Diagnosis device, diagnosis system, and diagnosis method

Abstract

The present invention comprises: an estimate information acquisition unit (110) that acquires estimate obstruction information; an obstruction-identifying information acquisition unit (180) that acquires state information or imaging orientation information; an obstruction identification unit (160) that, on the basis of the estimate obstruction information acquired by the estimate information acquisition unit (110) and the state information or imaging orientation information acquired by the obstruction-identifying information acquisition unit (180), identifies whether imaging by imaging devices (11-1, 11-2, …, 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, …, 11a-N) is obstructed; and an output control unit (170) that outputs a discrimination output signal by which an imaging device (11-1, 11-2, …, 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, …, 11a-N) identified by the obstruction identification unit (160) as being obstructed in imaging can be discriminated.

Description

Diagnostic device, diagnostic system, and diagnostic method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a diagnostic device, a diagnostic system, and a diagnostic method.

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for diagnosing whether an imaging device capturing an image of a target area to be monitored (hereinafter referred to as a "target area to be monitored") is in an appropriate imaging state. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a surveillance camera system for diagnosing whether a camera is capturing an image appropriately, the surveillance camera system including a camera, a recording device for recording video data captured by the camera, and a notification means, and when the recording device detects that information acquired from the camera is predetermined inspection information, the notification means notifies the detection. The inspection information is an inspection pattern such as a barcode, and in the surveillance camera system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the above diagnosis is performed by an inspector holding the pattern over the camera during a periodic inspection of a railway vehicle or a completion inspection of a large-scale vehicle modification project.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-125954

[0004] In the conventional technology, there is a problem that, depending on the conditions of the monitored area, it may be erroneously diagnosed that the imaging device is in an appropriate imaging state. In the diagnosis method for a surveillance camera system such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, in a situation where the inside of a railway vehicle is too bright due to external light entering the vehicle, or in a situation where the brightness is insufficient because some of the lights inside the railway vehicle are turned on as emergency lights during an inspection, the inspection information may not be captured correctly, and even if the imaging device is in an appropriate imaging state, it may be erroneously diagnosed that the imaging device is not in an appropriate imaging state.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a diagnostic device that can accurately diagnose whether an imaging device installed so that it can capture images of a monitored area is experiencing imaging interference.

[0006] The diagnostic device according to the present disclosure includes an estimation information acquisition unit that acquires interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in an imaging device estimated by comparing the luminance in an image captured by the imaging device installed so as to be able to capture an area to be monitored with a reference luminance corresponding to the captured image; an interference identification information acquisition unit that acquires situation information related to the situation in the area to be monitored or imaging attitude information indicating the attitude of the imaging device; an interference identification unit that identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device based on the interference estimation information acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit and the situation information or imaging attitude information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit; and an output control unit that outputs an identification output signal that can identify an imaging device that has been identified by the interference identification unit as having imaging interference.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to accurately diagnose whether an imaging device installed so as to be able to capture an image of a monitored area is experiencing imaging interference.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a main part of a diagnostic device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a diagnostic system in which four imaging devices are connected to a diagnostic device in Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of imaging devices in a railway vehicle cabin as viewed from above in Embodiment 1. FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, and FIG. 4D are cross-sectional views showing example cross sections at Ya1-Ya2, Yb1-Yb2, Yc1-Yc2, and Yd1-Yd2, respectively, when the railway vehicle cabin is viewed from the direction of arrow X in FIG. 3. FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, and FIG. 6D are diagrams showing example images captured by the imaging devices. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining an example of a relationship between an estimation result of the presence or absence of imaging interference based on the luminance in a captured image and the duration of a state indicated by the estimation result when an interference identification unit determines whether imaging interference is present in an imaging device in Embodiment 1. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between the luminance in a captured image and the length of an interference estimation duration when the interference identification unit determines that there is no imaging interference in a certain imaging device. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between the luminance in a captured image and the length of an interference estimation duration when the interference identification unit determines that there is imaging interference in a certain imaging device.

[0033] FIG. 7B is a diagram for explaining an example of a method in which the interference identification unit determines whether imaging interference is present or absent based on interference estimation information acquired by an estimation information acquisition unit and interference identification information (here, situation information) acquired by an interference identification information acquisition unit during commercial operation in Embodiment 1.

[0034] FIG. 7C is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a diagnostic device according to Embodiment 1.

[0035] FIG. 7D is a flowchart for explaining details of the processing of step ST7 in FIG. 9.

[0036] FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example of a hardware configuration of a diagnostic device according to Embodiment 1.

[0037] FIG. 7E is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a main part of a diagnostic device according to Embodiment 2. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the diagnostic device according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main part of a diagnostic device having a configuration for specifying the presence or absence of imaging interference in an imaging device using imaging parameter interference estimation information.10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a diagnostic device having a configuration for identifying the presence or absence of imaging interference in an imaging device using imaging parameter interference estimation information.

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1. A diagnostic device according to embodiment 1 diagnoses whether an imaging device capturing an image of a monitored area (hereinafter referred to as the "monitored area") is in an appropriate imaging state, specifically, whether imaging is possible without imaging interference. In embodiment 1, "imaging interference" refers to "an act of intentionally impairing the brightness or focus of an image of a subject under circumstances in which the imaging device should normally capture an image." For example, "a state in which the front of the lens of the imaging device is covered with a light-blocking cloth or the like" is a state in which "imaging interference" occurs. In embodiment 1, physical malfunction of the imaging device is not included in "imaging interference." Note that, for example, covering the front of the lens of an imaging device with a cloth or the like during normal operation of the imaging device is "imaging interference," but covering the front of the lens of an imaging device with a cloth or the like to prevent damage to the lens during inspection of the imaging device is not "imaging interference." In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the imaging device is an imaging device that is installed in a railway vehicle and captures images of a monitored area for the purpose of crime prevention or improving services for passengers, etc. In the following first embodiment, it is assumed that the monitored area is the interior of a railway vehicle.

[0010] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a main part of a diagnostic device 100 according to a first embodiment. The diagnostic device 100 is connected to imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N (N is a natural number) via a communication network 12 such as a local area network (LAN) or a wireless LAN. The diagnostic device 100 is also provided in a railway vehicle 10 and is connected to an output device 13 and a central device 14 wirelessly or via a wire. The diagnostic device 100, the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, the output device 13, and the central device 14 constitute a diagnostic system 1. In the following first embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that four imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 are connected to the diagnostic device 100. Note that this is merely an example, and the number of imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N may be 1, 2, 3, or 5 or more. In the following description, the four imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 will also be collectively referred to simply as imaging device 11.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the diagnostic system 1 in the first embodiment, in which four imaging devices 11 are connected to the diagnostic device 100. As described above, in the first embodiment, the diagnostic system 1 includes, as essential parts, the diagnostic device 100, the imaging devices 11, the communication network 12, the output device 13, and the central device 14. Note that in FIG. 2, as an example, the output device 13 is provided in the diagnostic device 100. In this way, the output device 13 may be provided in the diagnostic device 100. Note that this is merely an example, and the output device 13 may be connected to the diagnostic device 100 at a location outside the diagnostic device 100 that can be accessed by the diagnostic device 100, as shown in FIG.

[0012] The diagnostic device 100 determines whether or not imaging interference is present in the imaging device 11 based on information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as "interference estimation information") estimated by comparing the luminance of the captured image indicated by the image information output by the imaging device 11 with a reference luminance corresponding to the imaging device 11, and information used to determine whether or not the imaging device 11 is experiencing imaging interference (hereinafter referred to as "interference identification information") output by the central device 14. The diagnostic device 100 then outputs to the output device 13 a signal (hereinafter referred to as an "identification output signal") that can identify the imaging device 11 identified as experiencing imaging interference. The reference luminance corresponding to the imaging device 11 is set in advance by an observer or the like and stored in a location accessible by the diagnostic device 100. In the first embodiment, the interference identification information is assumed to be information related to the status of the monitored area (hereinafter referred to as "status information"). In the first embodiment, the status of the monitored area (i.e., the interior of the railcar 10) refers to the status of the railcar 10. Details of the status information will be described later with an example.

[0013] Furthermore, the diagnostic device 100 acquires image information output by the imaging device 11 via the communication network 12, associates the acquired image information with identification information for identifying the imaging device 11 and acquisition time information indicating the time when the image information was acquired, and stores the information in a non-volatile storage medium or the like built into the diagnostic device 100. The storage is performed by a control unit (not shown) of the diagnostic device 100. An example of the configuration of the main parts of the diagnostic device 100 will be described in detail later.

