A moving body measuring device and an image processing device for measuring traffic flows

Abstract: A moving body measuring device, having an image taking unit (1) for taking an image of a moving body, a controlling means (2) for controlling the image taking unit and a frame memory (3) for memorizing an image data of the image of the image taking unit, which processes the image data, detects the moving body and obtains an information of the moving body which comprises an existence domain setting means (9) for previously setting an existence domain of the moving body extended along a moving path of the moving body based on the image data, a sampling means (11) for sampling a data showing the moving body based on the image data in the existence domain, and a timewise data accumulating means (12) for timewisely and continuously accumulating at every constant period, the data showing the moving body sampled by the sampling means which detects a timewise change of the moving body moving in the previously set existence domain.

Description: This invention relates to a moving body measuring device for detecting state quantities of a moving body, and particularly to an image processing device for measuring traffic flows for detecting state quantities such as a traffic amount, a speed, an inter-vehicle distance, a density, an occupancy ratio, a traffic jam length, and a time required for passing a specified interval in automobile traffic flows. As one of the moving body measuring devices, a development.has been performed for the image processing device for measuring traffic flows, utilizing a TV camera, and measuring a traffic information of vehicles. Figure 18 is a block diagram showing construction of a conventional image processing device for measuring traffic flows described in "A study on the measurement of two-dimensional movement of traffic" by Inoue et al, the proceedings of the 17th Image Technology Conference (1986), 16-13, p.p. 295 to 298. In Figure 20, a reference numeral 1 designates an image taking machine, for instance, a TV camera, 2, a TV camera controlling circuit for controlling the TV camera 1, 3, a frame memory for receiving digitalized image signals, 4, a window setting circuit for setting a sampling area of a vehicle, 5, a vehicle detecting circuit, 6, a vehicle running position detecting circuit, 7, a vehicle moving amount detecting circuit, and 8, a vehicle information measuring circuit. Next, explanation will be given to the operation. The TV camera 1 takes an image of a running vehicle at an arbitrary frame interval, controlled by the TV camera controlling circuit 2. The frame memory 3 receives data digitalized from image signals of the TV camera 1. The window setting circuit 4 sets a window of a size of a vehicle on a road, on a screen. The vehicle detecting circuit 5 detects the vehicle by sampling a characteristic of the vehicle such as a horizontal line or a vertical line thereof based on a domain set by the window setting circuit 4. The vehicle running position detecting circuit 6 detects a running position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle detecting circuit 5, on the screen, and the vehicle moving amount detecting circuit 7 compares the running position with another running position of the vehicle in a preceding frame, detects a moving amount of the vehicle on the screen, and transmits it to the window setting circuit 4. The window setting circuit 4 moves the window according to the moving amount. The vehicle is tracked by repeating the above operation. The tracking is finished at the time point when the vehicle is out of the screen, and the vehicle information measuring circuit 8 measures the speed of the vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a foregoing vehicle and the like. Since the conventional moving body measuring device or the image processing device for measuring traffic flows, is composed as above, an inter-frame tracking treatment is necessary and, therefore, the construction is complicated. Furthermore, when the vehicle detecting cannot be performed by a noise or an influence of the other vehicles, the device can not track the vehicle, and the measuring accuracy is deteriorated. Furthermore, when there are a plurality of vehicles on the screen, the conventional device can only track a single vehicle. Furthermore, the conventional moving body measuring device is constructed to detect the vehicle by sampling a spatial characteristic of the vehicle on the screen image such as the horizontal line or the vertical line. Therefore, the sampling of the vehicle cannot be performed adequately when a noise such as a horizontal line or a vertical line of a road surface pattern or a tire mark, is introduced in the background of the window, and a successive measuring treatment is in failure. US-A-3,590,151 discloses a surveillance method and apparatus, wherein a parameter within a set surveillance domain is scanned and sampled. Specified differences between the sampled data and data averages for a sampled point result in notification of a suspicion value. Correlations in space and time of sample points further modify this suspicion value. WO-A-88/06326 discloses a vehicle detection system with a camera overlooking a roadway section. The sampled video data are digitized and collected in pixel arrays at successive points in time. A subarray of pixels is selected by an operator corresponding to specific section in the field of view of the camera. The selected pixels are then processed to generate data characteristic of the