Control device, program, and management system

Abstract

Provided is a control device (20), into which is input point-cloud data that represents a detection region (DR) measured by a LiDAR device (10) for measuring a detection region (DR) containing a parking space (51), the control device including: a partitioning unit (21) that partitions the parking space (51) into a plurality of cells (C); and a determination unit (22) that when, in the point-cloud data input from the LiDAR device (10), the quantity of cells (C) in which are located points representing a first height or greater is a first threshold value or greater, outputs a signal representing a first state in which an object is situated in the parking space (51).

Description

Control device, program, and management system

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a program, and a management system.

[0002] LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) devices are known that can measure the distance to and shape of an object by detecting reflected light from irradiated light, and Patent Document 1 below discloses a parking lot management system that uses this LiDAR device.

[0003] In the parking lot management system described in Patent Document 1, a control device recognizes a vehicle based on point cloud data obtained by a LiDAR device, measures the trajectory of the vehicle's movement, and then determines whether the vehicle has been parked in a parking area based on the trajectory of the vehicle's movement.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-104523

[0005] As described above, in the parking lot management system of Patent Document 1, the control device recognizes the vehicle and tracks the trajectory of the vehicle's movement. Therefore, the calculation load on the control device when determining whether the vehicle is parked tends to be large. For this reason, there is a demand for a system that can determine whether a vehicle is parked in a parking area while reducing the calculation load on the control device. There is also a demand for a system that can determine whether an object other than a vehicle is located in a predetermined location area.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a control device, a program, and a management system that can determine whether an object is placed in a predetermined placement area while reducing the calculation load.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a control device that receives input of point cloud data indicating a detection area measured by a LiDAR device that measures the detection area including a predetermined placement area, and that includes a partition unit that divides the predetermined placement area into a plurality of cells, and a judgment unit that outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the predetermined placement area when the number of cells in which points indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device are located is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

[0008] The present invention also provides a program executed by a control device to which point cloud data indicating a detection area measured by a LiDAR device that measures a detection area including a predetermined placement area is input, and is characterized in that the program causes the control device to execute the steps of dividing the predetermined placement area into a plurality of cells, and outputting a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the predetermined placement area when the number of cells in which points indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device are located is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

[0009] The present invention also provides a management system comprising a LiDAR device that measures a detection area including a predetermined placement area, and a control device to which point cloud data indicating the detection area measured by the LiDAR device is input, wherein the control device includes a partition unit that divides the predetermined placement area into a plurality of cells, and a judgment unit that outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the predetermined placement area when the amount of the cells in which points indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device are located is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

[0010] In the above-described control device, program, and management system, a predetermined placement area is divided into a plurality of cells. When an object is placed in the predetermined placement area, the point cloud data measured by the LiDAR device includes points indicating the outer surfaces, such as the top and periphery, of the object, and these points are located above the predetermined placement area. Therefore, in the above-described control device, program, and management system, by adjusting the first height, when an object is placed in the predetermined placement area, a cell containing points indicating a height equal to or greater than the first height may be present. Furthermore, the number of cells containing points indicating a height equal to or greater than the first height may vary depending on the size of the object, etc. Therefore, by adjusting the first threshold, when an object is placed in the predetermined placement area, a signal indicating a first state in which the object is placed may be output from the control device. In this way, the above-described control device, program, and management system can determine whether an object is placed in the predetermined placement area without recognizing the object or tracking the trajectory of the object's movement, thereby reducing the computational load.

[0011] The determination unit may output a signal indicating the first state when an absolute number of the cells in which points indicating the first height or higher are located is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

[0012] The determination unit may output a signal indicating the first state when a ratio of the absolute number of the cells in which points indicating a height equal to or greater than the first height are located to the total number of the cells is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

[0013] According to this configuration, the first threshold value can be set regardless of the shape or size of the predetermined placement area, and a general-purpose determination can be made.

[0014] The partition portion may divide the specified placement area so as to form a plurality of rows in which the cells are arranged in a first direction along the specified placement area, and a plurality of columns in which the cells are arranged in a second direction along the specified placement area that is non-parallel to the first direction.

[0015] The determination unit may output a signal indicating the first state when at least one of the number of rows including the cell in which the point indicating the first height or higher is located and the number of columns including the cell in which the point indicating the first height or higher is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0016] The determination unit may output a signal indicating the first state when at least one of a ratio of the number of rows including the cell in which the point indicating the first height or greater is located to the total number of rows, and a ratio of the number of columns including the cell in which the point indicating the first height or greater is located to the total number of columns is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0017] The determination unit may output a signal indicating the first state when the amount of cells in which points indicating the first height or higher are located is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, and when a predetermined number or more of the cells in which points indicating the first height or higher are located are lined up consecutively in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

[0018] Even if the LiDAR device is placed at a high position, if the object is high, the angle of incidence of light from the LiDAR device incident on the top surface of the object may become large, making it difficult for the reflected light to enter the LiDAR device. In such cases, it may be possible to obtain only data on points representing the periphery of the object's outer surface. When viewing a specified placement area from above, the point cloud representing the object's periphery tends to extend linearly. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to appropriately determine whether an object is placed in a specified placement area, even if only a point cloud representing the object's periphery is obtained.

