JP2013008307A - Surroundings monitoring device for pedestrian - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a pedestrian periphery monitoring device that can prevent a pedestrian from colliding with an object in the vicinity of an approaching pedestrian.
The present invention is detachably attached to a pedestrian and approaches a pedestrian from the pedestrian's periphery from a camera 10 that captures the pedestrian's periphery centered on the pedestrian and an image captured by the camera. An approaching object detection means 11 for detecting an object, a risk determination means 11 for determining a risk of collision of an object approaching a pedestrian with a pedestrian from an image taken by a camera, and when the determined risk is high The alarm means 4 and 11 are used to notify the pedestrian that the object is approaching. With this configuration, when an object approaching the pedestrian has a risk of colliding with the pedestrian, the pedestrian is notified of the fact, so the pedestrian receives the same notification and collides with the approaching object. If you do it, you can avoid collisions.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a pedestrian periphery monitoring device used by pedestrians.

When walking in a city or the like, a pedestrian may not notice an approaching object such as a person approaching or a bicycle from around the pedestrian. For example, when thinking, it tends to occur when the speed of an approaching object suddenly increases. In such a case, the pedestrian may have trouble colliding with an approaching object.
Therefore, a pedestrian wears a glasses-type display device as disclosed in Patent Document 1, transmits an image of the pedestrian's surroundings to the pedestrian's eyes, and recognizes an approaching object by the pedestrian. Technology has been proposed.

JP 2006-217520 A

However, Patent Document 1 only displays the situation around the pedestrian who is the wearer, and the determination of the risk of collision depends on the pedestrian. For this reason, the possibility that a pedestrian and an approaching object collide is unavoidable.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pedestrian periphery monitoring device that can prevent a pedestrian from colliding with an object around a pedestrian approaching.

  The pedestrian perimeter monitoring device according to claim 1 is detachably attached to a pedestrian, and includes a camera that captures a pedestrian around the pedestrian and an image captured by the camera. An approaching object detection means for detecting an object approaching the pedestrian, a risk determination means for determining a risk of an object approaching the pedestrian colliding with the pedestrian from an image captured by the camera, and the determined risk When it is high, it is provided with notifying means for notifying the pedestrian that the object is approaching.

According to the same configuration, if there is a risk that an object approaching the pedestrian collides with the pedestrian, the pedestrian is notified. Therefore, the pedestrian notices an approaching object that may collide and takes action to avoid a collision with the approaching object.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in order to make a pedestrian aware of an approaching object that may cause a pedestrian to collide with a simple process of an image captured by the camera, the camera includes a pedestrian's surroundings The approaching object detection means sets an approach judgment line at a predetermined distance around the body of the pedestrian image photographed by the camera, and from the entrance of the object image to the inside of the approach judgment line to the pedestrian The approaching object is detected, and the risk determination means calculates a relative speed between the object image entering from the approach determination line and the pedestrian image, and is necessary for avoiding a collision between the pedestrian and the object from the relative speed. Calculate the relative distance, set a warning line around the pedestrian image at the same distance, calculate the risk of collision from the relative speed and relative distance between the pedestrian and the object, and the notification means As a high-risk point, When an object image to be near enters the alert line inward, and shall make alert to avoid collision with an object to pedestrians.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the approaching object detecting means has a function of selecting an object image that approaches the pedestrian first among a plurality of object images photographed by the camera so that the approaching object can be easily handled. It was supposed to be.
In the invention according to claim 4, the approach determination line and the alert line are set around the body of the pedestrian image so that attention is appropriately drawn according to individual differences in the pedestrian's physique. The body boundary surface that touches the body edge of the image is set, and then the body boundary surface is set as a reference.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the notification means guides the image captured by the camera to the eyes of the pedestrian so that the collision avoidance information is appropriately transmitted to the pedestrian. At least one of a display unit that displays information that urges collision avoidance to the approaching object image and an earphone that conveys audio information that urges object collision avoidance to the pedestrian's ear when the degree of danger is high It was supposed to be composed.

  The invention according to claim 6 further includes a spectacle-shaped wearing tool having left and right lenses and left and right temples that can be worn by a pedestrian so that the apparatus can be compactly integrated. As a camera, a camera that takes a wide-angle image of the pedestrian's shoulders and the periphery including the front and rear of the pedestrian is provided. A display unit as a means is provided, and an earphone as a notification means is provided in the temple.

According to the invention of claim 1, when an object existing around the pedestrian approaches a point where there is a risk of collision with the pedestrian, the object is approaching even if the pedestrian does not notice the approaching object. With this notification, the pedestrian can notice the approaching object and take action to avoid a collision with the approaching object.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pedestrian from colliding with objects around the pedestrian.
According to the invention of claim 2, the pedestrian can be made aware of an approaching object that may cause a collision to the pedestrian by simple processing of an image captured by the camera.

