JP2009110153A - Traffic information providing system, and traffic information providing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To issue a warning to only a vehicle changing its course to make a right turn, out of a plurality of vehicles advancing into an intersection. <P>SOLUTION: An intersection system is provided with a radio wave emission source detector 2 for detecting a radio wave emission source by receiving a radio wave from ITS on-vehicle devices 3a, 3b in the vicinity of the intersection, an imaging unit 18 installed in the vicinity of the intersection to pick up an image including the vehicles A, B advancing into an intersection, and a DSRC road side radio device 1 for collating the image picked up by the imaging unit 18, with positions of the ITS on-vehicle devices 3a, 3b detected by the radio wave emission source detector 2, and map data of the intersection stored in a memory 14, to specify the vehicle A changing the advancing road within the intersection, and for notifying an approach of a rectilinearly advancing vehicle C to the ITS on-vehicle device 3a of the vehicle A, by DSRC radio communication, when reaching to the area P1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a traffic information providing system and a traffic information providing method for providing traffic information on a road having an intersection or a curve, for example.

  As a system for providing information on a person walking on a road or a traveling vehicle, for example, a system using an optical beacon or DSRC on the road has already been realized.

  In this type of system, when a person traveling with a vehicle traveling on the road is relatively close, the presence of the two-wheeled vehicle traveling on the road and the vehicle is detected by a camera installed on the road, and image processing is performed. It is possible to notify a pedestrian or driver of the presence.

  Car navigation that issues dangerous location data to the road information provider using the Internet, obtains the relevant dangerous location data, and issues an alarm when the vehicle is detected approaching the dangerous location There is also a device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Currently, the above system is further advanced, and it is under consideration to prevent accidents by detecting vehicles traveling straight at intersections, people turning right, bicycles, etc., and providing information to vehicles and people. It is.

This technology is different from the conventional one-way flow of information (providing traffic jam information and forward obstacle information on a highway), and the distance between the vehicle and the target object is a few tens of meters or less. It captures the most recent event and notifies the vehicle in real time. Especially when the object is a person or a bicycle, it is necessary to measure a distance of several meters and provide information on the behavior to the vehicle.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-116034

  When using an optical beacon, which is a conventional technology, a target object detected by a camera from a vehicle directly under the optical beacon by communicating with the vehicle-mounted device that exists directly under the optical beacon because of high directivity. It is relatively easy to measure the distance to the vehicle, but in order to detect the behavior of the vehicle in the intersection, an optical beacon must be installed near the center of the intersection. Will become a big deal.

  In addition, a method of aiming an optical beacon from the end of the intersection toward the center is also conceivable. However, because of high directivity, there may be a situation in which communication cannot be performed even if the vehicle is slightly changed in direction.

On the other hand, in the case of DSRC, since radio waves are used, a communication area can be formed from the end of the intersection to the vicinity of the center of the intersection, so that communication is possible even with a slight misalignment.
However, it is impossible to detect where the target object is in the communication range, and when there are multiple vehicles in the intersection, it is possible to identify which vehicle is the target of information provision. There wasn't.

  In addition, it is conceivable to use a camera to identify a vehicle waiting for a right turn and measure the distance to the target object. In this case, the DSRC and the vehicle photographed by the camera while multiple vehicles are passing at the intersection It is not known whether the vehicle (on-board equipment) that communicates with is the same vehicle.

  Furthermore, when using a camera or radar mounted on the vehicle, although it is possible to detect the front-rear direction of the vehicle, it is difficult to detect the object at the right turn at the intersection from the position of the camera mounted, Even if an object at the right turn can be detected, it is difficult to measure the distance to the pedestrian crossing at the right turn because the vehicle going straight on the opposite lane is in the way.

  Since the absolute position of the vehicle can be measured by using GPS, if the absolute position of a person or bicycle is measured using a camera or the like, and the absolute position is notified to the vehicle, the vehicle's GPS on-board device or GPS function Can calculate the relative distance between the target object and the vehicle.

  However, even in this case, for example, if the vehicle enters behind a building, the GPS on-board unit and navigation device cannot catch the radio waves from the GPS satellite, so the absolute position measurement accuracy is extremely high. Since the error decreases and the error becomes large at a distance of about several meters, there is a case where an alarm for attention and warning cannot be issued.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a traffic information providing system capable of calling attention only to a vehicle that turns in a direction with poor visibility among a plurality of vehicles that have entered an intersection. The purpose is to provide a traffic information provision method.