[0014] The imaging device 11 is, for example, a digital still camera or a digital video camera, and is an image input device that can output captured images to the outside as image information. The imaging device 11 is provided in the passenger compartment of the railway vehicle 10 (see FIG. 3 described later) and captures images of the passenger compartment of the railway vehicle 10, i.e., the area to be monitored. The imaging device 11 outputs the captured images (hereinafter referred to as "captured images") to the diagnosis device 100 via the communication network 12.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the interior of the railcar 10 from above in the first embodiment, illustrating an example of the arrangement of the imaging device 11 within the interior of the railcar 10. FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D are cross-sectional views showing example cross sections at Ya1-Ya2, Yb1-Yb2, Yc1-Yc2, and Yd1-Yd2, respectively, when the interior of the railcar 10 is viewed from the direction of arrow X in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the range within the interior of the railcar 10 captured by the imaging device 11 in the first embodiment. In FIG. 5, the imaging range of the imaging device 11-1 is indicated by "AR1," the imaging range of the imaging device 11-2 by "AR2," the imaging range of the imaging device 11-3 by "AR3," and the imaging range of the imaging device 11-4 by "AR4." FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are each a diagram showing an example of an image captured by the imaging device 11. 4 to 6 , the imaging devices 11 are arranged in a staggered pattern above the doors through which passengers enter and exit when getting on and off the railway vehicle 10, and are arranged so that the imaging devices 11 can capture images of the entire interior of the railway vehicle 10. As long as the imaging devices 11 are arranged in a position that allows them to capture images of the interior of the railway vehicle 10, they may be arranged in a position different from the positions above the doors through which passengers enter and exit when getting on and off, and may be arranged in a different pattern than the staggered pattern.

[0016] The output device 13 is provided on the railway vehicle 10 and performs display, light control, or audio output based on the identification output signal output by the diagnostic device 100. The output device 13 is composed of, for example, a plurality of light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes or lamps that correspond to the imaging devices 11, respectively. When the output device 13 is composed of a plurality of light-emitting elements, the diagnostic device 100 controls the light emission of each light-emitting element by outputting an identification output signal. Note that the output device 13 is not limited to being composed of a light-emitting element.

[0017] For example, the output device 13 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display. When the output device 13 is configured as a display device, the diagnostic device 100 outputs an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device 11 identified as having imaging interference, thereby performing display control on the display device to display an image capable of identifying the imaging device 11 identified as having imaging interference. The display device performs display based on the identification output signal.

[0018] Furthermore, for example, the output device 13 may be an audio output device such as a speaker or a buzzer. When the output device 13 is an audio output device, the diagnostic device 100 performs notification control to cause the audio output device to notify by audio of the imaging device 11 identified as having imaging interference by outputting an identification output signal that can identify the imaging device 11 identified as having imaging interference to the audio output device. The audio output device outputs audio based on the identification output signal.

[0019] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the output device 13 is configured by light-emitting elements (indicated as "13-1," "13-2," "13-3," and "13-4" in FIG. 2) that are arranged in a housing of the diagnostic device 100 and correspond to the imaging devices 11, and the diagnostic device 100 controls the light emission of the light-emitting elements 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, and 13-4 in the output device 13 by outputting an identification output signal. In FIG. 1, the diagnostic system 1 is shown to be provided with one output device 13, but as such, the diagnostic system 1 may be provided with a plurality of output devices 13. The diagnostic system 1 may be provided with one or more output devices 13.

[0020] For example, the output device 13 may be a display device that displays an image signal output by an external device such as a computer (not shown). When the output device 13 is a display device that displays an image signal output by an external device, the diagnostic device 100 outputs identification information that identifies the imaging device 11 to the external device via the communication network 12 as an identification output signal, and the external device generates an identification output signal based on the identification information acquired from the diagnostic device 100 and outputs the generated identification output signal to the output device 13.

[0021] The central device 14 outputs the above-described status information to the diagnostic device 100. In the first embodiment, the status information includes, for example, information indicating the identification number of the railway vehicle 10 (in other words, the train number), current location information of the railway vehicle 10, information indicating the traveling speed of the railway vehicle 10, information indicating whether the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation, information indicating whether the railway vehicle 10 is being sent out of service, or information indicating whether the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection. The status information may also include, for example, information indicating the brightness of the interior of the railway vehicle 10. The central device 14 is, for example, a management device that manages the operation of the railway vehicle 10, and collects status information of all vehicles from, for example, the driver's cab of the lead car of the railway vehicle 10. Note that this is merely an example, and the central device 14 may, for example, be provided outside the railway vehicle 10. For example, the central device 14 is connected to the railway vehicle 10 via a network or the like outside the railway vehicle 10 owned by a railway company, and can collect status information from the railway vehicle 10.

[0022] A detailed description will be given of an example of the configuration of the main parts of the diagnostic device 100. As shown in Fig. 1 , the diagnostic device 100 includes an estimated information acquisition unit 110, an image acquisition unit 120, an image brightness acquisition unit 130, a reference brightness acquisition unit 140, a disturbance estimation unit 150, a disturbance identification unit 160, an output control unit 170, and a disturbance identification information acquisition unit 180.

[0023] The image acquisition unit 120 acquires the image information output by the imaging device 11 via the communication network 12. The image acquisition unit 120 may acquire the image information output by the imaging device 11 from a non-volatile storage medium that stores the imaging information acquired from the imaging device 11 via the communication network 12. The image acquisition unit 120 outputs the acquired image information to the image brightness acquisition unit 130.

[0024] The image brightness acquisition unit 130 acquires information indicating the brightness of each captured image captured by the imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as "image brightness information") based on the image information acquired by the image acquisition unit 120. The image brightness acquisition unit 130 acquires the image brightness information by using the image information acquired by the image acquisition unit 120 and output by the imaging device 11 to calculate the average brightness value of each pixel of the captured image indicated by the image information. The image brightness acquisition unit 130 may acquire the image brightness information from the imaging device 11 via the communication network 12. Note that in this case, the image acquisition unit 120 is not an essential component of the diagnostic device 100. The image brightness acquisition unit 130 outputs the acquired image brightness information to the interference estimation unit 150.

[0025] The reference brightness acquisition unit 140 acquires information indicating a reference brightness corresponding to each of the imaging devices 11 (hereinafter referred to as "reference brightness information"). For example, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140 acquires the reference brightness information from the imaging device 11 via the communication network 12. The reference brightness acquisition unit 140 may acquire the reference brightness information by reading out the reference brightness information from a storage device (not shown) provided inside or outside the housing of the diagnostic device 100, for example. The reference brightness acquisition unit 140 outputs the acquired reference brightness information to the interference estimation unit 150.

[0026] The interference estimation unit 150 estimates the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11 by comparing the image brightness information acquired by the image brightness acquisition unit 130 with the reference brightness corresponding to each imaging device 11, which is indicated by the reference brightness information acquired by the reference brightness acquisition unit 140. The interference estimation unit 150 generates information indicating the estimated presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as "interference estimation information"). When estimating the presence or absence of imaging interference, the interference estimation unit 150 may use the average value of brightness in all captured images indicated by the image brightness information acquired by the image brightness acquisition unit 130 as the reference brightness corresponding to each imaging device 11, instead of a preset reference brightness.

[0027] For example, if any optical system such as a lens of the imaging device 11 is covered with a light-blocking cloth or the like, the luminance of the image captured by the imaging device 11 whose optical system is covered with the cloth or the like will be lower than the reference luminance. When the luminance of a certain image captured by a certain imaging device 11 is compared with the reference luminance corresponding to that image, and the luminance of the captured image is lower than the reference luminance, the interference estimation information indicates that it is estimated that imaging interference has occurred in the certain imaging device 11.

[0028] The interference estimation unit 150 outputs the generated interference estimation information to the estimation information acquisition unit 110 .

[0029] The estimated information acquisition unit 110 acquires the interference estimation information generated by the interference estimation unit 150. In this way, by including the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, and the interference estimation unit 150, the diagnostic device 100 can construct the diagnostic system 1 even if the already installed imaging device 11 is unable to generate interference estimation information. The estimated information acquisition unit 110 outputs the acquired interference estimation information to the interference identification unit 160.

[0030] For example, the imaging device 11 may generate the interference estimation information, and the estimation information acquisition unit 110 may acquire the interference estimation information generated by the imaging device 11 from the imaging device 11. In this case, the imaging device 11 estimates whether or not imaging interference exists in the imaging device 11 by comparing the luminance of each image captured by the imaging device 11 with a reference luminance. The imaging device 11 generates the interference estimation information based on the estimation result. The imaging device 11 then outputs the generated interference estimation information to the diagnostic device 100 via the communication network 12. In this way, the imaging device 11 generating the interference estimation information can reduce the processing load of the diagnostic device 100.

[0031] When the estimated information acquisition unit 110 acquires the interference estimation information generated by the imaging device 11, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, and the interference estimation unit 150 are not essential components of the diagnostic device 100.

[0032] The information for interference identification acquisition unit 180 acquires information for interference identification from the central device 14. Here, the information for interference identification is, in other words, situation information. That is, the information for interference identification acquisition unit 180 acquires situation information as information for interference identification from the central device 14. The information for interference identification acquisition unit 180 outputs the acquired situation information to the interference identification unit 160.

[0033] The interference identification unit 160 identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11 based on the interference estimation information for each imaging device 11 acquired by the estimated information acquisition unit 110 and the interference identification information, i.e., situation information here. More specifically, the interference identification unit 160 determines whether or not imaging interference has been estimated for a certain imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as a "first imaging device") among the imaging devices 11 based on the interference estimation information for each imaging device 11 acquired by the estimated information acquisition unit 110. When the interference identification unit 160 determines that imaging interference has been estimated for the first imaging device, it identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the first imaging device based on whether imaging interference has been estimated for another imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as a "second imaging device") different from the first imaging device, the interference identification information, i.e., situation information here, and the length of the period during which imaging interference has been continuously estimated for the first imaging device based on the interference estimation information (hereinafter referred to as an "estimated interference duration").

