JP7171397B2 - Street lighting systems and emergency vehicle traffic assistance systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to street lighting systems and emergency vehicle traffic assistance systems.

Various proposals have been made from the viewpoint of increasing the added value of street lights. For example, it is a street light that has an information display function that projects advertising information and road guidance information on the road with illumination light (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and a size that allows an approaching car to fit in a nearby parking space. A street light has been proposed for checking whether or not (see Patent Document 2, for example).

JP 2009-145718 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-517228

The present inventors have studied street lights installed along roads on which vehicles travel, and have come to recognize the following problems. While driving a car, you may encounter an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance running in an emergency. Depending on the situation, such as an emergency vehicle approaching from behind and trying to overtake, you must give way to the emergency vehicle. Emergency vehicles sound sirens and illuminate warning lights, but in actual traffic conditions, it is often difficult for drivers to accurately grasp the direction of movement of emergency vehicles and their positional relationship with their own vehicle. is. However, there are no existing street lights that address such problems.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and one of the exemplary objects of certain aspects thereof is to provide a street light system and an emergency vehicle traffic support system that help smooth the passage of emergency vehicles. It is in.

In order to solve the above problems, a street light system according to one aspect of the present invention is installed along a road on which a vehicle travels, and is capable of lighting in a plurality of light colors including at least one warning color. a plurality of street lights having sound sensors that collect sound from and generate collected sound data; A sound signal processing unit that generates emergency vehicle route data indicating the current position and direction of travel, and an instruction to turn on at least one street light installed on the route of the emergency vehicle in a warning color based on the emergency vehicle route data. and a lamp color control unit that generates a warning color lighting signal.

The warning color lighting signal may instruct blinking in a warning color.

The street lights can be lit in a plurality of warning colors, and the light color control unit calculates the distance between the emergency vehicle and the street lights for at least two street lights installed on the path of the emergency vehicle based on the emergency vehicle path data. You may instruct|indicate lighting with a different warning color according to.

Another aspect of the present invention is an emergency vehicle traffic assistance system. This system is installed along the road on which the vehicle travels, and can be illuminated in multiple light colors, including at least one warning color, each having a sound sensor that picks up sound from the surroundings and generates collected sound data. A plurality of street lights and sound for receiving collected sound data, detecting a target sound indicating an emergency vehicle and its generation position based on the collected sound data, and generating emergency vehicle route data indicating the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle. A signal processing unit and a traffic signal system for controlling a traffic signal installed on the path of the emergency vehicle so as to assist the passage of the emergency vehicle based on the emergency vehicle path data.

The emergency vehicle traffic support system further comprises a light color control unit that generates a warning color lighting signal for instructing at least one street light installed on the route of the emergency vehicle to turn on in a warning color based on the emergency vehicle route data. may

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a street light system and an emergency vehicle traffic support system that are useful for facilitating smooth passage of emergency vehicles.

1 is a block diagram of a street light system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a street light according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of emergency vehicle traffic assistance based on sound recognition executed in the street light system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the street light system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an emergency vehicle traffic support system according to Embodiment 2; 9 is a flowchart showing an example of emergency vehicle traffic support based on sound recognition executed in the emergency vehicle traffic support system according to Embodiment 2;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting the invention, and not all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent constituent elements, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplication of description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience in order to facilitate the explanation, and should not be construed as limiting unless otherwise mentioned. In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" used in this specification or claims do not represent any order or degree of importance, but are used to distinguish one configuration from another. is.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a street light system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. A street light system 100 includes a plurality of street lights 101 installed along a road on which vehicles travel. The street light system 100 is configured to monitor road conditions by analyzing sounds emitted by vehicles traveling on the road in real time. For example, the street light system 100 detects sounds emitted by emergency vehicles, such as sirens, and monitors the current position and direction of travel of the emergency vehicle. It can also be said that the street light system 100 is an emergency vehicle traffic support system.

Each of the plurality of streetlights 101 includes a sound sensor 102, a streetlight control section 104, and a lighting fixture 106. FIG. The street light control section 104 includes an acoustic signal processing section 110 and a light color control section 112 .

