Vehicle detector status detection system, lane monitoring control device, and vehicle detector status detection method

Abstract

To provide a technology that allows a staff member to visually confirm the state of a first vehicle detector S1 by displaying the state of the first vehicle detector S1 every time a vehicle passes. [Solution] A vehicle detector status detection system according to an embodiment comprises a vehicle detector, a lane server, and a lane monitoring control device, wherein the vehicle detector comprises a communications control unit that transmits detection results including optical axis sensor information from an optical axis sensor that detects vehicles, and tread sensor information including sensor information acquired from a tread sensor, direction of travel, and number of axles, the lane server comprises a communications control unit that transmits the detection results and vehicle information including a serial number that uniquely identifies the vehicle, and the lane monitoring control device comprises a status information generation unit that generates status information representing the status of the optical axis sensor and tread sensor based on the vehicle information, and a display control unit that controls the status information to be displayed on a display together with the serial number.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vehicle detector status detection system, a lane monitoring control device, and a vehicle detector status detection method. [Background technology]

[0002] It is becoming common for users of toll roads to use ETC systems, which collect tolls at the entrance and exit toll gates of toll roads by wirelessly communicating with on-board units installed in vehicles traveling in the toll gate lanes.

[0003] Generally, a first vehicle detector S1 is installed at the most upstream (closest) position in the lane of an entrance or exit toll gate in the direction of vehicle travel. The first vehicle detector S1 has functions such as detecting the direction of travel of the vehicle and the number of axles of the vehicle. For example, if it detects that the vehicle is traveling forward, it sends a trigger to make the vehicle a management target. As a result, devices installed downstream of the first vehicle detector S1 acquire various information from the vehicle or present various information to the vehicle. Furthermore, counting the number of axles is an important factor in determining the vehicle's type.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that can accurately detect when a vehicle enters and leaves a lane. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-121106 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-208031 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-092947 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] If the first vehicle detector S1 continues to fail to detect vehicles, or if there is a problem with the equipment, the bar may not open or the vehicle's billing amount may be incorrect, which may affect the vehicle user. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly identify the cause and take action. To identify the cause, it is necessary to analyze the log, but analyzing the log takes time, which is a problem as it takes time to identify the cause.

[0007] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technology that allows an attendant to visually check the status of the first vehicle detector S1 by displaying the status of the first vehicle detector S1 each time a vehicle passes, and further to provide a technology that allows an attendant to know signs of a malfunction by continuously analyzing the status of the first vehicle detector S1. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A status detection system according to an embodiment comprises a vehicle detector provided in a roadside device installed at a toll booth on a toll road, a lane server connected to the vehicle detector, and a lane monitoring control device connected to the lane server. The vehicle detector comprises a vehicle detection unit that acquires optical axis sensor information from an optical axis sensor that detects vehicles, acquires sensor information from a tread sensor, determines the vehicle's direction of travel and the number of axles based on the acquired sensor information, and generates tread sensor information including the sensor information, the vehicle's direction of travel, and the number of axles, and a communication control unit that transmits the detection results including the optical axis sensor information and the tread sensor information to the lane server. The lane server comprises a vehicle information generation unit that generates vehicle information including the detection results and a serial number that uniquely identifies the vehicle, and a communication control unit that transmits the vehicle information to the lane monitoring control device. The lane monitoring control device comprises a status information generation unit that generates status information representing the status of the optical axis sensor and the tread sensor based on the vehicle information, and a display control unit that controls the status information to be displayed on a display together with the serial number. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle detector state detection system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a first vehicle detector according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of an optical axis sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of a tread sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a lane server according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lane monitoring control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of information flow in a vehicle detector state detection system according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a method for detecting the states of the optical axis sensor and the tread sensor of the first vehicle detector according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the status information displayed on the display of the output unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the detailed state of the optical axis sensor displayed on the display of the output unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the detailed state of the tread sensor displayed on the display of the output unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the analysis results displayed on the display of the output unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the vehicle detector status detection system, lane monitoring control device, and vehicle detector status detection method of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, parts with the same numbers perform the same operation, and redundant explanations will be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common symbol may be used to describe each element without distinguishing between them, or a subnumber may be used in addition to the common symbol to describe each element with distinction between them.

[0011] [Embodiment] (composition) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle detector state detection system according to an embodiment. The vehicle detector status detection system comprises an ETC roadside unit 1 and a tollgate office 2. The tollgate office 2 comprises a lane server 3 and a tollgate office 4. A lane monitoring control device 5 is located in the tollgate office 4. An attendant 6 monitors various information displayed on the display of the lane monitoring control device 5. Furthermore, a vehicle 7 passes through the lane formed by the ETC roadside unit 1. The ETC roadside unit 1 and the tollgate office 2 are located, for example, inside a tollgate.

[0012] The toll booth may be either an entrance toll booth or an exit toll booth. For example, the toll booth controls the passage of vehicles 7 that use the ETC system and vehicles 7 that do not use the ETC system.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, lanes are provided on which vehicles 7 travel, separated by islands on which ETC roadside units 1 are located. Vehicles 7 travel on these lanes from upstream to downstream. In one embodiment, the lanes are assumed to be, for example, dual-use lanes that can be used by both vehicles 7 that use the ETC system and vehicles 7 that do not use ETC. It goes without saying that this embodiment is not limited to dual-use lanes, and can also be applied to ETC-only lanes that can be used by vehicles 7 that use ETC.

