JP2007249350A - Road for vehicle, road information output device and method, and road information providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inform a running vehicle or a driver of only information relating to a road on which a vehicle is traveling about a dynamically changing traffic regulation or road condition in proper timing. <P>SOLUTION: A road 101 for a vehicle is provided with an information pattern 102 formed of materials having absorption rate or reflection rate of electromagnetic waves different from that of a road surface 101' on the road surface 101'. A road information output device 3 is mounted on a vehicle 103 traveling on the road 101. The road information output device 3 is provided with a storage means for preliminarily storing identification information and road information corresponding to the identification information; a reading means for reading the identification information preliminarily assigned to the information 102 by using an electromagnetic wave during traveling; and an output means for outputting the road information corresponding to the read identification information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular road, a road information output device and method, and a road information providing system, and in particular, while driving dynamically changing road information by reading an information pattern provided on a road surface using electromagnetic waves. The present invention relates to a vehicular road, a road information output device and method, and a road information providing system that accurately and surely inform the vehicle.

  The roads are equipped with facilities to present road information (hereinafter referred to as road information) such as road signs and destination information boards for maintaining safety of road traffic or notifying the driver of various traffic regulations. ing. These are recognized visually by the driver. However, these may be overlooked due to the driver's carelessness or the obstruction of the field of view due to shielding such as roadside trees. This causes a traffic accident.

  Therefore, various means have been studied in order to reliably convey road information directly to the vehicle without depending on the visual observation of the driver. For example, a method for transmitting road information to a vehicle by communication is known. Specifically, a local communication device called a beacon is installed on the road side or on the road, and predetermined information is transmitted to the vehicle by communication when the vehicle passes. In addition, a technique for notifying a vehicle that is dynamically changing road information such as traffic jam information by using VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) or the like is known. In addition, a technique for installing an electromagnetic wave reflector near the road is known.

Furthermore, in order to allow the vehicle to smoothly merge and divert road connections, the road surface (by means of main line or branch line) or the merge area can be displayed on the road surface or on the roadside with barcodes, signs, etc. There is known a technique for grasping road information such as a road condition and an accurate distance to a merging portion by reading the distance of the vehicle with a CCD camera by a traveling vehicle. (See Patent Document 1).
JP-A-10-320690

  According to the above-described technology using a local communication device such as a beacon, a dedicated facility is required on the road, and a power supply is also required for the communication device. Therefore, the scale of the facility is increased and the equipment cost and the operation cost are increased. Become. In particular, in a facility that is installed in many places on a road such as a sign, it is essential that the cost is low, so this technique is not practical.

  Further, according to the technology using VICS, road information presented to the driver is merely road information presented based on the position of the vehicle by GPS (Global Positioning System). For this reason, there is not accurate road information (that is, information about a road that is scheduled to travel), road information about a road that is not related to the road that is scheduled to travel, and road information that is out of timing (for example, information about a place that has already passed). It may be output. This is inconvenient for the driver and can cause traffic accidents.

  In addition, according to the technique of installing the electromagnetic wave reflector object, there is a high possibility that the vehicle will be shielded against radio waves by a vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle or a vehicle traveling concurrently when traveling in a plurality of lanes. For this reason, since it cannot compensate that road information is conveyed accurately and stably, it is not practical.

  Furthermore, according to the technique described in Patent Document 1, a display unit such as a bar code must be read from a traveling vehicle by a CCD camera. For this reason, it is not different from the visual observation of the driver in that reading is hindered by a shielding such as a roadside tree. In addition, the display means such as a barcode in Patent Document 1 carries static road information. Therefore, the road information cannot be changed. For this reason, dynamically changing road information cannot be transmitted to the vehicle. For example, the vehicle cannot be notified of a road whose state changes depending on the weather (such as a slippery curve in the case of bad weather) or a traffic regulation that dynamically changes (traffic regulation depending on the day of the week).

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular road that accurately and reliably informs a traveling vehicle of only road information related to the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a road information output device that accurately and reliably notifies a traveling vehicle of only road information related to a road on which the vehicle is currently traveling.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a road information output method for notifying only a road information related to a road that the vehicle is currently traveling to a vehicle that is traveling accurately and reliably.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a road information providing system that accurately and reliably informs a traveling vehicle of only road information related to a road on which the vehicle is currently traveling.

  The vehicular road of the present invention is an information pattern formed on a road surface for running a vehicle by a material having an electromagnetic wave absorption rate different from that of the road surface or a material having a different electromagnetic wave reflectivity, and extends in the transverse direction of the road. An information pattern having a stripe shape is provided.

  A road information output device according to the present invention is a road information output device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road, and includes storage means for preliminarily storing road information corresponding to the uniquely assigned identification information, The reading means for reading the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern using electromagnetic waves from the information pattern provided on the road surface for traveling the vehicle, and searching the storage means based on the read identification information Output means for outputting road information corresponding to the identification information.

  Preferably, in the road information output device of the present invention, the reading unit repeatedly emits the electromagnetic wave used for reading in a pulsed manner toward the road surface at a predetermined cycle, and a reflected wave after a predetermined delay time from the emission. And the information pattern is read based on the detected reflected wave.

  The road information output method of the present invention is a road information output method that is executed by a device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road, and stores the road information corresponding to this information together with uniquely assigned identification information. A step of reading the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern using electromagnetic waves from an information pattern provided on a road surface for running the vehicle during traveling, and the storage based on the read identification information Searching for means and outputting road information corresponding to the identification information.

  The road information providing system according to the present invention is an information pattern formed on a road surface for traveling a vehicle by a material having an electromagnetic wave absorption rate different from that of the road surface or a material having a different electromagnetic wave reflection rate. It comprises an information pattern having a plurality of elongated stripe shapes and a road information output device mounted on a vehicle traveling on the road. The road information output device includes a storage means for storing road information in the area together with identification information uniquely given in a predetermined area, and an information pattern provided on the road surface during traveling. Reading means for reading the identification information pre-assigned to the pattern using electromagnetic waves, and output means for searching the storage means based on the read identification information and outputting road information corresponding to the identification information Prepare.