presence and passage of vehicles. These data may be further processed and evaluated for traffic flow conditions. It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a moving body measuring device or an image processing device for measuring traffic flows capable of dispensing with referring to a moving body for tracking between respective frames, being simple in the construction, capable of sampling the vehicle even when the vehicle information partially drops off in some frames, the measuring accuracy thereof being high, capable of detecting a plurality of moving bodies simultaneously existent on the screen, and capable of accurately detecting an abnormality of traffic flows due to an accident or the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a moving body detecting device capable of detecting a moving body such as a vehicle accurately and efficiently by enhancing a separation capability of a detected body from a stationary object background, utilizing a change of a brightness information of a moving body on its time axis. These objects and problems are solved by the moving body measuring device according to claim 1 and the image processing device according to claim 8. Improvements and further developments of the moving body measuring device and the image processing device according to the invention are provided in the respective dependent claims. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of construction of an image processing device for traffic flows according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an existence domain in a first embodiment According to the present invention; Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a vertical line edge data and a projection data in the first embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing data formed into binary values of a timewisely accumulated data image in the first embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of a hole-filling method in the first embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of a line component element sampling method in the first embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 7 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of construction of an image processing device for traffic flows according to the present invention; Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of construction of an image processing device for measuring traffic flows according to the present invention; Figure 9 is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment of an image processing device for measuring traffic flows according to the present invention; Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of output data of a hole-filling circuit of the fourth embodiment in case of a normal traffic flow, according to the present invention; Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an output data of the hole-filling circuit of the fourth embodiment in case of an abnormal traffic flow, according to the present invention; Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a projected data for the output data of the hole-filling circuit of the fourth embodiment in case of the normal traffic flow, according to the present invention; Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a projected data for the output data of the hole-filling circuit in the fourth embodiment in case of the abnormal traffic flow according to the present invention; Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an output data of the hole-filling circuit of the fourth embodiment in case that a stopped vehicle continues stopping, according to the present invention; Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an output data of the hole-filling circuit of the fourth embodiment in case that a traffic jam is caused, according to the present invention; Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a projected data for the output data of the hole-filling circuit of the fourth embodiment in case that a stopped car continues stopping, according to the present invention; Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a projected data for an output data of the hole-filling circuit of the embodiment 4, in case that a traffic jam is caused, according to the present invention; Figure 18 is a block diagram showing a conventional moving body detecting device. EXAMPLE 1 Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of construction of an image processing device for measuring traffic flows according to the present invention. In Figure 1, a reference numeral 9 designates an existence domain setting circuit, 10, a vertical line detecting circuit, 11, a projection data forming circuit, 12, a timewise data accumulating circuit, 13, a binarizing circuit, 14, a hole-filling circuit, 15, a line component element sampling circuit, 16, a line component sampling circuit, 17, a vehicle determining circuit and 18, a vehicle information measuring circuit. Next, explanation will be given to the operation. The TV camera 1 takes an image of a running vehicle at an arbitrary frame interval following the TV camera controlling circuit 2. The frame memory 3 receives data digitalized from an image signal of the TV camera 1. This data is a two-dimensional image data, and hereinafter, the horizontal direction is x-direction, and the vertical direction y-direction. The existence domain setting circuit 9 takes out data of an existence domain of the vehicle extended along a previously set moving path of the vehicle from the frame memory 3. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the existence domain set by the existence domain setting circuit 9 on the screen in which an image of a road is taken by the TV camera, wherein a reference numeral 20 designates the existence domain. The vertical line detecting circuit 10 takes out a vertical line edge from data in the existence domain, by utilizing, for instance, a vertical line detecting filter and the like. In this occasion, a vertical line edge data is produced wherein a domain in which the vertical line edge exists, is determined as 1, and the other domain, as 0. The projection data forming circuit 11 produces a one-dimensional projection data by projecting the vertical line edge data in x-direction, wherein the size in x-direction is 1, and the size in y-direction, the screen size. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the vertical line edge data and the projection data, wherein a reference numeral 30 designates the vertical line edge data, and 31, the projection data. The projection data 31 is produced at a rate of one per one frame. The above treatment is repeated at every constant period. The timewise data accumulating circuit 12 timewisely accumulates the projection data 31 by a predetermined number, thereby forming a two-dimensional data. The binarizing circuit 13 forms this two-dimensional data into binary values by a pertinent threshold value Th0. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the binary data, wherein the horizontal direction signifies time (hereinafter, t-direction), the vertical direction, y-direction and 40a and 40b, loci of the vehicle. In Figure 4, time elapses from left to right. In this binary data, holes designated by a reference numeral 41 are generated when the vertical line edge cannot be sampled by overlapping of the other vehicles or the like. The hole-filling circuit 14 performs hole-filling of the binary data by the following treatment. The operation accesses the binary data in y-direction from lower side to upper side, and in t-direction from left side or from right side, successively, and selects a reference data. When a condition is established wherein a value of the reference data is 1, and both of adjacent two data juxtaposed with the reference data in t-direction are 1, a value of a data above the reference data in y-direction is determined as 1. The operation performs nothing in case of conditions other than the above one. This operation is performed for every data. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the hole-filling method, wherein a reference numeral 50 designates a portion of binary data before the hole-filling, and 51, binary data as a result of performing the above hole-filling. In Figure 5, the hatched portion designates the binary data having the value of 1, and the other portions, data having the value of 0. The line component element sampling circuit 15 produces data which becomes an element of a partial locus of the vehicle by the following treatment. The operation successively accesses the hole-filled binary data in y-direction from upper side or lower side and in t-direction from left side or right side, and selects a reference data. When a condition is established wherein the reference data is 1, data having the value of 1 are continuously arranged by a predetermined number in t-direction on the left-hand side of the reference data, and data having the value of 0 by a predetermined number on the right-hand side of the reference data, or wherein the reference data is 1, data having the value of 1 by a predetermined number in y-direction on the upper side of the reference data, are continuously arranged and data having the value of 0 by a predetermined number on the lower side of the reference data, are continuously arranged, the reference data is sampled out as the element of the line component. This operation is performed for every data. By this treatment, an outline on the right-hand side of a domain of 1 in binary data, is sampled out as the element of the line component. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the line component element sampling methods, wherein a reference numeral 60 designates a portion of the binary data, 61, a treatment result of the above line component element sampling, under a condition wherein there is one data having the value of 1 on the left-hand side of the reference data, and a data having the value of 0 on the right-hand side of the reference data. In Figure 6, the hatched portion 60 designates data having the value of 1 in the binary data, and the hatched portion 61, data sampled out as the line component. The line component sampling circuit 16 samples out the line component by connecting the elements of the line component. The vehicle determining circuit 7 performs a determination by a length of the line component or a position on the screen thereof, and samples out the line component for the vehicle. The vehicle information measuring circuit 18 measures the speed of the vehicle or the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle by utilizing a three-dimensional position information of a starting point and an end point of the line component which is sampled out as the vehicle. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vertical line detecting circuit is provided for treating data in the existence domain. However, it can be substituted with any treatments which sample out the characteristic of the vehicle. Furthermore, the binarizing circuit is provided after the timewise data accumulating circuit. However, it can be provided between the projection forming circuit and the timewise data accumulating circuit. The hole-filling circuit is provided in this embodiment. However, it can be omitted when there is no lack of the vehicle information. Furthermore, in the hole-filling circuit, the operation accesses the binary data in y-direction from the lower side to the upper side. However, the operation can access it from the upper-side to the lower side. In that case, the operation performs a treatment wherein a data below the reference data in y-direction is converted to 1, when a condition is established wherein the reference data is 1, and the both two data juxtaposed with the reference data in t-direction are 1. In the line component element sampling circuit, the operation utilizes a condition wherein the reference data is 1, data having the value of 1 by a predetermined number on the left-hand side of the reference data are continuously arranged and data having the value of 0 on the right-hand side of the reference data are continuously arranged by a predetermined number, or wherein the reference data is 1, data having the value of 1 by a predetermined number on the upper side of the reference data in y-direction, are continuously arranged, and data having the value of 0 on the lower side of the reference data, are continuously arranged by a predetermined number. However, the operation can utilize a condition wherein the reference data is 1, data having the value of 0 on the left-hand side of the reference data, are continuously arranged by a predetermined number and data having the value of 1 on the right-hand side of the reference data, are continuously arranged by a predetermined number, or wherein the reference data is 1, data having the value of 0 on the upper side of the reference data in y-direction, are continuously arranged by a predetermined number and data having the value of 1 on the lower side of the reference data, are continuously arranged by a predetermined number. In these cases, an outline on the left-hand side of the domain of 1 in the binary data, is sampled out as the element of the line component. As for the value of the binary data, the value of 1 can be replaced with that of 0, and that of 0, with that of 1, with similar effect as in the above embodiment. EXAMPLE 2 Figure 7 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of construction of an image processing device for traffic flows according to the present invention. In Figure 7, a reference numeral 70 designates a horizontal position sampling circuit, and 71, a selected projection data forming circuit. Next, explanation will be given to the operation. The TV camera 1 takes an image of a running vehicle at an arbitrary frame interval following the TV camera controlling circuit 2. The frame memory 3 receives data digitalized from the image signal of the TV camera 1. This data is a two-dimensional image data, and hereinafter, the horizontal direction is x-direction, and the vertical direction, y-direction. The existence domain setting circuit 9 takes out data of the existence domain of the vehicle extended along a previously set moving path of the vehicle from the frame memory 3. The vertical line detecting circuit 10 takes out a vertical line edge from data in the existence domain, by utilizing, for instance, a vertical line detecting filter or the like. As this occasion, a vertical line edge data is produced wherein a domain in which the vertical line edge is existent, is determined as 1, the other domains, as 0. The horizontal position sampling circuit 70 samples out a mean value (x center of gravity) of a horizontal position (x coordinate) of every vertical line edge on a horizontal line, for respective horizontal lines, a horizontal position of the vertical line edge existent on the far left-hand side on the horizontal line (far left point) and a horizontal position or the vertical iine edge existent at far right-hand side on the horizontal line (far right point), and preserves these data. The selected projection data forming circuit 71 selects a horizontal line which satisfies a condition wherein the x center of gravity in the horizontal position is within a predetermined range, or a distance between the far left point and the far right point is a certain threshold value Th1 or more, by referring to data of the horizontal position sampling circuit 70, projects every vertical line edge data on the selected horizontal line in x-direction, and converts projection values of non-selected vertical lines into 0, thereby producing a one-dimensional projection data wherein the x-direction size is 1 and the y-direction size is the screen size. The selection of the horizontal line is performed for sampling out data having high possibility of being the vertical line edge data of the vehicle as a sampling object. The projection data 31 is formed in a ratio of one per one frame. The above treatment is repeated at every constant period. The timewise data accumulating circuit 12 accumulates the projection data 31 timewisely by a predetermined number, thereby forming a two-dimensional data. The binarizing circuit 13, performs a binarizing of the two-dimensional data by a threshold value Th0. The hole-filling circuit 14 performs the hole-filling of the binarized two-dimensional data by a method shown in the first embodiment. The line component element sampling circuit 15 samples out data of elements of line components showing partially a locus of the vehicle based on the hole-filled two-dimensional data, by a method shown in the first