Road flooding notification system

Abstract

To provide a road flooding notification system that can prevent vehicle flooding and enhance safety.SOLUTION: A road flooding notification system (100) that is mounted on a vehicle and reports flooding information on a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, comprises: a water level information acquisition unit (10) that acquires information on a water surface covering a road surface as water level information; a flooding determination unit (20) that determines a flooding state based on water level information; and a flooding warning notification unit (30) that issues a warning when the flooding determination unit determines that the state is flooding.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a road flooding notification system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, dashboards that illuminate icons have been used to display various types of information inside vehicles. As the amount of information to be displayed increases, it has been proposed to embed an image display device in the dashboard or to configure the entire dashboard with an image display device.

[0003] However, because the instrument panel is located below the vehicle's windshield, passengers such as the driver need to move their eyes downward while driving in order to view the information displayed on the instrument panel, which is undesirable. Therefore, image projection devices such as head-up displays (hereinafter referred to as HUDs) have been proposed that project images onto the windshield so that passengers can read information when they view the area ahead of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Because such image projection devices can project images in a position close to the driver's line of sight, they are suitable for presenting information about the vehicle's running status and assisting driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-119248 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-119262 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even when rainwater or other water accumulates on the road surface and causes localized flooding, it has been difficult for drivers to grasp the extent of the flooding, leading to cases where drivers end up driving their vehicles into flooded areas. When a vehicle is submerged, not only is it difficult to operate the vehicle, but it also poses the problem of making it difficult to quickly escape from the vehicle and evacuate safely.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has an object to provide a road flooding notification system that can prevent vehicles from being submerged and increase safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the road flooding notification system of the present invention is a road flooding notification system that is mounted on a vehicle and notifies information about flooding of the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, and is characterized by comprising a water level information acquisition unit that acquires information about the water surface covering the road surface as water level information, a flooding determination unit that determines a flooded state based on the water level information, and a flood warning notification unit that issues a warning if the flooding determination unit determines that a flooded state exists.

[0008] In the road flooding notification system of the present invention, the water level information acquisition unit acquires information on the water surface covering the road as water level information, the flooding determination unit determines the flooding state, and the flooding warning notification unit issues a warning, thereby preventing vehicles from being flooded and increasing safety.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the water level information is acquired by a water level meter mounted on the vehicle.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the flooding determiner determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state when the water surface height included in the water level information is within a predetermined range from a lower end of a door of the vehicle.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the flooding determiner determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state when the water surface height included in the water level information is within a predetermined range from a lower end of a muffler of the vehicle.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the flood determining unit determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state when the water surface height included in the water level information is 200 mm or more.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the water level information includes a lane mark detection result that detects lane marks on the road surface, and the flooding determination unit determines that the flooding state exists if the lane marks are not detected in the lane mark detection result.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, the detection of the lane marks is obtained by an imaging device or a LiDAR mounted on the vehicle.

[0015] In one aspect of the present invention, the water level information includes reflection information acquired by a millimeter wave radar mounted on the vehicle, and the flooding determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state if the reflection information is non-reflective.

[0016] In one aspect of the present invention, the vehicle is equipped with an image projection unit that projects a distant image from the display unit at a distance via the display unit and projects a near image from the display unit at a near location, and the flood warning notification unit projects a warning image as the distant image from the image projection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The present invention can provide a road flooding notification system that can prevent vehicles from being flooded and increase safety. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a road flooding notification system 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which various sensors are provided on a vehicle C. FIG. [Figure 3]10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which virtual images P1 and P2 are projected using an image projection device as a flood warning notification unit 30. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the road flooding notification system 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate. In the following explanation, a road flooding notification system 100 according to the present invention will be described by way of example in which it is applied to a HUD mounted on a vehicle or the like.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a road flooding notification system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the road flooding notification system 100 includes a water level information acquisition unit 10, a flood determination unit 20, and a flood warning notification unit 30. The road flooding notification system 100 is also capable of communicating information with a water level gauge 40, an imaging device 50, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) 60, and a millimeter-wave radar 70, thereby enabling it to acquire water level information. The road flooding notification system 100, mounted on a vehicle C, acquires information about the water surface covering the road on which the vehicle is traveling as water level information using the water level information acquisition unit 10, determines the flooding state using the flood determination unit 20, and issues a flood warning using the flood warning notification unit 30.

