JP2006164196A - Traffic control system and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a traffic control system for managing incoming and outgoing vehicles into/from a specific area, using a plurality of means and controlling the vehicle traffic. <P>SOLUTION: A central system 1 maintains number information of an authorized vehicle, to which driving permission within the specific area is given. A terminal 2 stores the number information of the authorized vehicles from the central system 1 in a terminal storage device 21. The terminal 2 determines whether to permit driving of the vehicle, based on the number information scanned by an entrance scanning sensor 4 and the information stored in the terminal storage device 21, and opens a crossing gate 3, when it gives permission. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a traffic management system and method for managing vehicle traffic to a specific area.

  Conventionally, in order to restrict the entry and exit of vehicles, measures have been taken by restricting by road signs or by arranging personnel at the entrance and exit.

In addition, in an area designated in advance by a local government or the like, there has been proposed a system that suppresses vehicles entering the designated area by charging for the vehicles entering (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, by registering the vehicle number of a vehicle that has been permitted to enter the predetermined area in advance, or registering the vehicle number of the vehicle that has paid the predetermined fee at the toll gate provided at the entrance, a wide range of areas can be registered. A method and system for performing regulation have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-208045 A JP 2002-208049 A

  The method and system disclosed in the prior art document forcibly suppresses or regulates the vehicle by charging or the like.

  However, it is difficult to provide forcible charges, fines, and the like at a narrow regional level (hereinafter referred to as a “specific area”) such as a residential area.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a traffic management system that can manage the entry / exit of a vehicle to / from a specific area without any special forcing force.

  An aspect of the present invention is a traffic management system that manages vehicle traffic by confirming information on vehicles entering and leaving a specific area using, for example, a vehicle accessory having information that can identify the vehicle. is there.

  A traffic management system according to an aspect of the present invention is a traffic management system using a computer system, and includes a restricting means for restricting the passage of a vehicle to a specific area, and an accessory of a vehicle entering the specific area. Acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information for specifying vehicle information, storage means for storing vehicle information for specifying permitted vehicles permitted to pass to the specific area, and the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition means, Based on the vehicle information in the storage means, a determination means for determining whether or not to allow the vehicle in the vehicle information to enter the specific area, and the restriction means is controlled based on the determination result of the determination means. And a control means.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, especially in a specific area, the traffic management system which can restrict | limit the traffic of a vehicle by a simple method without charge etc. can be provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(System configuration)
As shown in FIG. 1, this system is roughly divided into a central system 1, a terminal 2, a circuit breaker 3, an inlet reading sensor 4, an outlet reading sensor 5, a registration device 6, and a command device 7. .

  The central system 1 is installed in a management center and manages vehicle information of vehicles that are permitted to enter a specific area such as a residential area (hereinafter referred to as “permitted vehicles”). Also, management is performed to change the traffic management method according to the time zone described later.

  The terminal 2 is installed in the vicinity of the circuit breaker 3, for example, and controls the circuit breaker 3 based on information received from the central system 1 and information obtained by the entrance reading sensor 4.

  The circuit breaker 3 is installed at the entrance and restricts the passage of the vehicle. Specifically, when the terminal 2 determines that a certain vehicle is a permitted vehicle, the circuit breaker 3 is opened, and when it is determined that the vehicle is not a permitted vehicle, the terminal 2 is closed.

  The entrance reading sensor 4 is installed at a place where the number of the entering vehicle can be read, and reads vehicle information for identifying the vehicle, for example, number information of the number plate 8 (hereinafter simply referred to as “number”).

  The exit reading sensor 5 is installed in a place where the number of the vehicle to exit can be read and reads the number.

  The registration device 6 is a device for temporarily registering as a permitted vehicle through a communication line. Specifically, for example, when this apparatus is installed in a residential house, it can be temporarily registered as a permitted vehicle in the central system 1 from the residential house.

  The command device 7 is a device that issues a command for controlling the circuit breaker 3 through a communication line. Specifically, for example, when this apparatus is installed in a resident's house, the resident can output a command to open the circuit breaker 3 from the resident's house to the terminal 2.

(Central system configuration)
The central system 1 includes an information processing unit 10, a storage device 11, and an input device 12.