[0019] The determination unit may output a signal indicating a second state in which an object is placed in the specified placement area when the amount of the cells in which points in the point cloud data that are less than the first height and equal to or greater than a second height lower than the first height are located is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value.

[0020] For example, when the height of the top surface of an object is less than a first height and greater than or equal to a second height, the points indicating a height less than the first height and greater than or equal to the second height may include points indicating the top surface of the object and points indicating the peripheral surface. Furthermore, when the height of the top surface of the object is greater than or equal to the first height, the points indicating a height less than the first height and greater than or equal to the second height do not include points indicating the top surface of the object. Furthermore, when the height of the top surface of the object is less than the second height, the points indicating a height less than the first height and greater than or equal to the second height do not include points indicating the outer surface of the object. Therefore, when the height of the top surface of the object is less than the first height and greater than or equal to the second height, the number of cells containing points indicating a height less than the first height and greater than or equal to the second height may be greater than the number of cells containing points indicating a height less than the first height and greater than or equal to the second height. Therefore, with the above configuration, in addition to determining whether an object is located, it is possible to determine whether the height of the top surface of the object is less than the first height and greater than or equal to the second height, and whether the height of the top surface of the object is greater than or equal to the first height. Therefore, for example, in managing a parking lot, it is possible to determine whether a passenger car is parked there or whether a truck, which is taller than a passenger car, is parked there.

[0021] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control device, a program, and a management system that can determine whether an object is placed in a predetermined placement area while reducing the calculation load.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a detection area measured by a LiDAR device according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a specific cell in a parking area in the situation shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a control device according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a control device according to a fourth modification. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a control device according to a fifth modification.

[0023] Preferred embodiments of a control device, a program, and a management system according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments exemplified below are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved within the scope of the claims. Note that in the drawings referred to below, the dimensions of each component may be changed to facilitate understanding. Also, in the drawings, for ease of viewing, similar components may be denoted with reference numerals only in some cases, and some reference numerals may be omitted.

[0024] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management system 1 of this embodiment mainly includes a LiDAR device 10, a control device 20, a memory 30, and a monitor 40.

[0025] The management system 1 of this embodiment can detect whether an object such as a vehicle or luggage is placed in a predetermined placement area within the detection area measured by the LiDAR device 10.

[0026] The LiDAR device 10 of this embodiment is, for example, a raster scan LiDAR device. The LiDAR device 10 of this embodiment includes a cover 19, a driver circuit 11, a laser light source 12, an H-direction scanning drive mirror 13, a V-direction scanning drive mirror 14, a light receiving element 15, and a point cloud data generator 16. Note that, although the LiDAR device 10 in the example of FIG. 1 is a mechanical LiDAR device, it may also be a phased array LiDAR device that does not include a drive unit.

[0027] The cover 19 has a storage space for housing the driver circuit 11, the laser light source 12, the driving mirror 13 for H-direction scanning, the driving mirror 14 for V-direction scanning, the light receiving element 15, and the point cloud data generation unit 16, and transmits the laser light Lb emitted from the laser light source 12 and the reflected light Lr that is reflected by an object within the detection area.

[0028] The driver circuit 11 is composed of, for example, a plurality of logic circuits, and is electrically connected to the laser light source 12, the H-direction scanning drive mirror 13, and the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 to control them.

[0029] The laser light source 12 emits laser light Lb of a predetermined wavelength. This laser light Lb is near-infrared light with a wavelength of, for example, 905 nm or 1550 nm. The timing at which the laser light source 12 emits the laser light Lb is controlled by a driver circuit 11, and the laser light source 12 emits the laser light Lb in response to a signal from the driver circuit 11. The driver circuit 11 is electrically connected to a point cloud data generator 16, and outputs data including the timing at which the laser light Lb is emitted from the laser light source 12 to the point cloud data generator 16.

[0030] The H-direction scanning drive mirror 13 includes a mirror that reflects the laser light Lb emitted from the laser light source 12 and a drive unit (not shown) that is controlled by the driver circuit 11. When reflecting the laser light Lb, the H-direction scanning drive mirror 13 reflects the laser light Lb while changing the reflection angle in the horizontal direction using the drive unit. By changing the reflection angle of the H-direction scanning drive mirror 13, the LiDAR device 10 performs horizontal scanning.

[0031] The V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 includes a mirror that reflects the laser light Lb reflected by the H-direction scanning drive mirror 13 and a drive unit (not shown) controlled by the driver circuit 11. When reflecting the laser light Lb, the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 reflects the laser light Lb while changing the reflection angle in the vertical direction using the drive unit. This change in the reflection angle of the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 changes the horizontal scanning position performed by the LiDAR device 10 in the vertical direction. The laser light reflected by the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 passes through the cover 19 and is irradiated forward of the LiDAR device 10.

[0032] The H-direction scanning drive mirror 13 and the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 are configured to include, for example, a polygon mirror or a galvanometer mirror. The H-direction scanning drive mirror 13 and the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 may each be configured with a MEMS mirror. The H-direction scanning drive mirror 13 and the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 may be combined into one biaxial scan mirror, and the order in which the laser light Lb is reflected by the H-direction scanning drive mirror 13 and the V-direction scanning drive mirror 14 may be reversed.