[0021] The road flooding notification system 100 controls each part using a control unit (not shown) that is connected to each part so that information can be communicated with them. The configuration of the control unit is not limited, but one example includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for information processing, a memory device, a recording medium, an information communication device, etc. The control unit controls the operation of each part in accordance with a predetermined program. Furthermore, the functions realized by the program executed by the control unit correspond to the water level information acquisition unit 10, the flood determination unit 20, and the flood warning notification unit 30.

[0022] The water level information acquisition unit 10 is a unit that acquires information about the water surface covering the road surface as water level information. The flooding determination unit 20 is a unit that determines the flooding state based on the water level information acquired by the water level information acquisition unit 10. The flooding warning notification unit 30 is a unit that issues a warning when the flooding determination unit 20 determines that a flooding state exists. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the water level information acquisition unit 10 is equipped with an information and communication device, and acquires water level information from any one of the water level gauge 40, the imaging device 50, the LiDAR 60, and the millimeter-wave radar 70. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which all of the water level gauge 40, the imaging device 50, the LiDAR 60, and the millimeter-wave radar 70 are included, it is sufficient to include any one of them.

[0023] The water level meter 40 is a part that is mounted on the vehicle C and measures the water level on the road surface to acquire water level information. The specific configuration of the water level meter 40 is not limited, but it is preferably a non-contact type such as a radio wave type water level meter that uses microwaves or an ultrasonic type water level meter that uses ultrasonic waves. The water level meter 40 is equipped with an information communication device and transmits the measured water level information to the water level information acquisition unit 10.

[0024] The imaging device 50 is a part that is mounted on the vehicle C and captures an image of the road surface as a road surface image. The specific configuration of the imaging device 50 is not limited, and a known camera using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, or the like can be used. The road surface image captured by the imaging device 50 may be a color image or a monochrome image, and may be captured using visible light or infrared light. The imaging device 50 is equipped with an information communication device and transmits the captured road surface image to the water level information acquisition unit 10.

[0025] The LiDAR 60 is a part that measures the distance to and shape of an object by irradiating the object with a laser beam and measuring the scattering of the laser beam. In this embodiment, the LiDAR 60 needs to measure the position of the water surface present on the road surface, so at least a part of the road surface on which the vehicle C is traveling is included in the object. The LiDAR 60 is equipped with an information communication device and transmits the measured distance and shape of the road surface to the water level information acquisition unit 10.

[0026] The millimeter-wave radar 70 is a part that measures the distance to an object using millimeter-wave band radio waves. There are no restrictions on the frequency of the radio waves used by the millimeter-wave radar 70, and conventionally known frequencies can be used. In this embodiment, the millimeter-wave radar 70 needs to measure the position of the water surface present on the road surface, so at least a portion of the road surface on which the vehicle C is traveling is included as an object. The millimeter-wave radar 70 is equipped with an information communication device and transmits the measured distance to the road surface to the water level information acquisition unit 10.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which various sensors are provided in a vehicle C. The vehicle C includes a body section BD, a door section DR, a windshield WS, door mirrors DM, headlights HL, and a fender grill FG. As shown in FIG. 2, the water level indicator 40 may be provided below the body section BD, the door section DR, the door mirrors DM, the fender grill FG, etc. The imaging device 50 may be provided on the passenger compartment side above the windshield WS, etc. The LiDAR 60 may be provided inside the headlights HL, etc. The millimeter-wave radar 70 may be provided inside the fender grill FG, etc.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which virtual images P1 and P2 are projected using an image projection device as the flood warning notification unit 30. The dashed line in FIG. 3 indicates the optical path of a first image light L1, which will be described later, and the dashed-dotted line indicates the optical path of a second image light L2. As shown in FIG. 3, the first image light L1 and the second image light L2 projected from the image projection device as the flood warning notification unit 30 are reflected by the windshield (display unit) WS and irradiated at the driver's viewpoint. The driver visually recognizes the virtual images P1 and P2 formed on an extension of the optical path along which the first image light L1 and the second image light L2 are incident. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the flood warning notification unit 30 projects the first image light L1 and the second image light L2 to form two images P1 and P2, but the number of virtual images is not limited.

