Obstacle detection system

Abstract

This obstacle detection system comprises: a vehicle detection camera (10) that captures an image of a railway vehicle having entered a platform, analyzes a vehicle image captured of the railway vehicle to output a vehicle stop signal indicating that the railway vehicle has stopped, and analyzes a door image captured of a door of the railway vehicle to output a door-closed completion signal; and an object detection camera (20) that captures an image of a space between the railway vehicle having entered the platform and a movable platform gate (100) installed on the platform, compares a vehicle stop-time image captured upon reception of the vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera (10) and a door closed-time image captured upon reception of the door-closed completion signal from the vehicle detection camera (10), and detects the presence or absence of an obstacle on the basis of the comparison result.

Description

Obstacle Detection System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an obstacle detection system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a platform door monitoring device that can easily detect people or foreign objects remaining between a platform door device installed on a platform at a railway station and a train as a result of passengers getting on and off. The platform door monitoring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a device that detects whether or not a person or foreign object is present between the platform door and the train based on the difference between a first still image acquired when the platform door starts to open and a second still image acquired when the platform door starts to close or when the platform door has finished closing.

[0003] JP 2014-084064 A

[0004] The platform door monitoring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a first still image acquired when the platform door starts to open as a reference and detects whether a person or foreign object is present based on the difference between the first still image and a second still image acquired when the platform door starts to close or when the platform door has finished closing. Therefore, in the case of a system in which the platform door starts to open when a railway vehicle enters the platform and decelerates to a safe speed, the first still image serving as a reference is taken while the railway vehicle is traveling, which creates the problem of the first still image serving as a reference for the second still image not being obtained, resulting in the false activation of an alarm.

[0005] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an obstacle detection system that can detect obstacles between a movable platform gate and a railway vehicle, regardless of the timing at which the movable part of the movable platform gate begins to open.

[0006] The obstacle detection system of the present disclosure comprises a vehicle detection camera that photographs a railway vehicle that has entered a platform, analyzes the photographed vehicle image of the railway vehicle, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the railway vehicle has stopped, and analyzes the photographed door image of the railway vehicle's doors and outputs a door-closed signal, and an object detection camera that photographs the area between the railway vehicle that has entered the platform and a movable platform gate installed on the platform, and compares the image of the vehicle stopped taken at the time of receiving the vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera with the image of the doors closed taken at the time of receiving the door-closed signal from the vehicle detection camera, and detects the presence or absence of an obstacle based on the comparison result.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the presence or absence of an obstacle is detected by comparing an image of the train when the train is stopped with an image of the train when the doors are closed, thereby enabling highly accurate detection of the presence or absence of an obstacle.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an installation example of a vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1, as viewed from above while the vehicle is parked on a platform. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an installation example of an object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1, as viewed from above while the vehicle is parked on a platform. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an obstacle detection system according to embodiment 2. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an installation example of a vehicle stop detection camera 10A in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an installation example of a door closing completion detection camera 10B in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3. FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing an obstacle detection system according to embodiment 4. FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing an obstacle detection system according to embodiment 5.

[0009] Embodiment 1. An obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1 detects obstacles, such as objects left behind and objects caught in the doors, between a movable platform gate (hereinafter abbreviated as platform gate) and a railway vehicle (hereinafter abbreviated as vehicle). Abandoned objects refer to items such as plastic bottles and luggage that remain between the platform gate and the vehicle after passengers get on and off. Objects caught in the doors refer to belongings of passengers on board, such as umbrellas, that become caught in the vehicle doors. An obstacle is a general term for left behind objects and objects caught in the doors.

[0010] The obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment includes a vehicle detection camera 10, an object detection camera 20, an alarm generation device 30, and a control unit 40. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the platform gate 100 includes a main body 101 that is installed and fixed on a platform of a railway station, and a movable part 102, or a door, that moves relative to the main body.

[0011] The vehicle detection camera 10 is a camera used to determine whether a vehicle that has entered the platform is stopped in the correct position, and whether the vehicle doors have transitioned from open to closed and have been closed. The vehicle detection camera 10 photographs a vehicle that has entered the platform, analyzes the photographed vehicle image, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the railway vehicle has stopped, and analyzes the photographed door image of the vehicle door, and outputs a door closing completion signal.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle detection camera 10 is installed so that when a vehicle stops at the platform, both the front of the vehicle and the vehicle door are included in the captured image. At least one door needs to be included in the captured image. In this way, by obtaining a vehicle image of the front of the vehicle, it is possible to determine whether a vehicle that has entered the platform has stopped in the correct position. Furthermore, by obtaining a door image of the vehicle door, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle door has transitioned from an open state to a closed state and has completed closing.

[0013] The vehicle detection camera 10 may be installed in the following position. The camera is installed so that both the vehicle and its door are included in the captured image when the vehicle stops at the platform. At least one vehicle and at least one door must be included in the captured image.

[0014] The camera is installed so that the vehicle doors are included in the captured image when the vehicle stops at the platform. In this case, the door image taken of the vehicle doors also serves as the vehicle image, and the door image can be used to determine whether the vehicle has stopped at the platform in the correct position and whether the vehicle doors have closed. At least one door needs to be included in the captured image.

[0015] In short, the vehicle detection camera 10 may be installed at any position as long as it can determine that a vehicle that has entered the platform is stopped in the correct position and can obtain an image that can be used to determine that the vehicle doors have transitioned from an open state to a closed state and that door closing has been completed. In the following explanation, to avoid complexity, the state transition of the vehicle doors from an open state to a closed state and the completion of door closing will be referred to as "door closing completion" for short.

[0016] 1, the vehicle detection camera 10 has an imaging unit 11, a moving state analysis unit 12, and a moving state determination unit 13. The imaging unit 11 captures images of a vehicle entering a platform in real time based on a frame rate so that at least the doors are included in the captured image, and outputs a vehicle image including door images.

[0017] The progress state analysis unit 12 has a vehicle stop analysis function for analyzing that a vehicle has stopped, and a door closing completion analysis function for analyzing that the vehicle doors have closed. In the vehicle stop analysis function of the progress state analysis unit 12, the target for analyzing that a vehicle has stopped is the front of the vehicle, a specific part such as the train identification number of the vehicle, or the door of the vehicle.

[0018] In the vehicle stop analysis function of the progress state analysis unit 12, the progress state analysis unit 12 captures vehicle images from the imaging unit 11, which has captured images of a vehicle entering the platform, frame by frame in the order in which the images were captured by the imaging unit 11, and obtains a vehicle stop analysis result that indicates whether or not there has been a change in position of the target between images on a frame-by-frame basis in the captured vehicle images, or the degree of the change in position.

