Vehicle guiding system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle guiding system characterized in that a progress of flickering driving of a guide light is not seen being discontinued.SOLUTION: A vehicle guiding system (10) includes a vehicle guide light (30) having a light emitting unit (33) and a controller (20) that controls a lighting action of the light emitting unit (33) of the vehicle guide light (30). The vehicle guide lights (30) are disposed on a road R along an advancing direction of a vehicle C that travels on the road R. The controller (20) lights the guide light (30) that is located behind in the advancing direction of the vehicle, out of the mutually adjoining guide lights (30), while the guide light (30) located ahead thereof is being lit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle guidance system. [Background technology]

[0002] In sections of roads that include uphill sections or tunnels, traffic congestion is likely to occur because vehicles slow down. Vehicle guidance devices that can encourage vehicles to travel at a constant speed in such sections are known. The guide light system described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-283393 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) is one example.

[0003] A vehicle guidance system has multiple guide lights that guide drivers by turning them on and off in a sequence based on the direction of travel on the road. On roads equipped with a vehicle guidance system, drivers follow the guide lights that flash in sequence, and their speed and direction of travel are unconsciously guided or restricted by the vehicle guidance system. This guidance effect is called the vection effect, and is used to alleviate traffic congestion, among other purposes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-283393 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional vehicle guidance devices, the flashing flow of the guidance lights may appear to be interrupted, leaving room for improvement in the vehicle guidance effect.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle guidance device that does not appear to interrupt the flashing flow of the guide lights. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle guidance device according to one solution of the present invention is a vehicle guidance device having a vehicle guidance light with a light-emitting unit and a control device that controls the lighting operation of the light-emitting unit of the vehicle guidance light, wherein a plurality of the vehicle guidance lights are installed on a road along the direction of travel of a vehicle traveling on the road, and the control device is characterized in that, of the adjacent guidance lights, the guidance light that is located behind in the direction of travel of the vehicle is turned on while the guidance light that is located in front of it is turned on. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle guidance device that does not appear to interrupt the flashing flow of the guide lights. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle guidance device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device 20. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of an emergency exit light 30. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an emergency exit light 30. [Figure 5] 10 is an explanatory diagram of an operation unit 39 of the guide light 30. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a time chart of the operation of the guide light 30. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing the transition of the luminance of the light emitter 41 during the lighting duration To. [Figure 8] 10 is a time chart of the operation of the guide lights 30-1 to 30-4. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram illustrating the transition of luminance of the guide lights 30-1 to 30-10. FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] In the following embodiments of the present invention, the description will be divided into multiple sections, etc., as necessary. In principle, these sections are not unrelated to one another, and one section is a partial or complete modification, detail, etc. of the other. For this reason, in all drawings, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the number of components (including the number, numerical value, amount, range, etc.) is not limited to a specific number unless otherwise specified or clearly limited to a specific number in principle, and may be greater than or less than the specific number. Furthermore, when referring to the shape of a component, etc., it is intended to include those that are substantially similar or approximate to that shape, etc., unless otherwise specified or clearly considered not to be the case in principle.

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle guidance device 10 according to this embodiment. The vehicle guidance device 10 has a control device 20 and guide lights 30. The control device 20 can communicate with the guide lights 30 and can send signals related to the flashing of the guide lights 30 to the guide lights 30. A plurality of guide lights 30 are provided at regular intervals along a road R. The guide lights 30 are flashed based on signals sent from the control device 20.

[0012] 2 is a block diagram of the control device 20. The control device 20 includes a storage unit 21, a control unit 22, a communication unit 23, an operation unit 24, and a housing 25. The storage unit 21 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, and stores programs related to driving the control device 20 and parameters related to the operation of the emergency light 30. The control unit 22 is a processor that executes the programs stored in the storage unit 21. The communication unit 23 is, for example, a wireless module, and can establish communication between the control device 20 and the emergency light 30. The storage unit 21, the control unit 22, and the communication unit 23 are housed in a housing 25 made of a material such as resin.

[0013] The operation unit 24 is provided, for example, on the surface of the housing 25 or inside the housing 25. The operation unit 24 has switches for changing the settings of the emergency lights 30, such as a rotary switch for switching the light emission pattern of the emergency lights 30 and a toggle switch for changing the lighting cycle of the emergency lights 30. Each switch of the operation unit 24 is connected to the control unit 22. A user of the vehicle guidance device 10 can operate the operation unit 24 to set the operation of the emergency lights 30, etc.

