Vehicle entry management device and vehicle entry management method

Abstract

To provide an approaching vehicle management device and an approaching vehicle management method that prevent a general vehicle which cannot be detected from an unmanned vehicle from entering an area where the unmanned vehicle travels.SOLUTION: An approaching vehicle management device comprises determination unit 261 A and an output control unit 262. The determination unit 261 A executes a detection determination process for determining whether or not a general vehicle 200 attempting to enter a road R on which an unmanned vehicle having a device for detecting surrounding vehicles is traveling can be detected from a position a predetermined distance away from the road R. When the determination unit 261A determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected, the output control unit 262 outputs information that allows the general vehicle 200 to enter the road R.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an entering vehicle management device and an entering vehicle management method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, driverless vehicles having an autonomous driving function have been developed. In the area where driverless vehicles travel, general manned vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "general vehicles") may travel mixedly. In view of this, driverless vehicles have a function of detecting general vehicles existing around them, and perform autonomous driving so as to avoid contact with the general vehicles detected by this function.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As a function for a driverless vehicle to detect surrounding general vehicles, there is one using a sensing technology by laser light. In this technology, laser light is emitted from the driverless vehicle toward the surroundings, and by monitoring the reflection situation thereof, surrounding general vehicles can be detected. However, when using this technology, if the vehicle body of a general vehicle is black or a dark color close thereto, the laser light emitted from the driverless vehicle may not be sufficiently reflected, and the general vehicle may not be properly detected.

[0005] Also, as another function for a driverless vehicle to detect surrounding general vehicles, there is one using an analysis technology of imaging information. In this technology, surrounding general vehicles can be detected by analyzing imaging information obtained by photographing the surroundings with a camera device installed in the driverless vehicle. However, when using this technology, if the surrounding environment is dark, the photographed imaging information may not be properly analyzed, and the general vehicle may not be detected.

[0006] Therefore, in order to ensure safety within areas where unmanned vehicles operate, it was necessary to prevent general vehicles from entering the area if they could not be properly detected, as described above.

[0007] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide an intrusion vehicle management device and an intrusion vehicle management method for preventing general vehicles that cannot be detected by unmanned vehicles from entering an area where unmanned vehicles are operating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle entry management device according to this disclosure includes a determination unit that performs a detection determination process to determine whether a general vehicle attempting to enter a driving area where an unmanned vehicle equipped with a device for detecting surrounding vehicles is traveling can be detected from a predetermined distance away from the driving area, and an output control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the general vehicle can be detected, outputs information permitting the general vehicle to enter the driving area.

[0009] The determination unit may also perform the detection determination process by analyzing at least one of the following: measurement result information obtained by measuring the general vehicle parked in a predetermined parking area from a predetermined distance away using a management distance measuring sensor, and image information obtained by capturing the general vehicle from a predetermined distance away using a management camera device.

[0010] Furthermore, the determination unit may switch between executing the detection determination process based on either the measurement result information measured by the management distance measuring sensor or the image information captured by the management camera device, or based on both, depending on the surrounding environmental conditions.

[0011] The unmanned vehicle is equipped with an unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor and an unmanned vehicle camera device as devices for detecting surrounding vehicles. The management distance measuring sensor may be installed at a height within a predetermined range from the height at which the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor is installed, and the management camera device may be installed at a height within a predetermined range from the height at which the unmanned vehicle camera device is installed.

[0012] The unmanned vehicle is equipped with an unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor as a device for detecting surrounding vehicles, and the determination unit may calculate the reflectance with respect to the wavelength of the laser light used by the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor by analyzing imaging information taken from a predetermined distance away from the general vehicle parked in a predetermined parking area using a spectroscopic camera device, and if the calculated reflectance is above a predetermined value, it may be determined that the general vehicle can be detected from a predetermined distance away.

[0013] The determination unit may, before executing the detection determination process, determine that there are no objects in the parking area and that the detection determination process can be executed normally, based on information obtained from the management distance measuring sensor measuring the distance to an object in the direction of the parking area when no vehicle is stopped in the parking area during rainfall.

