JPH10134296A - Signal dedicated for walker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a signal dedicated for walker in which a signal for crossing a desired road can be easily switched even without push-button operation. SOLUTION: When a walker enters a preset area in front of a signal 3, an infrared image sensor 1 catches the walker in that area as a heat source, possesses the infrared image of that walker and sends it to a signal processing part 2. An A/D converter 21 at the signal processing part 2 converts that infrared image to a digital signal. An image memory 22 stores the image converted to the digital signal by the A/D converter 21. A comparator 23 compares the image of a current picture with the image of the preceding picture stored in the image memory 22 pixel by pixel and counts the number of non-coincident pixels. Corresponding to the level of a count value from the comparator 23, a signal control part 24 catches a change in that image and switches the signals of the signal 3 corresponding to its change amount.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pedestrian-specific signal, and more particularly to a push-button type pedestrian-specific signal that switches signals in response to a push-button operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this kind of pedestrian signal device, when crossing a pedestrian crossing provided on a road,
A pedestrian crossing a pedestrian crossing pushes a push button to instruct signal switching.

In the above-mentioned pedestrian signal device, signals are not switched unless a push button operation is performed. Therefore, when a crossing pedestrian is detected by reflected light of an irradiation beam, a sound is generated. There is a method of guiding the user to perform a push button operation. This method is disclosed in
No. 9-75400.

When a pedestrian is detected near a pedestrian crossing a priority road at an intersection consisting of a priority road and a non-priority road, three priority signals for the priority road and a non-priority signal for the non-priority road are emitted. There is also a method of switching control (blue → yellow → red). This method is disclosed in
-168400.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional pedestrian signal device, since the push button must be pressed to switch the signal, the push button cannot be pressed like a physically handicapped person. In such a case, it is impossible to cross the road by switching the traffic light.

[0006] In the case of a method of guiding a push button operation by voice when a crossing pedestrian is detected by the reflected light of the irradiation beam, the push button is pushed like a disabled person in the same manner as described above. If it cannot be pressed, it will not be possible to switch signals and cross the road.

Further, when a pedestrian is detected in the vicinity of a pedestrian crossing a priority road, the priority signal for the priority road and the non-priority signal for the non-priority road are switched to the three-light control. When a person crosses a non-priority road, he or she must go to the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing of the priority road and use three-light control, so that the signal cannot be easily switched.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a pedestrian-dedicated traffic light capable of easily switching a signal for crossing a desired road without operating a push button. It is in.

[0009]

A pedestrian-only traffic light according to the present invention is a pedestrian-only traffic light for notifying whether or not a pedestrian crossing provided on a road can be passed in response to a push button operation. Detecting means for detecting the presence of a pedestrian in a preset area of the pedestrian, and signal control means for switching to a signal indicating that the pedestrian is allowed to pass when the detecting means detects the presence of the pedestrian. ing.

That is, the pedestrian-only traffic light of the present invention is a push-button pedestrian-only traffic light in which a physically handicapped person or the like on a wheelchair cannot operate the existing push buttons.
An infrared image sensor is provided that detects the presence of a person who is switching signals as a heat source, and switches the signal when the person recognizes that the person stays in front of the traffic signal for several seconds. As a result, it is possible to easily switch a signal for crossing a desired road without a push button operation by a physically handicapped person or the like.

[0011]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an installation example of one embodiment of the present invention. In these figures, a pedestrian-specific traffic light according to one embodiment of the present invention is an infrared image sensor 1.
, A signal processing unit 2 and a traffic signal 3.

The infrared image sensor 1 is attached to the traffic light 3, receives a pedestrian in front of the traffic light 3 as a heat source, acquires an infrared image of the pedestrian, and sends it to the signal processing unit 2. The traffic light 3 is a push button type pedestrian signal device.

The signal processing unit 2 includes an A / D (analog / digital) converter 21 for converting an infrared image from the infrared image sensor 1 into a digital signal, and a previous screen converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 21. An image memory 22 for storing an image of the current screen, a comparator 23 for comparing the image of the current screen converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 21 with the image of the previous screen stored in the image memory 22, And a signal control unit 24 for controlling the traffic signal 3 based on the comparison result of 23.