[0019] The presence or absence of a position change or the degree of the position change can be obtained by monitoring an image of a pixel area consisting of a plurality of pixels for the target in the vehicle image. The traveling state analysis unit 12 converts the vehicle image from the imaging unit 11 into a vehicle image signal consisting of a digital signal, and then performs an analysis process.

[0020] In the door closing completion analysis function in the progress state analysis unit 12, the target for door closing completion analysis is the vehicle door. In the door closing completion analysis function in the progress state analysis unit 12, the progress state analysis unit 12 captures vehicle images from the imaging unit 11 sequentially frame by frame in the order of capture by the imaging unit 11 from when the vehicle door is in an open state, and obtains a door closing completion analysis result indicating the presence or absence of a position change or the degree of position change in the door image, which is the target for each frame in the captured vehicle image. After determining that the vehicle has stopped, the door image can be obtained by recognizing an image of a boarding / alighting door in an open door state in the vehicle image and monitoring an image of a pixel area consisting of a plurality of pixels indicating the image of the recognized boarding / alighting door.

[0021] The traveling state determination unit 13 has a vehicle stop determination function for determining whether the vehicle has stopped and a door closing completion determination function for determining whether the vehicle doors have closed. In the vehicle stop determination function of the traveling state determination unit 13, the traveling state determination unit 13 compares the vehicle stop analysis result by the traveling state analysis unit 12 with a stop threshold, determines that the vehicle has stopped when the vehicle stop analysis result becomes equal to or less than the stop threshold, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped.

[0022] In the door closing completion determination function in the progress status determination unit 13, the progress status determination unit 13 compares the door closing completion analysis result by the progress status analysis unit 12 with the door closing threshold value, and when the door closing completion analysis result becomes equal to or less than the door closing threshold value, the vehicle door transitions from an open state to a closed state and outputs a door closing completion signal indicating that door closing is complete.

[0023] The progress state analysis unit 12 and the progress state determination unit 13 are realized by a hardware configuration using a microcomputer. The vehicle stop analysis function and door closing completion analysis function in the progress state analysis unit 12 and the vehicle stop determination function and door closing completion determination function in the progress state determination unit 13 are stored in a ROM incorporated in the microcomputer.

[0024] The object detection camera 20 is a camera used for the purpose of detecting an obstacle that exists between a vehicle that has entered the platform and a home gate 100 installed on the platform, particularly a movable part 102 of the home gate 100, as a result of passengers getting on and off the vehicle that has entered the platform.

[0025] The object detection camera 20 takes images of the area between the vehicle entering the platform and the home gate 100, and analyzes an image of the vehicle stopped when it receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera 10 and an image of the door closed when it receives a door closing completion signal from the vehicle detection camera 10 to detect the presence or absence of an obstacle.If the object detection camera 20 detects the presence of an obstacle, it outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generating device 30 and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40, which controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100.

[0026] 3, the object detection camera 20 is installed so that both the movable part 102 of the home gate 100 and the vehicle door are included in the captured image when the vehicle stops after entering the platform. By capturing an image of the movable part 102 and the vehicle door in this way, it is possible to detect any abandoned object between the home gate 100 and the vehicle, and any obstruction, such as an object belonging to a passenger on board that has become wedged in the vehicle door.

[0027] It is sufficient that the captured image includes one or more movable parts 102 and doors. Although not shown in Fig. 3, an object detection camera 20 may be installed for each movable part 102 of the home gate 100, and multiple object detection cameras 20 are installed so that all of the movable parts 102 of the home gate 100 can be monitored.

[0028] The object detection camera 20 may be installed in the following position: When a train that has entered the platform stops, the object detection camera 20 is installed so that the platform between the movable part 102 of the platform gate 100 and the train, as well as the train door, are both included in the captured image.

[0029] Object detection camera 20 is installed adjacent to the vehicle-side surface of home gate 100 near movable part 102 of home gate 100. By installing object detection camera 20 adjacent to the vehicle-side surface of main body 101 of home gate 100, an image of at least the platform between movable part 102 and the vehicle door can be obtained when a vehicle that has entered the platform stops, making it possible to detect any obstacles between home gate 100 and the vehicle.

[0030] In short, the object detection camera 20 can be installed in any position as long as it can capture images to detect obstacles between the vehicle entering the platform and the home gate 100, that is, images of at least the platform between the movable part 102 of the home gate 100 and the vehicle.

[0031] In addition, multiple object detection cameras 20 are installed so that images of the platform between the vehicle and all of the movable parts 102 of the home gate 100 can be obtained. However, since each of the multiple object detection cameras 20 has the same configuration, the following explanation will be limited to one object detection camera 20 to avoid complicating the explanation.

[0032] Object detection camera 20 has an imaging unit 21, a comparison unit 22, and an obstacle determination unit 23. Imaging unit 21 captures an image of the platform (hereinafter referred to as the platform to be photographed) between a train entering the platform and movable unit 102 of home gate 100 in real time based on a frame rate so that at least the platform is included in the photographed image, and outputs an image of the platform to be photographed.

[0033] The comparison unit 22 captures the frame-by-frame image of the vehicle when it is stopped taken by the imaging unit 21 at the time it receives a vehicle stop signal from the progress status determination unit 13 in the vehicle detection camera 10, and the frame-by-frame image of the door when it is closed taken by the imaging unit 21 at the time it receives a door closing completion signal from the progress status determination unit 13, and compares the captured image of the vehicle when it is stopped with the image of the door when it is closed to obtain an obstacle presence / absence determination signal that indicates whether there is a change or the degree of change between the image of the vehicle when it is stopped and the image of the door when it is closed.

[0034] The presence or absence of a change or the degree of change can be obtained by using images of all or a part of the pixel area within the angle of view of the image when the vehicle is stopped and the image when the doors are closed captured by the imaging unit 21. When using a part of the pixel area within the angle of view of the image when the vehicle is stopped and the image when the doors are closed, it is desirable that the part of the pixel area be an image of the platform between the home gate 100 and the vehicle or the vehicle doors.

[0035] The comparison unit 22 converts the image of the vehicle stopped and the image of the door closed from the imaging unit 11 into an image of the vehicle stopped and an image of the door closed consisting of digital signals. The comparison unit 22 has a function of retaining the image of the vehicle stopped and the image of the door closed consisting of digital signals, and a function of comparing the image of the vehicle stopped and the image of the door closed. The comparison function is a function of finding the difference between the image of the vehicle stopped and the image of the door closed.