  The vehicle road according to the present invention includes an information pattern formed on a road surface using a material having a different electromagnetic wave absorption rate or electromagnetic wave reflectivity from the road surface. Thereby, the road information based on this information pattern is not based on the position of the vehicle in general, but only related to the position where the vehicle is currently traveling. Therefore, the road information is accurate (that is, the road that is scheduled to travel) and the road information about the road that does not travel is not output. In addition, the road information based on this information pattern can be notified to a traveling vehicle (that is, a driver or a user of the vehicle) at a timing when the road information is required.

  Further, the road information output apparatus and method of the present invention reads an information pattern provided on a road surface for traveling of a vehicle using electromagnetic waves while the vehicle is traveling, and responds based on identification information assigned to the information pattern. Output road information. Thereby, it does not receive the radio wave shielding by the vehicle which drive | works ahead, or the vehicle which runs simultaneously at the time of driving | running | working of several lanes. For this reason, the information pattern which becomes the origin of road information can be read correctly and stably. Therefore, it is possible to accurately and reliably notify the vehicle (the driver or the user) traveling on the road information related to the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling. Moreover, when providing road information corresponding to each of many facilities installed like a sign, it is only necessary to form an information pattern on the road surface.

  The road information providing system according to the present invention includes a vehicle road having the above-described configuration and a road information output device. The identification information is uniquely given in a predetermined area, and the storage means is in the area. Road information is stored in advance. Thereby, road information can be changed by changing the road information corresponding to identification information for every area. For example, it is possible to notify the vehicle of road information such as road conditions that change according to the weather and traffic regulations that change according to time. That is, it is possible to notify the vehicle only of road information that dynamically changes and that is related to the road in progress. Further, for example, the road information corresponding to the identification information in the area may be provided to the vehicle only at the location where the vehicle enters the area, and there is no need to provide it for each facility that is installed in large numbers like a sign.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle road according to the present invention. In particular, FIG. 1 (A) shows the configuration of a plane of the vehicle road, and FIG. 1 (B) shows a part of the vehicle road. FIG. 1C shows a relationship between a vehicle road and a vehicle, and FIG. 1D is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1C and shows a state of reading an information pattern.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the vehicle road 101 includes an information pattern 102 formed on the surface (that is, road surface) 101 ′ of the road 101 for traveling of the vehicle 103. The information pattern 102 has a plurality of stripes extending linearly in the transverse direction Y of the road 101, that is, a stripe shape. The transverse direction Y is equal to the direction in which the stripes or stripes extend. In this example, the information pattern 102 is provided such that the stripe extending direction coincides with the transverse direction Y and is orthogonal to the traveling direction X.

  The information pattern 102 intersects the transverse direction Y with a predetermined angle θ1 (for example, about 10 to 20 degrees) and intersects the traveling direction X with a predetermined angle θ2 = 90 (degrees) −θ1. You may make it form. In this case, even when the information pattern 102 is formed on the road surface 101 ′, the impact on the tire when the vehicle 103 travels can be alleviated to some extent.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the information pattern 102 is formed on the road surface 101 'in a so-called barcode shape. That is, the width of individual stripes or stripes (length in the running direction X) W1, W2,... Can take different values, and the distance between them (length in the running direction X) D1,. Can take different values. These values are determined according to information carried by the information pattern 102. The information pattern 102 represents only the identification information assigned to the road information, not the road information itself. The road information to which the information pattern 102 is assigned (the content of the assigned road information) is determined within a predetermined area and dynamically changed, as will be described later.

  Note that the information pattern 102 is preferably formed within the shortest possible distance in the traveling direction X. As a result, the information pattern 102 can be formed using as little area of the road surface 101 'as possible. That is, by increasing the density of stripes or stripes of the information pattern 102, more identification information (ID or ID information) can be transmitted to the vehicle 103.

  The information pattern 102 is read (read) using electromagnetic waves. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1C, the information pattern 102 is read by the identification information reading device 1 that is reading means mounted on the bottom of the vehicle 103. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1D, the identification information reader 1 irradiates the information pattern 102 provided on the road surface 101 ′ with the electromagnetic wave E while traveling in the traveling direction X, The reflected wave R from the road 101 is read. The reflected wave R changes according to the information pattern 102. That is, it can be considered to represent the information pattern 102. The identification information reader 1 constitutes a part of the road information output device of the present invention (described later with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5).

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the reflection of electromagnetic waves by the information pattern of the present invention, and mainly shows the difference between the structure of the information pattern and the reflected power.

  The electromagnetic wave passes through the covering and reaches the road surface 101 ′ except that the road surface 101 ′ is covered with a metal object having a certain size or larger (for example, a manhole cover). Therefore, in the present invention, the information pattern 102 that generates the magnitude of the reflected power of the electromagnetic wave is formed near the road surface 101 ′.

  Since the information pattern 102 is read using electromagnetic waves, the information pattern 102 is made of a material (radio wave absorber) or electromagnetic wave reflectivity (radio wave reflection) having a different electromagnetic wave absorption rate (radio wave absorption rate) from the road surface 101 ′ for traveling of the vehicle 103. It is formed of materials (radio wave reflecting materials) having different rates. The road surface 101 'is made of, for example, concrete or asphalt, and the radio wave absorption rate or radio wave reflectivity can be known in advance. Therefore, a material having a radio wave absorptivity or radio wave reflectivity different from these is used as the material of the information pattern 102.

