Mobile unit identification apparatus and method and apparatus for automatically warning to mobile unit

• US 7,227,974 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socionext Inc., The Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Science
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, The Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Science
• Inventors: Ikeuchi, Katsushi, Kamijo, Shunsuke, Sakauchi, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Tom Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/108,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 382103-104, 340/928, 340/937
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

By narrow region communication between a gate side communication apparatus (G-COM) and a mobile unit side communication apparatus (M-COM) passing through an on-road real gate at an interconnection, the G-COM assigns a real identification code (R-ID) ID1 including an intersection number to the M-COM after receiving a R-ID ID0 having been assigned from the M-COM, while time series pictures of the intersection including all real gates are taken by a camera 15 installed to assign a virtual identification code (V-ID) to a mobile unit passing through a slit, corresponding to a real gate, in pictures by processing them. In response to the assignment of the R-ID, the R-ID is brought into correspondence with the V-ID. The mobile unit is tracked and when an anomalous behavior thereof is detected in pictures, warning information is transmitted to the M-COM using the corresponding R-ID. By gathering sets of ID0 and ID1 associated with each other in a plurality of intersections, a mobile unit having displayed an anomalous behavior is tracked.

Claims

1. A mobile unit identification apparatus, comprising:

an image storage device storing time series pictures taken with an electronic camera to be trained on a region including an on-road real gate; and

an image processor, receiving a real identification code having been assigned to a mobile unit side communication apparatus passing through said real gate, assigning said real identification code to a mobile unit passing through a slit area by processing said time series pictures stored, said slit area corresponding to said real gate, tracking said mobile unit having been assigned said real identification code by processing said time series pictures, outputting information on said tracking.

2. An automatic warning apparatus to mobile units, comprising:

an image storage device storing time series pictures taken with an electronic camera to be trained on a region including an on-road real gate; and

an image processor, receiving a real identification code having been assigned to a mobile unit side communication apparatus passing through said real gate, assigning said real identification code to a mobile unit passing through a slit area by processing said time series pictures stored, said slit area corresponding to said real gate, tracking said mobile unit having been assigned said real identification code to detect an anomalous behavior thereof by processing said time series pictures, outputting said real identification code of said mobile unit having displayed said anomalous behavior or another mobile unit associated therewith and outputting information associated with said anomalous behavior.

3. The automatic warning apparatus of claim 2, wherein said image processor assigns a virtual identification code to said mobile unit passing through said slit area by processing said time series pictures stored, and brings said real identification code into correspondence with said virtual identification code in response to said reception of said real identification code.

4. The automatic warning apparatus of claim 2, wherein said image processor, in a case where a plurality of mobile units passing through said slit area in ones of said pictures are not separated from each other, divides said non-separated mobile units to discriminate them from each other by tracking said plurality of mobile units in ones of said time serial pictures in reverse chronological order after said plurality of mobile units having been separated from each other in one of said time serial pictures, and performs said correspondence.

5. The automatic warning apparatus of claim 4, wherein said image processor divides and discriminates said non-separated mobile units included in a picture at a time (t-1) from each other on the basis of a correlation between a picture at a time t when said plurality of mobile units are separated therein and said picture at the time (t-1), said picture at times (t-1) and t being ones of said time series pictures.

6. The automatic warning apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a gate side communication apparatus, including a gate side antenna to be installed correspondingly to said real gate, performing narrow region communication between said gate side communication apparatus and said mobile side communication apparatus to assign said real identification code to said mobile side communication apparatus or to receive said real identification code having been assigned to said mobile unit side communication apparatus, giving said real identification code to said image processor.

7. The automatic warning apparatus of claim 6, wherein said real identification code includes a road side identification code, and said gate side communication apparatus assigns said real identification code to said mobile unit side communication apparatus after receiving another real identification code having been assigned from said mobile unit side communication.

8. The automatic warning apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a road side communication apparatus to be installed on a road side to transmit warning information to a mobile unit having said real identification code on the basis of said output of said image processor.

9. The automatic warning apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an electronic camera to be installed on a road side to take said time series pictures with training on a region including said real gate.

10. A warning method to mobile units, comprising the steps of:

(a) performing narrow region communication with a mobile unit side communication apparatus passing through an on-road real gate either to assign a real identification code to said mobile unit side communication apparatus or to receive the real identification code having been assigned to the mobile unit side communication apparatus;

(b) taking time series pictures with an electronic camera installed on a road side with training on a region including said real gate;

(c) processing said time series pictures to assign said real identification code to a mobile unit passing through a slit area corresponding to said real gate;

(d) processing said time series pictures to track said mobile unit having been assigned said real identification code to detect an anomalous behavior thereof; and

(e) transmitting warning information to the mobile unit side communication apparatus with said real identification code of said mobile unit having displayed said anomalous behavior or of another mobile unit associated therewith.

11. The warning method of claim 10, wherein in the step (c), said time series pictures is processed to assign a virtual identification code to said mobile unit passing through said slit area, and said real identification code is brought into correspondence with said virtual identification code in response to said assignment or reception of said real identification code.

12. The warning method of claim 10, wherein in the step (d), said anomalous behavior is detected on the basis of a similarity to each of anomalous behaviors assumed in advance, warning level being set to each anomalous behavior in advance,

wherein in the step (e), said warning information is transmitted only when the warning level is equal to or higher than a reference value.

13. The warning method of claim 10, wherein the steps (a) through (e) are performed at each of said intersections,

wherein in the step (a), in regard to each intersection, said real identification code includes a intersection identification code and said real identification code is assigned to said mobile unit side communication apparatus after receiving another real identification code having been assigned form said mobile unit said communication apparatus,

said method further comprising the step of:

(f) gathering sets each having said assigned and received real identification codes, said sets being associated with each other among said plurality of intersections, to track a mobile unit having displayed an anomalous behavior.

14. A warning method to mobile units, comprising the steps of:

(a) performing narrow region communication with a mobile unit side communication apparatus passing through an on-road real gate to assign a real identification code to said mobile unit side communication apparatus after receiving another real identification code having been assigned to the mobile unit side communication apparatus;

(b) taking time series pictures with an electronic camera installed on a road side with training on a region including said real gate;

(c) processing said time series pictures to assign said real identification code to a mobile unit passing through a slit area corresponding to said real gate; and

(d) processing said time series pictures to track said mobile unit having been assigned said real identification code to detect an anomalous behavior thereof;

wherein the steps (a) through (d) are executed at each of a plurality of road sides,

said method further comprising the step of;

(e) gathering sets each having said assigned and received real identification codes, said sets being associated with each other among said plurality of road sides, to track a mobile unit having displayed an anomalous behavior.

15. The warning method of claim 14, wherein in the step (c), in a case where a plurality of mobile units passing through said slit area in ones of said pictures are not separated from each other, said correspondence is performed by dividing said non-separated mobile units to discriminate them from each other on the basis of tracking said plurality of mobile units in ones of said time serial pictures in reverse chronological order after said plurality of mobile units having been separated from each other in one of said time serial pictures.

16. The warning method of claim 15, wherein in the step (c), said non-separated mobile units included in a picture at a time (t-1) is divided and discriminated from each other on the basis of a correlation between a picture at a time t when said plurality of mobile units are separated therein and said picture at the time (t-1), said pictures at times (t-1) and t being ones of said time series pictures.