According to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to more easily deal with an approaching object.
According to the invention of claim 4, it is possible to appropriately call attention in accordance with individual differences in the pedestrian's physique.
According to the invention of claim 5, the pedestrian can appropriately receive information on collision avoidance.

  According to invention of Claim 6, each apparatus of the periphery monitoring apparatus for pedestrians can be gathered compactly further.

The perspective view which shows the periphery monitoring apparatus for pedestrians which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention with the head of the pedestrian which equipped the same apparatus. The flowchart which shows the control which catches and alert | reports an object approach in the apparatus. The flowchart which shows the control following FIG. The figure which shows the imaging | photography image by the wide angle camera of the apparatus. The figure explaining how to set a body boundary surface. The figure which shows the display image in a display part. The figure explaining how to set an approach judgment line and a warning line. The diagram which shows the relationship between the relative speed and relative distance of an approaching object and pedestrian used by the setting of an alerting line.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows the entire pedestrian perimeter monitoring device, FIGS. 2 and 3 show the flow of control of the device, and FIGS. 4 to 8 show various information used in the control.
A pedestrian perimeter monitoring apparatus will be described. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a spectacle-shaped wearing tool. The wearing device 1 includes a pair of left and right lenses 2 on the front side and a pair of temples 3 on both left and right sides. The lens 2 is hung on the nose of a pedestrian a and walks on both ends of the temple 3. The lens 2 is placed on the eyes of the pedestrian a by hanging on the ear b of the person a. That is, the wearing tool 1 has a structure that is detachably attached to the pedestrian a. Since the pedestrian a is a person who wears the wearing tool 1, it is referred to as a wearer a from here.

The wearing tool 1 is attached to the head of the wearer a, and the side with the lens 2 is in the forward direction F, the opposite end of the temple 3 is in the rear direction B, and the temple 3 side arranged on the right side of the wearer a is on the side. The right direction R and the temple 3 side arranged on the left side of the wearer a are defined as the left direction L.
Each part of the periphery monitoring device for pedestrians is assembled to the wearing tool 1. The components of the apparatus will be described. Reference numeral 5 in the drawing represents a pair of display units provided on a part of the left and right lenses 2. The display unit 5 is formed of a thin film liquid crystal display, for example, and has a structure in which an image is transmitted to the eye of the wearer a.

A pair of control units 7 are provided at the center of the temple 3 in the longitudinal direction. A pair of earphones 9 is attached to a case 7 a forming an outer shell of the control unit 7 via an arm portion 8 extending rearward. Thus, when the wearing tool 1 is worn on the head, the earphone 9 is arranged on the ear b of the wearer a.
On the outer side surface of each case 7a, a camera 10 for photographing the periphery of the wearer is provided. Each of the left and right cameras 10 has a circumference including a part of the body of the wearer a, here, for example, a side of the wearer a including the shoulder c (FIG. 3), for example, several tens of meters within about 200 degrees in the front and rear. For example, a wide-angle camera capable of capturing an object in the peripheral region up to about 50 m is used. With this camera 10, both the front and rear and the left and right (including the shoulder c) of the wearer a can be photographed at a wide angle, that is, the periphery around the wearer a can be photographed (monitored) over a wide range.

  Each case 7a contains a control unit 11 (only one side is shown in FIG. 1). The control unit 11 is configured by combining, for example, various control boards on which a microcomputer is mounted, a board on which an electronic device that performs image processing is mounted, and the like. The control unit 11 has an approaching object detection function (corresponding to an approaching object detection means) that detects an object such as a person or a bicycle approaching the wearer a from around the wearer using images taken by the left and right cameras 10. A risk determination function (corresponding to a risk determination means) for determining the risk of the approaching object colliding with the wearer a. When the determined risk is high, the display unit 5 or the earphone 9 is used to detect the object on the wearer a. A notification function (corresponding to notification means) for notifying that the vehicle is approaching is set.

  Specifically, the approaching object detection function captures a wearer image α, here a shoulder c (pedestrian image: FIG. 4), from an image taken by the camera 10 and surrounds the wearer image α around the body. The approach determination line S at a predetermined distance, that is, a distance at which an approaching object with a possibility of collision can be recognized, here, a distance at which collision avoidance can be sufficiently performed in most cases, for example, a distance 15 m away from the wearer image α. (FIG. 7) is set, and the object approaching the wearer a, that is, the collision of the object image β (FIGS. 6 and 7) of the approaching object enters the inside of the approach determination line S. An object with a fear is detected.

