Road deterioration diagnosis device, road deterioration diagnosis method, and road deterioration diagnosis program

Abstract

The present invention provides the reliability of a detection result in road deterioration detection with an image and / or acceleration. A deterioration detection unit 2 detects road deterioration on the basis of an image and / or acceleration acquired by a moving body. A road surface condition detection unit 3 detects, on the basis of a sound acquired together with the image and / or acceleration used for detecting the road deterioration, a road surface condition at the time of acquiring the sound. A reliability determination unit 4 acquires the reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration on the basis of the road surface condition detected.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a road deterioration diagnosis device, a road deterioration diagnosis method, and a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Systems are known that detect road deterioration by analyzing images and acceleration collected by vehicles.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that measurement information relating to roads includes, for example, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, running sound, road surface shape, outside air temperature, road surface friction coefficient, rainfall amount, road surface temperature, etc. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for detecting road abnormalities based on sensing data such as speed data, position data, and voice data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-153903 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-139671 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In road deterioration detection using image analysis or acceleration analysis as described above, the detection results may not be sufficiently accurate due to the influence of weather, man-made objects on the road, etc. For example, when calculating the crack rate using image analysis, the accuracy of the crack rate value decreases in rainy weather because puddles occur on the road surface. Also, in road deterioration detection using acceleration analysis, for example, when calculating the International Roughness Index (IRI), the accuracy of the IRI value decreases because the acceleration when passing through a manhole is affected by the manhole.

[0006] As such, the results of detection of road deterioration using images and acceleration are affected by weather, man-made objects on the road, etc., so when presenting the detection results, it is desirable to provide the reliability of the detection results taking into account these influences.

[0007] However, the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not take into consideration the reliability of detecting road deterioration.

[0008] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a road deterioration detection device, a road deterioration detection method, and a recording medium that can solve the above-mentioned problems and provide reliability of detection results when detecting road deterioration using images or acceleration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A road deterioration diagnosis device in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a deterioration detection means for detecting road deterioration based on at least one of an image and acceleration acquired by a moving body, a road surface condition detection means for detecting the road surface condition at the time when a sound is acquired based on a sound acquired together with the at least one of the image and acceleration used to detect the road deterioration, and a reliability determination means for determining the reliability of the road deterioration detection result based on the detected road surface condition.

[0010] A road deterioration diagnosis method in one aspect of the present disclosure detects road deterioration based on at least one of an image and acceleration acquired by a moving body, detects the road surface condition at the time the sound was acquired based on sound acquired together with the at least one of the image and acceleration used to detect the road deterioration, and determines the reliability of the road deterioration detection result based on the detected road surface condition.

[0011] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a recording medium has recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute a process of detecting road deterioration based on at least one of an image and acceleration acquired by a moving object, detecting the road surface condition at the time the sound was acquired based on sound acquired together with the at least one of the image and acceleration used to detect the road deterioration, and determining the reliability of the road deterioration detection result based on the detected road surface condition. Effect of the Invention

[0012] An effect of the present disclosure is to provide the reliability of detection results in road deterioration detection based on images and acceleration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a road deterioration diagnosis system 10 in a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a road deterioration diagnosis device 20 in a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensor information in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of degradation information in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a reliability determination process in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reliability table in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of display of degradation information in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a reliability determination process in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detection target table in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a discrimination result of a detection target for road deterioration in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of degradation information in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of display of degradation information in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a road deterioration diagnosis device 1 in a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 500. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] (First embodiment) A first embodiment will be described. (System Configuration) First, the configuration of a road deterioration diagnosis system in the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a road deterioration diagnosis system 10 in the first embodiment. Referring to Fig. 1, the road deterioration diagnosis system 10 includes a road deterioration diagnosis device 20, a display device 30, and a plurality of vehicles 40_1, 40_2, ... 40_N (N is a natural number) (hereinafter collectively referred to as vehicles 40) which are moving bodies. The vehicles include automobiles (four-wheeled motor vehicles), motorcycles, bicycles, etc.