  FIG. 2A shows an example of an information pattern 102-1 made of a radio wave reflecting material formed on the road surface 101 '. The information pattern 102-1 is formed by fixing a sheet including a radio wave reflecting material prepared in advance to the road surface 101 '. As a radio wave reflecting material, a plate-like metal piece having a size of several millimeters, for example, an aluminum plate, is mixed with a known road sign binder, formed into a sheet shape, and cut into a predetermined size. This is fixed to the road surface 101 ′ by heating or the like. Alternatively, the information pattern 102 is formed by applying a material made of so-called paint (or liquid) by dispersing a radio wave reflecting material in a liquid resin and an appropriate solvent to the road surface 101 '(or forming it to a certain thickness). Thus, it may be formed. In this case, it may be solidified as necessary after application or formation.

  In FIG. 2A, the electromagnetic wave emitted from the vehicle 103 is reflected by a road surface 101 'such as concrete. The reflected power at this time is P1. Since the information pattern 102-1 is made of a radio wave reflecting material, the reflected power is a value P2 that is larger than the value P1 of the place where the information pattern 102-1 is not formed. When such a radio wave reflecting material is used, the electromagnetic wave is scattered without being specularly reflected. However, since the information pattern 102-1 reflects a larger electric power than a portion such as concrete, the information pattern 102-1 can generate a strength of the reflectance sufficient for reading (difference between the value P1 and the value P2). There is no hindrance.

  FIG. 2B shows an example of an information pattern 102-2 made of a radio wave absorber formed on the road surface 101 '. As in FIG. 2A, the information pattern 102-2 is formed by fixing a sheet containing a radio wave absorber prepared in advance to the road surface 101 '. As the radio wave absorber, either ferrite powder, carbonyl iron powder, or carbon powder is used, and is molded and fixed in a sheet shape. Alternatively, as in FIG. 2A, as a radio wave absorber, a so-called paint (or liquid) powder dispersed in a liquid resin and an appropriate solvent is applied (and solidified). May be.

  In FIG. 2B, since the information pattern 102-2 is made of a radio wave absorber, the reflected power is a value P3 that is smaller than the value P1 of the place where the information pattern 102-2 is not formed. The value P1 and the value P3 have a difference in reflectance sufficient for reading.

  FIG. 2C shows an example of an information pattern 102-3 made of a radio wave reflecting material formed inside the road 101. The information pattern 102-3 is formed by embedding a sheet containing a radio wave reflecting material at a predetermined depth (for example, about 10 cm) from the road surface 101 'in parallel to the road surface 101'. Instead of the information pattern 102-3 made of the radio wave reflecting material, the information pattern 102 made of the radio wave absorbing material may be embedded in the road 101.

  As described above, since electromagnetic waves pass through concrete or the like, even if the information pattern 102-3 is covered with concrete or the like having a certain thickness, reading is not hindered. In FIG. 2C, since the information pattern 102-3 is made of a radio wave reflecting material, the reflected power has a value P4 that is larger than the value P1 of the place where the information pattern 102-3 is not formed. The value P4 is slightly smaller than the value P2 shown in FIG. 2A, but can be sufficiently distinguished from the value P1. In this case, although the structure of the road is somewhat complicated, the information pattern 102-3 is less likely to be worn compared to other examples due to friction with the tire of the vehicle 103, and even if a metal piece is used. It will not damage the tires.

  FIG. 2D shows an example of an information pattern 102-4 made of a radio wave absorber formed on the road surface 101 '. The information pattern 102-4 is formed by filling a sheet including a radio wave absorber in a groove formed on the road surface 101 '. Instead of the information pattern 102-4 made of the radio wave absorbing material, the information pattern 102 made of the radio wave reflecting material may be filled in the groove of the road surface 101 '.

  In FIG. 2D, since the information pattern 102-4 is made of a radio wave absorber, the reflected power becomes a value P3 smaller than the value P1 of the place where the information pattern 102-4 is not formed (FIG. 2). It becomes the same as the value P3 shown in (B)). In this case, the information pattern 102-4 is less likely to be worn than the information patterns 102-1 and 102-2, and even if a metal piece is used, the tire is not damaged.

  Whether to use the radio wave absorbing material or the radio wave reflecting material may be determined according to the judgment of a person who constructs or manages the road 101, for example. Alternatively, either a radio wave absorbing material or a radio wave reflecting material may be selected according to the structure of the road 101 around the information pattern 102 and / or the reflectance of the electromagnetic wave around the information pattern 102.

  According to the present invention, road information can be transmitted to the vehicle 103 only by forming the information pattern 102 on the road 101. Further, since the information pattern 102 installed on the road surface 101 'is used, there is no influence from other vehicles. That is, electromagnetic waves for reading the information pattern 102 are not shielded by a vehicle traveling in front, a vehicle facing the vehicle, or a vehicle traveling in another lane of a plurality of lanes. Further, the electromagnetic wave for reading is not obstructed or shielded by a shielding object such as a roadside tree. Therefore, road information can be conveyed accurately and stably.

  Note that even if a white information pattern (pattern like a pedestrian crossing) is formed on a black road surface 101 ′ such as asphalt and optically read, it cannot be practically used. That is, the road 101 is used under all weather for 24 hours. For example, when the road surface 101 ′ is covered with rain, snow, dust, mud, or the like, the information pattern cannot be read normally optically. In the case of rain, the white information pattern covered with water is hardly readable because light is reflected on the surface or absorbed by muddy water. Although electromagnetic waves also have surface reflection on the water surface, they are not absorbed by dirt components such as mud and reflection from the road 101 is secured to some extent, so that reading is not impossible.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of the vehicular road according to the present invention, showing the plan configuration of the vehicular road, and corresponding to FIG.

  FIG. 3A shows an example in which the information pattern 102 having the same shape for a plurality of lanes of the road 101 is formed over the entire width of the road 101. That is, this is an example in which all of a plurality of lanes should provide the same road information to the vehicle 103. In this case, road information can be provided to the vehicle 103 no matter what the vehicle 103 travels.

