Sensor device and road surface condition determination device

Abstract

To provide a sensor device and a road surface situation determination device capable of further expanding distance at which a road surface state can be determined.SOLUTION: A sensor device includes: a first light emitting element; a second light emitting element; a condensing lens; a first light receiving element; a second light receiving element; and a light receiving lens. The first light emitting element emits first detection light to a first detection area. The second light emitting element irradiates a second detection area with second detection light. The condensing lens guides the first detection light to the first detection area, and guides the second detection light to the second detection area. The first light receiving element receives the first detection light. The second light receiving element receives the second detection light. The light receiving lens guides the first detection light to the first light receiving element, and guides the second detection light to the second light receiving element. The condensing lens is disposed adjacent to the light receiving lens, and has an adjacent portion that is adjacent to the light receiving lens in a short-axis direction orthogonal to a long-axis direction of the condensing lens.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor device and a road surface condition determining device that can determine the state of a road surface. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, road surface condition detection systems that detect road surface conditions have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a road surface condition detection system that irradiates measurement light emitted from a light source unit having multiple light sources onto the road surface, receives the measurement light reflected and returned from the road surface with multiple light receiving units, and detects the road surface condition based on information about the measurement light received by the multiple light receiving units. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-106443 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, the intersection angle between the light source unit and the light receiving unit is large, which makes it difficult to expand the distance over which road surface conditions can be determined, making it difficult to accommodate various road widths (roadside, sidewalk, etc.).

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor device and a road surface condition determining device that can further extend the distance over which the road surface condition can be determined. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A sensor device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a condenser lens, a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, and a light-receiving lens. The first light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates the first detection light toward the first detection region. The second light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area. The condensing lens guides the first detection light irradiated from the first light-emitting element to the first detection region, and guides the second detection light irradiated from the second light-emitting element to the second detection region. The first light receiving element receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection area, and is disposed on the first surface. The second light receiving element receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region, and is disposed on the first surface. The light receiving lens guides the first detection light reflected at the first detection area to the first light receiving element, and guides the second detection light reflected at the second detection area to the second light receiving element. The condenser lens is disposed adjacent to the light-receiving lens, and has an adjacent portion adjacent to the light-receiving lens in a minor axis direction perpendicular to a major axis direction of the condenser lens.

[0007] The condenser lens has an adjacent portion adjacent to the light-receiving lens in the minor axis direction perpendicular to the major axis direction of the condenser lens. This allows the sensor device to reduce the distance between the condenser lens and the light-receiving lens, thereby reducing the crossing angle and expanding the measurable distance.

[0008] The adjacent portions may be parallel to the longitudinal axis.

[0009] The arrangement direction of the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element may be parallel to the long axis direction.

[0010] The device may further include a third light-emitting element arranged on the first surface, which irradiates a third detection light toward a third detection area different from the first detection area and the second detection area, and a third light-receiving element arranged on the first surface, which receives the third detection light reflected by the third detection area. In this case, the condenser lens guides the third detection light emitted from the third light-emitting element to the third detection region, the light-receiving lens guides the third detection light reflected by the third detection region to the third light-receiving element; The first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, the third light-emitting element, the first light-receiving element, the second light-receiving element, and the third light-receiving element are parallel to the major axis direction.

[0011] A sensor device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a focusing lens, a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a first light-receiving lens, and a second light-receiving lens. The first light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates the first detection light toward the first detection region. The second light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area. The condensing lens guides the first detection light irradiated from the first light-emitting element to the first detection region, and guides the second detection light irradiated from the second light-emitting element to the second detection region. The first light receiving element receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection area, and is disposed on the first surface. The second light receiving element receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region, and is disposed on the first surface. The first light-receiving lens guides the first detection light reflected by the first detection region to the first light-receiving element. The second light receiving lens guides the second detection light reflected by the second detection region to the second light receiving element. the first light-receiving lens and the second light-receiving lens are disposed adjacent to each other along a circumferential direction of the condenser lens, the collecting lens has a peripheral portion spaced a first distance from a center of the collecting lens and an adjacent portion spaced a second distance from the center of the collecting lens that is shorter than the first distance; The adjacent portion is adjacent to each of the first light receiving lens and the second light receiving lens.

[0012] The device may further include a third light-emitting element arranged on the first surface, which irradiates a third detection light toward a third detection area different from the first detection area and the second detection area, and a third light-receiving element arranged on the first surface, which receives the third detection light reflected by the third detection area. In this case, the condenser lens guides the third detection light emitted from the third light-emitting element to the third detection region, the light receiving lens guides the third detection light reflected by the third detection region to the third light receiving element, and is adjacent to the adjacent portion; the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element are respectively arranged at vertices of a triangle having a center of gravity at the center of the condenser lens, The adjacent portions face each of the three sides of the triangle.

[0013] A sensor device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a first focusing lens, a second focusing lens, a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, and a light-receiving lens. The first light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates the first detection light toward the first detection region. The second light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area. The first condenser lens guides the first detection light emitted from the first light emitting element to the first detection region. The second condenser lens guides the second detection light emitted from the second light emitting element to the second detection region. The first light receiving element receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection area, and is disposed on the first surface. The second light receiving element receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region, and is disposed on the first surface. The light receiving lens guides the first detection light reflected at the first detection area to the first light receiving element, and guides the second detection light reflected at the second detection area to the second light receiving element. The first condenser lens and the second condenser lens are disposed adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction of the light-receiving lens.

[0014] The light receiving lens may have a diameter larger than each of the first condenser lens and the second condenser lens.

[0015] A sensor device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element, a lens, and a half mirror. The light emitting element irradiates the detection area with detection light. The light receiving element receives the detection light reflected by the detection area. The lens is disposed opposite the light receiving element and guides the detection light emitted from the light emitting element into the detection area, and guides the detection light reflected by the detection area to the light receiving element. The half mirror reflects the detection light emitted from the light-emitting element to the lens, and transmits the detection light reflected at the detection region and passed through the lens to the light-receiving element side.