[0015] The vehicle 40 captures (obtains) images of the road (road surface) while traveling on the road using an imaging device such as a drive recorder camera. Also, while traveling on the road, the vehicle 40 detects (obtains) unevenness of the road surface as acceleration (vertical vibration) using an acceleration sensor. Furthermore, while traveling on the road, the vehicle 40 acquires sounds using a small microphone or the like. The small microphone is installed in a location where wind noise can be suppressed, such as inside the front fender (tire house or wheel house) of the vehicle 40. Running sounds, which are sounds generated when the vehicle runs, are one example of sounds to be acquired. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, sounds acquired by the small microphone or the like of the vehicle 40 will be described as running sounds.

[0016] The vehicle 40 acquires the above-mentioned image, acceleration, and position at the time of acquiring the running sound by a position detection sensor such as a GPS (Global Positioning System). The vehicle 40 transmits sensor information including a vehicle ID (IDentifier), date and time, location, and the image, acceleration, and running sound acquired at the date and time and location to the road deterioration diagnosis device 20. Here, the acceleration may be, for example, a time series of acceleration acquired within a predetermined time before and after the time of the sensor information, or a predetermined distance before and after the position. Similarly, the running sound may be, for example, a time series of running sound acquired within a predetermined time before and after the time of the sensor information, or a predetermined distance before and after the position.

[0017] The road deterioration diagnosis device 20 detects road deterioration based on at least one of an image and acceleration included in sensor information transmitted from the vehicle 40. Furthermore, the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 detects the road surface condition based on the running sound, and calculates the reliability of the detection result of road deterioration based on the detected road surface condition. The road deterioration diagnosis device 20 causes the display device 30 to display the detection result of road deterioration and the reliability.

[0018] The road deterioration diagnosis device 20 and the display device 30 are placed, for example, in a facility management facility of an operator. The road deterioration diagnosis device 20 and the display device 30 may be integrated or separate. The road deterioration diagnosis device 20 may also be placed outside the facility management facility of an operator. In this case, the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 may be realized by a cloud computing system.

[0019] A method for detecting road deterioration based on sensor information uses known techniques using image analysis and acceleration analysis. An example of detection using image analysis is a method for analyzing road deterioration using AI (Artificial Intelligence). An example of detection using acceleration analysis is a method for detecting the degree of unevenness of the road surface using acceleration in a direction perpendicular to the road surface. An example of detection method for road surface conditions based on running sounds is a method for detecting using the sound pressure and frequency of the running sounds.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 21, a sensor information storage unit 22, a deterioration detection unit 23, a road surface condition detection unit 24, a reliability determination unit 25, a deterioration information storage unit 26, and a display control unit 27.

[0021] The sensor information acquiring unit 21 acquires sensor information from the vehicle 40. The sensor information acquiring unit 21 outputs the acquired sensor information to the sensor information storage unit 22.

[0022] The sensor information storage unit 22 stores the sensor information output by the sensor information acquisition unit 21 .

[0023] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of sensor information in the first embodiment. The example of the sensor information shown in Fig. 3 includes information on a vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle 40 that has transmitted the sensor information, a date and time, a position, an image, an acceleration, and a running sound. The date and time indicate the date and time when the vehicle 40 acquired the image, acceleration, and running sound. The position indicates the position where the image and acceleration were acquired.

[0024] In Figure 3, for example, the dates and times "T0001" and "T0002" for vehicle ID "Car01" and the dates and times "T0201" and "T0202" for vehicle ID "Car02" indicate sensor information from different vehicles 40, at different time periods (or different days), and at the same location.

[0025] The deterioration detection unit 23 detects road deterioration (calculates an index value indicating the degree of road deterioration) based on at least one of an image and acceleration included in sensor information acquired by a moving body, the vehicle 40. The deterioration detection unit 23 stores the detection result of road deterioration in the deterioration information storage unit 26 as deterioration information.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of deterioration information in the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 4, the deterioration information includes a detection result of a road surface condition, a detection result of road deterioration (a calculation result of a deterioration index), and a reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration.

[0027] The road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the road surface condition at the time of acquiring the sensor information (at the time of acquiring the running sound) based on the running sound included in the sensor information. The road surface condition detection unit 24 may set the road surface condition in the deterioration information in association with the detection result of the road deterioration.

[0028] The reliability determination unit 25 determines the reliability of the road deterioration detection result based on the detected road surface condition. The reliability determination unit 25 sets the reliability in the deterioration information in association with the road deterioration detection result. The method of determining the reliability will be described later.

[0029] The deterioration information storage unit 26 stores the deterioration information.

