracted information. In recent years, road information and the like has been posted on social media, and by acquiring enclosure information from such social media information and recognizing it as a related element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measuring device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0184] The control unit 11 may also recognize, based on map information stored in the memory unit 17, that the vehicle 50 is traveling through a predetermined section of straight roads longer than a predetermined distance. This predetermined section may be, for example, a section likely to contain a photocell-type speedometer 30 stored in the memory unit 17. A GPS alert may be issued for a location that meets three conditions: a road where speeds are likely to be high, photocells can be installed, and there are viaducts 45a and 45b nearby where cameras can be installed. The GPS alert is issued when a location indicated by GPS information is within a predetermined proximity to a traffic control point. For example, a warning zone may be defined on a map, and the alert may be issued when the vehicle 50 enters that zone based on GPS information. Speedometers 30 are often installed on long, straight sections where the vehicle 50 can travel at a sufficient speed. Therefore, by recognizing, based on map information, that the vehicle 50 is traveling in a specified section with a straight line of more than a specified distance as the relevant element, it is possible to more reliably detect approach to the speed measuring device 30 using the light transmitter / receivers 31, 33.

[0185] If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S14, that is, if it has recognized other related elements that satisfy the above-mentioned predetermined conditions, it proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S14, it proceeds to step S16. In step S15, the control unit 11 increments the number of recognized related element types by 1, and then proceeds to step S16.

[0186] In step S16, the control unit 11 determines whether the number of recognized related element types, which is the number of types of recognized related elements, is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The predetermined number can be set arbitrarily, and is set to 3 in this embodiment, for example.

[0187] If the control unit 11 determines "Yes" in step S16, that is, if the number of types of recognition-related elements is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S6 and issues a warning as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines "No" in step S16, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S7 and does not issue a warning.

[0188] In this way, the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 of this embodiment determines whether an alarm is necessary depending on the number of types of recognized related elements. The alarm may be different depending on the number of types of recognized related elements. For example, the more recognized related elements there are, the higher the probability of the approach of the photocell-type speed measuring device 30, so the higher the probability, the stronger the alarm that alerts the user. Note that instead of the number of types of recognized related elements, the number of related elements that meet the above-mentioned conditions may be counted.

[0189] As described above, the electronic device 10 issues an alarm regarding the photocell-type speed measuring device 30, thereby making the user, such as the driver of the vehicle 50, pay attention to speed enforcement, which contributes to safe driving.

[0190] [Variations] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0191] (Variation 1) The control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 may suppress control to issue an alarm if the traffic cones 41, 42, the guard 43, the measurement beams L1, L2, or some other related elements are not recognized in the image captured by the imaging unit of the area ahead of the vehicle 50. In this case, suppressing control to issue an alarm can be achieved by not issuing an alarm at all, or by lowering the volume, the display, or the alarm level compared to when an alarm is issued but not suppressed. In this way, alarms due to erroneous recognition by the photocell-type speed measuring device 30 can be suppressed, and unnecessary information can be prevented from being provided to the user.

[0192] (Variation 2) Some of the configurations and operations described in the above embodiments may be omitted or modified. For example, the photocell-type speed measuring device 30 does not necessarily have to include the road cones 41 and 42 or the monitor 43, and other elements may be added as long as they are used for the operation and installation of the speed measuring device 30.

[0193] In the first and second embodiments described above, whether the road cones recognized in step S1 are both or either the first road cone 41 and the second road cone 42, whether the measurement light recognized in step S3 is both or either the first measurement light L1 and the second measurement light L2, and whether the reflector recognized in step S5 is both or either the first reflector 32 and the second reflector 34 may be displayed in advance on a setting screen or the like of the electronic device 10 and set by a user operation, and a determination may be made according to the setting. Also, a predetermined number that satisfies a predetermined condition for determining the determination result in steps S2 to S5 and S14 as "Yes", or a combination of the predetermined conditions for determining "Yes" in steps S2 to S5 and S14 may be displayed in advance on a setting screen or the like of the electronic device 10 and set by a user operation, and a determination of "Yes" or "No" may be made according to the setting.

