JP2009278194A - Communication device and communication method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication device and a communication method capable of efficiently transmitting and receiving the information of a moving body that changes every moment without omission and using it for control corresponding to the condition of a group formed of the moving bodies. <P>SOLUTION: The communication device 1 is provided with an intra-front-vehicle-group communication part 11 having directivity to the front and an intra-rear-vehicle-group communication part 12 having directivity to the back, transmits the vehicle information of a vehicle to which itself is disposed to the front, and receives the vehicle information transmitted from the other communication device 1 from the back. The communication device 1 prepares present vehicle group information including the present vehicle information and the vehicle information of another vehicle received from the back and mutually transmits and receives it to/from the other communication devices 1, 1, ... by an inter-vehicle-group communication part 13. The communication device 1 separates/connects each vehicle group information so that the vehicle information does not overlap in the present vehicle group information and the other vehicle group information by an information processing part 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is arranged for each of a plurality of moving bodies, and transmits and receives information on the moving bodies that change every moment during the movement efficiently and without leakage, and is used for control according to the situation of the group formed by the moving bodies. The present invention relates to a communication device and a communication method that can perform communication.

  Conventionally, various communication devices are mounted on a vehicle, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication has been proposed in which traveling information such as vehicle speed, steering angle, and inter-vehicle distance is transmitted and received by communication between vehicles (for example, Patent Documents). 1). Thereby, realization of platooning or safe driving control is achieved.

  In addition, in a configuration in which vehicle-to-vehicle communication is performed independently between a large number of vehicles, the radio wave band is insufficient. Accordingly, a vehicle group communication technology has been proposed in which the concept of vehicle groups is introduced into the vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology, and communication between representative vehicles is performed to achieve effective use of frequencies (see Non-Patent Document 1).

In addition to vehicle-to-vehicle communication, systems in which a plurality of devices perform processing in cooperation to achieve one object while exchanging information by communication regardless of wireless or wired are realized in various fields. In the case where each device is provided with means for independently moving in a desired direction, and processing is performed while moving, it is preferable to perform communication wirelessly. In this case, when there are a large number of devices, information transmission from each device collides, and communication may become inefficient. Therefore, in this case as well, the group concept is applied, a group is formed by a plurality of devices, and one of the devices in each group is represented as a representative, and the representative device includes information on other devices of its own group. It is conceivable to improve communication efficiency by transmitting and receiving information to and from the representative device.
JP 2007-151107 A “Proposal for proposal for proposals related to research and development for expanding radio wave resources in 2007”, press release, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, March 1, 2007, Attachment 3 <Basic Plan> “Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication to Support Safe Driving” Research and development of advanced frequency utilization technology for the realization of

  The vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology and the vehicle group communication technology are intended to support safe driving, and therefore high real-time performance and high reliability are required for communication. Information used for traveling control such as speed and steering angle in each vehicle changes every moment, and there is a problem in safety when extremely old information or erroneous information is transmitted and received. However, communication between the vehicles and between the representative vehicles of the vehicle group is performed by radio and is performed during traveling. That is, the communication environment such as the distance between vehicles and the sensitivity of radio waves changes from moment to moment. Even in a configuration in which communication with high redundancy is performed in consideration of communication errors in order to maintain reliability, real-time performance is not ensured if processing is not in time.

  The fact that communication requires high real-time performance and high reliability is not limited to inter-vehicle communication and vehicle group communication, and is the same even when processing is performed in cooperation between a plurality of devices including means for moving as described above. is there.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and when information is transmitted and received between a plurality of mobile bodies, the information itself used for control by the mobile body and the communication environment between the mobile bodies change from moment to moment. To provide a communication device and a communication method that can transmit and receive efficiently and without omission even under a situation in which information is used, and that can effectively use information for control according to the status of each mobile object and the group formed by the mobile object With the goal.