[0030] The display control unit 27 causes the deterioration information to be displayed in a predetermined display mode, for example, on a display device.

[0031] Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. (Reliability determination process) The reliability determination process is a process for detecting road deterioration based on at least one of an image and an acceleration included in the sensor information transmitted from each vehicle 40, detecting the road surface condition based on the running sound included in the sensor information, and determining the reliability of the detection of road deterioration based on the road surface condition.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the reliability determination process in the first embodiment.

[0033] In the road deterioration diagnosis system 10, the sensor information acquisition unit 21 of the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 acquires sensor information (e.g., vehicle ID, date and time, position, image, acceleration, and running sound) transmitted from the vehicle 40 (step S11). For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 21 acquires sensor information as shown in FIG. 3. The sensor information acquisition unit 21 stores the acquired sensor information in the sensor information storage unit 22.

[0034] The deterioration detection unit 23 detects road deterioration based on at least one of the image and the acceleration included in each sensor information (step S12). The deterioration detection unit 23 stores the detection result of the road deterioration as deterioration information in the deterioration information storage unit 26. Here, the deterioration detection unit 23 calculates the value of an index indicating the degree of road deterioration by a known method as described above. For example, the deterioration detection unit 23 calculates the crack rate and the rutting amount based on the image. Furthermore, the deterioration detection unit 23 calculates the flatness and the IRI value (International Roughness Index) based on the acceleration. Furthermore, the deterioration detection unit 23 calculates the MCI (Maintenance Control Index) value, which is an index that integrates the calculated crack rate, rutting amount, and flatness. For example, the deterioration detection unit 23 detects road deterioration (calculates the value of each index) as shown in FIG. 4 based on the sensor information of FIG. 3.

[0035] The road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the road surface condition at the time of acquiring the sensor information based on the running sound included in each sensor information (step S13). The road surface condition detection unit 24 sets the detected road surface condition to the deterioration information. The road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the road surface condition by analyzing the sound pressure and frequency of the running sound. The road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the road surface condition based on the running sound by learning in advance the characteristic frequency and sound pressure of the running sound depending on the difference in the road surface condition. The road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the weather condition (dry (not rain or snow, etc.), slightly wet (light rain with no puddle), heavily wet (puddle), snow accumulation, freezing) and the presence of artificial objects (manholes, joints, etc.) as the road surface condition. For example, the deterioration detection unit 23 detects the road surface condition as shown in FIG. 4 based on the sensor information of FIG. 3.

[0036] The reliability determination unit 25 determines the reliability of the detection result of road deterioration based on each sensor information based on the road surface condition detected in step S13 (step S14). The reliability determination unit 25 sets the determined reliability in the deterioration information. Here, the reliability determination unit 25 determines the reliability based on, for example, a reliability table. The reliability table is a table showing the relationship between the road surface condition and the reliability of the detection result of road deterioration in that road surface condition. The reliability table is stored in advance by an administrator or the like in a reliability table storage unit (not shown) or the like.

[0037] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a reliability table in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, reliability is divided into reliability for the detection result of road deterioration based on an image (hereinafter also referred to as reliability (image)) and reliability for the detection result of road deterioration based on acceleration (hereinafter also referred to as reliability (acceleration)). This is because differences in road surface conditions due to weather, etc. cause differences in reliability between the detection result of road deterioration based on an image and the detection result of road deterioration based on acceleration.

[0038] For example, when the road surface condition is slightly wet (light rain with no puddles), the road surface becomes darker as it gets wet, making it difficult for the deterioration detection unit 23 to distinguish between the road surface based on an image and cracks, for example. In contrast, when detecting unevenness on the road surface based on acceleration, the deterioration detection unit 23 can detect it without being affected by changes in the road surface due to light rain. Therefore, in the example of Fig. 6, when the road surface condition is slightly wet, the reliability (image) is "medium" and the reliability (acceleration) is "high".

[0039] Furthermore, when the road surface condition is very wet (with puddles), puddles form in the cracks in the road surface, and the deterioration detection unit 23 cannot detect the cracks, for example, based on images. In contrast, in the detection of road surface unevenness based on acceleration, the deterioration detection unit 23 can detect the unevenness without being affected by puddles or the like. Therefore, in the example of Fig. 6, when the road surface condition is very wet, the reliability (image) is "low" and the reliability (acceleration) is "high".