  In order to solve the above problems, a traffic information providing system according to the present invention is a traffic information providing system that provides information to a vehicle that enters an intersection. The traffic information providing system receives radio waves of narrow area communication from the intersection or the vicinity thereof, and A radio wave emission source detection device for detecting the position of at least one radio wave emission source existing in a receivable range, an imaging unit installed around the intersection and imaging an image near the intersection, and the radio emission source The position of at least one radio wave emission source detected by the detection device, the image of the vicinity of the intersection imaged by the imaging unit, and the map data in the intersection stored in advance are collated and captured by the imaging unit. A vehicle identification unit that identifies the image of the vehicle emitting radio waves in the image near the intersection or the position thereof, and the vehicle identification unit Attention information notification that tracks the image of the vehicle or its position, and notifies the vehicle that has reached a predetermined position by changing the course in the intersection via wireless communication It comprises the part.

  The traffic information providing method of the present invention is a traffic information providing method for providing information to a vehicle entering an intersection, wherein the radio wave emission source detecting device receives a radio wave of narrow communication from the intersection or the vicinity thereof, and the radio wave A step of detecting a position of at least one radio wave emission source existing in a receivable range; a step of imaging an image near the intersection by an imaging unit installed around the intersection; and the radio wave emission source detection device The vehicle position specifying unit collates the position of at least one radio wave emission source detected by the above, the image near the intersection imaged by the imaging unit, and the map data in the intersection stored in advance, and the imaging unit Identifying the image of the vehicle emitting radio waves in the image near the intersection imaged by or the position thereof, and the vehicle identifying unit Tracks the video of the specified vehicle or its position, and wirelessly communicates information for the caution information notification unit to call attention to the direction of travel for vehicles that have changed their course within the intersection and have reached a predetermined position The step of notifying by is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, attention can be alerted only to the vehicle which turns in the direction where a line of sight is bad among the several vehicles which approached the crossroad.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of an intersection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration of the intersection system of FIG.

(Embodiment)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this intersection system is a system in which a first road T and a second road S are arranged at an intersection, and provides information in real time to a vehicle that has entered the intersection. It is. That is, this system is one of traffic information providing systems that provides information to roads with poor visibility such as curves or vehicles entering intersections.

  The first road T is provided with two travel paths, a travel path T1 as a first travel path and a travel path T2 as a second travel path where vehicles can travel in different directions. The traveling road T1 and the traveling road T2 are divided by a lane (center line) provided in the center. One traveling road T1 is provided with a right turn lane T1a and a straight lane T1b adjacent to each other in the vicinity of the intersection.

  The intersection system includes a dedicated short range communication roadside wireless device 1 (hereinafter referred to as “DSRC roadside wireless device 1”) installed near the intersection, and a radio wave emission source detection device 2 installed near the intersection. And a roadside device group in which an optical beacon 17 serving as a vehicle detection device is connected by a communication cable, and a DSRC roadside radio device mounted on a vehicle when vehicles A, B, and C enter an intersection and enter a radio communication area. 1 has an on-board device 3a, 3b (hereinafter referred to as "ITS on-vehicle device 3a, 3b").

  The optical beacon 17 is provided in the vicinity of the intersection of the traveling road T2 whose traveling direction is opposite to that of the traveling road T1. The optical beacon 17 is an optical vehicle detector installed on the road, and performs two-way infrared communication with the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b mounted on the vehicle when the vehicle passes the vicinity of the optical beacon installation position. Do. The optical beacon 17 detects the vehicle C that travels on the traveling road T2 and enters the intersection. The number of optical beacons 17 is not limited to one, and a plurality of optical beacons 17 may be provided at predetermined intervals along the traveling path T2. The optical beacon 17 functions as a target recognition device that recognizes a target that appears and disappears on the second road S to which the vehicle A makes a right turn at an intersection.

  The camera 18 is installed in the vicinity of the intersection or in the vicinity thereof (in this example, the vicinity of the intersection such as the roadside band of the intersection where the second road S and the traveling road T2 intersect). For example, the camera 18 is installed with a lens facing in a direction including at least an intersection and capturing an image of the traveling road T1. In the imaging area of the camera 18, the front portions of the vehicles A and B that travel at least in the direction of the arrow S1 and enter the intersection are displayed. The camera 18 is an imaging unit that captures video around an intersection (analog video data (image data) or a digital image of about several tens of frames per second).