The sound sensor 102 collects sound from the surroundings and generates collected sound data SD. The sound sensor 102 outputs collected sound data SD to the street light controller 104 . The number of sound sensors 102 installed in each street light 101 is, for example, one, but is not limited thereto. When multiple sound sensors 102 are installed in the streetlight 101 , the collected sound data SD is understood as a generic term for the output data of the multiple sound sensors 102 . The collected sound data SD includes a sound indicating the behavior of the running vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as a target sound) and noise.

The sound sensor 102 is, for example, an omnidirectional microphone that picks up audible sound (eg, about 20-20000 Hz), but is not limited to this, and may be a directional microphone or other sound sensor. .

A plurality of sound sensors 102 provided in a plurality of street lights 101 collectively form a so-called sound sensor array (for example a microphone array).

Sound that reaches the sound sensor 102 from a sound source such as a running vehicle includes direct sound coming straight from the sound source, diffracted sound diffracted by structures and topography near the road, and reflected sound. In this book, for convenience of explanation, the direct sound and the diffracted sound are sometimes collectively referred to as the non-reflected sound.

The lamp 106 can be lit in a plurality of colors, and the plurality of colors include a normal color (eg, white) and at least one warning color (eg, red, orange, yellow, etc.) different from the normal color. . The lamp 106 may be capable of lighting in multiple warning colors. The lamp 106 may also be capable of lighting in any other color (eg, blue, green, etc.). A light color control unit 112 controls the light color of the lamp 106 , the presence or absence of blinking, the brightness, and other aspects of light emission. The configuration of the lamp 106 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a light source such as an LED (light emitting diode) and a lighting circuit that drives and lights the light source. The lighting circuit may be controlled by the lamp color control section 112 so that the light source emits light in a desired manner. The light source can emit in three primary colors of light and may have red, green and blue LED chips.

The sound signal processing unit 110 receives the collected sound data SD, detects the target sound and its generation position, and generates generation position data of the target sound. Therefore, the sound signal processing unit 110 includes a sound recognition algorithm for generating target sound data indicating at least one characteristic of the target sound from the collected sound data SD, and generation position data indicating the generation position of the target sound from the target sound data. A sound source localization algorithm is implemented. The acoustic signal processing unit 110 performs such acoustic signal processing in real time.

As the sound recognition algorithm, an existing sound recognition algorithm capable of recognizing the target sound can be appropriately adopted. For example, a sound recognition algorithm based on machine learning such as deep learning may be used. The sound recognition algorithm may be based on pattern matching of collected sound data SD with a large number of sample sound data prepared in advance for various vehicle types and various driving situations.

As the sound source localization algorithm, an existing sound source localization algorithm that can specify the generation position of the target sound can be appropriately adopted. may be based on It is known that the arrival time of sound from a sound source to each sound sensor 102 is a function of the position of the sound source. A sound source direction can be estimated from an arrival time difference obtained from two sound sensors 102 , and a sound source direction can also be estimated from an arrival time difference obtained from another two sound sensors 102 . From the two estimated sound source azimuths, the position of the sound source is determined by the principle of triangulation. Therefore, if there are two sound sensors 102, the direction of the sound source can be specified, and if there are three, the position of the sound source can be specified.

For example, when the street lights 101 are installed on both sides of the road, the above three sound sensors 102 are the sound sensors 102 of each of the two street lights 101 adjacent to each other on one side of the road, and the sound sensors 102 of these two The sound sensor 102 of the street light 101 on the opposite side of the road can be used.

As the number of sound sensors 102 increases, the measurement accuracy of the sound source position improves. The position where the target sound is generated may be detected.

Acoustic signal processing unit 110 receives collected sound data SD, detects a target sound indicating an emergency vehicle and its generation position based on collected sound data SD, and generates emergency vehicle route data D1 indicating the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle. to generate An example of the target sound indicating an emergency vehicle is a siren sound. If a certain type of emergency vehicle produces a unique running sound, such running sound may be used as the target sound indicative of the emergency vehicle. The traveling direction of the emergency vehicle, that is, whether the emergency vehicle is running toward or away from the street light 101 can be grasped from the change in the current position of the emergency vehicle over time. If the frequency of the siren sound is known, the traveling direction of the emergency vehicle may be grasped based on the frequency change due to the Doppler effect with respect to the known frequency.