[0034] The following describes some specific examples of how the interference identification unit 160 identifies whether or not there is interference with imaging in the imaging device 11. In the following specific examples, the imaging device 11-1 is the first imaging device, and the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 are the second imaging devices.

[0035] <Specific Example (1)> When the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device 11-1 and that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the situation information, whether the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is such that imaging interference can be estimated to be present even when imaging interference is not present in the imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as a "situation where erroneous estimation is likely"). An example of a situation where erroneous estimation is likely is when the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection. That is, when the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device 11-1 and that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the situation information, whether the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection. For example ... railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection, it is assumed that the inspection work is causing image disturbance in the imaging device 11-1. For example, it is assumed that the lights inside the railway vehicle 10 are turned off during inspection of the railway vehicle 10. In this case, the image may be distorted, and the brightness of the image captured by the imaging device 11 may be lower than the reference brightness corresponding to the image. Therefore, even if there is no imaging interference with the imaging device 11-1, it may be estimated that imaging interference is occurring with the imaging device 11-1. Note that, for example, if the status information is information indicating whether the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection, the interference identification unit 160 can determine whether the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection based on the status information. For example, if the status information is information indicating the identification number of the railway vehicle 10, the interference identification unit 160 may determine whether the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection based on the identification number. If the identification number is a number indicating that the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection, the interference identification unit 160 can determine that the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection. When the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the situation information, that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is one in which there is a possibility of erroneous estimation, in this case, when it determines that the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection, it identifies that there is no imaging interference in the imaging device 11-1. In this case, the interference identification unit 160 also identifies that there is no imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, which have been determined to have been estimated to have no imaging interference.In other words, if the interference identification unit 160 determines that it is estimated that there is imaging interference for the imaging device 11-1 based on the interference estimation information, and determines that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is a situation where there is a possibility of erroneous estimation based on the situation information, it identifies that there is no imaging interference for all imaging devices 11, regardless of whether it is estimated that there is imaging interference for the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4.

[0036] <Specific Example (2)> When the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to exist in the imaging device 11-1 and that imaging interference is estimated not to exist in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, and determines, based on the situation information, that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is not a situation where an erroneous estimation is possible, for example, being under inspection, the interference identification unit 160 measures the length of the interference estimation duration in the imaging device 11-1. The length of the interference estimation duration is the length of the period during which it has been continuously determined that imaging interference exists in the imaging device 11-1 since it was first determined that imaging interference exists in the imaging device 11-1, and the interference identification unit 160 measures this length using, for example, a timer (not shown). When the length of the interference estimation duration exceeds a predetermined period (hereinafter referred to as a "duration determination threshold"), the interference identification unit 160 determines that imaging interference exists in the imaging device 11-1. A case in which the length of the estimated interference duration exceeds the duration determination threshold is assumed to be a case in which the optical system of the imaging device 11 is temporarily covered by some kind of object, such as when the optical system of the imaging device 11 is inadvertently covered by luggage of a passenger or the like aboard the railway vehicle 10. On the other hand, if the length of the estimated interference duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 determines that there is no imaging interference in the imaging device 11-1. A case in which the length of the estimated interference duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold is assumed to be a case in which the optical system of the imaging device 11 is continuously covered by some kind of object, for example. Note that the interference identification unit 160 determines that there is no imaging interference with the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4.

[0037] <Specific Example (3)> When it is determined based on the interference estimation information that imaging interference is estimated to exist for all the imaging devices 11-1, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference exists for all the imaging devices 11-1.

[0038] <Specific Example (4)> When it is determined that it is estimated that there is no imaging interference for all the imaging devices 11 based on the interference estimation information, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is no imaging interference for all the imaging devices 11 .

[0039] In the above-mentioned <Specific Example (1)> and <Specific Example (2)>, the situation in which there is a possibility of erroneous estimation is a situation in which the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection, and the interference identification unit 160 determines whether the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection based on situation information (for example, information indicating whether the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection or information indicating the identification number of the railway vehicle 10), but this is just one example.

[0040] <Other Example (1)> For example, the situation in which there is a possibility of erroneous estimation may be a situation in which the railway vehicle 10 is in transit. For example, when the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging device 11-1 has been estimated to have imaging interference, and when the interference identification unit 160 determines that imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 have been estimated to have no imaging interference, the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the situation information, whether the railway vehicle 10 is in transit. For example, when the situation information is information indicating whether the railway vehicle 10 is in transit, the interference identification unit 160 can determine, based on the situation information, whether the railway vehicle 10 is in transit. For example, when the situation information is information indicating the identification number of the railway vehicle 10, the interference identification unit 160 can determine, based on the identification number, whether the railway vehicle 10 is in transit. When the identification number is a number indicating that the railway vehicle 10 is in transit, the interference identification unit 160 can determine that the railway vehicle 10 is in transit. When the interference identification unit 160 determines based on the situation information that the railway vehicle 10 is in transit, it identifies that there is no interference with imaging at the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (1)> above).

[0041] When the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device 11-1, and when it determines, based on the situation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, and when it determines that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is not in transit, it measures the length of the estimated interference duration for the imaging device 11-1. When the length of the estimated interference duration exceeds a duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is present in the imaging device 11-1. On the other hand, when the length of the estimated interference duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is absent in the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (2)> above).

[0042] <Other Example (2)> For example, the situation in which an erroneous estimation is likely may be a situation in which the railway vehicle 10 is not in commercial operation. For example, when the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging device 11-1 has estimated that imaging interference is present and that imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 have estimated that imaging interference is not present, the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the situation information, whether the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation. For example, when the situation information is information indicating whether the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation, the interference identification unit 160 can determine, based on the situation information, whether the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation. For example, when the situation information is information indicating the identification number of the railway vehicle 10, the interference identification unit 160 can determine, based on the identification number, whether the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation. When the identification number is not a number indicating that the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation, the interference identification unit 160 can determine that the railway vehicle 10 is not in commercial operation. Furthermore, for example, if the situation information is current location information of the railway vehicle 10, the interference identification unit 160 may determine whether the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation from the current location information. If the current location of the railway vehicle 10 is a location that does not exist during commercial operation, the interference identification unit 160 can determine that the railway vehicle 10 is not in commercial operation. If the interference identification unit 160 determines based on the situation information that the railway vehicle 10 is not in commercial operation, it identifies that there is no imaging interference in the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (1)> above).

[0043] When the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device 11-1, and when it determines, based on the situation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, and when it determines that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is in commercial operation, it measures the length of the estimated interference duration for the imaging device 11-1. When the length of the estimated interference duration exceeds a duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is present in the imaging device 11-1. On the other hand, when the length of the estimated interference duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is absent in the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (2)> above).

[0044] <Other Example (3)> For example, the situation in which an erroneous estimation is likely may be a situation in which the railway vehicle 10 is stopped. For example, when the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to exist in the imaging device 11-1 and that imaging interference is estimated to exist in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the situation information, whether the railway vehicle 10 is stopped. For example, when the situation information is information indicating the traveling speed of the railway vehicle 10, the interference identification unit 160 can determine, based on the situation information, whether the railway vehicle 10 is stopped. For example, when the traveling speed is slower than a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as the "speed determination threshold"), or when the duration of a state in which the traveling speed is "0" exceeds a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as the "stop determination threshold"), the interference identification unit 160 determines that the railway vehicle 10 is stopped. When the interference identification unit 160 determines based on the situation information that the railway vehicle 10 is stopped, it identifies that there is no interference with imaging at the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (1)> above).

[0045] When the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device 11-1, and when it determines, based on the situation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, and when it determines that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is not stopped, it measures the length of the estimated interference duration in the imaging device 11-1. When the length of the estimated interference duration exceeds a duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is present in the imaging device 11-1. On the other hand, when the length of the estimated interference duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is absent in the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (2)> above).

[0046] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of the relationship between the luminance of a captured image and the duration of the state indicated by the estimation result (whether or not there is imaging interference) when the interference identification unit 160 identifies whether or not there is imaging interference in the imaging device 11 in Embodiment 1. Fig. 7A is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the luminance of a captured image and the length of the estimated interference duration when the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is no imaging interference in a certain imaging device 11. Fig. 7B is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the luminance of a captured image and the length of the estimated interference duration when the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is imaging interference in a certain imaging device 11.

[0047] In Figures 7A and 7B, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the luminance level of the captured image. The solid broken line represents the luminance value of the captured image captured by a certain imaging device 11. The dashed straight line represents the reference luminance value corresponding to the certain imaging device 11. As shown in Figure 7A, if the period during which the luminance of the captured image captured by a certain imaging device 11 is determined to be lower than the reference luminance corresponding to the certain imaging device 11, i.e., the estimated interference duration, does not continue for a predetermined period, i.e., does not exceed the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is no imaging interference with the certain imaging device 11. Also, as shown in Figure 7B, if the period during which the luminance of the captured image captured by a certain imaging device 11 is determined to be lower than the reference luminance corresponding to the certain imaging device 11, i.e., the estimated interference duration, continues for a predetermined period, i.e., exceeds the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is imaging interference with the certain imaging device 11.

