Monitoring system, monitoring method, and monitoring program

Abstract

Provided are a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a computer readable medium for optimizing a monitoring position according to a mobile object. A monitoring system (1) monitors a set monitoring region on a road by means of a mobile object (11), the monitoring system (1) comprising: a report acquisition unit (12) that acquires a report regarding a dangerous event in the monitoring region or in the vicinity of the monitoring region; and a monitoring region control unit (13) that determines a change in the monitoring region on the basis of the report acquired by the report acquisition unit (12).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a computer-readable medium. [Background technology]

[0002] When it comes to avoiding traffic accidents on roads, the reaction of vehicles, pedestrians, and other passersby is largely dependent on their actions. In particular, in blind spots on the road, passersby's reactions are delayed, increasing the likelihood of an accident. Therefore, there is technology that installs cameras on streetlights, traffic lights, etc. to record information on approaching passersby in order to record accidents and situations that could lead to accidents.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses the following technology: For the purpose of security or search, a mobile object such as a drone is set to patrol a fixed route, and an image is captured by a camera mounted on the mobile object, and abnormalities are detected based on the captured image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 083798 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, even if a mobile object is placed to monitor a road, for example, an accident or a situation that could lead to an accident may occur in a blind spot in the area monitored by the mobile object. In other words, even if a mobile object is placed to monitor a road, there is a risk that an accident or a situation that could lead to an accident may not be detected depending on the setting of the monitoring area.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a computer-readable medium that optimize the area monitored by a mobile object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A monitoring system in one embodiment is a monitoring system that monitors a monitoring area set on a road using a mobile body, and includes a report acquisition unit that acquires reports regarding dangerous events in the monitoring area or near the monitoring area, and a monitoring area control unit that determines changes to the monitoring area based on the reports acquired by the report acquisition unit.

[0008] A monitoring method in one embodiment is a monitoring method for monitoring a monitoring area set on a road using a mobile body, and includes a step of obtaining a report regarding a dangerous event in the monitoring area or near the monitoring area, and a step of determining a change to the monitoring area based on the obtained report.

[0009] In one embodiment, the computer-readable medium is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a monitoring program for monitoring a monitoring area set on a road using a mobile body, the program causing a computer to execute the steps of obtaining reports regarding dangerous events in the monitoring area or near the monitoring area, and determining whether to change the monitoring area based on the obtained reports. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a computer-readable medium that optimize a monitoring area by a mobile object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a monitoring system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a monitoring system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Embodiment 1 A monitoring system 1 according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the monitoring system 1. The monitoring system 1 is a system that monitors a monitoring area set on a road and detects dangerous events that occur in the monitoring area. Here, a dangerous event is an event that represents an accident or a situation that could lead to an accident. As shown in FIG. 1, the monitoring system 1 includes a mobile object 11, a report acquisition unit 12, and a monitoring area control unit 13. The mobile unit 11 monitors a monitoring area set on a road. The report acquisition unit 12 acquires reports on dangerous events in or near the monitored area. The monitoring area control unit 13 determines whether to change the monitoring area based on the report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12.

[0013] Here, the monitoring system 1 executes processing related to a monitoring method including the following steps: First, the report acquisition unit 12 acquires a report regarding a dangerous event in or near the monitored area. Next, the monitoring area control unit 13 determines whether to change the monitoring area based on the report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12.

[0014] The monitoring system 1 according to the first embodiment can provide a monitoring system that optimizes the area monitored by a moving object.

[0015] Embodiment 2 The monitoring system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the monitoring system 1. The monitoring system 1 is a system that monitors a monitoring area set on a road and detects dangerous events that occur in the monitoring area. Furthermore, the monitoring system 1 is configured to be able to notify vehicles or people passing through or near the monitoring area when a dangerous event is detected. As shown in FIG. 2, the monitoring system 1 includes a mobile object 11, a report acquisition unit 12, a monitoring area control unit 13, a report unit 14, and a map information acquisition unit 15.

[0016] The mobile body 11 monitors a monitoring area set on a road. Here, the monitoring area set on a road is mainly an area on the road where dangerous events are likely to occur, such as an intersection. The mobile body 11 also detects dangerous events that occur in the monitoring area. The mobile body 11 is an aircraft that moves autonomously on a road. The mobile body 11 is placed, for example, at a predetermined point on the road to monitor the set monitoring area. The movement of the mobile body 11 is controlled by communication with a monitoring area control unit 13, and the mobile body 11 moves to the predetermined point on the road. The mobile body 11 is, for example, a drone that moves in the air. The mobile body 11 is powered by a built-in battery. The mobile body 11 includes, for example, a monitoring unit 21, an imaging unit 22, an image processing unit 23, and an alarm unit 24.

[0017] The monitoring unit 21 is mounted on the mobile object 11 and is configured to be able to monitor a predetermined monitoring area. The monitoring unit 21 also detects dangerous events that occur in the monitoring area. For example, the monitoring unit 21 detects excessive proximity between pedestrians passing through the monitoring area as a dangerous event. Here, "pedestrians" refers to vehicles or people passing through the road. The proximity between pedestrians that the monitoring unit 21 detects as a dangerous event is mainly proximity between a vehicle and a person, or between vehicles. In this embodiment, the monitoring unit 21 is configured by a photographing unit 22. The photographing unit 22 photographs the predetermined monitoring area and detects dangerous events that occur within the photographing range. The photographing unit 22 photographs the monitoring area on the road from a bird's-eye view. The photographing unit 22 particularly photographs pedestrians passing through the monitoring area and detects dangerous events from the situation.