[0033] The light receiving element 15 receives reflected light Lr, which is laser light Lb reflected by an object in the detection area. The reflected light Lr received by the light receiving element 15 contains information about the object located in the detection area. The light receiving element 15 is electrically connected to the point cloud data generation unit 16, and the information is input to the point cloud data generation unit 16 as an electrical signal.

[0034] The point cloud data generator 16 generates point data for each reflection position based on the direction of the reflection position where the laser beam Lb is reflected and the distance to the reflection position, based on data related to the emission timing of the laser beam Lb input from the driver circuit 11, information input from the light receiving element 15, and timing data of the information input from the light receiving element 15. The point data includes the coordinates of the point. Therefore, the point cloud data generator 16 generates point cloud data, which is a collection of point data. The point cloud data generator 16 is electrically connected to the control device 20, and the point cloud data is input to the control device 20.

[0035] The LiDAR device 10 configured as described above measures the detection area at predetermined time intervals, and inputs point cloud data indicating the state of the detection area, which is the measurement result, into the control device 20.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a detection area measured by the LiDAR device 10 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the LiDAR device 10 is disposed on top of a pole 50 installed in an outdoor parking lot and faces diagonally downward. The detection area DR measured by the LiDAR device 10 includes a parking area 51 as a predetermined placement area. The height at which the LiDAR device 10 is disposed is higher than the vehicle height of a vehicle such as a passenger car or truck, e.g., 5 m. The parking area 51 is an area where a vehicle can be parked. In the example shown in FIG. 2, three parking areas 51 are included in the detection area DR. In this embodiment, each parking area 51 is rectangular and elongated in a direction generally parallel to the first direction D1, and they are generally the same shape and size. The parking lot is divided into the parking area 51 and areas other than the parking area 51 by a frame line FB along the outer edge of the parking area 51. The three parking areas 51 are numbered 1 to 3. 2, a vehicle CA1 is placed in parking area No. 1 51, no object is placed in parking area No. 2 51, and a vehicle CA2 is placed in parking area No. 3 51. Vehicle CA1 placed in parking area No. 1 51 is a passenger car, and vehicle CA2 placed in parking area No. 3 51 is a truck that is taller than a passenger car. Note that there are no restrictions on the shape and size of the parking areas 51 or the number of parking areas 51 included in the detection area DR.

[0037] 1 , the control device 20 is formed of, for example, an integrated circuit such as a microcontroller, an integrated circuit (IC), a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or an NC (numerical control) device. The control device 20 may or may not use a machine learning device. The control device 20 is electrically connected to a memory 30 and a monitor 40.

[0038] The control device 20 includes a partition unit 21 and a determination unit 22. The partition unit 21 and the determination unit 22 are electrically connected via a bus line.

[0039] The partition unit 21 divides the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells in the data representing the parking area 51. In FIG. 2, the cells C are indicated by dashed lines. Note that to avoid complicating the diagram, the cells C are simply shown in FIG. 2, but the size of the cells C is smaller than the size shown in FIG. 2, and the parking area 51 is divided into more cells C than the cells C shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the parking area 51 is indicated by the coordinates of the four corners of the parking area 51. These coordinate data are stored in a memory 30 (described later), and the partition unit 21 reads the data from the memory 30. The partition unit 21 divides the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells C such that a plurality of rows CR in which the cells C are arranged in a first direction D1 (described later) along the parking area 51 and generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the parking area 51, and a plurality of columns CC in which the cells C are arranged in a second direction D2 (described later) along the parking area 51 and generally perpendicular to the first direction D1, are formed. The coordinates of each of the cells C thus partitioned are calculated as data, and the calculated data is sent to the determination unit 22 via the bus line.

[0040] The determination unit 22 varies the output signal based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. First, the determination unit 22 calculates the number of cells C among the multiple cells C in each parking area 51 above which points indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data are located. In this embodiment, the first height is, for example, higher than the height of a car stopper (not shown) provided in the parking area 51 and lower than the vehicle height of the passenger vehicle, e.g., 0.3 m, but is not limited thereto. Note that, hereinafter, a cell C in which a point indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data is located may be referred to as a specific cell C.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific cell C in the parking area 51 in the situation shown in FIG. 2 . In FIG. 3 , the specific cell C is hatched with multiple diagonal lines. When an object is placed in the parking area 51, the point cloud data measured by the LiDAR device 10 includes points indicating the outer surface of the object, such as the top surface or periphery, and these points are located above the parking area 51. Because a vehicle CA1 is placed in parking area No. 1 51, points indicating the outer surface of vehicle CA1 are located above parking area No. 1 51, and a specific cell C exists in parking area No. 1 51. Furthermore, because no object is placed in parking area No. 2 51, no specific cell C exists in parking area No. 2 51. Furthermore, because a vehicle CA2 is placed in parking area No. 3 51, points indicating the outer surface of vehicle CA2 are located above parking area No. 3 51, and a specific cell C exists in parking area No. 3 51.