  The information processing unit 10 performs all operations such as calculation, processing, or control in the central system 1. Specifically, processing for registering the permitted vehicle, processing for excluding the number obtained by the exit reading sensor 5 from the permitted vehicle, and the like are performed. Further, transmission / reception of information with the terminal 2 is controlled. For example, the main component of the information processing unit 10 is a CPU or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the storage device 11 has three databases of pre-application vehicle information 111D, temporary permission vehicle information 112D, and management time information 113D.

  The pre-applied vehicle information 111D holds a number registered in advance for a vehicle permitted to enter and exit the residential area. For example, the number of vehicles owned by residents in a residential area and surrounding residents (hereinafter simply referred to as “residents”), vehicles that regularly enter and exit such as postal delivery, and emergency vehicles are held.

  Temporarily permitted vehicle information 112D holds a number temporarily registered for a vehicle that is temporarily permitted to enter and exit a residential area. For example, the number of vehicles such as visitors to residents, taxis and courier services is held.

  The management time information 113D holds information in which the operating state set by the system is set according to the time zone. For example, the setting is “management state from 6 o'clock to 10 o'clock”, “open state from 10 o'clock to 15 o'clock”, and the like.

  The input device 12 is a device used when registering a number or setting a management time. For example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like correspond to this device.

(Terminal configuration)
The terminal 2 includes a terminal information processing unit 20, a terminal storage device 21, and a control circuit 22.

  The terminal information processing unit 20 performs all operations such as calculation, processing, or control of the terminal 2. Specifically, based on the number obtained by the entrance reading sensor 4 and the information stored in the terminal storage device 21, it is determined whether to allow the vehicle to pass, and based on the determination result, A signal is transmitted to the control circuit 22. Further, transmission / reception of information with the central system 1 is controlled. For example, the main component of the information processing unit 20 is a CPU.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal storage device 21 has two databases of prior application vehicle information 211D and temporary permission vehicle information 212D. Moreover, a part or all of the number of the permitted vehicle stored in the storage device 11 of the central system 1 is stored. At least vehicle information of a permitted vehicle that is known in advance to pass from a circuit breaker controlled by the terminal is held.

  The control circuit 22 receives a signal based on the determination result in the terminal information processing unit 20, and controls the circuit breaker 3 according to the received signal. Specifically, when the terminal information processing unit 20 determines to permit the passage of the vehicle, the control circuit 22 performs control to open the circuit breaker 3. On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle is not permitted to pass, control to close the circuit breaker 3 is performed.

(Operational effect of this embodiment)
Next, the operation of the traffic management system in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

(Register permitted vehicles)
First, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4, an execution procedure until the permitted vehicle is registered in the system will be described.

  In the central system 1, the number to be registered as a permitted vehicle is input by the input device 12 (step S1). Next, it is selected whether to register the input number by prior application or temporary permission (step S2). Then, it is registered in the prior application vehicle information 111D or the temporarily permitted vehicle information 112D according to the selection, and the registration result is stored in the storage device 11 (steps S3 and S4). The information processing unit 10 transmits the data in the storage device 11 after the registration result to the terminal 2 (step S5). The terminal 2 updates the data in the storage device 11 that has received the data in the terminal storage device 21 (step S6).

(Action for approaching vehicle)
Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the execution procedure of this system is demonstrated about the response | compatibility of the vehicle which approachs a residential area.

  The entrance reading sensor 4 reads the number of the vehicle about to enter (step S11). The terminal 2 receives this number at the terminal information processing unit 20 (step S12).

  The terminal information processing unit 20 determines whether the number is registered based on the prior application vehicle information 211D (step S13). When the corresponding number is registered in the prior application vehicle information 211D, the terminal information processing unit 20 outputs an opening command to the circuit breaker 3 (step S15). When receiving the opening command, the circuit breaker 3 opens (step S16).

  On the other hand, if the number is not registered in the prior application vehicle information 211D, the terminal information processing unit 20 next determines whether or not it is registered in the temporarily permitted vehicle information 212D (step S14). If the corresponding number is registered in the temporarily permitted vehicle information 212D, the terminal information processing unit 20 outputs an opening command to the circuit breaker 3 (step S15).