[0018] The image processing unit 23 performs a process of dividing the range photographed by the photographing unit 22 into a plurality of virtual areas. For example, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the image processing unit 23 creates a monitoring area 23a that is set to include the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 and its surrounding area. For example, when the mobile object 11 is placed at a predetermined point on a road, the image processing unit 23 processes an image of the monitoring area and its surrounding area photographed from above by the photographing unit 22. As shown in Fig. 4 etc., the image processing unit 23 divides, for example, an image of an intersection photographed from above into nine equally divided areas.

[0019] When the monitoring unit 21 detects a dangerous event, the notification unit 24 immediately notifies pedestrians passing through or near the monitored area. The notification unit 24 is configured to be able to communicate with, for example, a communication terminal 31 carried by a pedestrian. Here, the communication terminal 31 carried by a pedestrian is, for example, a smartphone, a multifunction watch, or an in-vehicle terminal mounted in a vehicle. When the notification unit 24 detects a dangerous event by the mobile object 11, it immediately transmits information about the dangerous event to the communication terminal 31. When the communication terminal 31 receives the information about the dangerous event, it issues an alert and notifies pedestrians of the dangerous event.

[0020] The report acquisition unit 12 acquires reports about dangerous events in the area monitored by the mobile object 11 or near the monitored area. The report acquisition unit 12 acquires reports about dangerous events from, for example, pedestrians who have passed through the area monitored by the mobile object 11 or near the monitored area. The report acquisition unit 12 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from the reporting unit 14. When the report acquisition unit 12 detects a dangerous event in the area monitored by the mobile object 11 or when a pedestrian encounters a dangerous event near the monitored area, the report acquisition unit 12 prompts the pedestrian to report the dangerous event. For example, when pedestrians get too close to each other, the report acquisition unit 12 acquires information indicating that the pedestrians are getting too close from the communication terminal 31 carried by the pedestrian. The report acquisition unit 12 requests the communication terminal 31 to create a report about the dangerous event. The content of the report includes, for example, the time and location of the dangerous event, specific circumstances, etc. The report acquisition unit 12 outputs the acquired report about the dangerous event to the map information acquisition unit 15.

[0021] The monitoring area control unit 13 acquires information about monitoring areas set on the road and causes the mobile object 11 to monitor the monitoring areas. Here, for example, if there are multiple areas on the road where dangerous events are likely to occur, multiple monitoring areas are set on the road to cover these multiple areas. The monitoring area control unit 13 selects one of the multiple monitoring areas set on the road and causes the mobile object 11 to monitor that monitoring area. The monitoring area control unit 13 determines the monitoring area to be monitored by the mobile object 11, for example, based on information set in the map information acquisition unit 15. The monitoring area control unit 13 communicates with the mobile object 11 and moves the mobile object 11 to a position where the selected monitoring area can be monitored.

[0022] Furthermore, the monitoring area control unit 13 changes the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 as necessary within an area near the selected monitoring area. Specifically, the monitoring area control unit 13 determines whether to change the monitoring area based on a report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12. For example, the monitoring area control unit 13 changes the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 so as to include a position where a dangerous event identified in the acquired report can be detected. As another example, the monitoring area control unit 13 determines whether to change the monitoring area based on a comparison between a dangerous event detected by the mobile object 11 and a dangerous event identified in the report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12. For example, if the dangerous event identified in the acquired report is detected by the mobile object 11, the monitoring area control unit 13 determines not to change the monitoring area. Here, the change in the monitoring area is realized, for example, by changing the position of the mobile object 11. The change in the position of the mobile object 11 includes movement in the horizontal direction and movement in the vertical direction. In other words, the change in the position of the mobile object 11 includes movement along the road surface and movement in a direction that changes elevation. Alternatively, the monitoring area control unit 13 may compare the dangerous events identified in the acquired report with the dangerous events detected by the mobile body 11 to determine which dangerous event should be detected with priority, and may determine a change in the monitoring area based on the result of the determination. That is, the monitoring area control unit 13 has two functions, a first function and a second function, as functions for determining the target position of the mobile body 11.

[0023] The first function is to determine the placement of the mobile object 11 to monitor one of multiple monitoring areas set on a road. The monitoring area control unit 13 determines the placement of the mobile object 11 on the road based on information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 15. For example, the monitoring area control unit 13 sets multiple monitoring areas on the road as candidates and determines at which position the mobile object 11 should be placed based on information about the time when detection of a dangerous event is desired. Furthermore, the monitoring area control unit 13 causes the mobile object 11 to patrol the multiple candidate monitoring areas on the road based on the monitoring plan created by the map information acquisition unit 15.