  FIG. 3B shows an example in which the information pattern 102 having a different shape is formed only in the center portion in the transverse direction Y (the width direction of the road 101) of each lane for each of a plurality of lanes of the road 101. In other words, this is an example in which each of the plurality of lanes should provide different road information to the vehicle 103. In this case, the degree of freedom in setting road information can be improved.

  Note that the dimension of the information pattern 102 in the transverse direction Y (the length of the information pattern 102) can be selected as necessary within a range not exceeding the width of the lane. For example, the information pattern 102 is easily worn at a portion where the tire of the vehicle 103 is likely to pass. Therefore, for example, the information pattern 102 may be formed only in a finite width at a central portion of the lane of the road 101 (a portion corresponding to between approximately many tires of the vehicle 103). At this time, the identification information reading device 1 provided in the vehicle 103 is also provided on or near the center line in the width direction of the vehicle 103, so that the information pattern 102 can be read reliably.

  FIG. 3C shows an example in which the information pattern 102 having the repeated portion 102-5 of the minimum width pattern at the head is formed. That is, on the side where the vehicle 103 enters the information pattern 102 (that is, the front side of the information pattern 102 in the traveling direction X), a stripe or a repeated stripe having the minimum width (dimension in the traveling direction X) in the information pattern 102 This is an example in which the portion 102-5 is provided.

  At the time of reading the information pattern 102, the repeated portion 102-5 is read prior to this. As a result, the identification information reading apparatus 1 can read the information pattern 102 using the same after knowing the minimum width of reading, and therefore can read the information pattern 102 accurately. Even when the vehicle 103 travels obliquely with respect to the traveling direction X, the information pattern 102 can be accurately read using the minimum reading width obtained in advance. Note that, as the repeated portion 102-5, a stripe having a reference width instead of the minimum width or a repetition of stripes may be provided.

  FIG. 3D shows an example in which an information pattern 102 having an error collection code (ECC) 102-6 at the end is formed. That is, in this example, the ECC 102-6 is provided behind the information pattern 102 in the traveling direction X. When the information pattern 102 is read, the ECC 102-6 is read after the information pattern 102 is read. As a result, errors in the information pattern 102 can be detected and corrected.

  For example, a change in temperature of the road surface 101 ′ may cause the information pattern 102 to flow and move unevenly, or may crack. In addition, the information pattern 102 may be covered with falling objects, dust, dirt, mud, garbage, or metal (for example, a metal can). Furthermore, since the unevenness of the road surface 101 ′ may not be ignored when compared with the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave used for reading (described later), the electromagnetic wave may be scattered or diffracted. In such a case, variation in reflected power of electromagnetic waves occurs. However, according to this example, the information pattern 102 can be corrected by the ECC 102-6. For example, a parity check code or a Reed-Solomon code may be used as the ECC.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the road information output device, and shows an example of the configuration of the road information output device of the present invention.

  In this example, the road information output device 3 is mounted on a vehicle 103 traveling on a road 101 together with a car navigation system (hereinafter referred to as a car navigation system) 2. The road information output device 3 includes the identification information reading device 1 as its reading means, and uses the output means of the car navigation 2 as its output means.

  In the car navigation system 2, when the GPS receiver 21 receives a radio wave and sends it to the position detection unit 22 as is well known, the position detection unit 22 performs a known process based on this. That is, the position detection unit 22 detects the position (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 103 based on the radio wave received by the GPS receiver 21, searches the map database 23 using the detected position, and searches for the vehicle 103. Find the location on the map. At this time, the position detector 22 corrects the position of the vehicle 103 based on the speed of the vehicle 103 detected by the vehicle speed detector 27. Further, the position detection unit 22 searches the in-vehicle database 24 using the position (latitude and longitude), obtains various information (related information) corresponding to the position, and displays them on the display 25 in a superimposed manner. . For example, the position and information of the position of the vehicle 103 and the surrounding buildings are displayed on the map of the area (region or area) where the vehicle 103 is traveling. Moreover, the position detection part 22 outputs the various information (road information) corresponding to the said position with a sound to the speaker 26 as needed.

  The related information output from the car navigation 2 to the display 25 and the speaker 26 is set in advance so as not to overlap with the road information output from the road information output device 3. That is, the related information is information that does not need to be strictly related to the current position of the vehicle 103. For example, tourist information such as sights and historic sites, advertisements for various stores along the road, general attention information, information received from roadside equipment such as beacons and the like. These are output based on the approximate position detection by the car navigation system 2, which is sufficient. The road information is information that must be strictly related to the current position of the vehicle 103. For example, intersection guidance, traffic jam information, speed regulation, traffic regulation, etc., or dynamically changed road information. These are output on the basis of strict (or actual) position detection and timing by the road information output device 3, otherwise they lose their meaning and are dangerous.

  On the other hand, in the road information output device 3, the identification information reading device 1 reads the information pattern 102 formed on the road surface 101 ′ and sends it to the pattern recognition unit 31. The pattern recognition unit 31 performs a known pattern recognition process on the read information pattern 102, reads the pattern or code (that is, identification information) of the information pattern 102, and sends it to the identification information search unit 32. Further, the pattern recognition unit 31 detects that the vehicle 103 has passed the information pattern 102 and outputs the passage time to the alarm determination unit 34.

  The identification information search unit 32 searches the identification information storage unit 33 using the identification information of the read information pattern 102, and reads road information corresponding to the identification information.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the identification information storage unit 33 is storage means for previously storing identification information (ID) uniquely assigned and road information corresponding to the identification information (ID). The read information pattern 102 is, for example, binary data consisting of “1” or “0” as a result. Thus, one information pattern 102 represents one ID. For example, the identification information storage unit 33 stores road information “pause of the uplink” corresponding to the identification information “ID1”. Corresponding to “ID5”, latitude and longitude information and information on whether or not the road is a priority road at an intersection (in this case, “priority”) may be stored as road information. Actually, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 11, the identification information is uniquely given in a predetermined area, and the identification information storage unit 33 stores road information in the area in advance for each area.