  If it is not registered in the temporary permit vehicle information 112D as well, the process is terminated in principle (NO in step S20). However, drivers and other means to contact residents and management center personnel (hereinafter referred to as “residents”), for example, mobile phones or intercoms installed at the entrance, inform the residents and request them. In some cases, the circuit breaker 3 can be opened (step S21). When the resident opens the circuit breaker 3, it is performed by operating the command device 7 in the resident's house. For example, a mechanism may be employed in which a button embedded in a wall or the like can be opened via the terminal 2 only by a resident pressing it. On the other hand, the person in the management center opens the circuit breaker 3 by operating the input device 12 in the management center and using a function built in the central system 1 in advance.

  Furthermore, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, residents can respond to a vehicle that is not registered as a permitted vehicle by temporarily permitting the vehicle. The flow up to NO in step S14 is the same as described above. The driver of the vehicle whose vehicle information is not registered in the temporary permission vehicle information requests temporary permission from the residents. The resident can register for temporary permission by operating the registration device 6 in the resident's house (steps S25 and S26). On the other hand, when the person of the management center gives temporary permission, the function built in the central system 1 is used and the input device 12 is operated. When the input is completed, it is registered in the temporarily permitted vehicle information 112D and stored in the storage device 11 (step S26).

(Action for leaving vehicle)
Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7, the execution procedure of this system is demonstrated about the response | compatibility of the vehicle which leaves a residential area.

  The exit reading sensor 5 reads the number of the leaving vehicle (step S21). The central system 1 receives this number at the information processing unit 10 (step S22).

  The information processing unit 10 determines whether or not it is registered in the temporarily permitted vehicle information 112D stored in the storage device 11 (step S23). If the corresponding number has been registered, the number is deleted from the temporarily permitted vehicle information 112D (YES in step S23, S24). In addition, the information processing unit 10 transmits the temporary permitted vehicle information 112D after deletion to the terminal 2 (step S25). The terminal 2 updates the temporary permission vehicle information 112D received from the temporary permission vehicle information 112D of the terminal storage device 21 (step S26). On the other hand, if the corresponding number is not registered, the process ends without doing anything (NO in step S23).

(Management by time zone)
Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8, the execution procedure of this system is demonstrated about the operation which changes an operation state according to a time slot | zone.

  In the storage device 11, the setting of the management time information 113D is stored in advance. The information processing unit 10 determines whether or not it is the operation state change time (step S31). If it is the change time, the operation state is changed (step S32). Specifically, if the management information 113D is set to be in the management state from 6:00 to 10:00 and is open from 10:00 to 15:00, the change times are 6:00, 10:00, and 15:00. Therefore, the operation of this system is to perform normal management at 6 o'clock. At 10:00, the circuit breaker is disabled, and at 15:00, the operation state is switched to the next operation state. The invalid state of the circuit breaker may be a state where it automatically opens when the vehicle approaches, or it may always be an open state. On the other hand, if it is not the change time of the operating state, the process is terminated without doing anything (NO in step S31).

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the central system 1 can centrally manage data related to permitted vehicles that allow entry into an inhabited area from an unspecified number of vehicles according to the data in the storage device 11. it can.

  In addition, by using the vehicle number plate 8, the number can be automatically collected from the business terminal 2 without performing communication such as inquiry and response to the vehicle to the driver or the like. The business terminal 2 can determine whether it is a permitted vehicle from an unspecified number of vehicles.

  Furthermore, when the vehicle that has entered the specific area is a permitted vehicle, the circuit breaker 3 can be opened automatically. In addition, even if the vehicle is not registered as a permitted vehicle, it is possible to request the opening of the circuit breaker 3 by directly contacting the residents with the requirements. It is possible to construct a system that can respond to the occasion according to the situation, such as requesting to open the circuit breaker by doing.

(Modification)
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a system configuration regarding a modification of the present embodiment. This modification is roughly composed of a central system 1, a circuit breaker 3, an entrance reading sensor 4, an exit reading sensor 5, a registration device 6, and a command device 7.

  Further, the central system 1 of the present modification example includes an information processing unit 10, a storage device 11, an input device 12, and a control circuit 13.