[0024] The second function is a function for determining the position of the mobile object 11 in more detail within an area near the position where the mobile object 11 is selectively placed by the first function. The monitoring area control unit 13 places the mobile object 11 at a predetermined position on a road based on information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 15. Then, the monitoring area control unit 13 resets the target position of the mobile object 11 as necessary based on the detection result of a dangerous event by the mobile object 11 and a report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12. The target position of the mobile object 11 is determined, for example, so as to be a position where the dangerous event identified by the report acquisition unit 12 can be detected. The monitoring area control unit 13 moves the mobile object 11 to the determined position. As a specific example, the monitoring area control unit 13 determines, as the target position of the mobile object 11, an area from among multiple virtual areas created by the image processing unit 23 where the dangerous event identified by the report acquisition unit 12 can be detected. The monitoring area control unit 13 moves the mobile object 11 to the area determined as the target position. Alternatively, the monitoring area control unit 13 determines a height at which the dangerous event identified by the report acquisition unit 12 can be detected as the target position, and moves the mobile object 11 to the determined height.

[0025] The reporting unit 14 reports dangerous events to the report acquisition unit 12. The reporting unit 14 is, for example, a means that enables a passerby to input a report on a dangerous event. The reporting unit 14 is provided, for example, in a communication terminal 31 carried by the passerby. As a specific example, the reporting unit 14 is provided in a smartphone, a multifunction watch, or an in-vehicle terminal mounted in a vehicle. Upon receiving a request from the report acquisition unit 12, the reporting unit 14 prompts the passerby to input predetermined report items related to the dangerous event. The reporting unit 14 transmits the input information to the report acquisition unit 12.

[0026] The map information acquisition unit 15 acquires information on areas on the road where dangerous events are likely to occur and times when dangerous events are likely to occur. Such information is set based on the traffic conditions and accident occurrence status of each area on the road. The map information acquisition unit 15 stores information on areas on the road where dangerous events are likely to occur and times when dangerous events are likely to occur in advance. In addition, the map information acquisition unit 15 updates the information on areas where dangerous events are likely to occur and times when dangerous events are likely to occur based on the detection results of dangerous events by the mobile object 11 and the reports acquired by the report acquisition unit 12.

[0027] Furthermore, the map information acquisition unit 15 creates a monitoring plan that manages the area to be monitored by the mobile object 11 and the monitoring time based on pre-stored information, the detection result of a dangerous event by the mobile object 11, and the report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12. As a specific example, when the map information acquisition unit 15 detects a dangerous event by the mobile object 11 or acquires a report on the dangerous event by the report acquisition unit 12, the map information acquisition unit 15 refers to information on the area and time when the dangerous event occurred, and sets conditions under which the mobile object 11 should perform monitoring in the area and at the time. Then, the map information acquisition unit 15 creates a monitoring plan for the mobile object 11 based on the set conditions.

[0028] Furthermore, the map information acquisition unit 15 acquires the remaining battery power of the mobile object 11. The map information acquisition unit 15 manages the operating time of the mobile object 11 based on the remaining battery power of the mobile object 11. The map information acquisition unit 15 creates a monitoring plan for the mobile object 11, taking into account the remaining battery power of the mobile object 11.

[0029] Furthermore, the map information acquisition unit 15 updates the information of a monitoring area in the vicinity of the selected one of the monitoring areas where it is easier to detect a dangerous event. For example, the map information acquisition unit 15 determines that an area including a position where a dangerous event specified in a report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12 can be detected is the monitoring area where it is easier to detect the dangerous event. Furthermore, for example, when a dangerous event specified in a report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12 is detected by the mobile object 11, the map information acquisition unit 15 determines that the current monitoring area is the monitoring area where it is easier to detect the dangerous event.

[0030] An example of processing by the monitoring system 1 will be specifically described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the monitoring system 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of an intersection as one monitoring area on a road, and is a diagram schematically showing an example of processing by the monitoring system 1. Fig. 5 is a plan view of an intersection as one monitoring area on a road, and is a diagram schematically showing an example of processing by the monitoring system 1. Note that Figs. 4 and 5 show a situation in which a pedestrian 101 and a vehicle 102 are approaching each other at an intersection, as an example of a situation that may lead to an accident. Fig. 4 also shows a situation in which the moving object 11 does not detect that the pedestrian 101 and the vehicle 102 are approaching each other. Fig. 5 shows a situation in which the moving object 11 detects that the pedestrian 101 and the vehicle 102 are approaching each other.

[0031] First, in step S201, the monitoring area control unit 13 refers to information from the map information acquisition unit 15 and acquires information on the area to be monitored by the mobile object 11 and the monitoring time. Next, in step S202, the monitoring area control unit 13 determines a target position for the mobile object 11 based on the acquired information, and moves the mobile object 11 to the determined position. Next, in step S203, the mobile object 11 starts monitoring the monitoring area. Next, in step S204, if a hazardous event is detected by the mobile object 11 (Yes in step S204), the process proceeds to S205. On the other hand, if a hazardous event is not detected by the mobile object 11 (No in step S204), the process proceeds to step S206.