[0036] The obstacle determination unit 23 compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold. When the obstacle determination unit 23 determines that an obstacle is present, it outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30 and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100.

[0037] The comparison unit 22 and the obstacle determination unit 23 are realized by a hardware configuration using a microcomputer. The images of the vehicle stopped and the images of the doors closed in the comparison unit 22 are stored in a RAM incorporated in the microcomputer. The function of the comparison unit 22 to compare the image of the vehicle stopped and the image of the doors closed, and the function of the obstacle determination unit 23 to determine the presence or absence of an obstacle and generate a request signal are stored in a ROM incorporated in the microcomputer.

[0038] The alarm generating device 30 is a display device that visually displays the receipt of an alarm request signal upon receiving the alarm request signal from the object detection camera 20. The display device is preferably a device having a display unit configured with light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes or lamps whose display is controlled in response to the alarm request signal. The display device may also be a device having a display such as a liquid crystal display whose display is controlled in response to the alarm request signal. The alarm generating device 30 may also be an audio output device having a speaker or buzzer whose audio notification is controlled in response to the alarm request signal.

[0039] When the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the object detection camera 20, it performs control to change the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100 in accordance with the movable unit opening / closing request signal. Generally, when a vehicle door transitions from an open state to a closed state, the movable unit 102 also begins to transition from an open state to a closed state. Therefore, when the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the object detection camera 20, it performs control to change the opening / closing direction of the movable unit 102 from the closed direction to the open direction. When the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the object detection camera 20, it may also perform control to stop the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102.

[0040] Next, the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1 will be described. When the front of a vehicle enters the platform, the imaging unit 11 of the vehicle detection camera 10 and the imaging unit 21 of the object detection camera 20 each begin capturing images in real time based on a frame rate. When the imaging unit 11 of the vehicle detection camera 10 begins capturing images, the vehicle stop analysis function of the traveling state analysis unit 12 of the vehicle detection camera 10 operates, and the traveling state analysis unit 12 obtains a vehicle stop analysis result that indicates whether or not there has been a change in position of the target between images on a frame-by-frame basis in the vehicle images sequentially captured from the imaging unit 11, or the degree of the change in position.

[0041] The traveling state determination unit 13 of the vehicle detection camera 10 compares the vehicle stop analysis results sequentially obtained by the traveling state analysis unit 12 with a stop threshold, and determines that the vehicle has stopped when the vehicle stop analysis result becomes equal to or less than the stop threshold, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped. When the vehicle stop signal is output, the traveling state analysis unit 12 operates a door closing completion analysis function.

[0042] When the object detection camera 20 receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera 10, the comparison unit 22 of the object detection camera 20 captures the image taken from the imaging unit 21 at the time of receiving the vehicle stop signal, and temporarily stores the captured image taken from the imaging unit 21 as an image when the vehicle is stopped.

[0043] The door closing completion analysis function in the progress state analysis unit 12 of the vehicle detection camera 10 is activated, and the progress state analysis unit 12 obtains a door closing completion analysis result that indicates whether or not there is a position change between the target door images on a frame-by-frame basis in the vehicle images captured sequentially from the imaging unit 11, or the degree of position change.

[0044] The progress state determination unit 13 of the vehicle detection camera 10 compares the door closing completion analysis results sequentially obtained by the progress state analysis unit 12 with the door closing threshold, and when the door closing completion analysis result becomes equal to or less than the door closing threshold, outputs a door closing completion signal indicating that the vehicle door has transitioned from an open state to a closed state and door closing has been completed.When the door closing completion signal is output, the vehicle detection camera 10 ends its operation.

[0045] When the object detection camera 20 receives a door-closing completion signal from the vehicle detection camera 10, the comparison unit 22 of the object detection camera 20 captures the image captured by the imaging unit 21 at the time the door-closing completion signal was received, and temporarily stores the captured image from the imaging unit 21 as an image when the door is closed. The comparison unit 22 compares the temporarily stored image when the vehicle is stopped with the image when the door is closed, and obtains an obstacle presence / absence determination signal that indicates the presence or absence of a change or the degree of change between the image when the vehicle is stopped and the image when the door is closed.

[0046] The obstacle determination unit 23 compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold. When the obstacle determination unit 23 determines that an obstacle is present, it outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30 and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100.

[0047] When the alarm generating device 30 receives an alarm request signal from the object detection camera 20, it generates an alarm in response to the alarm request signal. When the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the object detection camera 20, it controls the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100 in response to the movable unit opening / closing request signal.

[0048] The obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment comprises a vehicle detection camera 10 that analyzes a vehicle image taken of a railway vehicle entering a platform and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the railway vehicle has stopped, and analyzes a door image taken of the doors of the railway vehicle and outputs a door-closed signal, and an object detection camera 20 that takes an image of the area between the railway vehicle that has entered the platform and a movable platform gate installed on the platform, compares an image of the vehicle when it has stopped taken at the time it receives the vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera 10 with an image of the doors when it has closed taken at the time it receives the door-closed signal from the vehicle detection camera 10, and detects the presence or absence of an obstacle based on an obstacle presence determination signal based on the comparison result. Therefore, the presence or absence of an obstacle is detected by comparing an image of the vehicle when it has stopped with an image of the railway vehicle when the doors are closed, and therefore the image of the vehicle when it has stopped that is compared with the image of the doors when the doors of the railway vehicle are closed can be obtained with high accuracy, enabling the presence or absence of an obstacle to be detected with high accuracy.

[0049] Embodiment 2 An obstacle detection system according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figure 4. In the object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1, the obstacle determination unit 23 compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30, and also outputs a movable unit open / close request signal to the control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100.

[0050] In contrast, the obstacle detection system according to the second embodiment differs from the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment in that the obstacle determination unit 23A of the object detection camera 20A compares the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with the obstacle detection threshold, determines that an obstacle is absent if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is below the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold. The obstacle detection system according to the second embodiment also includes a request signal generator 50 that receives the obstacle detection signal from the object detection camera 20A, outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generating device 30 when the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, and outputs a movable unit opening / closing request signal that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0051] The obstacle detection system according to the second embodiment includes a vehicle detection camera 10, an object detection camera 20A, a request signal generation unit 50, an alarm generation device 30, and a control unit 40. The installation position of the vehicle detection camera 10 is the same as the installation position of the vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment. The vehicle detection camera 10 includes an imaging unit 11, a traveling state analysis unit 12, and a traveling state determination unit 13, and is the same as the vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment.