[0042] In parking area 51 No. 3, specific cells C are arranged in a roughly inverted L-shape. Even if the LiDAR device 10 is placed at a high position, if the object is tall, the angle of incidence of light from the LiDAR device 10 incident on the top surface of the object may become large, making it difficult for reflected light to enter the LiDAR device 10. In such cases, only point data indicating the periphery of the object's exterior surface may be obtained. As described above, vehicle CA2 is a truck with a higher vehicle height than vehicle CA1, which is a passenger car. Therefore, in the situation shown in FIG. 2, the LiDAR device 10 is unable to obtain point data indicating the top surface of vehicle CA2, and only point data indicating the area of ​​the periphery of vehicle CA2 extending from the front to the right side. For this reason, specific cells C are arranged in a roughly inverted L-shape.

[0043] As described above, when an object is placed in a parking area 51, it means that a specific cell C is present in the parking area 51. In this embodiment, when the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the determination unit 22 outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51 to the monitor 40. Furthermore, when the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is less than the first threshold, the determination unit 22 outputs a signal indicating an empty state in which no object is placed in the parking area 51 to the monitor 40. The determination unit 22 outputs such a signal for each parking area 51. Note that the signal indicating the first state may be any signal that can distinguish between the first state and a state that is not the first state, and the signal indicating an empty state may be any signal that can distinguish between a state that is empty and a state that is not empty. For example, the signal indicating the first state may be a signal indicating "11," and the signal indicating an empty state may be a signal indicating "10."

[0044] In this embodiment, the amount of specific cells C is the ratio of the absolute number of specific cells C in the parking area 51 to the total number of cells C in the parking area 51. In this embodiment, the first threshold values ​​for each parking area 51 are the same, for example, 0.1, but are not limited to this. For example, the first threshold value may be different for each parking area 51.

[0045] Returning to FIG. 1 , the memory 30 is configured to store information and read the stored information. The memory 30 is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium, and is preferably a semiconductor recording medium such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM), but may also include any type of recording medium, such as an optical recording medium or a magnetic recording medium. Note that "non-transitory" recording medium includes all computer-readable recording media except for transient, propagating signals, and does not exclude volatile recording media. Note that the memory 30 and the control device 20 may be provided in an integrated package. The memory 30 stores various programs for controlling several components of the control device 20 and generating information, as well as data necessary for generating information. The control device 20 reads the programs and information stored in the memory 30. The memory 30 also stores information, etc., in response to instructions from the control device 20.

[0046] The monitor 40 displays information corresponding to, for example, a signal input from the determination unit 22. For example, when a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in parking area No. 1 51 is input, the monitor 40 displays a recognizable image, text, or the like to indicate this state. Note that the monitor 40 is not an essential component of the management system 1.

[0047] Next, the operation of the control device 20 will be described.

[0048] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 20 in this embodiment. A program for executing the operation of this flowchart is stored in the memory 30. Therefore, the control device 20 executes the flowchart of Fig. 4 by reading the program from the memory 30. As shown in Fig. 4, the operation of the control device 20 in this embodiment includes steps S11 to S19.

[0049] <Step S11> This step is a step of dividing the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells C in the data representing the parking area 51 as a predetermined arrangement area. In this step, the partitioning unit 21 of the control device 20 divides the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells C in the data representing the parking area 51, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 . As described above, the partitioning unit 21 reads data on the coordinates of the four corners of the parking area 51 from the memory 30. The partitioning unit 21 divides the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells C so that a plurality of rows CR in which a plurality of cells C are arranged in a first direction D1 along the parking area 51 and a plurality of columns CC in which a plurality of cells C are arranged in a second direction D1 along the parking area 51, which is generally perpendicular to the first direction, are formed. The partitioning unit 21 then calculates the coordinates of each cell C as data, and sends the calculated data to the determination unit 22 via the bus line. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S12.

[0050] <Step S12> This step is a step for acquiring point cloud data from the LiDAR device 10. In this step, the determination unit 22 of the control device 20 acquires the point cloud data output from the LiDAR device 10. Note that in step S12 from the second time onwards, the determination unit 22 acquires point cloud data measured after the measurement time of the previously acquired point cloud data. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S13.

[0051] <Step S13> This step is a step in which n, which is the number of the parking area 51, is set to the initial value of 1. Therefore, after this step, n = 1. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S14.

[0052] <Step S14> This step is a step of calculating the amount of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51. In this step, the determination unit 22 of the control device 20 calculates the amount of specific cells C among the multiple cells C in the nth parking area 51 based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. As described above for the determination unit 22, a specific cell C is a cell C in which a point indicating a height equal to or greater than the first height in the point cloud data is located, and the amount of specific cells C is the ratio of the absolute number of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 to the total number of cells C in the nth parking area 51. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S15.

[0053] <Step S15> This step is a step in which the next step is changed depending on the amount of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 calculated in step S14. In this step, if the ratio, which is the amount of specific cells C, is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S16, and if the ratio is less than the first threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S17.

[0054] <Step S16> This step is a step of outputting a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the nth parking area 51. In this step, the determination unit 22 outputs the signal to the monitor 40. Based on the signal input from the determination unit 22, the monitor 40 displays that the nth parking area 51 is in the first state in which an object is placed. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S18.