[0032] In step S205, the notification unit 24 notifies passersby that a dangerous event has been detected. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the notification unit 24 communicates with the communication terminal 31 carried by the pedestrian 101 and the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle 102, and causes the communication terminal 31 and the in-vehicle terminal to issue an alert. Note that instead of the in-vehicle terminal, a communication terminal carried by a person inside the vehicle may be used. The same applies to the in-vehicle terminal described below. In this way, the pedestrian 101 and the vehicle 102 are notified that an accident has occurred or is in a situation that could lead to an accident. Then, the process proceeds to step S209.

[0033] In step S206, the reporting unit 14 is prompted to report the dangerous event, and the report acquiring unit 12 acquires the report of the dangerous event. Specifically, the report acquiring unit 12 communicates with the communication terminal 31 carried by the pedestrian 101 and the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle 102, and acquires a report on details of the dangerous event, such as the time of occurrence, location, and situation. Next, in step S207, the report acquiring unit 12 feeds back the acquired detailed information of the dangerous event to the map information acquiring unit 15. Based on the received feedback information, the map information acquiring unit 15 updates the information on the monitoring area and monitoring time of the mobile object 11. Next, in step S208, the monitoring area control unit 13 changes the monitoring position of the mobile object 11 based on the updated information of the map information acquiring unit 15.

[0034] A specific example of the processing flow in steps S204 to S208 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the monitoring area control unit 13 selectively places the moving object 11 in the central area of ​​a monitoring area 23a, which is obtained by dividing an intersection into nine virtual areas. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, assume that a dangerous event has occurred in which a pedestrian 101 and a vehicle 102 come too close to each other, although this event was not detected by the moving object 11. Then, the report acquisition unit 12 communicates with the communication terminal 31 carried by the pedestrian 101 and the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle 102 to acquire a report on the details of the dangerous event. The report acquisition unit 12 feeds back the acquired information on the details of the dangerous event to the map information acquisition unit 15. Based on the received feedback information, the map information acquisition unit 15 updates information on the location where the moving object 11 is to be placed so that a similar dangerous event can be detected. Based on the updated information from the map information acquisition unit 15, the monitoring area control unit 13 then changes the location of the moving object 11 to another area where a similar dangerous event is more easily detected, as shown in FIG. 5. Here, if the moving object 11 detects a dangerous event at the new position, the notification unit 24 immediately notifies passersby of the event.

[0035] Although not shown, when the mobile object 11 does not detect a dangerous event (No in step S204) and the report acquisition unit 12 does not acquire a report regarding the dangerous event, information indicating that no dangerous event has occurred may be fed back to the map information acquisition unit 15. For example, the map information acquisition unit 15 may perform processing to lower the priority of monitoring in the monitored area and change the monitoring time by the mobile object 11.

[0036] Next, in step S209, it is determined whether to end the monitoring time by the moving object 11. If the monitoring time is to end (Yes in step S209), the monitoring system 1 ends the processing. If the monitoring time is not to end (No in step S209), the processing returns to step S204, and detection of dangerous events by the moving object 11 continues.

[0037] Here, a modified example of the monitoring system 1 will be described using FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a plan view of an intersection as a monitoring area on a road, and is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of processing by the monitoring system. As shown in FIG. 6, the monitoring system 1 may further include a monitoring device 16. The monitoring device 16 is fixedly installed on or near the road, and detects dangerous events in a monitorable area. The monitoring device 16 may also include, for example, a notification unit that immediately notifies the user when a dangerous event is detected. The monitoring device 16 is, for example, a monitoring camera. The monitoring device 16 detects dangerous events, for example, in the shooting range indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 6.

[0038] When such a monitoring system 1 detects a dangerous event using the monitoring device 16, it immediately notifies passersby of the dangerous event, for example, by a notifying unit (not shown). Here, the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 may be set based on the monitoring range that can be monitored by the monitoring device 16. Specifically, first, the area that can be monitored by the monitoring device 16 is set in the map information acquiring unit 15. Then, the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 is set to an area outside the area that can be monitored by the monitoring device 16, in which a dangerous event can be detected. In the monitoring system 1, the mobile object 11 and the monitoring device 16 can mutually complement each other in the range in which a dangerous event can be detected.

[0039] Next, an example of another process performed by the monitoring system 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed by the monitoring system 1. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a road including multiple intersections, and is a diagram schematically showing an example of the process performed by the monitoring system 1. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a road including multiple intersections, and is a diagram schematically showing an example of the process performed by the monitoring system 1. Here, the multiple intersections represent an example of multiple areas on the road where dangerous events are likely to occur. Note that in Figs. 8 and 9, the time notation in the figures indicates an example of the time when the mobile object 11 patrols each monitoring area. Furthermore, Figs. 8 and 9 show a situation in which a pedestrian and a vehicle, or two vehicles, are approaching each other in each monitoring area, as an example of a situation that could lead to an accident.

[0040] First, in step S301, the monitoring area control unit 13 refers to information from the map information acquisition unit 15 and acquires information on the area to be monitored by the mobile object 11 and the monitoring time. Next, in step S302, the monitoring area control unit 13 moves the mobile object 11 to the determined monitoring position. Next, in step S303, the mobile object 11 starts monitoring the monitoring area. Next, in step S304, if a dangerous event is detected by the mobile object 11 (Yes in step S304), the process proceeds to S305. On the other hand, if a dangerous event is not detected by the mobile object 11 (No in step S304), the process proceeds to step S306.