[0014] The island is arranged, in order from upstream to downstream of the lane, with a first vehicle detector S1, a second vehicle detector S2, an ETC lane sign 101, a first roadside wireless device 102, a roadside indicator 103, a start control device 104, a third vehicle detector S4, a second roadside wireless device 105, etc.

[0015] The first vehicle detector S1 is a detector that detects a vehicle 7 that reaches a position where it can detect the entry of the vehicle 7 into a lane. When the first vehicle detector S1 detects the entry of the vehicle 7, it notifies the lane server 3 that it has detected the vehicle 7. The lane server 3 notifies devices downstream of the first vehicle detector S1 that it has detected the vehicle 7.

[0016] The second vehicle detector S2 is a detector that detects whether the vehicle 7 has reached a predetermined position. For example, if wireless communication with the vehicle 7 has ended by the time the second vehicle detector S2 detects the vehicle 7, normal toll processing is carried out.

[0017] The ETC lane display board 101 is used to indicate whether the lane the vehicle 7 is about to travel is an ETC-only lane or a dual-use lane.

[0018] The first roadside radio device 102 communicates with the vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle 7, and receives various information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device, such as vehicle-mounted device information, ETC card information, and entrance information.

[0019] The roadside display 103 is a display that receives signals from the lane server 3 and displays instructions such as pass instructions, stop instructions, and deceleration instructions to a vehicle 7 entering a lane. For example, the characters displayed on the roadside display 103 are large enough to be visible even when the vehicle has entered the lane.

[0020] The departure controller 104 controls the opening and closing of the departure control bar based on departure control information from the lane server 3. When closed, the departure control bar physically blocks the vehicle 7 from passing (leaving the lane), and when open, allows the vehicle 7 to pass.

[0021] The third vehicle detector S4 is a detector that detects that the vehicle 7 has reached the exit of the lane. When the third vehicle detector S4 no longer detects the vehicle 7, it is determined that the vehicle 7 has left the lane.

[0022] The second roadside device 105 is an antenna for notifying the vehicle type to the vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle 7. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the ETC roadside device 1 may also be equipped with a device such as a recovery antenna.

[0023] The lane server 3 is a server located in a predetermined location within the toll gate office 2, such as a server room, corresponding to the lane on which the vehicle 7 can travel. The lane server 3 is connected to an ETC roadside unit 1 installed in each lane on which the vehicle 7 can travel. The lane server 3 is one or more computers, and various operations are controlled by a processor provided in the computer. For example, the processor of the lane server 3 controls each device of the ETC roadside unit 1 based on sensor data transmitted from devices associated with the lane server 3 among the ETC roadside units 1. The lane server 3 is further connected to the lane monitoring control device 5. The lane server 3 is also connected to a toll gate server (not shown) that manages the lane server 3.

[0024] The lane server 3 also stores entrance information for the entrance toll gates where the lane server 3 is installed and exit information for the exit toll gates where the lane server 3 is installed, as well as toll tables for each section and vehicle type that are distributed from an ETC central device (not shown) via the toll gate server. The lane server 3 calculates tolls by referring to the toll table based on the on-board device information, ETC card information, entrance information, exit information, and vehicle type information obtained by vehicle type identification. The lane server 3 also transmits tolls to the ETC central device via the toll gate server, and also transmits them to the ETC roadside unit 1.

[0025] The lane monitoring control device 5 is a device that monitors the status of each device equipped in the ETC roadside unit 1. The lane monitoring control device 5 is placed in a predetermined location in the toll gate office 4. The lane monitoring control device 5 may also be placed in a server room or the like in the toll gate office 2. The lane monitoring control device 5 is one or more computers, and various operations are controlled by processors equipped in the computers. For example, if an abnormality occurs in any device, the processor of the lane monitoring control device 5 immediately notifies the ETC central unit of the abnormality.

[0026] Next, the hardware and software configurations of the first vehicle detector S1 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first vehicle detector S1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the first vehicle detector S1 is one or more computers, and includes a vehicle detection control unit 11, a program memory unit 12, a data memory unit 13, a communication interface 14, an input / output interface 15, an input unit 16, an output unit 17, an optical axis sensor 18, and a tread sensor 19.

[0027] The vehicle detection control unit 11 is a control unit that controls the first vehicle detector S1. The vehicle detection control unit 11 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). For example, the vehicle detection control unit 11 may be an integrated circuit capable of executing various programs.

[0028] The program storage unit 12 is a storage unit that stores programs necessary for the vehicle detection control unit 11 to execute various processes. As a storage medium, for example, a combination of a nonvolatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) can be used. For example, the vehicle detection control unit 11 can realize various controls and operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the program storage unit 12.

[0029] The data storage unit 13 is a storage unit for storing data acquired and generated in the process of the vehicle detection control unit 11 executing a program and performing various processes. For example, the data storage unit 13 is used to store various information acquired from an external device. The data storage unit 13 is a storage that uses a combination of nonvolatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an HDD or a memory card, and volatile memory, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), as a storage medium.

