JP2008205572A - System for collecting vehicle information, and communication device for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To process enormous vehicle information primarily by a communication device at the side of a collecting vehicle by providing a system for collecting the vehicle information by a moving collecting vehicle, and to process the enormous vehicle information by sending processing results to an information collecting device collectively. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle information collecting system has: a first communication device that is mounted to a first vehicle and has a storage means for storing the vehicle information on the first vehicle and a sending means for sending the vehicle information; a second communication device that is mounted to a second vehicle and receives the vehicle information transmitted by the first communication device; and an information collecting device that is a vehicle information collecting device capable of communicating with the second communication device and stores the vehicle information transmitted from a second transmitting/receiving device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle information collection system that collects vehicle information including numbers and the like, and a communication device for the vehicle information collection system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an information collection system that collects information related to vehicles for speed violation, traffic volume measurement, traffic jam occurrence, and the like. As an example of a conventional vehicle information collection system, an apparatus for transmitting vehicle information such as a number and an ID (referred to as a vehicle-side apparatus) is mounted on the vehicle, and on the road or in order to receive the transmitted vehicle information. A transmission / reception device fixed in the vicinity is provided. The transmission / reception apparatus appropriately transmits the collected vehicle information to an information collection management center provided separately. The information collection management center is a facility that stores, analyzes, and manages vehicle information transmitted from each transmitting / receiving device. In another conventional information collection system, a communication device that transmits vehicle information is mounted on a vehicle, and the communication device transmits vehicle information directly to an information collection management center without going through a transmission / reception device.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional information collection system installed on a road having a median between two opposite lanes. A fixed transmission / reception device 1102 is disposed in the central separation band 1101 at an interval. Each transmission / reception device 1102 is connected to an information collection device (not shown) (for example, a database server) via a communication cable or the like.

  Each vehicle 1104 traveling on the road is equipped with a communication device 1103. Each time the communication device 1103 passes through the communication range 1105 of the transmission / reception device 1102, the communication device 1103 communicates with the transmission / reception device 1102 and transmits the stored vehicle information.

  However, in the case of the above-described conventional information collection system, an area that is an information collection target, for example, the entire city area is covered, and the vehicle information of a plurality of vehicles traveling in the area is detected and collected on the road. The number of transmission devices 1102 becomes enormous, and the cost for installation and maintenance increases.

  In addition, since a plurality of transmission / reception devices 1102 fixed on the road are installed, it will naturally occur that the same vehicle 1103 passes near a plurality of different reception / transmission devices 1102. In such a case, vehicle information related to the same vehicle 1103 is transmitted from a plurality of receiving / transmitting devices 1102 on the road to the information collection management device, and a plurality of overlapping vehicle information is accumulated in the information collection management device. There is also a risk that the processing load on the management device will increase.

  Further, in the case of a conventional information collection system that transmits information directly from the vehicle 1103 to the information collection management device via a general public line, for example, a mobile phone, vehicle information concentrates on the information collection management device simultaneously from a vast number of vehicles. There is a problem that the processing load is large.

  The present invention relates to a vehicle capable of operating on a road, such as a public transportation vehicle, instead of installing a communication device that receives vehicle information on the move and transmits the received information to the information collection management device on the road. (Vehicles) and business vehicles (taxi, truck) and other vehicles (hereinafter referred to as “collection vehicles”), and by providing a system that collects vehicle information using moving collection vehicles, Provided is a system capable of processing a vast amount of vehicle information by primarily processing information with a communication device on a collecting vehicle side and collectively transmitting processing results to the information collecting device.

  As means for solving the above problems, the present invention has the following features.

  A first aspect of the present invention is proposed as a vehicle information collection system.

  The vehicle information collection system is a communication device mounted on a first vehicle, and includes a storage unit that stores vehicle information that is information about the first vehicle, and a transmission unit that transmits the vehicle information. A first communication device and a second communication device mounted on a second vehicle, the second communication device receiving vehicle information transmitted by the first communication device, and the second communication device. It is a possible vehicle information collection device, and includes an information collection device that accumulates vehicle information transmitted from the second transmission / reception device.

  The second aspect of the present invention is proposed as a communication device mounted on a vehicle.

  The communication apparatus includes: a first communication unit that receives vehicle information of another vehicle; a second communication unit that is connected to the communication network and transmits data via the communication network; and the first communication unit receives the communication information. Storage means for storing the vehicle information, photographing means for photographing the number of the other vehicle and outputting the image data of the number, image recognition means for recognizing the number from the image data of the number and outputting the recognized number Determining whether the recognized number and the number included in the vehicle information match, generating a determination result, vehicle information stored in the storage unit, and the determination result output from the determination unit And a control unit that causes the first communication unit to transmit to the communication network.