[0016] A road surface condition determining device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a sensor device and a determining unit. The sensor device includes a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a condenser lens, a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, and a light-receiving lens. The first light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates the first detection light toward the first detection region. The second light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area. The condensing lens guides the first detection light irradiated from the first light-emitting element to the first detection region, and guides the second detection light irradiated from the second light-emitting element to the second detection region. The first light receiving element receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection area, and is disposed on the first surface. The second light receiving element receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region, and is disposed on the first surface. The light receiving lens guides the first detection light reflected at the first detection area to the first light receiving element, and guides the second detection light reflected at the second detection area to the second light receiving element. The condenser lens is disposed adjacent to the light-receiving lens, and has an adjacent portion adjacent to the light-receiving lens in a minor axis direction perpendicular to a major axis direction of the condenser lens. The determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the output of the sensor device.

[0017] The vehicle may further include a road thermometer for detecting the temperature of the road surface, and a thermometer for detecting the temperature around the sensor device. In this case, the determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the outputs of the sensor device, the road temperature gauge, and the air temperature gauge.

[0018] A road surface condition determining device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a sensor device and a determining unit. The sensor device includes a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a condenser lens, a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, a first light-receiving lens, and a second light-receiving lens. The first light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates the first detection light toward the first detection region. The second light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area. The condensing lens guides the first detection light irradiated from the first light-emitting element to the first detection region, and guides the second detection light irradiated from the second light-emitting element to the second detection region. The first light receiving element receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection area, and is disposed on the first surface. The second light receiving element receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region, and is disposed on the first surface. The first light-receiving lens guides the first detection light reflected by the first detection region to the first light-receiving element. The second light receiving lens guides the second detection light reflected by the second detection region to the second light receiving element. the first light-receiving lens and the second light-receiving lens are disposed adjacent to each other along a circumferential direction of the condenser lens, the collecting lens has a peripheral portion spaced a first distance from a center of the collecting lens and an adjacent portion spaced a second distance from the center of the collecting lens that is shorter than the first distance; The adjacent portion is adjacent to each of the first light receiving lens and the second light receiving lens. The determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the output of the sensor device.

[0019] The vehicle may further include a road thermometer for detecting the temperature of the road surface, and a thermometer for detecting the temperature around the sensor device. In this case, the determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the outputs of the sensor device, the road temperature gauge, and the air temperature gauge.

[0020] A road surface condition determining device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a sensor device and a determining unit. The sensor device includes a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a first condensing lens, a second condensing lens, a first light-receiving element, a second light-receiving element, and a light-receiving lens. The first light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates the first detection light toward the first detection region. The second light emitting element is disposed on the first surface and irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area. The first condenser lens guides the first detection light emitted from the first light emitting element to the first detection region. The second condenser lens guides the second detection light emitted from the second light emitting element to the second detection region. The first light receiving element receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection area, and is disposed on the first surface. The second light receiving element receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region, and is disposed on the first surface. The light receiving lens guides the first detection light reflected at the first detection area to the first light receiving element, and guides the second detection light reflected at the second detection area to the second light receiving element. The first condenser lens and the second condenser lens are disposed adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction of the light-receiving lens. The determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the output of the sensor device.

[0021] The vehicle may further include a road thermometer for detecting the temperature of the road surface, and a thermometer for detecting the temperature around the sensor device. In this case, the determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the outputs of the sensor device, the road temperature gauge, and the air temperature gauge.

[0022] A road surface condition determining device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a sensor device and a determining unit. The sensor device includes a light emitting element, a light receiving element, a lens, and a half mirror. The light emitting element emits detection light toward the road surface. The light receiving element receives the detection light reflected by the road surface. The lens is disposed opposite the light receiving element and guides the detection light emitted from the light emitting element into the road surface, and guides the detection light reflected by the road surface to the light receiving element. The half mirror reflects the detection light emitted from the light-emitting element to the lens, and transmits the detection light reflected by the road surface and passing through the lens to the light-receiving element side. The determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the output of the sensor device.

[0023] The vehicle may further include a road thermometer for detecting the temperature of the road surface, and a thermometer for detecting the temperature around the sensor device. In this case, the determining unit determines the state of the road surface based on the outputs of the sensor device, the road temperature gauge, and the air temperature gauge. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, the distance over which road surface conditions can be determined can be further extended. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a road surface condition determination device according to a first embodiment of the present invention installed on the side of a road. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a road surface condition determination device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an optical path of the sensor device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the sensor device arranged in a housing, as viewed from the detection area side. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing light emission timing of the sensor device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional sensor device. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the measurement range of a sensor device, where (A) is a diagram showing the measurement range of a conventional sensor device, (B) is a diagram showing the measurement range of the conventional sensor device extended farther, and (C) is a diagram showing the measurement range of a sensor device according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a road surface condition determination device installed on the roadside, where (A) is a diagram showing a case where the roadside width is narrow, and (B) is a diagram showing a case where the roadside width is wide. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a sensor device according to a first modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sensor device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a sensor device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a road surface condition determination device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention installed on a roadside R. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the road surface condition determination device 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the optical path of the sensor device 20. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the light emission timing of the sensor device 20. In each diagram, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis indicate three axial directions that are orthogonal to each other.

[0027] First Embodiment The road surface condition determination device 1 includes a housing 10, a sensor device 20, a road temperature gauge 30, a thermometer 40, and a control device 50. As shown in Fig. 1, the device is mounted on a support P installed on a roadside R and having a height H from the ground of the roadside R. The height H is not particularly limited, but is approximately 5 m in this embodiment.

[0028] (Housing) The housing 10 is the housing of the road surface condition determination device 1, and is provided on a support P. It houses a sensor device 20 (described later), a road temperature gauge 30 (described later), and a control device 50 (described later), and a thermometer 40 (described later) is attached to the outer surface of the housing 10.

[0029] The housing 10 is made of a light-blocking material, which can prevent external light from entering the housing 10. Specifically, the housing 10 is made of a resin material or a metal material that blocks light received by the plurality of light receiving elements 21B (see FIG. 3).

[0030] A plurality of openings are provided in the outer wall of the housing 10, and the light-collecting lens 23A of the light-emitting unit 20A, the light-receiving lens 23B of the light-receiving unit 20B, and the road temperature gauge 30 are attached to these openings.

[0031] (road thermometer) The road temperature gauge 30 is attached inside the housing 10 and is installed so as to face the road D. In this embodiment, the road temperature gauge 30 is a far-infrared non-contact thermometer that measures the temperature of the road D without contact, but it is not limited to far-infrared and may be near-infrared. Furthermore, it is not limited to the non-contact type and may be a buried type road temperature gauge.