[0194] Furthermore, it is preferable to set whether or not to perform the determination for each of the determinations in steps S2 to S5 and S14 in the first and second embodiments.

[0195] (Variation 3) In addition to or instead of recognizing the traffic cones 41, 42, the monitor 43, the measuring beams L1, L2, and other related elements described in the first and second embodiments, the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 may receive a wireless signal of a predetermined frequency related to speed enforcement using the wireless receiver 26 and perform alarm control based on the received results. This is because wireless signals related to speed enforcement (also called on-site enforcement wireless) may propagate at and around enforcement points. The predetermined frequency related to speed enforcement may be, for example, 350.1 MHz.

[0196] For example, the control unit 11 may increase the accuracy of approaching the speed measuring device 30 (e.g., increase the warning level) when it receives a wireless signal of this predetermined frequency, or decrease the accuracy (e.g., decrease the warning level) when it does not receive the signal. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may recognize the reception of a wireless signal of this predetermined frequency as one of the relevant elements of the light transmitter / receiver, and may use the reception of a wireless signal of the predetermined frequency as one of the conditions for issuing an alarm. In this way, it is expected that the accuracy of the alarm indicating approaching the photocell-type speed measuring device 30 will be improved. In other words, alarms due to erroneous recognition of the photocell-type speed measuring device 30 can be further reduced, and the provision of unnecessary information to the user can be reduced.

[0197] The warning control performed by the electronic device 10 may be a control to issue a warning before passing a speed measurement point by the speed measuring device 30, or a control to issue a warning while passing or after passing a speed measurement point. In this case, the warning control may be a control to issue a message such as "You may be passing a speed measurement point using a photocell speed camera," or "You may have passed a speed measurement point using a photocell speed camera," by displaying or sounding a message. Such warning control is also expected to contribute to safe driving by the driver. Such warning control may be based on, for example, images captured in front of the vehicle 50, as well as images captured from the side or rear. Furthermore, methods for recognizing related elements include a method using captured images, as well as a method using various sensors or other detection means to detect the presence of related elements.

[0198] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures expressly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. While the structures of the invention sought to be patented are specified in the accompanying claims, it is the intention to claim structures disclosed herein in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims.

[0199] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. The structures of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, but it is the intention of the present inventors to claim structures disclosed in this specification in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims.

[0200] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments. The components of each of the above-described embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment or variation may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the Summary of the Invention or any component embodying any component described in the Summary of the Invention. The present invention also intends to obtain rights to these configurations through amendments or divisional applications of the present application. Even if a description is made of "in the case of..." or "when...," it is not intended to describe a configuration limited to that case or time. Configurations that are not limited to those cases or times are also disclosed, and the present invention intends to obtain rights to them. Furthermore, any descriptions that specify an order are not limited to this order. Configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed are also disclosed, and the present invention intends to obtain rights to them.

[0201] Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the overall design or partial design by converting the application to a design registration. The drawings depict the entire device in solid lines, but they also include partial designs claimed for parts of the device. For example, a partial design can be a partial design for a part of the device, or a part of that part. A partial design can be a part of the device, or a part of that part. We intend to obtain rights not only for the overall design, but also for partial designs in which any part of the solid line portion of the drawing is drawn as a broken line. Furthermore, the modules, components, and parts inside the device's casing, all of which are shown in the drawings, are subject to independent commerce, and we intend to similarly obtain rights by converting the application to a design registration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0202] 10:Electronic equipment 11: Control section 12: Display section 13: Imaging unit 14: Speaker 15: GPS receiver 16: Communications Department 17: Storage section 17a: Database 18:Operation section 19: Sensor section 20: Mounting part 21: Power supply section 22: Light-emitting part 23: Cable terminal 24: Laser light receiving unit 25: Radar wave receiver 26: Wireless receiver 30: Speed measuring device 31: 1st transmitter / receiver 32: 1st reflector 33: 2nd transmitter / receiver 34:Second reflector 35: Measurement control section 40: Vehicle 41: First road cone 41a: Bottom 41b: Cone part 41c: Reflective material 42: Second road cone 43: Warden 43a: Pipe chair 44: Van 45a, 45b: Viaduct 46a, 46b: Enforcement cameras 47a, 47b: Fence 50: Vehicle 60: Other vehicles

Claims

1. The system has a control unit that is provided in a vehicle and performs warning control to warn of approach to a light transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives measurement light that crosses the vehicle's path.

