Roadside Apparatus Position Correction from Vehicle Camera Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roadside apparatuses using GPS receivers face errors in position information due to GPS accuracy issues, leading to incorrect detection of vehicles and pedestrians.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that acquires images of roadside apparatuses using vehicle cameras, combines this with vehicle position information to calculate accurate positions, and transmits these to a memory for storage, thereby correcting any GPS errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If GPS receivers are used in roadside apparatuses to acquire position information, then the apparatus can obtain position data easily, but the position information contains errors due to GPS accuracy limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple position information sources: GPS receiver data from the roadside apparatus, vehicle position information from vehicle-mounted GPS, and relative position data derived from image analysis. By merging these independent measurement systems, the patent achieves higher overall accuracy than any single source could provide alone, resolving the contradiction between ease of acquisition and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary calculation process that uses the roadside apparatus as a reference point. The vehicle-mounted camera captures images of the roadside apparatus, and image analysis provides relative position information that mediates between the vehicle's GPS position and the roadside apparatus's GPS position, enabling more accurate determination of the roadside apparatus location.
2Measurement precision
If high-precision satellite positioning systems are used to improve position accuracy, then detection accuracy improves, but installation costs and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the system to self-correct position errors using resources already present in the vehicle (camera, processor, GPS receiver). The vehicle-mounted apparatus performs image capture, analyzes the images to extract relative position information, and calculates corrected position data without requiring external high-precision positioning infrastructure, thus avoiding additional installation costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle-mounted apparatus serves multiple functions: it acts as a GPS receiver for vehicle positioning, a camera for capturing roadside apparatus images, and a processing unit for calculating relative positions and correcting GPS errors. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated high-precision positioning equipment at the roadside, reducing installation costs.
3Measurement precision
If high-precision satellite positioning systems are used to improve position accuracy, then detection accuracy improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs image capture and processing periodically when vehicles pass by the roadside apparatus, rather than continuously operating high-precision positioning systems. This periodic action reduces power consumption while still achieving accurate position determination through multiple measurement opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the existing vehicle-mounted camera and GPS system (resources already present in the vehicle) to create a copy of the positioning function that would otherwise require dedicated high-precision equipment. This approach achieves high accuracy without the additional power consumption of specialized positioning hardware.
4Ease of operation
If GPS position information is used directly, then the system is simple to operate, but vehicle detection accuracy deteriorates due to position errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the calculated relative position information from image analysis is used to correct and refine the GPS-based position estimates. This feedback loop maintains system simplicity while improving detection accuracy by continuously adjusting position data based on visual verification.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus includes a controller configured to, when a vehicle approaches a roadside apparatus, which is configured to notify target persons of the presence of vehicles and/or pedestrians, acquire an image of the roadside apparatus captured by an imager provided in the vehicle, acquire vehicle position information indicating a position of the vehicle at the time of capturing the image, acquire, by analyzing the image, relative position information indicating a relative positional relationship between the vehicle and the roadside apparatus at the time of capturing the image, calculate, based on the vehicle position information and the relative position information, calculated position information indicating a calculated position of the roadside apparatus, and transmit the calculated position information to a memory of an information storage apparatus, which is configured to store position information on the roadside apparatus.