[0030] The communication interface 14 includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication interface 14 includes a communication module that is connected to the lane server 3 by wire or wirelessly. That is, the communication interface 14 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with the lane server 3 or the like under the control of the vehicle detection control unit 11 and send and receive various information.

[0031] The input / output interface 15 is connected to the input unit 16, the output unit 17, etc. The input / output interface 15 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the input unit 16 and the output unit 17. The input / output interface 15 may be integrated with the communication interface 14. For example, at least one of the input unit 16, the output unit 17, the optical axis sensor 18, and the tread sensor 19 may be wirelessly connected using short-range wireless technology or the like, and various types of information may be transmitted and received using the short-range wireless technology.

[0032] The input unit 16 includes, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc., which are used by an administrator who manages the first vehicle detector S1 to input various instructions to the first vehicle detector S1. The input unit 16 may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the program storage unit 12 or the data storage unit 13 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0033] The output unit 17 includes a display that displays output data to be presented from the first vehicle detector S1 to an administrator who manages the first vehicle detector S1, a printer that prints the output data, and the like.

[0034] The input unit 16 and the output unit 17 may be located in the toll gate office 2 or the toll gate office 4.

[0035] The optical axis sensor 18 is a sensor that has a plurality of optical axes and detects an object such as a vehicle 7. For example, the optical axis sensor 18 outputs optical axis sensor information detected by each optical axis to the vehicle detection unit 111.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the optical axis sensor 18 according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an example of the optical axis sensor 18 viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 3, the optical axis sensor 18 includes a light-emitting side housing 181 and a light-receiving side housing 182. The light-emitting side housing 181 and the light-receiving side housing 182 each include a plurality of optical axes 183. For example, the optical axis sensor 18 includes 51 optical axes 183 in each housing. Note that FIG. 3 is merely an example, and the optical axis sensor 18 may include any number of optical axes 183 as long as it can detect a vehicle 7. For example, the optical axis 183 included in the light-emitting side housing 181 periodically emits light, and the optical axis sensor 183 included in the light-receiving side housing 182 receives the light. When an object such as a vehicle 7 passes by, the light is blocked and the sensor is turned on. On the other hand, when no object passes by, light reaches the optical axis 183 of the light-receiving side housing 182 and the sensor is turned off.

[0037] The tread sensor 19 is equipped with multiple sensors and detects the forward or backward movement of the vehicle 7 as well as the number of axles of the vehicle 7. For example, the sensors of the tread sensor 19 are turned "ON" when stepped on by the vehicle 7, and are turned "OFF" when not stepped on by the vehicle 7. The tread sensor 19 then outputs sensor information detected by each sensor to the vehicle detection unit 111.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the tread sensor 19 according to one embodiment. 4 shows an example of the step sensor 19 viewed from above. In the example of FIG. 4, the step sensor 19 includes four sensors (a first sensor 191, a second sensor 192, a third sensor 193, and a fourth sensor 194) arranged in order in the traveling direction of the vehicle 7. Each sensor is connected to the first vehicle detector S1 by wire. Note that FIG. 4 is merely an example, and the step sensor 19 may include any number of sensors (for example, two sensors) as long as it includes multiple sensors, detects the forward or reverse movement of the vehicle 7, and can detect the number of axles of the vehicle 7.

[0039] For example, it is possible to detect whether the vehicle 7 is moving forward or backward depending on the order in which the first sensor 191 to the fourth sensor 194 start detecting. Furthermore, each sensor detects the number of axles that the vehicle 7 passes through. For example, when a two-axle vehicle 7 passes in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4, the first axle of the vehicle 7 is detected in the order of the first sensor 191 ⇒ second sensor 192 ⇒ third sensor 193 ⇒ fourth sensor 194. Similarly, each sensor detects the passage of the second axle of the vehicle 7 when it passes through.

[0040] Next, the software configuration of the vehicle detection control unit 11 will be described in more detail. The vehicle detection control unit 11 includes a vehicle detection unit 111 and a communication control unit 112 .

[0041] The vehicle detection unit 111 is an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information that is the result of the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19 detecting the vehicle 7. For example, when the vehicle detection unit 111 detects the vehicle 7, it controls the optical axis sensor 18 to periodically perform detection. Then, the vehicle detection unit 111 acquires optical axis sensor information detected by the optical axis sensor 18.

[0042] Furthermore, the vehicle detection unit 111 acquires sensor information detected when the vehicle 7 steps on each sensor (first sensor 191, second sensor 192, third sensor 193, and fourth sensor 194) of the tread sensor 19. The vehicle detection unit 111 determines the traveling direction (forward or backward) and the number of axles of the vehicle 7 based on the acquired sensor information. Then, the vehicle detection unit 111 generates tread sensor information including the sensor information, traveling direction, and number of axles.

[0043] The communication control unit 112 is a control unit that controls the transmission and reception of various information to and from the lane server 3. It is a control unit that notifies the detection results. The communication control unit 112 notifies the lane server 3 of the detection results, including the optical axis sensor information acquired by the vehicle detection unit 111 and the tread sensor information generated by the vehicle detection unit 111.