[0055] <Step S17> This step is a step of outputting a signal indicating that no object is placed in the nth parking area 51, that is, an empty state. In this step, the determination unit 22 outputs the signal to the monitor 40. The monitor 40 displays that no object is placed in the nth parking area 51 based on the signal input from the determination unit 22. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S18.

[0056] <Step S18> This step is a step for incrementing the number of the parking area 51. n = n + 1 means that 1 is added to the value of n before this step to create a new n. Since n = 1 in the first step S18, n = 2 after the first step S18. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S19.

[0057] <Step S19> This step is a step in which the next step varies depending on the value of n. In this step, if the value of n is equal to or less than nmax, which is the maximum number of parking areas 51, the control device 20 returns the flow to step S14. If the value of n is greater than nmax, the control device 20 returns the flow to step S12. Therefore, the detection is repeated until it is determined whether an object is present in all parking areas 51. Furthermore, if it is determined whether an object is present in all parking areas 51, the determination unit 22 obtains point cloud data measured after the measurement time of the previously obtained point cloud data, and detects whether an object is present in the parking area 51 based on the obtained point cloud data. In this embodiment, nmax is 3.

[0058] In this way, the management system 1 detects whether an object is placed in the parking area 51.

[0059] As described above, one aspect of the present invention according to this embodiment is a control device 20 to which point cloud data indicating a detection area DR measured by a LiDAR device 10 that measures a detection area DR including a parking area 51 as a predetermined placement area is input, and which includes a partition unit 21 that divides the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells C, and a judgment unit 22 that outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51 when the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

[0060] Another aspect of the present invention according to the above embodiment is a program executed by a control device to which point cloud data indicating a detection area DR measured by a LiDAR device that measures the detection area DR including the parking area 51 is input, and causes the control device 20 to execute the steps of dividing the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells C, and outputting a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51 when the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

[0061] Furthermore, yet another aspect of the present invention according to the above embodiment is a management system 1 comprising a LiDAR device 10 that measures a detection area DR including a parking area 51, and a control device 20 to which point cloud data indicating the detection area DR measured by the LiDAR device 10 is input, wherein the control device 20 includes a partition section 21 that divides the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells, and a judgment section 22 that outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51 when the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

[0062] In the control device 20, program, and management system 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the parking area 51, which is a predetermined placement area, is divided into a plurality of cells C. The specific cell C is a cell C in which a point indicating a height equal to or greater than a first height in the point cloud data is located. When an object is placed in the parking area 51, the point cloud data measured by the LiDAR device 10 includes points indicating the outer surface, such as the top surface or periphery, of the object, and these points are located above the parking area 51. Therefore, in the control device 20, program, and management system 1 of this embodiment, by adjusting the first height, a specific cell C can be present when an object is placed in the parking area 51. Furthermore, the number of specific cells C can change depending on the size of the object, etc. Therefore, by adjusting the first threshold, when an object is placed in the parking area 51, a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed can be output from the control device. In this way, the control device 20, program, and management system 1 of this embodiment can determine whether an object is placed in the parking area 51 without recognizing the object or tracking the trajectory of the object's movement, thereby reducing the computational load.

[0063] When the ratio of the absolute number of specific cells C in a parking area 51 to the total number of cells C in the parking area 51 is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the determination unit 22 of this embodiment outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51. Therefore, the first threshold can be set regardless of the shape or size of the parking area 51, and a general-purpose determination can be made.

[0064] Next, a modified example of the above embodiment will be described. Note that components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the above embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described again unless otherwise specified.

[0065] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the amount of specific cells C in a parking area 51 was the ratio of the absolute number of specific cells C in the parking area 51 to the total number of cells C in the parking area 51. However, the amount of specific cells C is not limited. In this variation, the amount of specific cells C in a parking area 51 is the absolute number of specific cells C in the parking area 51. That is, when the absolute number of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the determination unit 22 outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is located in the parking area 51. Note that the first threshold in this variation differs from the first threshold in the above embodiment and is, for example, 1 / 10 of the total number of cells C in the parking area 51. Then, in step S14 of this variation, the determination unit 22 calculates the absolute number of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. Also, in step S15 of this modified example, if the absolute number of specific cells C is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S16, and if the absolute number of specific cells C is less than the first threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S17.

[0066] (Variation 2) In this variation, as in Variation 1, the amount of specific cells C differs from the amount of specific cells C in the above embodiment. In this variation, the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is at least one of the number of rows CR containing specific cells C in the parking area 51 and the number of columns CC containing specific cells C. That is, when at least one of the number of rows CR containing specific cells C in the parking area 51 and the number of columns CC containing specific cells C is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the determination unit 22 outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is located in the parking area 51. Note that the first threshold in this variation differs from the first threshold in the above embodiment and is, for example, half the total number of rows CR in the parking area 51. Then, in step S14 of this variation, the determination unit 22 calculates the number of rows CR containing specific cells C and the number of columns CC containing specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. In step S15 of this modified example, if at least one of the number of rows CR including the specific cell C and the number of columns CC including the specific cell C is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S16. If both the number of rows CR including the specific cell C and the number of columns CC including the specific cell C are less than the first threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S17.