The acoustic signal processing unit 110 determines whether the target sound is a non-reflected sound, which is a direct sound or a diffracted sound, or a reflected sound, and detects the generation position of the target sound based on the non-reflected sound. The sound signal processing unit 110 may detect the position where the target sound is generated based only on the non-reflected sound. The sound signal processing unit 110 may detect the position where the target sound is generated based on both the non-reflected sound and the reflected sound. Alternatively, the sound signal processing section 110 may detect the position where the target sound is generated based only on the reflected sound.

When reflected sound and non-reflected sound arrive at one sound sensor 102 from one sound source, the reflected sound has a longer propagation path than the non-reflected sound, so it arrives with a slight delay. Therefore, in the collected sound data SD, when a plurality of target sounds having the same or similar characteristics are temporally close to each other, the sound signal processing unit 110 determines that the sound that arrives first is the non-reflected sound. By judging other sounds as reflected sounds, reflected sounds and non-reflected sounds can be discriminated.

Alternatively, the sound signal processing unit 110 performs frequency analysis of the collected sound data SD by utilizing the fact that the high-frequency components of the diffracted sound are attenuated compared to the direct sound, and the frequency components of the reflected sound change depending on the physical properties of the reflector. Direct sound, diffracted sound, and reflected sound may be discriminated by .

Diffracted sound reaches the sound sensor 102 from the corners of the object, and reflected sound arrives from reflective surfaces (that is, not from the corners). Using this difference, the acoustic signal processing unit 110 may discriminate between the diffracted sound and the reflected sound.

Based on the emergency vehicle route data D1, the light color control unit 112 generates a warning color lighting signal S1 for instructing at least one street light 101 installed on the route of the emergency vehicle to turn on in the warning color. The warning color lighting signal S1 may instruct blinking in a warning color. Based on the emergency vehicle route data D1, the light color control unit 112 lights at least two street lights 101 installed on the route of the emergency vehicle in different warning colors according to the distance between the emergency vehicle and the street lights 101. You can direct. The light color control unit 112 may generate a signal instructing lighting in the normal color based on the emergency vehicle route data D1.

The street light control unit 104 can be implemented by combining a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a processor (hardware) such as a microcomputer, and a software program executed by the processor (hardware). For example, the acoustic signal processing unit 110 can be configured by a digital signal processor, for example, it may be configured by a combination of a CPU or a microcomputer and a software program, or by FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specified IC). and so on.

The street lamp 101 also has a communication device 114 . The street light control unit 104 transmits the collected sound data SD, the emergency vehicle route data D1, and the warning color lighting signal S1 to the street light control unit 104 of the other street light 101 through the communication device 114. It can be received from the street light control unit 104 . The communication device 114 has an antenna 114a, and the streetlights 101 can wirelessly communicate with each other. The configuration of the communication device 114 is not particularly limited, and the streetlights 101 may communicate with each other by wire.

Therefore, the street light control unit 104 of a certain street light 101 receives the sound data SD collected by the sound sensor 102 provided in itself, as well as the sound data SD collected by the other street light 101 (for example, the neighboring street light 101). Emergency vehicle route data D1 can be generated using collected sound data SD. Also, the street light controller 104 of a certain street light 101 can generate the warning color lighting signal S1 according to the emergency vehicle route data D1 generated by another street light 101 or the warning color lighting signal S1.

Although the acoustic signal processing unit 110 and the light color control unit 112 are provided in each street light 101, the present invention is not limited to this. One sound signal processing unit 110 and one light color control unit 112 may be provided for a plurality of street lights 101, for example, for several adjacent street lights 101 (one set of street lights 101). Therefore, the acoustic signal processing unit 110 generates emergency vehicle route data D1 from the collected sound data SD from one set of street lights 101, and the light color control unit 112 generates emergency vehicle route data D1 from the one set of street lights. 101, the warning color lighting signal S1 may be generated. The acoustic signal processing unit 110 and the light color control unit 112 may be provided in one of the street lights 101, or may be provided in the vicinity of the road or in another place (for example, a traffic light) separately from the street lights 101. may be

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the street light 101 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. The street light 101 has a support 120 installed on the ground on the side of the road, and the sound sensor 102 , street light control section 104 , lamp 106 and communication device 114 are attached to the support 120 . A sensor installation base 122 protruding toward the road is attached to the support 120 . The sensor installation base 122 is positioned at a lower height than the lamp 106, but this is not the only option. The sound sensor 102 is installed on a sensor installation base 122 and thereby positioned above the road.