[0014] Furthermore, the vehicle entry management method relating to this disclosure outputs information permitting the general vehicle to enter the driving area when it is determined that a general vehicle attempting to enter a driving area where an unmanned vehicle equipped with a device for detecting surrounding vehicles is operating can be detected from a predetermined distance away from the driving area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the vehicle entry management device and vehicle entry management method of this disclosure, it is possible to prevent general vehicles that cannot be detected by the unmanned vehicle from entering the area where the unmanned vehicle is operating. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1]It is an overall view of an entering vehicle management system using an entering vehicle management device according to the first and third embodiments. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an entering vehicle management device according to the first and third embodiments. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart showing the flow of detection determination process (1) executed by the entering vehicle management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing the flow of detection determination process (2) executed by the entering vehicle management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is an overall view of an entering vehicle management system using an entering vehicle management device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an entering vehicle management device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing the flow of detection determination process (3) executed by the entering vehicle management device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing the flow of pre-check process executed by the entering vehicle management device according to the second embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, as the first to third embodiments, an entering vehicle management process executed when a general vehicle is about to newly enter a road, which is a driving area where driverless vehicles having an automatic driving function and vehicles driven by general humans (hereinafter referred to as "general vehicles") can travel mixed, will be described.

[0018] 《First Embodiment》 〈Configuration of an Entering Vehicle Management System Using an Entering Vehicle Management Device According to the First Embodiment〉 The configuration of the entering vehicle management system using the entering vehicle management device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The entering vehicle management system 1A according to this embodiment includes a gate 11 and a traffic signal 12 installed at an entrance 10 to a road R where unmanned vehicles and general vehicles can travel mixedly, and an entering vehicle management device 20A installed near the entrance 10 outside the road R and wirelessly connected to the gate 11 and the traffic signal 12.

[0019] A parking area AR for executing a detection determination process to be described later is provided at a position a predetermined distance away from the entering vehicle management device 20A. The distance between the entering vehicle management device 20A and the parking area AR is, for example, about 30 m, which is the braking distance with respect to the traveling speed of the vehicle traveling in the road R. In FIG. 1, an unmanned vehicle 100 is traveling on the road R, and a general vehicle 200 that is about to enter the road R is shown stopped in the parking area AR.

[0020] In this embodiment, the unmanned vehicle 100 traveling in the road R has an unmanned vehicle ranging sensor 101 and an unmanned vehicle camera device 102 as unmanned vehicle object detectors, and an automatic driving mechanism unit 103. The unmanned vehicle ranging sensor 101 is installed at a lower front position inside the unmanned vehicle 100 and emits laser light to measure the distance to surrounding objects. The unmanned vehicle camera device 102 is installed at an upper front position inside the unmanned vehicle 100 and photographs the outside of the unmanned vehicle 100. The automatic driving mechanism unit 103 performs automatic driving of the unmanned vehicle 100, and when detecting surrounding vehicles based on the information measured by the unmanned vehicle ranging sensor 101 and the information photographed by the unmanned vehicle camera device 102, adjusts the driving so as not to contact these vehicles.

[0021] The gate 11 has an openable / closable door part 111, an opening / closing mechanism part 112 that performs the opening / closing operation of the door part 111, a display part 113, a gate wireless communication part 114, and a gate control part 115. The display part 113 displays information based on an instruction from the gate control part 115. The gate wireless communication part 114 performs wireless communication with the entering vehicle management device 20A. The gate control part 115 controls the opening / closing operation of the door part 111 and the information display control to the display part 113.

[0022] The traffic signal 12 includes, for example, three lamp units 121-1, 121-2, and 121-3, a traffic signal wireless communication unit 122, and a lighting control unit 123. Lamp unit 121-1 emits red light when lit, lamp unit 121-2 emits yellow light when lit, and lamp unit 121-3 emits green light when lit. The traffic signal wireless communication unit 122 communicates wirelessly with the approaching vehicle management device 20A. The lighting control unit 123 controls the switching between lighting and extinguishing of lamp units 121-1 to 121-3.

[0023] The vehicle entry management device 20A includes a management distance sensor 21 and a management camera device 22 as management object detectors, an input unit 23, a management wireless communication unit 24, an output unit 25, and a CPU 26A.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle entry management device 20A. The management distance measuring sensor 21 is installed using a wall or the like at a height approximately the same as the height of the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101, specifically at a height within a predetermined range from the height of the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101. The management distance measuring sensor 21 emits laser light toward the stopping area AR for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second, to measure the distance to the object.

[0025] The management camera device 22 is installed using a wall or the like at a height approximately the same as the height of the unmanned vehicle camera device 102, specifically at a height within a predetermined range from the height of the unmanned vehicle camera device 102. The management camera device 22 photographs the AR of the parking area.