[0067] Note that, when the number of rows CR including a specific cell C in the parking area 51 or the number of columns CC including a specific cell C is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the determination unit 22 may output a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51. That is, in step S14, the determination unit 22 may calculate the number of rows CR including a specific cell C or the number of columns CC including a specific cell C in the nth parking area 51 based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. Furthermore, the first threshold may be different for the number of rows CR including a specific cell C and the number of columns CC including a specific cell C.

[0068] (Variation 3) Similar to Variation 1, this variation differs in the amount of specific cells C from the amount of specific cells C in the above embodiment. In this variation, the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 is at least one of the ratio of the number of rows CR including specific cells C to the total number of rows CR in the parking area 51 and the ratio of the number of columns CC including specific cells C to the total number of columns CC. That is, when at least one of the ratio of the number of rows CR including specific cells C to the total number of rows CR in the parking area 51 and the ratio of the number of columns CC including specific cells C to the total number of columns CC is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the determination unit 22 outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51. Note that the first threshold in this variation differs from the first threshold in the above embodiment and is, for example, 0.5. Then, in step S14 of this modified example, the determination unit 22 calculates the ratio of the number of rows CR containing a specific cell C to the total number of rows CR and the ratio of the number of columns CC containing a specific cell C to the total number of columns CC in the nth parking area 51 based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. Also, in step S15 of this modified example, the control device 20 proceeds to step S16 if at least one of the ratio of the number of rows CR containing a specific cell C to the total number of rows CR and the ratio of the number of columns CC containing a specific cell C to the total number of columns CC is equal to or greater than a first threshold. Also, the control device 20 proceeds to step S17 if both the ratio of the number of rows CR containing a specific cell C to the total number of rows CR and the ratio of the number of columns CC containing a specific cell C to the total number of columns CC are less than the first threshold.

[0069] Note that the determination unit 22 may output a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51 when the ratio of the number of rows CR including a specific cell C to the total number of rows CR in the parking area 51, or the ratio of the number of columns CC including a specific cell C to the total number of columns CC, is equal to or greater than a first threshold. That is, in step S14, the determination unit 22 may calculate the ratio of the number of rows CR including a specific cell C to the total number of rows CR in the nth parking area 51, or the ratio of the number of columns CC including a specific cell C to the total number of columns CC, based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. Furthermore, the first threshold may be different for the ratio of the number of rows CR including a specific cell C to the total number of rows CR and the ratio of the number of columns CC including a specific cell C to the total number of columns CC.

[0070] Even in the above-described modified examples 1, 2, and 3, it is possible to determine whether an object is placed in the parking area 51 while reducing the calculation load in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

[0071] (Modification 4) Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 20 in this modification. As shown in Fig. 5, the operation of the control device 20 in this modification differs from the operation of the control device 20 in the above embodiment in that it includes step S21. Therefore, the following will only describe step S21, and will omit descriptions of the other steps as appropriate.

[0072] <Step S21> This step is performed before step S16, and the next step is varied depending on the arrangement of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51. In this step, the determination unit 22 calculates the maximum number of specific cells C arranged consecutively in the first direction D1 and the maximum number of specific cells C arranged consecutively in the second direction D2 in the nth parking area 51 based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. Then, the control device 20 proceeds to step S16 if at least one of the maximum number of specific cells C arranged consecutively in the first direction D1 and the maximum number of specific cells C arranged consecutively in the second direction D2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Furthermore, the control device 20 proceeds to step S17 if both the maximum number of specific cells C arranged consecutively in the first direction D1 and the maximum number of specific cells C arranged consecutively in the second direction D2 are less than the predetermined number. Therefore, when the amount of the specific cells C is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and a predetermined number or more of the specific cells C are lined up consecutively in at least one of the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, the determination unit 22 outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the nth parking area 51. Note that the predetermined number is, for example, half the total number of cells C included in one column CC of the parking area 51.

[0073] As described above, even if the LiDAR device 10 is positioned at a high position, if the height of the object is high, the angle of incidence of light from the LiDAR device 10 incident on the top surface of the object may become large, making it difficult for the reflected light to enter the LiDAR device 10. In such cases, it may be possible to obtain only data on points representing the periphery of the object's outer surface. When viewing the parking area 51 from above, the point cloud representing the object's periphery tends to extend linearly. Therefore, with the configuration of this modified example, it is possible to appropriately determine whether an object is located in the parking area 51, even if only a point cloud representing the object's periphery is obtained.

[0074] The determination unit 22 may output a signal indicating a first state in which an object is located in the nth parking area 51 when the amount of specific cells C is equal to or greater than a first threshold and a predetermined number or more of the specific cells C are lined up consecutively in the first direction D1 or the second direction D2. That is, in step S21, the determination unit 22 calculates the maximum number of specific cells C lined up consecutively in the first direction D1 or the maximum number of specific cells C lined up consecutively in the second direction D2 in the nth parking area 51 based on the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device 10. Then, the control device 20 may proceed to step S16 if the maximum number of specific cells C lined up consecutively in the first direction D1 or the maximum number of specific cells C lined up consecutively in the second direction D2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Furthermore, the predetermined number may be different for the maximum number of specific cells C lined up consecutively in the first direction D1 and the maximum number of specific cells C lined up consecutively in the second direction D2.