[0048] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method in which the interference identification unit 160 identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference based on interference estimation information acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110 and interference identification information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180 (here, situation information) during commercial operation in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 illustrates an example of the estimation results of the presence or absence of imaging interference by the estimation information acquisition unit 110 for the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4. It is assumed here that the interference identification information acquisition unit 180 has acquired situation information that indicates that the situation is not one in which an erroneous estimation is likely. Here, as an example, the threshold for determining the duration is one hour. At the time indicated by (1) in FIG. 8, it is estimated that none of the four imaging devices 11 is experiencing imaging interference. Figure 8 shows an example in which, starting from the point indicated by (1), the estimated information acquisition unit 110 acquires interference estimation information for each of the four imaging devices 11 every 15 minutes, and the interference identification unit 160 identifies whether or not imaging interference has occurred based on the interference estimation information acquired by the estimated information acquisition unit 110 and the interference identification information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180.

[0049] Between (2) and (8) in Figure 8, of the four imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, imaging interference is estimated to be present in imaging device 11-1, and imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the other imaging devices. Figure 8 shows an example in which the interference identification unit 160 identifies imaging interference as present in imaging device 11-1 when it estimates that imaging interference has been present in imaging device 11 for a period exceeding one hour, which is the duration determination threshold. In Figure 8, at time (6), the length of the estimated interference duration has continued for more than one hour. Therefore, the interference identification unit 160 identifies imaging interference as present in imaging device 11-1 at time (6).

[0050] When the interference identification unit 160 identifies whether or not there is imaging interference in the imaging device 11, it outputs information indicating whether or not imaging interference has been identified for the imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as the ``imaging interference identification result'') to the output control unit 170.

[0051] The output control unit 170 outputs an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device 11 identified by the interference identification unit 160 as having imaging interference, based on the imaging interference identification result output from the interference identification unit 160. Specifically, the output control unit 170 outputs the identification output signal to the output device 13. When the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is no imaging interference with the imaging device 11, the output control unit 170 may output an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device 11 identified as having no imaging interference. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the output device 13 is composed of light-emitting elements 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, and 13-4 corresponding to the imaging devices 11, the output control unit 170 outputs an identification output signal to turn off the light-emitting elements 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, and 13-4 corresponding to the imaging devices 11 that have been identified as having no imaging interference, and to turn on the light-emitting elements 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, and 13-4 corresponding to the imaging devices 11 that have been identified as having imaging interference.

[0052] The operation of the diagnostic device 100 according to embodiment 1 will now be described. Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the diagnostic device 100 according to embodiment 1. The diagnostic device 100 repeatedly executes the process shown in the flowchart in Fig. 9 every predetermined time period, such as every 15 minutes, as in the example shown in Fig. 8 .

[0053] The reference luminance acquisition unit 140 acquires reference luminance information (step ST1), and outputs the acquired reference luminance information to the interference estimation unit 150.

[0054] The image acquisition unit 120 acquires the image information output by the imaging device 11 (step ST2), and outputs the acquired image information to the image brightness acquisition unit .

[0055] The image brightness acquisition unit 130 acquires image brightness information based on the image information acquired by the image acquisition unit 120 in step ST2 (step ST3). The image brightness acquisition unit 130 outputs the acquired image brightness information to the interference estimation unit 150.

[0056] The interference estimation unit 150 estimates whether or not imaging interference occurs in the imaging device 11 by comparing the image brightness information acquired by the image brightness acquisition unit 130 in step ST3 with the reference brightness corresponding to each imaging device 11, which is indicated by the reference brightness information acquired by the reference brightness acquisition unit 140 in step ST1, and generates interference estimation information (step ST4). The interference estimation unit 150 outputs the generated interference estimation information to the estimation information acquisition unit 110.

[0057] The estimated information acquisition unit 110 acquires the interference estimated information generated by the interference estimation unit 150 in step ST4 (step ST5). The estimated information acquisition unit 110 outputs the acquired interference estimated information to the interference identification unit 160.

[0058] The information acquisition unit 180 for interference identification acquires information for interference identification, here, situation information, from the central device 14 (step ST6). The information acquisition unit 180 for interference identification outputs the acquired situation information to the interference identification unit 160.

[0059] The interference identification unit 160 identifies whether or not imaging interference has occurred in the imaging device 11 based on the interference estimation information for each imaging device 11 acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110 in step ST5 and the situation information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180 in step ST6 (step ST7). The interference identification unit 160 outputs the imaging interference identification result to the output control unit 170.

[0060] The output control unit 170 outputs an identification output signal based on the imaging interference identification result output from the interference identifying unit 160 in step ST7 (step ST8).

[0061] In the flowchart of FIG. 9 , the processing is performed in the order of step ST1 and step ST2, but this is merely an example. For example, the order of the processing of step ST1 and step ST2 may be reversed, or the processing of step ST1 and step ST2 may be performed in parallel. The processing of step ST1 may be performed before the processing of step ST4, and the processing of step ST2 may be performed before the processing of step ST3. Furthermore, the processing of step ST3 may be performed before the processing of step ST4. In the flowchart of FIG. 9 , the processing is performed in the order of step ST5 and step ST6, but this is merely an example. For example, the order of the processing of step ST5 and step ST6 may be reversed, or the processing of step ST5 and step ST6 may be performed in parallel. The processing of step ST5 and step ST6 may be performed before the processing of step ST7.

[0062] Furthermore, if the diagnostic device 100 is configured not to include the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, and the interference estimation unit 150, the operation of the diagnostic device 100 can omit the processing of steps ST1 to ST4.

[0063] FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the process of step ST7 in FIG.

[0064] The interference identification unit 160 determines whether or not it is estimated that imaging interference has occurred for the first imaging device among the imaging devices 11, based on the interference estimation information for each imaging device 11 acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110 (step ST11).

[0065] If it is determined in step ST11 that imaging interference is estimated to exist for the first imaging device (if the result is "YES" in step ST11), the interference identification unit 160 determines whether imaging interference is estimated to exist for the second imaging device based on the interference estimation information for each imaging device 11 acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110 (step ST12).

[0066] If it is determined in step ST12 that there is no imaging interference with the second imaging device (if the answer is "NO" in step ST12), the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the situation information, whether the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is one in which there is a possibility of incorrect estimation (step ST13).

[0067] If it is determined in step ST13 that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is not a situation where erroneous estimation is likely ("NO" in step ST13), the interference identification unit 160 measures the length of the interference estimation duration in the imaging device 11-1. Then, the interference identification unit 160 determines whether the length of the interference estimation duration exceeds a duration determination threshold (step ST14).

[0068] If it is determined in step ST14 that the length of the estimated interference duration exceeds the duration determination threshold (if "YES" in step ST14), the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is imaging interference in the imaging device 11-1 (step ST15).

[0069] If it is determined in step ST14 that the length of the estimated interference duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold (if "NO" in step ST14), the interference identification unit 160 determines that there is no imaging interference in the imaging device 11-1 (step ST16).

[0070] The interference identifying unit 160 identifies that there is no imaging interference with the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 (step ST17).

[0071] If it is determined in step ST11 that there is no imaging interference with the first imaging device (if "NO" in step ST11), if it is determined in step ST12 that there is imaging interference with the second imaging device (if "YES" in step ST12), or if it is determined in step ST13 that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is one in which there is a possibility of erroneous estimation (if "YES" in step ST13), the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is no imaging interference with the imaging device 11-1. The interference identification unit 160 also identifies that there is no imaging interference with the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4. In other words, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that there is no imaging interference with all of the imaging devices 11 (step ST18).

[0072] In this way, the diagnostic device 100 identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11 based on interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11 estimated by comparing the luminance in the image captured by the imaging device 11 with the reference luminance corresponding to the captured image and interference identification information (situation information in this case), and outputs an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device 11 identified as having imaging interference. This allows the diagnostic device 100 to accurately diagnose whether the imaging device 11 installed so as to be able to capture an area to be monitored is experiencing imaging interference.

[0073] As described above, in conventional diagnostic methods for diagnosing whether an imaging device is in an appropriate imaging state, for example, when there is too much bright light entering the railway vehicle and the lighting is too bright, or when some of the lights inside the railway vehicle are turned on as emergency lights during an inspection and the lighting is insufficient, the inspection information is not captured correctly, and even though the imaging device is in an appropriate imaging state, in other words, not experiencing imaging interference, there is a possibility that the imaging device will be erroneously diagnosed as not being in an appropriate imaging state, in other words, as experiencing imaging interference.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, public transportation agencies (e.g., railway companies) that transport passengers generally install imaging devices operating as in-car security cameras in the interiors of their transportation vehicles (e.g., railcars) to prevent crime or improve passenger service, and record images captured by the imaging devices. Such public transportation agencies own many transportation vehicles. Therefore, if the public transportation agencies were to manually inspect or check the imaging devices installed in the many transportation vehicles they own to determine whether imaging interference is occurring, it would require a significant amount of time. Furthermore, for example, if the public transportation agencies were to manually inspect or check the imaging devices installed in transportation vehicles that operate during normal business hours, the inspection or check would be limited to periods when the transportation vehicles are parked outside of operating hours or during regular inspections conducted at predetermined intervals, so as not to interfere with the operation of the transportation vehicles. As a result, it would take a long time for an administrator or other person to discover that imaging interference is occurring in the imaging device, and it may take a long time for the administrator or other person to restore the imaging device from a state in which imaging interference is occurring to an appropriate imaging state in which imaging interference is not occurring. For example, if an imaging device is experiencing imaging interference, an incident that occurs inside the vehicle cabin will not be recorded using normal captured images, and there is a risk that it will not be possible to confirm the situation inside the vehicle cabin at the time the incident occurred.