[0014] The control device 20 also has a power supply module (not shown) for driving the control unit 22, the communication unit 23, etc. When the control device 20 is installed and used outdoors, a solar panel or the like may be provided to supply power to the control device 20.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a front view of the emergency exit light 30, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the emergency exit light 30. The emergency exit light 30 has a head 31 and a base 32, which are mainly made of a material such as resin. The head 31 has a light-emitting unit 33 equipped with a light-emitting element 41 such as an LED. The base 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, allowing the emergency exit light 30 to be fixed to a pole or a traffic cone along a road. Note that the arrangement of the light-emitting element 41 in the light-emitting unit 33 is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 3.

[0016] The emergency light 30 has a memory unit 34, a control unit 35, and a communication unit 36. The memory unit 34 stores parameters and programs related to the operation of the emergency light 30. The control unit 35 can execute the programs stored in the memory unit 34. The communication unit 36 ​​can establish communication between the emergency light 30 and the control device 20.

[0017] The emergency exit light 30 also has an operation unit 39. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the emergency exit light 30, illustrating the operation unit 39. The operation unit 39 is provided in a location on the head 31 where the light-emitting unit 33 is not provided. The operation unit 39 has an address input unit 40 and a display unit 43. A user of the emergency exit light 30 can assign an identification number (address) to the emergency exit light 30 by operating the address input unit 40 of the emergency exit light 30. Each emergency exit light 30 is assigned a unique identification number, such as 1, 2, 3, etc., and is identified and used as emergency exit light 30-1, emergency exit light 30-2, etc., emergency exit light 30-n, etc. The display unit 43 displays the identification number assigned to the emergency exit light 30-n. The operation unit 39 is connected to the memory unit 34 and the control unit 35, and the identification number input by operating the address input unit 40 is stored in the memory unit 34 of the emergency exit light 30-n. Various known means can be used to input the identification number.

[0018] The emergency light 30 also has a brightness adjustment unit 42 for adjusting the brightness of the light-emitting body 41. The brightness adjustment unit 42 is connected to the control unit 35 and the light-emitting body 41, and adjusts the brightness of the light-emitting body 41 under the control of the control unit 35. In this embodiment, the light-emitting body 41 is an LED, and a pulse width modulation circuit is used for the brightness adjustment unit 42. Note that various known means can be used to adjust the brightness of the light-emitting body 41. For example, the brightness of the light-emitting body 41 may be adjusted by changing the amount of current supplied to the light-emitting body 41.

[0019] Furthermore, the emergency light 30 has a power supply module (not shown) for driving the control unit 35, the communication unit 36, etc. When the emergency light 30 is installed and used outdoors, the emergency light 30 may be provided with a solar panel or the like to be able to supply power.

[0020] The light emission pattern of the emergency light 30 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a time chart of the operation of the emergency light 30. (A) in Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which each light emitter 41 constituting the light-emitting unit 33 is lit at maximum brightness. (B) in Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the light emitter 41 is lit at a brightness lower than (A). (C) in Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the light emitter 41 is turned off.

[0021] The control device 20 sends a signal to the emergency light 30 to cause it to flash. At this time, the control device 20 transmits to the emergency light 30 information such as the lighting pattern of the light emitter 41, the duration of the lighting state (lighting duration To), the interval between the lighting state and the extinguishing state (lighting interval Tb), and the lighting switching time Tw of the emergency light 30.

[0022] When the emergency light 30 receives the signal from the control device 20, it corrects the lighting switching time Tw of the light emitter 41 using the identification number assigned to it. The lighting switching time Tw is corrected, for example, by multiplying the lighting switching time Tw by the value of the identification number of the emergency light 30.

[0023] After the corrected lighting switching time Tw has elapsed, the emergency light 30 lights up each light-emitting element 41 at maximum brightness (A). Thereafter, the brightness adjustment unit 42 reduces the brightness of each light-emitting element 41 over the lighting duration To (B), and after the lighting duration To has elapsed, each light-emitting element 41 is turned off (C).