  The risk determination function calculates the relative speed between the object image β entering from the approach determination line S and the wearer image α, and the relative distance required for avoiding the collision between the wearer a and the object from the relative speed. , And at the same distance, around the wearer image α (inside the approach determination line S), a line that corresponds to a high degree of danger and a warning line T that requires attention (here, 15 m or less: FIG. 6) is set. That is, the risk of collision is calculated from the relative speed and relative distance between the wearer a and the approaching object.

  When the object image β approaching the wearer image α enters inward from the alert line T, the notification function is performed from the screen unit 5 and the earphone 9 to the wearer a in order to prompt the wearer a to avoid a collision. This is to notify that the object is approaching. Specifically, the screen unit 5 usually displays an image captured by the camera 10 (in this case, an image without reflection of the body), and the displayed object image β is displayed surrounded by a frame line, for example. Perform image processing. When the object image β enters the wearer a side (inside) from the alert line T, for example, a blinking display is added to the frame line, and the object image β is set to be highlighted. Call attention. When the object image β enters the wearer a side (inside) from the alert line T, for example, the earphone 9 is set to output sound information indicating that the object is approaching from the earphone 9. Attention is given to the wearer a.

  In addition, the camera 10 is used for setting the alert line T and the approach determination line S so that the alert is performed not at a uniform timing but at a timing according to the physique of the wearer a. A body boundary surface U (FIG. 5) that touches the body edge of the wearer image α is set around the body of the photographed wearer image α, and the alert line T and approach determination are made based on the body boundary surface U. The line S is set.

The case 7a (for example, the left side) of the left and right control units 7 is provided with an initial setting switch 13 for the same setting.
Furthermore, the wearer a himself is apt to notice an object from the front of the wearer a, but tends to be difficult to notice an object from the side of the wearer a and the rear. Among the alert lines T, the lateral alert line T2 set to the side of the wearer image α is set at a point farther from the wearer image α than the forward alert line T1 set in front. The rear warning line T3 set on the back surface of the wearer image α is set at a point farther from the wearer image α than the side warning line T2 set on the side (T1 <T2 <). T3).

In addition, in order to allow the wearer a to react appropriately to an approaching object, the approaching object detection function selects the object image β that approaches the pedestrian first among the plurality of object images captured by the camera 10 and selects the same. The degree of risk for the object image β is set to be calculated so that attention can be drawn by paying attention to an approaching object with a high possibility of collision.
Of course, the control unit 11 is set to start alerting immediately by the display unit 5 and the earphone 9 when the distance exceeding the distance of the approach determination line S is already calculated when calculating the relative speed of the approaching object. It has been made and prepared for emergencies.

On the case 7a (right side) of the control unit 7, a power switch 14 for turning on / off the operation of the pedestrian perimeter monitoring device is provided. Further, for example, each case 7a accommodates a battery 15 serving as a power source for the pedestrian perimeter monitoring device, and the devices are concentrated in a compact manner on the spectacle-shaped wearing device 1.
FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show a control flowchart showing the operation of the pedestrian periphery monitoring device configured as described above.

The flowchart will now be described. Now, each temple 3 of the wearing tool 1 is hung on the ear b, and the pedestrian periphery monitoring device is worn on the head of the wearing person a. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1, the lens 2 is placed in front of the wearer a together with the display unit 5, and the earphone 9 is placed in the ear b of the wearer a.
Thereafter, the wearer a walks, for example, to go to the city. At this time, in order to ensure safety, the wearer a turns on the power switch 14 to activate the pedestrian periphery monitoring device. Then, the process proceeds from step S1 in FIG. 2 to step S2, and the periphery of the wearer a centering on the wearer a is photographed at a wide angle as shown by θ (one-dot chain line) in FIG. . For example, from the left and right cameras 10, a wide area around the left and right including the front and rear of the wearer a in which the shoulder c of the wearer a is reflected is photographed as in the photographed image shown in FIG. 3. Thereby, even the alleys existing in front, rear, side, etc. of the wearer a are photographed.

  When the pedestrian periphery monitoring device is used for the first time, the initial setting switch 13 is turned on in order to acquire data relating to the physique of the wearer a. Then, the control part 11 progresses to step S4 from step S3, and enters the mode which calculates the wearer's a physique. That is, the control unit 11 uses the shoulder c of the wearer image α reflected in the captured image, the dimensions of each part of the wearing tool 1, the orientation of the wearing tool 1, and the like (physical form of the wearing person a). Determine the front-rear width and left-right width). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, the left-right width W of the wearer a is equal to the dimension Wc between the temples 3 in the left-right direction from the end of the temple 3 to the end of the shoulder c obtained by image processing. Calculated by adding the distances WL and WR (W = Wc + WL + WR), and the width D of the wearer a is obtained by adding the distances DF and DR from the edge of the shoulder c to the chest and back obtained by image processing. Calculated with a value (D = DF + DR).