[0075] In addition, in general, transportation vehicles owned by public transportation organizations may have a large number of variations in the number of imaging devices installed in the vehicle cabin, the installation locations of the imaging devices, the arrangement of lighting, etc. Therefore, if a diagnostic method for imaging devices in transportation vehicles owned by public transportation organizations, such as the above-mentioned conventional technology, in which an inspector diagnoses whether the imaging device is in an appropriate imaging state by holding inspection information over the imaging device, is applied to a diagnostic method for imaging devices in transportation vehicles owned by public transportation organizations, there is a risk of missed notifications due to the inspector skipping an inspection. Furthermore, for example, if the orientation of the imaging device is temporarily changed during an inspection of equipment inside the vehicle cabin, it is expected that the inspector will have difficulty holding the inspection information over the front of the imaging device, which may result in missed notifications.

[0076] In contrast, the diagnostic device 100 according to the first embodiment identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11 based on interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11, which is estimated by comparing the luminance in the captured image captured by the imaging device 11 with a reference luminance corresponding to the captured image, and interference identification information (situation information in this case), and outputs an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device 11 identified as having imaging interference. Therefore, the diagnostic device 100 can accurately diagnose whether the imaging device 11, which is installed so as to be able to capture an area to be monitored, is in a state of being subjected to imaging interference.

[0077] The diagnostic device 100 can reduce the possibility of erroneously determining that the imaging device 11 is experiencing imaging interference when it is not experiencing imaging interference, for example, when there is a luminance imbalance in the imaging device 11, and can accurately determine whether the imaging device 11 installed in the railway vehicle 10 is in an appropriate state without imaging interference. Furthermore, because the diagnostic device 100 determines whether the imaging device 11 is experiencing imaging interference based on situation information, it can reduce the possibility of erroneously determining that temporary image disturbance due to inspection work is experiencing imaging interference, and can accurately diagnose whether the imaging device 11 installed in the railway vehicle 10 is experiencing imaging interference. Furthermore, because the diagnostic device 100 determines whether or not there is imaging interference based on the luminance of the captured image, it can perform processing at high speed due to a smaller load on hardware such as a CPU, compared to determining whether or not there is imaging interference based on an image determination technique such as pattern matching that compares image features.

[0078] Furthermore, the diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether or not imaging interference is occurring in the imaging device 11 not only during periods when the vehicle is parked outside of operating hours or during regular inspections that are performed at predetermined intervals, but also, for example, during commercial operation. Therefore, the diagnostic device 100 can prevent a situation in which it takes a long time for a manager or the like to discover that imaging interference is occurring in the imaging device 11, and the imaging device 11 cannot be restored from a state in which imaging interference is occurring to an appropriate imaging state in which imaging interference is not occurring for a long period of time.

[0079] Furthermore, the diagnostic device 100 can prevent missed notifications due to missed inspections, etc., which occur when inspections or confirmations of whether or not imaging interference has occurred in the imaging device 11 are performed manually.

[0080] In the first embodiment described above, the information for identifying interference is situation information, but this is merely an example. The information for identifying interference includes not only situation information but also information indicating the attitude of the imaging device 11 (hereinafter referred to as "imaging attitude information"). In the diagnostic device 100, the information acquisition unit 180 for identifying interference may acquire imaging attitude information from the central device 14 as the information for identifying interference. The imaging attitude information output from the central device 14 includes, for example, output information of an attitude sensor implemented in each imaging device 11, information regarding the attitude of the car body on which each imaging device 11 is installed, and information regarding the attitude of the interior structure on which each imaging device 11 is installed. The attitude of the imaging device 11 indicated by the imaging attitude information is expressed, for example, as an angle. The interior structure on which the imaging device 11 is installed is, for example, a lintel cover provided above the boarding / alighting door of the railway vehicle 10. If the attitude of the imaging device 11 indicated by the imaging attitude information is the attitude of the lintel cover, the attitude of the imaging device 11 is expressed, for example, by the open / closed state of the lintel cover.

[0081] In this case, the interference identification unit 160 identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11 based on the interference estimation information and imaging attitude information for each of the imaging devices 11 acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110. More specifically, the interference identification unit 160 determines whether or not imaging interference has been estimated for a first imaging device among the imaging devices 11, based on the interference estimation information for each of the imaging devices 11 acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110. When it is determined that imaging interference has been estimated for the first imaging device, the interference identification unit 160 identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the first imaging device based on whether imaging interference has been estimated for a second imaging device among the imaging devices 11, the imaging attitude information, and the length of the estimated interference duration.

[0082] Based on the imaging attitude information, for example, if the difference between the current attitude of the imaging device 11 and the reference attitude of the imaging device 11 is greater than a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as the “attitude determination threshold”), the interference identification unit 160 determines that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is one in which an erroneous estimation is likely. For example, if the difference between the current attitude of the imaging device 11 and the reference attitude of the imaging device 11 is greater than the attitude determination threshold, it is estimated that the current attitude of the imaging device 11 is different from the attitude of the railway vehicle 10 under normal circumstances (e.g., during business hours). For example, if the attitude of the imaging device 11 is significantly changed from the reference attitude and is oriented in a direction that allows external light to easily enter, the external light may enter, resulting in an overly bright situation. The reference attitude is set in advance by an administrator or the like and stored in a location that can be referenced by the diagnostic device 100. For example, if the attitude of the imaging device 11 is represented by the attitude of the lintel cover, the administrator or the like may set the reference attitude to an attitude in which the lintel cover is open.

[0083] For example, when the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device 11-1, and determines that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, and determines, based on the imaging attitude information, that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is one in which an erroneous estimation is likely, it identifies that imaging interference is absent in the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (1)> above). For example, when the railway vehicle 10 is undergoing inspection, it is assumed that the attitude of the imaging device 11-1 has been changed by the inspection work. Therefore, even if imaging interference is not present in the imaging device 11-1, it may be estimated that imaging interference is present in the imaging device 11-1. The interference identification unit 160 also identifies that imaging interference is absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 for which it has determined that imaging interference is estimated to be absent. In other words, if the interference identification unit 160 determines that imaging interference is estimated for imaging device 11-1 based on the interference estimation information, and determines that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is a situation where there is a possibility of erroneous estimation based on the imaging attitude information, it identifies that there is no imaging interference for all imaging devices 11, regardless of whether imaging interference is estimated for imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4.

[0084] For example, when the interference identification unit 160 determines, based on the interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device 11-1, and determines that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, and determines, based on the imaging attitude information, that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is not one in which an erroneous estimation is likely, it measures the length of the interference estimation duration for the imaging device 11-1. If the length of the interference estimation duration exceeds a duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is present in the imaging device 11-1. On the other hand, if the length of the interference estimation duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160 identifies that imaging interference is absent in the imaging device 11-1 (see <Specific Example (2)> above).

[0085] In this way, the diagnostic device 100 can accurately diagnose whether or not the imaging device 11 installed so that it can capture an image of a monitored area is experiencing imaging interference, even if it is configured to acquire imaging attitude information as interference identification information and identify whether or not imaging interference is occurring in the imaging device 11 based on the interference estimation information and imaging attitude information for each imaging device 11. Because the diagnostic device 100 identifies whether or not the imaging device 11 is experiencing imaging interference based on the attitude of the imaging device 11, it is possible to reduce the possibility of erroneously determining that a temporary change in the attitude of the imaging device 11 due to inspection work on the railway vehicle 10, for example, is experiencing imaging interference, and it is possible to suppress erroneous diagnosis of whether or not imaging interference is occurring in the imaging device 11.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, the diagnosis device 100 is mounted on the railway vehicle 10, and the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and a control unit (not shown) are provided in the railway vehicle 10. However, without being limited to this, for example, some of the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and a control unit (not shown) may be provided in the railway vehicle 10, and the rest may be provided in a server connected to the railway vehicle 10 via a network. Furthermore, for example, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and all of the control units not shown may be provided in the server.

[0087] In the first embodiment described above, the monitored area is assumed to be the interior of a railway vehicle 10, and the diagnostic device 100 diagnoses whether or not imaging interference exists in the imaging device 11 that captures images of the interior of the railway vehicle 10. However, this is merely an example. The diagnostic device 100 according to the first embodiment is not limited to application to the railway vehicle 10, but can also be applied to various moving objects, such as large public buses, as a diagnostic device that diagnoses whether or not imaging interference exists in the imaging device 11 that is installed to be able to capture the interior of the moving object. The diagnostic device 100 according to the first embodiment can also be applied to a diagnostic device that diagnoses whether or not imaging interference exists in the imaging device 11 that is installed to be able to capture the interior of a building, such as a house or a commercial facility. In this case, the situation information may be, for example, information indicating whether or not it is a time period when the occupants are asleep and the lights are turned off if the building is a house, or information indicating whether or not it is business hours if the building is a commercial facility.