[0024] After each light-emitting element 41 is turned off, when the lighting interval Tb has elapsed, the emergency light 30 turns on each light-emitting element 41 at maximum brightness again (A). Thereafter, the brightness adjustment unit 42 again reduces the brightness of each light-emitting element 41 for the lighting duration To (B), and after the lighting duration To has elapsed, each light-emitting element 41 is turned off (C). In this way, the emergency light 30 repeatedly turns on and off.

[0025] Fig. 7 is a graph showing the transition of the luminance of the light emitter 41 over the lighting duration To. In the graph of Fig. 7, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the luminance of the light emitter 41. As shown in Fig. 7, the output luminance of the light emitter 41 may be set to a maximum at the start of the lighting duration To, and the output luminance may be set to 0 after the lighting duration To has elapsed.

[0026] If the count value indicating the elapsed time is t and the value indicating the level of brightness of the light emitter 41 is y, the brightness change characteristic of the light emitter 41 during the lighting duration To can be expressed by, for example, the following power function.

number

[0027] In the above formula, ymax represents the maximum number of brightness levels that can be set for the emergency light 30, and γ represents the gamma value of the emergency light 30. Using this formula, the brightness of the light-emitting elements 41 may be adjusted so that the amount of change in brightness of each light-emitting element 41 decreases over time. That is, the amount of decrease in brightness of the light-emitting elements 41 (the amount of decrease in brightness relative to the time width) may be gradually decreased during the lighting duration To. For example, for intervals t1 and t2 having the same time width Δt, the amount of decrease in brightness in interval t2 near the minimum brightness may be set smaller than the amount of decrease in brightness in interval t1 near the maximum brightness.

[0028] The operation of the vehicle guidance device 10 in this embodiment will be described. When using the vehicle guidance device 10, the user first decides the number of guide lights 30 to be used and assigns a unique identification number to each of the guide lights 30 to be used. In this description, it is assumed that 10 guide lights 30 are used, and each is identified and used as guide light 30-1 to 30-10.

[0029] Once unique identification numbers have been assigned to the guide lights 30 to be used, each guide light 30 is installed along the lane of road R. At this time, the guide lights 30 are installed in ascending order of identification numbers along the direction of travel of vehicle C traveling on that lane. In other words, the guide lights 30 are installed in the direction of travel of vehicle C in the order of guide light 30-1, guide light 30-2, guide light 30-3, ... guide light 30-10. For example, in the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, the guide lights 30 are installed in ascending order of identification numbers along the direction of travel of vehicle C indicated by the arrow on road R.

[0030] Next, the control device 20 and the guide lights 30-1 to 10 are put into a state where they can communicate with each other. The control device 20 sends signals to the guide lights 30-1 to 10. At this time, the control device 20 transmits information such as the lighting pattern and lighting brightness of the light emitters 41, lighting duration To, lighting interval Tb, and lighting switching time Tw to the guide lights 30-1 to 10.

[0031] 8 is a time chart of the operation of the emergency lights 30-1 to 30-4. When the emergency lights 30-1 to 30-10 receive a signal from the control device 20, they correct the lighting switching time Tw based on the identification number assigned to them. At this time, the lighting switching time Tw is corrected so that it is longer for emergency lights 30 with larger identification numbers. For example, the lighting switching time Tw is corrected by multiplying the lighting switching time Tw by the value of the identification number of the emergency light 30.

[0032] Thereafter, each guide light 30 lights up after the elapse of the corrected lighting switching time Tw. The guide lights 30-1 to 30-10 are installed in ascending order of identification numbers along the traveling direction of the vehicle C, so the guide lights 30-1 to 30-10 light up in ascending order of identification numbers. That is, they light up in the following order: guide light 30-1, guide light 30-2, guide light 30-3, and so on, guide light 30-10.

[0033] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the transition of brightness of the escape lights 30-1 to 10. In Fig. 9, the horizontal axis represents elapsed time. The numbers on the vertical axis represent the identification numbers of the escape lights 30-1 to 10. The vertical axis for each row of escape lights 30-1 to 10 represents the brightness of that escape light 30.

[0034] The light emission pattern of the emergency light 30 in this embodiment is as described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Therefore, after the corrected lighting switching time Tw has elapsed, the emergency light 30-1 turns on each light emitter 41 of the emergency light 30-1 at maximum brightness. Thereafter, the brightness of each light emitter 41 is reduced over the lighting duration To (e.g., 1 second), and each light emitter 41 is turned off as the lighting duration To elapses.