[0041] In step S305, the notification unit 24 notifies passersby that a dangerous event has been detected. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the notification unit 24 communicates with a communication terminal carried by the pedestrian and an in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle, and causes the communication terminal and the in-vehicle terminal to issue an alert. This notifies the pedestrian and the vehicle that an accident has occurred or is in a situation that could lead to an accident. Then, the process proceeds to step S309.

[0042] In step S306, the reporting unit 14 is prompted to report the dangerous event, and the report acquiring unit 12 acquires the report of the dangerous event. Specifically, the report acquiring unit 12 communicates with the communication terminal carried by the pedestrian and the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle, and acquires a report of details of the dangerous event, such as the time of occurrence, location, and situation. Next, in step S307, the report acquiring unit 12 feeds back the acquired detailed information of the dangerous event to the map information acquiring unit 15. Based on the received feedback information, the map information acquiring unit 15 updates the information on the monitoring area and monitoring time of the mobile object 11. Next, in step S308, the monitoring area control unit 13 changes the monitoring position of the mobile object 11 based on the updated information of the map information acquiring unit 15.

[0043] Although not shown, when the mobile object 11 does not detect a dangerous event (No in step S304) and the report acquisition unit 12 does not acquire a report regarding the dangerous event, information indicating that no dangerous event has occurred may be fed back to the map information acquisition unit 15. For example, the map information acquisition unit 15 may perform processing to lower the priority of monitoring in the monitored area and change the monitoring time by the mobile object 11.

[0044] Next, in step S309, it is determined whether to end the monitoring time in the monitored area by the mobile object 11. If the monitoring time in the monitored area is to end (Yes in step S309), the process proceeds to step S310. If the monitoring time is not to end (No in step S309), the process returns to step S304, and detection of dangerous events by the mobile object 11 in the monitored area continues.

[0045] Next, in step S310, it is determined whether the operating time of the mobile object 11 has ended. The determination of the end of the operating time of the mobile object 11 is made, for example, based on a decrease in the remaining battery charge of the mobile object 11 or the presence or absence of a monitoring area to be monitored at the time of determination. If it is determined that the operating time of the mobile object 11 has ended (Yes in step S310), the monitoring system 1 ends the processing. If it is determined that the operating time of the mobile object 11 has not ended (No in step S310), the processing returns to S302, and the mobile object 11 is moved to a monitoring area. Here, the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 is determined again based on information from the map information acquisition unit 15. For example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, if the monitoring area to be monitored has changed at the time of determination, the monitoring area control unit 13 moves the mobile object 11 to another monitoring area. On the other hand, if the monitoring area to be monitored is the monitoring area in which the mobile object 11 is currently located at the time of determination, the monitoring area control unit 13 keeps the mobile object 11 in that monitoring area.

[0046] A specific example of the processing flow in steps S301 to S310 will be described with reference to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. As indicated by the time notations in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the mobile object 11 is assigned areas on the road to be monitored at each predetermined time. The assignment information is set in advance in, for example, the map information acquisition unit 15. The monitoring area control unit 13 causes the mobile object 11 to patrol each area according to the time.

[0047] As an example, as shown in FIG. 8, first, the monitoring area control unit 13 moves the mobile object 11 to one monitoring area where monitoring is desired between 12:00 and 13:00 based on information stored in the map information acquisition unit 15. Then, the monitoring system 1 executes the processes of steps S303 to S309 in the selected monitoring area. That is, the monitoring system 1 executes a process of immediately notifying passersby of a detected dangerous event while appropriately determining whether to change the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 within an area near the selected monitoring area. When the monitoring time in the selected monitoring area ends, the monitoring area control unit 13 moves the mobile object 11 to another monitoring area where monitoring is desired between 13:00 and 14:00. The monitoring system 1 repeats this process, and performs monitoring by the mobile object 11 in each monitoring area until the end of the operating time.

[0048] If it is determined based on the detection results by the mobile object 11 and the reports acquired by the report acquisition unit 12 that a fixed notification means is sufficient for the monitored area, a fixed notification means 41 may be installed in the monitored area or near the monitored area, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8 . The fixed notification means 41 may be configured to immediately notify passersby of a dangerous event. For example, the fixed notification means 41 may be a mirror. Alternatively, the fixed notification means 41 may be a monitoring camera equipped with a notification unit, such as the monitoring device 16. When the fixed notification means 41 is installed, information about an area in which monitoring by the fixed notification means 41 can be omitted may be set in the map information acquisition unit 15, and the area in which the fixed notification means 41 is installed may be excluded from the monitored area by the mobile object 11. Alternatively, the mobile object 11 may supplement monitoring of the area in question that cannot be notified by the fixed notification means 41.

[0049] 9, by actually providing a fixed notification means 41, the time that the mobile object 11 would have spent monitoring the monitoring area can be used to monitor other monitoring areas. In addition, one of the areas that the mobile object 11 patrols may include a battery station for charging the battery of the mobile object 11. The monitoring plan for the mobile object 11 as described above is updated as appropriate based on the detection results of dangerous events by the mobile object 11 and the reports acquired by the report acquisition unit 12.