[0052] The installation position of object detection camera 20A is the same as the installation position of object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. Object detection camera 20A has an imaging unit 21, a comparison unit 22, and an obstacle determination unit 23A. The imaging unit 21 and comparison unit 22 in object detection camera 20A are the same as the imaging unit 21 and comparison unit 22 in object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0053] The obstacle determination unit 23A compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with an obstacle detection threshold, and determines that there is no obstacle if the obstacle presence determination signal is less than the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle if the obstacle presence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold. The comparison unit 22 and the obstacle determination unit 23A are realized by a hardware configuration using a microcomputer.

[0054] In short, in object detection camera 20A, imaging unit 21 captures the area between a vehicle entering the platform and home gate 100, and comparison unit 22 compares the image of the vehicle stopped taken at the time of receiving a vehicle stop signal from vehicle detection camera 10 with the image of the doors closed taken at the time of receiving a door closing completion signal from vehicle detection camera 10, and determines whether or not an obstacle is present based on the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from comparison unit 22. Obstacle determination unit 23A detects whether or not an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is below the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is above the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating whether or not an obstacle is present.

[0055] The request signal generating unit 50 receives an obstacle detection signal from the object detection camera 20A, and when the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generating device 30, and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40, which controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100.

[0056] The final alarm request signal from the request signal generation unit 50 is a contact signal consisting of an electrical signal required for the alarm generation device 30 to issue an alarm. If the alarm generation device 30 is a device having a display unit composed of light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes or lamps for visual display, the alarm request signal is an electrical signal for turning on the light-emitting elements and is a contact signal required for providing the visual display. If the alarm generation device 30 is an audio output device having a speaker or buzzer, the alarm request signal is an electrical signal for outputting audio and is a contact signal required for providing the audio output. The alarm request signal may also be a command signal for outputting a desired display or audio to the display device or audio output device.

[0057] The movable unit opening / closing request signal is an electrical signal for causing the home gate 100 to perform the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102, i.e., to change from an open state to a closed state or to stop the operation, and is a contact signal required to control the change in the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102. The movable unit opening / closing request signal may also be a command signal to the control unit 40 for causing the movable unit 102 to perform the desired opening / closing operation.

[0058] The function of the request signal generator 50 is realized by a hardware configuration of a server already installed in the station. That is, it is incorporated as software into the existing server. The alarm generation device 30 and the control unit 40 are the same as the alarm generation device 30 and the control unit 40 in the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment.

[0059] Next, the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 2 will be described below, focusing on the differences from the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. Vehicle detection camera 10 outputs a vehicle stop signal and a door close completion signal in the same manner as vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0060] The object detection camera 20A receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera 10, and the comparison unit 22 of the object detection camera 20A captures the image captured by the imaging unit 21 at the time of receiving the vehicle stop signal, and temporarily stores the captured image from the imaging unit 21 as an image when the vehicle is stopped. The object detection camera 20A receives a door close completion signal from the vehicle detection camera 10, and the comparison unit 22 of the object detection camera 20A captures the image captured by the imaging unit 21 at the time of receiving the door close completion signal, and temporarily stores the captured image from the imaging unit 21 as an image when the door is closed.

[0061] A comparison unit 22 in object detection camera 20A compares the temporarily stored image of the vehicle when it is stopped with the image of the vehicle when it is closed, and obtains an obstacle presence / absence determination signal indicating the presence or absence of a change between the image of the vehicle when it is stopped and the image of the door when it is closed. An obstacle determination unit 23A in object detection camera 20A compares the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from comparison unit 22 with an obstacle detection threshold, and determines that no obstacle is present if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is less than the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold.

[0062] The request signal generating unit 50 receives an obstacle detection signal from the object detection camera 20A, and when the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generating device 30, and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40, which controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100.

[0063] When the alarm generating device 30 receives an alarm request signal from the object detection camera 20A, it generates an alarm in response to the alarm request signal. When the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the object detection camera 20A, it controls the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100 in response to the movable unit opening / closing request signal.

[0064] The obstacle detection system of embodiment 2 is equipped with an object detection camera 20A that photographs the area between a vehicle entering the platform and home gate 100, compares an image of the vehicle stopped taken at the time a vehicle stop signal is received from vehicle detection camera 10 with an image of the doors closed at the time a door closing completion signal is received from vehicle detection camera 10, and outputs an obstacle detection signal using a signal for determining whether or not an obstacle is present based on the comparison result, and a request signal generation unit 50 that receives the obstacle detection signal from object detection camera 20A and, if the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, outputs an alarm request signal to alarm generation device 30 and outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of movable part 102 of home gate 100, thereby enabling highly accurate detection of the presence or absence of obstacles, as with the obstacle detection system of embodiment 1.

[0065] Embodiment 3. An obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. In the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1, vehicle detection camera 10 has a vehicle stop analysis function and a door closing completion analysis function, and outputs a vehicle stop signal and a door closing completion signal. In contrast, the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3 differs from the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1 in that, instead of vehicle detection camera 10, it is equipped with vehicle stop detection camera 10A which has a vehicle stop analysis function and outputs a vehicle stop signal, and door closing completion detection camera 10B which has a door closing completion analysis function and outputs a door closing completion signal, but is otherwise the same as the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0066] In short, the obstacle detection system according to the third embodiment differs from the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment in that the vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment is replaced with a vehicle stop detection camera 10A that analyzes a captured image of the vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped, and a door close completion detection camera 10B that analyzes a captured image of the vehicle door and outputs a door close completion signal. Otherwise, the obstacle detection system according to the third embodiment is the same as the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment. In Figures 5 to 7, the same reference numerals as those in Figures 1 to 3 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0067] The obstacle detection system according to the third embodiment includes a vehicle stop detection camera 10A, a door closing completion detection camera 10B, an object detection camera 20, an alarm generation device 30, and a control unit 40. The vehicle stop detection camera 10A is a camera used for the purpose of determining whether a vehicle that has entered the platform is stopped in the correct position. The vehicle stop detection camera 10A photographs a vehicle that has entered the platform, analyzes the photographed vehicle image, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the railway vehicle has stopped.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 6, the vehicle stop detection camera 10A is installed so that the front of the vehicle is included in the captured image when the vehicle stops after entering the platform. The vehicle stop detection camera 10A may be installed in the following position. The camera is installed so that the vehicle is included in the captured image when the vehicle stops after entering the platform. It is sufficient that at least one vehicle is included in the captured image.