The operation of the pedestrian signal according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

When a pedestrian such as a physically handicapped person enters a predetermined area in front of the traffic light 3 in order to pass through a pedestrian crossing (not shown), the infrared image sensor 1 causes the pedestrian in the area to generate heat as a heat source. And the infrared image of the pedestrian is acquired and transmitted to the signal processing unit 2.

In the signal processor 2, when an infrared image of a pedestrian is sent from the infrared image sensor 1, the A / D converter 21 converts the infrared image into a digital signal. A
The image converted into a digital signal by the / D converter 21 is first stored in the image memory 22.

Further, when an infrared image of a pedestrian is sent from the infrared image sensor 1 after a predetermined time (for example, several seconds), the signal processing unit 2 converts the infrared image into an A / D converter. At 21, it is converted into a digital signal.
The image of the current screen converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 21 is compared pixel by pixel with the image of the previous screen stored in the image memory 22 by the comparator 23. Pixels that do not match (pixels with differences) Are counted by the comparator 23. Comparator 2
3 compares all the pixels of the image converted into the digital signal by the A / D converter 21 and sends the count value of the unmatched pixels to the signal control unit 24.

The signal control unit 24 detects a change in the image according to the magnitude of the count value from the comparator 23. If the change amount is within a predetermined range, a pedestrian waiting for a signal switch is placed in front of the traffic light 3. , And instructs the traffic light 3 to switch to a signal notifying that a pedestrian crossing is permitted. On the other hand, if the amount of change in the image is out of the predetermined range, the signal control unit 24 determines that there is no pedestrian waiting for the signal switching in front of the signal 3 and does not instruct the signal 3 to switch the signal. .

As described above, the pedestrian, which is a heat source, is photographed by the infrared image sensor 1 attached to the traffic light 3, and the signal processing unit 2 performs processing on the image of the pedestrian from the infrared image sensor 1.
The image processing is performed, and when the pedestrian recognizes that the pedestrian is staying at the place for several seconds, the traffic light 3 is switched, so that the pedestrian crosses the desired road without performing the push button operation on the traffic light 3. Switching of signals can be easily performed. In particular, the pedestrian-specific traffic light according to the present invention has a great effect for a physically handicapped person who is in a wheelchair or the like where the push button cannot be operated.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a pedestrian-only traffic light for notifying that a pedestrian crossing provided on a road is permitted in response to a push button operation, a preset pedestrian traffic light immediately before a pedestrian crossing is set. When the presence of a pedestrian in the area is detected by the infrared image sensor as a heat source, by switching to a signal indicating that a pedestrian crossing is possible, it is possible to switch a signal for crossing a desired road without performing a push button operation. There is an effect that it can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an installation example of one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Infrared image sensor 2 Signal processing part 3 Traffic signal 21 A / D converter 22 Image memory 23 Comparator 24 Signal control part

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A pedestrian-only traffic light for notifying that a pedestrian crossing provided on a road is allowed in response to a push-button operation, wherein a pedestrian is present in a preset area immediately before the pedestrian crossing. And a signal control means for switching to a signal indicating that the pedestrian is allowed to pass when the detection means detects the presence of the pedestrian. 2. An infrared image sensor for acquiring an infrared image of the pedestrian present in the area, and the pedestrian in the area based on the infrared image acquired by the infrared image sensor. And comparing means for comparing and determining whether or not exists for a predetermined time,
The pedestrian-only traffic light according to claim 1, wherein the signal control means switches a signal when the comparison means determines that the pedestrian has been present in the area for a predetermined time. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: holding means for holding the infrared image acquired by the infrared image sensor, wherein the comparing means compares the infrared image acquired by the infrared image sensor with the infrared image held by the holding means. 3. The pedestrian-only traffic light according to claim 2, wherein a comparison is made. 4. The signal control means is configured to switch to a signal indicating that the pedestrian crossing is permitted when the result of comparison by the comparing means is a variation within a preset range. The pedestrian-only traffic light according to claim 2 or 3.