JP2019138866A - Object detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To heighten accuracy of object detection by preventing detection of a plant, in an object detection device.SOLUTION: An object detection device for detecting an object has detection means for detecting the size of an outer shape of the object whose volume is engaged over time, based on external information, determination means for determining whether or not the size of the outer shape of the object detected by the detection means becomes larger than a prescribed value set beforehand, and notification means for notifying the outside of a determination result by the determination means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an object detection device.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a detection device that detects an obstacle in an area. In such a detection device, a predetermined area is scanned by a laser radar, and an object is detected based on external information. Such a detection device is used, for example, in detecting an obstacle at a crossing or detecting an object in an autonomous driving vehicle.

JP-A-2005-214718

  By the way, when the object detection device is fixed and provided at a certain place like the obstacle detection device provided in the crossing device, the plant growing at the installation location is recognized as an obstacle. There is a case. Although it is rare that a plant actually impedes train operation or the like, there is a possibility that the train may be stopped by being detected by the object detection device as an obstacle.

  The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to improve the accuracy of object detection by preventing a plant from being detected in an object detection device.

  The present disclosure employs the following configurations as means for solving the above-described problems.

  The present disclosure is an object detection apparatus that detects an object as a first means for solving the above-described problem, and based on external information, determines the size of the outer shape of an object whose volume increases over time. Detecting means for detecting, determining means for determining whether the size of the outer shape of the object detected by the detecting means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and notifying means for notifying the determination result of the determining means to the outside The structure of having is adopted.

  As a second means, the first means adopts a configuration in which the detection means detects the enlargement of the object in a preset object generation region from the external information.

  As a third means, in the first or second means, the detection means detects a change in vertical height of the object from the ground, and the determination means is detected by the detection means. A configuration is adopted in which it is determined whether the vertical height of the object is equal to or greater than a predetermined value set in advance.

  As a fourth means, in any one of the first to third means, the determination means calculates and determines an average value for the size of the outer shape of the object detected a plurality of times. adopt.

  According to the present disclosure, a change in the size of a plant can be detected by the detection unit and the determination unit. Furthermore, when it is determined by the determining means that the plant has become larger than a predetermined value, the notification means notifies the outside. Thereby, when a plant becomes large, the accuracy of object detection can be improved by appropriately removing the plant and preventing the plant from being detected.

It is a functional block diagram of an object detection device in one embodiment of this indication. It is a schematic diagram which shows the installation position of the photon detection apparatus in one Embodiment of this indication. It is a flowchart which shows the detection method of the plant of the object detection apparatus in one Embodiment of this indication.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an object detection device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The object detection device 1 of the present embodiment is provided alongside a railroad crossing device, and as shown in FIG. 1, a light detection device 2, an external information processing unit 3 (detection means), an obstacle determination unit 4, and a plant determination unit. 5 (determination means) and a notification unit 6 (notification means). The light detection device 2 is a device (three-dimensional laser radar) that is installed on the top of a structure near a railroad crossing and acquires external information by laser light. The light detection device 2 includes a light source that emits laser light and a light receiving unit that receives the laser light reflected by the object, acquires light reception data (external information) in a predetermined region on the line, and transmits external information to the outside It transmits to the information processing unit 3. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the light detection device 2 irradiates laser light toward the ground including the track near the railroad crossing device.

  The external information processing unit 3 analyzes the external information acquired from the light detection device 2 and performs processing so that the obstacle determination unit 4 can determine whether there is an obstacle. Further, the external information processing unit 3 detects, from the external information, the vertical height from the ground at the tip of the plant A (an object whose volume increases with time) that grows in a plant generation region set in advance by an operator. To do. The obstacle determination unit 4 determines whether there is an obstacle in the laser light irradiation range based on the external information processed by the external information processing unit 3. When it is determined that there is an obstacle, the obstacle determination unit 4 sends an obstacle detection signal to the control facility or the like. Further, the obstacle determination unit 4 determines whether there is an obstacle for a region (mask area) below a predetermined height from the ground (a height that does not hinder the presence of an obstacle when the train is passing). Do not make the determination.

  The plant determination unit 5 determines the height of the plant A based on the data acquired from the external information processing unit 3. Specifically, the plant determination unit 5 stores the detected height of the plant A a plurality of times. Furthermore, the plant determination unit 5 externally removes the plant from the notification unit 6 when the average height of the plants detected a plurality of times is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (height indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 2). Instruct to perform notification. Note that the predetermined value in the present embodiment is a position lower than the mask area in the vertical direction. The external information processing unit 3, the obstacle determination unit 4, and the plant determination unit 5 are provided as one function of the computer. The notification unit 6 is a light provided together with a signal, and is provided at a position that is visible from the track.

  In such an object detection device 1, the external information processing unit 3 processes the external information acquired by the light detection device 2. Then, the object detection device 1 determines whether or not there is an object that hinders train operation within the laser light irradiation range by the obstacle determination unit 4 that has acquired the processed external information. When the obstacle determination unit 4 determines that there is an obstacle, the obstacle determination unit 4 notifies the external system that there is an obstacle and stops the operation of the train.