[0044] Furthermore, the data storage unit 13 includes an acquired information storage unit 131. The acquired information storage unit 131 is a storage unit used to store information acquired by the vehicle detection unit 111 from various sensors such as the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the lane server 3 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the lane server 3 is one or more computers and includes a lane control unit 31, a program memory unit 32, a data memory unit 33, a communication interface 34, an input / output interface 35, an input unit 36, and an output unit 37.

[0046] The lane control unit 31 is a control unit that controls the lane server 3. The lane control unit 31 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). For example, the lane control unit 31 may be an integrated circuit capable of executing various programs.

[0047] The program storage unit 32 is a storage unit that stores programs necessary for the lane control unit 31 to execute various processes. As a storage medium, for example, a combination of a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM can be used. For example, the lane control unit 31 can realize various controls and operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the program storage unit 32.

[0048] The data storage unit 33 is a storage unit for storing data acquired and generated in the course of various processes performed by the lane control unit 31 by executing a program. For example, the data storage unit 33 is used to store various pieces of information acquired from external devices. The data storage unit 33 is a storage that uses a combination of nonvolatile memory, such as an HDD or a memory card, which can be written to and read from as needed, and volatile memory, such as RAM, as a storage medium.

[0049] The communication interface 34 includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication interface 34 includes communication modules that connect, by wire or wireless, to each device installed in the lane, such as the first vehicle detector S1, the lane monitoring control device 5, a toll booth server, etc. That is, the communication interface 34 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with the first vehicle detector S1 and the lane monitoring control device 5, etc., under the control of the lane control unit 31, and send and receive various information.

[0050] The input / output interface 35 is connected to the input unit 36, the output unit 37, etc. The input / output interface 35 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the input unit 36 ​​and the output unit 37. The input / output interface 35 may be integrated with the communication interface 34. For example, at least one of the input unit 36 ​​and the output unit 37 may be wirelessly connected using short-range wireless technology or the like, and various types of information may be transmitted and received using the short-range wireless technology.

[0051] The input unit 36 ​​includes, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc., which are used by an administrator who manages the lane server 3 to input various instructions to the lane server 3. The input unit 36 ​​may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the program storage unit 32 or the data storage unit 33 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0052] The output unit 37 includes a display that displays output data to be presented from the lane server 3 to an administrator who manages the lane server 3, a printer that prints the data, and the like.

[0053] The input unit 36 ​​and the output unit 37 may be located in the toll booth office 4.

[0054] Next, the software configuration of the lane control unit 31 will be described in more detail. The lane control unit 31 includes a communication control unit 311 and a vehicle information generation unit 312 .

[0055] The communication control unit 311 is a control unit that controls transmission and reception of various information between the first vehicle detector S1 and the lane monitoring control device 5. For example, the communication control unit 311 receives a detection result from the first vehicle detector S1 and transmits vehicle information to the lane monitoring control device 5.

[0056] The vehicle information generation unit 312 is a generation unit that generates vehicle information in which the detection result is linked with a serial number for identifying the vehicle 7.

[0057] The data storage unit 33 also includes an acquired information storage unit 331. The acquired information storage unit 331 is a storage unit used by the communication control unit 311 to store various pieces of information received from the ETC roadside unit 1 such as the first vehicle detector S1.

[0058] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the lane monitoring control device 5 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the lane monitoring control device 5 is one or more computers, and includes a lane monitoring control unit 51, a program memory unit 52, a data memory unit 53, a communication interface 54, an input / output interface 55, an input unit 56, and an output unit 57.

[0059] The lane monitoring control unit 51 is a control unit that controls the lane monitoring control device 5. The lane monitoring control unit 51 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). For example, the lane monitoring control unit 51 may be an integrated circuit capable of executing various programs.

[0060] The program storage unit 52 is a storage unit that stores programs necessary for the lane monitoring control unit 51 to execute various processes. As a storage medium, for example, a combination of a nonvolatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD, and a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM can be used. For example, the lane monitoring control unit 51 can realize various controls and operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the program storage unit 52.

[0061] The data storage unit 53 is a storage unit for storing data acquired and generated in the course of various processes performed by the lane monitoring control unit 51 by executing a program. For example, the data storage unit 53 is used to store various pieces of information acquired from external devices. The data storage unit 53 is a storage unit that uses a combination of nonvolatile memory, such as an HDD or memory card, which can be written to and read from as needed, and volatile memory, such as RAM, as a storage medium.

[0062] The communication interface 54 includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication interface 54 includes a communication module that connects to an external device such as the lane server 3 or an ETC central device via a wired or wireless connection. That is, the communication interface 54 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with the lane server 3 and external devices under the control of the lane monitoring control unit 51 and send and receive various information.

[0063] The input / output interface 55 is connected to the input unit 56, the output unit 57, etc. The input / output interface 55 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the input unit 56 and the output unit 57. The input / output interface 55 may be integrated with the communication interface 54. For example, at least one of the input unit 56 and the output unit 57 may be wirelessly connected using short-range wireless technology or the like, and various types of information may be transmitted and received using the short-range wireless technology.