[0032] The road temperature meter 30 is electrically connected to the determination unit 54 of the control device 50, and outputs the detection result (temperature on the road D) to the determination unit 54. Of course, this is not limiting, and the detection result may also be transmitted to the determination unit 54 via the communication unit 51.

[0033] (Thermometer) The thermometer 40 detects the temperature around the sensor device 20. The thermometer 40 is attached to the outer surface of the housing 10 as described above, and detects the outside air temperature outside the housing 10.

[0034] The thermometer 30 is electrically connected to the determination unit 54 of the control device 50, and outputs the detection result (ambient temperature of the sensor device 20) to the determination unit 54. Of course, this is not limiting, and the detection result may be transmitted to the determination unit 54 via the communication unit 51.

[0035] [Sensor device] The sensor device 20 is an optical sensor mounted in the housing 10 and detects the amount of moisture on the road D. The sensor device 20 is disposed so as to irradiate detection lights L1 to L3 toward the road D. The sensor device 20 has a light-emitting unit 20A and a light-receiving unit 20B.

[0036] (Light-emitting unit) The light-emitting unit 20A includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 21A, a light-emitting substrate 22A, and a condenser lens 23A.

[0037] (light-emitting element) In this embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A includes a first light-emitting element 211A, a second light-emitting element 212A, and a third light-emitting element 213A. Of course, the number of light-emitting elements is not limited to three, and may be two, four, or more. In this embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A emit detection light that is near-infrared light with a wavelength of approximately 850 nm, but this is not limited thereto. The wavelengths of the light emitted by the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A are not limited to the same, and may be different from each other. In this embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A are LED (Light Emitting Diode) light sources. Of course, this is not limited thereto, and light sources such as lasers may also be used. In this embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A are arranged linearly, and the second light-emitting element 212A is located at the center of a condenser lens 23A (described later) when viewed from the Z axis, but this is not limited thereto.

[0038] (light-emitting substrate) A plurality of light-emitting elements 21A are attached in a straight line to one surface (first surface) 221A of the light-emitting substrate 22A, which is on the XY plane, and the other surface, which is on the XY plane, is attached inside the housing 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). A control signal output from a light source control unit 52 of the control device 50 is input to the light-emitting substrate 22A via a light-receiving substrate 22B, which will be described later. This controls the light emission timing of the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A, etc.

[0039] (condensing lens) The condenser lens 23A is disposed facing the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A at a predetermined position in the positive direction of the Z axis perpendicular to one surface 221A, and is a lens that condenses the detection light L1 to L3 emitted by the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A onto the road D. The shape of the lens is a convex lens (Fresnel lens), but is not limited to this. Furthermore, the condenser lens 23A is fixed to the housing 10, but is not limited to this, and may be mounted on the light-emitting substrate 22A and have a shape that covers the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A. The shape of the condenser lens 23A will be described later.

[0040] (light receiving unit) The light receiving unit 20B has a plurality of light receiving elements 21B, a light receiving substrate 22B, and a light receiving lens 23B.

[0041] (photodetector) In this embodiment, the plurality of light receiving elements 21B includes a first light receiving element 211B, a second light receiving element 212B, and a third light receiving element 213B. Of course, the number of light emitting elements is not limited to three, and may be two, four, or more. In this embodiment, the plurality of light receiving elements 21B are configured by photodiodes having light receiving sensitivity to infrared light. Furthermore, the plurality of light receiving elements 21B are arranged in a straight line, and the second light receiving element 212B is located at the center of a light receiving lens 23B (as viewed from the Z axis), which will be described later, but of course this is not limited to this.

[0042] (Photo-receiving board) On one surface 221B of the light receiving substrate 22B, a plurality of light receiving elements 21B are attached in a straight line parallel to the arrangement direction of the plurality of light emitting elements 21A, and the other surface is attached inside the housing 10 (see FIG. 4). One surface 221B of the light receiving substrate 22B is arranged on the same plane (first surface) as one surface 221A of the above-mentioned light emitting substrate 22A. A control signal output from a light source control unit 52 of the control device 50, which will be described later, is input to the light receiving substrate 22B. In this embodiment, the light emitting substrate 22A and the light receiving substrate 22B are arranged on the same plane, but of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and they may be arranged at different positions in the Z axis direction.

[0043] (receiving lens) The light-receiving lens 23B is a lens that focuses the detection light beams L1 to L3 reflected by the road D onto the multiple light-receiving elements 21B. The light-receiving lens 23B is disposed on one surface 221B at the predetermined position in the positive direction of the Z axis, facing the multiple light-receiving elements 21B. The light-receiving lens 23B is a lens (i.e., a circular lens) that has a circular peripheral portion 231B when viewed from the detection regions W1 to W3 (on the Z axis). The light-receiving lens 23B is fixed to the housing 10, for example, so that its focal point is located on the light-receiving surfaces of the multiple light-receiving elements 21B. The lens is a convex lens (Fresnel lens), but is not limited to this. Furthermore, the light-receiving lens 23B is fixed to the housing 10, but is not limited to this. It may also be mounted on the light-receiving substrate 22B and have a shape that covers the multiple light-receiving elements 21B. In this embodiment, the light-receiving lens 23B is circular and has a diameter of 80 mm. In this embodiment, condenser lens 23A and light-receiving lens 23B are arranged on the XY plane at predetermined positions in the Z-axis direction, but of course this is not limitative and they may be arranged at different positions in the Z-axis direction.

[0044] (Light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit) 1 to 3, in this embodiment, the detection areas to which the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A of the sensor device 20 irradiate the detection lights L1 to L3 are a first detection area W1, a second detection area W2, and a third detection area W3. In this embodiment, there are three light-emitting elements, so there are three detection areas, but the number of areas to be detected as detection areas is not limited to three and can be set appropriately depending on the number of light-emitting elements.

[0045] In this embodiment, the roadside width RW from the support pillar P of the roadside R to the road D is approximately 1.5 m. The lane width (one lane) D0 of the road D is approximately 3.5 m, the distance D1 from the roadside R to the center of the third detection area W3 is approximately 0.75 m, the distance D2 from the center of the third detection area W3 to the center of the second detection area W2 is approximately 1.0 m, and the distance D3 from the center of the second detection area W2 to the center of the first detection area W1 is approximately 1.0 m.