[0050] According to such a monitoring system 1, in a monitoring area set on a road, it is possible to determine a change in the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 based on reports acquired by the report acquisition unit 12, so as to make the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 an area where dangerous events can be easily detected. In other words, the monitoring system 1 can optimize the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11.

[0051] Here, the report acquisition unit 12 acquires reports on dangerous events from pedestrians passing through or near the monitored area, which allows the monitoring system 1 to determine whether to change the monitored area of ​​the mobile object 11 based on information on dangerous events that have actually occurred on the road.

[0052] Furthermore, the monitoring system 1 determines whether the mobile object 11 has changed the monitoring area based on a comparison between a dangerous event detected by the mobile object 11 and a dangerous event identified in a report acquired by the report acquisition unit 12. This allows the monitoring system 1 to weight which dangerous event should be detected with priority, for example, when the monitoring system 1 detects a specific dangerous event by the mobile object 11 and acquires a report about another dangerous event by the report acquisition unit 12. The monitoring system 1 can determine whether the mobile object 11 has changed the monitoring area so as to be able to detect dangerous events with a high detection priority.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, the monitoring system 1 can acquire a report by the report acquisition unit 12, and change the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 so as to include a position where a dangerous event identified by the report can be detected. As a specific example, when a dangerous event occurs in a blind spot of the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11, a situation may arise in which the mobile object 11 does not detect the dangerous event, but the report acquisition unit 12 acquires a report about the dangerous event. In this case, by changing the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11, the monitoring system 1 becomes able to detect a dangerous event that was not detected in the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 before the change.

[0054] Furthermore, the monitoring system 1 acquires a report via the report acquisition unit 12, and if a dangerous event identified in the report has been detected by the mobile object 11, it determines not to change the monitoring area. In other words, if the monitoring system 1 detects a dangerous event in the monitoring area and acquires a report regarding the dangerous event, it can determine a monitoring area for the mobile object 11, assuming that monitoring in the current monitoring area needs to be continued.

[0055] Furthermore, the monitoring system 1 divides the area monitored by the mobile object 11 and its surrounding area into a plurality of virtual areas, and determines which areas to include in the area monitored by the mobile object 11. Specifically, when the mobile object 11 is placed in one of the areas, and if the mobile object 11 does not detect a dangerous event and the report acquisition unit 12 acquires a report about the dangerous event, the area in which the mobile object 11 is placed is changed so that the surrounding area adjacent to that area is also included in the monitoring area. Such a monitoring system 1 can simplify the process of determining the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 when optimizing the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11.

[0056] Furthermore, when the monitoring system 1 is equipped with a monitoring device 16 that is fixedly installed on or near a road, the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 is set based on the monitoring range of the monitoring device 16. This allows the monitoring system 1 to more reliably detect dangerous events by using both monitoring by the mobile object 11 and monitoring by the monitoring device 16.

[0057] Furthermore, the monitoring system 1 acquires information on areas on the road where dangerous events are likely to occur and the times when dangerous events are likely to occur, using the map information acquisition unit 15. Based on the information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 15, the monitoring system 1 determines which areas on the road should be monitored by the mobile object 11. This allows the monitoring system 1 to identify areas on the road that are desired to be monitored at each time point, and have the mobile object 11 patrol each area.

[0058] Furthermore, the monitoring system 1 updates the information stored in the map information acquisition unit 15 based on the detection results of dangerous events by the mobile object 11 and the reports acquired by the report acquisition unit 12. Such a monitoring system 1 can determine the monitoring priority for each area on the road depending on circumstances such as the frequency of detection of dangerous events and the specific circumstances of the reported dangerous events. This allows the monitoring system 1 to make the mobile object 11 preferably patrol areas on the road where monitoring is desired.

[0059] Furthermore, the monitoring system 1 further acquires the remaining battery power for the mobile object 11 in the map information acquisition unit 15, and creates a monitoring plan for the mobile object 11 based on the remaining battery power of the mobile object 11, in addition to information on areas where dangerous events are likely to occur and times when dangerous events are likely to occur. This allows the monitoring system 1 to configure a patrol route for the mobile object 11 that takes into account the operating time of the mobile object 11. Furthermore, when setting monitoring areas for multiple mobile objects 11, the monitoring system 1 can allocate the locations of the mobile objects 11 to each area on the road, taking into account the operating time of each mobile object 11.

[0060] Furthermore, when the monitoring system 1 detects a dangerous event by the mobile object 11, it notifies passersby via the notification unit 24. This allows the monitoring system 1 to immediately notify passersby that an accident or a situation that could lead to an accident has occurred, and to call their attention. Here, by optimizing the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11, the monitoring system 1 reduces the situation where the location of the dangerous event is in a blind spot in the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11, and can more reliably notify passersby of the dangerous event.

[0061] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above example, the mobile object 11 is placed at an intersection, but this is shown as an example of a location where a dangerous event is likely to occur. In other words, the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 can be set appropriately to any area where monitoring is desired.