[0035] Here, the guide light 30-2 adjacent to the guide light 30-1 lights up while the guide light 30-1 is on because the lighting switching time Tw elapses while the guide light 30-1 remains on. Similarly, the guide light 30-3 lights up while the guide light 30-2 is on because the lighting switching time Tw elapses while the guide light 30-2 remains on. In this way, the vehicle guidance device 10 lights up a certain guide light 30 while another guide light 30 adjacent to that guide light 30 is on.

[0036] After being turned on, the brightness of the light emitter 41 of each of the guide lights 30-1 to 10 decreases over time, and the light is turned off after the lighting duration To has elapsed. After being turned off once, each of the guide lights 30-1 to 10 turns on again after the lighting interval Tb received from the control device 20 has elapsed. In this way, each of the guide lights 30-1 to 10 repeatedly turns on and off.

[0037] The effect of the vehicle guidance device 10 in this embodiment will be described. The guide lights 30 of the vehicle guidance device 10 start to light up while other adjacent guide lights 30 are on. Therefore, to the driver of the vehicle C traveling on the road, the guide lights 30 appear to be linked with each other, and the light of the light emitters 41 appears to flow smoothly and without interruption.

[0038] Furthermore, by gradually reducing the brightness after the emergency light 30 is turned on, it is possible to gradually reduce the amount of power consumed by the emergency light 30 due to light emission. This allows the emergency light 30 to be lit for a longer period of time while consuming the same amount of power as a conventional emergency light that does not change brightness between turning on and off.

[0039] Therefore, the vehicle guidance device 10 can keep the illumination state of the first illumination guide light 30 (e.g., illumination guide light 30-1) until the next illumination of the other illumination guide light 30 (e.g., illumination guide light 30-3) with the same power consumption as a conventional illumination guide light. In other words, when the vehicle guidance device 10 illuminates a certain illumination guide light 30 (e.g., illumination guide light 30-2) at maximum brightness, it can illuminate the other illumination guide light 30 (e.g., illumination guide light 30-1) located in front of the first illumination guide light 30 at a brightness lower than the maximum brightness. This allows the vehicle guidance device 10 to make the driver recognize the light of a certain illumination guide light 30 as if it were a light trail of the other following illumination guide light 30. To the driver of the vehicle C traveling on the road, the illumination guide lights 30 appear to be linked to each other, and the light of the light emitters 41 appears to flow smoothly and without interruption.

[0040] Furthermore, in the light emission pattern of the emergency light 30 described in this embodiment, the change in brightness is expressed by a nonlinear function, and the amount of change in brightness near the maximum brightness is different from the amount of change in brightness near the minimum brightness. More specifically, the amount of decrease in brightness over time is large near the maximum brightness and small near the minimum brightness. In other words, the amount of change in brightness gradually decreases over time.

[0041] It is known that the psychological sensitivity of humans to changes in the brightness of light-emitting elements is proportional to the logarithm of the intensity of the stimulus (Weber-Fechner law). In other words, humans are thought to be sensitive to subtle changes in light and insensitive to strong changes in light. Therefore, by increasing the amount of decrease in brightness over time of the emergency exit light 30 near its maximum brightness and decreasing it near its minimum brightness, the driver of vehicle C can easily recognize the decrease in brightness of the emergency exit light 30. This allows the vehicle guidance device 10 to effectively make the driver perceive the light of a certain emergency exit light 30 as if it were a trailing light of another following emergency exit light 30. To the driver of vehicle C traveling on the road, the emergency exit lights 30 appear to be linked together, and the light of the light-emitting element 41 appears to flow smoothly and without interruption.

[0042] The present invention has been specifically described above based on an embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0043] For example, in the above-described light-emitting pattern of the emergency exit light 30, the brightness of the light-emitting elements 41 is decreased over time. However, the brightness of the light-emitting elements 41 may be increased over time. For example, when the emergency exit light 30 receives a signal to start lighting, the brightness of each light-emitting element 41 may be increased for the lighting duration To, and then each light-emitting element 41 may be turned off as the lighting duration To elapses. In this case, the brightness of each light-emitting element 41 may be adjusted so that the rate of increase in brightness of each light-emitting element 41 increases over time. In other words, the amount of change in brightness of the light-emitting element 41 in a certain section of the lighting duration To may be adjusted to be different from the amount of change in brightness of the light-emitting element 41 in other sections. This allows the lighting state of the emergency exit light 30 that lights up first (e.g., emergency exit light 30-1) to continue until the subsequent emergency exit light 30 (e.g., emergency exit light 30-3) is turned on, with the same power consumption as a conventional emergency exit light.