  According to the present invention, the vehicle information is collected by the communication device on the collecting vehicle side, the duplicated vehicle information is processed, and the processing results are collectively transmitted to the information collecting device to process a vast amount of vehicle information. Can be possible.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The present embodiment is proposed as a vehicle information collection system that collects information on vehicles (including all vehicle types (two-wheeled vehicles) that can travel on a road).

[1. Configuration example of vehicle information collection system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle information collection system 1 includes an individual vehicle side communication device 20 mounted on an individual vehicle 10 corresponding to the first vehicle of the present invention, and a collection corresponding to the second vehicle of the present invention. A collection vehicle-side communication device 40 mounted on the vehicle 30 and an information collection device 50 provided in an appropriate place, facility, such as an operating company, a management company building, a data center, or the like. The individual vehicle side communication device 20 corresponds to the first communication device of the present invention, and the collection vehicle side communication device 40 corresponds to the second communication device of the present invention.

  The vehicle information collection system 1 may further include a viewing information collection device 60.

  In FIG. 1, a MOTAS (automotive registration inspection business electronic information processing system) is connected to the network, and the information collection device 50 transmits / receives data to / from the MOTAS 80 via the network 70 and stores the vehicle information and the MOTAS 80. The information to be processed can be related and processed.

  In this system 1, “individual vehicle” means any vehicle that can be a vehicle information transmission source, and can be an individual vehicle 10, for example, a private vehicle, a business operator, a public transportation vehicle (bus Any vehicle can be the individual vehicle 10 regardless of the type of vehicle or the purpose of use.

  The “collection vehicle” is a vehicle that can receive the vehicle information transmitted from the individual vehicle 10, and is preferably, for example, a bus that patrols a predetermined route, a taxi that appropriately travels an arbitrary route, or the like. Any vehicle can be used as the collection vehicle 30 as long as the collection vehicle side communication device 40 can be mounted.

  Below, the component of a vehicle information collection system is demonstrated.

[1.1. Individual vehicle side communication device]
The individual vehicle side communication device 20 is a device that transmits stored vehicle information to the collection vehicle side communication device 40. The individual vehicle side communication device 20 is an information processing device capable of transmitting data wirelessly with the collection vehicle side communication device 40, and is, for example, an in-vehicle PC having a wireless communication function.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the individual vehicle side communication device 20. The individual vehicle side communication device 20 includes a wireless communication unit 201 connected to the antenna 205, a control unit 202 connected to the wireless communication unit 201, and a memory unit 203 connected to the control unit 202.

  The wireless communication unit 201 converts the data passed from the control unit 202 into a wireless signal by a predetermined modulation method, and transmits it from the antenna 205. In addition, the wireless signal transmitted from the collection vehicle side communication device 40 is received from the antenna, demodulated by a predetermined demodulation method, and the original data is extracted and output to the control unit 201. The wireless communication unit 202 includes, for example, a modulation circuit, a demodulation circuit, an amplification circuit, and the like.

  The control unit 202 reads vehicle information and / or viewing history information stored in a memory unit 203 (to be described later), and passes these information to the wireless communication unit 201 for transmission. The control unit 202 monitors the operating status of the player, generates viewing history information based on the operating status, and stores this in the memory unit 203 as viewing history information. The control unit 202 includes, for example, a CPU, a memory, and the like.

  The memory unit 203 stores the vehicle information and viewing history information described above in a readable manner. The memory unit 203 is composed of, for example, a memory or a hard disk device. The vehicle information is, for example, information including a vehicle number (so-called number), vehicle inspection information, recall information (information indicating that the recall has been handled), and is given a predetermined authority such as a maintenance shop or a land transport station in advance. It is information written by what is written. These vehicle information are desirably protected by encryption or the like so as not to be tampered with.

  The viewing history information indicates when and what content is played by a player 204 (referring to a music and / or video playback device such as a radio, TV, CD player, or DVD player) provided in the vehicle. Information. For example, the viewing history information is a data set in which viewing start date / time, viewing content name (for example, program name, channel name, CD title, etc.) and viewing end date / time are stored.

  When the player 204 reproduces the content, the individual vehicle side communication device 20, more specifically, a control unit, shows information (date and time, content details (for example, channel name, program name, CD title, etc.)) indicating the reproduction status. To 202. In the example of FIG. 2, the player 204 is a separate device from the individual vehicle side communication device 20, but the individual vehicle side communication device 20 and the player 204 may be integrated.

[1.2. Collection vehicle side communication device]
Next, the collection vehicle side communication device 40 will be described.