[0088] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the diagnostic device 100 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the functions of the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and a control unit (not shown) are realized by a processing circuit 1001. That is, the diagnostic device 100 includes the processing circuit 1001 for diagnosing whether the imaging device 11, which is installed so as to be able to capture an image of a monitored area, is experiencing imaging interference. The processing circuit 1001 may be dedicated hardware as shown in FIG. 11A, or a processor 1004 that executes a program stored in a memory 1005 as shown in FIG. 11B.

[0089] If the processing circuit 1001 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 1001 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0090] When the processing circuit is the processor 1004, the functions of the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and a control unit (not shown) are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 1005. The processor 1004 reads and executes the program stored in the memory 1005, thereby executing the functions of the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and a control unit (not shown). That is, the diagnostic device 100 includes a memory 1005 for storing a program that, when executed by the processor 1004, results in the execution of steps ST1 to ST8 in Fig. 9 described above. It can also be said that the program stored in the memory 1005 causes a computer to execute the procedures or methods of the processing of the estimation information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and a control unit (not shown). Here, the memory 1005 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0091] Note that the functions of the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, and a control unit (not shown) may be partially realized by dedicated hardware and partially realized by software or firmware. For example, the functions of the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the output control unit 170, and the interference identification information acquisition unit 180 may be realized by a processing circuit 1001 as dedicated hardware, and the functions of the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, and a control unit (not shown) may be realized by the processor 1004 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 1005. The diagnostic device 100 also includes an input interface device 1002 and an output interface device 1003 that perform wired or wireless communication with devices such as an imaging device 11, an output device 13, and a central device 14.

[0092] As described above, the diagnosis device 100 according to the first embodiment includes the estimated information acquisition unit 110 that acquires interference estimation information indicating whether or not imaging interference is present in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, which are installed so as to be able to image the area to be monitored, by comparing the luminance in the captured image captured by the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N with the reference luminance corresponding to the captured image; and the estimation information acquisition unit 110 that acquires situation information relating to the situation in the area to be monitored or indicates the attitude of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N. The image capturing apparatus is configured to include an interference identification information acquisition unit 180 that acquires imaging posture information based on the interference estimation information acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110 and the situation information or imaging posture information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, an interference identification unit 160 that identifies whether or not imaging interference exists in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, and an output control unit 170 that outputs an identification output signal that can identify the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N that have been identified by the interference identification unit 160 as having imaging interference.

[0093] Therefore, the diagnostic device 100 can accurately diagnose whether the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, which are installed so that they can capture images of the monitored area, are experiencing imaging interference. The diagnostic device 100 can reduce the possibility of erroneously determining that, for example, temporary image disturbance due to inspection work or changes in the posture of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N are experiencing imaging interference, and can accurately determine whether the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N are experiencing imaging interference. Furthermore, because the diagnostic device 100 determines whether imaging interference is present based on the luminance of the captured image, the load on hardware such as a CPU is smaller than when determining whether imaging interference is present based on image determination techniques such as pattern matching that compares image features, and therefore processing can be performed at high speed. Furthermore, the diagnostic device 100 can prevent a situation in which it takes a long time for an administrator or the like to discover that imaging interference has occurred in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, and it is not possible to restore the state in which imaging interference has occurred in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N to an appropriate imaging state in which imaging interference has not occurred for a long time. Furthermore, the diagnostic device 100 can prevent missed notifications due to missed inspections, etc., which occur when inspections or confirmations of whether imaging interference has occurred in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N are performed manually.

[0094] Embodiment 2 In Embodiment 1, the diagnostic device acquires the information for interference identification from the central device. In Embodiment 2, an embodiment will be described in which the diagnostic device acquires the information for interference identification from the imaging device. Note that in Embodiment 2, it is assumed that the information for interference identification is imaging attitude information.

[0095] In the second embodiment, it is assumed that the imaging device is an imaging device that is installed in a railway vehicle and captures images of a monitored area for the purpose of crime prevention or improving services for passengers, etc. In the following second embodiment, it is assumed that the monitored area is the interior of a railway vehicle.

[0096] 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of a diagnostic device 100a according to embodiment 2. A diagnostic system 1a is configured with the diagnostic device 100a, image capture devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N, and an output device 13. The diagnostic system 1a according to embodiment 2 differs from the diagnostic system 1 according to embodiment 1 described using FIG. 1 etc. in that it does not include a central device 14. Furthermore, the image capture devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N in the diagnostic system 1a according to embodiment 2 differ from the image capture devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N in the diagnostic system 1 according to embodiment 1 in that they output imaging posture information to the diagnostic device 100a in addition to image information.

[0097] In the following second embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that four imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, 11a-3, and 11a-4 are connected to the diagnostic device 100a. Note that this is merely an example, and the number of imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N may be one, two, three, or five or more. In the following description, the four imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, 11a-3, and 11a-4 will also be collectively referred to simply as imaging device 11a.

[0098] Regarding the configuration of the main parts of the diagnosis device 100a according to the second embodiment, the same components as those of the diagnosis device 100a according to the first embodiment described using FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. The diagnosis device 100a is provided in the railway vehicle 10, and is connected to the output device 13 wirelessly or via a wire. In the diagnosis device 100a according to the second embodiment, the specific operation of the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a is different from the specific operation of the interference identification information acquisition unit 180 in the diagnosis device 100 according to the first embodiment. The interference identification information acquisition unit 180a acquires interference identification information, in this case, imaging attitude information, from each of the imaging devices 11a.

[0099] The interference identification unit 160 identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11a based on the interference estimation information for each imaging device 11a acquired by the estimated information acquisition unit 110 and the interference identification information, i.e., imaging posture information here. More specifically, the interference identification unit 160 determines whether imaging interference is estimated for a first imaging device among the imaging devices 11a based on the interference estimation information for each imaging device 11a acquired by the estimated information acquisition unit 110. If the interference identification unit 160 determines that imaging interference is estimated for the first imaging device, it identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the first imaging device based on whether imaging interference is estimated for a second imaging device among the imaging devices 11a, the interference identification information, i.e., the imaging posture information here, and the length of the interference estimation duration. A specific method by which the interference identification unit 160 identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11a has already been described in the first embodiment using a specific example, and therefore a repeated description will be omitted.

[0100] The operation of the diagnostic device 100a according to the second embodiment will now be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the diagnostic device 100a according to the second embodiment. The diagnostic device 100a repeatedly executes the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13 every predetermined time period, such as every 15 minutes. Regarding the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13, the specific contents of the processes of steps ST1 to ST5 and steps ST7 to ST8 are the same as the specific contents of the processes of steps ST1 to ST5 and steps ST7 to ST8 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, which have already been explained in the first embodiment, and therefore redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0101] The interference identification information acquisition unit 180a acquires interference identification information, in this case, imaging posture information, from the imaging device 11a (step ST6a). The interference identification information acquisition unit 180a outputs the acquired imaging posture information to the interference identification unit 160.

[0102] 13, the processing is performed in the order of step ST5 and step ST6a, but this is merely an example. For example, the processing order of step ST5 and step ST6a may be reversed, or the processing of step ST5 and step ST6a may be performed in parallel. The processing of step ST5 and step ST6a may be performed before the processing of step ST7.

[0103] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, for example, the imaging device 11a may generate interference estimation information, and the estimation information acquisition unit 110 may acquire the interference estimation information generated by the imaging device 11a from the imaging device 11a. In this way, by having the imaging device 11a generate interference estimation information, the processing load of the diagnostic device 100a can be reduced. When the estimation information acquisition unit 110 acquires the interference estimation information generated by the imaging device 11a, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, and the interference estimation unit 150 are not essential components of the diagnostic device 100a. Furthermore, when the diagnostic device 100a is configured without the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, and the interference estimation unit 150, the operations of the diagnostic device 100a can omit the processes of steps ST1 to ST4.

[0104] In this way, the diagnostic device 100a determines whether or not imaging interference is present in the imaging device 11a based on interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging device 11a, which is estimated by comparing the brightness of the captured image captured by the imaging device 11a with the reference brightness corresponding to the captured image, and interference identification information (here, imaging attitude information) acquired from the imaging device 11a, and outputs an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device 11a identified as having imaging interference. This allows the diagnostic device 100a to accurately diagnose whether or not the imaging device 11a, which is installed so as to be able to capture an area to be monitored, is experiencing imaging interference. Furthermore, because the diagnostic device 100a determines whether or not the imaging device 11a is experiencing imaging interference based on the attitude of the imaging device 11a, it is possible to reduce the possibility of erroneously determining that a temporary change in the attitude of the imaging device 11a due to, for example, an inspection of the railway vehicle 10 is experiencing imaging interference, thereby preventing erroneous diagnosis. Furthermore, since the diagnostic device 100a can acquire information for identifying interference, specifically, imaging posture information, without going through the central device 14, processing can be performed more quickly than when the imaging posture information is acquired via the central device 14.

[0105] In the above second embodiment, the diagnosis device 100a is mounted on the railway vehicle 10, and the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a, and a control unit (not shown) are provided in the railway vehicle 10. However, without being limited to this, for example, some of the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a, and a control unit (not shown) may be provided in the railway vehicle 10, and the rest may be provided in a server connected to the railway vehicle 10 via a network. Furthermore, for example, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a, and all of the control units not shown may be provided in the server.