[0075] (Modification 5) Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 20 in this modification. As shown in Fig. 6, the operation of the control device 20 in this modification differs from the operation of the control device 20 in the above embodiment in that it includes steps S31, S32, and S33. Therefore, steps S31, S32, and S33 will be described below, and descriptions of the other steps will be omitted as appropriate.

[0076] <Step S31> This step is performed before step S15 and is a step for calculating the amount of another specific cell C in the nth parking area 51. The another specific cell C is a cell C in the nth parking area 51 where a point in the point cloud data that is less than the first height and equal to or greater than a second height that is lower than the first height is located. In this modified example, the first height is, for example, higher than the vehicle height of a passenger car and lower than the vehicle height of a truck, e.g., 2.0 m. The second height is, for example, higher than the height of the bollard and lower than the vehicle height of a passenger car, e.g., 0.3 m.

[0077] For example, in the situation shown in Fig. 2, another specific cell C in parking area 51 No. 1 where vehicle CA1 is located is generally the same as the specific cell C in parking area 51 No. 1 shown in Fig. 3, and there is no specific cell C in parking area 51 No. 1. Also, another specific cell C and a specific cell C in parking area 51 No. 2 where no object is located do not exist. Also, another specific cell C in parking area 51 No. 3 where vehicle CA2 is located is generally the same as the specific cell C in parking area 51 No. 3 shown in Fig. 3, and there is also no specific cell C in parking area 51 No. 3 shown in Fig. 3.

[0078] Note that the first height and the second height are not limited as long as the second height is lower than the first height. Furthermore, the amount of the other specific cells C is the ratio of the absolute number of the other specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 to the total number of cells C in the nth parking area 51. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S15.

[0079] <Step S32> This step is performed if, in step S15, the ratio of the absolute number of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 to the total number of cells C in the nth parking area 51, which is the amount of specific cells C, is less than a first threshold. This step determines the next step depending on the amount of another specific cell C in the nth parking area 51 calculated in step S31. In this step, if the ratio, which is the amount of another specific cell C, is equal to or greater than a second threshold greater than the first threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S33. If the ratio is less than the second threshold, the control device 20 proceeds to step S17. In this modified example, the first threshold is, for example, 0.1, and the second threshold is, for example, 0.5. The first threshold and the second threshold are not limited as long as the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

[0080] <Step S33> This step is a step of outputting a signal indicating a second state in which an object is placed in the nth parking area 51. The second state is a state different from the first state described above, and the signal indicating the second state may be any signal that can distinguish between the second state and not the second state. In this step, the determination unit 22 outputs the signal to the monitor 40. Based on the signal input from the determination unit 22, the monitor 40 displays that the nth parking area 51 is in the second state in which an object is placed. After this step, the control device 20 advances the flow to step S18.

[0081] In this modified example, the judgment unit 22 outputs a signal indicating a second state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51 when the amount of another specific cell C is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value.

[0082] For example, when the height of the top surface of the object is less than the first height and equal to or greater than the second height, the points indicating a height less than the first height and equal to or greater than the second height may include points indicating the top surface of the object and points indicating the peripheral surface. Furthermore, when the height of the top surface of the object is equal to or greater than the first height, the points indicating a height less than the first height and equal to or greater than the second height do not include points indicating the top surface of the object. Furthermore, when the height of the top surface of the object is less than the second height, the points indicating a height less than the first height and equal to or greater than the second height do not include points indicating the outer surface of the object. Therefore, the number of other specific cells C may be greater when the height of the top surface of the object is less than the first height and equal to or greater than the second height than when the height of the top surface of the object is equal to or greater than the first height or less than the second height. Therefore, according to this modification, in addition to determining whether an object is located in the parking area 51, it is possible to determine when the height of the top surface of the object is less than the first height and equal to or greater than the second height, and when the height of the top surface of the object is equal to or greater than the first height. Therefore, for example, it is possible to determine whether a passenger car is located or whether a truck, which is taller than a passenger car, is located.

[0083] (Variation 6) In Variation 5, the amount of the other specific cells C in the parking area 51 was the ratio of the absolute number of the other specific cells C in the parking area 51 to the total number of cells C in the parking area 51. However, the amount of the other specific cells C is not limited. In this variation, the amount of the other specific cells C in the parking area 51 is the absolute number of the other specific cells C in the parking area 51. In other words, when the absolute number of the other specific cells C in the parking area 51 is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the determination unit 22 outputs a signal indicating a second state in which an object is placed in the parking area 51. Note that the second threshold in this variation is different from the second threshold in the above embodiment and is, for example, 1 / 10 of the total number of cells C in the parking area 51.

[0084] In this modified example, similarly to modified example 5, it is possible to determine, for example, whether a passenger car is located or whether a truck with a higher height than a passenger car is located.

[0085] Although the present invention has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples as examples, the present invention is not limited to these.