[0069] The camera is installed so that when the vehicle has entered the platform and stopped, the wheels are included in the captured image. At least one wheel needs to be included in the captured image. The camera is installed so that when the vehicle has entered the platform and stopped, the doors of the vehicle are included in the captured image. At least one door needs to be included in the captured image. In short, the vehicle stop detection camera 10A may be installed in any position as long as it can obtain a captured image that can determine that the vehicle has entered the platform and stopped in the correct position.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 5, the vehicle stop detection camera 10A has an imaging unit 11A, a vehicle stop analysis unit 12A, and a vehicle stop determination unit 13A. The imaging unit 11A captures images of vehicles in real time based on a frame rate so that vehicles entering the platform are included in the captured images, and outputs the vehicle images. The vehicle stop analysis unit 12A has a vehicle stop analysis function that analyzes whether a vehicle has stopped. In the vehicle stop analysis function of the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A, the target for analyzing whether a vehicle has stopped is the front of the vehicle, a specific part such as the vehicle's train identification number, or the vehicle door.

[0071] In the vehicle stop analysis function of the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A, the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A captures vehicle images from the imaging unit 11A, which captures images of vehicles entering the platform, frame by frame in the order in which the images were captured by the imaging unit 11A, and obtains a vehicle stop analysis result that indicates whether or not there is a change in position of the target between images on a frame-by-frame basis in the captured vehicle images, or the degree of the change in position.

[0072] The vehicle stop determination unit 13A has a vehicle stop determination function that determines whether the vehicle has stopped. In the vehicle stop determination function of the vehicle stop determination unit 13A, the vehicle stop determination unit 13A compares the vehicle stop analysis result by the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A with a stop threshold, determines that the vehicle has stopped when the vehicle stop analysis result becomes equal to or less than the stop threshold, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped. The vehicle stop analysis unit 12A and the vehicle stop determination unit 13A are realized by a hardware configuration using a microcomputer.

[0073] The door closing completion detection camera 10B is a camera used for the purpose of determining when the vehicle doors have transitioned from open to closed and have been closed. The door closing completion detection camera 10B photographs the vehicle entering the platform, analyzes the door images of the vehicle doors, and outputs a door closing completion signal.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 7, the door-closing completion detection camera 10B is installed so that the vehicle doors are included in the captured image when the vehicle stops after entering the platform. At least one door needs to be included in the captured image. The door-closing completion detection camera 10B may be installed in any position as long as it can obtain a captured image that can determine that the vehicle doors have transitioned from an open state to a closed state and that door closing has been completed.

[0075] 5, the door-closing completion detection camera 10B has an imaging unit 11B, a door-closing completion analysis unit 12B, and a door-closing completion determination unit 13B. The imaging unit 11B captures an image of the vehicle centered on the vehicle door based on a frame rate in real time so that the door of the vehicle that has entered the platform is included in the captured image, and outputs a vehicle image centered on the door (hereinafter referred to as a door image).

[0076] The door closing completion analysis unit 12B has a door closing completion analysis function for analyzing the completion of door closing of a vehicle door. In the door closing completion analysis function of the door closing completion analysis unit 12B, the target for analyzing the door closing completion is the vehicle door.

[0077] In the door closing completion analysis function of the door closing completion analysis unit 12B, the door closing completion analysis unit 12B captures door images from the imaging unit 11 sequentially frame by frame in the order of capture by the imaging unit 11B when the vehicle door is in an open state, and obtains a door closing completion analysis result indicating the presence or absence of a position change or the degree of the position change in the door image that is a target frame by frame in the captured door image. After determining that the vehicle has stopped, the door image is recognized as an image of a boarding / alighting door in an open door state in the door image, and an image of a pixel area consisting of a plurality of pixels that indicates the image of the recognized boarding / alighting door may be monitored.

[0078] The door closing completion determination unit 13B has a door closing completion determination function that determines completion of door closing of the vehicle door. In the door closing completion determination function of the door closing completion determination unit 13B, the door closing completion determination unit 13B compares the door closing completion analysis result by the door closing completion analysis unit 12B with a door closing threshold, and when the door closing completion analysis result becomes equal to or less than the door closing threshold, outputs a door closing completion signal that indicates that the vehicle door has transitioned from an open state to a closed state and door closing has been completed. The door closing completion analysis unit 12B and the door closing completion determination unit 13B are realized by a hardware configuration using a microcomputer.

[0079] Object detection camera 20 is the same as object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1, except that it receives a vehicle stop signal from vehicle stop detection camera 10A and a door close completion signal from door close completion detection camera 10B. Alarm generation device 30 and control unit 40 are the same as alarm generation device 30 and control unit 40 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0080] Next, the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3 will be described below, focusing on the differences from the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. When the front of the vehicle enters the platform, the imaging unit 11A of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A, the imaging unit 11B of the door closing completion detection camera 10B, and the imaging unit 21 of the object detection camera 20 each begin capturing images in real time based on their respective frame rates.

[0081] When the imaging unit 11A of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A starts capturing images, the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A operates, and the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A obtains a vehicle stop analysis result indicating whether or not there is a change in position between images of the target on a frame-by-frame basis in the vehicle images captured sequentially from the imaging unit 11A, and outputs a vehicle stop signal. The vehicle stop determination unit 13A of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A compares the vehicle stop analysis results sequentially obtained by the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A with a stop threshold, and determines that the vehicle has stopped when the vehicle stop analysis result becomes equal to or less than the stop threshold, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped.

[0082] When the object detection camera 20 receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle stop detection camera 10A, the comparison unit 22 of the object detection camera 20 captures the image captured by the imaging unit 21 at the time of receiving the vehicle stop signal, and temporarily stores the captured image from the imaging unit 21 as an image when the vehicle is stopped.

[0083] When the door closing completion detection camera 10B receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle stop detection camera 10A, the door closing completion analysis unit 12B of the door closing completion detection camera 10B operates, and after the door is opened, the door closing completion analysis unit 12B obtains a door closing completion analysis result indicating whether or not there is a position change between door images on a frame-by-frame basis in the door images captured sequentially from the imaging unit 11B, or the degree of the position change. The door closing completion determination unit 13B of the door closing completion detection camera 10B compares the door closing completion analysis results sequentially obtained by the door closing completion analysis unit 12B with a door closing threshold, and when the door closing completion analysis result becomes equal to or less than the door closing threshold, outputs a door closing completion signal indicating that the vehicle door has transitioned from an open state to a closed state and door closing has been completed.

[0084] When object detection camera 20 receives a door-closing completion signal from door-closing completion detection camera 10B, comparison unit 22 of object detection camera 20 captures the image captured by imaging unit 21 at the time the door-closing completion signal was received, and temporarily stores the captured image from imaging unit 21 as a door-closing image. Comparison unit 22 compares the temporarily stored image when the vehicle is stopped with the image when the door is closed, and obtains an obstacle presence / absence determination signal that indicates the presence or absence of a change or the degree of change between the image when the vehicle is stopped and the image when the door is closed.