  In addition to the road information shown in FIG. 6, various information can be stored in the identification information storage unit 33 as road information. Static (fixed) road information includes, for example, the presence of a sharp curve, start position and curvature radius, lane information (whether it is a lane for turning right or left or whether it is a priority road at an intersection), school zone, Start and end of traffic regulation and speed regulation in residential areas, such as presence of signals that are easy to overlook, such as ahead of a curve, decrease in lane merge (m away), accurate location information (kilopost or latitude / longitude information), etc. There is. The dynamic (fluctuating) road information includes, for example, the start and end of traffic regulation / speed regulation depending on the regulation speed, weather, etc., date / time, and day of the week with poor visibility.

  The identification information search unit 32 sends the read road information to the warning determination unit 34. Based on this, the warning determination unit 34 outputs road information to the display 25 and the speaker 26. For example, when the identification information is “ID 1”, road information “pause of up line” is displayed on the display 25 and / or output from the speaker 26. As described above, the display 25 and the speaker 26 are output means included in the car navigation system 2. The output means of the road information output device 3 in this example may be considered to include an identification information search unit 32, an identification information storage unit 33, an alarm determination unit 34, an engine control unit / braking unit 35, a display 25, and a speaker 26.

  Further, the alarm determination unit 34 is based on the road information, the speed of the vehicle 103 detected by the vehicle speed detector 27, and the reading time of the pattern information 102 output from the pattern recognition unit 31. Predetermined road information and warning signals are output to the engine control unit / braking unit 35. Thereby, the display 25, the speaker 26, and the engine control unit / braking unit 35 output an alarm. For example, when the identification information is “ID3”, road information “speed regulation” is displayed on the display 25 and / or output as sound from the speaker 26, and then the engine control unit / braking unit 35 Control is performed to reduce the output of an engine (not shown).

  When the vehicle speed of the vehicle 103 is high, it is conceivable that the distance traveled by the vehicle 103 is relatively large in the time taken from the reading of the information pattern 102 to the search and reading of the road information. In such a case, the warning determination unit 34 determines the information based on the difference between the pattern information reading time output from the pattern recognition unit 31 and the current time and the speed of the vehicle 103 detected by the vehicle speed detector 27. The travel distance from the pattern 102 may be obtained, and the road information read by the identification information search unit 32 and the travel distance may be output together.

  FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the identification information reading device 1 and shows an example of the configuration of the identification information reading device 1 that constitutes a part of the road information output device 3 of the present invention.

  In the identification information reader 1, when the timing generator 11 outputs a reference clock at a predetermined cycle, the oscillator 12 forms an output pulse based on this and a branch circuit such as a directional separator (directional coupler) 13 is formed. To a radiator, for example, an antenna (for example, a slot antenna) 14. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, the antenna 14 of the identification information reading apparatus 1 transmits a pulsed electromagnetic wave having a predetermined frequency used for reading to the road 101 (road surface 101 ′ and information pattern on which the information pattern 102 is formed). 102), and repeatedly radiates at the predetermined period.

  In this example, the electromagnetic wave used for reading radiated by the antenna 14 is an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 3 GHz or less (in the GHz band). For example, when the road surface 101 ′ is covered with snow, electromagnetic waves are absorbed by the snow. The degree of absorption greatly depends on the frequency (wavelength) of electromagnetic waves. In general, an electromagnetic wave having a frequency higher than several (3-4) GHz is highly absorbed, and an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 3 GHz or less has a small absorption. At 3 GHz or lower, absorption and attenuation due to moisture and snow decrease as the frequency decreases, which is suitable for reading the information pattern 102. Thereby, even when snow accumulates on the road 101 and the information pattern 102 becomes invisible with the naked eye, the information pattern 102 can be reliably read.

  On the other hand, when the frequency is lowered to 3 GHz or less, the property as the wave of the electromagnetic wave becomes stronger, and it becomes difficult to narrow the emission range of the electromagnetic wave (giving directivity) in order to read the information pattern 102. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the antenna 14 installed downward below the floor of the vehicle 103 is not beam-shaped (not constricted) and has low directivity (has a certain spread angle) An electromagnetic wave (having a spread wavefront) is emitted in a vertical direction toward the road 101.

  Returning to FIG. 5, the antenna 14 receives the electromagnetic wave (reflected wave) reflected from the road 101 by the radiated pulse output, and inputs it to the detector 15 via the directional separator 13. The detector 15 detects the received reflected wave, converts it into a voltage signal, and outputs it. Thereby, the strength of the power P of the reflected wave formed by the information pattern 102 is detected as a voltage value. This detection output of the detector 15 is input to the voltage extraction circuit 17.

  The delay generator 16 forms a delay clock by delaying the reference clock from the timing generator 11 by a predetermined delay time, and inputs the delayed clock to the voltage extraction circuit 17. This delay time is the time for the electromagnetic wave to reciprocate the distance between the antenna 14 of the identification information reader 1 and the road surface 101 ′. Since this distance can be known in advance according to the vehicle 103, the delay time can also be determined in advance. The voltage extraction circuit 17 captures and stores the detection output of the detector 15 at the timing when the delay clock is input, and inputs the stored detection output (reflected wave) to the envelope forming circuit 18. As shown in FIG. 8, the envelope forming circuit 18 reads the shape of the information pattern 102 by obtaining an envelope of the detected reflected wave (amount of power, that is, a voltage signal).

  As described above, since the electromagnetic wave for reading cannot be given directivity by setting the frequency to 3 GHz or less, in this example, by limiting the arrival time of the electromagnetic wave pulse, The amount of reflected electromagnetic waves is detected. When electromagnetic waves are emitted in short pulses, the voltage waveform generated in the detector 15 is as shown in FIG.