[0040] In the example of FIG. 6, the reliability (image) and the reliability (acceleration) are the same except for the cases of small water wetting and large water wetting.

[0041] The road surface conditions corresponding to "medium" or "low" reliability in the reliability table are also referred to as a first condition.

[0042] The reliability determination unit 25 assigns a reliability (image) corresponding to the detected road surface condition to the detection result of road deterioration based on an image (e.g., crack rate, rutting amount). In addition, the reliability determination unit 25 assigns a reliability (acceleration) corresponding to the detected road surface condition to the detection result of road deterioration based on acceleration (e.g., flatness, IRI). Furthermore, the reliability determination unit 25 may assign a reliability (hereinafter also referred to as reliability (integrated)) determined according to a predetermined rule based on the reliability (image) and reliability (acceleration) to an integrated index calculated from the detection result of road deterioration based on an image and the detection result of road deterioration based on acceleration, such as MCI. In this case, the reliability determination unit 25 may set the lower of the reliability (image) and the reliability (acceleration) as the reliability (integrated), for example.

[0043] For example, the reliability determination unit 25 determines the reliability as shown in Fig. 4 by using the reliability table of Fig. 6. More specifically, since the road surface condition is "dry" at the dates and times "T0001" and "T0002", the reliability determination unit 25 refers to the reliability table of Fig. 6 and assigns "high" to the reliability (image) for the crack rate and the rutting amount, "high" to the reliability (acceleration) for the flatness and the IRI, and "high" to the reliability (integrated) for the MCI. Also, since the road surface condition is "slightly wet" at the dates and times "T0101" and "T0102", the reliability determination unit 25 refers to the reliability table of Fig. 6 and assigns "medium" to the reliability (image) for the crack rate and the rutting amount, "high" to the reliability (acceleration) for the flatness and the IRI, and "medium" to the reliability (integrated) for the MCI. At dates and times "T0201" and "T0202", sensor information is acquired at the same positions as at dates and times "T0001" and "T0002", but the road surface condition is different in that it is "heavily wet". At dates and times "T0201" and "T0202", the reliability determination unit 25 assigns "low" to the reliability (image) for the crack rate and rutting amount, "high" to the reliability (acceleration) for the flatness and IRI, and "low" to the reliability (integrated) for MCI.

[0044] The display control unit 27 causes the deterioration information to be displayed in a predetermined display mode, for example, on the display device 30 (step S15). Here, the display control unit 27 causes the detection result of road deterioration included in the deterioration information to be displayed together with the reliability of the detection result.

[0045] 7 is a diagram showing an example of display of degradation information in the first embodiment. The display control unit 27 displays, for example, the detection result (index value) and reliability for the date and time specified by the user for each road section on a road map. Here, the display control unit 27 displays, for example, the value of an index selected by the user from among the calculated indexes, in a display mode at a level corresponding to that value. In addition, the display control unit 27 displays the reliability of the selected index in a display mode of that reliability.

[0046] In the example of Fig. 7, MCI is selected as the index, and for each road section, the levels "high", "medium" and "low" according to the MCI value are displayed as rectangles of different shades. Also, in the example of Fig. 7, the reliability (integrated) of MCI "high", "medium" and "low" are displayed as symbols "H", "M" and "L", respectively.

[0047] Furthermore, when a displayed rectangle is clicked, tapped, or moused over, the display control unit 27 may display the road surface condition at the position of the rectangle, the value of each index, and the reliability. For example, in the example of Fig. 7, when rectangle A1 is clicked, tapped, or moused over, the road surface condition at the position of rectangle A1, the value of each index, and the reliability are displayed in "deterioration detection details".

[0048] This completes the operation of the first embodiment.