  The collection vehicle side communication device 40 communicates with each of the individual vehicle side communication devices 20 mounted on the individual vehicle 10 existing within the communication range (whether traveling or stopped), and vehicle information from each of them. And the received vehicle information and / or viewing history information is transmitted to the information collecting device 50 and / or the viewing information collecting device 60 via the communication network. Moreover, the collection vehicle side communication apparatus 40 is provided with the imaging device which image | photographs the number plate of the individual vehicle 10, reads a number from the number plate image output from an imaging device, and the number read with the number contained in vehicle information Are compared to determine whether an unauthorized license plate is attached, and the determination result is transmitted to the information collecting apparatus 50. The collection vehicle side communication device 40 has a function of receiving the viewing history information transmitted from the individual vehicle side communication device 20 and transmitting it to the viewing information collection device 60 via the network 70. The collection vehicle side communication device 40 has a wireless communication function for performing wireless communication with the individual vehicle side communication device 20 and a network connection function for connecting to the information collection device 50 and / or the viewing information management device 60 via the network. Have.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the collection vehicle side communication device 40.

  The collection vehicle side communication device 40 includes a wireless communication unit 302 connected to the antenna 301, a control unit 303 connected to the wireless communication unit 302, a memory unit 304 connected to the control unit 303, a position information generation unit 305, A time information generation unit 306, an image recognition unit 307, an imaging device 308 connected to the image recognition unit 307, and a network communication unit 309 that is connected to the control unit 303 and can be connected to the network 70.

  The wireless communication unit 302 corresponding to the first communication unit of the present invention converts data passed from the control unit 303 into a wireless signal by a predetermined modulation method, and transmits it from the antenna 301. In addition, a radio signal transmitted from the individual vehicle side communication device 20 is received from the antenna, demodulated by a predetermined demodulation method, and the original data is extracted and output to the control unit 303. The wireless communication unit 302 includes, for example, a modulation circuit, a demodulation circuit, an amplification circuit, and the like.

  The control unit 303 corresponding to the control means of the present invention controls the operation of the collection vehicle side communication device 30 as a whole, such as driving of each unit 302, 304 to 309, imaging device 308, and data transfer. Further, the control unit 303 stores the vehicle information and / or viewing history information received from the individual vehicle side communication device 20 in the memory unit 304. The control unit 303 compares the number analyzed from the number plate image based on the shooting data output from the imaging device 308 by the image recognition unit 307 and the number included in the stored vehicle information. Functions as a vehicle number determination unit 310 that generates determination information indicating that the two match, and stores the determination information in the memory unit 304. The vehicle number determination unit 310 corresponds to the determination unit of the present invention. In addition, the control unit 303 stores the viewing history information received from the individual vehicle side communication device 20 in the memory unit 304.

  Further, the control unit 303 establishes a connection with the information collection device 50 and / or the viewing information collection device 60 via the network 70 at an arbitrary timing (for example, at regular intervals, after completion of traveling on a certain route, etc.). The vehicle information stored in the unit 304 is transmitted to the information collecting device 50, and the viewing history information stored in the memory unit 304 is transmitted to the viewing information collecting device 60. The control unit 303 includes, for example, a CPU and a processor having a memory.

  A memory unit 304 corresponding to a storage unit of the present invention stores the vehicle information and viewing history information described above in a readable manner. The memory unit 304 is configured by, for example, a memory or a hard disk device.

  The position information generation unit 305 has a function of outputting position data (latitude and longitude information) that is information indicating the current location of the collection vehicle, and is a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit, for example.

  The position information output from the position information generation unit 305 and the date / time data output from the time information generation unit 306 are stored in association with the received vehicle information and viewing history information, and the vehicle information and audiovisual information acquisition position and acquisition time are stored. It is memorized so that can be understood.

  The time information generation unit 306 has a clocking function and outputs date / time data every moment.

  The imaging device 308 corresponding to the imaging means of the present invention is an image of an individual vehicle 10 located around the collection vehicle 30 on which the collection vehicle side communication device 40 is mounted, in particular, an image of a license plate of the individual vehicle 10. It has a role to output as data. The imaging device 308 outputs the image data to the image recognition unit 307. The imaging device 308 is, for example, a digital camera, a digital video camera, a CCD unit, or the like. A plurality of imaging devices 308 may be attached to the collection vehicle 30. For example, a configuration including a total of four imaging devices 308 in the front, rear, left, and right may be used. The imaging device 308 may be attached to a position as high as possible of the collection vehicle 30 so that the individual vehicle 10 traveling in the opposite lane of the collection vehicle 30 can also be photographed.

  The image recognition unit 307 corresponding to the image recognition means of the present invention extracts a license plate area from the image data output by the image pickup device 308, and further displays the license plate area on the license plate by a character recognition technique. Characters, numbers, etc. are determined and output as character data, numerical data, etc. The image recognition unit 307 includes a CPU, a microprocessor, and the like that analyze image data.

  The network communication unit 309 corresponding to the second communication means of the present invention sends data, commands, messages, etc. output from the control unit 303 to the network 70 and transmits from the network 70 to the collection vehicle side communication device 30. It is a device that has a function of acquiring the received data (communication packet) and passing it to the control unit 303, and executes a predetermined protocol stack, for example. Note that when the connection to the network is performed by wireless communication, the present invention can be realized even if the network communication unit 309 is connected to the network 70 via the wireless communication unit 302.