When the calculation is completed, the process proceeds to step S5, where the control unit 11 uses the calculated left-right width W and front-rear width D to obtain the wearer image obtained by shooting as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). A body boundary surface U that is in contact with the body edge and has a physique corresponding to the wearer a is set around α.
When this setting is completed, the wearer image α is used as a reference, as in step S6, here the body boundary surface U is used as a reference, and around the wearer image α, as shown in FIG. An approach determination line S for determining the approach of an approaching object is set at a distance (e.g., 15 m in this case) that can cause an action to avoid an object collision even in an emergency.

If the initial setting switch 13 is not turned on, the control unit 11 determines that the physique has already been set last time, proceeds from step S3 to step S7 to step S6, and sets the previous time (or from the beginning). The approach determination line S is set using the set physical information.
The wearer a walks around the city with these settings. During this walking, the control unit 11 monitors whether or not there is an object entering the approach determination line S as shown in step S8 from the captured image.

Here, for example, it is assumed that a person approaching the approach determination line S appears from an alley, for example, from an image around the wearer a captured by the camera 10. Subsequently, it is assumed that the control unit 11 detects that the object image β of the same object (person) has entered the approach determination line S.
Then, the control part 11 progresses to step S9, and displays the presence of the approaching object on the display part 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, this display is performed by processing a captured image from the camera 10 in which the object image β is present into an easy-to-view image and projecting it on the screen of the display unit 5. Specifically, a captured image without a portion where the shoulder c is reflected is displayed on the display unit 5 by image processing.

Next, the process proceeds to step S10, and the relative speed between the wearer image α and the approaching object image β is calculated. Here, when there are a plurality of objects that have entered the approach determination line S, there is a risk of confusion. Therefore, in step S11 in FIG. 3, the approach determination line S does not cause confusion. An object having a high relative speed is selected from the plurality of objects that have entered.
In subsequent step S12, a process of adding a frame line γ (enclosed line) to the selected object image β is performed, and highlighting is performed so as to watch the object image β approaching. When one object has entered, one object image is selected, and a process of adding a frame line γ to the object image β is performed as shown in FIG.

In the subsequent step S13, as shown in FIG. 7, a warning line T corresponding to the relative speed based on the body boundary surface U is set around the wearer image α. The alert line T is calculated by a distance obtained by multiplying the “relative speed m / s” by the “room time t” that is the time required for the avoidance action.
Here, since the wearer a is usually viewing the front, the wearer a is less likely to notice the approaching object than the front, from the side and from the back rather than the side.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as shown in FIGS. Of the awakening lines T, the side warning line T2 arranged on the side of the wearer image α is set farther from the wearing image α than the front warning line T1 arranged in front of the wearer image α. The rear warning line T3 behind the wearer image α is set at a position farther from the wearing image α than the side warning line T2 (T1 <T2 <T3). Such setting of the alert line T3 is repeated every time the object image β changes.

  In subsequent step S15, it is determined whether or not the set alert line T is a distance that is equal to or greater than the approach determination line S. Here, if the distance obtained by multiplying the “relative speed” of the approaching object by the “avoidance action” is equal to or greater than the approach determination line S (15 m in this case), an action for immediately avoiding the collision is required. That is not the case. For this reason, the process usually proceeds to step S15.

  Step S15 determines whether or not the object image β of the approaching object has entered the set alert line T. There is no fear that the object collides with the wearer a until the object image β enters the alert line T. However, when the object image β enters the alert line T, there is a risk that the object will collide with the wearer a. Will arise. Therefore, when the object image β enters the alert line T, the process proceeds to step S16, prompts the wearer a to alert and informs the wearer a that there is a possibility of collision (notification).

Specifically, in step S16, the frame line γ surrounding the approaching object image β is blinked to notify that there is a possibility that the approaching object may collide with the wearer a. A warning is given to the wearer a by telling that an approaching object may collide with the wearer a.
Even in the case where an action for immediately avoiding the collision is required in the previous step S14, the process proceeds to step S16, and the display unit 5 and the earphone 9 immediately inform the wearer a that the object image β may collide.

  Even if an object existing in the vicinity of the wearer approaches the wearer a to a point where there is a possibility of a collision without noticing, it can be noticed by alerting (notification). Encourage actions to avoid collisions. Note that when the approaching object image β goes out of the alert line T (step S17), the alert line T disappears due to the disappearance of the target object and returns to the object monitoring mode again.