[0062] Furthermore, while an example of changing the location of the mobile object 11 has been described as a means for changing the area monitored by the mobile object 11, the present invention is not limited to this, and other means for changing the monitored area may be used as long as the monitored area can be moved to a predetermined position. For example, the location of the mobile object 11 may be left in place, and the monitored area may be changed by changing the angle of view of the imaging unit 22 mounted on the mobile object 11.

[0063] Furthermore, regarding the creation of the area in which the moving object 11 is to be placed, an example has been described in which the imaging unit 22 and the image processing unit 23 create the monitoring area 23a by dividing a point on a road into a plurality of virtual areas, but this is not limiting. For example, information dividing a specific area on a road into a plurality of virtual areas may be set in advance in the map information acquisition unit 15. Furthermore, information dividing the area into a plurality of virtual areas may be determined for each of a plurality of areas on a road that are desired to be monitored, and set in advance in the map information acquisition unit 15.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the monitoring means by the mobile object 11 is described as an example in which the imaging unit 22 mounted on the mobile object 11 captures an image of the monitoring area, but this is not limiting. The monitoring means by the mobile object 11 may have other configurations as long as they are capable of detecting dangerous events in a monitoring area set on a road. For example, the monitoring means by the mobile object 11 may be a sensor that detects the sound of approaching pedestrians or vehicles.

[0065] Furthermore, even when the mobile object 11 detects a dangerous event and notifies the alarm unit 24, the report acquisition unit 12 may request passersby to report the dangerous event. In this case, the information stored in the map information acquisition unit 15 can be updated based on both the detection result of the dangerous event by the mobile object 11 and the report from the passerby, thereby making it possible to set the monitoring area of ​​the mobile object 11 to a more suitable area. Furthermore, the report acquisition unit 12 may be configured to receive a report from an autonomous vehicle that encounters a dangerous event. In other words, passersby who report to the report acquisition unit 12 include autonomous vehicles with no person on board, and reports acquired by the report acquisition unit 12 also include reports automatically created by autonomous vehicles.

[0066] Furthermore, as a means for notifying passersby of a dangerous event, an example has been described in which the notification unit 24 provided in the mobile object 11 communicates with the communication terminal 31 carried by the passerby and issues an alert via the communication terminal 31, but this is not limiting. The configuration of the notification unit 24 can be changed as appropriate as long as it can immediately notify passersby of a dangerous event. For example, the mobile object 11 may further be equipped with a means for issuing an alert. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which an alarm that issues an alert when the mobile object 11 detects a dangerous event is installed on the road.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the monitoring system 1 causes one mobile object 11 to patrol each area on a road. However, the monitoring system 1 may be configured to collectively manage the movements of multiple mobile objects 11. That is, the monitoring system 1 may place a mobile object 11 in one area on a road and place other mobile objects 11 in other areas, thereby simultaneously monitoring multiple areas on a road using the mobile objects 11. In this case, the map information acquisition unit 15 may set a route for each mobile object 11 to patrol based on the location of each mobile object 11 and the remaining battery power of each mobile object 11. For example, a circular route for patrolling multiple areas on a road may be configured, and each mobile object 11 may patrol the same route in order. Alternatively, the remaining battery power of each mobile object 11 may be referenced, and the mobile object 11 with the lowest remaining battery power may be placed in an area where monitoring is desired for the shortest time. Alternatively, the mobile object 11 with the lowest remaining battery power may be preferentially placed in an area closest to a charging station. Such a monitoring system 1 can suitably control the placement of multiple moving objects 11 in multiple areas on a road.

[0068] Although the example in which the mobile object 11 is a drone moving through the air has been described, the mobile object 11 is not limited to this. The mobile object 11 may be any object that is controlled by the monitoring area control unit 13, moves autonomously on a road, and monitors a predetermined monitoring area. For example, the mobile object 11 may be a robot that moves on a road surface. As another example, the mobile object 11 may be an autonomous vehicle.

[0069] Each component in the above-described embodiments may be configured by hardware or software, or both, and may be configured by a single piece of hardware or software, or may be configured by multiple pieces of hardware or software. The function (processing) of each device may be realized by a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, etc. For example, a program for performing a method (e.g., a control method) in the embodiment may be stored in a storage device, and each function may be realized by executing the program stored in the storage device with the CPU.

[0070] These programs can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). The programs may also be supplied to a computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media can supply the programs to a computer via wired communication paths such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication paths.

