Spectrum measuring apparatus for mover

• US 8,723,124 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Endo, Masato, Funayama, Ryuji, Kitahama, Kenichi, Kawamata, Shinya, Yokochi, Yasukata, Yoshida, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOSALIS, FANI POLYZOS
• Application Number:
  US13/322,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 250/339.07, 250/339.05, 250/461.1
• US Class Current: 250/339.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0289 Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a spectrometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of measurement area; Position tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details

Abstract

Provided is a movable body spectrum measuring apparatus, which can discriminate a measuring object with high precision by photographic data from a spectrum sensor mounted on a movable body such as a vehicle and can process the photographic data in real time. A movable body spectrum measuring apparatus discriminates the measuring object around a vehicle on the basis of the spectrum data from an observation light. A spectrum sensor can measure wavelength information and light intensity information. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus comprises a dictionary data storing unit storing, as dictionary data, the spectrum data containing the wavelength information and the light intensity information regarding a plurality of predetermined measuring objects, and an arithmetic device for discriminating the measuring object on the basis of comparison computation to compare the spectrum data of the observation light and the spectrum data stored in the dictionary data storing unit. The arithmetic device performs the computation to compare the spectrum data of the observation light with reference to only a partial wavelength band of the spectrum data stored as the dictionary data.

Claims

1. A movable body spectrum measuring apparatus provided with a spectrum sensor mounted on a movable body, the spectrum sensor being capable of measuring wavelength information and light intensity information, the movable body spectrum measuring apparatus discriminating a measuring object around the movable body on the basis of spectrum data of observation light detected by the spectrum sensor, and comprising:

a storing unit for storing therein, as dictionary data, the spectrum data including the wavelength information and the light intensity information about a plurality of predetermined measuring objects; and

an arithmetic device for discriminating the measuring objects on the basis of a comparison computation for comparing the spectrum data of the observation light and the spectrum data stored in the storing unit,

wherein the arithmetic device performs the comparison computation for comparing the spectrum data of the observation light and the spectrum data by referring to only a partial wavelength band of the spectrum data stored in the storing unit as the dictionary data,

wherein the spectrum data stored in the storing unit, as the dictionary data, is divided into a plurality of wavelength regions, and

wherein partial wavelength band of data is selected from the plurality of wavelength regions such that data of the partial wavelength band is less than the spectrum data detected by the spectrum sensor, and that the partial wavelength band of data is processed by the arithmetic device in real time.

2. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

only data in a wavelength region containing a characteristic change as the spectrum data among the divided wavelength regions is retained in the storing unit as the dictionary data.

3. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein data in a wavelength region containing the characteristic change as the spectrum data is formed of a plurality of pieces of data determined according to an attribute of the measuring object.

4. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the spectrum data as the dictionary data is data indicating a bright-line spectrum determined corresponding to an extreme value or an inflection point as spectrum data of each of a plurality of divided wavelength regions, and

only the data indicating the bright-line spectrum is retained in the storing unit as the dictionary data.

5. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the data indicating the bright-line spectrum is formed of a plurality of pieces of data determined according to an attribute of the measuring object.

6. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a comparison computation for comparing the spectrum data of the observation light with the spectrum data stored in the storing unit as the dictionary data, the arithmetic device sets an unused region in the spectrum data as the dictionary data and performs the comparison computation on the basis of spectrum data other than the unused region to discriminate the measuring object.

7. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the unused region is set as a region having a small characteristic change as the spectrum data according to an attribute of the measuring object.

8. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the unused region is made variable according to discrimination request level of the measuring object.

9. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an attribute map storing unit for storing therein, as attribute map data, data indicating a bright-line spectrum determined corresponding to an extreme value or an inflection point as the spectrum data,

wherein, prior to the comparison computation for comparing spectrum data of the observation light with the spectrum data stored in the storing unit as the dictionary data, the arithmetic device performs a comparison computation for comparing the spectrum data of the observation light with the attribute map data to perform tentative discrimination of the measuring object, and narrows down in advance a partial wavelength region in the spectrum data as the dictionary data as a wavelength region used in the comparison computation according to an attribute of the measuring object subjected to the tentative discrimination.

10. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the movable body is provided with an environment information acquiring device for acquiring surrounding environment information, and

the arithmetic devices narrows down in advance spectrum data as the dictionary data according to the environment information acquired by the environment information acquiring device.

11. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the environment information acquired by the environment information acquiring device is at least one of weather information and position information of the movable body.

12. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the movable body is provided with an intended purpose selecting device for selecting intended purpose of the spectrum sensor, and

the arithmetic device narrows down in advance spectrum data as the dictionary data according to the intended purpose selected by the intended purpose selecting device.

13. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the movable body is provided with a drive assistance system for assisting driving, and

the intended purpose selecting device selects the intended purpose in cooperation with the drive assistance system.

14. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the movable body is provided with a moving state acquiring device for acquiring information on a moving state of the movable body, and

spectrum data as the dictionary data is narrowed down in advance according to the moving state acquired by the moving state acquiring device.

15. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to any one of claim 14, wherein information on the moving state of the movable body, which is acquired by the moving state acquiring device, is at least one of speed information, acceleration information and steering information of the movable body.

16. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is an automobile driving on a road surface.

17. A movable body spectrum measuring apparatus provided with a spectrum sensor mounted on a movable body, the spectrum sensor being capable of measuring wavelength information and light intensity information, the movable body spectrum measuring apparatus discriminating a measuring object around the movable body on the basis of spectrum data of observation light detected by the spectrum sensor, and comprising:

an attribute map storing unit for storing therein, as attribute map data, data indicating a bright-line spectrum determined corresponding to an extreme value or an inflection point as the spectrum data; and

an arithmetic device for performing tentative discrimination of the measuring object on the basis of a comparison computation for comparing the spectrum data of the observation light with the attribute map data,

wherein, prior to the comparison computation for comparing spectrum data of the observation light with the spectrum data stored in the storing unit as the dictionary data, the arithmetic device performs a comparison computation for comparing the spectrum data of the observation light with the attribute map data to perform tentative discrimination of the measuring object, and narrows down in advance a partial wavelength region in the spectrum data as the dictionary data as a wavelength region used in the comparison computation according to an attribute of the measuring object subjected to the tentative discrimination.

18. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the attribute map data is formed of a plurality of pieces of data determined according to an attribute of the measuring object.

19. The movable body spectrum measuring apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a storing unit for storing therein, as dictionary data, the spectrum data including the wavelength information and the light intensity information about a plurality of predetermined measuring objects,

wherein the arithmetic device narrows down in advance a part of a wavelength region in the spectrum data as the dictionary data according to the attribute of the measuring object subjected to the tentative discrimination, and discriminates the measuring objects on the basis of a comparison computation for comparing the spectrum data of the observation light and only the part of the wavelength region narrowed down from the spectrum data as the dictionary data.