[0085] The obstacle determination unit 23 in the object detection camera 20 compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold. When the obstacle determination unit 23 determines that an obstacle is present, it outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30 and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100.

[0086] When the alarm generating device 30 receives an alarm request signal from the object detection camera 20, it generates an alarm in response to the alarm request signal. When the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the object detection camera 20, it controls the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100 in response to the movable unit opening / closing request signal.

[0087] The obstacle detection system of embodiment 3 includes a vehicle stop detection camera 10A that analyzes a vehicle image taken of the vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped, and a door close completion detection camera 10B that analyzes a door image taken of the vehicle door and outputs a door close completion signal, and is equipped with an object detection camera 20 that compares an image of the vehicle when it has stopped taken at the time it receives the vehicle stop signal from the vehicle stop detection camera 10A with an image of the door when it has closed taken at the time it receives the door close completion signal from the door close completion detection camera 10B, and detects the presence or absence of an obstacle based on an obstacle presence determination signal based on the comparison result, so that the presence or absence of an obstacle can be detected with high accuracy, similar to the obstacle detection system of embodiment 1.

[0088] Moreover, since the system is provided with a vehicle stop detection camera 10A that outputs a vehicle stop signal and a door closing completion detection camera 10B that outputs a door closing completion signal, it is possible to easily and accurately detect the presence or absence of an obstacle even when a number of vehicles with different lengths or numbers of doors enter the platform.

[0089] Embodiment 4 An obstacle detection system according to embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Figure 8. In the object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3, the obstacle determination unit 23 compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30, and also outputs a movable unit open / close request signal to the control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100.

[0090] In contrast, the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 4 differs from the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3 in that it includes an obstacle determination unit 23A of object detection camera 20A that compares the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from comparison unit 22 with an obstacle detection threshold, determines that an obstacle is absent if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is less than the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold, and includes a request signal generation unit 50 that receives the obstacle detection signal from object detection camera 20A and, when the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, outputs an alarm request signal to alarm generation device 30 and outputs a movable unit opening / closing request signal that controls the opening and closing operation of movable unit 102 of home gate 100. Therefore, the differences from the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3 will be mainly described below. In FIG. 8, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 designate the same or corresponding parts.

[0091] The obstacle detection system according to the fourth embodiment includes a vehicle stop detection camera 10A, a door closing completion detection camera 10B, an object detection camera 20A, a request signal generation unit 50, an alarm generation device 30, and a control unit 40. The installation positions of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A and the door closing completion detection camera 10B are the same as the installation positions of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A and the door closing completion detection camera 10B in the obstacle detection system according to the third embodiment.

[0092] Vehicle stop detection camera 10A and door closing completion detection camera 10B are the same as vehicle stop detection camera 10A and door closing completion detection camera 10B, respectively, in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 3. That is, vehicle stop detection camera 10A has an imaging unit 11A, a vehicle stop analysis unit 12A, and a vehicle stop determination unit 13A, and imaging unit 11A photographs a vehicle that has entered the platform, vehicle stop analysis unit 12A analyzes the vehicle image photographed by imaging unit 11A, and vehicle stop determination unit 13A outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped.

[0093] The door closing completion detection camera 10B has an imaging unit 11B, a door closing completion analysis unit 12B, and a door closing completion determination unit 13B, and the imaging unit 11B photographs the vehicle entering the platform, the door closing completion analysis unit 12B analyzes the door image photographed by the imaging unit 11B, and the door closing completion determination unit 13B outputs a door closing completion signal.

[0094] The installation position of object detection camera 20A is the same as the installation position of object detection camera 20A in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 2. Object detection camera 20A is the same as object detection camera 20A in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 2.

[0095] That is, the object detection camera 20A has an imaging unit 21, a comparison unit 22, and an obstacle determination unit 23A, and the imaging unit 21 takes an image of the area between the vehicle that has entered the platform and the home gate 100, the comparison unit 22 analyzes the image of the vehicle when it has stopped taken at the time it receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle stop detection camera 10A and the image of the doors when it has closed at the time it receives a door closing completion signal from the door closing completion detection camera 10B to obtain an obstacle presence / absence determination signal, and the obstacle determination unit 23A compares the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with an obstacle detection threshold, and determines that there is no obstacle if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is less than the obstacle detection threshold, and outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold.

[0096] Request signal generation unit 50 is the same as request signal generation unit 50 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 2, and when it receives an obstacle detection signal from object detection camera 20A and the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, it outputs an alarm request signal to alarm generation device 30 and also outputs a movable unit open / close request signal to control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of movable unit 102 of home gate 100. Alarm generation device 30 and control unit 40 are the same as alarm generation device 30 and control unit 40 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0097] Next, an overview of the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 4 will be described. When the imaging unit 11A of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A starts capturing images, the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A operates, and the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A obtains a vehicle stop analysis result indicating whether or not there has been a change in position of the target between frame-by-frame images of the vehicle captured from the imaging unit 11A, or the degree of the change in position. The vehicle stop determination unit 13A of the vehicle stop detection camera 10A compares the vehicle stop analysis results sequentially obtained by the vehicle stop analysis unit 12A with a stop threshold, and determines that the vehicle has stopped when the vehicle stop analysis result becomes equal to or less than the stop threshold, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped.

[0098] When the object detection camera 20A receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle stop detection camera 10A, the comparison unit 22 of the object detection camera 20A captures the image captured by the imaging unit 21 at the time the vehicle stop signal is received, and temporarily stores the captured image from the imaging unit 21 as an image when the vehicle is stopped.

[0099] When the door closing completion detection camera 10B receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle stop detection camera 10A, the door closing completion analysis unit 12B of the door closing completion detection camera 10B operates, and the door closing completion analysis unit 12B obtains a door closing completion analysis result that indicates whether or not there is a position change between door images on a frame-by-frame basis in the door images sequentially captured from the imaging unit 11B, or the degree of the position change. The door closing completion determination unit 13B of the door closing completion detection camera 10B compares the door closing completion analysis results sequentially obtained by the door closing completion analysis unit 12B with a door closing threshold, and when the door closing completion analysis result becomes equal to or less than the door closing threshold, outputs a door closing completion signal that indicates that the vehicle door has transitioned from an open state to a closed state and door closing has been completed.