[0026] The input unit 23 receives operation information from the operator. The management wireless communication unit 24 communicates wirelessly with the gate 11 and the signal light 12. The output unit 25 is composed of, for example, a speaker device and outputs information generated by the CPU 26A.

[0027] The CPU 26A includes a determination unit 261A and an output control unit 262. The determination unit 261A analyzes at least one of the measurement result information from the management distance measuring sensor 21 and the image information captured by the management camera device 22 to determine whether or not a general vehicle 200 stopped in the parking area AR can be detected from a predetermined distance away.

[0028] If the determination unit 261A determines that it can detect a general vehicle 200, the output control unit 262 outputs entry permission information to the gate 11 and the traffic light 12, permitting the general vehicle 200 to enter road R. If the determination unit 261A determines that it cannot detect a general vehicle, the output control unit 262 causes the output unit 25 to output notification information denying the general vehicle 200 entry to road R. The management wireless communication unit 24 wirelessly transmits the entry permission information output from the output control unit 262 to the gate 11 and the traffic light 12.

[0029] <Operation of the vehicle entry management system according to the first embodiment> Next, the operation of the vehicle entry management system 1A according to this embodiment will be described. First, the driver of a general vehicle 200 that is about to enter road R stops the general vehicle 200 in the stopping area AR. When the general vehicle 200 stops in the stopping area AR, the operator managing the vehicle entry management device 20A recognizes that the general vehicle 200 has stopped and issues an instruction operation from the input unit 23 to execute the detection and judgment process related to the general vehicle 200.

[0030] When an instruction to execute a detection and determination process is given, the determination unit 261A executes either the detection and determination process (1) or the detection and determination process (2) described below.

[0031] [Detection and determination process (1)] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the detection and determination process (1) executed by the determination unit 261A when an execution instruction operation for the detection and determination process is performed. When an execution instruction operation for the detection and determination process is performed, the corresponding operation information is input from the input unit 23, and the determination unit 261A acquires the execution instruction (S1 "YES").

[0032] When the determination unit 261A receives an instruction to execute the detection determination process, it starts the detection process for the general vehicle 200 and sends a measurement instruction to the management distance measuring sensor 21. Based on the instruction from the determination unit 261A, the management distance measuring sensor 21 emits laser light toward the parking area AR for a predetermined time and measures the distance to an object in the direction of the parking area AR based on the reflection status. Since the management distance measuring sensor 21 is installed at a height similar to that of the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101 installed on the unmanned vehicle 100, the management distance measuring sensor 21 can perform the measurement process under conditions similar to when the unmanned vehicle 100 measures the distance to surrounding vehicles. The management distance measuring sensor 21 sends the measurement result information to the CPU 26A. The CPU 26A receives the measurement result information sent from the management distance measuring sensor 21 from the determination unit 261A (S2).

[0033] The determination unit 261A performs detection processing for general vehicles 200 located within the parking area AR based on the acquired measurement result information. Specifically, the determination unit 261A determines that a general vehicle 200 has been detected if the measurement result information is within a predetermined distance range corresponding to the distance from the management distance measuring sensor 21 to the vehicle's parking position. When the determination unit 261A detects a general vehicle 200 within the parking area AR based on the measurement result information from the management distance measuring sensor 21 (YES in S3), it sends a shooting instruction to the management camera device 22.

[0034] The management camera device 22 photographs the parking area AR based on instructions from the determination unit 261A. Since the management camera device 22 is installed at approximately the same height as the unmanned vehicle camera device 102 installed on the unmanned vehicle 100, the management camera device 22 can take photographs under conditions similar to those when the unmanned vehicle 100 photographs its surroundings. The management camera device 22 sends the captured image information to the CPU 26A. The CPU 26A then uses the determination unit 261A to acquire the image information sent from the management camera device 22 (S4).

[0035] The determination unit 261A analyzes the acquired imaging information and performs detection processing for general vehicles 200 located within the parking area AR. When the determination unit 261A detects general vehicles 200 located within the parking area AR based on the imaging information captured by the management camera device 22 ("YES" in S5), it determines that general vehicles 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away. In other words, when the determination unit 261A detects general vehicles 200 based on both the measurement results from the management distance sensor 21 and the imaging information from the management camera device 22, it determines that general vehicles 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away.