The lamp 106 and the communication device 114 are installed on the upper part or the upper end of the support 120 . Another sound sensor 102 may be provided on the lamp 106 and two sound sensors 102 may be provided at different heights for one street light 101 . Alternatively, only one of the lamp 106 and the sensor installation base 122 may be provided with the sound sensor 102 . One street light 101 may be provided with three or more sound sensors 102 . The multiple sound sensors 102 may be provided at different heights and/or at different horizontal positions, for example. The arrangement locations of the sound sensor 102, the street light control unit 104, the lamp 106, and the communication device 114 shown in FIG. 2 are examples, and other arrangements are possible.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of emergency vehicle traffic assistance based on sound recognition executed in the street light system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. This routine is repeatedly executed by the street light control unit 104 at a predetermined cycle (for example, a cycle of several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds).

First, the street light system 100 picks up sound from the surroundings of each street light 101 (S10). The sound sensor 102 of each street light 101 generates collected sound data SD, and the street light controller 104 acquires the collected sound data SD. When each street light 101 is provided with a plurality of sound sensors 102 , the street light control unit 104 acquires collected sound data SD of the sound sensors 102 . If only one sound sensor 102 is provided for each street light 101 , the street light control unit 104 detects the sound collected by the sound sensor 102 of the other street light 101 via the communication device 114 . Get the data SD.

A target sound indicating an emergency vehicle is detected (S11). The acoustic signal processing unit 110 receives the collected sound data SD and analyzes the collected sound data SD using a sound recognition algorithm to detect a target sound indicating an emergency vehicle.

Next, the generation position of the target sound is identified (S12). The acoustic signal processing unit 110 applies a sound source localization algorithm to the detected target sound to identify the position where the target sound is generated. The acoustic signal processing unit 110 generates emergency vehicle route data D1 indicating the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not to change the light color of the street light 101 (S13). For example, the light color control unit 112 obtains the distance from the street light 101 to the current position of the emergency vehicle based on the emergency vehicle track data D1, and compares this distance with a predetermined distance threshold. Alternatively, the light color control unit 112 obtains the distance to the current position of the emergency vehicle based on the emergency vehicle route data D1 or the warning color lighting signal S1 from another street light 101 (for example, the neighboring street light 101), This distance is compared to a predetermined distance threshold. The light color control unit 112 determines that the light color of the street light 101 should be changed if the distance to the emergency vehicle is smaller than the distance threshold. If the distance to the emergency vehicle is greater than the distance threshold, the light color control unit 112 determines that the light color of the street light 101 should not be changed.

When it is determined that the light color of the street light 101 should be changed (Y in S13), the light color control unit 112 generates the warning color lighting signal S1 for the street light 101. FIG. The lamp color control unit 112 outputs a warning color lighting signal S<b>1 to the lamp 106 . Upon receiving the warning color lighting signal S1, the lamp 106 lights in the warning color (S14). When the warning color lighting signal S1 instructs blinking, the lamp 106 blinks in the warning color.

When it is determined that the light color of the street light 101 should not be changed (N of S13), the light color control unit 112 does not generate the warning color lighting signal S1 for the street light 101, or changes the light color to the normal color. Generates a signal to instruct lighting. Therefore, the lamp 106 is lit in the normal color (S15). In this case, when the street lamp 101 does not need to be turned on, such as during the daytime, the lamp 106 may be turned off.

Thus, light color control based on the emergency vehicle route data D1 is performed, and this routine ends.

