Monitor device and trolley type vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11468685-B2
Application number	US-201916646403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2019
Priority date	Mar 19, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A monitor device is provided with an imaging device that shoots an overhead line and a current collector, and a controller that processes an image. The controller includes a day or night determination processing section, and an image processing section that switches a parameter for recognizing the overhead line and the current collector in the image by executing image processing different in the daylight and at night based upon the result of the day or night determination. Further, there are provided reference photographic subjects to be shot by the imaging device in positions different from the overhead line and the current collector in an image area to be shot, and the day or night determination processing section performs the determination of day or night based upon a luminance average value of the reference photographic subjects inputted into an image input section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A monitor device comprising:
an imaging device that is mounted on a vehicle and shoots an object outside of the vehicle;
a controller that processes an image shot by the imaging device; and
a plurality of reference photographic subjects that are disposed to be fixed integrally with the imaging device and are shot by the imaging device in positions different from the object in an image area to be shot, characterized in that:
wherein the controller includes:
a day or night determination processing section that determines day or night in an imaging environment of the object; and
an image processing section that switches an image processing parameter for recognizing the object in the image by executing image processing different in the daylight and at night based upon the result of the day or night determination determined by the day or night determination processing section, wherein
the day or night determination processing section in the controller performs the determination of day or night based upon luminance information of the plurality of reference photographic subjects, and
the image processing section in the controller executes the image processing using the image processing parameter different in the daylight and at night based upon the result of the day or night determination of the day or night determination processing section.

2. The monitor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the day or night determination processing section in the controller selects a smallest luminance average value of the plurality of reference photographic subjects disposed to be respectively displayed in different positions in the image shot by the imaging device, and performs the determination of day or night of the imaging environment by comparing this selected smallest luminance average value with a predetermined luminance threshold value.

3. The monitor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an illumination device that illuminates the object and the plurality of reference photographic subjects that are shot by the imaging device.

4. The monitor device according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller includes an illumination determination section that determines lighting and extinction of the illumination device, and
the day or night determination processing section in the controller performs the determination of day or night based upon a lighting luminance threshold value in a case where the determination result of the illumination determination section is the lighting, and performs the determination of day or night based upon an extinction luminance threshold value of a smaller value than the lighting luminance threshold value in a case where the determination result of the illumination determination section is the extinction.

5. The monitor device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes an inversion processing section that inversion-outputs luminance of an image to be inputted in a case where the day or night determination processing section determines the imaging environment as night.

6. The monitor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the object includes an overhead line stretched on a traveling path of the vehicle, and a current collector that makes sliding contact with the overhead line to take in power for driving the vehicle, and
the imaging device is mounted on the vehicle to be provided with a camera that shoots the overhead line and the current collector to be included within an imaging range.

7. A trolley type vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a pantograph that is disposed in the vehicle body and is capable of moving up and down; and
a current collector that makes sliding contact with an overhead line stretched to face the pantograph to take in power,
wherein the vehicle body being provided with a monitor device including:
an imaging device that shoots the overhead line and the current collector; and
a controller that processes an image shot by the imaging device, and
the controller including:
a day or night determination processing section that determines day or night of an imaging environment of the overhead line and the current collector shot by the imaging device; and
an image processing section that switches an image processing parameter for recognizing the overhead line and the current collector in the image by executing image processing different in the daylight and at night based upon the result of the day or night determination determined by the day or night determination processing section, characterized in that:
the vehicle body is provided with a plurality of reference photographic subjects to be shot by the imaging device in positions different from the overhead line and the current collector in an image area to be shot;
the day or night determination processing section in the controller performs determination of day or night based upon luminance information of the plurality of reference photographic subjects; and
the image processing section in the controller executes the image processing using the image processing parameter different in the daylight and at night based upon the result of the day or night determination of the day or night determination processing section.

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Mach Co

Inventors

• KATO Takushi
• Tatsuzawa Naoki

Classifications

• H04N7/183 Primary

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• G06V20/56 Primary

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title