JPH08201534A - Apparatus and method for sensing snowfall - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To spray an appropreate amount of water according to a snowfall by a method wherein a snowfall detection camera and an illumination device are so arranged as to face each other on upper ends of a support, the image is analyzed by a control panel and the degree of the snowfall is found. CONSTITUTION: A snowfall detection camera 7 and an illumination device 9 are installed so as to face each other on upper ends of a support 5 which is erected and installed on the ground and whose upper-end part is branched into two forks. Interconnections 15, 17 for the camera 7 and the device 9 are passed respectively through the inside of the support 5 so as to be connected to a control panel. An image processing system is built in the control panel, it analyzes an image, it judges whether the snow fall is a heavy snow, a medium snow or a light snow by setting a rotary switch so at to be displayed by a lamp, and it transmits a signal to a snow-melting apparatus. Since the camera 7 and the device 9 are faced with each other on the two forks of the support 5, snow does not accumulate between them, and only a present snowfall can be detected. The snow-melting apparatus controls a valve for water to be sprayed, and the water is sprayed effectively in proper quantities.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a snowfall detector and a snowfall detection method mainly applied to a snow melting device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a snow melting apparatus, water is sprayed only when there is snowfall or snowfall in order to effectively and appropriately perform snowmelt. This may depend on the judgment of the person, but since it is inconvenient to keep the person stuck to the site in winter, the snow melting device is activated by the detection of the snowfall sensor.

As conventional snowfall detectors, various direct and indirect methods have been tried. For example, in an external device, a sensor that electrically turns on when a certain amount of snow or more is touched (direct) is used, or a sensor that detects snow falling between the light emitter and the light receiver is used. It is used (indirectly).

[0004]

According to the conventional snowfall detector as described above, the reliability of the automatic detector has been improved by improving the performance of the parts constituting the snowfall detector. Since it was not possible to accurately detect the amount of snow, it was sprinkled wastefully, resulting in lowering and depletion of groundwater, and when severe, a secondary disaster such as ground subsidence occurred. ing. Also,
Excessive watering for snow removal has caused annoyance to the surrounding residents, and pedestrians have been blocked by water splashing.

Looking at the direct case, the amount of snowfall touching the sensor is different from the amount of snowfall at the site, such as roads, which is decreasing due to snowmelt, and looking at the indirect case, the amount of snow currently falling. However, there is a drawback in that it cannot detect the presence or absence of the present snow. Especially in the direct case, the current situation is that frost generated on a cold day is sensed and the road surface is frozen by water sprinkling based on the wrong signal, causing many slip accidents of automobiles. is there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.
A snowfall sensor and snowfall detection method that can spray water in an appropriate amount to measure the amount of snowfall by directly detecting snowfall by image analysis and can effectively use groundwater and the like. Aimed to provide.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the snowfall detector of the present invention comprises an operation panel having a built-in computer, and an external detection device arranged outdoors connected by wiring.
The external detection device is characterized in that the snowfall detection camera and the lighting device are arranged on the upper end of the support column so as to face each other, and a signal for determining the degree of snowfall is output by image analysis on the operation panel. .

The snowfall detection method of the present invention projects an image of snowfall at high speed, measures the amount of snowfall with the image projected during an arbitrary time, and determines the degree of snowfall by an arbitrary setting.
It is characterized by outputting the signal.

[0009]

[Operation] According to the above configuration, the snowfall is two-dimensionally expressed in the image instantaneously projected by the snowfall detection camera, and the proportion of the snowfall, such as heavy snowfall, medium snowfall, and light snowfall, is represented in that proportion. Based on this determination, the snow melting device sprays water in an appropriate amount according to the amount of snow.

Regarding the speed at which a snowfall screen is taken by a snowfall detection camera, for example, it is a high speed of about 1/200 second to 1/1000 second, and the image is projected in 1 minute to 5 minutes. Processing is performed, and the degree of snowfall such as heavy snow, medium snow, and light snow is determined based on the average value. Therefore, it does not detect any frost generated in the cold season.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings of the embodiments.

The drawings show one embodiment, and the snowfall detector P is constructed by connecting an external detection device 3 arranged outdoors to the operation panel 1 (FIG. 1). The operation panel 1
In addition to the TV monitor 2, a keyboard, a printer and the like not shown are connected to the.