[0064] The input unit 56 includes, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc., which are used by an administrator who manages the lane monitoring control device 5 to input various instructions to the lane monitoring control device 5. The input unit 56 may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the program storage unit 52 or the data storage unit 53 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0065] The output unit 57 includes a display that displays output data to be presented from the lane monitoring control device 5 to an administrator who manages the lane monitoring control device 5, a printer that prints the data, and the like.

[0066] Next, the software configuration of the lane monitoring control unit 51 will be described in more detail. The lane monitoring control unit 51 includes a communication control unit 511 , a status information generation unit 512 , an abnormality analysis unit 513 , and a display control unit 514 .

[0067] The communication control unit 511 is a control unit that controls transmission and reception of various information between the lane server 3 and external devices such as the ETC central device, etc. For example, it receives vehicle information from the lane server 3.

[0068] The status information generating unit 512 is a generating unit that generates, based on vehicle information, status information that indicates the status of the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19. Details of the status information will be described later.

[0069] The abnormality analysis unit 513 is an analysis unit that analyzes, based on the vehicle information, whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19. Details of the analysis method for determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred will be described later.

[0070] The display control unit 514 is a control unit that controls so that various information is displayed on the display of the output unit 57. For example, the display control unit 514 controls so that status information is displayed on the display of the output unit 57.

[0071] The data storage unit 53 also includes an acquired information storage unit 531. The acquired information storage unit 531 is a storage unit used to store various information such as vehicle information received by the communication control unit 511 from the lane server 3 or the like.

[0072] (operation) First, an overview of the information flow of the vehicle detector status detection system will be provided.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of information flow in a vehicle detector state detection system according to an embodiment. 7(1), the first vehicle detector S1 notifies the lane server 3 of the detection results of the "optical axis sensor 18" and the "tread sensor 19." For example, when a vehicle 7 passes through a lane, the first vehicle detector S1 acquires the detection results acquired by the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19 from the acquired information storage unit 131 and notifies the lane server 3 of the results.

[0074] Next, as shown in (2) of FIG. 7, the lane server 3 manages information for each vehicle 7. In one embodiment, the lane server 3 also adds the detection results of the "optical axis sensor 18" and the "tread sensor 19" to this management. The vehicle management information managed by the lane server 3 includes a "serial number" assigned to each vehicle 7. The lane server 3 can uniquely manage (identify) the "optical axis sensor detection results" and "tread sensor detection results" using this serial number. The lane server 3 then notifies the lane monitoring control device 5 in the toll booth office 4 of the "serial number," "optical axis sensor detection results," and "tread sensor detection results." Conventionally, the detection results of the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19 have been stored as logs in the data storage unit 33 or the like. However, in one embodiment, the lane server 3 transmits this information to the lane monitoring control device 5.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in (3) of FIG. 7, the lane monitoring control device 5 displays the status of the optical axis sensor 18 and the status of the tread sensor 19. This allows the attendant 6 to check the status of the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19, and to quickly notice if an abnormality or a sign of a malfunction occurs in these devices. This enables the attendant 6 to quickly respond to these abnormalities or signs.

[0076] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a method for detecting the states of the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19 of the first vehicle detector S1 according to one embodiment. The operation of this sequence is realized by the vehicle detection control unit 11 of the first vehicle detector S1, the lane control unit 31 of the lane server 3, and the lane monitoring control unit 51 of the lane monitoring control device 5 reading and executing programs stored in the program memory unit 12, the program memory unit 32, and the program memory unit 52, respectively.

[0077] For example, this sequence starts when the vehicle 7 enters a lane and the first vehicle detector S1 detects the vehicle 7.

[0078] In step ST101, the vehicle detection unit 111 acquires optical axis sensor information. For example, when the vehicle detection unit 111 detects a vehicle 7, it controls the optical axis sensor 18 to periodically perform detection. Then, the vehicle detection unit 111 acquires optical axis sensor information detected by the optical axis sensor 18. The vehicle detection unit 111 stores the acquired optical axis sensor information in the acquired information storage unit 131.

[0079] In step ST102, the vehicle detection unit 111 generates tread sensor information. The vehicle detection unit 111 acquires sensor information detected when the vehicle 7 steps on each sensor (first sensor 191, second sensor 192, third sensor 193, and fourth sensor 194) of the tread sensor 19. The vehicle detection unit 111 determines the traveling direction (forward or reverse) and the number of axles of the vehicle 7 based on the acquired sensor information. Here, if the number of axles determined by each sensor is different, the vehicle detection unit 111 may determine the number of axles using a general algorithm. The vehicle detection unit 111 generates tread sensor information including the sensor information, traveling direction, and number of axles. The vehicle detection unit 111 then stores the generated tread sensor information in the acquired information storage unit 131.

[0080] The order of steps ST101 and ST102 may be reversed, or they may be performed simultaneously.

[0081] In step ST103, the communication control unit 112 notifies the lane server 3 of the detection result. After the vehicle 7 passes the ETC roadside unit 1, the communication control unit 112 notifies the lane server 3 of the detection result, including the optical axis sensor information and the tread sensor information stored in the acquired information storage unit 131, via the communication interface 14.