[0100] When object detection camera 20A receives a door-closing completion signal from door-closing completion detection camera 10B, comparison unit 22 of object detection camera 20A captures the image captured by imaging unit 21 at the time the door-closing completion signal was received, and temporarily stores the captured image from imaging unit 21 as a door-closing image. Comparison unit 22 compares the temporarily stored image when the vehicle is stopped with the image when the door is closed, and obtains an obstacle presence / absence determination signal that indicates the presence or absence of a change or the degree of change between the image when the vehicle is stopped and the image when the door is closed.

[0101] The obstacle determination unit 23 in the object detection camera 20A compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 22 with the obstacle detection threshold, and if the obstacle presence determination signal is less than the obstacle detection threshold, it determines that there is no obstacle, and if the obstacle presence determination signal is greater than or equal to the obstacle detection threshold, it outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle.

[0102] The request signal generating unit 50 receives an obstacle detection signal from the object detection camera 20A, and when the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generating device 30, and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40, which controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100.

[0103] When the alarm generating device 30 receives an alarm request signal from the object detection camera 20A, it generates an alarm in response to the alarm request signal. When the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the object detection camera 20A, it controls the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100 in response to the movable unit opening / closing request signal.

[0104] The obstacle detection system of embodiment 4 includes a vehicle stop detection camera 10A, a door closing completion detection camera 10B, an object detection camera 20A, a request signal generation unit 50, an alarm generation device 30, and a control unit 40, and therefore can detect the presence or absence of obstacles with high accuracy, similar to the obstacle detection system of embodiment 3.

[0105] Embodiment 5 An obstacle detection system according to embodiment 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1 obtains an image of the vehicle when stopped and an image of the door when closed based on images captured by the imaging unit 21 of the object detection camera 20, and outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30 and a movable unit open / close request signal to the control unit 40 based on an obstacle presence / absence determination signal obtained by comparing the image of the vehicle when stopped with the image of the door when closed.

[0106] In contrast, the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 5 differs from the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1 in that object detection camera 20B outputs images captured by imaging unit 21, the system includes comparison unit 51 and obstacle determination unit 52, comparison unit 51 obtains an image of the vehicle stopped and an image of the door closed based on the images captured by object detection camera 20B, and obtains an obstacle presence / absence determination signal based on the comparison result between the image of the vehicle stopped and the image of the door closed, obstacle determination unit 52 compares the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from comparison unit 51 with an obstacle detection threshold, determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold, outputs an alarm request signal to alarm generation device 30, and includes request signal generation unit 50A that outputs a movable unit opening / closing request signal that controls the opening and closing operation of movable unit 102 of home gate 100. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. In FIG. 9, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0107] The obstacle detection system according to embodiment 5 includes a vehicle detection camera 10, an object detection camera 20B, a request signal generation unit 50A, an alarm generation device 30, and a control unit 40. The installation position of the vehicle detection camera 10 is the same as the installation position of the vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. The vehicle detection camera 10 includes an imaging unit 11, a traveling state analysis unit 12, and a traveling state determination unit 13, and is the same as the vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0108] The installation position of object detection camera 20B is the same as the installation position of object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. Object detection camera 20B has an imaging unit 21. Imaging unit 21 in object detection camera 20B is the same as imaging unit 21 in object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0109] Object detection camera 20B only needs to capture images for detecting obstacles between a train entering the platform and platform gate 100, that is, capture images of at least the platform between movable part 102 of platform gate 100 and the train, so a camera already installed at the station for security purposes can be used. By using a camera for security purposes as object detection camera 20B, there is no need to install a new object detection camera 20B.

[0110] The request signal generation unit 50A has a comparison unit 51 and an obstacle determination unit 52. The comparison unit 51 captures frame-by-frame images of the vehicle when it is stopped that are captured by the imaging unit 21 of the object detection camera 20B upon receiving a vehicle stop signal from the traveling state determination unit 13 in the vehicle detection camera 10, and frame-by-frame images of the door when it is closed that are captured by the imaging unit 21 of the object detection camera 20B upon receiving a door closing completion signal from the traveling state determination unit 13, and compares the captured images of the vehicle when it is stopped with the images of the door when it is closed to obtain an obstacle presence / absence determination signal that indicates the presence or absence of a change or the degree of change between the images of the vehicle when it is stopped and the images of the door when it is closed. The comparison unit 51 has a function equivalent to that of the comparison unit 22 of the object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment.

[0111] The obstacle determination unit 52 compares the obstacle presence determination signal from the comparison unit 51 with the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that an obstacle is present if the obstacle presence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold. If the obstacle determination unit 52 determines that an obstacle is present, it outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30, and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to the control unit 40 that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100. The obstacle determination unit 52 has a function equivalent to that of the obstacle determination unit 23 of the object detection camera 20 in the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment.

[0112] The function of the request signal generator 50A is realized by a hardware configuration of a server already installed in the station. That is, it is incorporated as software into the existing server. The alarm generation device 30 and the control unit 40 are the same as the alarm generation device 30 and the control unit 40 in the obstacle detection system according to the first embodiment.

[0113] Next, the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 5 will be described below, focusing on the differences from the operation of the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1. Vehicle detection camera 10 outputs a vehicle stop signal and a door close completion signal in the same manner as vehicle detection camera 10 in the obstacle detection system according to embodiment 1.

[0114] The request signal generation unit 50A receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera 10, the comparison unit 51 of the request signal generation unit 50A captures the image taken by the object detection camera 20B at the time the vehicle stop signal was received, and temporarily stores the captured image taken by the object detection camera 20B as an image when the vehicle is stopped. The request signal generation unit 50A receives a door close completion signal from the vehicle detection camera 10, the comparison unit 51 of the request signal generation unit 50A captures the image taken by the object detection camera 20B at the time the door close completion signal was received, and temporarily stores the captured image taken by the object detection camera 20B as an image when the door is closed.

[0115] The comparison unit 51 of the request signal generation unit 50A compares the temporarily stored image of the vehicle stopped with the image of the door closed to obtain an obstacle presence / absence determination signal indicating the presence or absence of a change between the image of the vehicle stopped and the image of the door closed, or the degree of change. The obstacle determination unit 52 of the request signal generation unit 50A compares the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from the comparison unit 51 with an obstacle detection threshold, and determines that there is no obstacle if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is less than the obstacle detection threshold, and determines that there is an obstacle if the obstacle presence / absence determination signal is equal to or greater than the obstacle detection threshold. When the obstacle determination unit 52 determines that there is an obstacle, it outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30 and also outputs a possible signal to the control unit 40 which controls the opening and closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100.

