JP2007011432A - Information processing apparatus and method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable autonomous movement with high speed and high robustness.
An automobile 101 photographs with a camera 102 light sources 104-1, 104-2,... Attached to obstacles 103-1, 103-2,. Thus, the identification information transmitted as the blinking signal by the light source 104 is acquired, and the obstacle 101 is recognized in which direction, so that the vehicle 101 travels avoiding the obstacle and the vehicle 101 autonomously follows the arrow 111. I will run. The present invention can be applied to an automatic traveling system and the like.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing device and method, a program, and a recording medium, and more particularly, to an information processing device and method, a program, and a recording medium that can perform autonomous movement at high speed and high robustness.

  In recent years, with the development of computers and communication technologies, researches for autonomously moving moving objects such as cars and robots have been actively conducted. For example, in the auto industry, research on automated driving is being conducted as part of ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) aiming at intelligent transportation systems. Here, for lateral steering control of automobiles, etc., detection of lane markers by CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera, measurement of own vehicle position by DPSG (Satellite Communication Position Detection System), vertical control of automobiles, etc. Techniques such as inter-vehicle distance control using laser radar and millimeter wave radar and acquisition of position information of nearby vehicles by wireless communication are used.

  In the field of robots, research on autonomous movement of humanoid robots has been actively conducted. Here, distance measurement using stereo cameras, obstacle recognition using image recognition technology, and markers embedded in the environment are used. Position recognition is performed.

  In the future, it is expected that an action schedule can be established in advance when controlling the actions of automobiles, robots, etc. by recognizing the positions and directions of a plurality of obstacles from a distance.

  A technique for recognizing information on the spatial position of an object based on a blinking signal transmitted from the object has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

WO2003 / 036829

  However, laser radars and millimeter wave radars such as those used in ITS only confirm the presence and distance of obstacles in a specific direction, and recognize each object when there are multiple obstacles. It is difficult to specify the correct position. Further, detection of a lane marker by a camera, etc. is premised on sensing (imaging) in close proximity, and it is difficult to detect a distant obstacle and control a travel route.

  Stereo cameras used for control of robots and image recognition take time, and it is difficult to control objects that move at high speed in real time. It cannot be said that the robustness is high with respect to changes in image quality and degradation of image quality due to noise.

  Thus, with the conventional technology, it has been impossible to construct a robust automatic traveling and autonomous moving system that can be applied to various environments at high speed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and makes it possible to perform autonomous movement with high speed and high robustness.

  The information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is capable of adjusting the focus of a blinking signal that is emitted from a light source attached to an obstacle whose position is fixed and in which information on the obstacle is coded. In a light receiving means for receiving light by a light receiving portion arranged two-dimensionally via an optical system, an acquisition means for decoding a blinking signal received by the light receiving means and acquiring information about the obstacle, and the light receiving means Control means for controlling the movement of the moving object based on the position of the light receiving unit of the sensor that has received light corresponding to the received blinking signal and information on the obstacle acquired by the acquisition means; Is provided.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying an obstacle, the light receiving means is fixedly attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means emits from the light source when the moving object is at the first position. When the moving object moves from the first position and is in the second position, the light receiving means receives the light emitted from the light source again, and the control means detects that the moving object is The direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source can be calculated based on the distance moved and the position of each light receiving unit that receives light at each of the first and second positions. .

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object, and the light source can be attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means can be attached to the obstacle.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying an obstacle, and two or more light receiving means are fixedly attached to a moving object, and light emitted from one light source is simultaneously received by the two light receiving means. Then, in each of the two light receiving means, the control means can calculate the direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source based on the position of the light receiving unit that has received the light.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object, and the light source can be attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means can be attached to the obstacle.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying an obstacle, and the light receiving means is attached so as to be movable in a preset direction on the moving object by a preset distance. When the light receiving means is at the first position, the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light source. When the light receiving means is at the second position, the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light source again, and the control means The direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source are calculated based on the distance moved by the light receiving means and the positions of the respective light receiving portions that have received light at each of the first and second positions. can do.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object, and the light source can be attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means can be attached to the obstacle.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying an obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle, and the light receiving means is fixedly attached to the moving object and attached to three different obstacles, respectively. The light emitted from the three light sources is simultaneously received by the light receiving means, and the control means is based on the information on the positions of the respective light receiving portions that have received the lights of the three light sources and the position of the obstacle included in the blinking signal. Thus, the direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source can be calculated.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object and information on the position of the moving object. The light source is attached to the moving object, the light receiving means is attached to the obstacle, and each of the three different obstacles. Three light receiving means attached to the object can simultaneously receive light emitted from the light source.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying an obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle, and each obstacle is formed with a predetermined polygonal vertex at each attachment position. A plurality of light sources are attached, and light emitted from three or more different light sources attached to one obstacle is simultaneously received by the light receiving means, and the control means has a polygonal shape and three or more light sources. The direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source can be calculated based on the information on the position of each light receiving unit that has received the light and the position of the obstacle included in the blinking signal. .

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle, and the position information of the autonomous mobile body obtained from GPS (Global Positioning System) mounted on the moving object, and The direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source can be calculated based on the information on the position of the obstacle included in the blinking signal.

  Light sources may be attached to both sides of the moving path of the moving object, and the control unit may control the moving object to move along the moving path.

  The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object, and the light source can be attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means can be attached to both sides of the moving path.

  The blink signal further includes an operation command for the moving object, and the control means can control the operation of the moving object based on the command included in the blink signal.

  The blinking signal may further include information related to the moving path of the moving object.

  The moving route is configured by combining a plurality of routes formed according to a predetermined standard, and the information on the moving route may include the length of the route and the curvature of the curve.

  A light source and a light receiving unit are attached to the moving object and the obstacle, respectively, so that optical communication can be performed between the moving object and the obstacle.

  In the information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the focus of a blinking signal that is emitted from a light source attached to an obstacle whose position is fixed and in which information on the obstacle is coded. Decoding the blinking signal received by the light receiving means that receives light in the two-dimensionally arranged light receiving unit via the optical system, and obtaining information about the obstacle; and the light received by the light receiving means Based on the position of the light receiving unit of the sensor that has received the light corresponding to the blinking signal and the information on the obstacle acquired by the processing of the acquiring step, the direction of the obstacle and the obstacle viewed from the moving object A specifying step of specifying a distance to the object, a direction of the obstacle specified by the processing of the specifying step, and a movement of the moving object according to the distance to the obstacle Control steps for controlling the operation.