[0046] 3, the first detection light L1 emitted by the first light-emitting element 211A of the sensor device 20 is irradiated onto the first detection region W1 via the condenser lens 23A. The first detection light L1 irradiated onto the first detection region W1 and reflected therefrom is guided to the first light-receiving element 211B via the light-receiving lens 23B. Here, the optical path length of the first detection light L1 from the first light-emitting element 211A (the distance from the first light-emitting element 211A to the first detection region W1) is approximately 8 m.

[0047] The second detection light L2 emitted by the second light-emitting element 212A of the sensor device 20 is irradiated onto the second detection region W2 via the condenser lens 23A. The second detection light L2 irradiated onto the second detection region W2 and reflected therefrom is guided to the second light-receiving element 212B via the light-receiving lens 23B. The optical path length of the second detection light L2 from the second light-emitting element 212A (the distance from the second light-emitting element 212A to the second detection region W2) is approximately 6.5 m.

[0048] The third detection light L3 emitted by the third light-emitting element 213A of the sensor device 20 is irradiated onto the third detection region W3 via the condenser lens 23A. The third detection light L3 irradiated onto the third detection region W3 and reflected therefrom is guided to the third light-receiving element 213B via the light-receiving lens 23B. The optical path length of the third detection light L3 from the third light-emitting element 213A (the distance from the third light-emitting element 213A to the third detection region W3) is approximately 5 m.

[0049] 4 is a diagram showing the sensor device 20 arranged in the housing 10 as viewed from the detection areas W1 to W3 side. As shown in FIG. 4, the light-emitting unit 20A and the light-receiving unit 20B are adjacent (facing each other) in the X-axis direction within the housing 10, separated by an iron plate 11. The condenser lens 23A (light-emitting unit 20A) is arranged in a position (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) of the multiple light-receiving elements 21B. In this embodiment, the iron plate 11 has a thickness of 10 mm, and this is to prevent the detection light beams L1 to L3 emitted from the multiple light-emitting elements 21A from being directly irradiated onto the multiple light-receiving elements 21B.

[0050] (Shape of condenser lens) The condenser lens 23A has a major axis parallel to the Y-axis direction and a minor axis parallel to the X-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the major axis and shorter than the major axis. The shape of the condenser lens 23A is, for example, an ellipse or approximately ellipse. The approximately ellipse shape here refers to a shape obtained by partially modifying an ellipse. The partially modified shape refers to a shape obtained by partially modifying an ellipse into a linear shape or a curved shape different from the curve of an ellipse, such as a D-cut shape (double D-cut shape) described below. The condenser lens 23A has two first peripheral portions 232A, which are arc portions of the condenser lens 23A, facing in the direction of the major axis (length direction of the condenser lens 23A), which is the arrangement direction of the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A (Y-axis direction), and two adjacent portions 231A (second peripheral portions) formed between the first peripheral portions 232A, facing in the direction of the minor axis (X-axis direction), which is the width direction of the condenser lens 23B, and parallel to the arrangement direction. Here, the long axis is an axis that passes through the center of condenser lens 23A when viewed from the Z axis and is aligned along the Y axis, and the short axis is an axis that passes through the center of condenser lens 23A when viewed from the Z axis and is aligned along the X axis.

[0051] Condenser lens 23A has a shape in which a predetermined peripheral portion facing light receiving lens 23B in the X-axis direction has been removed from a circular lens as viewed from the detection regions W1 to W3 side (on the Z-axis). The predetermined peripheral portion has a D-cut shape, which is obtained by linearly cutting the arc portion of the circular lens. Specifically, it has adjacent portions 231A that have a shape (double D-cut shape) in which 10 mm are linearly cut from both ends of a circular lens with a diameter of 80 mm as viewed from the detection regions W1 to W3 side (on the Z-axis). In this embodiment, condenser lens 23A has a double D-cut shape, but it may also be configured so that only the portion facing light receiving lens 23B has a D-cut shape. In this embodiment, condenser lens 23A has an elliptical or approximately elliptical shape, but this is not limiting.

[0052] The adjacent portion 231A is disposed opposite the light receiving lens 23B and has a linear shape parallel to the arrangement direction of the plurality of light emitting elements 21A and the plurality of light receiving elements 21B. The adjacent portion 231A is adjacent to (opposes) the light receiving lens 23B across the iron plate 11. The adjacent portion 231A has a planar shape when viewed from the X-axis direction and from the light receiving lens 23B side. The distance X from the plurality of light emitting elements 21A to the plurality of light receiving elements 21B is approximately 100 mm. Here, the distance X refers to the distance between the first light emitting element 211A and the first light emitting element 211B, the distance between the second light emitting element 212A and the second light receiving element 212B, and the distance between the third light emitting element 213A and the third light receiving element 213B along the X-axis direction.

[0053] In this embodiment, condenser lens 23A has a shape obtained by cutting 10 mm off both ends of a circular lens with a diameter of 80 mm, but this is not limited to this. For example, it may be cut up to light-emitting range S (the range indicated by the dashed line) of multiple light-receiving elements 21B. Furthermore, in this embodiment, light-receiving lens 23B does not have a shape (D-cut shape) corresponding to adjacent portion 231A, but this is not limited to this, and light-receiving lens 23B may also have a shape corresponding to adjacent portion 231A.

[0054] [Control device] The control device 50 has a communication unit 51, a light source control unit 52, a moisture detection unit 53, and a determination unit 54. The control device 50 controls the lighting of the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A of the light-emitting unit 20A, and processes electrical signals output from the plurality of light-receiving elements 21B of the light-receiving unit 20B to determine the state of the road D. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the light emission timing of the sensor device 20.

[0055] In this embodiment, the control device 50 is mounted inside the housing 10, but this is not limited to this and it may be mounted on the outer surface of the housing 10, or on an external device separate from the housing 10 (for example, on a support P at a different height from the housing 10).

[0056] (Communications Department) The communication unit 51 enables the light source control unit 52 and the moisture detection unit 53 (described later) to transmit and receive signals to and from the sensor device 20 via wired or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication unit 51 is configured to transmit the control signal generated by the light source control unit 52 to the light-emitting substrate 22A via the light-receiving substrate 22B, but is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 51 may be configured to transmit the control signal generated by the light source control unit 52 directly to the light-emitting substrate 22A.