[0082] In step ST104, the vehicle information generation unit 312 generates vehicle information. When the communication control unit 311 receives the detection result from the first vehicle detector S1, it stores the received detection result in the acquired information storage unit 331. Next, the vehicle information generation unit 312 generates vehicle information that links the detection result stored in the acquired information storage unit 331 with a serial number for identifying the vehicle 7. The vehicle information generation unit 312 outputs the generated vehicle information to the communication control unit 311.

[0083] In step ST105, the communication control unit 311 transmits the vehicle information. The communication control unit 311 transmits the vehicle information received from the vehicle information generation unit 312 to the lane monitoring control device 5 via the communication interface 34. It goes without saying that the communication control unit 313 may also transmit the vehicle information to a toll gate server or the like.

[0084] In step ST106, the status information generation unit 512 generates status information. When the communication control unit 511 receives the vehicle information from the lane server 3, the communication control unit 511 stores the received vehicle information in the acquired information storage unit 531. Then, the status information generation unit 512 generates status information based on the vehicle information stored in the acquired information storage unit 531. The status information generation unit 512 generates the status information at the timing when the vehicle information is received or at any timing. The status information generation unit 512 outputs the generated status information to the display control unit 514.

[0085] In step ST107, the display control section 514 displays the status information. For example, the display control section 514 controls the display of the output section 57 to display the status information.

[0086] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the status information displayed on the display of the output unit 57. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the display of the output unit 57 displays the serial number (indicated as vehicle serial number in FIG. 9), forward / reverse, details of the optical axis sensor, the number of axles, and the detection status of the tread sensor.

[0087] The serial number indicates the number assigned to the vehicle 7. This number is also used by other devices and is a number that uniquely manages the vehicle 7, so it can also be linked to information from other devices.

[0088] Forward / reverse indicates the result of determination as to whether the vehicle 7, which is uniquely managed by a serial number, is moving forward or backward.

[0089] In the optical axis sensor details, a display button for displaying detailed optical axis sensor information is displayed. When it is detected that the staff member 6 has pressed the display button, the display control unit 514 controls the output unit 57 to display the detailed optical axis sensor information.

[0090] The number of axles displayed is the number of axles detected by the tread sensor 19. The bottom line displays the total number of axles detected.

[0091] The tread sensor detection status displays the number of axles detected by each of the first sensor 191, second sensor 192, third sensor 193, and fourth sensor 194. The bottom row also displays the total number of detected axles. For example, for vehicle 7 with serial number 102, the detection results of first sensor 191, second sensor 192, and fourth sensor 194 are "2 axles," but the detection result of third sensor 193 is "1 axle." In this case, the vehicle detection unit 111 of first vehicle detector S1 determines "2 axles." This display enables staff member 6 to realize that third sensor 193 was detected differently from the other sensors.

[0092] Further, for the step sensor details of the step sensor detection state, a display button for displaying detailed step sensor information is displayed. When it is detected that the staff member 6 has pressed the display button, the display control unit 514 controls the display of the output unit 57 to display the detailed step sensor information.

[0093] In step ST107, the display control unit 514 displays the detailed state of the optical axis sensor. For example, when it is detected that the staff member 6 has pressed one of the display buttons for the optical axis sensor details shown in Fig. 9, the display control unit 514 displays the detailed state of the optical axis sensor. Note that step ST107 is optional because it is not performed unless the staff member 6 presses a display button. In Fig. 9, it is indicated by a dotted line to indicate that it is optional.

[0094] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the detailed state of the optical axis sensor displayed on the display of the output unit 57. In Fig. 10, the vertical axis indicates each optical axis 183, and the horizontal axis indicates the time when the optical axis 183 of the optical axis sensor 18 detected the optical axis 183. In addition, the points where the optical axis 183 detected (ON state) are indicated by ■ (filled squares), and the points where the optical axis 183 did not detect (OFF state) are indicated by blank spaces. The example in Fig. 10 shows that the 40th optical axis 183 continues to be detected (continues to be in ON state) due to dust or some other abnormality. In this way, by checking the detailed state of the optical axis sensor 18, the staff member 6 can notice which of the optical axes 183 has an abnormality.

[0095] In step ST108, the display control unit 514 displays the step sensor detailed information. For example, when it is detected that the staff member 6 has pressed one of the step sensor detail display buttons shown in FIG. 9, the display control unit 514 displays the step sensor detailed status. Note that step ST108 is optional because it is not performed unless the staff member 6 presses a display button. In FIG. 9, this is indicated by a dotted line to indicate that it is optional.

[0096] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the detailed state of the tread sensor displayed on the display of the output unit 57. In FIG. 11, the vertical axis lists each sensor (first sensor 191, second sensor 192, third sensor 193, and fourth sensor 194), and the horizontal axis shows the time when a change occurred in each sensor. In the example of FIG. 11, the ON and OFF states of each sensor are represented by upper and lower lines. For example, in FIG. 11, the upper line indicates the ON state, and the lower line indicates the OFF state. For example, if one of the sensors malfunctions, for example, does not enter the ON state, the sensor will remain in the OFF state. Therefore, the attendant 6 can notice an abnormality in the sensor by looking at the detailed state of the tread sensor displayed on the display of the output unit 57.