[0049] In the above description, the process of detecting road deterioration in step S12 is performed before the process of detecting the road surface condition in step S13, but step S13 may be performed first. Also, a rectangle is used as the display form of the detection result of road deterioration, but this is not limited to this, and the detection result of road deterioration may be displayed in other display forms such as an arrow. Furthermore, the detection result of road deterioration is represented by shading and its reliability is represented by a symbol, but this is not limited to this, and the detection result of road deterioration may be represented by different colors and its reliability is represented by shading. (Effects of the First Embodiment) According to the first embodiment, in road deterioration detection based on images and acceleration, it is possible to provide the reliability of the detection result. This is because the deterioration detection unit 23 detects road deterioration based on at least one of the images and acceleration acquired by the vehicle 40, the road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the road surface condition at the time of sound acquisition based on the sound acquired together with at least one of the images and acceleration used in detecting the road deterioration, and the reliability determination unit 25 determines the reliability of the detection result of road deterioration based on the detected road surface condition. Second Embodiment A second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 does not detect road deterioration using low-reliability images or acceleration. The configuration of the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 in the second embodiment is similar to the configuration of the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 in the first embodiment. However, in order to not detect road deterioration using low-reliability images or acceleration, the operation of the degradation detection unit 23 in the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 in the second embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, only the parts that are different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0050] In the road deterioration diagnosis device 20 in the second embodiment, when the road surface condition detected by the road surface condition detection unit 24 based on the running sound is a predetermined state (the second state described later), the deterioration detection unit 23 excludes at least one of the image and the acceleration acquired together with the running sound from the detection targets for road deterioration.

[0051] Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described. (Reliability determination process) FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a reliability determination process in the second embodiment.

[0052] First, the sensor information acquisition unit 21 acquires sensor information (for example, a vehicle ID, a date and time, a position, an image, an acceleration, and a running sound) transmitted from the vehicle 40 (step S21).

[0053] The road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the road surface condition at the time of acquiring the sensor information, based on the traveling sound included in the sensor information (step S22).

[0054] Based on the road surface condition detected in step S22, the deterioration detection unit 23 determines whether or not at least one of the image and acceleration included in the sensor information is to be subject to detection of road deterioration (step S23). Here, the deterioration detection unit 23 determines whether or not to exclude from the detection targets of road deterioration, for example, based on a detection target table. The detection target table is a table indicating the road surface condition and whether or not the image and acceleration included in the sensor information in that road surface condition are to be subject to detection of road deterioration (necessary / not required). The detection target table is stored in advance by an administrator or the like in a detection target table storage unit (not shown) or the like.

[0055] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a detection target table in the second embodiment. In the detection target table in FIG. 9, "No" is set for the deterioration detection target corresponding to the road surface condition with a reliability of "Low" in the reliability table in FIG. 6. When the detected road surface condition is, for example, "Heavily wet", "Snowfall", "Frozen", "Manhole", and "Joint", the deterioration detection unit 23 excludes the image of the sensor information including the running sound used to detect the road surface condition from the detection target of road deterioration. In addition, when the detected road surface condition is, for example, "Snowfall", "Frozen", "Manhole", and "Joint", the deterioration detection unit 23 excludes the acceleration of the sensor information including the running sound used to detect the road surface condition from the detection target of road deterioration.

[0056] The road surface condition for which the deterioration detection target in the detection target table corresponds to "no" is also referred to as a second condition.

[0057] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a result of determining a detection target of road deterioration in the second embodiment. In the example of FIG. 10, it is shown that images shown in bold are excluded from detection targets of road deterioration. For example, the road surface condition detection unit 24 detects the road surface condition as shown in FIG. 10 for the sensor information of FIG. 3. Then, the deterioration detection unit 23 uses the detection target table of FIG. 9 to determine images and accelerations to be excluded from detection targets as shown in FIG. 10. More specifically, since the road surface condition is detected as "heavily wet" at the dates and times "T0201" and "T0202", the deterioration detection unit 23 excludes the images "P0201" and "P0202" shown in bold from detection targets of road deterioration.

[0058] The deterioration detection unit 23 detects road deterioration based on at least one of the image and acceleration that are targets for detecting road deterioration in step S23 in each sensor information (step S24). For example, the deterioration detection unit 23 detects road deterioration based on the image and acceleration that are targets for detecting road deterioration in FIG. 10.

[0059] The reliability determining unit 25 determines the reliability of the detection result of road deterioration based on each sensor information, based on the road surface condition detected in step S22 (step S25).

[0060] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of deterioration information in the second embodiment. For example, the reliability determination unit 25 determines the reliability as shown in Fig. 11 using the reliability table in Fig. 6. In the example of Fig. 11, at the dates and times "T0201" and "T0202", the "crack rate" and "amount of rutting", which are indexes of road deterioration based on images excluded from detection targets of road deterioration, are not calculated. Also, the "MCI value", which is an index of deterioration that combines an index of road deterioration based on an image and an index of road deterioration based on acceleration, is not calculated.