[0106] In the second embodiment described above, the monitored area is assumed to be the interior of the railcar 10, and the diagnostic device 100a diagnoses whether or not there is imaging interference in the imaging device 11a that images the interior of the railcar 10. However, this is merely an example. The diagnostic device 100a according to the second embodiment is not limited to application to the railcar 10, but can also be applied to various other vehicles, such as large passenger buses, as diagnostic devices that diagnose whether or not there is imaging interference in imaging devices that are installed to be able to image the interior of the vehicle. The diagnostic device 100a according to the second embodiment can also be applied to diagnostic devices that diagnose whether or not there is imaging interference in imaging devices that are installed to be able to image the interior of the vehicle, such as a house or a commercial facility.

[0107] The hardware configuration of the diagnostic device 100a according to the second embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration of the diagnostic device 100 described in the first embodiment using Figures 11A and 11B, and therefore is not shown in the drawings. In the second embodiment, the functions of the estimated information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a, and a control unit (not shown) are realized by a processing circuit 1001. That is, the diagnostic device 100a includes a processing circuit 1001 for diagnosing whether the imaging device 11a, which is installed so as to be able to capture an image of a monitored area, is experiencing imaging interference. The processing circuit 1001 may be dedicated hardware as shown in Figure 11A, or a processor 1004 that executes a program stored in a memory 1005 as shown in Figure 11B.

[0108] The processing circuit 1001 executes the functions of the estimation information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a, and a control unit (not shown) by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 1005. That is, the diagnostic device 100a includes the memory 1005 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 1001, results in the execution of steps ST1 to ST8 in FIG. 13 described above. The program stored in the memory 1005 can also be said to cause a computer to execute the procedures or methods of the estimation information acquisition unit 110, the image acquisition unit 120, the image brightness acquisition unit 130, the reference brightness acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, the interference identification unit 160, the output control unit 170, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a, and a control unit (not shown). The diagnostic device 100a includes devices such as the imaging device 11a and the output device 13, as well as an input interface device 1002 and an output interface device 1003 that perform wired or wireless communication.

[0109] As described above, in the diagnostic device 100a according to the second embodiment, the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a acquires imaging posture information from the imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N, and the interference identification unit 160 identifies whether or not imaging interference is occurring in the imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N based on the interference estimation information acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 110 and the imaging posture information acquired from the imaging device 11a. Therefore, the diagnostic device 100a can accurately diagnose whether or not the imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N, which are installed so that they can capture images of the monitored area, are experiencing imaging interference. Furthermore, because the diagnostic device 100a can acquire imaging posture information without going through the central device 14, it can perform processing more quickly than when acquiring imaging posture information via the central device 14.

[0110] In the above-described first or second embodiment, the diagnostic device 100, 100a identifies the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N by using interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N, which is estimated by comparing the luminance in the captured image captured by the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N with a reference luminance. However, in the above-described first or second embodiment, the diagnostic device 100, 100a Instead of the interference estimation information, the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N may be identified using information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N (hereinafter referred to as "imaging parameter interference estimation information") estimated by comparing the imaging parameters when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N captured an image with reference imaging parameters (hereinafter referred to as "reference imaging parameters").

[0111] 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of a diagnostic device 100b configured to identify the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N using imaging parameter interference estimation information. A diagnostic system 1b is configured with the diagnostic device 100b, the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, the output device 13, and the central device 14. The configuration of the diagnostic device 100b shown in FIG. 14 differs from the configuration of the diagnostic device 100 according to embodiment 1 described using FIG. 1 in embodiment 1 in that the diagnostic device 100b does not include the image acquisition unit 120, the image luminance acquisition unit 130, the reference luminance acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, and the estimation information acquisition unit 110, but instead includes an imaging parameter acquisition unit 131, a reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141, an imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151, and an imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111.

[0112] The imaging parameter acquisition unit 131 acquires information indicating imaging parameters used when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N captured an image (hereinafter referred to as "imaging parameter information"). Specifically, the imaging parameter acquisition unit 131 acquires the imaging parameter information from the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N via the communication network 12. The imaging parameter acquisition unit 131 may acquire the imaging parameter information output by the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N from a non-volatile storage medium that stores the imaging information acquired from the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N via the communication network 12, for example. The imaging parameters indicated by the imaging parameter information include ISO (International Organization for Standardization) sensitivity, shutter speed value, AE (Automatic Exposure) detection value, AF (Autofocus) detection value, etc. The imaging parameter acquisition unit 131 outputs the acquired imaging parameter information to the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151.

[0113] The reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 acquires information indicating predetermined reference imaging parameters corresponding to each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N (hereinafter referred to as "reference imaging parameter information"). Specifically, the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 acquires the reference imaging parameter information from the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N via the communication network 12. For example, the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 may acquire the reference imaging parameter information from a non-volatile storage medium via the communication network 12. Furthermore, for example, the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 may acquire the reference imaging parameter information from a storage device (not shown) provided inside or outside the housing of the diagnostic device 100b. Furthermore, for example, the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 may acquire, as the reference imaging parameter information, imaging parameter information indicating imaging parameters when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N captured an image during a time period or the like that is known in advance to be free of imaging interference. The reference imaging parameters indicated by the reference imaging parameter information are values ​​indicating the application range of imaging parameters such as ISO sensitivity value, shutter speed value, aperture value, or autofocus detection value, which are used as standards when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N captures an image. The reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 outputs the acquired reference imaging parameter information to the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151.

[0114] The imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 estimates the presence or absence of imaging interference for each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N by comparing the imaging parameters when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N captured an image, which are indicated by the imaging parameter information acquired by the imaging parameter acquisition unit 131, with the reference imaging parameters corresponding to each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, which are indicated by the reference imaging parameter information acquired by the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141. For example, the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 estimates the presence or absence of imaging interference for each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N by determining whether the imaging parameters when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N indicated by the imaging parameter information captured an image are within the application range of the imaging parameters used when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N captures an image, which are reference imaging parameters corresponding to each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N indicated by the reference imaging parameter information. The imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 generates imaging parameter interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference for each of the estimated imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, and outputs the generated imaging parameter interference estimation information to the imaging parameter interference estimation information acquisition unit 111.

[0115] The imaging parameter estimation information acquisition section 111 acquires imaging parameter interference estimation information from the imaging parameter interference estimation section 151. The imaging parameter estimation information acquisition section 111 outputs the acquired imaging parameter interference estimation information to the interference identification section 160a.

[0116] The interference identification unit 160a identifies whether or not there is imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N based on the imaging parameter interference estimation information acquired by the imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 and the interference identification information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, specifically, situation information or imaging attitude information.

[0117] For example, the imaging device 11-1 is the first imaging device, and the imaging devices 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 are the second imaging devices. For example, if the interference identification unit 160a determines based on the imaging parameter interference estimation information that imaging interference is estimated to exist in the first imaging device and that imaging interference is estimated to exist in the second imaging device, and determines based on the interference identification information that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is a situation where an erroneous estimation is likely, the interference identification unit 160a identifies that imaging interference is not occurring in the first imaging device. The interference identification unit 160a also identifies that imaging interference is not occurring in the second imaging device that was determined to be estimated to be free of imaging interference. For example, if a worker remains in front of the imaging device 11 for a long time during inspection work, the imaging device 11 will remain out of focus. In this case, the imaging parameters of the imaging device 11 may fall outside the range of the reference parameters. As a result, even if there is no imaging interference in the first imaging device, it may be estimated that there is imaging interference in the first imaging device. When the interference identification unit 160a determines that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is one in which there is a possibility of erroneous estimation, it identifies that there is no imaging interference in the first imaging device, thereby preventing the interference identification unit 160a from mistakenly identifying that there is imaging interference in the first imaging device.

[0118] For example, when the interference identification unit 160a determines, based on the imaging parameter interference estimation information, that imaging interference is estimated to be present in the first imaging device and that imaging interference is estimated to be absent in the second imaging device, and when the interference identification unit 160a determines, based on the imaging attitude information, that the situation of the railway vehicle 10 is not one in which an erroneous estimation is likely, it measures the length of the interference estimation duration in the first imaging device. If the length of the interference estimation duration exceeds a duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160a identifies that imaging interference is present in the first imaging device. On the other hand, if the length of the interference estimation duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold, the interference identification unit 160a identifies that imaging interference is absent in the first imaging device.

[0119] In this way, the diagnostic device 100b can accurately diagnose whether or not the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, which are installed so that they can capture the monitored area, are experiencing imaging interference, even if the diagnostic device 100b is configured to identify whether or not imaging interference is occurring in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N based on the imaging parameter interference estimation information and interference identification information for each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N.

[0120] For example, the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N may generate imaging parameter interference estimation information, and the imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 may acquire the imaging parameter interference estimation information generated by the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N from the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N. By the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N generating the imaging parameter interference estimation information, the processing load of the diagnostic device 100b can be reduced.

[0121] When the imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 acquires imaging parameter interference estimation information generated by the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, the imaging parameter acquisition unit 131, the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141, and the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 are not essential components in the diagnostic device 100b.