The plurality of streetlights 101 may be lit in mutually linked lighting patterns. For example, street lights 101 may illuminate in different colors depending on the distance to the emergency vehicle. Using a plurality of warning colors expands the range of expression. For example, the first group of street lights 101 closest to the emergency vehicle lights in the first warning color, and the second group of street lights 101 adjacent to the first group of street lights 101 on the path of the emergency vehicle lights in the first warning color. It may be illuminated in a different secondary warning color. A color indicating a higher alert level than the second alert color is selected as the first alert color. For example, the first warning color is red and the second warning color is orange or yellow. Three or more warning colors may be used, the plurality of street lights 101 may be divided into three or more groups according to the distance to the emergency vehicle, and different light colors assigned to each group.

The range of expression can be expanded not only by continuous lighting but also by using blinking. For example, a plurality of streetlights 101 may be illuminated sequentially to indicate the direction of travel of emergency vehicles.

In step S13, the light color control unit 112 uses different distance thresholds for the front (that is, the side that the emergency vehicle is about to pass) and the rear (the side that the emergency vehicle has already passed) in the traveling direction of the emergency vehicle. You may A first distance threshold may be used in the forward direction of travel and a second distance threshold less than the first distance threshold may be used in the rearward direction of travel. By doing so, it is possible to secure a wider lighting range in the warning color on the side where the emergency vehicle is about to pass. A larger number of street lights 101 are lit in warning colors in the forward direction in the traveling direction than in the rearward direction in the traveling direction.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the street light system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 shows a case where an emergency vehicle 130 is urgently traveling on a road on which the street light system 100 is installed. The emergency vehicle 130 is traveling from left to right in the figure. General vehicles 132 a and 132 b are running on the upstream side (front) of the emergency vehicle 130 in the traveling direction of the emergency vehicle 130 .

The emergency vehicle 130 is running with a siren sound 134 sounding. The siren sound 134 is picked up by the sound sensors 102 of the surrounding streetlights 101 . As described above, the street light system 100 detects the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle 130 in real time through acoustic signal processing of the siren sound 134 . The street light system 100 generates a warning color lighting signal S1 for each street light 101 based on the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle 130 .

As a result, the streetlights 101a of the first group closest to the emergency vehicle 130 on the path of the emergency vehicle 130 are lit in the first warning color (for example, red). The street lights 101b of the second group, which are adjacent to the street lights 101a of the first group in front of the street lights 101a of the first group on the route of the emergency vehicle 130, are lit in a second warning color (for example, orange). Other street lights 101c are lit in a normal color (for example, white) or turned off.

At this time, the streetlights 101 located near the emergency vehicle 130 (eg, the streetlights 101a of the first group) can light up in a warning color in response to the siren sound 134 . However, as the distance from the emergency vehicle 130 increases, the siren sound 134 becomes less audible. Therefore, instead of responding to the siren sound 134, the streetlights 101 (for example, the second group of streetlights 101b) that are some distance away from the emergency vehicle 130 respond to the warning color lighting signal S1 (arrow 136) transmitted from the neighboring streetlight 101. ) in response to a warning color. Furthermore, the street light 101c (eg, the rightmost street light in FIG. 4) farther from the emergency vehicle 130 lights up in normal color or goes out. Moreover, the street light 101c (for example, the leftmost street light in FIG. 4), which the emergency vehicle 130 has already passed, is turned on or off in the normal color.

According to the street light system 100, the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle 130 can be notified to the drivers of the general vehicles 132a and 132b by changing the light color of the street light 101. FIG. A driver who notices the emergency vehicle 130 in this way can give way to the emergency vehicle 130 . Therefore, the street light system 100 helps the emergency vehicle 130 pass smoothly.

A large number of street lights 101 are generally installed along the road. By mounting a sound sensor 102 on each street light 101, a siren sound or other target sound indicative of an emergency vehicle 130 is detected at a number of sound pickup positions along the road, and its position and direction of travel are accurately specified. can do.

In order to detect the emergency vehicle 130, a method of arranging a large number of cameras along the road and using image data captured by the cameras is also conceivable. However, since these cameras can also be regarded as surveillance cameras, there are also privacy concerns about placing many in the city. On the other hand, since the street light system 100 uses sound recognition, there is also an advantage that such concerns do not arise.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an emergency vehicle traffic support system according to the second embodiment. The emergency vehicle traffic support system 200 includes, in addition to the street light system 100 according to Embodiment 1, a traffic light system 202 having a plurality of traffic lights 202a.