embodiment. The line component sampling circuit 16 samples out the line component by connecting the elements of the line component. The vehicle determining circuit 17 performs a determination by a length of the line component or by a position thereof on the screen, thereby sampling out the line component for the vehicle. The vehicle information measuring circuit 18 measures a speed of the vehicle or an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a foregoing vehicle or the like by utilizing a three-dimensional position information of a starting point and an end point of the line component sampled out as the vehicle. EXAMPLE 3 Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of construction of an image processing device for measuring traffic flows according to the present invention, wherein a reference numeral 80 designates a vehicle motion detecting circuit. Next, explanation will be given to the operation. The TV camera 1 takes an image of a running vehicle at an arbitrary frame interval following the TV camera controlling circuit 2. The frame memory 3, receives data digitalized from the image signal of the TV camera 1. This data is a two-dimensional image data, and hereinafter, the horizontal direction is x-direction, and the vertical direction, y-direction. The existence domain setting circuit 9 takes out data of the existence domain of the vehicle extended along a previously set moving path of the vehicle from the frame memory 3. The vertical line detecting circuit 10 takes out the vertical line edge by utilizing, for instance, a vertical line detecting filter or the like from data in the existence domain. At this occasion, a vertical line edge data is produced wherein a portion in which the vertical line edge is existent, is determined as 1, and the other portions, as 0. The horizontal position sampling circuit 70 samples out a mean value (x center of gravity) of a horizontal position (x coordinate) of every vertical line edge existent on a horizontal line, for respective horizontal lines, a horizontal position of the vertical line edge which is at far left-hand side of the vertical line (far left point) and a horizontal position of the vertical line edge which is at far right-hand side (far right point), and preserves these data. The projection data forming circuit 11 projects the vertical line edge data in x-direction, and produces a one-dimensional projection data wherein the size in x-direction is 1, and the size in y-direction is the screen size. The projection data 31 is produced at a rate of one per one frame. The above treatment is repeated at every constant period. The timewise data accumulating circuit 12 timewisely accumulates the projection data 31 by a predetermined number, thereby forming a two-dimensional data. The binarizing circuit 13 performs the binarizing of the two-dimensional data by the threshold value Th0. The hole-filling circuit 14 performs the hole-filling of the binary two-dimensional data. The line component element sampling circuit 15 samples out data which becomes elements of line components showing a portion of a locus of the vehicle based on the hole-filled two-dimensional data. The line component sampling circuit 16 samples out the line component by connecting the elements of the line component. The vehicle determining circuit 17 samples out the line component for the vehicle by performing a determination by a length of the line component or a position thereof on the screen. The vehicle motion detecting circuit 80 receives x center of gravity of the respective element of the line component which is determined as a vehicle from the horizontal position sampling circuit 70, and determines the vehicle as a vehicle running in the neighborhood of a center when an average value of a distance difference between the x center of gravity and a median value in the horizontal direction of the horizontal line in the existence domain wherein the x center of gravity is existent, is a threshold value Th2 or less. Conversely, when an average value of the distance difference between the x center of gravity with respect to the line component and a median value in the horizontal direction of the horizontal line in the existence domain wherein the x center of gravity is existent, is a threshold value Th3 or more, and also an average value of a distance difference between the far left point of the element and the far right point thereof, is a threshold value Th4 or less, this vehicle is determined as a vehicle running out of the existence domain, and is removed. Furthermore, when a distance difference between the x center of gravity with respect to the starting point of the line component and a median value in the horizontal direction of the horizontal line in the existence domain wherein the starting point is existent, is a threshold value Th5 or less, and a distance difference of the x-center of gravity with respect to the end point of the line component and a median value in the horizontal direction of the horizontal line in the existence domain wherein the end point of the existence domain is existent, is a threshold value Th6 or more, the vehicle is determined as in a tendency of moving out of the existence domain (an abnormal running such as lane changing or obstacle evading). The vehicle information measuring circuit 18 measures a speed of the vehicle or an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a foregoing vehicle, by utilizing a three-dimensional position information of the starting point and the end point of the line component which is sampled as the vehicle. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the determination is performed wherein the vehicle is in a tendency of moving out of the existence domain (an abnormal running such as lane changing or obstacle evading), by a positional relationship of the x centers of gravity with respect to the starting point and the end point of the line component. However, this determination can be performed by obtaining the x centers of gravity for the respective elements of the line component, and by utilizing a positional relationship between a straight line obtained by a straight line approximation of these and the existence domain. EXAMPLE 4 Figure 9 is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment of construction of an image processing device for traffic flows according to the present invention. In Figure 9, a reference numeral 9 designates an existence domain setting circuit, 10, a vertical line detecting circuit, 11, a projection data forming circuit, 12, a timewise data accumulating circuit, 13, a binarizing circuit, 14, a hole-filling circuit, 19, an image data projecting circuit, 21, an area calculating circuit, 22, a traffic flow monitoring circuit, and 23, a traffic flow confirming circuit. Next, explanation will be given to the operation. The TV camera 1 takes an image of a running vehicle at an arbitrary frame interval following the TV camera controlling circuit 2. The frame memory 3 receives data digitalized from an image signal of the TV camera 1. This data is a two-dimensional image data, and hereinafter, the horizontal direction is x-direction, and the vertical direction, y-direction. The existence domain setting circuit 9 takes out a previously set existence domain of the vehicle extended along a moving path of the vehicle from the frame memory 3. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the existence domain which is set by utilizing the existence domain setting circuit 9 on a screen in which an image of a road is taken by the TV camera, wherein a reference numeral 20 designates an existence domain. The vertical line detecting circuit 10 takes out a vertical line edge by utilizing, for instance, a vertical line detecting filter or the like from data in the existence domain. At this occasion, a vertical line edge data is formed wherein a domain in which the vertical line edge is existent, is determined as a logic of and the other domains, as a logic of "0". The projection data forming circuit 11 projects the vertical line edge data in x-direction, and forms a one-dimensional projection data wherein the size thereof in x-direction is 1, and the size thereof in y-direction is the screen size. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the vertical line edge data and the projection data, wherein a reference numeral 30 designates the vertical line edge data, and 31, the projection data. The projection data 31 is formed in a ratio of one per one frame. The above treatment is repeated at every period. The timewise data accumulating circuit 12, timewisely accumulates the projection data 31 by a predetermined number, thereby forming a two-dimensional data. The binarizing circuit 13 performs a binarizing of the two-dimensional data by a pertinent threshold value. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the binary data, wherein the horizontal line signifies time (hereinafter, t-direction), and the vertical direction the y-direction, and reference numerals 40a and 40b loci of the vehicle. In Figure 4, time elapses from left to right. In the binary data, a hole designated by a numeral 41 is generated when the vertical edge cannot be sampled by overlapping by the other vehicles or the like. The hole-filling circuit 14 performs a hole-filling of the binary data by the following treatment. The operation successively accesses the binary data in y-direction from lower side to upper side, and in t-direction from left or from right. When a condition is established wherein the reference data is a logic of "1", both of two data juxtaposed with the reference data in t-direction is determined as the logic of "1", and data above the reference data in y-direction is determined as the logic of "1". The operation performs nothing in cases of conditions other than the above one. This operation is performed for every data. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the hole-filling method, wherein a reference numeral 50 designates a portion of the binary data before the hole-filling, 51, binary data as a result of performing the above hole-filling. The hatched portion in Figure 5 designates data of the logic of "1" of the binary data, and the other portions, data of the logic of "0". The image data projecting circuit 19 produces a projected data by counting a number of elements of the logic of "1" in t-direction (horizontal direction) with respect to the binary data outputted by the hole-filling circuit. The area calculating circuit 21 calculates an area by counting number of elements of the logic of "1" in the binary data outputted by the hole-filling circuit. The traffic flow monitoring circuit 22 detects an abnormality in a timewise change of the traffic flow (unexpected incident such as an accident), by utilizing output data of the image data projecting circuit and the area calculating circuit, and issues an alarm (forecast) when the abnormality is recognized. The detection of the timewise change of the traffic flow is performed, for instance, by the following way. Figure 10 signifies an example of the output data of the