  A program according to one aspect of the present invention is an optical system that can adjust a focal point of a blinking signal that is emitted from a light source attached to an obstacle whose position is fixed and in which information on the obstacle is coded. A flashing signal received by a light receiving means that receives light in a two-dimensionally arranged light receiving unit, and an acquisition control step for controlling acquisition of information on the obstacle, and the light received by the light receiving means Based on the position of the light receiving unit of the sensor that has received the light corresponding to the blinking signal, and information on the obstacle acquired by the processing of the acquisition control step, the direction of the obstacle and the obstacle viewed from the moving object A specific control step for controlling the specification of the distance to the object, the direction of the obstacle specified by the processing of the specific control step, and the distance to the obstacle. And a control step of controlling the movement of the moving object.

  In the information processing apparatus, method, and program according to one aspect of the present invention, a blinking signal that is emitted from a light source attached to an obstacle with a fixed position and that encodes information about the obstacle adjusts the focus. The light receiving unit arranged in a two-dimensional manner via an optical system capable of receiving and decoding the information about the obstacle, and receiving the light corresponding to the received blinking signal The direction of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle as seen from the moving object are specified based on the position and the acquired information on the obstacle, and the movement of the object according to the direction of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle Is controlled.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, autonomous movement can be performed. In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform autonomous movement with high speed and high robustness.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Correspondences between the configuration requirements of the present invention and the embodiments described in the detailed description of the present invention are exemplified as follows. This description is to confirm that the embodiments supporting the present invention are described in the detailed description of the invention. Accordingly, although there are embodiments that are described in the detailed description of the invention but are not described here as embodiments corresponding to the constituent elements of the present invention, It does not mean that the embodiment does not correspond to the configuration requirements. Conversely, even if an embodiment is described here as corresponding to a configuration requirement, that means that the embodiment does not correspond to a configuration requirement other than the configuration requirement. It's not something to do.

  One aspect of the present invention is that light emitted from a light source (eg, light source 104 of FIG. 1) attached to an obstacle with a fixed position (eg, obstacle 103 of FIG. 1), and information about the obstacle is encoded. The flashing signal thus received is received by a light receiving unit (for example, the light receiving cell 181 in FIG. 6) arranged in a two-dimensional manner via an optical system (for example, the lens 162 in FIG. 2) capable of adjusting the focus. A light receiving means (for example, the camera 102 in FIG. 1), an acquisition means (for example, the control unit 121 in FIG. 5) for decoding the blinking signal received by the light receiving means and acquiring information on the obstacle, and the light receiving Means for controlling the movement of the moving object based on the position of the light receiving portion of the sensor that has received light corresponding to the received blinking signal and information on the obstacle acquired by the acquiring means. It is an information processing apparatus provided with the control means (for example, movement control part 122 of FIG. 5) to control.

  In the information processing apparatus, the blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the obstacle, the light receiving unit is fixedly attached to the moving object, and the moving object is moved to a first position ( For example, when the light receiving means is at a position before movement in FIG. 7, the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light source, the moving object moves from the first position, and a second position (for example, , The light receiving means again receives the light emitted from the light source, and the control means receives the distance traveled by the moving object, the first and second The direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source are calculated based on the positions of the respective light receiving portions that have received light at each position (for example, the light receiving points A1 and A2 in FIG. 7). Can be.

  In this information processing apparatus, the blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object, the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means is attached to the obstacle (for example, FIG. 12).

  In this information processing apparatus, the blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object, the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means is attached to the obstacle (for example, FIG. 12).

  In this information processing apparatus, the blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object, the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means is attached to the obstacle (for example, FIG. 12).

  In this information processing apparatus, the blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle, and the light receiving means is fixedly attached to the moving object, and 3 Light emitted from three light sources (for example, light sources corresponding to points A to C in FIG. 8) attached to two different obstacles are simultaneously received by the light receiving means, and the control means includes: The direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source based on the information of the position of each light receiving unit that has received the light of the three light sources and the position of the obstacle included in the blinking signal Can be calculated.

  In this information processing apparatus, the blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object and information on the position of the moving object, the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving means is The three light receiving means attached to the obstacle (for example, attached as shown in FIG. 12), each attached to the three different obstacles, simultaneously receive the light emitted from the light source. Can be.

  In this information processing apparatus, the blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle, and each of the obstacles is a polygon in which each attachment position is predetermined. A plurality of the light sources are attached (for example, attached as light sources 104a-1 to 104c-1 in FIG. 9) so as to form vertices (for example, triangles whose length of each side is known), and Lights emitted from three or more different light sources attached to one obstacle are simultaneously received by the light receiving means, and the control means has the polygonal shape and the light of the three or more light sources. The direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the distance to the light source are calculated on the basis of information on the position of each light receiving unit that has received light and the position of the obstacle included in the blinking signal. It is possible.

  In this information processing apparatus, the light source is attached to both sides of a moving path (for example, the lane in FIG. 11) of the moving object, and the control unit moves the moving object along the moving path. Can be controlled.

  In the information processing apparatus, the blinking signal further includes an operation command (for example, traveling or stopping) for the moving object, and the control unit is configured to perform the operation based on the command included in the blinking signal. The movement of the moving object can be controlled.

  In this information processing apparatus, the movement route is configured by combining a plurality of routes (for example, lane 303 in FIG. 13) formed in accordance with a predetermined standard. Length and curve curvature can be included.

  One aspect of the present invention is that light emitted from a light source (eg, light source 104 of FIG. 1) attached to an obstacle with a fixed position (eg, obstacle 103 of FIG. 1), and information about the obstacle is encoded. The flashing signal thus received is received by a light receiving unit (for example, the light receiving cell 181 in FIG. 6) arranged in a two-dimensional manner via an optical system (for example, the lens 162 in FIG. 2) capable of adjusting the focus. The flashing signal received by the light receiving means (for example, the camera 102 in FIG. 1) is decoded, and an acquisition step (for example, step S102 in FIG. 10) for acquiring the information related to the obstacle is received. Based on the position of the light receiving unit of the sensor that has received light corresponding to the blinking signal and the information on the obstacle acquired by the processing of the acquiring step, the moving object is viewed. The step of specifying the direction of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle (for example, steps S104 and S105 in FIG. 10), the direction of the obstacle specified by the processing of the specification step, and the obstacle And a control step (for example, steps S107 and S109 in FIG. 10) for controlling the movement of the moving object according to the distance.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example according to an embodiment of a mobility control system to which the present invention is applied.

  In the figure, an automobile 101, which is a moving object, autonomously moves (runs) on a running road surface under the control of a movement control unit configured by a microcomputer, for example. A camera 102 is mounted on the top of the automobile 101.