The traffic signal system 202 controls the traffic signal 202a installed on the route of the emergency vehicle so as to assist the passage of the emergency vehicle based on the emergency vehicle route data D1. The traffic light system 202 is controlled by a traffic control system 204 (eg, traffic authority or police). The traffic light system 202 can communicate with the traffic control system 204 via a wireless or wired communication line 206 . While the street lights 101 and the traffic lights 202a are installed in one area, the traffic control system 204 is installed in a remote area and integrates the emergency vehicle traffic support systems 200 in a plurality of areas including this area. Control.

A traffic light controller 203 is provided in the traffic light 202a. The traffic light control unit 203 has a communication device 208 , and the traffic light 202 a is used as a relay device for communication between the traffic control system 204 and the street light system 100 . The street lights 101 and the traffic lights 202a are divided into a plurality of groups, and each group includes at least one traffic light 202a and a plurality of street lights 101 installed near the traffic lights 202a. The traffic light control unit 203 collects information from the street lights 101 in the same group and transmits the information to the traffic control system 204 . The traffic light controller 203 also receives a control signal or other information from the traffic control system 204 and transmits it to the street lights 101 of the group.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of emergency vehicle traffic assistance based on sound recognition executed in the emergency vehicle traffic assistance system according to the second embodiment.

First, the traffic light 202a acquires information from the street light 101 (S20). Emergency vehicle route data D1 and warning color lighting signal S1 are generated by street light 101 in the same manner as in street light system 100 according to the first embodiment. The street light 101 sends the emergency vehicle route data D1 and the warning color lighting signal S1 to the traffic signal 202a. At this time, the traffic light 202a aggregates the emergency vehicle route data D1 and the warning color lighting signal S1 from the plurality of street lights 101 belonging to the same group.

Next, the traffic light 202a sends information collected from the plurality of street lights 101 to the traffic control system 204 (S22). Information about the area to which the traffic light 202a belongs is sent to the traffic control system 204. FIG.

The traffic control system 204 controls the traffic light 202a based on the information (S24). The traffic control system 204 generates a control signal for controlling the traffic signal 202 a and sends it to the traffic signal control section 203 . The traffic light controller 203 controls the traffic light 202a according to the control signal. Thus, the traffic light system 202 controls the traffic light 202a under the control of the traffic control system 204 to assist emergency vehicles in passing. For example, a traffic light 202a placed in the path of an emergency vehicle is turned green to allow the emergency vehicle to pass. Alternatively, all of the traffic lights 202a installed at intersections on the route of the emergency vehicle are turned red. By doing so, entry of general vehicles into the intersection is prohibited, and only emergency vehicles can enter, thus assisting the passage of emergency vehicles.

A control signal sent from the traffic control system 204 is sent to the street light 101 via the traffic light 202a. Thus, the traffic light system 202 as well as the street light system 100 can be controlled by the traffic control system 204 .

According to the emergency vehicle traffic support system 200 according to the second embodiment, similar to the street light system 100 according to the first embodiment, the driver of a general vehicle is notified of the approach of an emergency vehicle by changing the light color of the street light 101. can do. In addition, emergency vehicle traffic assistance system 200 can control traffic light 202a to assist emergency vehicle traffic.

In Embodiment 2, unlike Embodiment 1, sound signal processing section 110 and light color control section 112 may be provided in traffic light control section 203. In that case, traffic light control section 203 may Collected sound data SD may be collected from the sound sensor 102 of the street light 101 to generate the emergency vehicle route data D1 and the warning color lighting signal S1. The traffic light control unit 203 transmits the warning color lighting signal S1 to the street lamps 101, whereby each street light 101 lights in the warning color according to the warning color lighting signal S1. At the same time, the traffic light controller 203 may transmit the emergency vehicle route data D1 and the warning color lighting signal S1 to the traffic control system 204 .

Moreover, the sound sensor 102 may be provided in the traffic light 202a. Additionally or alternatively, a camera may be provided at the traffic light 202a.