[0036] Furthermore, if the determination unit 261A is unable to detect the general vehicle 200 within the parking area AR based on the measurement result information in step S3 ("NO" in S3), it determines that the general vehicle 200 cannot be detected from a predetermined distance away (S7).

[0037] Furthermore, if the determination unit 261A fails to detect the general vehicle 200 within the parking area AR based on the imaging information in step S5 ("NO" in S5), it similarly determines that the general vehicle 200 cannot be detected from a predetermined distance away (S7). This concludes the explanation of the detection determination process (1).

[0038] [Detection and determination process (2)] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the detection and determination process (2) executed by the determination unit 261A when an execution instruction operation for the detection and determination process is performed. When an execution instruction operation for the detection and determination process is performed, the corresponding operation information is input from the input unit 23, and the determination unit 261A acquires the execution instruction (YES in S11).

[0039] When the determination unit 261A receives an instruction to execute the detection determination process, it sends a measurement instruction to the management distance measuring sensor 21. The management distance measuring sensor 21 executes the measurement process and sends the measurement result information to the CPU 26A. The CPU 26A then receives the measurement result information sent from the management distance measuring sensor 21 from the determination unit 261A (S12).

[0040] If the determination unit 261A detects a general vehicle 200 within the parking area AR based on the acquired measurement result information (YES in S13), it determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away (S14).

[0041] Furthermore, if the determination unit 261A fails to detect a general vehicle 200 in the stopping area AR based on the measurement result information of the management distance measuring sensor 21 in step S13 and a predetermined time has elapsed ("NO" in S13), it proceeds to step S15.

[0042] In step S15, the determination unit 261A sends a shooting instruction to the management camera device 22. Based on the instruction from the determination unit 261A, the management camera device 22 takes a picture of the parking area AR and sends the image information to the CPU 26A. The CPU 26A receives the image information sent from the management camera device 22 and the determination unit 261A acquires it (S15).

[0043] When the determination unit 261A detects a general vehicle 200 within the parking area AR based on the acquired imaging information (YES in S16), it determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away (S14). In other words, when the determination unit 261A detects a general vehicle 200 based on either the measurement result information from the management distance measuring sensor 21 or the imaging information from the management camera device 22, it determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away.

[0044] Furthermore, if the determination unit 261A fails to detect the general vehicle 200 within the parking area AR based on the imaging information in step S16 ("NO" in S16), it determines that the general vehicle 200 cannot be detected from a predetermined distance away (S17). This concludes the explanation of the detection determination process (2).

[0045] The determination unit 261A may switch between detection determination process (1) and detection determination process (2) depending on environmental conditions such as ambient brightness and weather. For example, detection determination process (2) may be used during the daytime when the weather is fine, and detection determination process (1) may be used when the weather is bad or when it is dim in the evening to improve detection accuracy. By switching in this way, detection determination processing can be performed accurately and efficiently.

[0046] In the detection and determination process (1) or (2) described above, if the determination unit 261A determines that a general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away, the output control unit 262 generates entry permission information and transmits it wirelessly to the gate 11 and the traffic signal 12.

[0047] At gate 11, the gate control unit 115 receives entry permission information transmitted from the vehicle entry management device 20A via the gate wireless communication unit 114. Upon receiving the entry permission information, the gate control unit 115 controls the opening / closing mechanism unit 112 so that the door unit 111 is in the open state, and also displays an arrow mark on the display unit 113.

[0048] In addition, the traffic signal 12 receives entry permission information transmitted from the vehicle entry management device 20A via the traffic signal wireless communication unit 122 to the lighting control unit 123. The lighting control unit 123, for example, normally illuminates the red lamp unit 121-1, and when it receives entry permission information, it switches to turning off lamp unit 121-1 and illuminating the green lamp unit 121-3. In this way, when the gate 11 opens, an arrow mark is displayed on the display unit 113, and the green lamp unit 121-3 of the traffic signal 12 illuminates, the driver of the general vehicle 200 can recognize that it is now possible to enter road R. Once the driver recognizes that it is now possible to enter road R, they drive the general vehicle 200 through the gate 11 and enter road R.

[0049] Furthermore, in the detection and determination process (1) or (2) described above, if the determination unit 261A determines that the general vehicle 200 cannot be detected from a predetermined distance away, the output control unit 262 causes the output unit 25 to output notification information that prohibits the general vehicle 200 from entering road R. This notification information allows the driver and operator of the general vehicle 200 to recognize that the general vehicle 200 is prohibited from entering road R.