  The camera 102 is configured to include a lens and an image sensor, and supplies a signal corresponding to the captured image to the movement control unit. The camera 102 detects light collected through the lens with an image sensor, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected light, for example.

  Cylindrical obstacles indicated by obstacles 103-1, 103-2,... Are provided on the traveling road surface. The obstacles 103-1, 103-2,... Are composed of, for example, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and the like, are light sources that emit light, and light sources 104-1 and 104-2 that blink at predetermined intervals. ... are attached to each. Here, only the obstacles 103-1 and 103-2 (light sources 104-1 and 104-2) are provided with symbols, but other obstacles and light sources have the same configuration. Obstacles 103-1, 103-2,... (Light sources 104-1, 104-2,...) Are described. .. Or the light sources 104-1, 104-2,... Are individually referred to as the obstacle 103 and the light source 104, respectively.

  The light source 104 of the obstacle 103 transmits identification information that can individually identify the obstacle 103 by a blinking signal of light. The automobile 101 acquires the identification information transmitted from the light source 104 by photographing the light source 104 with the camera 102 and recognizes which obstacle is in which direction, thereby avoiding the obstacle and traveling road surface. To move. In this example, for example, the automobile 101 travels autonomously according to an arrow 111 that passes between the obstacle 103-1 and the obstacle 103-2 and proceeds while avoiding obstacles thereafter.

  FIG. 2 shows the principle of imaging by the camera 102. As shown in the figure, the image of the light source 104-1 is formed on one pixel 171-1 on the image sensor 161 by the lens 162. Similarly, the images of the light sources 104-2 and 104-3 are formed on the pixels 171-2 and 171-3 on the image sensor 161 by the lens 162, respectively. Actually, the light sources 104-1 to 104-3 are imaged on a plurality of pixels instead of one pixel. That is, one light source is displayed by a plurality of pixels. In this case, the plurality of pixel data are added, and the blinking signal of the light source is read based on the added value.

  In the following, in order to simplify the description, it is assumed that an image of one light source is formed on one pixel unless otherwise specified.

  The obstacle 103 has an internal configuration as shown in FIG. 3, for example. In the figure, a clock generation unit 201 supplies a reference clock signal to the frame generation unit 202. The frame generation unit 202 generates a frame including identification information for identifying the obstacle 103 in synchronization with the clock supplied from the clock generation unit 201, for example.

  The transmission unit 203 encodes the frame supplied from the frame generation unit 202 into, for example, a Manchester code, and transmits a blinking signal by blinking the light source 104 based on the encoded data. That is, information is provided by presenting an image with changing brightness to the camera 102 of the automobile 101. The blinking is basically realized in a period in which the light is emitted (first period) and a period in which the emission is stopped (second period), but in the second period, the light is not necessarily complete. The light may be emitted at a level that can be distinguished from the first period without stopping the emission.

  The control unit 204 controls operations of the clock generation unit 201, the frame generation unit 402, and the transmission unit 203.

  The frame generated by the frame generation unit 202 has, for example, the format configuration shown in FIG. In this embodiment, a start bit (Start) is arranged at the head of the frame, identification information is arranged next, additional information is arranged next, FCS (Frame Check Sequence) is arranged next, Finally, a stop bit (Stop) is arranged.

  The start bit and stop bit represent the start position and stop position of the frame, respectively. The identification information is information that identifies (identifies) the obstacle 103. The identification information can be information that directly specifies the obstacle 103 as the presentation source that presents the image, but can also be information that is indirectly specified as long as the information can be finally specified. The additional information is, for example, information other than the identification information provided from the obstacle 103 to the automobile 101, and is information indicating the position, size, shape, etc. of the obstacle 103, and a command for controlling the running of the automobile 101. Information such as directions, local information, and advertisements can also be used.

  FCS (Frame Check Sequence) is a code for error correction.

  The automobile 101 has an internal configuration as shown in FIG. In this example, the automobile 101 is provided with a camera 102, a control unit 121, and a movement control unit 122.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the sensor chip 131 of the camera 102 basically includes a pixel array 151 and an analog memory array 152. The pixel array 151 corresponds to the image sensor 161 in FIG. In the pixel array 151, a plurality of light receiving cells 181 are arranged in a matrix. Similarly, the analog memory array 152 includes a plurality of memory cells 191 arranged in a matrix.

  The pixel V decoder 153 uses the vertical signal line 182 provided for each column of the light receiving cells 181 for pixel data of an image based on the light incident by the lens 162 in units of rows of the light receiving cells 181. Transfer to pixel H decoder 154 or to corresponding memory cell 191 of analog memory array 152. The pixel H decoder 154 outputs pixel data for each line input from the pixel array 151 as an image signal as necessary.

  The memory V decoder 155 outputs the pixel data held in each memory cell 191 of the analog memory array 152 to the comparator 156 for each line. The comparator 156 compares the sizes of the corresponding pixel data in the two frames, and outputs data as logic based on the comparison result to the memory H decoder 157. The memory H decoder 157 outputs the data input from the comparator 156 as an optical signal detection result output.

  In the sensor chip 131, not only the pixel data held in all the light receiving cells 181 of the pixel array 151 but also only the pixel data held in the light receiving cells 181 in a part of the range are supported by the analog memory array 152. It is possible to transfer the data to the memory cell 191 and compare only a part of the pixel data by the comparator 156. Also, it is possible to transfer or compare only arbitrary color components of the three colors R, G, and B.

  The control unit 121 in FIG. 5 performs predetermined processing on the optical signal detection result output, and outputs the processing result data to the movement control unit 122. The control unit 121 is generated by, for example, outputting information indicating the position of the light receiving cell of the sensor chip 131 that has received light emitted from the light source 104 or blinking the light source 104 based on the encoded data. Processing such as decoding the blinking signal to acquire identification information and additional information is performed. Based on the data supplied from the control unit 121, the movement control unit 122 causes the vehicle 101 to travel by performing control such as acceleration, deceleration, and change of the traveling direction of the vehicle 101.

  It should be noted that a normal image such as a view of the traveling road surface may also be captured by the sensor chip 131. Alternatively, a sensor chip 131 for receiving a blinking signal transmitted from the light source 104 and a sensor chip for capturing a normal image may be prepared separately. In this case, it is possible to appropriately adjust the optical axis and the angle of view in both sensor chips and combine the blinking signal and the image to have a new function. For example, the size and shape of the obstacle 103 can be recognized using image processing by superimposing the light receiving point of the blinking signal and the image captured when the blinking signal is received.