[0097] In step ST109, the abnormality analysis unit 513 performs abnormality analysis. The abnormality analysis unit 513 performs abnormality analysis based on the vehicle information stored in the acquired information storage unit 531. For example, the abnormality analysis unit 513 performs abnormality analysis based on vehicle information received so far, or based on vehicle information for a predetermined period of time. The abnormality analysis unit 513 outputs the analysis result to the display control unit 514.

[0098] For example, the abnormality analysis unit 513 determines whether the time during which the optical axis 183 of the optical axis sensor 18 is in one state (for example, an ON state) exceeds a predetermined time (a first threshold). If it is determined that the time during which the optical axis 183 is in one state exceeds the first threshold, the abnormality analysis unit 513 determines that there is a suspicion of a malfunction in the optical axis 183 of the optical axis sensor 18. Furthermore, the abnormality analysis unit 513 determines whether the time during which the optical axis 183 is in one state exceeds a second threshold that is longer than the first threshold. If it is determined that the time during which the optical axis sensor 18 is in one state exceeds the second threshold, the abnormality analysis unit 513 determines that the optical axis sensor 18 is malfunctioning.

[0099] The abnormality analysis unit 513 also calculates the number of axle number discrepancies of each sensor of the step sensor 19 and the difference in the number of axles of each sensor. The abnormality analysis unit 513 determines whether the number of axle number discrepancies or the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold (third threshold). If it is determined that the number of axle number discrepancies or the difference exceeds the third threshold, the abnormality analysis unit 513 determines that the sensor of the step sensor 19 is suspected to be malfunctioning. The abnormality analysis unit 513 further determines whether the number of axle number discrepancies or the difference exceeds a fourth threshold that is higher than the third threshold. If it is determined that the number of axle number discrepancies or the difference exceeds the fourth threshold, the abnormality analysis unit 513 determines that the sensor of the step sensor 19 is malfunctioning.

[0100] In step ST110, the display control unit 514 displays the analysis result. If the abnormality analysis unit 513 determines that an abnormality exists, the display control unit 514 displays the analysis result.

[0101] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the analysis results displayed on the display of the output unit 57. FIG. 12 shows the number of axle number discrepancies and the total number of detections by each sensor. For example, by showing the time when the discrepancy occurred, the attendant 6 can grasp the timing when an abnormality began to occur in the tread sensor 19. Furthermore, the display control unit 514 may display a graph of the difference in addition to the graph of the number of axle number discrepancies. The graph may also be any graph, such as a line graph in chronological order. The attendant 6 can confirm whether an abnormality has occurred by looking at these displays.

[0102] Furthermore, the display control unit 514 may display the analysis results, for example, by a method such as a pop-up. For example, if the analysis results include information indicating that the optical axis sensor 18 or the tread sensor 19 is suspected of having a malfunction, the display control unit 514 may display information indicating that a malfunction is suspected in a pop-up on the status information displayed on the display of the output unit 57, which corresponds to the analyzed information. Similarly, if the analysis results include information indicating that the optical axis sensor 18 or the tread sensor 19 is malfunctioning, the display control unit 514 may display information indicating that a malfunction has occurred in a pop-up on the status information displayed on the display of the output unit 57, which corresponds to the analyzed information. Note that the information indicating a malfunction may be displayed more emphasized than the information indicating a malfunction. (Effects of the embodiment) According to the embodiment, the status of the optical axis sensor 18 and the tread sensor 19 provided in the first vehicle detector S1 can be monitored by the staff member 6. As a result, even if an abnormality occurs in the optical axis sensor 18 or the tread sensor 19 or a sign of an abnormality appears, the staff member 6 can quickly grasp the status and take measures according to the grasped status. This enables a quick response to the occurrence of an abnormality or a sign of an abnormality.

[0103] [Other embodiments] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the lane monitoring control device 5 displays the status of the first vehicle detector S1, but other devices, such as a toll gate server or an ETC central device, may display this information. For example, the toll gate server may receive vehicle information and display the status of the first vehicle detector S1 based on that information.

[0104] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1...ETC roadside machine 101...ETC lane sign 102...First roadside wireless device 103…Roadside indicator 104...Launch control device 105...Second roadside wireless device S1: First vehicle detector 11...Vehicle detection control unit 111...Vehicle detection unit 112...Communication control unit 12...Program memory section 13...Data storage unit 131...Acquired information storage unit 14...Communication interface 15...Input / output interface 16...Input section 17...Output section 18...Optical axis sensor 181...Light emitter housing 182...Light receiving housing 183...optical axis 19...Footboard sensor 191...first sensor 192...Second sensor 193...Third sensor 194...Fourth sensor S2: Second vehicle detector S4...Third vehicle detector 2...Toll booth office 3...Lane server 31...Lane control unit 311...Communication control unit 312... Vehicle information generation unit 313...Communication control unit 32...Program memory section 33...Data storage unit 331...Acquired information storage unit 34...Communication interface 35...Input / output interface 36...Input section 37...Output section 4...Toll booth office 5...Lane monitoring control device 51...Lane monitoring control unit 511...Communication control unit 512...Status information generation unit 513…Anomaly analysis department 514...Display control unit 52...Program memory section 53...Data storage unit 531...Acquired information storage unit 54...Communication interface 55...Input / output interface 56...Input section 57...Output section 6...Staff 7...Vehicle