[0050] Here, possible reasons why the general vehicle 200 was determined to be undetectable from a predetermined distance away include, for example, that the body of the general vehicle 200 is black or a dark color close to black, or that the surrounding environment is dark. Therefore, the operator prepares in advance magnetic stickers whose surfaces are made of a material with high reflectivity to the wavelength of laser light emitted from the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101 and the management distance measuring sensor 21, for example, a wavelength of 905 nm. The operator may then re-execute the detection determination process (1) or (2) by attaching the sticker to a predetermined location on the general vehicle 200 when the output notification information is recognized. For example, the stickers can be attached to four locations on the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle.

[0051] If, after attaching the sticker and re-executing detection and determination process (1) or (2), the determination unit 261A determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away, the general vehicle 200 will be allowed to enter the road R. Conversely, even after attaching the sticker and re-executing detection and determination process (1) or (2), if the determination unit 261A determines that the general vehicle 200 cannot be detected from a predetermined distance away, the general vehicle 200 will not be allowed to enter the road R.

[0052] According to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to allow only general vehicles that can be detected by the unmanned vehicle to enter the road on which the unmanned vehicle is traveling, and to prevent general vehicles that cannot be detected by the unmanned vehicle from entering. For example, general vehicles that are undetectable by the unmanned vehicle due to being dark in color or being in a dark environment can be prevented from entering the road on which the unmanned vehicle is traveling, thereby ensuring safety on the road.

[0053] Furthermore, the vehicle entry management device 20 detects general vehicles parked in the parking area AR by analyzing at least one of the measurement results information measured from a predetermined position using a management distance measuring sensor, and the image information captured from a predetermined position using a management camera device. By appropriately using information acquired through these different operations, highly accurate detection and determination processing can be performed.

[0054] In the first embodiment described above, the case was explained in which the vehicle entry management device 20A automatically transmits the entry permission information wirelessly to the gate 11 and the signal light 12 when it generates the entry permission information. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the entry permission information may be output from the output unit 25, and an operator who recognizes this information may perform operations such as opening the gate 11, displaying an arrow mark on the display unit 113, and switching the lighting of the signal light 12.

[0055] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the case was described in which an unmanned vehicle 100 is equipped with an unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101 and an unmanned vehicle camera device 102 as unmanned vehicle object detectors, and an approaching vehicle management device 20A is equipped with a management distance measuring sensor 21 and a management camera device 22 as management object detectors. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the unmanned vehicle 100 may be equipped with only the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101 as an unmanned vehicle object detector, and the approaching vehicle management device 20A may be equipped with only the management distance measuring sensor 21 as a target vehicle detector. In this case, when the approaching vehicle management device 20A detects a general vehicle 200 based on the measurement information of the management distance measuring sensor 21 during the execution of the detection determination process, it determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away.

[0056] Alternatively, the unmanned vehicle 100 may be equipped with only the unmanned vehicle camera device 102 as an unmanned vehicle object detector, and the approaching vehicle management device 20A may be equipped with only the management camera device 22 as a target vehicle detector. In this case, when the approaching vehicle management device 20A detects a general vehicle 200 based on the imaging information of the management camera device 22 during the execution of the detection determination process, it determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away.

[0057] In this way, by using a device with the same operating principle as the unmanned vehicle object detector as the management object detector, the vehicle entry management device 20A can determine with high accuracy whether or not a general vehicle 200 is detected by the unmanned vehicle 100 when it enters the road R and approaches the unmanned vehicle 100.

[0058] Furthermore, the system may switch to using only one of the management distance sensor 21 and management camera device 22, which are installed as management object detectors in the incoming vehicle management device 20A, based on environmental information such as ambient brightness and weather conditions, to perform detection and judgment processing. By switching in this way, detection and judgment processing can be performed accurately and efficiently.

[0059] 《Second Embodiment》 <Configuration of the vehicle entry management system using the vehicle entry management device according to the second embodiment> The configuration of the vehicle entry management system using the vehicle entry management device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. In the vehicle entry management system 1B according to this embodiment, the vehicle entry management device 20B has a multispectral camera device 27 as a target vehicle detector, replacing the management distance measuring sensor 21 and management camera device 22 in the vehicle entry management system 20A. The rest is the same as the configuration of the vehicle entry management system 1A described in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation of the parts that have the same function will be omitted.