[0071] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) A surveillance system that uses a mobile object to monitor a surveillance area set on a road, a report acquisition unit that acquires a report regarding a dangerous event in the monitored area or in the vicinity of the monitored area; a monitoring area control unit that determines a change in the monitoring area based on the report acquired by the report acquisition unit; A monitoring system comprising: (Appendix 2) 2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the report acquisition unit acquires the reports from passersby passing through the monitoring area or near the monitoring area. (Appendix 3) A monitoring system as described in Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the monitoring area control unit determines a change in the monitoring area based on a comparison between a dangerous event detected by the moving body and a dangerous event identified by the report. (Appendix 4) A monitoring system according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the monitoring area control unit changes the monitoring area so as to include a location where a dangerous event identified by the report can be detected. (Appendix 5) A monitoring system described in any one of Appendices 1 to 4, wherein the monitoring area control unit decides not to change the monitoring area if a dangerous event identified by the report is detected by the moving body. (Appendix 6) The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring area control unit changes the monitoring area to include areas in the surrounding area adjacent to the area when no dangerous event is detected by the moving body in any one of a plurality of areas virtually dividing the monitoring area and its surrounding area and a report regarding the dangerous event is acquired by the report acquisition unit. (Appendix 7) A monitoring system described in any one of Appendices 1 to 6, wherein the monitoring area control unit sets a monitoring area for the moving body based on a monitoring area that can be monitored by a monitoring device fixedly installed on or near the road. (Appendix 8) a map information acquisition unit that acquires information on areas on the road where the dangerous events are likely to occur and times when the dangerous events are likely to occur, 8. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring area control unit sets a monitoring area for the moving object based on information acquired by the map information acquisition unit. (Appendix 9) The monitoring system described in Appendix 8, wherein the map information acquisition unit updates information on areas on the road where the dangerous events are likely to occur and times when the dangerous events are likely to occur based on the detection results of the dangerous events by the moving body and the reports acquired by the report acquisition unit. (Appendix 10) the map information acquisition unit further acquires a remaining battery charge for driving the mobile body, and creates a monitoring plan for the mobile body based on information on the locations where the hazardous events are likely to occur and the times when the hazardous events are likely to occur, and the remaining battery charge; 10. The monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the monitoring area control unit causes the mobile body to patrol a plurality of monitoring areas on the road based on the monitoring plan. (Appendix 11) The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising an alarm unit that, when a dangerous event is detected by the moving body, notifies vehicles or people passing through the monitoring area or near the monitoring area. (Appendix 12) A monitoring method for monitoring a monitoring area set on a road by a mobile object, comprising: obtaining reports of hazardous events in or near the monitored area; determining a change in the monitoring area based on the acquired report; A monitoring method comprising: (Appendix 13) A monitoring program for monitoring a monitoring area set on a road by a mobile object, obtaining reports of hazardous events in or near the monitored area; determining a change in the monitoring area based on the acquired report; A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Surveillance System 11 Mobile 12 Report acquisition department 13 Monitoring area control unit 14 Reporting Department 15 Map information acquisition unit 16 Monitoring equipment 21 Monitoring Department 22 Photography Department 23 Image processing section 24. Information Department 31 Communication terminal 41 Fixed notification means 101 Pedestrians 102 vehicles

Claims

1. A surveillance system that uses a mobile object to monitor a surveillance area set on a road, a report acquisition unit that acquires a report regarding a dangerous event in the monitored area or in the vicinity of the monitored area; a monitoring area control unit that determines a change in the monitoring area based on the report acquired by the report acquisition unit; Equipped with When a dangerous event is detected in a monitoring area by the mobile body, or when a passerby passing through the monitoring area or the vicinity of the monitoring area encounters the dangerous event, the report acquisition unit prompts the passerby to report the dangerous event and acquires the report from the passerby. Surveillance system.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring area control unit determines a change in the monitoring area based on a comparison between a dangerous event detected by the mobile object and a dangerous event specified by the report.

3. 3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring area control unit changes the monitoring area so as to include a position where a dangerous event specified by the report can be detected.

4. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the monitoring area control unit determines not to change the monitoring area if a dangerous event identified by the report is detected by the moving object.

5. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein when a dangerous event is not detected by the moving body in any one of a plurality of areas virtually dividing the monitoring area and its surrounding area, and a report regarding the dangerous event is acquired by the report acquisition unit, the monitoring area control unit changes the monitoring area so that the surrounding area adjacent to that area is also included in the monitoring area.

6. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the monitoring area control unit sets a monitoring area for the moving body based on a monitoring area that can be monitored by a monitoring device fixedly installed on or near the road.

7. a map information acquisition unit that acquires information on areas on the road where the dangerous events are likely to occur and times when the dangerous events are likely to occur, The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring area control unit sets a monitoring area for the mobile object based on the information acquired by the map information acquisition unit.

8. A monitoring system as described in Claim 7, wherein the map information acquisition unit updates information on areas on the road where the dangerous events are likely to occur and times when the dangerous events are likely to occur based on the detection results of the dangerous events by the moving body and the reports acquired by the report acquisition unit.

9. A monitoring method for monitoring a monitoring area set on a road by a mobile object, comprising: obtaining reports of hazardous events in or near the monitored area; determining a change in the monitoring area based on the acquired report; Equipped with In the step of obtaining the report, when a dangerous event is detected in an area monitored by the mobile body, or when a passerby passing through the monitored area or the vicinity of the monitored area encounters the dangerous event, the passerby is prompted to report the dangerous event, and the report is obtained from the passerby. Monitoring method.

10. A monitoring program for monitoring a monitoring area set on a road by a mobile object, obtaining reports of hazardous events in or near the monitored area; determining a change in the monitoring area based on the acquired report; The computer executes the following. In the step of obtaining the report, when a dangerous event is detected in an area monitored by the mobile body, or when a passerby passing through the monitored area or the vicinity of the monitored area encounters the dangerous event, the passerby is prompted to report the dangerous event, and the report is obtained from the passerby. Monitoring program.

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