[1.3. network]
Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the components of the vehicle information collection system 1 will be continued.

  The network 70 is a communication network that connects the collection vehicle side communication device 40 to the information collection device 50, the viewing information collection device 60, and the MOTAS 80. The network 70 enables transmission / reception of information between devices connected to the target device regardless of whether it is wired / wireless, a dedicated line / switched line, or the like. Acts as follows. The network 70 may be realized by combining a plurality of networks via a gateway, such as the Internet. In addition, even if the connection is not directly connected to the so-called backbone, which is called a backbone, even if it is temporarily connected by a PPP connection or the like, information can be transmitted and received during the establishment of a session. I do not mind. The “communication network” includes a communication network that does not use route switching means such as an exchange, a switch, and a router, in which a dedicated line is fixed. 1 includes a wireless station 90 that communicates with the information collection device 50, the network used by the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.

[1.4. Information collection device]
The information collecting device 50 is a device for storing vehicle information received from the collecting vehicle side communication device 40 via the network 70. For example, the information collecting device 50 is an information processing device (PC, workstation, Server). In addition, the information collection device 50 does not have to be a single device, and may be configured by a plurality of information processing devices. For example, the information collection device 50 may be configured by connecting a Web server, an application server, and a database server.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the information collection device 50. The information collection device 50 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a communication control unit 501 connected to the network 70, a main control unit 502 connected to the communication control unit 501, and a vehicle number confirmation result database connected to the main control unit 502. (Hereinafter abbreviated as DB) 503, recall-enabled vehicle DB 504, and road condition information DB 505.

  The communication control unit 501 has a function of transmitting / receiving data to / from other devices via the network 70, and is a processor that executes a protocol stack that is a protocol group such as TCP / IP.

  The main control unit 502 includes, for example, a CPU, a processor having a main memory, and the like. The main control unit 502 controls operations of the units 501, 503 to 505 of the information collection device 50. Further, the main control unit 502 processes the received vehicle information and updates the contents of the vehicle number confirmation result DB 503, the recall-enabled vehicle DB 504, and the road condition information DB 505 in accordance with the received contents. More specifically, the main control unit 502 functions as a vehicle number processing unit 506, a recall data processing unit 507, a road condition processing unit 508, and a memory unit 509.

  The vehicle number processing unit 506 and the recall data processing unit 507 reflect the vehicle information in the vehicle number confirmation result DB 503 and the recall compatible vehicle DB 504.

  The road condition processing unit 508 reflects the analysis result based on the position information and date / time data included in the vehicle information in the road condition information DB 508.

  The vehicle number confirmation result DB 503 is a database that stores the vehicle number of the individual vehicle 10, the date and time when the vehicle information is received, the location, and the number plate number coincidence / mismatch. The recall-enabled vehicle DB 504 is a database that stores the vehicle number of an individual vehicle 10, the presence / absence of a recall for the individual vehicle 10, and the presence / absence of a recall response.

  The road condition information DB 505 is a database that stores road conditions (number of traveling vehicles, speed, etc.) in a position or area.

  The data stored in each of the DBs 503 to 505 are collected by the vehicle number processing unit 506 and the recall data processing unit 506 and registered in the MOTAS 80 through a MOTAS interface (not shown). The MOTAS interface is an interface that connects the MOTAS 80 and the information collection device 50 via the network 70.

  The memory unit 509 has a function of temporarily storing and storing vehicle information sent from each collecting vehicle side communication device 40 via the network 70 and the communication control unit 501. The vehicle number processing unit 506, the recall data processing unit 507, and the road condition processing unit 508 update each DB 503 to 505 based on the vehicle information, position information, and time information temporarily stored in the memory unit 509.

[1.5. Viewing Information Processing Device]
Next, the viewing information collecting device 60 will be described. The viewing information collecting device 60 has a function of receiving viewing history information transmitted from each collecting vehicle side communication device 40 via the network 70 and updating the viewing information database based on the viewing history information. In other words, what kind of program or content is being viewed is stored in the viewing information database according to attributes such as vehicle type, viewer profile, time, place, time, etc., and is known later using this viewing information database. The data mining technique can be used for effective advertisement placement and program organization according to the target. The viewing information collecting device 60 is a device that collects viewing history information received from the collecting vehicle side communication device 40 via a network. For example, the viewing information collecting device 60 is an information processing device (PC, workstation) configured by a CPU, a memory, and the like. Etc.). Note that the viewing information collecting device 60 does not have to be a single device, and may be configured by a plurality of information processing devices. For example, the viewing information collection device 60 may be configured by connecting a Web server, an application server, and a database server.

