Automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities

• US 7,804,424 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iwane Laboratories, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Iwane Laboratories, Ltd.
• Inventors: Iwane, Waro
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US10/519,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20060087453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• Field of Search: 340/916, 340/988, 340/933, 340/995.1, 340/995.13, 340/995.17, 340/995.2, 340/436, 340/903, 340/995.24, 340/435, 340/905, 701/200, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/223, 701/301, 701/117, 701/45, 701/96, 381/1, 382/190, 382/209
• US Class Current: 340/916
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/02 Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

There is provided an automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities capable of automatically recognizing the circumstances around the traffic facilities for motor vehicles or the like which change momentarily to automatically guide the operating route of the road or the like. In the automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities 1, image data, voice data or the like in connection with the circumstances around the traffic facilities to be operated obtained by the input device 2 are compared with image data, voice data or the like stored in advance in a database by the comparison device 4. Where the results obtained by comparing the image data, voice data or the like are coincided, the contents of the data are recognized by the recognition device 5, and the recognized results are informed to an operator or the like in a letter or character, an image, a voice or the like by the output device 6.

Claims

1. An automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities, comprising:

an input device for obtaining circumstances around the traffic facilities to be operated as an image and a voice;

a database having image data and voice data in connection with the traffic facilities stored in advance;

a comparison device for comparing the image data and the voice data obtained by said input device with the image data and voice data stored in said database;

a recognition device for recognizing and specifying, where results obtained by comparing the image data and the voice data coincided, contents of the data;

an output device for informing an operator of results recognized and specified by the recognition device in a letter of character, an image or a voice;

a storage device which, where the image data and the voice data corresponding to objects obtained by said input device are not present within said database, make the image data or the voice data corresponding to new objects correspond to a position on the map to newly store them in said database;

a data update device which, where the image data and the voice data corresponding to the objects are different from the image data and the voice data stored in said database, updates them to new image data and voice data to store them in said database;

a judgment device for carrying out some judgment on a basis of the matter recognized or specified by said recognition device to inform an operator of directions based on judged results in a letter or character, an image or a voice by said output device and to direct said output device of a fixed action on the basis of the judged results and automatically actuate a brake device or a driving device; and

a plane development processing device comprising;

a plane image conversion device for converting perspective image data with respect to the circumstances around the traffic facilities obtained by said input device into plane image data having a perspective sense eliminated; and

a plane image recognition device for recognizing and specifying, on a basis of results obtained by comparing the converted plane image data with the image data stored in the database by said comparison device, the contents of said data.

2. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plane development processing device comprising an image content measuring device for measuring various space physical amounts in connection with the objects recognized and specified by said plane image recognition device.

3. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, wherein said plane image conversion device has a function of converting image data in a whole periphery of 360 degrees about the circumstances around the traffic facilities obtained by said input device.

4. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, wherein a traffic information detection device for obtaining the circumstances around the traffic facilities as image data or measuring data is installed on an operating route of the traffic facilities so as to enable receiving the image data or measuring data obtained by the traffic information detection device.

5. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 4, wherein said traffic information detection device has a graphic device for making a computer graphic on the basis of the image data and measuring data obtained.

6. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position relation recognition device comprising an image obtaining portion for obtaining a picture image by the input device mounted on the traffic facilities, an image temporarily recording portion for recording the obtained picture image for a certain period, a clue-point automatic extraction portion for automatically extracting a clue point for taking a corresponding point within the image, a corresponding-point detection portion for taking out more than two images different in distance to seek for corresponding points of a plurality of clue points in the images, an input-device positional direction measuring portion for operating a position and a direction of the input device from a plurality of corresponding points detected, and an actual-measurement scale conversion portion for converting a relative distance value of a three dimensional coordinate of the input device position sought into an absolute distance value using an actual measurement value.

7. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 6, wherein to said position relation recognition device is added a corresponding point three dimensional measuring portion for 3-dimension measuring a plurality of clue points from corresponding points in the image of a plurality of clue points to obtain a relation between them and a position of the input device as a three dimensional coordinate.

8. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 7, wherein to said position relation recognition device is added a three dimensional data recording portion for recording a three dimensional coordinate of a corresponding point obtained by said corresponding point three dimensional measuring portion.

9. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 8, wherein to said position relation recognition device are added a three dimensional data read-out portion for reading out three dimensional data of a clue point accumulated in said three dimensional data recording portion obtained by being operated from the three dimensional data recording portion at a time of operating peripheries after a succeeding time, and a corresponding point comparison portion for comparing those data with image data obtained at the time of operations after the succeeding time to obtain a coincident point to thereby enhance operation accuracy of a position of the traffic facilities.

10. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 9, wherein to said position relation recognition device are added an absolute coordinate conversion portion for selecting an object whose absolute coordinate is known to a corresponding point to impart an absolute coordinate to three dimensional data obtained in said input device position direction measuring portion and said corresponding point three dimensional measuring portion;

and a coordinate synthesizing portion for synthesizing a three dimensional coordinate of a clue point present in a certain area to an absolute coordinate system.

11. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 10, wherein to said position relation recognition device are added a name attribute adding portion for corresponding a name and an attribute of a clue point to position data of a clue point to record and store them, and adding names and attributes of the objects to which the clue points belong to the coordinate data of said clue points;

and a database for relating a coordinate, a name and an attribute of the added clue point into a map to write, record and store them.

12. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 11, wherein to said position relation recognition device is added a display portion for suitably displaying and informing an operator of said various operation results.

13. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 11, wherein to said position relation recognition device are added a circumstances judgment portion for automatically judging circumferences of the traffic facilities from a periphery and a position relation of the traffic facilities to be operated by said various operation results;

and an automatic control portion for automatically carrying out an operation automatically suited to an object of the traffic facilities using results obtained by judging the circumstances.

14. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 13, wherein to said position relation recognition device are added a plural-input device image obtaining portion for, a plurality of input devices being installed, taking in images, and superposing a part or a whole of a field of view of respective input devices;

and a calibration portion for, using both three dimensional distance measurement calculated from a difference in view caused by an input movement distance by a single input device and three dimensional distance measurement calculated from a distance in view between the input devices by a plurality of input devices, with three dimensional distance data of clue points obtained by a view superposing system of a plurality of input devices as a reference length, calibrating three dimensional distance data obtained by a movement distance difference-in-view by the single input device movement to thereby convert it into an absolute distance.

15. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 14, wherein to said position relation recognition device are added a shape attribute display portion for reproducing a three dimensional space for arranging and expressing a three dimensional shape of an object to which a clue point belongs in a three dimensional computer graphic at a proper position in a coordinate system defined in a display screen to enable displaying even a name, an attribute, other objects, and the own vehicle in their display images;

and a user interface portion for touching by a hand or clicking by a mouse on the image of the three dimensional computer graphic showing various objects expressed in said display image, or displaying only an actual image, and touching by a hand or clicking by a mouse an intended object on the displayed actual picture to designate the intended object, thereby inputting data related to the intended object which displays and directs a name, a coordinate, a shape, and attributes of other related data of the object to enable directing the directed intended object various operations and actions.

16. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 15, wherein to said position relation recognition device is added an external communication portion which is connected to other traffic facilities or other communication points through communication lines to receive and deliver information.

17. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, wherein one or a plurality of devices are connected with other devices through communication lines.

18. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, wherein said traffic facilities are vehicles traveling on the road surface including a motor vehicle,

and said database has image data or voice data in connection with the motor vehicle including road marks, road signs and traffic guide plates stored in advance.

19. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, wherein said traffic facilities are vehicles traveling on tracks including a railroad train,

and said database has image data or voice data in connection with the railroad train including track marks, track signs and track guide plates stored in advance.

20. The automatic guide apparatus for traffic facilities according to claim 1, wherein said traffic facilities are ship body or vehicle body navigating two dimensional or three dimensional without tracks including a ship or an airplane,

and said database has image data or voice data in connection with the ship or the airplane including marks, signs, shape of harbors and shape of airports stored in advance.