  The automobile 101 captures the blinking signal of the light from the same light source by the camera 102 at two positions while moving. Then, it is possible to calculate the distance to the light source using the change in the position of the pixel where the image of the light source in the image sensor 161 is captured, that is, information on the parallax. In this way, the automobile 101 acquires the identification information transmitted from the light source 104 and recognizes the obstacle 103, thereby moving the road surface avoiding the obstacle 103.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the calculation principle of the distance to the obstacle 103. Here, the distance from the camera 102 (the automobile 101) to the light source 104 (the obstacle 103) is calculated in the same manner as the principle of triangulation by stereo vision.

  The camera 102 on the automobile 101 receives the flashing signal from the light source 104 at a certain position (takes an image), and then receives the flashing signal from the light source 104 again when moving at a speed V for a time t. And Here, the distance L traveled by the automobile 101 can be obtained as the product of the speed V of the automobile 101 and the travel time t. The automobile 101 is assumed to move in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 162 of the camera 102 indicated by a dotted line having a vertical length in the drawing.

  The light emitted from the light source 104 at the position before the movement of the automobile 101 is condensed through the lens 162 as light centered on the arrow a11 and formed on the pixel corresponding to the point A1 on the image sensor 161. And Further, at a position after the automobile 101 has moved by the distance L, light emitted from the light source 104 is collected through the lens 162 as light centered on the arrow a12 and corresponds to the point A2 on the image sensor 161. Assume that an image is formed on a pixel. In this case, the distance between the points A1 and A2 on the image sensor 161 is the parallax Z at two points before and after the movement of the automobile 101. Note that the information on the points A1 and A2 is generated by the control unit 121 as information on the XY coordinates corresponding to the horizontal and vertical positions in the image sensor 161, for example.

  If the focal length of the lens 162 is f, the distance D from the lens 162 to the light source 104 can be obtained using the parallax Z at two points, the focal length f, and the distance L between the two points. That is, the distance D is calculated by the following equation.

  D = L × f / Z

  The calculation as described above is performed by the movement control unit 122 of the automobile 101, so that the automobile 101 calculates the distance to the obstacle 103.

  For example, in stereo vision that performs distance measurement by normal image processing, the same position in two captured images is detected (matching), so it takes time to perform arithmetic processing, and the subject and image quality are unclear. In some cases, however, the matching cannot be performed. However, in the present invention, since the flashing optical signal is detected, it is only necessary to match the position of the light source 104, and the arithmetic processing becomes easy and the robustness is improved. Even if a plurality of light sources enter the field of view of the camera at the same time, it is possible to distinguish each light source by discriminating each identification information.

  Furthermore, the automobile 101 can recognize the direction in which the obstacle 103 is present based on the positions of the points A1 and A2.

  In this way, the automobile 101 can acquire information on the distance and direction to a plurality of obstacles that fall within the viewing angle of the camera 102. If a new obstacle is found in the camera field of view while traveling, the same operation is performed again, and information on the distance and direction to the obstacle is acquired (recognized). Thereby, for example, the automobile 101 can determine a travel route that can avoid an obstacle, and can travel autonomously while controlling the traveling direction along the travel route.

  Here, the case where the automobile 101 moves perpendicularly to the optical axis of the lens 162 has been described as an example. However, the movement direction of the automobile 101 is not perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 162 or the optical axis rotates. Even in this case, if there is a means for knowing the rotation angle, the distance from the lens to the light source can be calculated from the same geometric calculation.

  Here, an example in which one camera 102 is mounted on the automobile 101 has been described. For example, two cameras 102-1 and 102-2 are mounted at two predetermined locations on the automobile 101. You may do it. As a result, the image of one light source 104 can be simultaneously captured by the two cameras 102-1 and 102-2. Note that the mounting positions of the cameras 102-1 and 102-2 are known, and the same lens 162 and image sensor 161 are provided in each of the two cameras.

  In this case, optical signals from the same light source 104 are simultaneously received at different coordinate positions (points) on the image sensors of the respective cameras due to differences in parallax. The distance between the point (coordinate) at which the optical signal is received on the image sensor of the camera 102-1 and the point (coordinate) at which the optical signal is received on the image sensor of the camera 102-2 is parallax. Thereby, from the so-called stereo vision principle, the distance to the light source can be measured from the magnitude of the parallax and the installation interval between the two cameras.

  In this way, the distance and direction to the obstacle 103 can be recognized without moving the automobile 101.

  In this case, the distance between the lens and the light source can be calculated by replacing the distance L, which is the distance traveled by the automobile 101 in FIG. 7, with a fixed interval between the two cameras. .

  Alternatively, for example, the camera 102 is placed on a rail having a predetermined length provided on the upper part of the automobile 101, and the camera 102 slides at a sufficiently high speed from one end to the other end on the rail. If possible, it is possible to capture the image of one light source 104 almost simultaneously at two different points with one camera 102. Therefore, from the so-called stereo vision principle, the distance to the light source can be measured from the magnitude of the parallax and the moving distance of the camera (in this case, the length of the rail).

  In this way, the distance and direction to the obstacle 103 can be recognized without moving the automobile 101.

  In the above, an example has been described in which the camera 102 is moved to two different points and the light source 104 is imaged to recognize the relative positional relationship between the obstacle 103 (light source 104) and itself. In the signal emitted from the light source 104, for example, if information (for example, coordinates) indicating the position of the obstacle 103 to which the light source 104 is attached is added as additional information and transmitted, the camera 102 can be It is also possible to recognize the relative positional relationship between the obstacle 103 (light source 104) and itself without moving to two different points.

  In this way, the automobile 101 can obtain information on the position of the obstacle 103 by capturing the blinking signal transmitted from the light source 104 with the camera 102 and decoding the blinking signal. As a result, as described above, the automobile 101 can calculate the distance between itself and the obstacle 103 without receiving the blinking signal at two points.

  However, in this case, if only the blinking signal emitted from one obstacle 103 (light source 104) is received at one point, the absolute position of the obstacle can be grasped. I don't know the relative relationship. Therefore, the obstacles 103 are arranged (or the camera 102 is adjusted) so that three or more obstacles 103 enter the viewing angle of the camera 102. If the position information signals of the three obstacles 103 can be acquired in this way, the distances from the automobile 101 to the respective obstacles 103 can be calculated uniquely.

  A method for calculating the distance to the obstacle 103 in this case will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, points A to C respectively correspond to positions of three light sources (for example, light sources 104-1 to 104-3). Here, in order to simplify the description, it is assumed that an equilateral triangle whose one side is a distance K is formed by points A to C.