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the viewing information collection device 60.

  The viewing information collecting device 60 is a device that collects viewing history information received from the collecting vehicle side communication device 40 via the network 70. The viewing information collecting apparatus 60 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes a communication control unit 501 connected to the network 70, a main control unit 502 connected to the communication control unit 501, and a viewing information DB 503 connected to the main control unit 502. have.

  The communication control unit 501 has a function of transmitting / receiving data to / from other devices via the network 70, and is a processor that executes a protocol stack that is a protocol group such as TCP / IP.

  The main control unit 502 includes, for example, a CPU, a processor having a main memory, and the like. The main control unit 502 controls the operation of each unit of the viewing information collecting device 60. The main control unit 502 processes the received vehicle information and viewing history information, and updates the content of the viewing information DB 503 according to the received content. More specifically, the main control unit 502 functions as a vehicle number processing unit 504, a viewing information processing unit 505, and a memory unit 506.

  Based on the vehicle information, the vehicle information processing unit 504 inquires the MOTAS 80 about the vehicle type and manufacturer of the vehicle, and associates various types of information returned from the MOTAS 80 with the viewing history information.

  The viewing information processing unit 505 reflects various contents and viewing history information transmitted from the MOTAS 80 to reflect the contents of the viewing information DB 503 and updates the stored contents of the viewing information DB 503. For example, information indicating what program or content is being viewed for each manufacturer or vehicle type is stored in a database.

  The memory unit 506 has a function of temporarily storing and storing vehicle information and viewing history information sent from each collecting vehicle side communication device 40 via the network 70 and the communication control unit 501.

  The viewing information DB 503 is a database that stores information related to a vehicle (may include information related to the vehicle owner) and viewing history information about the vehicle in association with each other.

[2. Example of operation of vehicle information collection system]
Next, an operation example of the vehicle information collection system 1 will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an operation example of the vehicle information collection system 1.

  In the example shown in FIG. 6, the collection vehicle side communication device 40 transmits a message (referred to as a transmission request message) requesting transmission of vehicle information and the like to the individual vehicle side communication device 20 (S501). This message transmission may be repeated at a predetermined interval (for example, every 0.1 msec). The communication procedure for connecting and communicating between the collection vehicle side communication device 40 and the individual vehicle side communication device 20 is not necessarily limited to this example, and the present invention can be established by any other communication procedure. . For example, the individual vehicle side communication device 20 periodically transmits a connection request message to the collection vehicle side communication device, and the collection side communication device 40 that has received this connection request message sends the connection permission message to the individual vehicle side communication device. The present invention can also be realized by using a communication procedure in which the connection between the two apparatuses is established.

  Now, the individual vehicle side communication device 20 mounted on the individual vehicle 10 that has newly entered the communication range of the collection vehicle side communication device 40 receives this transmission request message (see S601). FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the positional relationship between the individual vehicle 10 traveling on the road and the collection vehicle 30. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the collection vehicle 30 equipped with the collection vehicle side communication device 40 is traveling from the right to the left in the drawing. In FIG. 7, the individual vehicles 10 are referred to as individual vehicles A to G in order to distinguish them from each other.

  In the lane in which the collection vehicle 30 travels, the individual vehicle A is traveling in front of the collection vehicle 30, and the individual vehicles B and C are traveling in the rear of the collection vehicle 30. There is an opposite lane with the central separator 701 in between the lane in which the collection vehicle 30 travels, and the individual vehicles D, E, F, G are traveling from the left to the right in the drawing.

  In FIG. 7, the communication range 700 of the collection vehicle side communication apparatus 40 was shown with the dotted circle. The communication range 700 is a range in which a radio signal from the other party can be received with sufficient strength for reception between the collection vehicle side communication device 40 and the individual vehicle side communication device 20. When the individual vehicle side communication device 20 enters the communication range 700, communication between the collection vehicle side communication device 40 and the individual vehicle side communication device 20 is established, and vehicle information and viewing / listening are received from the individual vehicle side communication device 20. The history information is sent to the collection vehicle side communication device 40.

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, the individual vehicles G, F, and E have already passed the collection vehicle 30 in this order, and entry into the communication range 700 has been established. Transmission to 40 has been completed. Currently, the individual vehicle D enters the communication range 700 of the collection vehicle side communication device 40, and the individual vehicle side communication device 20 of the individual vehicle D collects vehicle information and viewing history information. Sending to.

  In addition, an imaging device 308 is attached in front of the collection vehicle 30, and the individual vehicle G, F, E that travels toward the collection vehicle 30 in the rear number plate of the individual vehicle A traveling in front and the opposite lane. , D can be photographed at the front license plate.

  Therefore, for the individual vehicle 10 (individual vehicles G, F, E, and D in the figure) traveling in the opposite lane of the collection vehicle 30, the number plate is photographed by the imaging device 308 along with the reception of the vehicle information and the viewing history information. Is possible.