Accordingly, the wearer a takes the avoidance action upon receiving the alert and avoids the collision with the object, so that the wearer a can be prevented from colliding with the object around the wearer. In particular, since the position and direction of an approaching object are indicated by an image or sound, an avoidance action for the object image β is likely to occur.
In addition, the structure in which the approach determination line S and the alert line T are set around the wearer image α by image processing to alert the wearer a is a simple technique, and the approaching object is attached to the wearer a. Can be noticed. In addition, when the object image β that approaches the earliest is selected from among the plurality of object images β captured by the camera 10, the confusion is eliminated and it is easy to deal with the approaching object. In addition, the approach determination line S and the alert line T are set based on the body boundary surface U after setting the body boundary surface U in contact with the body edge of the wearer image α around the body of the wearer a. Since the setting is made, it is possible to appropriately call attention according to individual differences in the individual physiques of the wearer a.

For notification to the wearer a, the display unit 5 is used to guide the image taken by the camera 10 to the eyes of the wearer a, and when the degree of danger is high, the approaching object image β in the image is prompted to avoid collision. Since not only the information is added and displayed but also the earphone 9 is used to transmit the audio information urging the collision avoidance to the wearer a, the collision avoidance information can be appropriately transmitted to the wearer a.
In particular, the pedestrian perimeter monitoring device includes a spectacle-shaped wearing tool 1, a wide-angle shooting camera 10, a control unit 11 that configures an approaching object detection function and a risk determination function, a display unit 5, and an earphone 9. Since the provided structure is used, it can be compactly integrated.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In one embodiment, both the display unit and the earphone are used, but one may be used depending on circumstances. In one embodiment, a battery is provided in the control unit. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the battery may be separated from the control unit so that the wearer carries the battery.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wearing tool 2 Lens 3 Temple 5,9 Display part, Earphone (notification means)
7 Control unit 10 Camera 11 Control unit (approaching object detection means, risk determination means)
S approach judgment line T alert line U body boundary surface

Claims (6)

A camera that is detachably attached to the pedestrian and that captures the pedestrian's surroundings,
An approaching object detection means for detecting an object approaching the pedestrian from around the pedestrian from an image photographed by the camera;
A risk determination means for determining a risk of an object approaching the pedestrian colliding with the pedestrian from an image captured by the camera;
A pedestrian perimeter monitoring device, comprising: an informing means for notifying the pedestrian that an object is approaching when the determined risk level is high. The camera shoots a pedestrian area including the pedestrian's body,
The approaching object detection means sets an approach determination line at a predetermined distance around the body of the pedestrian image photographed by the camera, and approaches the pedestrian from the entrance of the object image inside the approach determination line. Detect objects
The risk determination means calculates a relative speed between the object image entering from the approach determination line and the pedestrian image, and calculates a relative distance required for avoiding a collision between the pedestrian and the object from the relative speed. , A warning line is set around the pedestrian image at the same distance, and the risk of collision is calculated from the relative speed and relative distance between the pedestrian and the object,
The notification means avoids a collision with the object to the pedestrian when the object image approaching the pedestrian image enters inward from the warning line with the warning line as a high risk point. The pedestrian perimeter monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the pedestrian periphery monitoring device is a device that performs arousal.   The pedestrian periphery monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the approaching object detection unit has a function of selecting an object image that approaches the pedestrian first among a plurality of object images photographed by the camera.   The approach determination line and the alert line are set based on the body boundary surface after setting a body boundary surface in contact with the body edge of the pedestrian image around the body of the pedestrian image. The pedestrian perimeter monitoring apparatus according to claim 2. The informing means guides an image taken by the camera to the eyes of a pedestrian, and when the degree of danger is high, a display unit that displays information that urges collision avoidance to an approaching object image in the image; and 3. The pedestrian according to claim 2, wherein the pedestrian is configured to have at least one of an earphone that transmits voice information for avoiding collision of an object to a pedestrian's ear when the risk is high. Perimeter monitoring device. Furthermore, it has spectacles-shaped wearing tools having left and right lenses and left and right temples that can be worn by pedestrians,
Each temple of the wearing tool is provided with a camera for photographing the periphery including the shoulders on both sides of the pedestrian and the front and rear of the pedestrian at a wide angle as the camera.
The temple is provided with a control unit that constitutes the approaching object detection means and the risk determination means,
The lens is provided with a display unit as the notification means,
The pedestrian periphery monitoring device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the temple is provided with an earphone as the notification means.

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