  It is assumed that light emitted from the light source 104-1 (point A) is collected by the lens 162 as light centered on the arrow a21 and formed on a pixel corresponding to the point P1 on the image sensor 161. Similarly, light emitted from the light source 104-2 (point B) or the light source 104-3 (point C) is collected by the lens 162 as light centered on the arrow b21 or c21, and is a point on the image sensor 161. Assume that images are formed on pixels corresponding to P2 or P3.

  For example, when the distance between the lens 162 and the point A (light source 104-1) is obtained, the distance is calculated as follows.

  In the figure, the distance between the point that is shown by a dotted line having a length in the left-right direction and passes through the point A and is perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 162 and the arrow a21 or c21 intersects is H, and the same line ( A point where a dotted line) intersects with a line connecting points B and C is defined as C ′. The distance H can be obtained from the sine theorem for the triangle ABC ′ as follows:

  H = L x sin (60 °) / sin (t)

  Here, the angle t is an angle formed between a line connecting the point A and the point C ′ and a line connecting the point C ′ and the point B, and is obtained from the coordinates of the points P1 to P3 on the image sensor. It is possible to calculate based on the angles u1 and u2.

  Now, assuming that the focal length of the lens is f and the parallax that is the distance between the points P1 and P3 is Z, the distance D from the lens 162 to the point A (light source 104-1) can be obtained by the following equation. .

  D = H x f / Z

  In this way, the automobile 101 can recognize the distance and direction to the obstacle 103. In this way, the automobile 101 can recognize its own position corresponding to the position of the obstacle 103-1 (light source 104-1) to the obstacle 103-3 (light source 104-3). It becomes. Thereby, for example, the user's position can be specified in the same coordinate system as the coordinates representing the positions of the obstacles 103-1 to 103-3 included in the signals emitted from the light sources 104-1 to 104-3. As a result, it becomes possible to recognize the relative relationship between the position of the obstacle 103 and itself.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example according to another embodiment of the mobility control system to which the present invention is applied. In this example, as in FIG. 1, a car 101 that is a moving object and has a camera 102 passes between the obstacle 103-1 and the obstacle 103-2 and avoids obstacles thereafter. Although the automobile 101 travels autonomously according to the arrow 111, the three light sources 104a to 104c are attached to each of the plurality of obstacles 103, unlike the case of FIG. In each obstacle 103, the three light sources 104a to 104c are attached so that, for example, one side forms the vertex of an equilateral triangle having the same length, and the length of one side of the equilateral triangle is For example, it is assumed that the control unit 121 of the automobile 101 is stored in advance.

  Each of the light sources 104a-1 to 104c-1 transmits information indicating the position of the obstacle 103-1 to which the light source 104a-1 is attached, together with identification information for identifying the obstacle 103-1, as a blinking signal. Each of the light sources 104a-2 to 104c-2 transmits information indicating the position of the obstacle 103-2 to which the light sources 104a-2 to 104c-2 are attached together with identification information for identifying the obstacle 103-2 as a blinking signal.

  Then, the automobile 101 simultaneously images the light sources 104a-1 to 104c-1 with the camera 102, acquires information indicating the position of the obstacle 103-1 emitted from the light sources 104a-1 to 104c-1, and obtains the information shown in FIG. As described above with reference to, the distance and direction to the obstacle 103-1 are recognized by calculating the distance between the lens and the light source. In addition, the automobile 101 simultaneously images the light sources 104a-2 to 104c-2 with the camera 102, acquires information indicating the position of the obstacle 103-1 emitted from the light sources 104a-2 to 104c-2, and performs FIG. As described above with reference to FIG. 5, the distance and direction to the obstacle 103-2 are recognized by calculating the distance between the lens and the light source.

  In this way, since it is not necessary to move the camera 102 to two different points and image one light source 104, the distance and direction to the obstacle can be set in a shorter time than in the case of FIG. Can be recognized by the automobile 101.

  In the example of FIG. 9, without moving the camera 102 to two different points and imaging one light source 104, the car 101 moves relative to the obstacle 103 and its position (how far and in what direction the obstacle In order to make it possible to accurately recognize whether the object 103 exists, an example in which three light sources are attached to one obstacle has been described. For example, the automobile 101 has its own position information (for example, If coordinates can be obtained, the camera 102 can be moved to two different points by attaching only one light source as shown in FIG. 1 without attaching three light sources to one obstacle as shown in FIG. Thus, the vehicle 101 can accurately recognize the relative relationship between the obstacle 103 and its own position without imaging one light source 104.

  In this case, for example, if the vehicle 101 is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) system or the like, information on its own position in the same coordinate system as information (coordinates) representing the position of the obstacle 103 is acquired. Good. For example, information on the position of the obstacle 103 included in the blinking signal emitted from the light source 104 of the obstacle 103 is information indicating the latitude and longitude of the point where the obstacle 103 exists, and exists by the GPS of the automobile 101 ( What is necessary is just to acquire the latitude longitude of the point which is driving | running | working. In this way, the automobile 101 accurately recognizes the relative relationship between the obstacle 103 and its own position only by imaging with the camera 102 one light source that transmits information on the position of the obstacle 103. be able to.

  Next, the movement control process by the automobile 101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S101, the movement control unit 122 of the automobile 101 starts the movement of the automobile 101. Thereby, the automobile 101 travels on a traveling road surface in a predetermined direction (for example, forward direction).

  In step S102, the movement control unit 102 acquires information based on the blinking signal emitted from the light source 104 from the camera 102 (actually the control unit 121). At this time, for example, the signal output from the sensor chip 131 is decoded and the identification information of the obstacle 103 is acquired.

  In step S103, the movement control unit 122 determines whether an obstacle 103 is newly detected. For example, when the control unit 121 outputs information about the obstacle 103 (for example, identification information) to the movement control unit 122 by the process of step S102, it is determined that the obstacle 103 is newly detected in step S102. In addition, when the information regarding the obstacle 103 output from the sensor chip 131 includes the identification information of the obstacle 103 that has already been detected, it is not determined in step S103 that the obstacle 103 is newly detected.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S103 that no new obstacle 103 has been detected, steps S104 to S107 described later are skipped, and the process proceeds to step S108.

  If it is determined in step S103 that a new obstacle 103 has been detected, the process proceeds to step S104, and the movement control unit 122 receives the light emitted from the light source 104, which is output from the control unit 121. The direction in which the obstacle 103 exists is specified based on information indicating the position (light receiving point) of the light receiving cell of the sensor chip 131.

  In step S105, the movement control unit 122 receives the light output from the light source 104, which is output from the control unit 121, based on information indicating the position (light reception point) of the light receiving cell of the sensor chip 131, and the like. As described above with reference to FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, the distance to the obstacle 103 is calculated and specified.