  On the other hand, for the individual vehicle 10 that travels in the same direction as the collection vehicle 30, vehicle information and viewing history information cannot be received from all the individual vehicles. For example, in the illustrated example, the vehicle travels immediately before the collection vehicle 30. Although vehicle information and viewing history information can be received from the individual vehicle A, since the individual vehicles B and C traveling behind the collection vehicle 30 do not enter the communication range 700, vehicle information and viewing history information are received. I will not. However, when the collection vehicle 30 is overtaking while traveling or stopped, the vehicle information and viewing history information can also be received for the individual vehicles B and C. Note that the license plate can also be photographed by the imaging device 308 with respect to the individual vehicle A traveling forward, and the rear license plate can be photographed and the individual vehicle B traveling behind the collection vehicle 30. It is possible to photograph these rear license plates as C overtakes the collection vehicle 30.

  As described above, the individual vehicle 10 traveling in the opposite lane of the collection vehicle 30 can generally collect vehicle information and viewing history information, but collection of vehicle information and viewing history information from individual vehicles traveling in the same direction is limited. It becomes the individual vehicle 10. In order to compensate for this point, a method of using the collection vehicle 30 in one lane and a vehicle traveling in the opposite lane at the same time can be considered.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the collection vehicle 30. In the collection vehicle 30 shown in FIG. 7, the collection vehicle side communication device 40 and the imaging device 308 are provided one by one in front of the collection vehicle 30, but one collection vehicle side communication device 40 is provided before and after the collection vehicle 30. And the imaging device 308 may be mounted. In addition, “N” in the figure means a license plate, which is attached one by one before and after each vehicle.

  According to this modification, the vehicle information received from the individual vehicle A located in front of the collection vehicle 30 is compared with the number information obtained from the image data captured by the front imaging device 308 to determine whether the numbers match. The number information obtained from the vehicle information received from the individual vehicle B located behind the collection vehicle 30 and the number data obtained from the image data captured by the rear imaging device can be compared to determine whether the numbers match.

  Returning to FIG. 6, the description of the operation example of this system will be continued.

  In response to the transmission request message (S601), the individual vehicle side communication device 20 uses the vehicle information and viewing history information stored in the memory unit 203 as radio signals by the wireless communication unit 201 to the collecting vehicle side communication device 40. Transmitting to the destination (S602).

  The collection vehicle side communication device 40 that has received the vehicle information and the viewing history information from the individual vehicle side communication device 20 stores the information in the memory unit 304. At this time, the control unit 303 stores the position information and date / time information output from the position information generation unit 305 and the time information generation unit 306 in the memory unit 304 in association with the vehicle information and the viewing history information.

  Next, the collection vehicle side communication device 40, more specifically, the control unit 303 drives the imaging device 308 to photograph the surroundings of the collection vehicle 30 (S603), and generates image data of the individual vehicles 10 positioned around the collection vehicle 30. (S604). The imaging device 308 outputs image data generated by shooting to the image recognition unit 307. The image recognizing unit 307 extracts a license plate portion from the image data, character-recognizes the image data of the license plate portion, and obtains number information (for example, a character / numeric string such as “Shinagawa is 555 123 ×”). ) Is generated. At this time, when license plates of a plurality of individual vehicles are photographed by the imaging device 308, a plurality of number information is output.

  The collection vehicle side communication device 40 uses the control unit 303, more specifically, the vehicle number determination unit 310, to obtain the number information output from the image recognition unit 307 and the number included in the vehicle information stored in the memory unit 304. The comparison is made (S605). When the number information matches the number, the vehicle number determination unit 310 adds information indicating that the number is correct to the vehicle information.

  Next, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the collection vehicle side communication device 40, more specifically, the control unit 303 generates report data based on the vehicle information and viewing history information stored in the memory unit 304. When reporting data was created, duplicated vehicle information and viewing history information (occurred when the collected vehicle encounters the same individual vehicle multiple times, etc.) was organized and consisted of non-overlapping vehicle information and viewing history information Report data is created (S606).

  If the “predetermined condition” is to realize data transmission that avoids an unnecessary increase in communication traffic and an increase in processing load on the information collection device 50 and the viewing information collection device 60 due to an increase in communication frequency, It can be anything. For example, when a certain point (starting point, ending point) is reached every certain time (one hour) is considered as an example of the predetermined condition, the present invention is not limited to other conditions. To establish.

  Next, the collection vehicle side communication device 40 transmits the report data to the information collection device 50 via the network 70 (S607). In addition, the collection vehicle side communication device 40 transmits the report data to the viewing information collection device 60 via the network (S609).