[0060] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle entry management device 20B according to this embodiment. The multispectral camera device 27 is a spectroscopic camera device capable of capturing spectral data and captures images of the parking area AR. The CPU 26B has a determination unit 261B and an output control unit 262. The determination unit 261B analyzes the imaging information captured by the multispectral camera device 27 to determine whether or not a general vehicle 200 stopped in the parking area AR can be detected from a predetermined distance away.

[0061] <Operation of the vehicle entry management system according to the second embodiment> The operation of the vehicle entry management system 1B according to this embodiment will now be described. Similar to the first embodiment, when a general vehicle 200 stops in the parking area AR and the operator gives an instruction to execute the detection and determination process, the determination unit 261B executes the detection and determination process (3) described below.

[0062] [Detection and determination process (3)] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the detection and determination process (3) executed by the determination unit 261B when an execution instruction operation for the detection and determination process is performed. When an execution instruction operation for the detection and determination process is performed, the corresponding operation information is input from the input unit 23, and the determination unit 261B acquires the execution instruction (YES in S21).

[0063] When the determination unit 261B receives an instruction to execute the detection and determination process, it sends a shooting instruction to the multispectral camera device 27. Based on the instruction from the determination unit 261B, the multispectral camera device 27 takes a picture of the parking area AR and sends the generated spectral image information to the CPU 26B. The CPU 26B receives the spectral image information sent from the multispectral camera device 27 from the determination unit 261B (S22).

[0064] The determination unit 261B analyzes the spectral image information captured by the multispectral camera device 27 to calculate the reflectance for the wavelength of the laser light used by the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101, for example, a 905 nm wavelength. If the calculated reflectance is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (YES in S23), the determination unit 261B determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away (S24).

[0065] Furthermore, if the reflectance calculated in step S23 is less than a predetermined value (NO in S23), the determination unit 261B determines that the general vehicle 200 cannot be detected from a predetermined distance away (S25). This concludes the explanation of the detection determination process (3).

[0066] In the detection and determination process (3) described above, the process of transmitting entry permission information, which is executed when the determination unit 261B determines that the general vehicle 200 can be detected from a predetermined distance away, is the same as the process described in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted. In this case, the general vehicle 200 is allowed to enter the road R.

[0067] Furthermore, if the determination unit 261B determines that the general vehicle 200 cannot be detected from a predetermined distance, the output control unit 262 outputs notification information from the output unit 25, similar to the case described in the first embodiment, that the general vehicle 200 is not permitted to enter the road R. An operator who recognizes the notification information output here may affix a magnetic sticker, whose surface is made of a material with high reflectivity to the 905nm wavelength that is the target of the reflectivity calculation by the determination unit 261B, to a predetermined position on the general vehicle 200 and re-execute the detection determination process.

[0068] According to the second embodiment described above, based on the detection processing results of the vehicle entry management device 20B, which is composed of fewer elements than the vehicle entry management device 20A of the first embodiment, it is possible to allow only general vehicles that can be detected by the unmanned vehicle to enter the road on which the unmanned vehicle is traveling. Multiple unmanned vehicles traveling on road R may each have different shapes, and the installation positions of the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor and unmanned vehicle camera device may differ. Even in such cases, the vehicle entry management device 20B can efficiently determine whether or not the general vehicles to be processed can be detected from the devices installed on each unmanned vehicle, based on imaging information captured from a single multispectral camera device.

[0069] 《Third Embodiment》 When using a distance measuring sensor outdoors, if the rainfall exceeds 10 mm / h, the laser beam emitted from the distance measuring sensor may reflect off raindrops, causing the sensor to mistakenly detect an object in a location where there is actually no object. To address this, in this embodiment, when rainfall may prevent the unmanned vehicle from properly detecting a regular vehicle, the system prevents the regular vehicle from entering road R.

[0070] <Configuration of the vehicle entry management system using the vehicle entry management device according to the third embodiment> As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle entry management system 1C using the vehicle entry management device according to this embodiment has the same configuration as the vehicle entry management system 1A described in the first embodiment, except that it has a vehicle entry management device 20C instead of a vehicle entry management device 20A. Therefore, a detailed explanation of the parts that have the same function will be omitted.

[0071] As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle entry management device 20C has the same configuration as the vehicle entry management device 20A. When the determination unit 261C of the CPU 26C of the vehicle entry management device 20C receives an instruction to execute a pre-confirmation process from the input unit 23, it executes the pre-confirmation process. The contents of the pre-confirmation process will be described later.