By the way, the collected sound data SD can include not only the siren sound of an emergency vehicle but also the running sound of a general vehicle (for example, the operating sound of an engine or motor, the frictional sound of tires and a road surface, etc.). Therefore, the acoustic signal processing unit 110 receives the collected sound data SD, detects the target sound indicating the general vehicle and the position where the sound is generated based on the collected sound data SD, and calculates the traffic volume (the number of vehicles running, the running speed, etc.) in the vicinity. may generate traffic data to show. The traffic light controller 203 may transmit traffic data to the traffic control system 204 .

Traffic control system 204 may control emergency vehicle traffic assistance system 200 based on traffic data. The traffic control system 204 may control the signal color of the traffic light 202a installed on the path of the emergency vehicle and the light color of the street light 101 so as to increase or maximize the traffic volume on the path of the emergency vehicle. . If a sufficient amount of traffic is secured on the route of the emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle can travel smoothly together with other traveling vehicles.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and it is also possible to combine the embodiments and modifications, and to add further modifications such as various design changes based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. , and embodiments and modifications in which such combinations or further modifications are added are also included in the scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments and modifications, and new embodiments resulting from combinations of the above-described embodiments and modifications with the following modifications, combine the effects of the combined embodiments, modifications, and further modifications. Have.

The streetlight 101 may have a camera. The street light control unit 104 may generate the emergency vehicle route data D1 based on the collected sound data SD and the image data captured by the camera.

Although the present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiment, the embodiment only shows one aspect of the principle and application of the present invention, and the embodiment does not include the claims. Many variations and rearrangements are permissible without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in its scope.

100 street light system 101 street light 102 sound sensor 110 acoustic signal processing unit 112 light color control unit 130 emergency vehicle 200 emergency vehicle traffic support system 202 traffic light system 202a traffic light D1 emergency vehicle route data S1 Warning color lighting signal, SD sound collection data.

Claims (5)

A plurality of street lights installed along a road on which a vehicle travels, capable of lighting in a plurality of light colors including at least one warning color, each having a sound sensor that picks up sounds from the surroundings and generates collected sound data. When,
An acoustic signal processing unit that receives the collected sound data, detects a target sound indicating an emergency vehicle and the position where the target sound is generated based on the collected sound data, and generates emergency vehicle route data indicating the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle. When,
a light color control unit that generates a warning color lighting signal for instructing lighting in the warning color for at least one street light installed on the route of the emergency vehicle, based on the emergency vehicle route data ;
The acoustic signal processing unit determines whether the target sound is a non-reflected sound or a reflected sound, and detects a position where the target sound is generated based on the non-reflected sound, the reflected sound, or both. A street light system characterized by: 2. The street light system according to claim 1, wherein the warning color lighting signal instructs blinking in the warning color. The street light can be lit in a plurality of warning colors,
The light color control unit controls, based on the emergency vehicle route data, lighting of at least two street lights installed on the route of the emergency vehicle in different warning colors according to the distance between the emergency vehicle and the street lights. 3. Street lighting system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it indicates. A plurality of street lights installed along a road on which a vehicle travels, capable of lighting in a plurality of light colors including at least one warning color, each having a sound sensor that picks up sounds from the surroundings and generates collected sound data. When,
An acoustic signal processing unit that receives the collected sound data, detects a target sound indicating an emergency vehicle and the position where the target sound is generated based on the collected sound data, and generates emergency vehicle route data indicating the current position and traveling direction of the emergency vehicle. When,
a traffic signal system that controls a traffic signal installed on the route of the emergency vehicle so as to support the passage of the emergency vehicle based on the emergency vehicle route data ;
The acoustic signal processing unit determines whether the target sound is a non-reflected sound or a reflected sound, and detects a position where the target sound is generated based on the non-reflected sound, the reflected sound, or both. An emergency vehicle traffic support system characterized by: Further comprising a light color control unit that generates a warning color lighting signal for instructing lighting in the warning color for at least one street light installed on the route of the emergency vehicle, based on the emergency vehicle route data. The emergency vehicle traffic support system according to claim 4.

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