  The information collection device 50 that has received the report data processes the report data by the vehicle number processing unit 506, the recall data processing unit 507, and the road condition processing unit 58, and according to the processing result, the vehicle number confirmation result DB 503, the recall The contents of the corresponding vehicle DB 504 and the road condition information DB 505 are updated (S608).

  Similarly, the viewing information collecting device 60 that has received the report data processes the report data in the main control unit 50 and updates the content of the viewing information DB according to the processing result (S610).

[3. Comparison between conventional system and system according to this embodiment]
Next, a comparison is made between a conventional system using a fixed transmission / reception device 1102 and this system in which a communication device is mounted on a collection vehicle and circulated.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for examining a case in which vehicle information is collected from individual vehicles in a rectangular area (referred to as a collection area) in which vertical and horizontal roads are arranged in a grid pattern.

  In the example shown in FIG. 9, an outer road 901 is arranged on the outer periphery of the collection area 900 where the roads pass in a matrix. In this collection area 900, two collection vehicles 30 are operated. One of the two collection vehicles 30 starts from the starting point S which is the upper right corner, goes around the outer road clockwise and returns to the starting point S again. The other collecting vehicle 30 also starts from the starting point S, goes around the outer road 901 counterclockwise, and returns to the starting point S again. These two collection vehicles go around the outer road 901 repeatedly.

  In the collection area 900, roads (called internal roads) are arranged in a lattice pattern, and a plurality of individual vehicles (not shown in FIG. 9) freely move on the outer road 901 and the internal roads.

  On the other hand, it is assumed that the fixed transmission / reception device 1102 of the conventional information collection system is installed at points A, B, C, and D.

  In the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment, since the collection vehicle 30 circulates around the outer road 901, as long as the individual vehicle 10 moving in the collection area 900 travels a part of the outer road 901, the individual vehicle 10 The vehicle information of the vehicle 10 is successfully collected. On the other hand, in the conventional system using the fixed transmission / reception device 1102, the vehicle information of the individual vehicle 10 is not successfully collected unless it passes through the points A, B, C, and D among the individual vehicles.

  FIG. 10 shows that the route buses in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in FIG. 9 operate as the collection vehicle 30 and run from 6:00 to 22:00, and during other times, the exclusive vehicle (such as a forwarding bus) runs as the collection vehicle 30. It is a graph of the data at the time of making it. In FIG. 10, when the time is taken on the horizontal axis and the number of vehicle information collected at that time on the vertical axis, that is, the number of individual vehicles that have been successfully collected, the result is as shown in FIG. . According to the data shown in FIG. 10, it is considered that the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment can collect vehicle information from a sufficient number of individual vehicles 10.

[4. Advantages of this system]
In the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present invention, since the collection-side communication device 40 is mounted on the collection vehicle 30 such as a public transport vehicle (such as a bus) or a dedicated vehicle, the conventional transmission / reception device 1102 is arranged on the road. The same effect can be achieved with a low-cost infrastructure with a smaller number of devices than the system. For example, in order to obtain vehicle information of a plurality of individual vehicles 10, it is necessary to install the transmission / reception device 1102 on a road through which the individual vehicles 10 pass. If the transmission / reception devices 1002 are installed at four points A to D in the collection area 900 shown in FIG. 9, vehicle information cannot be collected from the individual vehicle 10 that passes through a road other than the points A to D. Further, when the same individual vehicle 10 passes in the vicinity of the plurality of transmission / reception devices 1102 (for example, when a certain individual vehicle 10 circulates the outer road 901), the vehicle information of the plurality of the same individual vehicles 10 is received and received by four. The data is collected by the transmission device 1102 and transmitted to the vehicle information collection device. Since a plurality of similar processes are performed, the load on the information collecting apparatus increases.

  However, when the collection vehicle side communication device 40 is mounted on the collection vehicle 30 as in the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present invention, the outer road 901 including the points A to D is placed on the right as shown in FIG. If both collection vehicles are operated at intervals of 15 minutes in the time zone from 6 am to 10 pm around and to the left, both collection vehicles, that is, two collection vehicle side communication devices Forty, a collection effect almost equal to or higher than that of the four receiving / transmitting apparatuses 1102 can be obtained. That is, if the number of individual vehicles 10 that can receive vehicle information at each time is plotted as shown in FIG. 10 and is operating in 15 minutes per side and 1 hour per lap, the reception of each point A to D is possible. A simulation result was obtained that the number of vehicle information that can be collected by the transmission device is not too similar to a few percent of the number of collections when the collection vehicle 30 is used.

  In addition, during a time period when the bus that is the collection vehicle 30 does not operate, information can be collected by running a dedicated vehicle. The collection vehicle 30 is caused to collect vehicle information on a road where the roadside transmission / reception devices A to D are not installed by changing the day of the week or the time zone, that is, a road arranged in a grid pattern in the collection area 900. It may be.

  Furthermore, the fixed receiving / transmitting device 1102 used by the conventional system is likely to pass the same individual vehicle 10 many times in the vicinity of the same receiving / transmitting device 1102 or different receiving / transmitting device 1102. Concentrate on the collection device and use time for wasteful processing. When the collection vehicle 30 is a bus, there are few opportunities for the same individual vehicle 10 to encounter the same bus many times.

  In addition, the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present invention can also grasp road congestion information based on time and place information when the collection vehicle 30 receives vehicle information from the individual vehicle 10.

Further, when a fixed transmission / reception device 1102 is used as in the conventional system, the number plate number of the individual vehicle 10 and the vehicle number of the vehicle verification are sent to the information collection device, and the plate number is sent on the information collection device side. In the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present invention, the collection vehicle side communication device 40 mounted on the bus (collection vehicle 30) is a part of the vehicle information stored in the memory unit 304. Is compared with the license plate number detected by the image recognition by the imaging device 308 and the image recognition unit 307, so that the detection process is accelerated.
Regarding the processing capability of the information collection device, when the conventional fixed-type transmission / reception device 10002 is used, the load is likely to increase because the same vehicle information is likely to be sent from a plurality of fixed-type reception / transmission devices 1102. On the other hand, in the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present invention, when the collection vehicle side communication device 40 is mounted on the collection vehicle 30, the collection vehicle side communication device 40 processes the same vehicle information. The load on the 50 side is low.

  Next, the effect of collecting viewing history information by the vehicle information collecting system 1 according to the present invention will be described. At the present time, it is impossible to grasp the radio or TV program being viewed on the moving individual vehicle 10. However, according to the vehicle information collecting system 1 according to the present invention, viewing history information can be obtained from the moving individual vehicle 10 and can be acquired by combining viewing history information and vehicle information. It is possible to grasp what kind of program is being viewed in what kind of car. From the viewpoint of audience rating, the audience rating of the moving individual vehicle 10 can be accurately grasped.

  Furthermore, regarding the road situation indicating the vehicle traffic situation, according to the vehicle information collection system 1 according to the present invention, the vehicle type and type, travel location and time zone of the individual vehicle 10 are collected in the road situation information DB 505. It is possible to grasp the traffic volume and the degree of congestion on each road.

The figure which shows schematic structure of the vehicle information collection system concerning this invention Functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the individual vehicle side communication device Block diagram showing a configuration example of the collection vehicle side communication device Functional block diagram showing a configuration example of an information collection device Functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the viewing information collecting apparatus Sequence diagram showing an operation example of the vehicle information collection system The figure which shows the example of the positional relationship of the individual vehicle which drive | works on a road, and a collection vehicle The figure which shows the modification of a collection vehicle Figure for considering the case of collecting vehicle information from individual vehicles The figure which shows the collection result at the time of making a collection vehicle drive in the example of FIG. The figure which shows the example of the conventional information collection system

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Individual vehicle 20 ... Individual vehicle side communication apparatus 30 ... Collection vehicle 40 ... Collection vehicle side communication apparatus 50 ... Information collection apparatus 60 ... Viewing information collection apparatus 70 ... Network 80 ... MOTAS

Claims (4)

A communication device mounted on a first vehicle, the first communication device having storage means for storing vehicle information that is information relating to the first vehicle, and transmission means for transmitting the vehicle information;
A second communication device mounted on a second vehicle, the second communication device receiving vehicle information transmitted by the first communication device;
A vehicle information collection system comprising: a vehicle information collection device capable of communicating with the second communication device, the information collection device storing vehicle information transmitted from the second transmission / reception device. The second communication device is:
Photographing means for photographing the number of the first vehicle and outputting image data of the number;
Image recognition means for recognizing the number from the image data of the number and outputting the recognized number;
A determination unit that determines whether the recognized number matches a number included in the vehicle information received from the first communication device, and generates a determination result;
The vehicle information collection system according to claim 1, further comprising: The vehicle information collection system further includes a viewing information collection device capable of communicating with the second communication device,
The first communication device acquires viewing history information indicating a viewing state of content by the viewing device mounted on the first vehicle, transmits the viewing history information to the second communication device, and The communication device 2 transmits viewing history information to the viewing information collecting device.
The vehicle information collection system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information collection system is a vehicle information collection system. A communication device mounted on a vehicle,
First communication means for receiving vehicle information of another vehicle;
A second communication means for connecting to the communication network and transmitting data via the communication network;
Storage means for storing vehicle information received by the first communication means;
Photographing means for photographing the number of another vehicle and outputting the image data of the number;
Image recognition means for recognizing the number from the image data of the number and outputting the recognized number;
A determination means for determining whether or not the recognized number and the number included in the vehicle information match, and generating a determination result;
Control means for causing the first communication means to transmit the vehicle information stored in the storage means and the determination result output from the determination means to the communication network;
A communication apparatus comprising:

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