[0057] (Light source control unit) The light source control unit 52 is configured by a computer (information processing device) including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The memory stores programs and various parameters for causing the CPU to execute various functions described below.

[0058] The light source control unit 52 controls the light-emitting unit 20A so that the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A are repeatedly turned on and off at a predetermined cycle. Specifically, in the case of three light-emitting elements as in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the light source control unit 52 causes the first light-emitting element 211A to emit light at a predetermined frequency (e.g., 10 kHz) for 30 ms, and then 60 ms later, causes it to emit light again at a predetermined frequency (e.g., 10 kHz) for 30 ms. The light source control unit 52 causes the second light-emitting element 212A to emit light at a predetermined frequency (e.g., 10 kHz) for 30 ms, similar to the first light-emitting element 211A, after the first light-emitting element 211A emits light, and then 60 ms later, causes it to emit light again at a predetermined frequency (e.g., 10 kHz) for 30 ms. Similarly, the light source control unit 52 causes the third light-emitting element 213A to emit light at a predetermined frequency (e.g., 10 kHz) for 30 ms after the second light-emitting element 212A emits light, and then 60 ms later, causes it to emit light again at a predetermined frequency (e.g., 10 kHz) for 30 ms.

[0059] This prevents the light receiving element from being irradiated with detection light from a light emitting element that does not correspond to the light receiving element (for example, the second light receiving element 212B to the first light emitting element 211A). In this embodiment, the corresponding light receiving elements and light emitting elements are the first light emitting element 211A and the first light receiving element 211B, the second light emitting element 212A and the second light receiving element 212B, and the third light emitting element 213A and the third light receiving element 213B.

[0060] (Moisture detection unit) The moisture detection unit 53 detects the amount of moisture on the road D based on the electrical signal output from the light-receiving unit 20B. Specifically, the moisture detection unit 53 detects the amount of moisture on the road D by comparing the voltage level of the received electrical signal with the voltage level of a reference electrical signal. For example, assuming that the road D is dry, when the road D (road surface) is wet with water, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 21A is more likely to be specularly reflected than when the road D is dry. Therefore, the amount of light received by the multiple light-receiving elements 21B decreases, and the voltage level received by the moisture detection unit 53 becomes lower. Furthermore, when there is snow on the road D, the degree of diffuse reflection of light due to snow is greater than when the road D is dry. Therefore, the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements 21B increases compared to when the road D is dry, and the voltage level received by the moisture detection unit 53 becomes higher.

[0061] When the moisture detection unit 53 makes the same determination (snow accumulation) a predetermined number of times (e.g., eight times), it determines that the determination result is (snow accumulation) and outputs it to the determination unit 54. This makes it possible to accurately detect moisture on the road D even if a vehicle is present in a location where the multiple light-emitting elements 21A irradiate the detection lights L1 to L3.

[0062] (Judgment Department) The determination unit 54 determines the state of the road D based on the moisture detection unit 53, the road temperature gauge 30, and the air temperature gauge 40. The determination unit 54 makes a determination as shown in Table 1 below.

[0063] [Table 1]

[0064] According to Table 1, regardless of the temperatures indicated by the thermometer 40 and the road thermometer 30, if the detection result of the moisture detection unit 53 is that there is no moisture, the road D is determined to be dry. Next, if the thermometer 40 indicates 0°C or higher, the road thermometer 30 indicates 0°C or higher, and the detection result of the moisture detection unit 53 is that there is little or much moisture, the road D is determined to be in a wet state. Next, if the thermometer 40 indicates less than 0°C, the road thermometer 30 indicates less than 0°C, and the detection result of the moisture detection unit 53 is that there is little moisture, the road D is determined to be frozen. Furthermore, regardless of the temperature indicated by the thermometer 40, if the road thermometer 30 indicates less than 0°C and the detection result of the moisture detection unit 53 is that there is much moisture, the road D is determined to have snow piled up (snow accumulation). Of course, Table 1 is merely an example, and other determination results and determination conditions (input conditions) may be used.

[0065] This makes it possible to determine the condition on road D. Furthermore, the results of the determination and data used for the determination are transmitted by a transmitter (not shown) via serial communication to a meteorological observation device (not shown), and also transmitted to a higher-level device via an optical fiber line, so that the data can be used to determine, for example, whether or not snow removal work is required on road D.

[0066] (Comparison between conventional sensor devices and the present invention) Here, a conventional sensor device 20' will be described. FIG. 6 shows the conventional sensor device 20', and as shown in FIG. 6, the sensor device 20' is arranged inside the housing 10. The light-emitting unit 20A' has a plurality of light-emitting elements 21A arranged on one surface 221A, a light-emitting substrate (not shown), and a condenser lens 23A', and is arranged in one area inside the housing 10. The light-receiving unit 20B has a plurality of light-receiving elements 21B arranged on one surface 221B, a light-receiving substrate (not shown), and a light-receiving lens 23B, and is arranged adjacent to the light-emitting unit 20A' with the iron plate 11 in between.

[0067] Condenser lens 23A' and light receiving lens 23B are circular and have a diameter of 90 mm when viewed from detection areas W1 to W3, and distance Y between second light emitting element 212A and second light emitting element 212B is approximately 120 mm. Furthermore, the distance between first light emitting element 211A and first light emitting element 211B and the distance between third light emitting element 213A and third light receiving element 213B are all equal to distance Y. Here, distance Y refers to the distance between first light emitting element 211A and first light receiving element 211B, the distance between second light emitting element 212A and second light receiving element 212B, and the distance between third light emitting element 213A and third light receiving element 213B along the Y axis.

[0068] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the measurement range of the sensor device, where (A) is a diagram showing the measurement range of the conventional sensor device 20', (B) is a diagram showing the measurement range of the conventional sensor device 20' extended farther, and (C) is a diagram showing the measurement range of the sensor device 20 according to this embodiment.

[0069] The measurement range D1 shown in FIG. 7(A) is the range where the light-emitting area RS1 of the first light-emitting element 211A and the light-receiving area LS1 of the first light-receiving element 211B overlap. In this embodiment, this is the range where the light-emitting area RS1 of the first light-emitting element 211A and the light-receiving area LS1 of the first light-receiving element 211B overlap by more than half. However, the method of defining the measurement range is not limited to this. The same applies to the measurement range D2 shown in FIG. 7(B) and the measurement range D3 shown in FIG. 7(C). In the explanation of FIGS. 7(A) to 7(C), the first light-receiving element 211A of the multiple light-emitting elements 21A and the first light-receiving element 211B of the multiple light-receiving elements 21B will be selected and explained.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 7(A), in the conventional sensor device 20', the measurement range D1 was approximately 5 m to 8 m in terms of optical path length (the distance traveled by the detection light L1 emitted from the first light-emitting element 211A). Also, as shown in Fig. 7(B), the measurement range D2, which is an extension of the measurement range D1 of the conventional sensor device 20', is approximately 7 m to 10 m in terms of optical path length.