[0029] 3, the optical paths of the first image light L1 and the second image light L2 are depicted as a single straight arrow. However, the actual first image light L1 and the second image light L2 are displayed in a predetermined area in the image projection unit, and have a predetermined area in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. Furthermore, the first image light L1 and the second image light L2 may be reflected by a first mirror of an image projection unit provided inside the image projection device, and travel with their light diameters reduced, and may be intermediately imaged at an intermediate image position between the first mirror and the second mirror.

[0030] The windshield WS is a part provided in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle C that transmits visible light. The windshield WS corresponds to the display unit of the present invention because, on the inside surface of the vehicle C, it reflects the first image light L1 and the second image light L2 incident from the flood warning notification unit 30 toward the viewpoint and transmits light from outside the vehicle C toward the viewpoint. While an example has been shown in which the windshield WS is used as the display unit, a combiner may be provided as a display unit separate from the windshield WS and reflect light from the flood warning notification unit 30 toward the viewpoint. Furthermore, the display unit is not limited to being located at the front of the vehicle C, and may be located to the side or rear as long as it projects an image toward the viewpoint of the occupants.

[0031] The virtual images P1 and P2 are images that are displayed as if they were formed in space when the first image light L1 and the second image light L2 reflected by the windshield WS reach the viewpoint (eyebox) of the occupant. The positions at which the virtual images P1 and P2 are formed depend on the combined focal length of the image projection unit included in the flood warning notification unit 30 and the windshield WS.

[0032] In the flood warning notification unit 30 of this embodiment, a distant image displayed in the distant display area of ​​the image irradiation unit is irradiated as the first image light L1, and a near image displayed in the near display area is irradiated as the second image light L2. The distant image displayed in the distant display area includes a warning image for warning of a flooded state. The content of the warning image is not limited, but examples include a warning display using text such as "Caution: Flooding" or an icon display indicating a flooded state. Other information included in the distant image includes auxiliary information related to driving, such as a caution image or emergency information. Near images displayed in the near display area include a speed and volume indicator, a driving direction guide, etc.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the road flooding notification system 100. The road flooding notification system 100 starts the road flooding notification method by having the control unit execute a predetermined program. First, in the water level information acquisition process of step S1, the water level meter 40 measures the water level on the road surface and transmits the water level information to the water level information acquisition unit 10. Here, an example is shown in which the water level information is measured by the water level meter 40, but the water level information may also be acquired based on the results of measurement by the imaging device 50, LiDAR 60, or millimeter-wave radar 70. After the water level information acquisition unit 10 acquires the water level information and transmits the water level information to the flooding determination unit 20, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0034] In the flood state determination step of step S2, the flood determination unit 20 determines whether the road is flooded based on the water level information acquired by the water level information acquisition unit 10, and if the road is flooded, the process proceeds to step S3, and if the road is not flooded, the process proceeds to step S4. Here, one method for determining the flood state by the flood determination unit 20 is to determine that the road is flooded when the water surface height included in the water level information is within a predetermined range from a predetermined location on the vehicle C. Alternatively, the flood state may be determined to be a flood state when the water surface height included in the water level information remains within the predetermined range for a predetermined period of time.

[0035] As a specific example, the lower end of the door portion DR is set as the predetermined portion of the vehicle C, and a flooded state is determined when the water surface is within a range of several tens of millimeters from the lower end of the door portion DR. By determining the flooded state based on the door portion DR, a flooded state warning can be issued before the door portion DR becomes unable to open due to water pressure, thereby effectively improving safety.