  The ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b are vehicle-mounted devices used in, for example, an ETC (automatic toll collection: Electronic Toll Collection) system on a toll road. In the ETC system, 5.8 GHz active two-way communication DSRC is used, and the ITS in-vehicle devices 3a and 3b always transmit radio waves (DSRC radio polling signals). The ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3 a and 3 b have a function of returning a response in response to an infrared signal from the optical beacon 17.

  The DSRC roadside apparatus 1 includes a communication unit 12, a CPU 13, a memory 14, an image processing unit 15, and the like.

  The DSRC antenna 11 transmits DSRC (narrow band communication) radio waves at or near an intersection to form the radio wave range, that is, the DSRC radio area P. The communication unit 12 communicates with the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3 a and 3 b that have entered the DSRC wireless area P formed by the DSRC antenna 11.

  The memory 14 includes a first road data (two-dimensional coordinate data) of a wide range (DSRC radio area P) including the intersection and the vicinity thereof, and a part of a specific warning / warning area (right turn lane) in the range. Information on the second road data (coordinate data of the right turn vehicle specific range) designating the area P1) and the installation position (vehicle detection position) of the optical beacon 17 is recorded.

  The memory 14 functions as a work area (storage area for calculation) of the CPU 13. For example, it is used for processing for specifying a radio wave emission source (in this case, the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a, 3b, etc.) present in the right turn lane.

CPU13 acquires OBE ID which is the onboard equipment specific information of each ITS onboard equipment 3a, 3b obtained by communication part 12 communicating with ITS onboard equipment 3a, 3b.
The image processing unit 15 converts an analog moving image video signal captured by the camera 18 into digital moving image data. The moving image data is composed of, for example, image data obtained about 30 sheets per second.

  The image processing unit 15 specifies each vehicle image in the video or the position of the vehicle in the video from the moving image data (image data) obtained from the camera 18, the position coordinates for each vehicle-mounted device ID, and the map information in the memory 14. Then, the vehicle image or the vehicle position is marked, and the image of the moving vehicle or the vehicle position is tracked by the change of the image (image).

  When the image of the vehicle or the position of the vehicle reaches the position of the area P1 preset in the memory 14, the image processing unit 15 notifies the CPU 13 to that effect. Upon receiving the notification from the image processing unit 15, the CPU 13 notifies the corresponding ITS vehicle-mounted device (the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3 a in this example) by wireless communication of information that calls attention to the straight vehicle C.

  That is, the CPU 13 and the image processing unit 15 determine the position of the radio wave emission source detected by the radio wave emission source detection device 2, the moving image data from the camera 18, and road data (right turn lane range data) stored in the memory 14 in advance. From the radio wave emission sources (ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a, 3b) that entered the intersection, the vehicle in the image is identified, the movement of the vehicle is tracked, and when the vehicle reaches the predetermined position on the right turn lane T1a, the corresponding ITS It functions as a means for notifying the vehicle-mounted device (in this example, the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a) to call attention.

  The CPU 13 and the image processing unit 15 are arranged such that the position of at least one radio wave emission source detected by the radio wave emission source detection device 2, the video near the intersection imaged by the camera 18, and map data in the intersection stored in advance. And functions as a vehicle specifying unit that specifies the image of the vehicle emitting radio waves in the image near the intersection imaged by the imaging unit or the position thereof.

  Further, the CPU 13 and the image processing unit 15 track the image of the vehicle specified in the photographing range or the position thereof, change the course in the intersection, and change to a predetermined position (the position of the area P1 ahead of the right turn lane T1a). It functions as a caution information notification unit for notifying the vehicle that has reached the attention in the traveling direction (direction of the road S) by wireless communication.

  From the position of at least one radio wave emission source detected by the radio wave emission source detection device 2 and road data of a predetermined place (right turn lane T1a) in the intersection stored in the memory 14 in the direction of the road S with poor visibility. It functions as a caution target radio wave emission source specifying unit that specifies the radio wave emission source (ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a).

  When the presence of the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a in the right turn lane T1a is detected at the timing of receiving the vehicle detection notification from the optical beacon 17, the CPU 13 detects the vehicle detection position of the optical beacon 17 and the vehicle mounted in the right turn lane T1a. To compare the position of the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a having the device ID with the road data stored in the memory 14 in advance, measure the relative distance between the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a and the vehicle C, and call attention to the vehicle C This information functions as a caution information notification unit that notifies the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a having the corresponding vehicle-mounted device ID from the DSRC antenna 11 through the communication unit 12.