[0071] Conventionally, information such as the height H at which the road surface condition determination device 1 is installed on the support pole P and the roadside width RW of the roadside R is provided in advance, and the measurement range, etc. is set based on that information, but when the actual installation work is carried out, the height H and roadside width RW may differ from the advance information. For example, if the advance information indicates the measurement range is D1 as shown in Figure 7(A), but the actual installation work results in the measurement range being D2 as shown in Figure 7(B), it is necessary to adjust the sensor device 20' again, which is time-consuming for the worker.

[0072] In contrast, the present invention can solve the above-mentioned problem by extending the measurement range D3 to approximately 5 to 10 meters in optical path length, as shown in FIG. 7(C). Specifically, by cutting both ends of the condenser lens 23A of the sensor device 20 and forming the adjacent portions 231A, the distance between the condenser lens 23A and the light-receiving lens 23B can be shortened accordingly, thereby shortening the distance between the first light-emitting element 211A and the first light-receiving element 211B. This widens the overlapping range between the light-emitting area LS3 and the light-receiving area RS3 (reducing the intersection angle between the first light-emitting element 211A and the first light-emitting element 211B), thereby widening the measurement range D3. Therefore, even if the information provided in advance, such as the installation height H of the support P and the roadside width RW of the roadside R, differs from the information provided in advance, the worker can easily perform the installation work.

[0073] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a road surface condition determination device 1 installed on a roadside, with (A) showing a case where the roadside width RW is narrow and (B) showing a case where the roadside width RW' is wide. The roadside width RW shown in FIG. 8A is approximately 1.5 m, the lane width (for one lane) D0 is approximately 3.5 m, the distance D1 is approximately 0.75 m, the distance D2 is approximately 1.0 m, and the distance D3 is approximately 1.0 m. The roadside width RW' shown in FIG. 8B is approximately 3.5 m. In other words, in this embodiment, the road surface condition determination device 1 was manufactured assuming FIG. 8A, but it can also be applied to a case where the road width (roadside width) is actually as shown in FIG. 8B.

[0074] Furthermore, by cutting out and miniaturizing the condenser lens 23A, the road surface condition determination device 1 itself can be made smaller and lighter, which leads to improved work efficiency for the worker who installs the road surface condition determination device 1.

[0075] As described above, light receiving lens 23B has a circular shape, but is not limited to this, and may be formed in a shape similar to adjacent portion 231A (a linearly cut shape) at a position facing adjacent portion 231A. This further reduces the distance between multiple light emitting elements 21A and multiple light receiving elements 21B, thereby further widening the measurement range.

[0076] (Variation 1) 9 is a diagram showing a sensor device 200A according to a first modification of the present invention. Descriptions of configurations similar to those of the above-described embodiment may be omitted or simplified. A difference from the above-described embodiment is that in the first modification, light-receiving units 201B, 202B, and 203B are arranged around a light-emitting unit 20A'.

[0077] The light receiving unit 201B has a first light receiving element 211B arranged on one surface 221B and a first light receiving lens 231B' arranged at a predetermined position in the Z axis direction, the light receiving unit 202B has a second light receiving element 212B arranged on one surface 221B and a second light receiving lens 232B' arranged at a predetermined position in the Z axis direction, and the light receiving unit 203B has a third light receiving element 213B arranged on one surface 221B and a third light receiving lens 233B' arranged at a predetermined position in the Z axis direction.

[0078] 9, light-emitting unit 20A′ has condenser lens 23A″ disposed at a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction, and first light-emitting element 211A, second light-emitting element 212A, and third light-emitting element 213A disposed on one surface 221A. Collector lens 23A″ has an adjacent portion 231A (second peripheral portion) at a position facing (adjacent to) light-receiving lenses 231B′, 232B′, and 233B′ in the XY plane within its circular shape when viewed from detection regions W1 to W3 (on the Z-axis). In this embodiment, since there are three light-emitting elements, three adjacent portions 231A are provided. Of course, the number of adjacent portions 231A is not limited to three and can be set appropriately depending on the number of opposing light-receiving lenses. In this modified example, one surface 221A and one surface 221B exist on the same plane.

[0079] Condenser lens 23A'' has first peripheral edge portion 232A and adjacent portion 231A. First peripheral edge portion 232A is an arc portion that is a first distance away from the center of condenser lens 23A'' (as viewed from the Z axis); in this embodiment, the first distance is the radius, and there are three first peripheral edge portions 232A on the circumference. Adjacent portion 231A is formed at a position opposite first peripheral edge portion 232A and is a linear portion that is a second distance away that is shorter than the first distance; in this embodiment, there are three adjacent portions 231A, one on each side between adjacent portion 231A and first peripheral edge portion 232A. In this embodiment, each adjacent portion 231A has a planar shape when viewed from light receiving lenses 231B', 232B', 233B', but this is of course not limited to this.

[0080] The first light-emitting element 211A, the second light-emitting element 212A, and the third light-emitting element 213A are respectively arranged at the vertices of a triangle whose center of gravity is the center of the condenser lens 23A'', and the first light-emitting element 211A, the second light-emitting element 212A, and the third light-receiving element 213A are respectively arranged to face the peripheral portion 232A. Each side of the triangle faces each of the three adjacent portions 231A. Furthermore, the first light-receiving element 211B, the second light-receiving element 212B, and the third light-receiving element 213B are adjacent to the adjacent portion 231A, and have a triangular shape.

[0081] Furthermore, the positional relationships between the corresponding light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements (first light-emitting element 211A and first light-receiving element 211B, second light-emitting element 212A and second light-receiving element 212B, third light-emitting element 213A and third light-receiving element 213B) are not limited to this and can be set appropriately. Furthermore, although the light-emitting elements 211A to 213A are arranged in a triangular shape in this modified example, this is of course not limiting and they may be arranged in a straight line. Furthermore, although not shown, iron plates 11 are provided between the condenser lens 23A and the light-receiving lenses 231B', 232B', and 233B', respectively, to prevent the detection lights L1 to L3 from being directly irradiated from the multiple light-emitting elements 211A to 213A onto the multiple light-receiving elements 211B to 213B.