  The information processing unit 10 determines whether or not to allow the vehicle to pass based on the number obtained by the entrance reading sensor 4 and the data stored in the storage device 11, and based on the determination result, A signal is transmitted to the control circuit 13.

  The control circuit 13 receives a signal based on the determination result in the information processing unit 10 and controls the circuit breaker 3 according to the received signal. Specifically, when the information processing unit 10 determines that the vehicle is permitted to pass, the control circuit 13 performs control to open the circuit breaker 3.

  As described above, with the configuration of the present modification, it is possible to construct a system that suppresses capital investment, particularly when the specific area is narrow or there are few entrances. Moreover, since all the data related to the permitted vehicle are managed in one place, it is possible to provide a system having an advantage that there is no bug or failure related to data consistency.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications as follows.

(1) The vehicle information is not limited to the number. For example, the vehicle information may be stored in advance in a DSRC such as an ETC, an IC tag, a mobile phone, a PDA, or the like. Moreover, what combined these two or more may be used. By using DSRC, it can be used with other systems and the like, and no new cost is required for the vehicle owner. In addition, by using IC tags, mobile phones, PDAs, etc., it is possible to store information other than vehicles, such as personal information, and to limit the conditions of permitted vehicles more precisely, or to open the circuit breaker 3 based on the individual. It can be set as the system which can respond also in more complicated environmental conditions, such as providing the determination to perform.

(2) In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the central system 1 is installed in the management center and the terminal is installed near the circuit breaker 3, but the installation location is not particularly specified. The central system 1 and the terminal 2 may all be installed in the management center or may be installed in a residential house.

(3) A plurality of terminals 2 may be installed. By installing the dedicated terminal 2 in each of the circuit breakers 3, it is possible to reduce the load such as processing of the terminal 2. In addition, by making a plurality of circuit breakers 3 to be controlled by a single terminal 2, capital investment can be reduced.

(4) When there are a plurality of terminals 2, the terminal storage device 21 may have different information for each. For example, when it is desired to permit passage only from the circuit breaker 3 that designates a certain vehicle, it can be realized by registering only the terminal storage device 21 of the terminal 2 that controls the circuit breaker 3 that designates the vehicle information.

(5) The terminal 2 may have a device corresponding to the input device 12 and be able to register a permitted vehicle. In this case, it is possible to operate the specific vehicle by permitting passage only from the circuit breaker 3 controlled by the registered terminal 2.

(6) The terminal 2 may have a function of not only opening and closing the circuit breaker 3 but also displaying a message on a display device or the like. The message may display the reason for not allowing traffic, or display a greeting or notice from the management center.

(7) The restricting means for restricting the passage of the vehicle is not limited to the circuit breaker 3. It may be a door, a shutter, or the like, or may not be physically limited but may indicate a limitation by a traffic light, a display device, or the like.

(8) In this embodiment, the circuit breaker 3 is provided only at the inlet, but a limiting means such as the circuit breaker 3 may be installed at the outlet, or when the outlet and the inlet are combined. May also serve as the circuit breaker 3. In this case, the vehicle information can be read more reliably by the exit reading sensor 5. In addition, a vehicle that illegally enters a specific area can be operated so as not to go out.

(9) In this embodiment, the outlet reading sensor 5 is connected to the central system 1 and the information processing unit 10 performs data processing. However, the outlet reading sensor 5 is connected to the terminal 2 and terminal information is provided. A method of transmitting data to the central system 1 after data processing by the processing unit 20 may be adopted. In a specific area where both the entrance and the exit are used, one reading sensor that serves both as the entrance reading sensor 4 and the exit reading sensor 5 may be installed. In this case, it is possible to reduce the communication cable laying cost and the failure due to noise or disconnection due to the redundancy of the communication cable.

(10) The registration device 6 and the command device 7 may be installed in the management center.

(11) The registration device 6 and the command device 7 may be a single device, or functions corresponding to the respective devices may be incorporated into other devices as one function. For example, when two functions corresponding to the registration device 6 and the command device 7 are incorporated in the interphone, the breaker 3 is opened on the spot while directly interacting with the driver, or temporarily registered as a permitted vehicle. can do.

(12) The prior application vehicle information 111D (211D) and the temporary permission vehicle information 112D (212D) may be managed in one database.