[0061] The display control unit 27 causes the deterioration information to be displayed in a predetermined display mode, for example, on a display device (step S15). Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of display of deterioration information in the second embodiment. In the example of Fig. 12, unlike the example of display of deterioration information in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 7, detection of road deterioration with a reliability of "low" is excluded in advance, and therefore two types of reliability, "H" and "M", are displayed.

[0062] This completes the operation of the second embodiment. (Effects of the second embodiment) According to the second embodiment, road deterioration detection based on images and acceleration can be efficiently executed. The reason is that when the deterioration detection unit 23 detects a predetermined road surface condition, at least one of the image and acceleration acquired together with the sound in which the predetermined condition is detected is excluded from the detection target of road deterioration. This makes it possible to exclude in advance from the detection target images and accelerations that provide only low-reliability road deterioration detection results, thereby making the detection process more efficient. (Third embodiment) A third embodiment will now be described.

[0063] Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a road deterioration diagnosis device 1 in the third embodiment. Referring to Fig. 13, road deterioration diagnosis device 1 includes a deterioration detection unit 2, a road surface condition detection unit 3, and a reliability determination unit 4. The deterioration detection unit 2, the road surface condition detection unit 3, and the reliability determination unit 4 are embodiments of a deterioration detection means, a road surface condition detection means, and a reliability determination means, respectively.

[0064] The deterioration detection unit 2 detects road deterioration based on at least one of an image and acceleration acquired by a moving object. The road surface condition detection unit 3 detects the road surface condition at the time of sound acquisition based on the sound acquired together with at least one of an image and acceleration used to detect road deterioration. The reliability determination unit 4 determines the reliability of the road deterioration detection result based on the detected road surface condition.

[0065] Next, the effects of the third embodiment will be described.

[0066] According to the third embodiment, in road deterioration detection based on images and acceleration, it is possible to provide the reliability of the detection result. This is because the deterioration detection unit 2 detects road deterioration based on at least one of images and acceleration acquired by a moving object, the road surface condition detection unit 3 detects the road surface condition at the time of sound acquisition based on the sound acquired together with at least one of images and acceleration used in detecting road deterioration, and the reliability determination unit 4 determines the reliability of the detection result of road deterioration based on the detected road surface condition.

[0067] (Hardware configuration) In each of the above-described embodiments, each component of the road deterioration diagnosis device 1, 20 represents a functional block. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by any combination of a computer 500 and a program. This program may be recorded in a non-volatile recording medium. Examples of the non-volatile recording medium include a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0068] Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 500. Referring to Fig. 14, the computer 500 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a program 504, a storage device 505, a drive device 507, a communication interface 508, an input device 509, an output device 510, an input / output interface 511, and a bus 512.

[0069] The program 504 includes instructions for implementing each function of each device. The program 504 is stored in advance in the ROM 502, the RAM 503, or the storage device 505. The CPU 501 implements each function of each device by executing instructions included in the program 504. For example, the CPU 501 of the road deterioration diagnosis device 1, 20 implements the functions of the sensor information acquisition unit 21, the deterioration detection unit 23, the road surface condition detection unit 24, the reliability determination unit 25, and the display control unit 27 by executing instructions included in the program 504. The RAM 503 may also store data to be processed in each function of each device. For example, the RAM 503 of the road deterioration diagnosis device 1, 20 may store data (sensor information and deterioration information) of the sensor information storage unit 22 and the deterioration information storage unit 26.

[0070] The drive device 507 reads and writes data from and to the recording medium 506. The communication interface 508 provides an interface with a communication network. The input device 509 is, for example, a mouse or a keyboard, and receives information input from an operator or the like. The output device 510 is, for example, a display, and outputs (displays) information to an operator or the like. The input / output interface 511 provides an interface with peripheral devices. The bus 512 connects these hardware components. The program 504 may be supplied to the CPU 501 via a communication network, or may be stored in advance in the recording medium 506, read out by the drive device 507, and supplied to the CPU 501.

[0071] It should be noted that the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 14 is merely an example, and other components may be added, or some components may not be included.

[0072] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device may be realized by any combination of a different computer and program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components of each device may be realized by any combination of a single computer and program.

[0073] In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits including a processor, etc., or a combination of these. These circuits may be configured by a single chip, or may be configured by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc., and a program.