[0082] By arranging the first light-emitting element 211A, the second light-emitting element 212A, and the third light-emitting element 213A as described above in a triangular shape, and arranging the first light-receiving element 211B, the second light-receiving element 212B, and the third light-receiving element 213B at positions opposite the three sides of the triangle (arrangement at the vertices of the triangle), the distance between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element can be shortened.

[0083] As a result, similar to the above embodiment, the distance between the plurality of light-emitting elements 211A-213A and the plurality of light-receiving elements 211B-213B can be shortened, and the overlapping range of the light-emitting area LS3 and the light-receiving area RS3 is widened, so that the measurement range D3 is also widened. Therefore, even if the information provided in advance, such as the height H at which the pole P is to be installed and the roadside width RW of the roadside R, is different at the time of actual installation work, the worker can perform the installation work without any hassle.

[0084] Furthermore, by cutting out and miniaturizing the condenser lens 23A, the road surface condition determination device 1 itself can be made smaller and lighter, which leads to improved work efficiency for the worker who installs the road surface condition determination device 1.

[0085] In this modification, light receiving lenses 231B'-233B' are circular when viewed from detection regions W1-W3, but this is not a limitation and they may be formed in a shape similar to adjacent portion 231A (a linearly cut shape) at a position facing adjacent portion 231A. This allows the distance between multiple light receiving elements 211A-213A and multiple light receiving elements 211B-213B to be even closer, thereby further widening the measurement range. Also, in this modification, one surface 221A and one surface 221B are on the same plane, but this is not a limitation and they may be positioned at different positions in the Z-axis direction. Although condenser lens 23A'' and light receiving lenses 231B'-233B' are positioned at the same height in the Z-axis direction, this is not a limitation and they may be positioned at different positions in the Z-axis direction.

[0086] <Second embodiment> 10 is a diagram showing a sensor device 200B according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that the description of the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiments may be simplified or omitted. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a light-receiving unit 20B is located at the center and multiple light-emitting elements 21A are arranged around it.

[0087] Light-emitting unit 201A has first light-emitting element 211A arranged on one surface 221A and first condenser lens 231A' arranged at a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction. Light-emitting unit 202A has second light-emitting element 212A arranged on one surface 221A and second condenser lens 232A' arranged at a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction. Light-emitting unit 203A has third light-emitting element 213A arranged on one surface 221A and third light-emitting lens 233A' arranged at a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 10 , light-emitting units 201A to 203A are arranged around (on the periphery of) circular light-receiving lens 23B, which is circular when viewed from detection areas W1 to W3 (on the Z-axis) within housing 10. The lens diameters of first condenser lens 231A', second condenser lens 232A', and third condenser lens 233A' are smaller than those of light-receiving lens 23B.

[0088] Furthermore, the positional relationship between the corresponding light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements (first light-emitting element 211A and first light-receiving element 211B, second light-emitting element 212A and second light-receiving element 212B, third light-emitting element 213A and third light-receiving element 213B) is not limited to this and can be set appropriately. Furthermore, although the light-receiving elements 211A to 213A are arranged in a straight line in this embodiment, this is of course not limiting and they may also be arranged in a triangular shape. Furthermore, although not shown, iron plates 11 are provided between the condenser lenses 231A' to 233A' and the light-receiving lens 23B, respectively, to prevent the detection lights L1 to L3 from being directly irradiated from the light-emitting elements 211A to 213A onto the light-receiving elements 211B to 213B.

[0089] By arranging condenser lenses 231A'-233A' around light-receiving lens 23B, the distance between light-emitting elements 211A-213A and light-receiving elements 211B-213B can be shortened, and the overlapping range of light-emitting area LS3 and light-receiving area RS3 is widened, thereby widening measurement range D3. Therefore, even if the information provided in advance, such as the height H at which the pole P is to be installed and the roadside width RW of roadside R, differs at the time of actual installation work, the worker can perform the installation work without any hassle.

[0090] Furthermore, by miniaturizing the condenser lenses 231A'-233A' and arranging them around the light-receiving unit 20B, the distance between the light-emitting elements 211A-213A and the light-receiving elements 211B-213B can be made closer (shorter), and the overlapping range between the light-emitting area LS3 and the light-receiving area RS3 becomes wider, thereby widening the measurement range D3. Furthermore, as the condenser lenses 231A'-233A' are made smaller, the road surface condition determination device 1 itself can be made smaller and lighter, which leads to improved work efficiency for the worker who installs the road surface condition determination device 1.

[0091] In this modification, light receiving lens 23B has a circular shape when viewed from the Z axis, but this is not a limitation and a shape similar to adjacent portion 231A described above (a linearly cut shape) may be formed at a position facing light emitting units 201A-203A. This further shortens (closes) the distance between light emitting elements 211A-213A and light receiving elements 211B-213B, thereby further widening the measurement range. Of course, this is not a limitation and condenser lenses 231A'-233A' may have adjacent portion 231A at a position facing light receiving lens 23B.

[0092] <Third embodiment> 11 is a diagram showing a sensor device 200C according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Note that the description of the same configuration as that of the above embodiments may be simplified or omitted. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a half mirror M, and a plurality of light-emitting elements 21A and a plurality of light-receiving elements 21B share a common lens.

[0093] The sensor device 200C includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 21A, a light-emitting substrate 22A arranged along the Z-axis direction, a plurality of light-emitting elements 21B, a light-receiving substrate 22B arranged on the XY plane, a lens 23C arranged in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the light-receiving substrate 22B, and a half mirror M arranged between the lens 23C and the light-receiving substrate 22B.

[0094] The lens 23C is disposed opposite the plurality of light receiving elements 21B. The lens 23C also has the function of guiding the detection light L emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements 21A onto the road D and guiding the detection light L reflected by the road D to the plurality of light receiving elements 21B. The lens 23C is, for example, a convex lens (Fresnel lens), but is not limited to this. The plurality of light emitting elements 21A and the light emitting substrate 22A are provided on a plane perpendicular to the plurality of light receiving elements 21B and the light receiving substrate 22B. In this embodiment, there are multiple light emitting elements and light receiving elements, but of course there is no limitation to this and there may be only one.