[0044] The emergency light 30 may use a light emission pattern in which the amount of change in brightness of the light emitter 41 is constant over the lighting duration To. Alternatively, a light emission pattern may be used that includes a period in which the brightness does not change. Such a plurality of different light emission patterns may be stored in the control device 20, and may be switchable by operating the operation unit 24.

[0045] On a road R on which the vehicle guidance device 10 is installed, the speed of a traveling vehicle C is restricted based on the drive cycle of the guide lights 30. Therefore, the drive cycle of the guide lights 30 may be set by operating the operation unit 24, etc., so that the speed restriction target of the vehicle C can be varied. The drive cycle of the guide lights 30 can be adjusted, for example, by changing the values ​​of the illumination duration To and the illumination interval Tb transmitted from the control device 20 to each guide light 30. Therefore, multiple settings, such as a setting for a speed restriction target of 50 km / h, a setting for 60 km / h, and a setting for 70 km / h, may be stored in the control device 20 and selectable by operating the operation unit 24, etc. This enables vehicle guidance tailored to the characteristics and conditions of the road R on which the vehicle guidance device 10 is installed.

[0046] When the distance between the guide lights 30 becomes large, the distance between the control device 20 and some of the guide lights 30 becomes large, which may cause unstable communication. Therefore, the information transmitted by the control device 20 may be transferable between the guide lights 30. In other words, the information related to the driving of the light-emitting unit 33, such as the lighting pattern of the light-emitting body 41, lighting duration To, and lighting interval Tb, may be communicated between the guide lights 30. This allows the guide lights 30 to emit light without interruption even when the distance between the guide lights 30 is large.

[0047] It is conceivable that a vehicle guidance device 10 may be installed at each sharp curve on road R, or that a vehicle guidance device 10 may also be installed in the oncoming lane of the lane where the vehicle guidance device 10 is installed, and other vehicle guidance devices 10 may be installed separately in locations close to the installation location of the vehicle guidance device 10. In such a situation, there is a risk that a signal from the control device 20 of one vehicle guidance device 10 may be received by the guide lights 30 of another vehicle guidance device 10, causing the linkage of the guide lights 30 to be interrupted. Therefore, the frequency for communication between the control device 20 and the guide lights 30 may be set by each operation unit, etc. By setting a communication channel for each vehicle guidance device 10 in this way, flexible vehicle guidance according to the characteristics and conditions of road R is possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Vehicle Guidance Device 20 Control device 30 Vehicle Exit Light 33 Light-emitting part 41 Luminous Object 42 Brightness control section

Claims

1. A vehicle guidance device having a vehicle guide light with a light-emitting unit and a control device that controls the lighting operation of the light-emitting unit of the vehicle guide light, wherein a plurality of the vehicle guide lights are installed on a road along the direction of travel of vehicles traveling on the road, and the control device turns on, of the adjacent guide lights, the guide light that is located behind in the direction of travel of the vehicle while the guide light that is located in front of it is turned on.

2. 2. The vehicle guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the control device turns off the guide light located in front of the adjacent guide lights in the direction of travel of the vehicle while the guide light located behind the adjacent guide lights is turned on.

3. A brightness adjusting means is provided, The brightness of the vehicle guide light changes over time after it is turned on.

3. The vehicle guidance device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Among the adjacent guide lights, the guide light located in front of the vehicle in the traveling direction and the guide light located behind the vehicle in the traveling direction have different luminances while they are simultaneously lit.

4. The vehicle guidance device according to claim 3.

5. The vehicle guide light is turned on while its luminance changes over a predetermined time period, and the amount of change in luminance in a certain section within the predetermined time period is different from the amount of change in luminance of the light-emitting element 41 in other sections within the predetermined time period.

4. The vehicle guidance device according to claim 3.

6. The amount of change in brightness of the vehicle guide light is large when the brightness is high and is small when the brightness is low.

4. The vehicle guidance device according to claim 3,

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