[0036] Alternatively, the lower end of the muffler may be set as the predetermined portion of the vehicle C, and a flooded state may be determined when the water surface is within a range of several tens of millimeters from the lower end of the muffler. By determining the flooding state based on the lower end of the muffler, a warning can be issued before water enters the muffler, making exhaust difficult and rendering vehicle C inoperable, and vehicle C can be driven to move away from the flooded area, thereby improving safety.

[0037] Furthermore, if the water level information indicates that the water level is 200 mm or higher above the road surface, it may be determined that the vehicle is in a flooded state. If the water level is 200 mm or higher above the road surface, it will be difficult for passengers to get off vehicle C and evacuate on foot in an emergency, so early warning notification can increase the safety of evacuation.

[0038] In the warning notification process of step S3, the flooding warning notification unit 30 issues a warning to the occupants that a flooding state has occurred. The specific configuration of the flooding warning notification unit 30 is not limited, but if the image projection device shown in FIG. 3 is used, the warning images are formed as virtual images P1 and P2 via the windshield WS. In this case, if multiple virtual images P1 and P2 are formed, it is preferable that the warning image be included in virtual image P1, which is formed at a position far from the windshield WS. After the flooding warning notification unit 30 has completed issuing the warning, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0039] By using an image projection device as the flood warning notification unit 30 and including a warning image indicating the flooding state in a distant image to form a virtual image P1, the warning image can be presented in a position close to the driver's line of sight while driving. This improves the visibility of the warning image, notifies the driver of flooding information early, and encourages evasive action, preventing flooding of the vehicle C and improving safety.

[0040] In the operation stop determination step of step S4, the control unit determines whether operation of vehicle C has stopped. If operation of vehicle C continues, the process proceeds to step S1. If operation of vehicle C has stopped, the control unit ends the road flooding notification method using road flooding notification system 100.

[0041] As described above, in the road flooding notification system 100 of this embodiment, the water level information acquisition unit 10 acquires information on the water surface covering the road surface as water level information, the flooding determination unit 20 determines the flooding state, and the flooding warning notification unit 30 issues a warning, thereby making it possible to prevent flooding of vehicle C and increase safety.

[0042] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Descriptions of content that overlaps with the first embodiment will be omitted. In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the water level meter 40 was used to measure the water surface position on the road surface. However, in this embodiment, the flooding state is determined by detecting lane marks using an imaging device 50 or a LiDAR 60, which is different from the first embodiment.

[0043] In this embodiment, in the water level information acquisition process of step S1, the imaging device 50 captures an image of the road surface as a road surface image and transmits it to the water level information acquisition unit 10. Alternatively, the LiDAR 60 acquires the shape and distance of the road surface as distance measurement data and transmits it to the water level information acquisition unit 10. The water level information acquisition unit 10 also identifies the road surface in the traveling direction of the vehicle C in the road surface image or distance measurement data and detects lane marks in the traveling direction. The water level information acquisition unit 10 also includes the lane mark detection results in the water level information and transmits the water level information to the flooding determination unit 20.

[0044] Here, the method for detecting lane marks from the road surface image captured by the imaging device 50 is not limited, and conventionally known image recognition technology can be used. Furthermore, the method for detecting lane marks from the distance measurement data acquired by the LiDAR 60 is also not limited, and conventionally known pattern recognition technology can be used from the unevenness pattern on the road surface contained in the distance measurement data. Furthermore, the acquisition of road surface images by the imaging device 50 and the acquisition of distance measurement data by the LiDAR 60 may be combined, or may be combined with measurements by the water level gauge 40 or millimeter-wave radar 70.

[0045] In the flood state determination step of step S2, the flood determination unit 20 determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state if no lane marks are detected in the lane mark detection results included in the water level information. In the warning notification step of step S3, the flood warning notification unit 30 issues a warning to the occupants that the vehicle is in a flooded state.

[0046] In this embodiment, if lane marks cannot be detected from the road surface image, it is determined that the road is flooded because the lane marks are below the water level, and a warning is issued. This allows flooding of the road in the direction of travel of vehicle C to be detected in advance while the vehicle is traveling, further improving safety.