  That is, when the target radio wave emission source is identified and the target of the attention target (for example, the vehicle C traveling in the opposite lane) is recognized, the CPU 13 recognizes the position where the target is recognized and the radio wave emission source (ITS). The relative position between the radio wave emission source (ITS on-board device 3a) and the target (vehicle C) is measured by comparing the position of the on-vehicle device 3a) with road data near the intersection stored in the memory 14 in advance. It functions as a caution information notifying unit for notifying the target (vehicle C) of information for alerting the radio wave emission source (ITS in-vehicle device 3a) to be cautioned by DSRC wireless communication.

  The DSRC roadside apparatus 1 transmits a radio wave from the DSRC antenna 11 to form a DSRC radio area in a predetermined range (dotted line portion in the figure) near the intersection. The DSRC roadside apparatus 1 communicates with the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b that have entered its own wireless area, and acquires the vehicle-mounted device IDs stored in the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b.

  In DSRC, for example, installation adjustment is possible from a communication range of 3 m in diameter communicating with one on-vehicle device to a communication range of about 30 m in diameter communicating with a plurality of on-vehicle devices with one roadside device.

  When the radio wave emission source detection device 2 detects that the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b exist in the DSRC radio wave area, the DSRC roadside radio device 1 receives the vehicle-mounted device ID and the absolute position coordinates from the radio wave emission source detection device 2. Is passed.

  The DSRC roadside wireless device 1 tracks the movement of each of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b existing in the intersection using the vehicle-mounted device ID and the absolute position coordinates notified from the radio wave emission source detecting device 2, and includes a straight lane. The route is changed from T1b to the right turn lane T1a, and the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a that has reached the predetermined area P1 is notified that the straight vehicle C is approaching.

  That is, the DSRC roadside apparatus 1 detects that the straight-ahead vehicle C traveling on the traveling road T2a and entering the intersection by the optical beacon 17 is detected at the timing when the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a has reached the predetermined area P1 by tracking. If detected, the position of the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a having the vehicle-mounted device ID is compared with the road data stored in the memory 14 in advance to measure the relative distance between them, and the straight vehicle C detected by the optical beacon 17 is detected. Information for calling attention to the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a having the corresponding vehicle-mounted device ID (vehicle A equipped with the vehicle-mounted device ID) is notified by DSRC wireless communication.

  The radio wave emission source detection device 2 includes a receiving unit 20 including an antenna capable of receiving radio waves (DSRC radio polling signals) in substantially the same range (dotted line portion in the figure) as the DSRC roadside radio device 1.

  The radio wave emission source detection device 2 receives DSRC radio waves from at least one radio wave emission source (in this case, the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3 a and 3 b) existing at the intersection or in the vicinity thereof, and sends it to the DSRC roadside radio device 1. Thus, the DSRC roadside apparatus 1 tracks each of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b existing in the intersection, and changes the route from the straight lane T1b to the right turn lane T1a and reaches the predetermined area P1. Identify vehicles equipped with.

  That is, the radio wave emission source detection device 2 receives radio waves (polling signals) transmitted from the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b and receives the position coordinates of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b (vehicles) in the intersection (near the intersection). Measure the x and y coordinates on the map (on the two-dimensional space).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the radio wave emission source detection device 2 is based on the reception unit 20 that receives radio waves emitted by the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b, which are radio wave emission sources, and the reception signal received by the reception unit 20. Positions of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b, for example, an azimuth distance measuring unit 22 that measures the distance and direction thereof, a road information storage unit 26 that stores map data of intersections and the vicinity thereof, and detected positions of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b Is placed on the map data and has a position detection unit 27 for plotting (position specification).

  The receiving unit 20 includes a reference antenna unit 20a and an array antenna unit 20b. The reference antenna unit 20a and the array antenna unit 20b are arranged in the vicinity. For example, the reference antenna unit 20a is composed of one reference antenna element a1. The array antenna unit 20b is composed of a plurality of array antenna elements b1 to bn.

  The reference antenna element a1 and the array antenna elements b1 to bn are provided, for example, on one plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane. For example, the array antenna elements b1 to bn are arranged on a one-dimensional straight line at a certain interval.