  As shown in the upper part of FIG. 8A, a large voltage is temporarily detected due to reflection or leakage of electromagnetic waves in the identification information reader 1 at a certain time after the emission time t0 of the pulse # 1. Then, the reflection from the road 101 reaches the antenna 14. In FIG. 7, a point immediately below the antenna 14 is A, and a point away from the antenna 14 by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction is B. First, the reflected wave at the point A immediately below the antenna 14 reaches the antenna 14 at time t1, and the reflected wave from the point B far from the point A reaches the antenna 14 at time t2 with a further delay. For convenience of explanation, the time from t0 to t1 corresponds to the delay time. The voltage extraction circuit 17 extracts and stores (detects) the voltage (output of the detector 15) at the time of the delay time t1 from the moment of launch t0 until the reflected wave at the point A arrives. When the information pattern 102 at the point A is made of a radio wave reflecting material, the voltage rises and a voltage difference from another point B is detected. When the information pattern 102 at the point A is made of a radio wave absorber, the reverse is true.

  Next, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 8A, the pulse # 2 next to the pulse # 1 is emitted. The pulse # 2 is emitted when a time corresponding to one cycle has elapsed from the emission time of the pulse # 1. During this time, the vehicle 103 is also traveling a certain distance. When the delay time elapses from the emission time t0 of the pulse # 2, the reflected wave at the point A arrives (at the time t1), and then the reflected wave from the point B reaches the time t2. At this time, since the vehicle 103 also travels a certain distance, the information pattern 102 does not exist at the point A immediately below the antenna 14, for example. Therefore, no voltage increase is detected at this point.

  As described above, since the electromagnetic wave scans the information pattern 102 as the vehicle 103 moves, the reflected power P becomes strong (small or large). Therefore, as the vehicle 103 travels, the pulse wave is periodically repeated, and the reflected wave is detected after the time (delay time) that the reflected wave from the point A directly under the antenna 14 reaches the antenna 14 elapses. Then, the voltage value (detection output) of the reflected wave in the delay time is taken in by the voltage extraction circuit 17, and the envelope forming circuit 18 obtains the envelope as shown in FIG. 8B. In the envelope forming circuit 18, the shape of the information pattern 102 can be read as shown in FIG. 8C by binarizing (converting into binary data) the envelope with a predetermined threshold value, for example. it can. The envelope forming circuit 18 may be omitted. In this case, the detection output captured by the voltage extraction circuit 17 may be binarized.

  Thereby, the identification information reader 1 repeatedly emits the electromagnetic wave used for reading in a predetermined cycle toward the road 101, detects a reflected wave after a predetermined delay time from the emission, and detects the detected reflection. The information pattern 102 is read based on the wave. For example, when the road 101 is covered with snow and the wheel runs on the thickness of the snow, the pattern immediately below the detector can be read in the same manner by increasing the delay time in the figure by a time corresponding to the thickness of the snow. .

  As described above, road information based on the information pattern 102 read when the vehicle 103 actually passes is presented to the driver (user). Accordingly, only accurate road information (that is, a road that is scheduled to travel) is output at a necessary (accurate) timing, and road information that is not related to a road that is scheduled to travel is not output.

  In the road information output device 3, the pattern recognition unit 31 corrects the predetermined period according to the traveling speed of the vehicle 103 detected by the vehicle speed detector 27, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. good. That is, the vehicle 103 does not always pass over the information pattern 102 at a constant speed. For example, the vehicle 103 may be braked, stepped on the accelerator, or restarted after stopping on the information pattern 102. Therefore, the pattern recognition unit 31 corrects the time interval for detecting the change in the intensity (electric power amount) of the reflected wave according to the speed of the vehicle 103, and this is corrected by the width of the information pattern 102 (the dimension in the traveling direction X of the vehicle 103). ), The information pattern 102 can be read stably.

  In addition, as described above with reference to FIG. 3C, the information pattern 102 may include (include) the repeated portion 102-5. In this case, the road information output device 3 (the pattern recognition unit 31) sets the minimum width (or reference width) in reading based on the repeated portion 102-5 read prior to the information pattern 102, Pattern recognition of the information pattern 102 is performed.

  In addition, as described above with reference to FIG. 3D, the information pattern 102 may be accompanied (included) with the ECC 102-6. In this case, the road information output device 3 (the pattern recognition unit 31) determines whether or not there is an error in the identification information read from the information pattern 102 using the ECC 102-6.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a specific example of provision of road information according to the present invention, and shows an example of use of the information pattern 102 of the present invention at an intersection.

  In FIG. 9, information patterns 102 of the present invention are installed at four locations. When the vehicle 103 passes through the information pattern 102, the identification information is read. For example, “ID1” represents a base point of “pause of uplink”. This is static road information. For example, “ID2” represents traffic information “1K ahead traffic jam (500 m)”. This is dynamic road information. Therefore, when the traffic congestion is resolved as time passes, “ID2” is set to “empty”, for example, and nothing is output.

  As described above, related information is read from the in-vehicle database 24 and displayed based on the position of the vehicle 103 obtained by the GPS receiver 21. Therefore, in the example of ID1, the distance from the information pattern 102 to the stop line is stored as related information, and the alarm determination unit 34 has passed a predetermined time after the vehicle 103 passes the information pattern 102. If the brake operation is not performed, a warning may be output.

  As described above, static road information or road information relating to dynamically changing traffic regulations and road conditions can be accurately and reliably notified to a traveling vehicle or driver at an appropriate timing. In addition, there is almost no need for dedicated equipment for this purpose, and there is no need to install a large number of various places on the road like signs. Therefore, the scale of the facility can be reduced, and the equipment cost and operation cost can be reduced.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of provision of road information according to the present invention, and shows another example of use of the road information pattern 102 of the present invention at an intersection.

  FIG. 10 also has information patterns 102 (ID5, ID6, ID7, ID8) of the present invention shown in FIG. 6 installed in four places, as in FIG. 9, and vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 approach an intersection where there is no signal. Explains the situation. Because there is a building at the corner of the intersection, the prospects are poor, and there is a risk of a collision at the beginning.