2. The light transmitter / receiver is used in a speed measuring device. The system of claim 1 .

3. The control unit recognizes relevant elements related to the light transmitter / receiver and performs the alarm control.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit recognizes a plurality of related elements associated with the light transmitter / receiver and performs the alarm control. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control unit recognizes a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs different alarm control depending on the type of the recognized related element. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The control unit recognizes related elements associated with the light transmitter / receiver, and performs different alarm control depending on the number of recognized related elements. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The control unit recognizes a road cone installed on a roadway that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The control unit recognizes a road cone installed near the shoulder of a roadway that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The control unit recognizes a road cone installed on the roadway side of a median strip between a roadway and a sidewalk, which is captured in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The control unit recognizes a warm-colored road cone that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

10. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The control unit recognizes a road cone having a reflective material that appears in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The control unit recognizes road cones placed before and after the vehicle on the path of the vehicle, which are captured in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, as relevant elements related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

12. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The control unit recognizes road cones placed at intervals of 3 m or more on the path of the vehicle, which are shown in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, as relevant elements related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

13. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The control unit recognizes a road cone installed in an emergency parking lane that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

14. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The control unit recognizes a reflector arranged on the right side of the road shoulder with respect to the vehicle shown in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitting / receiving device, and performs the warning control.

15. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The control unit recognizes a person facing from the sidewalk to the roadway in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

16. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The control unit recognizes a person wearing a predetermined type of clothing who appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

17. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The control unit recognizes a person standing near a road cone that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

18. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The control unit recognizes the head of a person who has not moved for a predetermined time on the sidewalk within a range of 1 m to 1.2 m in height from an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the alarm control.

19. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. The control unit recognizes measurement light that crosses the path of the vehicle and is captured in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

20. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. The control unit recognizes measurement light beams that cross a pair of paths at an interval of 3 m on the path of the vehicle, which are captured in an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, as relevant elements related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

21. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. The control unit recognizes measurement light having the same wavelength and crossing a pair of paths on the path of the vehicle shown in an image of the front of the vehicle as a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

22. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. The control unit recognizes a pair of parallel measurement lights crossing the path of the vehicle, which are shown in an image of the front of the vehicle, as a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

23. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. The control unit recognizes the measurement light that crosses the path of the vehicle less than 9 cm from the road surface shown in the image of the front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

24. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. The control unit recognizes a minivan parked on the roadside in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a relevant element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

25. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. The control unit recognizes a folding chair that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle as a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

26. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

27. The control unit recognizes an overpass that intersects with a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range from a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver that appears in an image captured in front of the vehicle, as a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the warning control.

27. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. The control unit recognizes an overpass that intersects with a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range from the relevant element related to the light transmitting / receiving device based on map information, as the relevant element related to the light transmitting / receiving device, and performs the warning control.

28. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. The control unit recognizes information about an enclosure on an elevated bridge that intersects with a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range from a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device, which information is acquired based on information acquired by other vehicles, as a related element related to the light-transmitting / receiving device, and performs the alarm control.

29. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. The control unit recognizes information about an enclosure on an elevated bridge that intersects with a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range from a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver, which is acquired based on SNS information, as a related element related to the light transmitter / receiver, and performs the alarm control.

30. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 29.

31. The control unit recognizes, based on map information, that the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined section where a straight line continues for a predetermined distance or more as a relevant element related to the light transmitting / receiving device, and performs the warning control.

31. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 30.

32. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the system according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

Images