Claims

1. a vehicle detector provided in a roadside device installed at a toll booth on a toll road; a lane server connected to the vehicle detector; a lane monitoring control device connected to the lane server; A vehicle detector status detection system comprising: The vehicle detector includes: a vehicle detection unit that acquires optical axis sensor information from an optical axis sensor that detects a vehicle, acquires sensor information from a tread sensor, determines the traveling direction and the number of axles of the vehicle based on the acquired sensor information, and generates tread sensor information including the sensor information, the traveling direction, and the number of axles; a communication control unit that transmits detection results including the optical axis sensor information and the tread sensor information to the lane server; The lane server comprises: a vehicle information generating unit that generates vehicle information including the detection result and a serial number that uniquely identifies the vehicle; a communication control unit that transmits the vehicle information to the lane monitoring control device; The lane monitoring control device comprises: a status information generating unit that generates status information representing the status of the optical axis sensor and the tread sensor based on the vehicle information; a display control unit that controls the display of the status information together with the serial number on a display; A vehicle detector status detection system comprising:

2. the display control unit controls the display to display, as the status information, forward / reverse indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle, a button for displaying detailed information of the optical axis sensor, the number of axles of the vehicle, the number of axles detected by each of the plurality of sensors provided in the tread sensor, and a button for displaying detailed information of the tread sensor; The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 1 .

3. the display control unit determines whether a button for displaying detailed information of the optical axis sensor has been pressed, and when it is determined that the button has been pressed, controls the display to display detailed information of the optical axis sensor, in which the vertical axis indicates a plurality of optical axes provided in the optical axis sensor and the horizontal axis indicates the time detected by the optical axis sensor.

3. The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 2.

4. The display control unit determines whether a button for displaying detailed information about the tread sensor has been pressed, and when it determines that the button has been pressed, controls the display to display detailed tread sensor information in which the vertical axis shows multiple sensors included in the tread sensor and the horizontal axis shows the time at which the multiple sensors changed.

3. The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 2.

5. The lane monitoring control device further includes an abnormality analysis unit that analyzes whether an abnormality has occurred in the optical axis sensor or the footboard sensor based on the vehicle information, The display control unit controls the display to display the analyzed results. The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 1 .

6. the abnormality analysis unit determines whether the time during which the optical axis of the optical axis sensor continues to be in one state exceeds a first threshold, and when it determines that the first threshold is exceeded, determines that there is a suspicion of a malfunction in the optical axis sensor; the display control unit controls the display to display information indicating that the optical axis sensor is suspected of having a malfunction.

6. The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 5.

7. the abnormality analysis unit determines whether the time during which the optical axis of the optical axis sensor continues to be in one state exceeds a second threshold value that is longer than a first threshold value, and when it determines that the second threshold value is exceeded, determines that the optical axis sensor is faulty; The display control unit controls the display to display information indicating that the optical axis sensor is malfunctioning.

7. The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 6.

8. The abnormality analysis unit calculates the number of axle number discrepancies of each sensor of the tread sensor and the difference in the number of axles of each sensor, determines whether the number of axle number discrepancies or the difference exceeds a third threshold, and if it determines that the number of axle number discrepancies or the difference exceeds the third threshold, determines that there is a suspicion of a malfunction in the tread sensor, The display control unit controls the display to display information indicating that the tread sensor is suspected of having a malfunction.

6. The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 5.

9. The abnormality analysis unit determines whether the number of axle number mismatches or the difference exceeds a fourth threshold value that is greater than a third threshold value, and if it determines that the fourth threshold value is exceeded, determines that the tread sensor is faulty; The display control unit controls the display to display information indicating that the tread sensor is malfunctioning.

9. The vehicle detector status detection system of claim 8.

10. a communication control unit that receives optical axis sensor information including the result of a vehicle being detected by an optical axis sensor provided in a vehicle detector provided in a roadside device installed at a toll booth on a toll road, sensor information in which the vehicle is detected by a step sensor provided in the vehicle detector, step sensor information including the traveling direction and number of axles of the vehicle generated based on the sensor information, and vehicle information including a serial number that uniquely identifies the vehicle; a status information generating unit that generates status information representing the status of the optical axis sensor and the tread sensor based on the vehicle information; a display control unit that controls the display of the status information together with the serial number on a display; A lane monitoring control device comprising:

11. The processor of the vehicle detector equipped in the roadside unit installed at the toll booth on the toll road Acquiring optical axis sensor information from an optical axis sensor that detects a vehicle; acquiring sensor information from a tread sensor; determining a traveling direction and a number of axles of the vehicle based on the acquired sensor information; generating tread sensor information including the sensor information, the direction of travel, and the number of axes; Transmitting a detection result including the optical axis sensor information and the tread sensor information; a processor of a lane server connected to the vehicle detector, generating vehicle information including the detection result and a serial number that uniquely identifies the vehicle; transmitting the vehicle information; a processor of a lane monitoring control device connected to the lane server, generating status information representing the status of the optical axis sensor and the footboard sensor based on the vehicle information; controlling a display to display the status information together with the serial number; A vehicle detector state detection method comprising:

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