  In such a case, according to the present invention, each vehicle passes through the information pattern 102 (vehicle 1 is an information pattern of ID5, vehicle 2 is an information pattern of ID8), and at the same time, the vehicle is mounted on the basis of the read ID. With reference to the dictionary of the database 24, the exact position (latitude and longitude) of the pattern and the direction of the road recorded in association with the ID can be read out. And if you add information about the speed, passing time, and vehicle model number of the vehicle to the read information, and send and receive information to each other by, for example, inter-vehicle communication, the position information and passing time of each vehicle are accurate. It is possible to estimate the position of the opponent vehicle traveling in a point where the received vehicle cannot be seen and the future route.

  Further, each vehicle refers to the dictionary in the in-vehicle database 24 based on the read ID, and the road on which the vehicle is traveling is given priority or non-priority from the road information recorded in association with the ID. Since the vehicle traveling on the non-priority road (vehicle 2 in the example of FIG. 10) gives priority to the passage of the vehicle 1, the engine and the brake can be controlled to decelerate or stop. it can. Therefore, according to the present invention, safe traffic is realized even at intersections where there is no signal and visibility is poor.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the road information providing system of the present invention, and is a diagram showing a specific example of providing road information according to the present invention.

  The road information providing system of the present invention includes an information pattern 102 formed on a road surface 101 ′, a road information output device 3 provided with an identification information reading device 1 and mounted on a vehicle 103, and further shown in FIG. As described above, road information transmitting means (transmitting station) 4 and receiving means (receiving station) 5 are provided. The road information transmission means 4 is provided on the road side of the road 101 as shown in FIG. The receiving means 5 is mounted on the vehicle 103. In other words, the road information output device 3 is provided.

  The road information transmitting means 4 transmits the dictionary 6 for the area to the vehicle 103 (the road information output device 3) that passes through the area. The dictionary 6 in the area stores in advance a plurality of identification information in the area and road information corresponding thereto. In order to receive this dictionary 6, the road information output device 3 includes receiving means 5. The receiving means 5 receives the dictionary 6 for the area transmitted by the road information transmitting means 4 at a predetermined time interval prior to entering the area. Accordingly, the receiving means 5 receives the road information (that is, the dictionary 6) in the area corresponding to the identification information in advance prior to the entry into the area, and identifies the received identification information and road information. The information is stored in the information storage unit 33. Therefore, it can be considered that the dictionary 6 is equivalent to the identification information storage unit 33 shown in FIG.

  For example, in FIG. 11B, a vehicle 103 (not shown) traveling in the X direction enters from a region 1 (above the dashed line in the drawing) into a region 2 (below the dashed line in the drawing). At this time, prior to this, the dictionary 6 for the area 2 is received from the road information transmitting means (ST1) 4 provided at the boundary between the two (its own area side). On the other hand, the vehicle 103 (not shown) traveling in the X ′ direction receives the dictionary 6 for the area 1 from the road information transmitting means (ST 2) 4 prior to entering the area 1.

  The road information transmitting means 4 rewrites the road information corresponding to the identification information in the dictionary 6 according to various road information at that time. Thereby, the contents (namely, road information) of the dictionary 6 are dynamically changed. Thus, dynamically changing road information is received in advance, and the corresponding road information can be known using the identification information detected from the information pattern 102 as a key. Therefore, the road information (only) related to the currently running road 101 can be dynamically changed and notified to the vehicle 103.

  The dictionary 6 stored in the identification information storage unit 33 does not have to be received by the receiving means 5 in its entirety. For example, road information that does not change, such as the radius of a curve, need not be received by communication each time, and may be recorded in the dictionary 6 in advance as fixed information. In the example of the dictionary 6 shown in FIG. 6, the information associated with the identification information ID <b> 2 includes the fixed information “pause of the down line” and the dynamic information “1K ahead traffic jam (500 m)”. It consists of information. In such a case, the fixed information (downlink temporary stop) is previously stored in the dictionary 6 as information for identifying the region (in the example of FIG. 11B, region 1, region 2, etc.). Information for discriminating between them, and only dynamic information (1K ahead traffic jam (500m)) is distributed, and fixed information recorded in advance and received dynamic information are combined. It can be output as information associated with the identification information ID2.

  From the above, the features of the embodiment of the present invention can be grasped as follows.

(Supplementary note 1) An information pattern formed on a road surface for vehicle travel using a material having an electromagnetic wave absorption rate different from that of the road surface or a material having a different electromagnetic wave reflection rate, and extending in a transverse direction of the road A road for vehicles, comprising an information pattern comprising a shape.

(Supplementary note 2) The vehicle road according to supplementary note 1, wherein the information pattern has a different shape for each lane.

(Additional remark 3) The said information pattern adheres the sheet | seat containing the electromagnetic wave absorbing material or electromagnetic wave reflecting material produced previously to the said road surface, or the liquid material containing an electromagnetic wave absorbing material or an electromagnetic wave reflecting material is used for the said road surface. The vehicular road according to appendix 1, wherein the vehicular road is formed by coating or by embedding a radio wave absorber or a radio wave reflector in the road surface.

(Additional remark 4) The said information pattern contains the plate-shaped metal piece of a several millimeter magnitude | size as an electromagnetic wave reflection material. The road for vehicles of Additional remark 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.

(Appendix 5) A road information output device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road,
Storage means for preliminarily storing road information corresponding to the uniquely assigned identification information;
Reading means for reading, using electromagnetic waves, the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern from the information pattern provided on the road surface for running the vehicle during traveling,
A road information output device comprising: output means for searching the storage means based on the read identification information and outputting road information corresponding to the identification information.

(Appendix 6) The road information output device further includes
Along with the identification information, a receiving means for receiving road information in the corresponding area in advance is provided,
The road information output device according to appendix 5, wherein the received identification information and road information are stored in the storage means.