[0086] For example, in the above embodiment and modified example, the partition unit 21 is described as dividing the parking area 51 so as to form a plurality of rows CR in which the cells C are arranged in a first direction D1 along the parking area 51 and a plurality of columns CC in which the cells C are arranged in a second direction D2 along the parking area 51 that is generally perpendicular to the first direction D1. However, the first direction D1 may be any direction along the parking area 51, and the second direction D2 may be any direction along the parking area 51 that is non-parallel to the first direction D1. For example, the angle between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 may be an acute angle, or the first direction D1 may be non-parallel to the longitudinal direction of the parking area 51. Furthermore, the partition unit 21 may divide the parking area 51 into a plurality of cells C. For example, the partition unit 21 may divide the parking area 51 so as to form one row CR in which the cells C are arranged in the first direction D1.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and the above modified example, the determination unit 22 has been described as outputting a signal indicating an empty state. However, the determination unit 22 does not have to output a signal indicating an empty state. In this case, for example, when the determination unit 22 of the above embodiment outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the nth parking area 51 in step S16, the determination unit 22 continues to output the signal until the amount of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 becomes less than the first threshold. Then, when the amount of specific cells C in the nth parking area 51 becomes less than the first threshold and the flow proceeds to step S17, the output of the signal is stopped.

[0088] Furthermore, the operation flow of the control device 20 in the above embodiment and the above modified examples is not limited. For example, in modified example 5, step S31 may be performed after step S13. Furthermore, the above embodiment and the above modified examples can be combined as appropriate. For example, in modified example 4, as in modified example 1, the amount of specific cells C in the parking area 51 may be the absolute number of specific cells C in the parking area 51.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and the above modified example, a management system 1 including one LiDAR device 10 has been described as an example, but there may be multiple LiDAR devices 10.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and the above modified example, the LiDAR device 10 measuring the detection area DR including the parking area 51 has been described as an example. However, the LiDAR device 10 is only required to measure a detection area including a predetermined placement area where an object can be placed. The predetermined placement area may be other than the parking area 51 and may be an indoor area. For example, the predetermined placement area may be an area where a transport container called an inmodal container can be placed. In this case, the management system 1 may determine whether a transport container is placed in the predetermined placement area. Furthermore, if transport containers can be stacked in two layers, for example, in the above modified example 5, the first height may be higher than the top surface of the first-layer transport container and lower than the top surface of the second-layer transport container, and the second height may be lower than the top surface of the first-layer transport container. With this configuration, when transport containers are stacked in two layers, the determination unit 22 may output a signal indicating a first state, and when only the first-layer transport container is placed, the determination unit 22 may output a signal indicating a second state. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether only the first level of shipping containers is placed or whether the shipping containers are stacked two levels high.

[0091] According to the present invention, a control device, program, and management system are provided that can determine whether an object is placed in a specified placement area while reducing the computational load, and can be used in fields such as indoor and outdoor management systems.

Claims

1. A control device to which point cloud data indicating a detection area measured by a LiDAR device that measures the detection area including a predetermined placement area is input, the control device comprising: a partition unit that divides the predetermined placement area into a plurality of cells; and a determination unit that outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the predetermined placement area when the amount of the cells in which points indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device are located is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

2. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the judgment unit outputs a signal indicating the first state when the absolute number of cells in which points indicating a height equal to or greater than the first height are located is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

3. The control device described in claim 1, characterized in that the judgment unit outputs a signal indicating the first state when the ratio of the absolute number of cells in which points indicating a height equal to or greater than the first height are located to the total number of cells is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

4. The control device described in claim 1, characterized in that the partition section divides the predetermined placement area so as to form a plurality of rows in which the cells are arranged in a first direction along the predetermined placement area, and a plurality of columns in which the cells are arranged in a second direction along the predetermined placement area that is non-parallel to the first direction.

5. The control device described in claim 4, characterized in that the judgment unit outputs a signal indicating the first state when at least one of the number of rows including the cell in which the point indicating the first height or higher is located and the number of columns including the cell in which the point indicating the first height or higher is located is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

6. The control device described in claim 4, characterized in that the judgment unit outputs a signal indicating the first state when at least one of the ratio of the number of rows containing the cell in which the point indicating the first height or more is located to the total number of rows and the ratio of the number of columns containing the cell in which the point indicating the first height or more is located to the total number of columns is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

7. The control device described in claim 4, characterized in that the judgment unit outputs a signal indicating the first state when the amount of cells in which points indicating the first height or higher are located is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and when a predetermined number or more of the cells in which points indicating the first height or higher are located are lined up consecutively in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

8. The control device described in claim 1, characterized in that the judgment unit outputs a signal indicating a second state in which an object is placed in the specified placement area when the amount of the cells in which points in the point cloud data that are less than the first height and equal to or greater than a second height lower than the first height are located is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold.

9. A program executed by a control device to which point cloud data indicating a detection area measured by a LiDAR device that measures the detection area including a predetermined placement area is input, the program causing the control device to perform the following steps: dividing the predetermined placement area into a plurality of cells; and, when the number of cells in which points indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device are located is equal to or greater than a first threshold, outputting a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the predetermined placement area.

10. A management system comprising: a LiDAR device that measures a detection area including a predetermined placement area; and a control device to which point cloud data indicating the detection area measured by the LiDAR device is input, wherein the control device includes: a partition unit that divides the predetermined placement area into a plurality of cells; and a determination unit that outputs a signal indicating a first state in which an object is placed in the predetermined placement area when the amount of the cells in which points indicating a first height or higher in the point cloud data input from the LiDAR device are located is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

Images