  In step S106, the movement control unit 122 determines whether or not the distance to the obstacle 103 specified by the process in step S105 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Here, the threshold value is a distance value set in advance, for example, and is a distance that can avoid the obstacle 103 by changing the traveling direction of the traveling automobile 101 within the distance. Value.

  If it is determined in step S106 that the distance to the obstacle 103 is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the obstacle 103 can be avoided while traveling, so the process proceeds to step S107, and the movement control unit 122 Control such as steering the wheels of the automobile 101 is performed to change the moving direction of the automobile 101.

  If it is determined in step S106 that the distance to the obstacle 103 is not greater than or equal to the threshold value, the obstacle 103 cannot be avoided while traveling, so the process proceeds to step S109 and the movement control unit 122 is performed. Stops the automobile 101.

  After the process of step S107, the process proceeds to step S108, and the movement control unit 122 determines whether an end of movement has been commanded. For example, when a signal for ending the movement transmitted from a remote commander (not shown) is received, it is determined that the movement is instructed, the process proceeds to step S109, and the movement control unit 122 stops the automobile 101. . On the other hand, if it is determined in step S108 that the end of movement has not been commanded, the process returns to step S102, and the subsequent processes are repeatedly executed.

  In this way, the movement of the automobile 101 is controlled. In this way, the automobile 101 can travel autonomously avoiding the obstacle 103.

  In the above description, the example in which the light source 104 is attached to the obstacle 103 has been described. For example, the light source 104 is arranged on a white line indicating a lane on the road surface of the automobile 101 as shown in FIG. May be. By doing in this way, it becomes possible to drive the automobile 101 along the lane.

  In the above description, an example in which the light source 104 is attached to the obstacle 103 and the light source 104 is imaged by the camera 102 attached to the automobile 101 has been described. On the contrary, the light source 104 is attached to the automobile 101. The light source 104 can be imaged by the camera 102 attached to the obstacle 103.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example according to still another embodiment of a mobility control system to which the present invention is applied. In this example, as in FIG. 1, the automobile 101 that is a moving object autonomously follows an arrow 111 that passes between the obstacle 103-1 and the obstacle 103-2 and travels away from the obstacle thereafter. Unlike the case of FIG. 1, the light source 104 is attached to the automobile 101, and each of the plurality of obstacles 103-1, 103-2,. 2, ... are attached.

  In FIG. 12, the automobile 101 transmits identification information and additional information (for example, an ID code, information on the position of the automobile 101, etc.) that can identify the automobile 101 as a blinking signal using the light source 104. The obstacle 103 captures the light source 104 by the camera 102, decodes the blinking signal, etc. to acquire the identification information and additional information of the automobile 101, and based on the acquired information, the distance between itself and the automobile 101 , And information indicating how far and in what direction the obstacle 103 exists when viewed from the automobile 101 is transmitted to the automobile 101 using, for example, RF wireless communication, and the automobile 101 receives the information. The car 101 recognizes the distance and direction to the obstacle 103 based on the information received from the obstacle 103 and travels autonomously so as to avoid the obstacle 103.

  In this case, the obstacle 103 first recognizes the distance and direction between the automobile 101 and itself (the obstacle 103), but recognizes the distance and direction between the automobile 101 and itself (the obstacle 103). A plurality of methods are conceivable as in the case described above.

  For example, when the obstacle 103 knows the traveling direction and speed of the automobile 101 in advance, as described above with reference to FIG. Thus, the distance and direction between the automobile 103 and itself (the obstacle 103) can be recognized. In this case, in FIG. 7, the light source 104 is replaced with the camera 102, the lens 162 (camera 102) is replaced with the light source 104, and the geometric relationship does not change. The distance between the car 101 and the obstacle 103 can be calculated.

  It is also possible to install two cameras on one obstacle and calculate the distance to the obstacle based on the principle of stereo vision. Furthermore, one camera can slide quickly enough on a rail. Then, the light source 104 can be imaged at two different points, and the distance to the automobile 101 can be calculated based on the principle of stereo vision. In this way, the distance and direction to the obstacle 103 can be recognized without moving the automobile 101.

  In addition, if a plurality of obstacles 103 on the road surface of the automobile 101 can image the light source 104 of the automobile 101 with the camera 102 attached thereto, the information is collected and the position of the automobile 101 is specified. can do.

  For example, an arithmetic device capable of communicating with a plurality of obstacles 103 is provided, and three obstacles 103-1 to 103-3 are used, and the cameras 102-1 to 102-3 attached to the respective obstacles are used. At the same time, the light source 104 is imaged, and information representing the light receiving points on the image sensors of the respective cameras is transmitted to the computing device together with information representing the positions of the obstacles 103-1 to 103-3. Based on the information transmitted from 103-1 to 103-3, information representing the distance and direction between the obstacle 103 and the automobile 101 can be obtained based on the same principle as described above with reference to FIG.

  In this way, as described above, the distance between the automobile 101 and the obstacle 103 can be calculated without imaging the light source at two different points and receiving a blinking signal.

  Furthermore, if the three light sources 104a to 104c are set so as to form triangle vertices of a predetermined size and shape on the automobile 101, the positions of the light sources are specified by simultaneously receiving these light sources with the camera 102. it can. That is, in the case of FIG. 9 described above, the example in which three light sources are attached to one obstacle has been described, but conversely, three light sources are attached to one automobile. In this way, it is possible to accurately recognize the relative relationship between the position of the automobile 101 and the obstacle 103 based on the blinking signal imaged by one camera 102.

  Alternatively, a GPS may be mounted on the automobile 101, and information on the position of the automobile 101 acquired by GPS may be transmitted from the light source 104 as a blinking signal. In this way, the relative relationship between the position of the automobile 101 and the obstacle 103 can be accurately recognized based on the blinking signal of one light source 104 captured by one camera 102.

  Further, each of the plurality of cameras 102-1, 102-2,... Is arranged on a white line indicating a lane on the traveling road surface of the automobile 101, and the automobile 101 is driven along the lane. It is also possible to make it.

  Up to this point, each of the example of attaching a light source to an obstacle and attaching a camera to an automobile and the example of attaching a light source to an automobile and attaching a camera to an obstacle have been described. It is also possible to attach a camera and a light source. In this case, the method for recognizing the distance and direction between the vehicle and the obstacle can be applied to all the examples described above, and both the vehicle and the obstacle transmit a blinking signal using a light source. Since the blinking signal can be received by the camera, for example, communication by optical communication can be performed between an automobile and an obstacle.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example according to still another embodiment of a mobility control system to which the present invention is applied.