Moreover, the plant detection of the object detection apparatus 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
First, an operator sets an area (plant area) where a plant actually grows within the laser light irradiation range for the plant determination unit 5 of the object detection apparatus 1 (step S1). Moreover, in step S1, the initial value of the height in the vertical direction of a plant is set by the worker. The plant determination unit 5 detects a change in the height of the plant in the plant region. Note that step S1 is performed only when the object detection apparatus 1 is installed or when the environment around the crossing changes, such as when pavement is newly applied around the crossing.

  Next, the light detection device 2 irradiates the laser beam and acquires external information (step S2). Then, the external information processing unit 3 analyzes the external information and performs a process so that the determination by the plant determination unit 5 is possible (step S3).

  Subsequently, the external information processing unit 3 detects the height of the plant A from the ground in the plant region from the external information processed by the external information processing unit 3. Further, an average value of the plant height is calculated from the plant height data of the latest several times (for example, 5 to 6 times) of the plant height detected by the plant determination unit 5 (step S4). And the plant determination part 5 determines whether the height of the plant A is more than the preset threshold value (step S5). If the height of the plant A is less than the threshold value, that is, if the determination in step S5 is NO, the object detection device 1 ends the flow. If the height of the plant A is equal to or greater than the threshold value, that is, if the determination in step S5 is YES, the plant determination unit 5 turns on the notification unit 6 (step S6). The train driver visually recognizes the lit notification unit 6 during operation, and appropriately contacts a worker or the like to request a weeding operation or a logging operation.

  The object detection apparatus 1 performs the above steps S2 to S6, for example, about 4 to 5 times a day. Thereby, the object detection apparatus 1 can detect the growth of the plant before the plant A is determined as an obstacle by the obstacle determination unit 4, and can notify the notification by the notification unit 6. Therefore, the plant A can be removed before the plant A is determined to be an obstacle by the obstacle determination unit 4.

  Moreover, the object detection apparatus 1 of this embodiment detects the external shape of the plant A in the plant generation area | region preset by the operator. Thereby, it becomes easy to accurately identify the outer shape of the plant A. In addition, even after weeding the plant once, the plant grows in the same region, so it is not necessary to reset the plant generation region after the weeding operation.

  Moreover, the object detection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment detects the height of the plant in the vertical direction, and turns on the notification unit 6 when the vertical height is equal to or greater than a threshold value (predetermined value). Thereby, the plant which grew on the ground does not obstruct the operation of the train.

  Moreover, the object detection apparatus 1 of this embodiment calculates the average value of the height of the plant detected in multiple times, and determines whether the said average value is more than a threshold value. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the threshold from being determined based on an inaccurate plant height by detecting the plant height when the plant is temporarily tilted or bent due to natural conditions such as wind. In addition, by calculating the average value of the height of the plant, when an object that needs to be detected as an obstacle enters the plant generation area, it is detected as an obstacle without notifying the removal of the plant. Is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the notification unit 6 is a light that can be seen from the track. Thereby, the object detection apparatus 1 can notify the removal instruction | indication of a plant, without adding a notification means to communication functions, such as control equipment currently provided conventionally.

  The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described embodiments are examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

  In the above embodiment, external information is acquired by the light detection device 2 that transmits and receives laser light, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the external information acquisition unit may include a radar device that acquires external information by transmitting and receiving radio waves. Further, the object detection device 1 may be provided with a stereo camera as external information acquisition means. Further, the object detection device 1 may be provided with a visible light camera and a radar as external information acquisition means.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the notification part 6 was used as the light provided in the track vicinity, this indication is not limited to this. The notification unit 6 is, for example, a display board or an alarm provided in a control facility or the like, and may be connected to the plant determination unit 5 by wireless or wired communication. In this case, since the worker in the control facility can quickly recognize the notification, it becomes easy to detect the plant.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it shall detect about the vertical direction height of the plant growing from the ground, this indication is not limited to this. For example, the object detection device 1 may be configured such that a region including a branch of a tree extending in the horizontal direction is designated as a plant generation region and a change in the length of the branch of the tree is detected.

  Moreover, you may change the detection frequency of the plant shown to the said flow according to a season or sunshine time. For example, it is conceivable to increase the frequency of plant detection in the summer when the plant growth is fast, and to decrease the frequency of plant detection in the winter when the plant growth is slow.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Object detection apparatus 2 Optical detection apparatus 3 External information processing part 4 Obstacle determination part 5 Plant determination part 6 Notification part

Claims (4)

An object detection device for detecting an object,
Detection means for detecting the size of the outer shape of an object whose volume increases over time based on external information, and the size of the outer shape of the object detected by the detection means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value set in advance. Determination means for determining whether or not
An object detection apparatus comprising: notification means for notifying the determination result of the determination means to the outside.   The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects an enlargement of the object in a preset object generation region from the external information. The detection means detects a change in vertical height of the object from the ground,
3. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether a vertical height of the object detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value set in advance.   4. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit calculates and determines an average value for the size of the outer shape of the object detected a plurality of times.

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