hole-filling circuit when the traffic flow is normal, and Figure 11, another example of the output data of the hole-filling circuit when the traffic flow is abnormal (for instance, a sudden stop of the vehicle by an accident). As apparent in Figure 11, when a vehicle suddenly stops, an information representing the vehicle (hatched portion in Figure 11: the portion of the logic of "1" in the embodiment) is rapidly bent to the horizontal direction. Next, examples of outputs of the image data projecting circuit are shown in Figures 12 and 13. Figure 12 is a projected data with respect to Figure 10, and Figure 13, a projected data with respect to Figure 11. In these Figures, PK designates a maximum value of the projected data. The detection of the abnormality of the traffic flow is performed by the following equation by utilizing a property wherein the maximum value PK of the projected data is increased when the traffic flow is abnormal. PK/S ≧ TH1 When the above equation is satisfied, an alarm (forecast) is issued as the traffic flow being abnormal. In equation (1), S is an area (output data of the area calculating circuit), and TH1, a pertinent constant. The traffic flow confirming circuit 23 performs further abnormality detection of the traffic flow by utilizing the output data of the image data projecting circuit and the area calculating circuit in case that an alarm (forecast) is issued, and issues a secondary alarm when the abnormality is still recognized. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the output data of the hole-filling circuit when a stopped vehicle continues stopping by itself, and Figure 15, an example of the output data of the hole-filling circuit in case that a traffic jam is caused by an accident or the like. Figures 16 and 17 respectively show the projected data of Figures 14 and 15. The data described in Figures 14, 15, 16 and 17, show data wherein a certain time interval elapses timewisely from a situation which is shown in the explanation of the operation of the traffic flow monitoring circuit. The detection of the abnormality of the traffic flow is performed by the following equation (2) by utilizing a property wherein the maximum value PK of the projected data shows a large value in case that, after the alarm (forecast) is issued, the stopped vehicle is still existent, or the area is enlarged when a traffic jam is caused by the stopped vehicle. PK T2 /S T2 ≥ TH2, or S T2 /S T1 ≥ TH3 When the above equation (2) is satisfied, a secondary alarm is issued as the traffic flow being abnormal. In equation (2), PK T2 and S T2 respectively show the maximum value and the area of the projected data at the time point of T2, S T1 , the area at the time point of T1, and T2 is timewisely delayed compared with T1. Furthermore, TH2 and TH3 are pertinent constants. In the above example, the area calculating circuit 21 is provided after the hole-filling circuit 14. However, it may be provided between the binarizing circuit 13 and the hole-filling circuit 14. Furthermore, the above explanation concerns with the case wherein this invention is utilized in measuring the traffic flows. However, naturally, the invention can be utilized in measuring the other moving bodies. As stated above, according to one aspect of the invention, since the referring of the moving body between frames for tracking, is not necessary, the construction is simple and the vehicle can be sampled out even when the vehicle information is dropped off in a portion of frames, a moving body measuring device or an image processing device for traffic flows can be provided wherein the measuring accuracy is high and the detection of a plurality of moving bodies simultaneously existent in the screen becomes possible. Another aspect of the invention has an effect of promoting the detecting accuracy of the moving body by performing efficiently the hole-filling with respect to the data which are produced by the timewise data accumulating means described above. A further aspect of the invention can realize a high-speed operation by efficiently performing the sampling out of the line component elements-with respect to the data produced by the timewise data accumulating means described above or with respect to the data hole-filled by the hole-filling means described above. A further aspect of the invention has an effect of promoting the sampling accuracy of the vehicle. A further aspect of the invention has an effect of widening an application range of the image processing device for traffic flows, since detection of the behavior of the vehicle becomes possible. Furthermore, since the moving body measuring device described above can perform a mapping of information of a plurality of moving bodies or moving vehicles which are obtained by the image taking unit such as a TV camera, as binary image data, on a time versus moving distance plane, a complicated treatment such as the referring or the tracking of the moving body or the moving vehicles between frames, is not necessary. The measuring accuracy can be promoted since a dropped-out information can be compensated by a simple binary image processing even when a portion of the information of the moving bodies or moving vehicles is dropped off by influence of noise or the other vehicles. The device can perform the measurement of a plurality of moving bodies or moving vehicles. Since the device can perform a confirmation treatment of the detection of the abnormality of a flow of a moving body, or the traffic flow, the promotion of the accuracy can be achieved.