  In this example, the toy 301 of the automobile is a moving object that travels autonomously. The toy 301 travels in the direction of the arrow in the figure on, for example, a plurality of lanes 303-1, 303-2,... Standardized so that the user can freely combine them. A camera 302 having a lens and an image sensor is attached to the top of the toy 301, and the camera 302 is configured to supply a signal corresponding to the captured image to the movement control unit of the toy 301. .

  .. Are attached to the lanes 303-1, 303-2,... Note that the lanes 301-1, 301-2,... Or the light sources 304-1, 304-2,.

  The lane 301 has a width that allows the toy 301 to travel, and is configured to have a plurality of types of shapes that are standardized in advance. For example, the lane 301-1 has a shape standardized as a straight line having a predetermined length, and the lane 301-2 is standardized as a curve having a predetermined length with a predetermined radius (R). It has a shape. In addition, a light source 304 is attached to a predetermined predetermined portion of the lane 301. In this example, a light source 304 is provided at the lower left end portion of the lane 301 when viewed from the traveling direction of the toy 301.

  For example, the lane 301 has the same internal configuration as that described above with reference to FIG. 3, and additional information including information representing its own shape is added to the light source 304 along with identification information for identifying itself. Transmitted as a blinking signal from. The toy 301 has, for example, the same internal configuration as described above with reference to FIG. 5, and decodes the blinking signal transmitted from the light source 304 of the lane 301 to identify the lane 301 identification information and additional information. To get.

  The toy 301 captures an image of the light source 304 of the lane 301 to be traveled by the camera 302 while traveling. For example, the toy 301 calculates the distance from itself to the light source 104 based on the principle of stereo vision as described above with reference to FIG. 7, decodes the flashing signal, and shapes (lengths) of the lane 301 to be run from now on , Curve radius, etc.).

  By doing in this way, the toy 301 can recognize in advance the shape of the lane to be traveled and the distance to the lane in advance, and can travel autonomously on the lane 301.

  In addition, as described above, if the signal indicating the shape of the lane 301 is transmitted from the light source 304, the toy 301 can run autonomously along the lane without actually laying the lane. It is. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of this case. In the figure, parts corresponding to those in FIG.

  In the case of FIG. 14, unlike the case of FIG. 13, the lane 301 is not laid and only the light source 304 is attached. However, as described above, the toy 301 can recognize the shape of the road surface to be traveled and the distance to the road in advance based on the blinking signal emitted from the light source 304. It is possible to travel autonomously along a traveling course as if traveling on an imaginary lane indicated by a dotted line in the figure.

  In the example shown in FIG. 13 or FIG. 14, the number of cameras 302, the method of attaching the cameras 302, the number of light sources 304 to be imaged simultaneously, the number of light sources 304 attached to one lane 303, As for the method for acquiring the position, etc., a plurality of combinations are conceivable as in the case described above. Further, the camera 302 can be attached to the lane 301 and the light source 304 can be attached to the toy 301.

  Further, in the above, an example in which information such as position information or lane shape is used as additional information included in the blinking signal has been described. However, for example, information supporting driving of a car or a toy is transmitted as additional information. You may make it do. As information for supporting driving, for example, when the value of the distance between the obstacles of the automobile becomes smaller than a preset value (when the automobile approaches the obstacle to a predetermined distance), a command for stopping the automobile ( Or a command to slow down), or information on roads ahead of obstacles, traffic information such as traffic jams and accidents, and other warnings, etc. A control system can be provided.

  Furthermore, if movement control corresponding to the type of obstacle specified by the identification information or the like is set in advance in a car or a toy, for example, when a blinking signal indicating a guardrail is acquired, a predetermined signal is transmitted from the source of the signal. It is also possible to perform a standardized operation such as traveling at a position more than the distance.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately control the movement of an autonomously moving object. For example, many conventional in-vehicle distance measuring devices use millimeter radars, infrared laser radars, etc., but these can accurately measure the distance to the car ahead, Since the signal emitted from one transmitter is received by one receiver, it can be confirmed that an object (obstacle) is present ahead, but it is difficult to detect an accurate direction. . Further, in the case of a conventional in-vehicle distance measuring device or the like, when there are a plurality of objects in front, it is impossible to recognize the relative positional relationship between these objects.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, since the flashing signal of the light is detected by the image sensor, the identification information included in the flashing signal and the light receiving point that has received the flashing signal even if a plurality of obstacles exist in the vicinity. Based on the above, each obstacle can be recognized independently, and the distance and direction to each obstacle can be recognized accurately. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to avoid obstacles arranged in a complicated manner and to travel on complicated traveling routes.

  The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware, or can be executed by software. When the above-described series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software executes various functions by installing a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware or various programs. For example, a general-purpose personal computer 500 as shown in FIG. 15 is installed from a network or a recording medium.

  In FIG. 15, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501 executes various processes according to a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502 or a program loaded from a storage unit 508 to a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503. To do. The RAM 503 also appropriately stores data necessary for the CPU 501 to execute various processes.

  The CPU 501, ROM 502, and RAM 503 are connected to each other via a bus 504. An input / output interface 505 is also connected to the bus 504.

  The input / output interface 505 includes an input unit 506 including a keyboard and a mouse, a display including a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and an LCD (Liquid Crystal display), an output unit 507 including a speaker, a hard disk, and the like. A communication unit 509 including a storage unit 508, a network interface card such as a modem and a LAN card, and the like is connected. A communication unit 509 performs communication processing via a network including the Internet.

  A drive 510 is connected to the input / output interface 505 as necessary, and a removable medium 511 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory is appropriately attached, and a computer program read from them is loaded. It is installed in the storage unit 508 as necessary.

  When the above-described series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software is installed from a network such as the Internet or a recording medium such as the removable medium 511.

  The recording medium shown in FIG. 15 is a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk (registered trademark)) on which a program is recorded, which is distributed to distribute the program to the user, separately from the apparatus main body. Removable media consisting of optical disks (including CD-ROM (compact disk-read only memory), DVD (digital versatile disk)), magneto-optical disks (including MD (mini-disk) (registered trademark)), or semiconductor memory It includes not only those configured by 511 but also those configured by a ROM 502 on which a program is recorded, a hard disk included in the storage unit 508, and the like distributed to the user in a state of being incorporated in the apparatus main body in advance.

  The steps of executing the series of processes described above in this specification are performed in parallel or individually even if they are not necessarily processed in time series, as well as processes performed in time series in the order described. It also includes processing.