[0074] Furthermore, when some or all of the components of each device are realized by a plurality of computers, circuits, etc., the plurality of computers, circuits, etc. may be arranged in a centralized manner or in a distributed manner.

[0075] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by a person skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the configurations in each embodiment can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1, 20 Road deterioration diagnosis device 2, 23 Deterioration detection unit 3, 24 Road surface condition detection unit 4, 25 Reliability determination unit 10 Road deterioration diagnosis system 21 Sensor information acquisition unit 22 Sensor information storage unit 26 Deterioration information storage section 27 Display control section 500 Computers 501 CPU 502 ROM 503 RAM 504 Program 505 Storage device 506 Recording media 507 Drive Unit 508 Communication Interface 509 Input Device 510 Output Device 511 Input / Output Interface 512 Bus

Claims

1. a storage means for storing a reliability table including first relationship information indicating a relationship between a road surface condition and a reliability of a detection result of road deterioration based on an image in that road surface condition, and second relationship information indicating a relationship between a road surface condition and a reliability of a detection result of road deterioration based on an acceleration in that road surface condition; a deterioration detection means for detecting road deterioration based on at least one of an image and an acceleration acquired by a moving object; a road surface condition detection means for detecting a road surface condition of the road on which the moving object traveled when the sound was acquired based on the sound acquired together with at least one of the image and the acceleration used in detecting the road deterioration; a reliability determination means for determining a reliability of the detection result based on the first relation information in the reliability table when the road deterioration is detected based on the image acquired by the moving body, and for determining a reliability of the detection result based on the second relation information in the reliability table when the road deterioration is detected based on the acceleration acquired by the moving body; A road deterioration diagnosis device equipped with the above.

2. the deterioration detection means calculates an integrated index of road deterioration from the road deterioration detected based on the image acquired by the moving body and the road deterioration detected based on the acceleration; the reliability determining means determines the reliability of the integrated index from the reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration determined based on the first relationship information and the reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration determined based on the second relationship information. The road deterioration diagnosis device according to claim 1 .

3. The present invention further includes a display control means for superimposing and displaying information indicating the detected road deterioration and information indicating the determined reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration on a map showing the road on which the mobile object has traveled.

3. The road deterioration diagnosis device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The road surface condition of the road is one or more of wetness, snow, ice, manholes, and joints. The road deterioration diagnosis device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the reliability determining means, when the road surface condition is detected, sets a reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration lower than when the road deterioration is not detected. The road deterioration diagnosis device according to claim 4.

6. When the road surface condition is detected, the deterioration detection means excludes the image or the acceleration acquired together with the sound from the detection targets for road deterioration. The road deterioration diagnosis device according to claim 4.

7. storing a reliability table including first relationship information indicating a relationship between a road surface condition and a reliability of a detection result of road deterioration based on an image in that road surface condition, and second relationship information indicating a relationship between a road surface condition and a reliability of a detection result of road deterioration based on an acceleration in that road surface condition; Detecting road deterioration based on at least one of an image and acceleration acquired by a moving object; Detecting a road surface condition of the road on which the moving object traveled when the sound was acquired based on the sound acquired together with at least one of the image and the acceleration used in detecting the road deterioration; When the road deterioration is detected based on the image acquired by the moving body, a reliability of the detection result is determined based on the first relation information in the reliability table, and when the road deterioration is detected based on the acceleration acquired by the moving body, a reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration is determined based on the second relation information in the reliability table. Method for diagnosing road deterioration.

8. On the computer, storing a reliability table including first relationship information indicating a relationship between a road surface condition and a reliability of a detection result of road deterioration based on an image in that road surface condition, and second relationship information indicating a relationship between a road surface condition and a reliability of a detection result of road deterioration based on an acceleration in that road surface condition; Detecting road deterioration based on at least one of an image and acceleration acquired by a moving object; Detecting a road surface condition of the road on which the moving object traveled when the sound was acquired based on the sound acquired together with at least one of the image and the acceleration used in detecting the road deterioration; When the road deterioration is detected based on the image acquired by the moving body, a reliability of the detection result is determined based on the first relation information in the reliability table, and when the road deterioration is detected based on the acceleration acquired by the moving body, a reliability of the detection result of the road deterioration is determined based on the second relation information in the reliability table. A road deterioration diagnosis program that executes processing.

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