[0095] The half mirror M reflects the detection light L emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A to the lens 23C, and transmits the detection light L reflected by the road D and passed through the lens 23C to the plurality of light-receiving elements 21B. In other words, the detection light L emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements 21A is not directly irradiated onto the plurality of light-receiving elements 21.

[0096] This reduces the intersection angle between the light-emitting area LS3 and the light-receiving area RS3, widening the overlapping range of the light-emitting area LS3 and the light-receiving area RS3, and therefore widening the measurement range D3. Therefore, even if the information provided in advance, such as the installation height H of the support P and the roadside width RW of the roadside R, differs at the time of actual installation, the worker can perform the installation work without any hassle.

[0097] <Other variations> Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the present invention may be adapted to detect not only the dry, wet, icy, or snowy state of the road D, but also the presence or absence of fallen objects such as tires on the road D. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1...Road surface condition determination device 10...Housing 20...Sensor device 20A...Lighting unit 20B...Light receiving unit 21A...Light emitting element 21B...Light receiving element 22A...Light emitting board 22B...Light receiving board 23A...Condenser lens 23B...Receiving lens 30...Road temperature meter 40...Thermometer 50...Control device 51…Communications Department 52...Light source control unit 53...Moisture detection unit 54…Judgment section D...Road R…roadside W1: First detection area W2: Second detection area W3: Third detection area L1: First detected light L2: Second detection light L3: Third detection light

Claims

1. a first light-emitting element that irradiates a first detection light toward a first detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a second light-emitting element that is disposed on the first surface and that irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area; a condenser lens that guides the first detection light emitted from the first light-emitting element to the first detection region and guides the second detection light emitted from the second light-emitting element to the second detection region; a first light-receiving element that receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a second light-receiving element that receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a first light-receiving lens that guides the first detection light reflected by the first detection region to the first light-receiving element; a second light-receiving lens that guides the second detection light reflected by the second detection region to the second light-receiving element; Equipped with the first light-receiving lens and the second light-receiving lens are disposed adjacent to each other along a circumferential direction of the condenser lens, the condenser lens has a peripheral portion spaced a first distance from a center of the condenser lens and an adjacent portion spaced a second distance from the center of the condenser lens that is shorter than the first distance; The adjacent portions are adjacent to the first light receiving lens and the second light receiving lens. Sensor device.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, a third light-emitting element that is disposed on the first surface and that irradiates a third detection light toward a third detection area different from the first detection area and the second detection area; and a third light-receiving element that is disposed on the first surface and that receives the third detection light reflected by the third detection area, the condenser lens guides the third detection light emitted from the third light-emitting element to the third detection region; the light-receiving lens guides the third detection light reflected by the third detection region to the third light-receiving element, and further includes a third light-receiving lens adjacent to the adjacent portion; the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element are respectively arranged at vertices of a triangle having a center of gravity at the center of the condenser lens, The adjacent portions face each of the three sides of the triangle. Sensor device.

3. a first light-emitting element that irradiates a first detection light toward a first detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a second light-emitting element that is disposed on the first surface and that irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area different from the first detection area; a first condenser lens that guides the first detection light emitted from the first light-emitting element to the first detection area; a second condenser lens that guides the second detection light emitted from the second light-emitting element to the second detection area; a first light-receiving element that receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a second light-receiving element that receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a light-receiving lens that guides the first detection light reflected at the first detection region to the first light-receiving element and guides the second detection light reflected at the second detection region to the second light-receiving element; Equipped with The first condenser lens and the second condenser lens are disposed adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction of the light-receiving lens. Sensor device.

4. The sensor device according to claim 3, The diameter of the light receiving lens is larger than that of each of the first condenser lens and the second condenser lens. Sensor device.

5. A first light-emitting element that irradiates a first detection light toward a first detection area on a road surface and is arranged on a first surface; a second light-emitting element that is disposed on the first surface and that irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area on the road surface that is different from the first detection area; a condenser lens that guides the first detection light emitted from the first light-emitting element to the first detection region and guides the second detection light emitted from the second light-emitting element to the second detection region; a first light-receiving element that receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a second light-receiving element that receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a first light-receiving lens that guides the first detection light reflected by the first detection region to the first light-receiving element; a second light-receiving lens that guides the second detection light reflected by the second detection region to the second light-receiving element; and the first light-receiving lens and the second light-receiving lens are disposed adjacent to each other along a circumferential direction of the condenser lens, the condenser lens has a peripheral portion spaced a first distance from a center of the condenser lens and an adjacent portion spaced a second distance from the center of the condenser lens that is shorter than the first distance; The adjacent portions are adjacent to the first light receiving lens and the second light receiving lens. a sensor device; a determination unit that determines the state of the road surface based on the output of the sensor device; A road surface condition determination device comprising:

6. The road surface condition determination device according to claim 5, a road temperature gauge for detecting the temperature of the road surface and a thermometer for detecting the temperature around the sensor device; The determination unit determines the state of the road surface based on outputs from the sensor device, the road temperature gauge, and the thermometer. Road surface condition determination device.

7. A first light-emitting element that irradiates a first detection light toward a first detection area on a road surface and is arranged on a first surface; a second light-emitting element that is disposed on the first surface and that irradiates a second detection light toward a second detection area on the road surface that is different from the first detection area; a first condenser lens that guides the first detection light emitted from the first light-emitting element to the first detection area; a second condenser lens that guides the second detection light emitted from the second light-emitting element to the second detection area; a first light-receiving element that receives the first detection light reflected by the first detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a second light-receiving element that receives the second detection light reflected by the second detection region and is disposed on the first surface; a light-receiving lens that guides the first detection light reflected at the first detection region to the first light-receiving element and guides the second detection light reflected at the second detection region to the second light-receiving element; and The first condenser lens and the second condenser lens are disposed adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction of the light-receiving lens. a sensor device; a determination unit that determines the state of the road surface based on the output of the sensor device; A road surface condition determination device comprising:

8. The road surface condition determination device according to claim 7, a road temperature gauge for detecting the temperature of the road surface and a thermometer for detecting the temperature around the sensor device; The determination unit determines the state of the road surface based on outputs from the sensor device, the road temperature gauge, and the thermometer. Road surface condition determination device.

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