Note that the array antenna elements b1 to bn may be arranged at certain intervals in two dimensions, vertical and horizontal.
Further, the surface on which the reference antenna element a1 and the plurality of array antenna elements b1 to bn are arranged is configured to be rotatable in the azimuth direction, for example.

Then, an angle formed by the front direction of the receiving unit 20 and the surface on which the reference antenna element a1 and the plurality of array antenna elements b1 to bn are arranged is detected by an angle sensor (not shown).
The reception signal received by the reception unit 20 is sent to the frequency conversion unit 23 of the azimuth distance measurement unit 22 that measures the azimuth and distance and is frequency-converted.

In this case, the receiving unit 20 and the frequency conversion unit 23 are configured by connecting the respective array antenna elements b1 to bn to the frequency conversion unit 23 in parallel.
Alternatively, the array antenna elements b1 to bn may be switched by a switch or the like, and one array antenna element may be connected in order.

  The frequency-converted received signal is digitized by the A / D converter 24 and converted into received data. The received data is sent to the signal processing unit 25.

  The signal processing unit 25 includes a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or CPU (Central Processing Unit) that processes received data, and a storage unit that stores received data, for example, a memory or a hard disk device.

  The signal processing unit 25 performs radio wave holography processing using, for example, Fresnel approximation on the received data, for example, the position of the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a, 3b, for example, the distance from the radio wave emission source detection device 2 to the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a, 3b and its direction. Ask for.

  The direction of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b, that is, the direction of arrival of radio waves is based on, for example, true north using antenna angle information between the front of the radio wave emission source detection device 2 and the reception unit 20 supplied from the angle sensor. The direction is determined.

  In addition, the position information (x coordinate, y coordinate, etc.), distance information, and direction information of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3 a and 3 b obtained by the signal processing unit 25 are sent to the position detection unit 27.

  The road information storage unit 26 is realized by a storage device such as a memory, a silicon disk, or a hard disk device. In the road information storage unit 26, road data (two-dimensional coordinate data) of a zone including an intersection and the vicinity thereof, and data designating a specific attention area (a range of a right turn lane) are recorded.

  The position detection unit 27 maps the road data read from the road information storage unit 26 on the memory with reference to true north, for example.

  Further, the position detection unit 27 is based on the position (x coordinate, y coordinate, etc.), distance information, and direction information of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b received from the signal processing unit 25 on the road data mapped on the memory. By plotting (superimposing) the positions of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b, the positions of the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b existing in the intersection are detected (specified).

  The ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b are configured by connecting a communication unit 33, a CPU 34, a memory 35, and the like to a DSRC unit 31 and a car navigation unit 40 (hereinafter referred to as “car navigation system 40”) using a communication cable. .

  The communication unit 33 transmits a polling signal through the antenna 32 and performs wireless communication with the DSRC roadside apparatus 1 when entering the DSRC wireless area.

  The CPU 34 reads out the vehicle-mounted device ID from the memory 35 and transmits the caution alarm received from the DSRC roadside wireless device 1 through the communication unit 33 when the communication unit 33 starts wireless communication with the DSRC roadside wireless device 1. Send to car navigation system 40. The memory 35 stores an in-vehicle device ID for identifying this device.

  That is, the DSRC unit 31 transmits the vehicle-mounted device ID through wireless communication with the DSRC roadside wireless device 1, while sending the caution alarm received from the DSRC roadside wireless device 1 to the car navigation system 40.

  The car navigation system 40 stores map data, and includes a navigation function for setting and guiding a route to a destination (such as a destination) and a guide unit such as a display unit and a voice output unit. In addition, the warning alert received from the DSRC unit 31 is displayed on the display unit or notified to the passenger (driver, etc.) by voice from the voice output unit.

The function of this intersection system will be described below.
The DSRC roadside apparatus 1 transmits a radio wave by the DSRC antenna 11 to form a DSRC radio area that covers the intersection.

  At a certain point, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, vehicle A and vehicle B enter the intersection almost simultaneously, vehicle A decelerates and changes its course from arrow S1 to arrow S2, and enters right turn lane T1a. The other vehicle B travels on the straight lane T1b, and almost at the same time, the vehicle C travels on the travel path T2a in the opposite direction to the travel path T1 and reaches the point before the intersection. That is, it is assumed that vehicles A and B have entered the DSRC radio area.

  In general, both the right-turn vehicle A and the straight-ahead vehicle B communicate with the DSRC roadside apparatus 1 in this state.