[0072] <Operation of the vehicle entry management system according to the third embodiment> The flow of the pre-confirmation process performed by the vehicle entry management system 1C according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 8. First, when it rains before the detection and determination process is executed, and there are no vehicles stopped in the stopping area AR, if the operator gives an instruction to execute the pre-confirmation process from the input unit 23, the determination unit 261C acquires the execution instruction (YES in S31).

[0073] When the determination unit 261C receives an instruction to execute the pre-confirmation process, it sends a measurement instruction to the management distance measuring sensor 21. Based on the instruction from the determination unit 261C, the management distance measuring sensor 21 emits laser light toward the stopping area AR for a predetermined time, similar to the detection and determination process, and measures the distance to an object in the direction of the stopping area AR based on the reflection status. The management distance measuring sensor 21 sends the measurement result information to the CPU 26C. The CPU 26C receives the measurement result information sent from the management distance measuring sensor 21 from the determination unit 261C (S32).

[0074] The determination unit 261C performs object detection processing within the parking area AR based on the acquired measurement result information. Here, since no vehicle is parked in the parking area AR, if the measurement processing is performed correctly, no object will be detected in the direction of the parking area AR. When no object is detected within the parking area AR (NO in S33), the determination unit 261C determines that the detection determination processing can be performed correctly (S34).

[0075] On the other hand, when the management distance measuring sensor 21 measures the distance to an object in the direction of the parking area AR, if the emitted laser beam hits a raindrop during rainfall, the management distance measuring sensor 21 outputs the distance to the raindrop as the measurement result information for the distance to an object in the parking area AR. In this case, the determination unit 261C determines that an object in the parking area AR has been detected (YES in S33), and the output control unit 262 causes the output unit 25 to output notification information indicating that an object in the parking area AR has been detected (S35).

[0076] When notification information indicating that an object has been detected within the parking area AR is output, the operator recognizes that the determination unit 261C has mistakenly detected the presence of some object within the parking area AR due to rainfall, even though no vehicle is parked there.

[0077] When the operator recognizes a false detection by the determination unit 261C, they perform an object detection calibration operation on the determination unit 261C from the input unit 23 to avoid the false detection. Specifically, the operator performs the object detection calibration operation by adjusting the parameter that sets the minimum size for object detection to a larger value.

[0078] After object detection calibration is performed on the determination unit 261C (YES in S36), if the operator issues another instruction to execute the pre-confirmation process, the determination unit 261C receives the instruction (YES in S37). Upon receiving the instruction to execute the pre-confirmation process, the determination unit 261C measures the distance to the object in the direction of the parking area AR again. The management distance sensor 21 sends the measurement result information to the CPU 26C. The CPU 26C then receives the measurement result information sent from the management distance sensor 21 and the determination unit 261C receives it (S38).

[0079] The determination unit 261C performs object detection processing within the parking area AR based on the acquired measurement result information. If the determination unit 261C does not detect any objects within the parking area AR (NO in S39), it determines that false detection due to raindrops has been avoided and that the detection determination process can now be executed normally (S34).

[0080] If object detection calibration is not performed in step S36 ("NO" in S36), if an instruction to perform the pre-confirmation process is not received in step S37 ("NO" in S37), or if an object is detected again in the stopping area AR in step S39 ("YES" in S39), the determination unit 261C determines that the detection determination process cannot be performed normally (S40). This concludes the explanation of the pre-confirmation process.

[0081] If the pre-check process determines that the detection and judgment process can be executed successfully, the operator will then issue an instruction to execute the detection and judgment process when a general vehicle stops in the stopping area AR. The process executed after the operator issues the instruction to execute the detection and judgment process is the same as the process described in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0082] If the pre-check process determines that the detection and judgment process cannot be executed successfully, the operator will not issue an instruction to execute the detection and judgment process even if a general vehicle stops in the stopping area AR thereafter, and will not permit entry onto the road R.

[0083] According to the third embodiment described above, by performing a pre-check process, false detections by the management distance measuring sensor 21 during rainfall can be avoided. This prevents general vehicles that cannot actually be properly detected by the management distance measuring sensor 21 and the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 101 due to reasons such as the vehicle body being dark in color from being mistakenly identified as detectable and allowed to enter the road R.

