초록 ▼

A traffic flow monitor apparatus which can monitor a traffic flow at high precision over a wide range from the position near a TV camera to the distant position regardless of traffic conditions. An image analysis area crossing a road of an overlooked road image received every predetermined cycle is

A traffic flow monitor apparatus which can monitor a traffic flow at high precision over a wide range from the position near a TV camera to the distant position regardless of traffic conditions. An image analysis area crossing a road of an overlooked road image received every predetermined cycle is analyzed, the characteristic portion of the front (rear) portion of the vehicle is registered as a template, the vehicle is tracked by a pattern-matching process while updating the template, and the size of the template is reduced (enlarge) depending on a change in apparent width of a lane during template updating. Since the characteristic portion of the front (rear) portion of the vehicle is registered, and the vehicle is tracked by the pattern-matching process, no reference image of a road portion on which no vehicle exists is required, and influence of approaching or overlapping of another vehicle can be reduced. A traffic flow can be monitored at high precision regardless of deserted traffic or crowded traffic. Since the size is reduced (enlarged) during template updating, a vehicle can be stably tracked by using a template having an appropriate size in the range from the near position to the distant position.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A traffic flow monitor apparatus comprising:image-pickup means for photographing a road in an overlooking manner;means for analyzing a luminance distribution of an image analysis area crossing a road of overlooked road images received every predetermined cycle;means for p

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A traffic flow monitor apparatus comprising:image-pickup means for photographing a road in an overlooking manner;means for analyzing a luminance distribution of an image analysis area crossing a road of overlooked road images received every predetermined cycle;means for performing template registration to a luminance pattern of a part or whole of a vehicle in the image analysis area as a characteristic portion of the vehicle;tracking means for calculating the degree of similarity between the template and the luminance pattern of the overlooked road image by correlation calculation to track a luminance pattern having a high degree of similarity as a vehicle which is subjected to template registration; andmonitor means for monitoring zigzag running, a sudden change in speed, excessively low-speed running and excessively high-speed running, and on the basis of a change in vehicle position in the overlooked road images received every predetermined cycle.