It is a figure which shows the structural example which concerns on one Embodiment of the movement control system to which this invention is applied. 2 is a diagram illustrating the principle of imaging by a camera 102. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the example of an internal structure of the obstruction of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the format of the flame | frame produced | generated by the flame | frame production | generation part of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structural example of the motor vehicle of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the sensor chip of FIG. It is a figure explaining the example of the calculation principle of the distance to an obstruction. It is a figure explaining another example of the calculation principle of the distance to an obstruction. It is a figure which shows the structural example which concerns on another one Embodiment of the movement control system to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart explaining the example of a movement control process. It is a figure which shows the structural example which concerns on another one Embodiment of the movement control system to which this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the structural example which concerns on another one Embodiment of the movement control system to which this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the structural example which concerns on another one Embodiment of the movement control system to which this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the structural example which concerns on another one Embodiment of the movement control system to which this invention is applied. And FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a personal computer.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Movement control system, 101 Car, 102 Camera, 103 Obstacle, 104 Light source, 121 Control part, 122 Movement control part, 131 Sensor chip, 161 Image sensor, 162 Lens, 202 Frame generation part, 203 Transmission part, 204 Control part

Claims (20)

A blinking signal emitted from a light source attached to an obstacle with a fixed position and encoded with information on the obstacle is arranged two-dimensionally via an optical system capable of adjusting the focus. A light receiving means for receiving light at the light receiving portion;
An acquisition means for decoding the flashing signal received by the light receiving means and acquiring information on the obstacle;
In the light receiving means, the movement of the moving object is controlled based on the position of the light receiving portion of the sensor that has received the light corresponding to the received blinking signal and information on the obstacle acquired by the acquiring means. And an information processing apparatus. The blinking signal includes identification information that identifies the obstacle,
The light receiving means is fixedly attached to the moving object,
When the moving object is at the first position, the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light source,
When the moving object moves from the first position and is in the second position, the light receiving means receives the light emitted from the light source again,
The control means is configured to determine the direction of the light source viewed from the moving object and the direction of the light source based on the distance moved by the moving object and the position of each light receiving unit that receives light at each of the first and second positions. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance to the light source is calculated. The blinking signal includes identification information that identifies the moving object,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving unit is attached to the obstacle. The blinking signal includes identification information that identifies the obstacle,
Two or more light receiving means are fixedly attached to the moving object;
The light emitted from one light source is simultaneously received by the two light receiving means,
The control unit calculates a direction of the light source and a distance to the light source as viewed from the moving object based on a position of a light receiving unit that receives the light in each of the two light receiving units. The information processing apparatus described. The blinking signal includes identification information that identifies the moving object,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving unit is attached to the obstacle. The blinking signal includes identification information that identifies the obstacle,
The light receiving means is mounted on the moving object in a preset direction so as to be movable by a preset distance,
When the light receiving means is in the first position, the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light source;
When the light receiving means is in the second position, the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light source again,
The control means is configured to determine the direction of the light source and the light source as viewed from the moving object based on the distance moved by the light receiving means and the position of each light receiving portion that has received light at each of the first and second positions. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance to the information is calculated. The blinking signal includes identification information that identifies the moving object,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving unit is attached to the obstacle. The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle,
The light receiving means is fixedly attached to the moving object,
The light emitted from the three light sources attached to the three different obstacles is simultaneously received by the light receiving means,
The control means is configured to determine the direction of the light source viewed from the moving object based on the position of each light receiving unit that has received light from the three light sources and the position information of the obstacle included in the blinking signal. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance to the light source is calculated. The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the moving object and information on the position of the moving object,
The light source is attached to the moving object, the light receiving means is attached to the obstacle, and each of the three light receiving means attached to the three different obstacles simultaneously emits light emitted from the light source. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, which receives light. The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle,
A plurality of the light sources are attached to one obstacle so that each attachment position forms a predetermined polygonal vertex,
Light emitted from three or more different light sources attached to the one obstacle is simultaneously received by the light receiving means,
The control means moves based on information on the polygonal shape, the position of each light receiving unit that has received light from the three or more light sources, and the position of the obstacle included in the blinking signal. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a direction of the light source viewed from an object and a distance to the light source are calculated. The blinking signal includes identification information for identifying the obstacle and information on the position of the obstacle,
Based on the position information of the autonomous moving body acquired from the GPS (Global Positioning System) mounted on the moving object and the position information of the obstacle included in the blinking signal, it is seen from the moving object. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a direction to the light source and a distance to the light source are calculated. Attach the light source on both sides of the moving path of the moving object,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the moving object to move along the movement path. The blinking signal includes identification information that identifies the moving object,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the light source is attached to the moving object, and the light receiving unit is attached to both sides of the moving path. The blinking signal further includes an operation command for the moving object,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls an operation of the moving object based on a command included in the blinking signal. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the blinking signal further includes information regarding a moving route of the moving object. The information according to claim 10, wherein the movement route is configured by combining a plurality of routes formed according to a predetermined standard, and the information on the movement route includes a length of the route and a curvature of the curve. Processing equipment. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source and the light receiving unit are attached to the moving object and the obstacle, respectively, and optical communication is performed between the moving object and the obstacle. A blinking signal emitted from a light source attached to an obstacle with a fixed position and encoded with information on the obstacle is arranged two-dimensionally via an optical system capable of adjusting the focus. An acquisition step of decoding the blinking signal received by the light receiving means that receives light at the light receiving unit, and acquiring information about the obstacle;
The light receiving means is viewed from a moving object based on the position of the light receiving unit of the sensor that has received light corresponding to the received blinking signal and information on the obstacle acquired by the processing of the acquiring step. A specific step of identifying a direction of the obstacle and a distance to the obstacle;
An information processing method comprising: a control step of controlling an action of the moving object according to a direction of the obstacle specified by the processing of the specifying step and a distance to the obstacle. A blinking signal emitted from a light source attached to an obstacle with a fixed position and encoded with information on the obstacle is arranged two-dimensionally via an optical system capable of adjusting the focus. An acquisition control step of decoding the blinking signal received by the light receiving means that receives light at the light receiving unit, and controlling acquisition of information about the obstacle;
From the moving object based on the position of the light receiving unit of the sensor that has received the light corresponding to the received blinking signal and information on the obstacle acquired by the processing of the acquisition control step in the light receiving means. A specific control step for controlling the identification of the direction of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle;
A program that causes a computer to execute a control step of controlling the movement of the moving object in accordance with the direction of the obstacle specified by the processing of the specific control step and the distance to the obstacle.   A recording medium on which the program according to claim 19 is recorded.

Images