[0084] In the first to third embodiments described above, the case in which the detection and determination process is initiated when an operator recognizes that a general vehicle 200 has stopped in the stopping area AR and issues an instruction to execute the detection and determination process was explained. However, the system is not limited to this, and a stop detection sensor (not shown) that detects when a vehicle stops in the stopping area AR may be installed, and the entering vehicle management device 20A, 20B, or 20C may acquire detection information from the stop detection sensor. In this case, when the entering vehicle management device 20A, 20B, or 20C acquires detection information from the stop detection sensor, it starts executing the detection and determination process for the vehicle stopped in the stopping area AR.

[0085] Although several embodiments have been described, it is possible to modify or transform the embodiments based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments, and all features described in the claims, may be taken individually and combined, provided that they do not conflict with each other.

[0086] This disclosure can contribute, for example, to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 1A, 1B, 1C Vehicle Intrusion Management System 10 Entrance Gate 11 12 Traffic lights 20A, 20B, 20C Approach vehicle management device 21 Management distance measuring sensor 22. Security camera equipment 23 Input section 24 Management Wireless Communication Unit 25 Output section 26A, 26B, 26C CPUs 27 Multispectral camera equipment 100 unmanned vehicles 101 Unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor 102 Unmanned vehicle camera system 103 Automated Driving Mechanism 111 Door section 112 Opening / closing mechanism 113 Display section 114 Gate Wireless Communication Unit 115 Gate control unit 121-1, 121-2, 121-3 Lighting section 122 Signal and Wireless Communication Unit 123 Lighting control unit 200 General vehicles 261A, 261B, 261C Judgment section 262 Output Control Unit

Claims

1. When an unmanned vehicle equipped with a device to detect surrounding vehicles travels within the designated area, A determination unit performs a detection determination process that targets a general vehicle attempting to enter the aforementioned driving area, and determines whether a detector installed at a height within a predetermined range from the height position where the device is installed can detect the general vehicle from a predetermined distance away from the general vehicle while the general vehicle is located outside the aforementioned driving area, and if it determines that detection is possible, it determines that the device can detect the general vehicle. An intrusion vehicle management device comprising: an output control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the general vehicle can be detected from the device, outputs information permitting the general vehicle to enter the driving area; and

2. The vehicle entry management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit analyzes at least one of the measurement result information measured by a management distance measuring sensor as a detector from a predetermined distance away from a predetermined distance away from a predetermined distance away from a general vehicle parked in a predetermined parking area, and the imaging information captured by a management camera device as a detector from a predetermined distance away from a predetermined distance away, to determine whether the detector can detect the general vehicle from the predetermined distance away, and then executes the detection determination process.

3. The vehicle entry management device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit switches, based on the surrounding environmental conditions, whether to execute the detection determination process based on either the measurement result information measured by the management distance measuring sensor or the image information captured by the management camera device, or to execute the detection determination process based on both.

4. The aforementioned unmanned vehicle is equipped with an unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor and an unmanned vehicle camera as devices for detecting surrounding vehicles. The vehicle entry management device according to claim 2, wherein the management distance measuring sensor is installed at a height within a predetermined range from the height position where the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor is installed, and the management camera device is installed at a height within a predetermined range from the height position where the unmanned vehicle camera device is installed.

5. The aforementioned unmanned vehicle is equipped with an unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor as a device for detecting surrounding vehicles. The vehicle entry management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit analyzes imaging information taken from a predetermined distance away from the general vehicle parked in a predetermined parking area using the spectroscopic camera device as a detector, calculates the reflectance with respect to the wavelength of the laser light used by the unmanned vehicle distance measuring sensor, and determines that the detector can detect the general vehicle from the predetermined distance away if the calculated reflectance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

6. The vehicle entry management device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines, before executing the detection determination process, that the detection determination process can be executed normally based on information obtained from the management distance measuring sensor measuring the distance to an object in the direction of the stopping area when no vehicle is stopped in the stopping area during rainfall, and that there is no object in the stopping area.

7. When an unmanned vehicle equipped with a device to detect surrounding vehicles travels within the designated area, The vehicle entry management system, With respect to a general vehicle attempting to enter the aforementioned driving area, the device determines whether a detector installed at a predetermined height range from the height position where the device is installed can detect the general vehicle from a predetermined distance away from the general vehicle while the general vehicle is located outside the aforementioned driving area, and if it determines that detection is possible, the device determines that it can detect the general vehicle. A method for managing vehicles entering a driving area, wherein when the device determines that it can detect the general vehicle, it outputs information permitting the general vehicle to enter the driving area.

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