  Usually, in the case of DSRC, it is possible to simultaneously communicate with a plurality of ITS on-board units 3a and 3b in the radio area, but for notifying that the vehicle C on the road T2 (opposite lane) is approaching. Only the passenger (driver) of the right turn vehicle A wants to receive the caution warning (information for prompting caution warning). The vehicle B traveling straight on the straight lane T1b has a caution warning (caution warning information). ) Is not required.

  Therefore, the radio wave emission source detection device 1 measures the transmission position of the radio wave (wireless polling signal) transmitted from the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b, and the transmission source is at a predetermined position (area P1) in the right turn lane. When the vehicle reaches the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a of the vehicle A, it is not necessary to always communicate with a plurality of vehicles, and the driver of the vehicle A goes straight on the opposite lane. Attention to the vehicle C can be urged at an optimal timing.

  The specific operation of the intersection system of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The CPU 13 of the DSRC roadside apparatus 1 always sends a communication request signal: polling signal (radio wave) from the DSRC antenna 11 and asks the plurality of ITS on-vehicle devices 3a and 3b (step S101 in FIG. 4). The polling signal is transmitted about 125 times per second.

  On the other hand, the radio wave emission source detection device 2 always waits for reception of radio waves from the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b that are radio wave emission sources (step S301).

When a response signal is received from the ITS in-vehicle devices 3a and 3b that have entered the DSRC wireless area P at a certain timing (Yes in step S301), the radio wave emission source detection device 2 measures the position of the radio wave emission source. (Step S302), the vehicle-mounted device information including the position coordinates is sent to the DSRC roadside apparatus 1.
Here, the vehicle-mounted device information includes position coordinates, distance information, direction information, and the like corresponding to the vehicle-mounted device ID.

  In the DSRC roadside apparatus 1, at the timing when the position of the radio wave emission source is measured by the radio wave emission source detection apparatus 2, the CPU 13 receives a response from the ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b (Yes in step S102). The on-board device information is included in the response.

Then, the CPU 13 extracts the vehicle-mounted device ID from the vehicle-mounted device information and sends it to the image processing unit 15.
The image processing unit 15 includes the position coordinates included in each vehicle-mounted device information received from the radio wave emission source detection device 2, the vehicle-mounted device IDs of the responding ITS vehicle-mounted devices 3a and 3b, and the vicinity of the intersection imaged by the camera 18. Is compared with the map data in the intersection stored in advance, and the position of the image of the vehicle emitting radio waves in the image near the intersection captured by the camera 18 ( The position of the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a is specified correctly, and the vehicle image in the video or the coordinate position on the two-dimensional coordinates of the map data is marked (step S201).

  The data may be specified by collating the image of the vehicle emitting radio waves or the position coordinates of the vehicle in the intersection image captured by the camera 18.

The image processing unit 15 tracks the image (image) of the vehicle marked in the image obtained from the camera 18 or its position (step S202), and changes the course in the intersection to reach the area P1 (step S203). Yes), a communication request including the vehicle-mounted device ID of the vehicle being tracked is made to the CPU 13 (step S204).
When receiving the communication request (Yes in step S104), the CPU 13 performs DSRC wireless communication with the ITS in-vehicle device 3a of the vehicle A by using the in-vehicle device ID included in the communication request, thereby prompting attention in the traveling direction. Information (message such as “coming straight vehicle approaching from oncoming lane”) is notified (step S105).

  That is, when the position coordinate of the vehicle A enters the right turn area P1, the CPU 13 performs DSRC communication with the ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a having the vehicle-mounted device ID corresponding to the position coordinate, and transmits caution information regarding the traveling direction to the ITS vehicle. The ITS vehicle-mounted device 3a notifies the notified caution information by voice and / or display, and prompts the driver of the vehicle A to pay attention.

  As described above, according to the intersection system of this embodiment, the DSRC radio apparatus having a different purpose at the intersection (the DSRC roadside radio apparatus 1 performs bidirectional communication with the ITS in-vehicle devices 3a and 3b in the DSRC radio area, and the radio wave emission source detection. Device 2 receives radio waves for positioning), captures radio waves transmitted from ITS in-vehicle devices 3a and 3b of vehicles A and B that have entered the intersection, and crosses ITS on-vehicle devices 3a and 3b as communication partners. And the position coordinates of each vehicle-mounted device ID are sent to the DSRC roadside wireless device 1. The DSRC roadside wireless device 1 determines the map data in the memory 14 and the position of the radio wave emission source from the radio wave emission source detection device 2. The video (image) of the camera 18 is collated, the vehicle A turning right by changing the course to the right turn lane T1a among the plurality of vehicles (radio wave emission sources) in the intersection, and driving on the opposite lane The driver of the right turn vehicle A is aware of the direction in which he / she turns right by notifying only the ITS in-vehicle device 3a of the vehicle A by wireless communication that the straight traveling vehicle C is heading toward the intersection. Only alerts (attention warning information) can be obtained, and coping actions for collision avoidance can be taken.