[0122] Fig. 15 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a diagnostic device 100b configured to identify the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N using imaging parameter interference estimation information. The diagnostic device 100b repeatedly executes the process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 15 every predetermined time period, such as every 15 minutes. Regarding the process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 15, the specific contents of steps ST6 and ST8 are the same as the specific contents of the processes of steps ST6 and ST8 shown in the flowchart of Fig. 9, which have been explained in the first embodiment, and therefore, redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0123] The reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 acquires reference imaging parameter information (step ST101). The reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 outputs the acquired reference imaging parameter information to the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151.

[0124] The imaging parameter acquisition unit 131 acquires imaging parameter information (step ST102 ), and outputs the acquired imaging parameter information to the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 .

[0125] The imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 compares the imaging parameters when each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N captured an image, which are indicated by the imaging parameter information acquired by the imaging parameter acquisition unit 131 in step ST102, with the reference imaging parameters corresponding to each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, which are indicated by the reference imaging parameter information acquired by the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141 in step ST101, to estimate the presence or absence of imaging interference for each of the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, and generates imaging parameter interference estimation information (step ST103). The imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 outputs the generated imaging parameter interference estimation information to the imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111.

[0126] The imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 acquires the imaging parameter interference estimation information output by the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151 in step ST103 (step ST104). The imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 outputs the acquired imaging parameter interference estimation information to the interference identification unit 160a.

[0127] The interference identification unit 160a identifies whether or not imaging interference occurs in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, based on the imaging parameter interference estimation information acquired by the imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 in step ST104 and the interference identification information, more specifically, the situation information or imaging attitude information, acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180 in step ST6 (step ST7). The interference identification unit 160 outputs the imaging interference identification result to the output control unit 170.

[0128] In the flowchart of FIG. 13 , the processing is performed in the order of step ST101 and step ST102, but this is merely an example. For example, the order of the processing of step ST101 and step ST102 may be reversed, or the processing of step ST101 and step ST102 may be performed in parallel. The processing of step ST101 may be performed before the processing of step ST104 is performed, and the processing of step ST102 may be performed before the processing of step ST103 is performed. Furthermore, the processing of step ST103 may be performed before the processing of step ST104 is performed. In the flowchart of FIG. 13 , the processing is performed in the order of step ST104 and step ST6, but this is merely an example. For example, the order of the processing of step ST104 and step ST6 may be reversed, or the processing of step ST104 and step ST6 may be performed in parallel. The processing of step ST104 and step ST6 may be performed before the processing of step ST7 is performed. Furthermore, if the diagnostic device 100b is configured not to include the imaging parameter acquisition unit 131, the reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141, and the imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151, the operation of the diagnostic device 100b can omit the processes of steps ST101 to ST103.

[0129] In this way, the diagnostic device 100b includes an imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 that acquires imaging parameter interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, which are installed so as to be able to image the monitored area, by comparing imaging parameters when the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N captured images with reference imaging parameters corresponding to the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N; and , 11-N, based on the imaging parameter interference estimation information acquired by the imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 and the situation information or imaging attitude information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180, an interference identification unit 160a that identifies whether or not imaging interference is present in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, and an output control unit 170 that outputs an identification output signal that can identify the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N that have been identified by the interference identification unit 160a as having imaging interference. Even with this configuration, the diagnostic device 100b can accurately diagnose whether or not the imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N that are installed so as to be able to image the monitored area are experiencing imaging interference.

[0130] In the above description, the diagnostic device 100 according to Embodiment 1 is configured to use imaging parameter interference estimation information to identify the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, but this configuration can also be applied to the diagnostic device 100a according to Embodiment 2. When the diagnostic device 100a according to Embodiment 2 is configured to use imaging parameter interference estimation information to identify the presence or absence of imaging interference in the imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N, in the configuration example of the diagnostic device 100a according to Embodiment 2 described using FIG. 12 , the diagnostic device 100a does not include the image acquisition unit 120, the image luminance acquisition unit 130, the reference luminance acquisition unit 140, the interference estimation unit 150, and the estimation information acquisition unit 110, but instead includes an imaging parameter acquisition unit 131, a reference imaging parameter acquisition unit 141, an imaging parameter interference estimation unit 151, and an imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111. In addition, in the diagnostic device 100a, the interference identification unit 160 identifies whether or not there is imaging interference in the imaging devices 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N based on the imaging parameter interference estimation information acquired by the imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit 111 and the imaging attitude information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit 180a.

[0131] In addition, the present disclosure allows for free combination of the respective embodiments, modification of any of the components of the respective embodiments, or omission of any of the components of the respective embodiments.

[0132] A diagnostic device according to the present disclosure can be applied to a diagnostic system that diagnoses whether an imaging device that captures an image of a monitored area is in an appropriate imaging state.

[0133] 1, 1a, 1b diagnostic system, 10 railway vehicle, 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-N, 11a-1, 11a-2, ..., 11a-N imaging device, 12 communication network, 13 output device, 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, 13-4 light emitting body, 14 central device, 100, 100a, 100b diagnostic device, 110 estimation information acquisition unit, 111 imaging parameter estimation information acquisition unit, 120 image acquisition unit, 130 image brightness acquisition unit, 131 imaging parameter acquisition unit, 140 reference brightness acquisition unit, 141 reference imaging parameter acquisition unit, 150 interference estimation unit, 151 imaging parameter interference estimation unit, 160, 160a interference identification unit, 170 output control unit, 180, 180a interference identification information acquisition unit, 1001 Processing circuit, 1002 input interface device, 1003 output interface device, 1004 processor, 1005 memory.

Claims

1. an estimation information acquisition unit that acquires interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in an imaging device that is installed so as to be able to image a monitored area, the interference estimation information being estimated by a predetermined estimation method; an interference identification information acquisition unit that acquires interference identification information used to determine whether the imaging device is subjected to the imaging interference; an interference identification unit that identifies the presence or absence of the imaging interference in the imaging device based on the interference estimation information acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit and the interference identification information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit; an output control unit that outputs an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device identified by the interference identifying unit as having the imaging interference; A diagnostic device comprising:

2. The monitored area is a vehicle interior of a moving object, The interference identification unit is When it is determined based on the interference identification information that the situation of the moving body is a situation in which it is possible to estimate that the imaging interference is present in the imaging device even if the imaging interference is not present in the imaging device, it is determined that the imaging interference is not present in the imaging device.

2. The diagnostic device according to claim 1.

3. The interference identification unit, When it is determined that the imaging interference is estimated to be present in the imaging device, and when it is determined based on the interference identification information that the situation of the moving body is not the situation where there is a possibility of erroneous estimation, if the length of the interference estimation duration during which the imaging interference is continuously estimated to be present in the imaging device exceeds a duration determination threshold, it is determined that the imaging interference is present in the imaging device, and if the length of the interference estimation duration does not exceed the duration determination threshold, it is determined that the imaging interference is not present in the imaging device.

3. The diagnostic device according to claim 2.

4. The interference identification information is situation information related to a situation in the monitored area, The status information includes at least one of information indicating an identification number of the moving body, information indicating the current position of the moving body, information indicating the running speed of the moving body, information indicating whether the moving body is in commercial operation, information indicating whether the moving body is in transit, or information indicating whether the moving body is under inspection; The interference identification unit determines whether or not the situation of the moving object is the situation where there is a possibility of erroneous estimation, based on the situation information.

3. The diagnostic device according to claim 2.

5. The interference identification information is imaging attitude information indicating an attitude of the imaging device, The interference identification unit determines whether or not the situation of the moving object is the situation where there is a possibility of erroneous estimation, based on the image capture attitude information.

3. The diagnostic device according to claim 2.

6. There are a plurality of the imaging devices, the estimation information acquisition unit acquires the interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of the imaging interference in each of the plurality of imaging devices estimated by the predetermined estimation method for each of the plurality of imaging devices, The interference identification unit identifies the presence or absence of the imaging interference in the plurality of imaging devices based on the interference estimation information for each of the imaging devices acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit and the interference identification information acquired by the interference identification information acquisition unit.

2. The diagnostic device according to claim 1.

7. The estimated information acquisition unit, and acquiring the interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of the imaging interference in the imaging device, the interference estimation information being estimated by comparing the luminance in the captured image captured by the imaging device with a reference luminance corresponding to the captured image.

7. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

8. The estimated information acquisition unit, and acquiring the interference estimation information indicating the presence or absence of the imaging interference in the imaging device, the interference estimation information being estimated by comparing the imaging parameters when the imaging device captured the captured image with the reference imaging parameters corresponding to the imaging device.

7. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

9. A diagnostic device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the imaging device being installed so as to be able to image the area to be monitored; An output device that controls display, audio output, or light based on the identification output signal output by the diagnostic device. A diagnostic system comprising:

10. a step in which an estimated information acquisition unit acquires interference estimated information indicating the presence or absence of imaging interference in an imaging device that is installed so as to be able to image a monitored area, the interference estimated by a predetermined estimation method; A step in which an information acquisition unit for identifying interference acquires information for identifying interference, which is information used to identify whether or not the imaging device is subjected to the imaging interference; a step of a disturbance identification unit identifying the presence or absence of the imaging disturbance in the imaging device based on the disturbance estimation information acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit and the disturbance identification information acquired by the disturbance identification information acquisition unit; an output control unit that outputs an identification output signal capable of identifying the imaging device identified by the interference identifying unit as having the imaging interference; A diagnostic method comprising: