JP2020027447A - Probe information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To specify a length of a row of vehicles stopped at a traffic light even when it is difficult to detect individual vehicles included in the row of vehicles stopped at the traffic light.SOLUTION: A probe information processing device according to an embodiment comprises an acquisition unit and a vehicle row identification unit. The acquisition unit acquires information from an on-vehicle device mounted on a probe vehicle. The vehicle row identification unit identifies a distance from a stop position of a stopped vehicle to a position of a stop line at an intersection where the traffic light is installed, as a length of the vehicles waiting for the traffic light in the case where the vehicle row identification unit determines that a distance from a stop position of a stopped vehicle stopped on a road to a traffic light located in front of the stopped vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and an object larger than a predetermined size is detected in front of the stopped vehicle based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  An embodiment of the present invention relates to a probe information processing device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique for detecting a vehicle stopped on a road due to a signal or the like from a captured image of a road.

  There is also known a technique for grasping the congestion state of a road and the occurrence state of traffic congestion from the detection result of a stopped vehicle.

JP 2000-504859 A JP-A-2006-062443 JP 2018-045620 A JP 2015-076074 A JP-A-2006-170708 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-212957 JP-A-11-31295 JP 2017-161997 A JP 2009-69907 A JP 2009-146138 A JP 2008-82761 A JP 2009-109341 A

  In order to grasp the congestion state of the road and the like, it is useful to use not only the positions of the individual stopped vehicles but also information on the position and length of a train including a plurality of stopped vehicles. However, in a train stopped at a traffic light, the distance between the stopped vehicles is often short, so the body of the stopped vehicle is hidden by another stopped vehicle and is not reflected in the captured image. There is. In the prior art, in such a case, it was sometimes difficult to grasp the length of the entire train.

  For this reason, even when it is difficult to detect individual vehicles included in a train stopped at a traffic light, a technology for identifying the length of a train stopped at a traffic light has been developed. Was sought.

  The probe information processing apparatus according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit and a vehicle train identification unit. The acquisition unit acquires information from an in-vehicle device mounted on the probe vehicle. The vehicle train identification unit is based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, a distance from a stop position of the stopped vehicle stopped on the road to a traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and If it is determined that an object of a predetermined size or more has been detected in front of the stopped vehicle, the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic light is installed is determined by Specify as length.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the entire configuration of the probe information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration around a cockpit (driver's seat) in the vehicle of the probe vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the in-vehicle control device for the probe vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a function of the in-vehicle control device of the probe vehicle according to the first embodiment and an example of a function of the management server. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining measurement of the distance according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of storing the position of the signal waiting stop train and the corrected imaging position according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a process performed by the on-vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a process executed by the management server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in the reliability of the range specified when the signal waiting vehicle train according to the second embodiment exists. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a change in the reliability of the range specified when the signal waiting stop train according to the second embodiment exists. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a process executed by the management server according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in the reliability of the range specified when the signal waiting vehicle train according to the third embodiment exists. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of the change in the reliability of the range specified when the signal waiting stop train according to the third embodiment exists. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detection target vehicle according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a function of the in-vehicle control device of the probe vehicle according to the fifth embodiment and an example of a function of the management server. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a parked vehicle according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of storing information regarding a parked vehicle according to the fifth embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a probe information processing system S according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the probe information processing system S includes a management server 9, and a base station 8 for wireless communication for transmitting and receiving information between the management server 9 and the probe vehicle 1.

  The road 90 shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of lanes in the same traveling direction as the track on which the tram travels (tram lane). A plurality of stopped vehicles 20 stopped in each lane are signal waiting stop trains 2a to 2c (hereinafter, individually referred to as stop lines) 39 starting from a signal stop line (hereinafter simply referred to as a stop line) 39 drawn on the road surface of the road 90. If no distinction is made between the signal waiting stop trains 2a to 2c, it is simply referred to as a signal waiting stop train 2). The signal waiting stop train 2 is a train including a plurality of stopped vehicles 20 that are stopped to wait for a traffic light to change from a red signal (stop signal) to a green signal (progress signal). In the present embodiment, the train of stopped vehicles 20 that are not merely continuous but are stopped for signal waiting is referred to as a signal waiting stopped train 2.

  The probe vehicle 1 transmits the detection result of the stopped vehicle 20 and information such as the position of the own vehicle to the management server 9. The probe vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is specifically a tram (tram), and travels on a track (lane) along a predetermined route. The tram travel lane and the tram corresponding lane shown in FIG. 1 are dedicated lanes on which the tram as the probe vehicle 1 travels.

  The probe vehicle 1 is a vehicle equipped with an imaging device 11 for imaging the front, an imaging device 12 for imaging the rear, an imaging device, a GPS antenna for receiving radio waves from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite 5, and the like. The stopped vehicles 20a to 20k that are stopped on the road (hereinafter, simply referred to as the stopped vehicles 20 when the individual stopped vehicles 20a to 20k are not distinguished) are detected from the captured image captured while traveling on the road. In the present embodiment, the stopped vehicle 20 is a vehicle that stops on the road 90 but has a stop time shorter than a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes).

  The management server 9 specifies the length of the signal waiting stop train 2 based on the detection result of the stopped vehicle 20 received from the probe vehicle 1 and the position of the probe vehicle 1. In addition, the management server 9 transmits the specified length of the signal waiting train 2 to the traffic information provider 100 and the traffic control center 200. The management server 9 is an example of a probe information processing device according to the present embodiment.

  The traffic information provider 100 provides traffic information based on the information received from the management server 9 to drivers and companies. In addition, the traffic control center 200 controls a traffic light, manages a traffic flow, and the like based on the information received from the management server 9. The traffic information provider 100 and the traffic control center 200 are examples of an external device in the present embodiment.

First, a configuration example of the probe vehicle 1 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration around a cockpit (driver's seat) in the interior of the probe vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. In the cockpit of the probe vehicle 1, an in-vehicle control device 10, imaging devices 11a and 11b, and a GPS antenna 13 are installed.

  The imaging devices 11a and 11b form a stereo camera, and capture images of a vehicle located in front of the probe vehicle 1 from different angles. Hereinafter, when the imaging devices 11a and 11b are not particularly distinguished, they are referred to as the imaging device 11. The imaging device 12 installed behind the probe vehicle 1 has the same configuration as the imaging device 11. The imaging device 11 of the present embodiment captures a moving image as a captured image, but may capture a still image. The number and installation positions of the imaging devices 11 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. The imaging device 11 may be a monocular camera or a camera capable of capturing an image at 360 degrees.

  The in-vehicle control device 10 controls the entire probe vehicle 1. The in-vehicle control device 10 is an example of the in-vehicle device in the present embodiment.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. The in-vehicle control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a memory 102, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 103, a tool interface (I / F) 104, a GPS module 105, a timing circuit 106, a communication interface (I / F) 107. The in-vehicle control device 10 may include a storage medium such as a flash memory instead of the HDD 103.

  The tool interface 104 is an interface for connecting to various tools provided in the probe vehicle 1. The tool is an imaging device 11, an operation control device of the probe vehicle 1, various sensors such as a wheel speed sensor, and the like.

  The GPS module 105 calculates the current position (latitude and longitude) of the probe vehicle 1 based on radio waves received from a plurality of GPS satellites 5 via the GPS antenna 13. The clock circuit 106 is a circuit having a clock function. The clock circuit 106 is, for example, an RTC (Real Time Clock), but is not limited thereto.

  The communication interface 107 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information via a network or the like. The communication interface 107 is connected to, for example, a wireless communication base station 8 via a wireless network, and transmits and receives information to and from the management server 9.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functions of the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment and functions of the management server 9 of the probe information processing system S.

  First, the in-vehicle control device 10 provided in the probe vehicle 1 includes an acquisition unit 110, a vehicle detection unit 111, a distance measurement unit 112, a vehicle speed calculation unit 113, a travel determination unit 114, an object detection unit 115, And a unit 116.

  The acquisition unit 110 acquires various types of information via the tool interface 104. More specifically, the acquisition unit 110 acquires the captured images captured by the imaging devices 11 and 12 via the tool interface 104 at regular intervals. The acquisition unit 110 of the present embodiment acquires a moving image including a plurality of frames as a captured image in one acquisition, but may acquire a still image of one frame in one acquisition.

  Further, when acquiring the captured image, the acquiring unit 110 acquires the current time from the timing circuit 106 as the time at which the captured image was captured (imaging time). Further, the acquisition unit 110 acquires, from the GPS module 105, position information indicating the position (latitude, longitude) of the probe vehicle 1 at the time of capturing the captured image. The position of the probe vehicle 1 at the time of capturing the captured image is also referred to as an imaging position. Further, the acquisition unit 110 acquires the vehicle speed of the probe vehicle 1 from the operation control device of the probe vehicle 1. Further, the obtaining unit 110 may obtain the wheel speed of the probe vehicle 1 from a wheel speed sensor installed on the probe vehicle 1.

  The acquisition unit 110 sends the acquired captured image, the imaging time, position information indicating the position of the probe vehicle 1 at the imaging time, and the vehicle speed to the vehicle detection unit 111.

  The vehicle detection unit 111 detects a vehicle from the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 110. Specifically, the vehicle detection unit 111 performs image processing such as pattern recognition on a frame forming the captured image, and detects a vehicle included in the frame. The method of vehicle detection is not limited to this. The vehicle detection unit 111 calculates a captured image, information specifying an image range in which the vehicle is reflected in the captured image, an imaging time, position information indicating a position of the probe vehicle 1 at the imaging time, and a vehicle speed. This is sent to the distance measuring unit 112.

  The distance measurement unit 112 detects the inter-vehicle distance (distance in the front-rear direction) between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicle detected by the vehicle detection unit 111, and detects the distance between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicle detection unit 111 for each frame included in the captured image. The distance in the lateral direction to the detected vehicle and the vehicle width of the vehicle detected by the vehicle detection unit 111 are measured.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining measurement of the distance according to the present embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the vehicle detection unit 111 has detected the vehicle 21 from the captured image. At the time when the vehicle detection unit 111 detects the vehicle 21, it is not determined whether or not the vehicle 21 is stopped.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the inter-vehicle distance 4 between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicle 21 is from the tip of the probe vehicle 1 (the end of the probe vehicle 1 closer to the vehicle 21). It is the distance to the end (the end on the side closer to the probe vehicle 1 among the both ends of the vehicle 21). The lateral distance 37 between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicle 21 is a distance from the center of the vehicle width 38 of the probe vehicle 1 to the center of the vehicle width of the vehicle 21.

  The distance measurement unit 112 measures the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, and the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21 based on, for example, stereo parallax of the imaging devices 11a and 11b, but uses another known method. May be. The distance measurement unit 112 sends the measured inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, and the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21 to the vehicle speed calculation unit 113.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the vehicle speed calculation unit 113 provided in the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 calculates the vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 detected by the vehicle detection unit 111. More specifically, the vehicle speed calculation unit 113 calculates the relative speed of the vehicle 21 from the amount of change in the inter-vehicle distance 4 between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicle 21 within a predetermined time, and calculates the relative speed of the vehicle 21 and the vehicle speed of the probe vehicle 1. The vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 is calculated from the above. The vehicle speed calculation unit 113 may use the vehicle speed acquired by the acquisition unit 110 as it is, or may calculate the vehicle speed of the probe vehicle 1 from the wheel speed acquired from the acquisition unit 110.

  The traveling determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 21 is stopped (not traveling) when the vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. The threshold value for the stop determination is, for example, 2 km / h, but is not limited thereto, and may be 0 km / h. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 21 that has been determined to be stopped by the travel determination unit 114 is the stopped vehicle 20.

  When the traveling determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 21 is stopped, the object detection unit 115 determines from the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 110 that the vehicle 21 determined to be stopped by the traveling determination unit 114. An object that is located in front of the (stopped vehicle 20) and has a predetermined size or more is detected. The predetermined size is, for example, about one-third the size of the body of the normal vehicle 21, but is not limited to this. The object detection unit 115 performs image processing such as edge detection on an image range located ahead of the stopped vehicle 20 from an image range in which the stopped vehicle 20 is reflected in the captured image, and performs image processing such as edge detection. Is detected in front of the object having a predetermined size or more. The method of detecting an object is not limited to this. Since the object detection unit 115 does not need to strictly determine whether the detected object is the vehicle 21, a simpler detection method than the vehicle detection unit 111 can be used.

  When the traveling determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20) is stopped, the transmission unit 116 determines the time when the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20) is detected and the time of the probe vehicle 1 at the time. Position information indicating the position, the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, and whether or not an object larger than a predetermined size is detected in front of the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20). And the captured image in which the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20) is detected, and transmits the information to the management server 9 in association with each other. The transmission unit 116 may perform the transmission process each time the stopped vehicle 20 is detected, or may perform the transmission process at a fixed time interval (for example, every two seconds).

  In the present embodiment, the information transmitted by the transmission unit 116 to the management server 9, that is, the time (imaging time) at which the stopped vehicle 20 was detected and the position information (imaging position) indicating the position of the probe vehicle 1 at the time are described. The inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, information indicating whether or not an object having a predetermined size or more is detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20, The obtained captured image is collectively referred to as stopped vehicle information. Further, in the present embodiment, the transmission unit 116 determines that the vehicle detected by the vehicle detection unit 111 determines that the vehicle 21 is stopped by the traveling determination unit 114. It is said that 20 is detected. In other words, the transmission unit 116 transmits the stopped vehicle information to the management server 9 when the stopped vehicle 20 is detected.

  The time at which the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20) is detected is, for example, the imaging time of the captured image at which the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20) is detected.

Next, a configuration example of the probe information processing system S will be described with reference to FIG.
The details of the management server 9 provided in the probe information processing system S will be described. The management server 9 has a hardware configuration using a normal computer including a CPU, a memory, an HDD, a communication interface (I / F), and the like.

  The management server 9 includes an acquisition unit 911, a position correction unit 912, a vehicle train identification unit 913, a reception unit 914, a transmission unit 915, and a storage unit 950.

  The storage unit 950 stores a lane database (DB) 951, a digital map 952, a power outage location database (DB) 953, a signal location database (DB) 954, and a history database (DB) 955. The storage unit 950 is, for example, an HDD.

  The lane database 951 is a database in which information on lane positions (latitude, longitude) included in the road 90 is registered. The lane database 951 is an example of lane position information in the present embodiment. The digital map 952 is map information converted into digital data.

  The power stop position database 953 is a database in which the position (latitude and longitude) of the power stop (stop) of the tram (probe vehicle 1) is registered.

  The signal position database 954 associates the position (latitude and longitude) of the traffic light, the position (latitude and longitude) of the stop line of the intersection where the traffic light is installed, and the identification information of the intersection where the traffic light is installed. Is a registered database. The identification information of the intersection is, for example, the name of the intersection, but is not limited to this.

  The history database 955 stores the position, the length, the lane in which the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped, and the signal waiting stop train 2 specified by the later described train specifying unit 913. Information that can identify the intersection where the vehicle is stopped, the imaging position corrected by the position correction unit 912 described below, the captured image of the stopped vehicle 20 included in the signal waiting stop train 2, and the signal waiting stop train 2 is stored in association with the time at which the stopped vehicle 20 is detected. Details of how the information in the history database 955 is held will be described later.

  The positions of the signal waiting stop train 2 are the latitude and longitude of the start position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the latitude and longitude of the end position of the signal waiting stop train 2. Further, the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 may be either the start position or the end position of the signal waiting stop train 2 latitude and longitude.

  The acquiring unit 911 acquires the stopped vehicle information from the in-vehicle control device 10. More specifically, the acquisition unit 911 obtains a time at which the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20) is detected from the on-vehicle control device 10, position information indicating the position (imaging position) of the probe vehicle 1 at the time, and an inter-vehicle distance. 4, a lateral distance 37, a vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, information indicating whether or not an object having a predetermined size or more is detected in front of the vehicle 21 (the stopped vehicle 20), The vehicle 20) obtains (receives) the detected image. The acquisition unit 911 sends the acquired stopped vehicle information to the position correction unit 912.

  The position correcting unit 912 corrects the position (imaging position) of the probe vehicle 1 at the image capturing time of the captured image acquired by the acquiring unit 911 to a position on each lane of the road based on the lane database 951 and the digital map 952. I do.

  For example, when the probe vehicle 1 is traveling in a place with many tall buildings, an error may occur in the position information acquired by the GPS. In such a case, the latitude and longitude of the imaging position acquired by the acquisition unit 911 may deviate from the position of the lane on the digital map 952. In such a case, the position correction unit 912 converts the latitude and longitude of the imaging position into the closest latitude and longitude among the lanes and longitudes registered in the lane database 951. Then, the position correction unit 912 associates the latitude and longitude of the converted image capturing position on the digital map 952 as the position of the probe vehicle 1 at the image capturing time of the captured image. The method of correcting the imaging position is not limited to this.

  The position correction unit 912 calculates the corrected imaging position, the imaging time, the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, and information indicating whether or not the object 70 is detected. The captured image is transmitted to the vehicle train identification unit 913.

  Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 911, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines that the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 stopped on the road 90 to the traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is equal to a predetermined threshold. It is determined whether or not the following is true, and whether or not an object larger than a predetermined size is detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20. In addition, the vehicle row identification unit 913 determines that the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 stopped on the road 90 to the traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and When it is determined that an object of a predetermined size or more is detected ahead, the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic light is installed is specified as the length of the signal waiting stop train 2. .

  More specifically, when the acquisition unit 911 acquires the stopped vehicle information from the in-vehicle control device 10, that is, when the stopped vehicle 20 is detected, the vehicle row identification unit 913 determines the imaging position corrected by the position correction unit 912. Then, the stop position (latitude, longitude) of the stopped vehicle 20 is specified based on the inter-vehicle distance 4 and the lateral distance 37. In the present embodiment, the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 is based on the rear end of the stopped vehicle 20.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the vehicle train identification unit 913 specifies, for each lane included in the road 90, the range in which the signal waiting stop train 2 exists and the signal waiting stop train train length 3. Specifically, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 obtains the lane corresponding to the specified position of the stopped vehicle 20 from the lane database 951, and determines the lane where the stopped vehicle 20 is stopped by the signal waiting stop vehicle row 2. Identify the traffic lane.

  In addition, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 calculates the distance between the traffic light located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 and the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 among the positions of the traffic signals registered in the signal position database 954, and It is determined whether or not the distance from the stop position to the traffic signal is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. The vehicle row specifying unit 913 determines that the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the traffic signal is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and the acquisition unit 911 sets the predetermined distance in front of the stopped vehicle 20 When information indicating that an object of a size or more is detected is obtained, a range from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic light is installed is defined as a range in which the signal waiting stop train 2 exists. Identify. In addition, the vehicle train identification unit 913 specifies the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic light is installed as the length of the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2. In this embodiment, the length of the signal waiting stop train 2 is referred to as a signal waiting stop train length.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, an object 70 having a predetermined size or more exists in front of the stopped vehicle 20. In this case, the train line specifying unit 913 specifies that there is a signal waiting train line 2 from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the stop line 39. Then, the vehicle train specifying unit 913 specifies the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the stop line 39 as the signal waiting stop vehicle train length 3.

  In general, when one stop vehicle 20 exists at a distance equal to or less than a predetermined threshold from a traffic signal, a plurality of stop vehicles 20 waiting for a signal to a stop line 39 are often stopped in a chain. Therefore, when any object 70 is detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20 that is stopped at a position where the distance to the traffic light is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines that the stopped vehicle 20 It is determined that the signal waiting vehicle train 2 including the command continues to the stop line 39.

  In addition, the vehicle train identification unit 913 acquires, from the signal position database 954, identification information of the intersection where the traffic signal closest to the head position (start position) of the signal waiting vehicle train 2 is installed. The intersection is assumed to be an intersection at which the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped.

  The train line specifying unit 913 corrects the position of the specified signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train queue 3, the lane where the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped, and the position correcting unit 912. The imaging position, the time when the stopped vehicle 20 included in the signal waiting stop train 2 is detected (imaging time), the captured image of the stopped vehicle 20 included in the signal waiting stop train 2, and the signal waiting stop train 2 Is associated with identification information that can specify the intersection at which the vehicle stops, and is stored in the history database 955 as history information.

  The position of the signal waiting stop train 2 is position information (latitude, longitude) indicating the tail (end position) and the start position (start position) of the signal waiting stop train 2.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for storing the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the corrected imaging position according to the present embodiment. The travel map 900 shown in FIG. 6 is a table in which the position information is represented by a grid of 1 m. The travel map 900 is an example of the history database 955.

  FIG. 6A shows the positions of the probe vehicle 1 and the signal waiting stop train 2 described with reference to FIG. The vehicle train identification unit 913 associates the positions of the probe vehicle 1 and the signal waiting vehicle train 2 in FIG. 6A with the cells on the travel map 900 as in FIG. 6B. Thus, the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, and the signal waiting stop train queue length 3 are recorded on the travel map 900 for each lane.

  As shown in (c) of FIG. 6, the train line specifying unit 913 adds information specified based on the stopped vehicle information acquired in chronological order as needed, so that the traveling route of the probe vehicle 1 and the specified information are specified. The history of the signal waiting stop train 2 is accumulated.

  Although shown as a grid in FIG. 6, internally, identification information for specifying each cell included in the grid, presence / absence of a train in each cell, an imaging position, and a signal waiting stop train 2 The time when the stopped vehicle 20 is detected is stored in association with the detected time. Further, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 identifies the cells included in the grid, the captured image of the stopped vehicle 20 included in the signal waiting stopped vehicle row 2, and the signal waiting stopped vehicle row 2 is stopped. The identification information that can specify an intersection is stored in association with the identification information. The history database 955 may be configured as one database, or may be configured in association with a plurality of databases.

  The receiving unit 914 receives, from the traffic information provider 100, a transmission request for information on the train waiting for traffic light 2. It is assumed that the transmission request includes, for example, the identification information of the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 or the intersection requested by the traffic information provider 100. The receiving unit 914 notifies (transmits) to the transmitting unit 915 that the transmission request of the information on the vehicle group 2 waiting for a traffic light has been received from the traffic information provider 100.

  When the receiving unit 914 receives the transmission request for the information about the signal waiting stop train 2, the transmitting unit 915 uses the history database with the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 or the intersection identification information specified by the transmission request. 955, and transmits the corresponding history information to the traffic information provider 100. The transmission unit 915 does not have to transmit all of the history information, but at least the identification information that can specify the intersection 3 where the traffic signal is installed, the position of the signal waiting vehicle train 3 and the position of the signal waiting vehicle train 2. Are transmitted in association with each other. In addition, the transmission unit 915 stops the traffic control center 200 at predetermined intervals of the position of the signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train length 3, and the signal waiting stop train 2. The identification information identifying the intersection is transmitted in association with the identification information.

  Next, a procedure of a process of detecting the stopped vehicle 20 by the on-vehicle control device 10 configured as described above will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a process executed by the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment.

  The acquisition unit 110 of the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 captures the captured images captured by the imaging devices 11 and 12, the time at which the captured images were captured (imaging time), and the position (imaging) of the probe vehicle 1 at the imaging time. The position and the vehicle speed of the probe vehicle 1 (own vehicle) are acquired (S1). The acquisition unit 110 sends the acquired information to the vehicle detection unit 111.

  Next, the vehicle detection unit 111 performs image processing such as pattern recognition on the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 110, and detects the vehicle 21 from the captured image (S2). The vehicle detection unit 111 transmits the captured image, information specifying an image range in which the vehicle 21 is included in the captured image, the imaging time, the imaging position, and the vehicle speed of the probe vehicle 1 to the distance measurement unit 112. Send out.

  Next, the distance measurement unit 112 calculates the inter-vehicle distance 4 between the detected vehicle 21 and the probe vehicle 1 (own vehicle), the lateral distance 37, and the vehicle 21 based on the stereo parallax of the imaging devices 11a and 11b. The vehicle width 38 is measured (S3). The distance measuring unit 112 calculates the measured inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, the captured image, the captured time, the captured position, and the vehicle speed of the probe vehicle 1 to calculate the vehicle speed. It is sent to the unit 113.

  Next, the vehicle speed calculation unit 113 calculates the relative speed of the vehicle 21 from the amount of change in the inter-vehicle distance 4 between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicle 21 within a fixed time. Then, the vehicle speed calculation unit 113 calculates the vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 from the relative speed of the vehicle 21 and the vehicle speed of the probe vehicle 1 (S4). The vehicle speed calculation unit 113 sends the vehicle speed of the vehicle 21, the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, a captured image, an imaging time, and an imaging position to the traveling determination unit 114. I do.

  Then, the traveling determination unit 114 determines whether or not the vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (S5). When determining that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold (S5 “Yes”), the traveling determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 21 is the stopped vehicle 20 (S6). The traveling determination unit 114 sends the determination result, the following distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, the captured image, the captured time, and the captured position to the object detection unit 115.

  Next, the object detection unit 115 performs image processing such as edge detection on the captured image, and detects the presence or absence of the object 70 located in front of the stationary vehicle 20 and having a predetermined size or more from the captured image (S7). ). The object detection unit 115 detects information indicating that the object 70 has been detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20 when the object 70 is detected, and does not detect the object 70 in front of the stopped vehicle 20 when not detecting the object 70. The transmission unit 116 transmits information indicating the fact to the transmitting unit 116. Further, the object detection unit 115 sends the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, the captured image, the imaging time, and the imaging position to the transmission unit 116.

  Then, the transmission unit 116 transmits the stopped vehicle information (imaging time, imaging position, inter-vehicle distance 4, lateral distance 37, vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, information indicating whether or not the object 70 is detected, and a captured image). Is transmitted to the management server 9 (S8).

  In addition, when the traveling determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 is faster than a predetermined threshold (S5 “No”), the traveling determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 21 is not the stopped vehicle 20 (S9). In this case, the transmitting unit 116 does not transmit information to the management server 9, and the processing of this flowchart ends.

  Next, a description will be given of a procedure of the process of specifying the signal waiting stop train 2 by the management server 9 of the probe information processing system S configured as described above.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a process executed by the management server 9 according to the present embodiment.

  The acquisition unit 911 provided in the management server 9 of the probe information processing system S determines whether or not the stopped vehicle information has been acquired (received) from the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 (S21). If the acquisition unit 911 determines that the stopped vehicle information has not been acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 (S21 “No”), the processing of S21 is repeated. When determining that the stopped vehicle information has been obtained from the on-vehicle control device 10 (S21 “Yes”), the obtaining unit 911 sends the obtained stopped vehicle information to the position correction unit 912.

  Next, the position correction unit 912 corrects the imaging position included in the stopped vehicle information to a position on each lane of the road based on the lane database 951 and the digital map 952 (S22). The position correction unit 912 calculates the corrected imaging position, the imaging time, the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, the vehicle width 38 of the vehicle 21, and information indicating whether or not the object 70 is detected. The captured image is transmitted to the vehicle train identification unit 913.

  Next, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 specifies the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 based on the corrected imaging position, the following distance 4, and the lateral distance 37 (S23). In addition, at this time, the traffic lane identifying unit 913 determines, based on the corrected imaging position, the inter-vehicle distance 4, the lateral distance 37, and the lane database 951, the lane in which the signal waiting stop lane 2 is stopped. To identify.

  Then, the train line specifying unit 913 searches the signal position database 954 for a signal located at a distance closest to the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 among the traffic signals located in front of the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20. The train identification unit 913 determines whether the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the traffic signal in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (S24).

  When determining that the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold (S24 “Yes”), the acquisition unit 911 determines that Based on the information indicating whether the acquired object 70 has been detected, it is determined whether an object 70 having a predetermined size or more is detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20 (S25).

  When determining that the object 70 having a predetermined size or more is detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20 (S25 “Yes”), the vehicle row specifying unit 913 specifies that the stopped vehicle 20 is stopped. In the lane, the range from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic signal in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is installed is specified as a range where the signal waiting stop train 2 exists (S26). Also, at this time, the vehicle train identification unit 913 transmits the position information (latitude and longitude) indicating the tail (end position) and the start position (start position) of the signal wait stop vehicle train 2 to the signal wait stop vehicle train 2. Specify as a location.

  Then, the train queue specifying unit 913 specifies the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic light in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is installed as the signal waiting stop train queue length 3 ( S27).

  Then, the train queue specifying unit 913 corrects the position of the specified signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train queue 3, the lane where the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped, and the position correcting unit 912. The acquired imaging position, the imaging time, the captured image, and identification information that can specify the intersection where the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped are stored in the history database 955 as history information in association with each other (S28). ).

  Next, the receiving unit 914 determines whether or not a transmission request for information on the traffic queue 2 at the signal waiting stop is received from the traffic information provider 100 (S29). When the receiving unit 914 determines that the transmission request has not been received (S29 “No”), the process ends.

  When determining that the transmission request has been received (S29 “Yes”), the transmission unit 915 determines from the history database 955 the position of the signal waiting vehicle train 2 designated by the transmission request or the identification information of the intersection. The associated history information is acquired and transmitted to the traffic information provider 100 (S30). In addition, the transmission unit 915 stops the traffic control center 200 at predetermined intervals of the position of the signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train length 3, and the signal waiting stop train 2. The identification information that can specify the intersection may be transmitted in association with the identification information.

  When determining that the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is longer than a predetermined threshold (S24 “No”), the vehicle row identification unit 913 is detected. It is determined that the stopped vehicle 20 is not the last stopped vehicle 20 in the signal waiting stop train 2. In this case, the vehicle train identification unit 913 stores the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20, the imaging time, the captured image, and the corrected imaging position in the history database 955 in association with each other (S31).

  In addition, when determining that the object 70 having a predetermined size or more is not detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20 (S25 “No”), the vehicle row specifying unit 913 determines that another stopped vehicle 20 is in front of the stopped vehicle 20. It is determined that the detected stopped vehicle 20 is not the last stopped vehicle 20 in the signal waiting stop train 2 because there is a high possibility that the stop vehicle 20 does not exist. Also in this case, the vehicle train identification unit 913 proceeds to the processing of S31.

  By repeating the process of this flowchart, as shown in FIG. 6, the positions of the stopped vehicle 20 and the signal waiting stop train 2 detected as the probe vehicle 1 travels are recorded.

  As described above, the management server 9 of the present embodiment determines that the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 stopped on the road 90 to the traffic light located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, and When it is determined that an object of a predetermined size or more has been detected in front of the stopped vehicle 20, the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic light is installed is set to a signal waiting stop train queue length. Specified as 3. For this reason, according to the management server 9 of this embodiment, even if it is difficult to detect the individual stopped vehicles 20 included in the signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train length 3 is specified. Can be.

  For example, in the stop train 2 at a traffic light, the inter-vehicle distance between the stopped vehicles 20 is often short, so that the stopped vehicle 20 is concealed by another stopped vehicle 20 and the entire vehicle body is not reflected on the captured image. There is. In such a case, the management server 9 according to the present embodiment captures a part of the vehicle body as the object 70 even if the entire vehicle body of another stopped vehicle 20 located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is not reflected in the captured image. If it is detected from the image, it can be grasped that the signal waiting stop train 2 continues from the stopped vehicle 20 in the forward direction, so that the signal waiting stop train length 3 can be specified.

  In addition, the management server 9 according to the present embodiment transmits, from the in-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1, the time when the in-vehicle control device 10 detects the stopped vehicle 20 and the position information indicating the position of the probe vehicle 1 at the time. And an inter-vehicle distance 4 from the probe vehicle 1 to the stopped vehicle 20, information indicating whether the object 70 is detected in front of the probe vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle 20, and based on the obtained information, The stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 is specified, and the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to the traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle 20 is determined based on the specified stop position and the position of the traffic signal stored in advance. It is determined whether it is equal to or less than the threshold. Therefore, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, the signal waiting stop train queue length 3 can be specified from the information collected by the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1.

  The management server 9 of the present embodiment further stores a lane database 951 in advance. The management server 9 according to the present embodiment indicates the lateral distance 37 acquired from the vehicle-mounted control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1, the lane position information registered in the lane database 951, and the position of the probe vehicle 1. Based on the position information, a lane in which the stopped vehicle 20 is stopped is specified, and a signal waiting stop train queue length 3 is specified for each lane. For this reason, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, it is possible to specify the traffic state of each lane in more detail. For example, the management server 9 can determine which of the straight-ahead lane and the right-turn lane is the longer signal waiting stop train line length 3 by specifying the signal waiting stop train line length 3 for each lane. For example, the traffic information provider 100 can provide the driver with a route that arrives at the destination more quickly by acquiring information on the length of the signal waiting train queue length 3 for each lane.

  The management server 9 of the present embodiment further associates the identified position of the signal waiting stop train 2 with the signal waiting stop train length 3, and identification information that can specify an intersection, with the traffic information provider 100 Alternatively, the information is transmitted to the traffic control center 200. Therefore, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, the traffic information provider 100 provides more accurate traffic congestion information and congestion information to drivers and companies, and the traffic control center 200 performs appropriate signal control. Can help you.

  For example, the traffic information provider 100, based on the position of the signal waiting vehicle queue 2 acquired from the management server 9, the signal waiting vehicle train length 3, and the identification information capable of specifying the intersection, can be used. By specifying a route that arrives at the destination avoiding an intersection having a long column length 3 and transmitting the route to the car navigation system of the vehicle 21, it is possible to assist the driver to arrive at the destination faster. In addition, the traffic control center 200 appropriately adjusts the traffic flow based on the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 acquired from the management server 9, the signal waiting stop train length 3, and the identification information capable of specifying the intersection. Signal control for controlling can be performed. For example, the traffic control center 200 estimates the number of the stopped vehicles 20 included in the signal waiting stop train 2 from the signal waiting stop train queue length 3, and determines the number of the stopped vehicles 20 required for the number of stopped vehicles 20 to pass through the intersection. The lighting time of the green signal can be estimated. In addition, the traffic control center 200 further determines, based on the number of vehicles passing through the intersection acquired from another system, of the number of vehicles 21 that have passed through a single green signal in the train 2 waiting for traffic light without passing through. By grasping the number of remaining stopped vehicles 20, the signal control can be performed more appropriately.

  In this embodiment, the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 transmitted by the transmitting unit 915 to the traffic information provider 100 or the traffic control center 200 depends on the latitude and the start position and the end position of the signal waiting stop train 2. Although the longitude is set, the transmitting unit 915 may transmit the information of the lane where the signal waiting stop train 2 exists as the position of the signal waiting stop train 2. As described with reference to FIG. 6, in the history database 955 of the present embodiment, the position of the lane of the road 90 and the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 are stored in association with each other. The start position and the end position of the signal waiting stop train 2 for each vehicle and the signal waiting stop train length 3 for each lane can be transmitted.

  In the present embodiment, the management server 9 is an example of the probe information processing device. However, the in-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 may be an example of the probe information processing device. In addition, a part of the functions of the above-described in-vehicle control device 10 may be performed by the management server 9, or a part of the functions of the management server 9 may be performed by the in-vehicle control device 10. Further, the configuration of the probe information processing system S is not limited to the above example. The probe information processing system S may include the management server 9 and the probe vehicle 1.

(Second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the management server 9 further determines the reliability of the position of the specified signal waiting stop train 2 based on the number of times the signal waiting stop train 2 has been specified in the past. It is a form.

  The overall configuration of the probe information processing system S in the present embodiment and the hardware configurations of the in-vehicle control device 10 and the management server 9 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Further, as in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4, the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 110, a vehicle detection unit 111, a distance measurement unit 112, and a vehicle speed calculation unit. 113, a running determination unit 114, an object detection unit 115, and a transmission unit 116. The in-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment has functions similar to those of the first embodiment.

  As in the first embodiment, the management server 9 of the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 911, a position correction unit 912, a vehicle train identification unit 913, a reception unit 914, a transmission unit 915, and a storage unit 950. Is provided. The acquisition unit 911, the position correction unit 912, and the reception unit 914 have functions similar to those of the first embodiment.

  The train queue specifying unit 913 of the present embodiment has the functions of the first embodiment, and the number of times that the signal waiting stop train 2 has been specified in the past at the position where the signal waiting stop train 2 is determined to exist. Is determined based on the position of the specified signal waiting vehicle train 2 and the reliability of the signal waiting vehicle train length 3. The credit in the present embodiment is, for example, “high”, “medium”, or “low”. As the reliability of the specified position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the signal waiting stop train length 3 is higher, the signal waiting stop train 2 actually exists in the range on the road 90 defined by the position and the length. Means that it is likely to

  In the present embodiment, a range on the road 90 defined by the start position or end position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the signal waiting stop train length 3 will be described below. It is called the range specified to exist. The reliability of the range specified as having the signal waiting stop train 2 is the reliability of the specified position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the signal waiting stop train length 3.

  In addition, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 of the present embodiment searches the history database 955 and obtains the number of times that the signal waiting stopped vehicle row 2 was specified in the past. For example, the train queue specifying unit 913 searches the history database 955 for a signal waiting stop train 2 whose start position or end position matches the start position or end position of the signal waiting stop train 2 specified in the current process. The number of search results is acquired as the number of times that the signal waiting stop train 2 has been specified in the past in the range. Further, the past of the search target may be limited to the past within a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes) from the current time.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in the degree of reliability in a range in which the signal waiting stop train 2 according to the present embodiment is specified. The position and range of the signal waiting vehicle train 2 shown on the left side of FIG. 9 are specified based on the image captured by the imaging device 11 of the probe vehicle 1 at time t1. In the range, the number of times the signal waiting stop train 2 is specified in the past is 0, and it is assumed that the signal waiting stop train 2 is specified for the first time at time t1. In this case, the vehicle line identification unit 913 sets the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stopped vehicle line 2 is specified to be “low”.

  When the reliability of the range specified as having the signal waiting stop train 2 is low, the reliability of the signal waiting stop train length 3 is similarly low. For this reason, the reliability of the range specified as having the signal waiting stop train 2 is also the reliability of the signal waiting stop train length 3.

  At time t1, the distance between the probe vehicle 1 and the signal waiting train 2 is long. For this reason, at the time t1, the last stopped vehicle 201 and the object 70 existing in front of the stopped vehicle 201 are detected, but the stopped vehicle 20 ahead of the object 70 is not detected.

  On the other hand, as shown on the right side of FIG. 9, at time t2 which is a time later than time t1, the stop included in the signal waiting vehicle train 2 by the imaging device 11 as the probe vehicle 1 advances. Vehicles 20l to 20p are imaged. When the signal waiting stop train 2 located in the same range is specified from the captured images taken a plurality of times, there is a high possibility that the signal waiting stop train 2 actually exists in the range.

  When the vehicle queue specifying unit 913 of the present embodiment specifies the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 for the first reference number of times (for example, two times) or more in the same range, the vehicle train specifying unit 913 determines that the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 exists. The reliability is set to “medium”. In addition, when the train queue specifying unit 913 specifies the signal waiting stop train 2 in the same range for the second reference number of times (for example, four times) or more, the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stop train 2 is specified is present. Is “high”. At time t4 shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle train specifying unit 913 specifies the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 at the second reference number or more times in the same range, and thus sets the reliability to “high”.

  The vehicle train identification unit 913 of this embodiment determines the reliability, the position of the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2, the signal waiting stop vehicle train length 3, the imaging position corrected by the position correction unit 912, and the signal waiting condition. The time when the stopped vehicle 20 included in the stopped vehicle train 2 is detected (imaging time), the captured image of the stopped vehicle 20 included in the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2, and the intersection where the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 is arranged are shown. The identification information and the identifiable identification information are stored in the history database 955 as history information in association with each other.

  In addition, the vehicle train identification unit 913 of the present embodiment determines the reliability to be lower as the time from the time when the signal waiting vehicle train 2 is identified to the current time becomes longer. More specifically, the vehicle train identification unit 913 searches the history database 955 at regular time intervals, and sets the reliability level associated with the imaging time at least a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes) before the current time. To lower. For example, when the reliability is “high” two minutes or more before, the vehicle train identification unit 913 sets the reliability to “medium”.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a change in the reliability of the range specified as having the signal waiting stop train 2 according to the present embodiment. It is assumed that time t3 shown in FIG. 10 is a predetermined time or more after time t2 shown in FIG. For this reason, the vehicle train identification unit 913 reduces the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stopped vehicle train 2 is specified from “high” to “medium”.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, the stopped vehicles 20l and 20q are detected from the image captured by the imaging device 12 installed behind the probe vehicle 1. The stopped vehicles 20m to 20p were imaged by the imaging device 11 installed behind the probe vehicle 1 at time t2, but since the time has elapsed since the last imaging, the signal waiting stop train 2 There is a possibility that the stopped vehicle 20 near the head of has already started moving. Therefore, the overall reliability of the train waiting for a traffic light 2 becomes lower than that at the time t2.

  On the other hand, at time t4, the signal waiting vehicle train 2 is imaged a plurality of times by the imaging device 12. Therefore, the reliability is higher than that at the time t3, and is “high”. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, not only the imaging device 11 installed in front of the probe vehicle 1 but also the imaging device 12 installed behind the probe vehicle 1 stops from the captured image. By detecting the vehicle 20, the frequency of imaging can be increased, and the stopped vehicle 20 can be detected more reliably. For example, at the time point t3, the number of stopped vehicles 20q is newly increased as compared with the time point of time t2. However, by increasing the frequency of imaging, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 can quickly prompt the new stopped vehicle 20q. Can be identified.

  Further, the storage unit 950 provided in the management server 9 of the present embodiment stores a lane database 951, a digital map 952, a power stop location database 953, a signal location database 954, a history The database 955 is stored. The lane database 951, the digital map 952, the blackout location database 953, and the signal location database 954 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The history database 955 of the present embodiment stores the reliability determined by the vehicle train identification unit 913 in addition to the same information as in the first embodiment. More specifically, the history database 955 of this embodiment includes the position of the signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train train length 3, the lane where the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped, and the signal waiting stop train 2. Identification information capable of specifying the intersection where the stopped vehicle train 2 is stopped, the reliability of the range specified when the stopped vehicle train 2 is present, the imaging position corrected by the position correction unit 912, and the signal waiting The captured image of the stopped vehicle 20 included in the stopped vehicle train 2 and the time at which the stopped vehicle 20 included in the stop waiting vehicle train 2 is detected are stored in association with each other. The history information according to the present embodiment further includes the reliability determined by the vehicle train identification unit 913 in addition to the same information as the first embodiment.

  The transmission unit 915 of the present embodiment has the functions of the first embodiment, and further includes a signal waiting stop train line length 3, a position of the signal waiting stop train line 2, reliability, and a traffic light. The identification information that can specify the intersection is transmitted to the traffic information provider 100 in association with the identification information. In addition, the transmission unit 915 sends the position of the signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train length 3, the reliability, and the signal waiting stop train 2 to the traffic control center 200 at regular intervals. The identification information that can specify the stopped intersection is transmitted in association with the identification information.

  It is assumed that the flow of processing executed by the on-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Next, a flow of processing executed by the management server 9 according to the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a process performed by the management server 9 according to the present embodiment. The process from the reception (acquisition) of the stopped vehicle information in S21 to the specific process of the signal waiting vehicle row length 3 in S27 is the same as in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.

  After the specific process of the signal waiting stop train line length 3 in S27, the vehicle train specifying unit 913 of the present embodiment determines that the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 has not The number of times detected is searched from the history database 955 (S201).

  Then, the vehicle queue specifying unit 913 determines the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stopped vehicle train 2 is specified based on the number of times the signal waiting stopped vehicle train 2 has been detected in the past (S202). For example, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines that the reliability is “low” if the number of times the signal waiting stopped vehicle train 2 has been identified in the past is zero, and if the number is equal to or more than the first reference number (for example, two). If the reliability is “medium” and is equal to or more than a second reference number (for example, four), the reliability is determined to be “high”.

  Then, the vehicle queue specifying unit 913 determines the position of the specified signal waiting stop train 2, the signal waiting stop train length 3, the reliability, the lane where the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped, and the position correction. The image capturing position corrected by the unit 912, the image capturing time, the captured image, and identification information that can specify the intersection where the signal waiting stop train 2 is stopped are associated with each other, and are stored in the history database 955 as history information. It is stored (S28).

  The process of determining whether or not a transmission request has been received in S29 is the same as in the first embodiment. If the transmission unit 915 determines that the transmission request has been received (S29 “Yes”), the transmission unit 915 associates the transmission request with the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 specified by the transmission request from the history database 955 or the identification information of the intersection. The obtained history information is acquired and transmitted to the traffic information provider 100 (S30). In the present embodiment, the history information includes the reliability.

  The process of storing the stop position of the stopped vehicle in S31 is the same as in the first embodiment. Here, the processing of this flowchart ends.

  As described above, in the management server 9 of the present embodiment, based on the number of times that the signal waiting stop train 2 has been specified in the past at the position where the signal waiting stop train 2 has been specified, the specified signal waiting stop train has been specified. The reliability of the position of No. 2 and the signal waiting stop train queue length 3 is determined. For this reason, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, it is necessary to provide the traffic information provider 100 and the traffic control center 200 with the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the reliability of the signal waiting stop train queue length 3. It is possible to support the traffic information provider 100 and the traffic control center 200 to utilize the information more effectively. For example, depending on the application, even if the reliability is low, it may be required to quickly grasp the train waiting stop train queue length 3. By the management server 9 determining the reliability, the traffic information provider 100 and the traffic control center 200 can determine whether or not to use each piece of information according to the application based on the reliability.

  In the management server 9 of the present embodiment, the reliability is determined to be lower as the time from the time at which the signal waiting stopped train 2 is specified to the current time becomes longer. For this reason, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, it is possible to indicate the possibility that the signal waiting stop train queue length 3 has changed over time.

  The method of evaluating the reliability is not limited to the above example. The reliability may be defined in more detail by numerical values instead of “high”, “medium”, and “low”.

(Third embodiment)
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 detects the stopped vehicle 20 on the same lane (parallel lane) as the traveling lane of the probe vehicle 1. On the other hand, the third embodiment is an embodiment in which the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 further detects the stopped vehicle 20 on the oncoming lane.

  The overall configuration of the probe information processing system S in the present embodiment and the hardware configurations of the in-vehicle control device 10 and the management server 9 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In addition, as in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4, the on-vehicle control device 10 of the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 110, a vehicle detection unit 111, a distance measurement unit 112, a vehicle speed calculation unit 113, It includes a determination unit 114, an object detection unit 115, and a transmission unit 116. The in-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment has functions similar to those of the first embodiment.

  As in the first embodiment, the management server 9 of the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 911, a position correction unit 912, a vehicle train identification unit 913, a reception unit 914, a transmission unit 915, and a storage unit 950. Is provided. The position correction unit 912, the reception unit 914, and the transmission unit 915 have functions similar to those of the first embodiment.

  The acquisition unit 911 according to the present embodiment includes the functions of the first embodiment, and further includes an in-vehicle control mounted on the probe vehicle 1 that travels in a parallel lane in which the traveling direction is the same as the lane in which the stopped vehicle 20 is stopped. Stopped vehicle information is acquired not only from the device 10 but also from the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the lane opposite to the lane where the stopped vehicle 20 is stopped.

  The lane identification unit 913 of the present embodiment has the functions of the first embodiment, and is based on the imaging position corrected by the position correction unit 912 and the lane position information stored in the lane database 951. Then, it is determined whether the probe vehicle 1 is traveling in a parallel lane in which the traveling direction is the same as that of the stationary vehicle 20, or whether it is traveling in an oncoming lane in which the traveling direction is opposite to that of the stationary vehicle 20.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in the degree of reliability in a range in which it is determined that the signal waiting train 2 according to the present embodiment exists. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the probe vehicle 1 is traveling on a tram-facing lane in which the traveling direction is opposite to the lane in which the stopped vehicle 20p and the stopped vehicle 20o are stopped.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when the probe vehicle 1 is traveling in the opposite lane of the stopped vehicle 20, the in-vehicle control device 10 detects the stopped vehicles 20p in order from the leading position of the signal waiting stop train 2 in order. I do. For example, at the time t10, the stopped vehicle 20p and the stopped vehicle 20o stopped before the stop line 39 are imaged by the imaging device 11 of the probe vehicle 1, but the image behind the stopped vehicle 20o is within the imaging range. Shall not be included.

  For this reason, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 determines that the probe vehicle 1 is traveling in the lane opposite to the stopped vehicle 20, and the imaging performed by the imaging device 11 installed in front of the probe vehicle 1 When a stopped vehicle is detected from the image, the range from the stop line 39 to the stop position of the stop vehicle 20o farthest from the detected stop line 20 among the detected stop vehicles 20 is defined as a range where the signal waiting stop train 2 exists. Identify. When determining that the probe vehicle 1 is traveling in the opposite lane of the stopped vehicle 20, the vehicle row identification unit 913 determines that the stop vehicle 39 is the farthest from the detected stop vehicle 20 to the stop line 39. The distance to the stop position of the vehicle 20o is specified as a signal waiting stop train queue length 3.

  The vehicle row specifying unit 913 determines whether or not the stopped vehicle is detected from the captured image captured by the imaging device 11 installed in front of the probe vehicle 1 based on the positional relationship between the imaging position and the stop line 39. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 911 may acquire the identification information of the imaging device 11 or the imaging device 12 that has captured the captured image from the in-vehicle control device 10 and send the identification information to the vehicle row identification unit 913.

  In addition, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines that the reliability of the range is “low” when it is not determined that the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 exists in the past in the range where the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 exists. judge.

  On the other hand, at a time t11 after the time t10, the stopped vehicles 20p to 20l are imaged by the imaging device 11 of the probe vehicle 1. In this case, since the range in which the signal waiting train 2 from the stop line 39 to the stopped vehicle 201 exists is specified a plurality of times, the train identification unit 913 determines that the reliability of the range is “high”. I do.

  In addition, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 is specified based on the stop vehicle information acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the parallel lane. Is determined to be higher than the reliability of the specified range when there is a signal waiting stop train based on the stop vehicle information acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the oncoming lane. For example, even if the height is the same, if the determination is made based on the stopped vehicle information acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the parallel lane, the probe vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane It is assumed that the reliability is higher than the case where the determination is made based on the stopped vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the vehicle.

  This is because the distance between the stopped vehicle 20 and the probe vehicle 1 is shorter when the image is taken from the parallel lane than when the image is taken from the oncoming lane, and the detection accuracy is higher. When the probe vehicle 1 is traveling in the oncoming lane, another probe vehicle 1 may enter between the stopped vehicle 20 and the probe vehicle 1, and the stopped vehicle 20 is hidden on the captured image. There is also. For this reason, based on the stopped vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the parallel lane, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 is specified. The degree is determined to be higher.

In the present embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment described with reference to FIG. 10, the imaging device 12 installed behind the probe vehicle 1 also images the stopped vehicle 20.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of the change in the reliability of the range specified as having the signal waiting train 2 according to the present embodiment.

  Time t12 shown in FIG. 13 is a time later than time t11 in FIG. At time t12 and time t13, based on the image captured by the imaging device 12, the range in which the signal waiting stop train 2 exists and the signal waiting stop train length 3 are specified. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, at the time t12, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines whether the vehicle waiting for a signal is stopped based on the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20p detected from the image captured by the imaging device 12. Although the range in which the row 2 exists is specified, the range in which the signal waiting vehicle row 2 specified at the previous time t11 may exist may be used. In this case, the vehicle train identification unit 913 reduces the reliability as time elapses from time t11 to time t12.

  As described above, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling on the parallel lane and the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling on the opposite lane Since the stopped vehicle information can be acquired from both of them, the signal waiting stop train 2 can be detected from a plurality of directions, and the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the signal waiting stop train length 3 can be detected with higher accuracy. Can be specified.

  Further, in the management server 9 of the present embodiment, based on the stopped vehicle information acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the parallel lane, the signal waiting stop train 2 is determined to be in the range specified. The reliability is determined to be higher than the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stop train exists based on the stop vehicle information acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the oncoming lane. . Therefore, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, the position of the signal waiting vehicle train 2 and the signal waiting vehicle train length 3 are quickly identified, and the degree of reliability according to the detection accuracy is determined by the traffic information. It is possible to stay in Tokyo at the provider 100 or the traffic control center 200.

  Note that the vehicle train identification unit 913 may indicate the reliability as a numerical value. Further, in this case, the vehicle train identification unit 913 may add the reliability of the range in which it is determined that the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 exists every time it specifies that the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 exists. In the case of adopting this configuration, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines that the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 exists based on the stop vehicle information acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the parallel lane. In the case where it is specified, the reliability is increased more than in the case where it is specified that there is a signal waiting stop train based on the stop vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle control device 10 mounted on the probe vehicle 1 traveling in the oncoming lane. Shall be added.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the fourth embodiment, when a vehicle 21 moving in a direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the stopped vehicle 20 is detected in the range specified as the signal waiting stop train 2, a signal waiting stop is performed. This is an embodiment in which it is determined that the vehicle row 2 has been interrupted.

  The overall configuration of the probe information processing system S in the present embodiment and the hardware configurations of the in-vehicle control device 10 and the management server 9 of the probe vehicle 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Further, as in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4, the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 110, a vehicle detection unit 111, a distance measurement unit 112, and a vehicle speed calculation unit. 113, a running determination unit 114, an object detection unit 115, and a transmission unit 116. The acquisition unit 110, the traveling determination unit 114, and the object detection unit 115 have the same functions as in the first embodiment.

  The vehicle detection unit 111 of the present embodiment has the functions of the first embodiment, and detects, from the captured image, the vehicle 21 moving on the road 90 in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the stopped vehicle 20. I do.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the detection target vehicle 21 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the vehicle 21a and the vehicle 21b face in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the stopped vehicle 20. The vehicle detection unit 111 detects the vehicle 21a and the vehicle 21b by known image processing such as pattern recognition. In addition, the vehicle detection unit 111 recognizes, by image processing, a change in the position of the vehicle 21a and the position of the vehicle 21b on a plurality of captured images captured in time series, and moves in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the stopped vehicle 20. It is determined whether or not.

  The distance measuring unit 112 according to the present embodiment measures the distance between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicles 21a and 21b detected by the vehicle detecting unit 111 after having the functions of the first embodiment.

  The transmission unit 116 of the present embodiment has the functions of the first embodiment, and indicates the distance between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicles 21a and 21b detected by the vehicle detection unit 111, and indicates the position of the probe vehicle 1. The information is transmitted to the management server 9 in association with the position information. The transmitted position of the probe vehicle 1 is the position of the probe vehicle 1 at the time when the vehicle 21a and the vehicle 21b moving in the intersecting direction are detected.

  As in the first embodiment, the management server 9 of the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 911, a position correction unit 912, a vehicle train identification unit 913, a reception unit 914, a transmission unit 915, and a storage unit 950. Is provided. The receiving unit 914 and the transmitting unit 915 have functions similar to those of the first embodiment.

  The acquisition unit 911 of the present embodiment has the functions of the first embodiment, and further calculates the distance between the vehicle 21a and the vehicle 21b detected by the vehicle detection unit 111 and the probe vehicle 1, and the position of the probe vehicle 1. Acquire (receive).

  The position correction unit 912 of the present embodiment has the functions of the first embodiment, and corrects the position of the probe vehicle 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 911.

  The vehicle row specifying unit 913 of the present embodiment includes the position of the probe vehicle 1 corrected by the position correcting unit 912 and the progress of the stopped vehicle 20 obtained by the obtaining unit 911 after having the functions of the first embodiment. The positions of the vehicles 21a and 21b are specified based on the distance between the probe vehicle 1 and the vehicles 21a and 21b moving in a direction intersecting the direction.

  Then, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 determines whether or not the positions of the vehicles 21a and 21b moving in the specified intersecting directions are included in the range where it is determined that the signal waiting / stopped vehicle row 2 exists. When it is included in the range where it is determined that the signal waiting vehicle train 2 exists, the vehicle train identifying unit 913 interrupts the signal waiting vehicle train 2 at the specified positions of the vehicles 21a and 21b moving in the intersecting direction. It is determined that it is.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 14, the vehicle 21b travels in a direction intersecting with the stopped vehicle 20v with respect to the stopped vehicle train 2 that has continued from the last stopped vehicle 20v to the stop line 39, so that the signal waiting is stopped. Stop train 2 is suspended. In such a case, the vehicle train identification unit 913 determines that the signal waiting vehicle train 2 does not exist in the predetermined range 22b around the vehicle 21b. Specifically, the vehicle queue specifying unit 913 sets the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 to be the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2a existing in the range from the last stopped vehicle 20v to the vehicle 21b and the stop line 39 more than the vehicle 21b. Is divided into a signal waiting stop train 2b existing in a range from the stopped vehicle 20t stopped on the side close to the stop line to the stop line 39. In addition, the train queue specifying unit 913 specifies a signal waiting stop train line length 3a and a signal waiting stop train line length 3b, which are the lengths of the signal waiting stop train line 2a.

  In addition, when it is difficult to specify the position of the stop line 39, for example, when the position of the stop line 39 of the intersection is not registered in the signal position database 954, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 intersects with the stopped vehicle 20. A position excluding a predetermined range 22a around the vehicle 21a moving in the direction of the traffic may be set as the head position of the signal waiting vehicle train 2.

  As described above, the management server 9 of the present embodiment calculates the distance from the probe vehicle 1 acquired from the on-vehicle control device 10 to the vehicle moving on the road 90 in the direction intersecting the traveling direction of the stationary vehicle 20. The position of the vehicle 21 moving in the direction intersecting with the stationary vehicle 20 is specified based on the position information indicating the position of the probe vehicle 1 at the time of detecting the vehicle moving in the direction in which the vehicle 21 moves. When it is included in the range where it is determined that the waiting stop train 2 is present, it is determined that the signal waiting stop train 2 is interrupted at the position of the vehicle 21 moving in the specified intersecting direction. For this reason, according to the management server 9 of this embodiment, the position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the signal waiting stop train sequence length 3 can be specified more accurately.

  When determining that the signal waiting stop train 2 is interrupted by the vehicle 21 moving in the direction intersecting with the stopped vehicle 20, the vehicle train specifying unit 913 includes, among the interrupted signal waiting stop trains 2, Only the one connected to the stop line 39 (in the example shown in FIG. 14, the signal waiting stop train 2 b) may be specified as the signal waiting stop train 2.

(Fifth embodiment)
The fifth embodiment is an embodiment in which the management server 9 further specifies a parked vehicle parked on the road 90 for a predetermined time or more.

  The overall configuration of the probe information processing system S in the present embodiment and the hardware configurations of the in-vehicle control device 10 and the management server 9 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functions of the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment and the functions of the management server 9.

  As in the first embodiment, the in-vehicle control device 10 of the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 110, a vehicle detection unit 111, a distance measurement unit 112, a vehicle speed calculation unit 113, a travel determination unit 114, an object detection And a transmitting unit 116. The in-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment has functions similar to those of the first embodiment.

  The management server 9 of the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 911, a position correction unit 912, a vehicle train identification unit 1913, a reception unit 914, a transmission unit 1915, and a storage unit 1950. The acquisition unit 911, the position correction unit 912, and the reception unit 914 have functions similar to those of the first embodiment.

  The storage unit 1950 of the present embodiment stores a lane database 951, a digital map 952, a power stop location database 953, a signal location database 954, a history database 1955, and a parkable section database (DB) 956. The lane database 951, the digital map 952, the blackout location database 953, and the signal location database 954 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The parkable section database 956 is a database in which a position where the vehicle 21 can park on the road 90 (parkable section), for example, a position of a parking meter or the like is registered.

  Further, in the history database 1955 of the present embodiment, in addition to the same information as in the first embodiment, information on a parked vehicle is further registered.

  The vehicle row specifying unit 1913 of the present embodiment, having the functions of the first embodiment, determines whether or not the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 is a parking available section registered in the parking available section database 956. I do.

  In the present embodiment, the parked vehicle is the vehicle 21 stopped at the same position for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). Further, for example, if the stopped vehicle 20 is stopped in the parking available section, there is a high possibility that the vehicle is a parked vehicle. For this reason, when determining that the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 is in the parkable section, the vehicle row specifying unit 1913 specifies the stopped vehicle 20 as a parked vehicle.

  In addition, even when the vehicle row specifying unit 1913 determines that the stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 is not in the parkable section, the stopped vehicle 20 is determined based on the stopped vehicle information acquired in time series by the in-vehicle control device 10. When it is detected at the same position for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) or more, the stopped vehicle 20 is specified as a parked vehicle.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the parked vehicle 23 according to the present embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 16, two stopped vehicles 21 are detected in the parkable sections 91a and 91b on the road 90. In this case, the vehicle row specifying unit 1913 specifies the two stopped vehicles 21 in the parkable sections 91a and 91b as the parked vehicles 23a and 23b.

  In addition, it is assumed that a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has already elapsed from the two vehicles 21 stopped in front of the parked vehicle 23a illustrated in FIG. The vehicle row specifying unit 1913 searches, for example, from the history database 955 for the stopped vehicle 20 specified in the past at the position where these vehicles 21 are detected, and associates the search result with the detection time at least a predetermined time earlier. When the searched information is included in the search result, these vehicles 21 are specified as parked vehicles 23c and 23d. In addition, the vehicle train identification unit 1913 includes the stopped vehicle 20 included in the captured image associated with the detection time earlier than the predetermined time registered in the history database 955, and the stopped vehicle 20 included in the latest captured image. May be compared by known image processing such as pattern recognition to determine whether or not the vehicles 21 are the same.

  In addition, the vehicle row identification unit 1913 includes the identified position of the parked vehicle 23, the imaging position corrected by the position correction unit 912, the time at which the parked vehicle 23 was detected (imaging time), and the captured image of the parked vehicle 23. Are stored in the history database 1955 in association with each other.

  In addition, when the parked vehicle 23 parked outside the parkable section is identified, the vehicle row identification unit 1913 determines that the vehicle is an illegally parked vehicle, and determines that the parked vehicle 23 is an illegally parked vehicle in the history database 1955. Register with. In addition, the vehicle row specifying unit 1913 determines whether or not the shape of the parked vehicle 23 is deformed or lost from the captured image by image processing. The fact that the vehicle is a vehicle is registered in the history database 1955.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of storing information regarding the parked vehicle 23 according to the present embodiment. The parking map 901 shown in FIG. 17 is a table representing the position information in a grid of 1 m. The parking map 901 is an example of the history database 1955. The parking information at the time Ta to Td in FIG. 17 includes the position of the parked vehicle 23 detected from the image captured at the time Ta to Td, whether the parked vehicle 23 is an illegally parked vehicle, This is information including whether the vehicle 23 is an accident vehicle or a failed vehicle. Further, whether or not the parked vehicle 23 is an illegally parked vehicle and whether or not the parked vehicle 23 is an accident vehicle or a broken vehicle are collectively referred to as attribute information of the parked vehicle 23.

  In FIG. 17, the vehicle row specifying unit 1913 associates the position of the parked vehicle 23 and the parking information with the cell on the parking map 901 based on the information obtained in time series from the on-vehicle control device 10. Thereby, the position of the parked vehicle 23 and the attribute information of the parked vehicle 23 are recorded on the parking map 901 for each lane.

  Although illustrated as a grid in FIG. 17, internally, identification information for specifying each cell included in the grid, presence / absence of a parked vehicle 23 in each cell, and attribute information of the parked vehicle 23 are associated with each other. And saved. Further, it is assumed that not only the parking map 901 but also the traveling map 900 described in FIG. 6 is stored in the history database 1955. The history database 1955 may be configured as one database, or a plurality of databases may be associated with each other.

  Returning to FIG. 15, the transmission unit 1915 includes the function of the first embodiment, and further includes the position of the parked vehicle 23 specified by the vehicle row identification unit 1913 and the time when the vehicle row identification unit 1913 is detected ( The image capturing time of the captured image detected by the vehicle train identification unit 1913) and the captured image of the detected parked vehicle 23 are transmitted to the traffic information provider 100.

  In addition, the transmission unit 1915 may notify the traffic information provider 100 as an illegally parked vehicle when the parked vehicle 23 parked outside the parking available section is specified. In addition, the transmission unit 1915 searches the history database 955 for a time at which the parked vehicle 23 is first specified at the same position, and uses the length of time from the time to the current time as the parking time of the parked vehicle 23 as a traffic time. The information may be transmitted to the information provider 100.

  As described above, the management server 9 according to the present embodiment, when the position of the stopped vehicle 20 is a parking available section, or when the stopped vehicle 20 is detected at the same position for a predetermined time or more, the stopped vehicle 20 As the parked vehicle 23. For this reason, according to the management server 9 of the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the traffic information provider 100 with information on the parked vehicle 23 as well as the signal waiting vehicle row 2.

(Modification 1)
When the inter-vehicle distance between the stopped vehicles 20 included in the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the vehicle train identification unit 913 may determine that the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 has been interrupted. .

  Specifically, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 of the present modified example is configured to acquire a plurality of stopped vehicles 20 based on the stopped vehicle information acquired in time series by the acquisition unit 911 from the in-vehicle control device 10 as the probe vehicle 1 advances. Are continuously specified to determine whether or not the signal waiting stop train 2 is continuing. Then, when no other stopped vehicle 20 is detected for a predetermined distance or more from the last detected stop position of the stopped vehicle 20, the vehicle train identification unit 913 sets the last detected stop position of the stopped vehicle 20 to: It is specified as the head position (start position) of the signal waiting stop train 2.

  For example, there is a case where the traffic light changes with the passage of time and the leading vehicle 21 of the train waiting for traffic light 2 starts to move. In such a case, the signal waiting stop train 2 is interrupted before the stop line 39. In this case, the vehicle queue specifying unit 913 sets the signal waiting stop vehicle train length 3 from the stop position of the last stopped vehicle 20 of the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2 to the stop position of the last detected stopped vehicle 20 in the signal waiting stop vehicle train 2. Correct to distance.

  As described above, according to the management server 9 of the present modification, when no other stopped vehicle 20 is detected for a predetermined distance or more from the stop position of the last detected stopped vehicle 20, the last detected stopped vehicle 20 In order to identify the stop position of the stop train 20 as the head position of the stop train 2 for signal waiting, even when the position of the stop train 2 for signal stop and the length 3 of the stop train for signal stop change with the passage of time, more accurate. The position of the signal waiting stop train 2 and the signal waiting stop train line length 3 can be specified.

(Modification 2)
In the above-described embodiment, the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 acquires the position of the own vehicle based on the radio wave acquired from the GPS satellite, but the method of acquiring the position of the own vehicle is not limited to this. It is not something to be done. For example, the acquisition unit 110 of the in-vehicle control device 10 can determine the position of a land that can be specified from the images captured by the imaging devices 11 and 12 under an elevated road or in an area surrounded by a high-rise building. The position of the own vehicle may be acquired by detecting the mark.

  Further, when the probe vehicle 1 is a tram traveling on a dedicated lane, the position where the probe vehicle 1 stops is the stop line 39 drawn in front of the traffic light or the stop line of the blackout. Therefore, the acquiring unit 110 calculates the moving distance based on the traveling speed and the traveling time of the probe vehicle 1 with reference to the stop line 39 of the traffic light or the stop line of the blackout where the probe vehicle 1 has stopped. The position of the car may be acquired. In addition, the in-vehicle control device 10 of the probe vehicle 1 may employ a position specifying method using a ground element (transponder) or a known position specifying method using Bluetooth.

(Modification 3)
In the above-described embodiment, the management server 9 corrects the position information of the probe vehicle 1 based on the lane database 951 and the digital map 952, but the method of correcting the position is not limited to this. . For example, the position correction unit 912 of the management server 9 may correct the position information of the probe vehicle 1 based on the position information of the probe vehicle 1 acquired at several-second intervals in a time series. When this configuration is employed, the management server 9 can specify the traveling direction of the probe vehicle 1 more accurately.

  Further, the management server 9 may acquire, from the on-board controller 10, the position information of the probe vehicle 1 corrected in advance by the car navigation system mounted on the probe vehicle 1. Further, the position correction unit 912 of the management server 9 specifies the tendency of the difference between the position of the probe vehicle 1 after the correction and the GPS position coordinates before the correction, and determines the difference when correcting other GPS position coordinates. A method such as DGPS that specifies the position of the probe vehicle 1 after correction based on the tendency may be adopted. Further, the vehicle row specifying unit 913 of the management server 9 may specify the position of the stopped vehicle 20 based on the GPS coordinates acquired from the on-board controller 10 instead of the corrected position of the probe vehicle 1.

(Modification 4)
The information transmitted by the management server 9 to the traffic information provider 100 or the traffic control center 200 is not limited to the above-described example. For example, the transmission unit 915 may transmit, to the traffic information provider 100, statistical data obtained by summing up the length of a train waiting for a signal at each intersection 3 or the detection results of the parked vehicles 23. The timing of calculating the statistical data may be the timing at which the receiving unit 914 receives the transmission request, or may be a predetermined timing such as at night.

  In addition, the management server 9 may further include an image generation unit that generates an image that displays the range in a different display mode on a map in accordance with the reliability of the range in which the signal waiting stopped train 2 exists. good. The different display modes are different in color and transparency, for example. For example, the image generation unit generates an image that displays the range of the signal waiting vehicle train 2 shown in FIGS. 9, 11, 12, 13, and 14 in different colors according to the reliability. Further, the individual stopped vehicle 20 and the probe vehicle 1 may not be displayed on the image. In the case where the above configuration is adopted, the transmission unit 915 may transmit the image to the traffic information provider 100.

(Modification 5)
Various data stored in the storage unit 950 of the management server 9 may be stored in an external storage device or a cloud environment. Further, various data such as the digital map 952 stored in the storage unit 950 may be periodically updated.

(Modification 6)
The communication method between the probe vehicle 1 and the management server 9 is not particularly limited, and the probe vehicle 1 transmits information using a communication function of a Wi-Fi mobile router or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. You may.

(Modification 7)
The probe vehicle 1 is not limited to a tram, but may be an automobile, a motorcycle, a self-driving vehicle, or the like. Further, the stopped vehicle 20 to be specified is not limited to an automobile, but may be a tram vehicle or the like.

  As described above, according to the management server 9 of the first to fifth embodiments, even if it is difficult to detect the individual stopped vehicles 20 included in the train waiting for traffic lights 2, even if it is difficult to detect the stopped vehicles 20, the waiting vehicle for traffic lights is not used. Column length 3 can be specified.

  The program executed by the in-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment is a file in an installable format or an executable format in a computer such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). And provided on a recording medium readable by the.

  Further, the program executed by the in-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, the program executed by the in-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Further, the program executed by the on-vehicle control device 10 of the present embodiment may be configured to be provided in a manner incorporated in a ROM or the like in advance.

  The program executed by the in-vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a module configuration including the above-described units (acquisition unit, vehicle detection unit, distance measurement unit, vehicle speed calculation unit, travel determination unit, object detection unit, transmission unit). As actual hardware, the CPU (processor) reads out the program from the storage medium and executes the program, whereby the above-described units are loaded on the main storage device, and an acquisition unit, a vehicle detection unit, a distance measurement unit, a vehicle speed calculation The unit, the traveling determination unit, the object detection unit, and the transmission unit are generated on the main storage device.

  The program executed by the management server 9 of the present embodiment is recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk, a CD-R, and a DVD in an installable format or an executable format file. Provided.

  Further, the program executed by the management server 9 of the present embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, the program executed by the management server 9 of the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Further, the program executed by the management server 9 of the present embodiment may be configured to be provided in a manner incorporated in a ROM or the like in advance.

  The program executed by the management server 9 according to the present embodiment has a module configuration including the above-described units (an acquisition unit, a position correction unit, a vehicle train identification unit, a reception unit, and a transmission unit). The CPU (processor) reads out and executes the program from the storage medium to execute the programs on the main storage device, and the acquisition unit, the position correction unit, the vehicle train identification unit, the reception unit, and the transmission unit perform the main storage. It is generated on the device.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 probe vehicle 2, 2a to 2c signal waiting vehicle train 3, 3a, 3b signal waiting vehicle train length 5 GPS satellite 8 base station of wireless communication 4 inter-vehicle distance 9 management server 10 in-vehicle control device 11, 11a, 11b, 12 Imaging device 20, 20a to 20v Stopped vehicle 21, 21a, 21b Vehicle 23, 23a to 23c Parked vehicle 37 Lateral distance 38 Vehicle width 39 Stop line 70 Object 90 Road 91a, 91b Parking enabled section 100 Traffic information provider 110 Acquisition Unit 111 vehicle detection unit 112 distance measurement unit 113 vehicle speed calculation unit 114 travel determination unit 115 object detection unit 116 transmission unit 200 traffic control center 900 travel map 901 parking map 911 acquisition unit 912 position correction unit 913, 1913 vehicle row identification unit 914 reception Part 915, 1915 Transmission part 950, 1950 Part 951 lane database 952 digital map 953 conductive stop position database 954 signal location database 955,1955 history database 956 available parking section database S probe information processing system

Claims (11)

An acquisition unit that acquires information from an in-vehicle device mounted on a probe vehicle,
Based on the information obtained by the obtaining unit, a distance from a stop position of the stopped vehicle stopped on the road to a traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and the stopped vehicle When it is determined that an object of a predetermined size or more is detected in front of the vehicle, the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle to the position of the stop line at the intersection where the traffic light is installed is determined by the length of the train waiting for the signal. A vehicle row specifying unit for specifying as
A probe information processing apparatus comprising: The acquisition unit, from the in-vehicle device mounted on the probe vehicle, the time when the in-vehicle device detects the stopped vehicle, position information indicating the position of the probe vehicle at the time, from the probe vehicle to the stopped vehicle The inter-vehicle distance of, to obtain information indicating whether the object is detected in front of the stopped vehicle,
The vehicle row specifying unit specifies a stop position of the stopped vehicle based on the position information of the probe vehicle obtained by the obtaining unit and the inter-vehicle distance, and the specified stop position is stored in advance. Based on the position of the traffic light, it is determined whether the distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle to the traffic light located in front of the stopped vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the acquisition unit of the stopped vehicle Based on information indicating whether or not the object has been detected in front, it is determined whether or not an object of a predetermined size or more has been detected in front of the stopped vehicle,
The probe information processing apparatus according to claim 1. A storage unit in which position information of lanes included in the road is stored in advance,
The acquisition unit further acquires a lateral distance between the probe vehicle and the stopped vehicle from the in-vehicle device,
The lane identification unit further identifies the lane in which the stopped vehicle is stopped based on the lateral distance, the lane position information, and the position information of the probe vehicle. Specify the length of the train waiting for the traffic light for each,
The probe information processing apparatus according to claim 2. Externally associating the length of the signal waiting vehicle train identified by the vehicle train identifying unit, the position of the signal waiting vehicle train, and identification information that can identify the intersection where the traffic light is installed, A transmission unit for transmitting to the device,
The probe information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: The train queue specifying unit further includes, based on the number of times the signal waiting stop train was specified in the past at the position where the signal waiting stop train is present, the position of the specified signal waiting stop train and Determine the reliability of the length,
The probe information processing device according to claim 1. The vehicle train identification unit, further, as the time from the time when the signal waiting stop train is specified to the current time becomes longer, the reliability is determined to be lower,
The probe information processing apparatus according to claim 5. The acquisition unit is configured to travel in the on-vehicle device mounted on the probe vehicle traveling in a parallel lane in which the traveling direction of the stopped vehicle is the same as the lane in which the stopped vehicle is stopped, or travel in an opposite lane of the lane in which the stopped vehicle is stopped And the time at which the in-vehicle device detects the stopped vehicle, position information indicating the position of the probe vehicle at the time, and from the probe vehicle to the stopped vehicle. The inter-vehicle distance and information indicating whether or not the object has been detected in front of the stopped vehicle,
The vehicle train identification unit, the reliability of the position and length of the signal waiting stop train identified based on information obtained from the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the probe vehicle traveling in the parallel lane, the Determined to be higher than the reliability of the position and length of the signal waiting stop train identified based on the information obtained from the in-vehicle device mounted on the probe vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane,
The probe information processing apparatus according to claim 2. The acquisition unit may further include, from the in-vehicle device, a distance from the probe vehicle to a vehicle moving on the road in a direction intersecting with a traveling direction of the stopped vehicle, and a vehicle moving in the intersecting direction. Acquiring position information indicating the position of the probe vehicle at the detected time,
The vehicle row specifying unit further specifies the position of the vehicle moving in the crossing direction based on the position information of the probe vehicle and the distance from the probe vehicle to the vehicle moving in the crossing direction. If the specified position of the vehicle moving in the intersecting direction is included in the range in which it has been determined that the signal waiting stop train exists, the specified position of the vehicle moving in the intersecting direction is determined by the signal waiting. Determine that the stopped train is suspended,
The probe information processing apparatus according to claim 2. The vehicle train identification unit, further, a predetermined distance or more from the last detected stop position of the stopped vehicle, when no other stop vehicle is detected, the stop position of the last detected stop vehicle, the Identify the head position of the train waiting for traffic lights,
The probe information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The vehicle row specifying unit may further include, when the position of the stopped vehicle is in a parkable section, or when the stopped vehicle is detected at the same position for a predetermined time or more, the stopped vehicle is set to the predetermined position. Identify as parked vehicles that park for more than an hour,
The probe information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The distance from the stop position of the stopped vehicle stopped on the road to the traffic signal located in front of the stopped vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and an object having a predetermined size or more is detected in front of the stopped vehicle. In the case of being performed, a train line specifying step of specifying a distance from a stop position of the stopped vehicle to a position of a stop line at an intersection where the traffic light is installed as a length of a train waiting for a signal,
And a probe information processing method.

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