  As a result, the DSRC roadside apparatus 1 only needs to perform DSRC communication with only the vehicle A that has entered the area P1 within the intersection, and only for vehicles that need to be alerted when a large number of vehicles enter the intersection. Be sure to send attention information.

In addition, this invention is not limited only to the said embodiment, You may deform | transform a component in the range which does not deviate from the summary in an implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be configured by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. You may delete a some component from all the components shown by embodiment.
For example, in the above embodiment, the intersection has been described, but the present system may be installed even on a road with poor visibility (such as a Y-shaped road) where a two-lane road is branched into two lanes. Good.

  In the above-described embodiment, the optical beacon 17, the camera 18, the DSRC antennas 11 and 20, the DSRC roadside wireless device 1, the radio wave emission source detection device 2, and the like have been described as examples in which the blocks are separated and separated as hardware. However, some or all of these may be implemented in one case, and the present invention is not limited to the number of hardware and the manner of division.

It is an arrangement plan of an intersection system of one embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of the intersection system of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the radio wave emission source detection apparatus of the intersection system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of an intersection system.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... DSRC roadside radio | wireless apparatus, 2 ... Radio wave emission source detection apparatus, 3a, 3b ... ITS onboard equipment, 11 ... DSRC antenna, 12 ... Communication part, 13 ... CPU, 14 ... Memory, 15 ... Image processing part, 17 ... Light Beacon, 18 ... camera, 20 ... receiving unit, 20a ... reference antenna unit, 20b ... array antenna unit, 22 ... azimuth distance measuring unit, 23 ... frequency converting unit, 24 ... A / D converting unit, 25 ... signal processing unit, 26 ... Road information storage unit, 27 ... Position detection unit, 32 ... DSRC antenna, 33 ... Communication unit, 35 ... Memory, 40 ... Car navigation unit (car navigation system), A, B, C ... Vehicle, a1 ... Reference antenna element, b1-bn ... array antenna element, T ... first road, S ... second road, T1, T2 ... running road, T1a ... right turn lane, T1b ... straight lane, P ... DSRC radio area, P1 ... right An area for notification of car breaks.

Claims (2)

In a traffic information provision system that provides information to vehicles entering an intersection,
A radio wave emission source detection device that receives radio waves of narrow area communication from the intersection or the vicinity thereof, and detects a position of at least one radio wave emission source existing in a range where the radio waves can be received;
An imaging unit that is installed around the intersection and captures an image near the intersection;
Collating the position of at least one radio wave emission source detected by the radio wave emission source detection device, the image of the vicinity of the intersection imaged by the imaging unit, and the map data in the intersection stored in advance, the imaging An image of the vehicle emitting radio waves in the image near the intersection imaged by the unit or a vehicle specifying unit for specifying the position thereof;
Tracks the video of the vehicle specified by the vehicle specifying unit or its position, and wirelessly communicates information for urging attention to the direction of travel for a vehicle that has reached a predetermined position by changing the course in the intersection A traffic information providing system comprising a caution information notifying unit for notifying by In the traffic information providing method for providing information to vehicles entering an intersection,
A radio wave emission source detection device receiving radio waves of narrow communication from the intersection or the vicinity thereof, and detecting a position of at least one radio wave emission source existing in a range in which the radio waves can be received;
An imaging unit installed in the vicinity of the intersection capturing images of the vicinity of the intersection;
A vehicle position specifying unit includes a position of at least one radio wave emission source detected by the radio wave emission source detection device, an image near the intersection imaged by the imaging unit, and map data in the intersection stored in advance. Collating and identifying the image of the vehicle emitting radio waves in the image near the intersection imaged by the imaging unit or its position;
The vehicle information identified by the vehicle identification unit or its position is tracked, and the caution information notification unit urges attention in the traveling direction to a vehicle that has reached a predetermined position by changing the course in the intersection. A method of providing the traffic information by wireless communication.

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