[0116] When the alarm generating device 30 receives an alarm request signal from the request signal generating unit 50A, it issues an alarm in response to the alarm request signal. When the control unit 40 receives a movable unit opening / closing request signal from the request signal generating unit 50A, it controls the opening / closing operation of the movable unit 102 of the home gate 100 in response to the movable unit opening / closing request signal.

[0117] The obstacle detection system of embodiment 5 has the same effects as the obstacle detection system of embodiment 1, and also has a comparison unit 51 and an obstacle determination unit 52, whereby the comparison unit 51 obtains an obstacle presence / absence determination signal by comparing an image when the vehicle is stopped with an image when the doors are closed based on the image captured by the object detection camera 20B, the obstacle determination unit 52 compares the obstacle presence / absence determination signal from the comparison unit 51 with an obstacle detection threshold value, and if it determines that an obstacle is present, outputs an alarm request signal to the alarm generation device 30, and is also equipped with a request signal generation unit 50A that outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part 102 of the home gate 100, so that a camera already installed at the station for security purposes can also be used as the object detection camera 20B.

[0118] In addition, in the obstacle detection system of embodiment 5, as described in embodiment 3, the vehicle detection camera 10 may include a vehicle stop detection camera 10A that analyzes a vehicle image taken of a vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the vehicle has stopped, and a door close completion detection camera 10B that analyzes a door image taken of the vehicle door and outputs a door close completion signal.

[0119] It should be noted that the embodiments may be freely combined, or any of the components in each embodiment may be modified, or any of the components in each embodiment may be omitted.

[0120] The obstacle detection system of the present disclosure is particularly suitable for an obstacle detection system that detects obstacles that become present between a railway train and a movable platform gate installed on a railway station platform as a result of passengers getting on and off the railway train.

[0121] 10 Vehicle detection camera, 10A Vehicle stop detection camera, 10B Door closing completion detection camera, 11, 11A, 11B Imaging unit, 12 Progress state analysis unit, 12A Vehicle stop analysis unit, 12B Door closing completion analysis unit, 13 Progress state determination unit, 13A Vehicle stop determination unit, 13B Door closing completion determination unit, 20 Object detection camera, 21 Imaging unit, 22 Comparison unit, 23, 23A Obstacle determination unit, 23B Request signal generation unit, 30 Alarm generation device, 40 Control unit, 50, 50A Request signal generation unit, 100 Movable platform gate, 101 Main body unit, 102 Movable unit.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection system comprising: a vehicle detection camera that photographs a railway vehicle that has entered a platform, analyzes the photographed vehicle image of said railway vehicle, and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that said railway vehicle has stopped, and analyzes the photographed door image of said railway vehicle's door, and outputs a door close completion signal; and an object detection camera that photographs the area between the railway vehicle that has entered a platform and a movable platform gate installed on said platform, and compares the image of the vehicle stopped when it receives the vehicle stop signal from said vehicle detection camera with the image of the doors closed when it receives the door close completion signal from said vehicle detection camera, and detects the presence or absence of an obstacle based on the comparison result.

2. An obstacle detection system as described in claim 1, wherein when the object detection camera detects the presence of an obstacle, it outputs an alarm request signal to an alarm generating device and also outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to a control unit that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part of the movable platform gate.

3. The obstacle detection system of claim 1, further comprising: an obstacle detection camera that outputs an obstacle detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle; a request signal generation unit that receives the obstacle detection signal from the object detection camera and, when the obstacle detection signal indicates the presence of an obstacle, outputs an alarm request signal to an alarm generation device and outputs a movable part opening / closing request signal to a control unit that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part of the movable platform gate.

4. An obstacle detection system comprising: a vehicle detection camera that photographs a railway vehicle that has entered a platform, analyzes images of the railway vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the railway vehicle has stopped, and analyzes images of the doors of the railway vehicle and outputs a door close completion signal; an object detection camera that photographs the area between the railway vehicle that has entered the platform and a movable platform gate installed on the platform; and a request signal generation unit that acquires an image of the vehicle when it has stopped taken by the object detection camera at the time it receives a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle detection camera and an image of the doors when it has closed taken by the object detection camera at the time it receives a door close completion signal from the vehicle detection camera, compares the image of the vehicle when it has stopped with the image of the doors when it has closed, and, if it determines that an obstacle is present based on the comparison result, outputs an alarm request signal to an alarm generation device and outputs a movable part open / close request signal to a control unit that controls the opening and closing operation of the movable part of the movable platform gate.

5. An obstacle detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle detection camera comprises a vehicle stop detection camera that analyzes a vehicle image taken of the railway vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal indicating that the railway vehicle has stopped, and a door close completion detection camera that analyzes a door image taken of the railway vehicle's door and outputs a door close completion signal.

6. An obstacle detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the object detection camera captures at least images of both the movable part of the movable platform gate and the door of the railway vehicle when the railway vehicle that has entered the platform stops.

7. An obstacle detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the object detection camera captures at least an image of both the platform between the movable part of the movable platform gate and the railway vehicle and the railway vehicle door when the railway vehicle stops after entering the platform.

8. An obstacle detection system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the object detection camera is installed on the vehicle side of the main body of the movable platform gate.

9. An obstacle detection system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle detection camera analyzes an image of the front of a railway vehicle among images of the railway vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal.

10. An obstacle detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle detection camera analyzes an image of a railway vehicle door from among images of the railway vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal.

11. An obstacle detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle detection camera analyzes images of the wheels of a railway vehicle from images of the railway vehicle and outputs a vehicle stop signal.

12. An obstacle detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle detection camera captures at least images of both the front of the railway vehicle and the doors of the railway vehicle when the railway vehicle stops after entering the platform.

13. An obstacle detection system as described in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the alarm request signal from the request signal generating unit is a contact signal required for the alarm generating device to issue an alarm, and the movable part opening / closing request signal from the request signal generating unit is a contact signal required for controlling changes in the opening / closing operation of the movable part of the movable platform gate.

14. An obstacle detection system as described in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the alarm request signal from the request signal generating unit is a command signal required for the alarm generating device to issue an alarm, and the movable part opening / closing request signal from the request signal generating unit is a command signal required for controlling changes in the opening / closing operation of the movable part of the movable platform gate.

15. An obstacle detection system as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the movable part opening / closing request signal from the request signal generating unit is a signal indicating a change in the opening / closing direction of the movable part of the movable platform gate from a closed direction to an open direction.

16. An obstacle detection system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the movable part opening / closing request signal from the request signal generating unit is a signal indicating the stop of the opening / closing operation of the movable part of the movable platform gate.

Images