The operation panel 1 has a built-in image processing system, which enables image analysis by binarization processing. FIG. 4 shows a binary level setting screen. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to discriminate between heavy snow, medium snow, and light snow by arbitrarily setting the rotary switch 4 in five stages.
The result is indicated by the lamp 6 of the operation panel 1, and the result is transmitted to the snow melting device as a digital signal.

In order to operate the snow melting device properly, the image processing system requires real-time processing or high-speed processing equivalent thereto. Therefore, the basic configuration of the image processing system is that the main part is an image processing dedicated processor and a large capacity. Image memory is used. In the host computer, the processing type and parameters are instructed to the image processing dedicated processor, and detailed analysis of the processing result, data transfer, data storage, and management are performed. A PC or EWS is used for this host computer.

The binarization processing is a method of separating into two regions, an object and a background. Usually, "1" is given to the object and "0" is given to the background, and a set of pixels of "1" is graphically represented. However, since the shape of the snow is represented by the contour line, the current amount of snowfall can be obtained from the ratio of the area set of the shape, and the amount of snowfall can be accumulated over time, resulting in heavy snowfall. It is judged as medium snow or light snow. FIG. 5 shows a maintenance screen for setting inspection parameters.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the external detection device 3 is provided with a snowfall detection camera 7 and an illumination device 9 on the upper end of a pillar 5 standing on the ground so as to face each other. 10
Is the diffusion plate. A pipe is used for the support column 5, and it branches into two branches at the upper end so that a snowfall detection camera 7 can be attached to one of the two branches and a lighting device 9 can be attached to and detached from the other pipe via mounting plates 11 and 11, respectively. It is attached.

Since the snowfall detection camera 7 and the lighting device 9 are made to face each other by the forked pipe, the snow falling between them does not accumulate between the snowfall detection camera 7 and the lighting device 9 and falls on the ground. Only the current instantaneous snowfall is detected. Further, there is no detection of frost or the like.

The lower end of the pillar 5 is a concrete foundation 1
Wiring 15 of the snowfall detection camera 7 supported by
And the wiring 17 of the lighting device 9 respectively pass through the pillars 5 and extend from below the crushed stone 19 under the foundation 13 to the connection to the operation panel 1.

Therefore, the snowfall detection camera 7 and the lighting device 9
If there is snowfall between the snowfall and the snowfall detection camera 7, the signal is sent to the operation panel 1, where image processing is performed, and as a result, the signal is sent to the snowmelting device and the snowmelting device. Water is sprayed by opening the water spray valve.
Then, depending on the amount of heavy snow, medium snow, and light snow, the watering stops.

In the binarization processing in the image processing,
Since it is necessary to identify snow that allows light to pass easily,
As shown in FIG. 1, standard equipment is provided for outputting comparisons for snow. About this, 23 is a camera, 25 is a halogen lamp, 27 is a diffuser, and 29 is a comparison object for snow.

When the snowfall detector and the snowfall detection method as described above are used, the water is effectively sprinkled in the snow melting device, and although there are some regional differences, the use of groundwater is 3 minutes of the normal usage amount. It can be suppressed to about 1.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the amount of snowfall can be accurately grasped, it is possible to sprinkle water efficiently without excess or deficiency in the snow melting device,
Not only is it suitable for ensuring traffic safety, but it does not waste water, so it has the excellent effect of preventing lowering and depletion of groundwater levels, and also of ground subsidence.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a snowfall sensor.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the external detection device in the same configuration view as seen from the front.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a main part of the external detection device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a binary level setting screen.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a maintenance screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 P Snowfall detector 1 Operation panel 3 External detection device 5 Support 7 Snowfall detection camera 9 Lighting device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An external detection device, which is arranged outdoors, is connected to a control panel with a built-in computer by wiring.
A snowfall detector characterized in that a snowfall detection camera and a lighting device are disposed on the upper end of a pillar so as to face each other, and a signal is output to determine the extent of snowfall by image analysis on a control panel. 2. A snowfall detection method, which is characterized in that an image of snowfall is projected at high speed, the amount of snowfall is measured by an image projected during an arbitrary period, the degree of snowfall is discriminated by an arbitrary setting, and the signal is output. Method.