[0047] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Descriptions of content that overlaps with the first embodiment will be omitted. While the first embodiment shows an example in which the water level meter 40 measures the water surface position on the road surface, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the flooding state is determined using reflection information acquired by a millimeter-wave radar 70.

[0048] In this embodiment, in the water level information acquisition process of step S1, the millimeter wave radar 70 emits millimeter waves toward the road surface, acquires the millimeter waves reflected by the road surface as reflection information, and transmits it to the water level information acquisition unit 10. The water level information acquisition unit 10 also includes in the water level information the distance to the road surface contained in the reflection information or the detection result that there is no reflection, and transmits the water level information to the flooding determination unit 20.

[0049] In the flood state determination step of step S2, the flood determination unit 20 determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state if the reflection information included in the water level information is non-reflective. In the warning notification step of step S3, the flood warning notification unit 30 issues a warning to the passengers that the vehicle is in a flooded state.

[0050] In this embodiment, if the reflection information detected by the millimeter-wave radar 70 indicates no reflection, the millimeter waves are absorbed by the water surface on the road, resulting in insufficient reflection of the millimeter waves, and the system determines that the road is flooded and issues a warning. This allows for advance detection of flooded roads while driving, further improving safety. While the example shown here is one in which flooding is determined solely based on the reflection information from the millimeter-wave radar 70, the accuracy of the determination can be improved by combining this with water level measurement by the water level meter 40. Furthermore, the acquisition of road surface images by the imaging device 50 and the acquisition of distance measurement data by the LiDAR 60 may be combined.

[0051] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Description of content that overlaps with the first embodiment will be omitted. In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which a flooded state was determined by comparison with a predetermined reference value, but it is also possible to use machine learning to learn about normal road surfaces and flooded road surfaces, and to determine whether a road is flooded using the learned data. Examples of data to be learned include water level information measured by a water level meter 40, road surface images captured by an imaging device 50, distance measurement data measured by a LiDAR 60, and reflection information measured by a millimeter-wave radar 70. It is also possible to combine a plurality of these measurement results and have them learned.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 100...Road flooding notification system 10…Water level information acquisition section 20...Flooding detection section 30...Flood Warning Notification Department 40…Water level gauge 50...imaging device 60...LiDAR 70...Millimeter wave radar

Claims

1. A road flooding notification system that is mounted on a vehicle and notifies information about flooding on a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, a water level information acquisition unit that acquires information about the water surface covering the road surface as water level information; a flood determination unit that determines a flood state based on the water level information; A road flooding notification system comprising: a flood warning notification unit that issues a warning when the flooding determination unit determines that the road is in a flooded state.

2. The road flooding notification system according to claim 1, A road flooding notification system, characterized in that the water level information is obtained by a water level meter mounted on the vehicle.

3. The road flooding notification system according to claim 1, The flooding determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state when the water level information indicates a water surface height within a predetermined range from the bottom edge of the door of the vehicle.

4. The road flooding notification system according to claim 1, The flooding determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a flooded state when the water level information indicates a water surface height within a predetermined range from the bottom end of the vehicle's muffler.

5. The road flooding notification system according to claim 1, The flooding determination unit determines that the road is in a flooded state when the water surface height included in the water level information is 200 mm or more.

6. The road flooding notification system according to claim 1, the water level information includes a lane mark detection result obtained by detecting lane marks on the road surface; The flooding determination unit determines that the road is in a flooded state when the lane mark is not detected in the lane mark detection result.

7. 7. The road flooding notification system according to claim 6, A road flooding notification system characterized in that the detection of the lane marks is obtained by an imaging device or LiDAR mounted on the vehicle.

8. The road flooding notification system according to claim 1, the water level information includes reflection information acquired by a millimeter wave radar mounted on the vehicle; The flooding determination unit determines that the road is in a flooded state when the reflection information indicates no reflection.

9. 9. A road flooding notification system according to claim 1, an image projection unit mounted on the vehicle and configured to project a distant image from the display unit to a distant location via the display unit and a near image from the display unit to a nearby location; The flood warning notification unit forms a warning image as the distant image from the image projection unit.

Images