Claims: A moving body measuring device, having an image taking unit (1) for taking an image of a moving body, a controlling means (2) for controlling the image taking unit and a frame memory (3) for memorizing an image data of the image of the image taking unit, said moving body measuring device processing the image data, detecting the moving body and obtaining an information of the moving body and further comprising a sampling means (10, 11) for sampling data referring to the moving body, characterized by an existence domain setting means (9) for taking out image data from an existence domain of the moving body based on the image data, which existence domain is set before processing the image data and extends along a moving path of the moving body, said sampling means (10, 11) sampling said data based on the image data in the existence domain by detecting data to distinguish the moving body from the image data, said sampling means comprising projection data forming means for producing one-dimensional projection data depending on one dimension only of the sampled data by projecting the sampled data in one particular direction, a timewise data accumulating means (12) for timewisely and continuously accumulating at a constant period the projection data referring to the moving body sampled by the sampling means (10, 11) such that two-dimensional data in a directional-temporal plane are formed, the first dimension being the dimension of the projection data and the second dimension being time, and detecting means for detecting a timewise change of the moving body moving in said existence domain. A moving body measuring device according to claim 1, characterized by binarizing means (13) for forming a two-dimensional binary data by performing a binarizing of the timewisely accumulated image data obtained by the timewise date accumulating means (12). A moving body measuring device according to claim 2, characterized by a hole-filling means (14) for converting a binary data juxtaposed with a reference data being perpendicular to a predetermined direction of the reference data into the same data with the reference data when data juxtaposed on both sides of the reference data in the predetermined direction are the same binary data as the reference data among the image data binarized by the binarizing means. A moving body measuring device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by a line component element sampling means (15) for sampling a line component element as a reference binary data when first binary data having the same value with that of the reference binary data are continuously arranged in a predetermined direction of the reference binary data on one side of the reference binary data, and second binary data having a different value with that of the reference binary data are continuously arranged in the predetermined direction on the other side of the reference binary data, among the image data binarized by the binarizing means. A moving body measuring means according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by an image data projecting means (19) for forming a projected data by one-dimensionally projecting the image data binarized by the binarizing means, an area calculating means (21) for calculating an area occupied by elements of a first logic of "1" or a second logic of "0" by counting a summation of the elements of the first logic of "1" or the second logic of "0" among the image data binarized by the binarizing means, and a moving body monitoring means (22) for detecting a timewise change of the moving body moving in the previously set existence domain by using the projected data obtained by the image data projecting means (19) and the area obtained by the area calculating means, and issuing an alarm when the timewise change of the moving body is characteristic. A moving body measuring device according to claim 5, characterized by a situation confirming means (23) for continuously monitoring the timewise change of the moving body after a characteristic change is observed in the timewise change of the moving body and the alarm is issued by the moving body monitoring means (22) and issuing a secondary alarm when the timewise change of the moving body is characteristic. A moving body measuring device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the image taking unit (1) is a TV camera. An image processing device for measuring traffic flows including the moving body measuring device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by a vehicle determining means (17) for determining existence of the vehicle moving in the previously set existence domain, and a state quantities measuring means (18) for measuring state quantities of the vehicle determined by the vehicle determining means. An image processing device for measuring traffic flows according to claim 8, characterized by an attached informationd sampling means (70) for sampling and preserving an information attached to the data sampled by the sampling means, a vehicle data selecting means (71) for selecting the data showing the vehicle sampled by the sampling means by referring to the data attached by the attached information sampling means. An image processing device for measuring traffic flows according to claim 8, characterized by an attached information sampling means (70) for sampling and preserving an information attached to the data sampled by the sampling means, and a vehicle motion detecting device (80) for

Inventors: FURUSAWA HARUKI, HATAKENAKA JUN, SEKI AKINOBU, TANIGUCHI HIROYASU, FURUSAWA, HARUKI, HATAKENAKA, JUN, SEKI, AKINOBU, TANIGUCHI, HIROYASU, Furusawa, Haruki, c/o MITSUBISHI DENKI K. K., Hatakenaka, Jun, c/o MITSUBISHI DENKI K. K., Seki, Akinobu, c/o MITSUBISHI DENKI K. K., Taniguchi, Hiroyasu, c/o MITSUBISHI DENKI K. K.
Applicants: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP, MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G08G1
IPC codes: G01S3, G08G1, G01S11