(13) The terminal storage device 21 may have only one database of the prior vehicle information 211D and the temporarily permitted vehicle information 212D. For example, when the terminal storage device 21 has only the prior vehicle information 211D, the capacity of the terminal storage device 21 can be reduced by inquiring the central system 1 about the information of the temporary permitted vehicle information 112D. it can.

(14) After the data in the storage device 11 is updated, the terminal 2 may manage the data update timing in the terminal storage device 21. For example, the update may be performed by referring to the data in the storage device 11 periodically regardless of the data update timing of the storage device 11 from the terminal 2 or whenever there is a request.

(15) When a vehicle corresponding to the temporarily permitted vehicle information 112D (212D) enters, the vehicle information of the vehicle is deleted from the temporarily permitted vehicle information 112D (212D), and nothing may be done when leaving. .

(16) In the present embodiment, the operation state is only the management state and the open state, but there may be other operation states. For example, the closed state in which the circuit breaker 3 is closed and the vehicle is always closed may be the operating state.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

The block diagram for demonstrating the structure of the system regarding embodiment of this invention. The block diagram for demonstrating the memory | storage device regarding this embodiment. The block diagram for demonstrating the memory | storage device for terminals regarding this embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement which registers the permission vehicle regarding this embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement with respect to the approaching vehicle using the instruction | command apparatus regarding this embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement with respect to the approaching vehicle using the registration apparatus regarding this embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement with respect to the leaving vehicle regarding this embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement of the change of the operation state by the management time slot | zone regarding this embodiment. The block diagram for demonstrating the structure of the system of the modification regarding this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Central system, 2 ... Terminal, 3 ... Circuit breaker, 4 ... Inlet reading sensor, 5 ... Outlet reading sensor,
6 ... Registration device, 7 ... Command device, 8 ... Number plate.

Claims (10)

A traffic management system using a computer system,
Restriction means to restrict the passage of vehicles to specific areas;
Obtaining means for obtaining vehicle information for identifying a vehicle from an accessory of a vehicle entering the specific area;
Storage means for storing vehicle information for identifying a permitted vehicle that permits passage to the specific area;
Determination means for determining whether to permit entry of the vehicle of the vehicle information into the specific area based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition means and the vehicle information of the storage means;
A traffic management system comprising control means for controlling the restriction means based on a determination result of the determination means. The storage means
Separately from the vehicle information, temporarily storing vehicle information for temporarily permitting passage to the specific area,
The determination means includes
2. The traffic management system according to claim 1, wherein in the case of a determination result in which entry is not permitted as the determination result, whether or not entry is further permitted is determined based on the temporarily permitted vehicle information. 3. The traffic management system according to claim 1, further comprising an exit acquisition unit configured to acquire vehicle information for identifying a vehicle from an accessory of the vehicle exiting from the specific area. An exit acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information for identifying a vehicle from an accessory of the vehicle exiting from the specific area;
Temporary permission determination means for determining whether the vehicle information acquired by the exit acquisition means corresponds to temporary permission vehicle information in the storage means;
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a deletion unit that deletes the corresponding temporary permission vehicle information from the storage unit when the determination result of the temporary permission determination unit corresponds to the temporary permission vehicle information. Traffic management system. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a command unit that outputs a command for arbitrarily controlling the limiting unit to the control unit regardless of a determination result of the determination unit. The traffic management system according to item 1. 5. The traffic management system according to claim 2, further comprising storage means for storing designated vehicle information as temporary permission vehicle information in the storage means. The traffic management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising invalid control means for invalidating the restriction means when a certain condition is satisfied.   The traffic management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the limiting means is a circuit breaker.   The traffic management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the acquisition unit is a number reading sensor of a number plate. In a traffic management system using a computer system, a restriction method for restricting the passage of a vehicle, including restriction means for restricting the passage of a vehicle to a specific area and an acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information for identifying the vehicle Because
Obtaining the vehicle information by the obtaining means;
Determining whether the vehicle of the vehicle information is a permitted vehicle that permits passage to the specific area;
The traffic management method which performs the procedure which has the step which controls the said restriction | limiting means, when the said vehicle is the said permission vehicle based on the said determination step.

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