(Supplementary note 7) The reading unit repeatedly emits the electromagnetic wave used for reading toward the road surface in a predetermined cycle in a predetermined cycle, detects a reflected wave after a predetermined delay time from the emission, and detects the detected reflection The road information output device according to appendix 5, wherein the information pattern is read based on a wave.

(Supplementary note 8) The road information output device according to supplementary note 5, wherein the reading unit emits the electromagnetic wave having a spread wavefront in a vertical direction toward the road surface.

(Supplementary note 9) The road information output device according to supplementary note 5, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic wave used for reading is an electromagnetic wave of 3 GHz or less.

(Additional remark 10) It is the information pattern formed on the road surface for vehicle driving | running | working with the material from which the said road surface differs in an electromagnetic wave absorption factor, or a different electromagnetic wave reflectance, Comprising: The some stripe extended in the cross direction of the said road Information pattern consisting of a shape,
A road information output device mounted on a vehicle traveling on the road,
The road information output device is
Storage means for preliminarily storing road information in the area together with identification information uniquely given in the predetermined area;
Reading means for reading the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern from the information pattern provided on the road surface using electromagnetic waves during traveling,
A road information providing system comprising: an output unit that searches the storage unit based on the read identification information and outputs road information corresponding to the identification information.

(Appendix 11) The road information providing system further includes
A road information transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of the identification information in the area and a dictionary about the area in which the road information corresponding to the identification information is stored in advance;
The road information output device further includes receiving means for receiving a dictionary about the area prior to entering the area,
The road information providing system according to appendix 10, wherein the road information transmitting means dynamically changes the contents of the dictionary by rewriting the road information corresponding to the identification information in the dictionary.

(Supplementary note 12) A road information output method executed by a device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road,
Storing the road information corresponding to the uniquely assigned identification information in advance,
While traveling, reading the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern from the information pattern provided on the road surface for vehicle travel, using electromagnetic waves;
A road information output method comprising: searching the storage unit based on the read identification information and outputting road information corresponding to the identification information.

  As described above, according to the present invention, on the road for a vehicle, only road information related to the position where the vehicle is currently traveling can be accurately notified to a traveling vehicle at an appropriate timing. Accordingly, the road information is provided in a state and timing convenient for the driver (user), and a traffic accident can be prevented in advance.

  Further, according to the present invention, in the road information output device and method, the information pattern that is the basis of the road information can be accurately and stably read only by mounting the road information output apparatus and method on the vehicle, and the road on which the vehicle is currently in progress Only the road information related to the vehicle can be accurately and reliably notified to the traveling vehicle. Accordingly, the road information is provided in a state and timing convenient for the driver (user), and a traffic accident can be prevented in advance. Moreover, road information can be provided only by forming an information pattern on the road surface. Therefore, the equipment cost and the operation cost can be kept extremely low.

  Further, according to the present invention, in the road information providing system, the road information can be changed for each predetermined area, and based on this, the road information is dynamically changed and related to the road in progress. Only the road information to be transmitted can be notified to the vehicle. Accordingly, the road information is provided in a state and timing convenient for the driver (user), and a traffic accident can be prevented in advance. In addition, the equipment cost and operation cost for providing road information corresponding to the identification information in the area can be kept extremely low.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the road for vehicles of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of reflection of the electromagnetic waves by the information pattern of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the other example of a structure of the road for vehicles of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the road information output device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the road information output device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the identification information in this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of discharge | emission of the electromagnetic wave in this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the reading of the information pattern by the electromagnetic wave in this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific example of provision of the road information by this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific example of provision of the road information by this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific example of provision of the road information by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Identification information reader 3 Road information output device 11 Timing generator 12 Oscillator 13 Directional separator 14 Antenna 15 Detector 16 Delay generator 17 Voltage extraction circuit 18 Envelope formation circuit 25 Display 26 Speaker 31 Pattern recognition part 32 Identification information Search unit 33 Identification information storage unit 34 Alarm judgment unit 35 Engine control unit / braking unit 101 Road for vehicle 101 'Road surface 102 Information pattern 103 Vehicle

Claims (5)

An information pattern formed on a road surface for vehicle travel using a material having a different electromagnetic wave absorption rate or a material having a different electromagnetic wave reflectivity from the road surface, and having a stripe-like shape extending in the transverse direction of the road A road for vehicles characterized by comprising a pattern. A road information output device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road,
Storage means for preliminarily storing road information corresponding to the uniquely assigned identification information;
Reading means for reading, using electromagnetic waves, the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern from the information pattern provided on the road surface for running the vehicle during traveling,
A road information output device comprising: output means for searching the storage means based on the read identification information and outputting road information corresponding to the identification information. The reading means repeatedly emits the electromagnetic wave used for reading toward the road surface in a predetermined cycle in a predetermined cycle, detects a reflected wave after a predetermined delay time from the emission, and based on the detected reflected wave The road information output device according to claim 2, wherein the information pattern is read. A road information output method executed by a device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road,
Storing the road information corresponding to the uniquely assigned identification information in advance,
While traveling, reading the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern from the information pattern provided on the road surface for vehicle travel, using electromagnetic waves;
A road information output method comprising: searching the storage unit based on the read identification information and outputting road information corresponding to the identification information. An information pattern formed on a road surface for driving a vehicle by using a material having a different electromagnetic wave absorption rate or a material having a different electromagnetic wave reflectivity from the road surface, and having a plurality of stripe shapes extending in the transverse direction of the road. And the information pattern
A road information output device mounted on a vehicle traveling on the road,
The road information output device is
Storage means for preliminarily storing road information in the area together with identification information uniquely given in the predetermined area;
Reading means for reading the identification information pre-assigned to the information pattern from the information pattern provided on the road surface using electromagnetic waves during traveling,
A road information providing system comprising: an output unit that searches the storage unit based on the read identification information and outputs road information corresponding to the identification information.

Images