  A communication device according to a first aspect of the present invention is arranged between a plurality of mobile units and mobile unit information including the identification information of the mobile unit and indicating the status of the mobile unit with other communication units distributed to other mobile units. First and second communication units that have directivity in different directions and perform wireless communication with any of the other communication devices are different from the first and second communication units in the communication device that transmits and receives. Third communication means for performing wireless communication with another communication apparatus by a method, mobile body information transmitting means for transmitting mobile body information of a mobile body on which the communication apparatus is arranged by the first communication means, and other communication apparatus Mobile unit information including means for receiving the mobile unit information transmitted by the second communication unit, mobile unit information of the mobile unit in which the mobile unit is arranged, and the received mobile unit information of one or more mobile units Creation means for creating information, and moving body group created by the creation means Mobile body information transmitting means for transmitting information by the third communication means, and when the mobile body group information transmitted from another communication device is received by the third communication means, the mobile body group information is Means for separating, and separating / combining means for separating and / or combining the moving body group information created by the creating means and the moving body group information received and stored from other communication devices, The combining means is characterized in that the moving body information included in each moving body group information is separated and / or combined so as not to overlap based on the identification information of the moving body information included in the moving body group information.

  A communication apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a determination unit that determines success or failure of connection establishment with another communication apparatus by the first communication unit, and the mobile body information transmission unit determines that the determination unit is successful. And when the determination means determines to be successful, the second communication means includes transfer means for transferring mobile body information received from another communication device, and the mobile body group information transmission The means is characterized in that when the determination means determines NO, it is transmitted by the third communication means.

  In the communication device according to a third aspect of the invention, the mobile body information transmitting means extracts the mobile body information of the mobile body to which the mobile body information is placed and transmits a summary including at least the mobile body identification information. It is characterized by that.

  In the communication device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the separating / combining means is configured to move the moving body of the same moving body based on the identification information of the moving body information included in the moving body group information from a plurality of stored moving body group information. Means for extracting mobile body group information including information is provided, wherein overlapping parts of the mobile body information included in the extracted mobile body group information are separated from the mobile body group information.

  In the communication device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the separating / combining means includes the moving body information in which the moving body group information created by the creating means is also included in the moving body group information received from another communication apparatus. If included, the mobile information is not separated.

  In the communication device according to a sixth aspect of the invention, the separation / combination means includes means for extracting mobile body group information including the same mobile body information from among the stored mobile body group information, and the extracted mobile body group It is characterized by combining information.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the communication apparatus according to the seventh aspect, wherein the separating / combining means does not combine the moving body group information created by the creating means with the moving body group information received from another communication apparatus. To do.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus according to the eighth aspect, wherein the transfer means adds a transfer count when transferring the mobile object information, and includes means for adding the transfer count to be added each time the transfer is performed. When the number of transfers added to the body information is a predetermined number or more, the mobile body information is not transferred.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the creating means includes means for associating the mobile body information included in the mobile body group information in an order corresponding to the number of transfers added to the mobile body information. The means comprises means for identifying mobile body information included in one of the stored mobile body information included in the other mobile body group information in duplicate, the identified mobile body information, The mobile body information associated with the order after the mobile body information order is separated as other mobile body group information.

  In the communication device according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the mobile unit information includes time information indicating the passage of time, and the creation unit creates mobile unit information including time information indicating the passage of a predetermined time or more. A means for deleting from the moving body group information is provided.

  In the communication device according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the mobile body group information includes time information indicating the passage of time, and stores mobile body group information including time information indicating the passage of a predetermined time or more. A means for deleting from the moving body group information is provided.

  In the communication device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the mobile object information includes position information indicating the position of the mobile object, and the transfer means assigns the position indicated by the position information included in the mobile object information. In the case where the distance is greater than a predetermined distance from the position of the moving body, the transfer is not performed.

  A communication apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the determination by the determination means is performed at a constant cycle.

  A communication device according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is directed to transmission of mobile body information by the mobile body information transmission means, creation of mobile body group information by the creation means, and separation and / or separation of mobile body group information by the separation / combination means. The coupling is performed during the interval of the fixed period.

  A communication device according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a communication device that is arranged in a vehicle and transmits / receives vehicle information including vehicle identification information and indicating a traveling state of the vehicle to / from devices arranged in other vehicles. A first communication means for performing wireless communication with directivity, a second communication means for performing wireless communication with backward directivity, and a system different from the first and second communication means The third communication means for performing wireless communication with other communication devices by means of the above, means for transmitting vehicle information of the vehicle on which the vehicle is disposed by the first communication means, and others disposed on other vehicles Means for receiving vehicle information transmitted by the communication device by the second communication means, vehicle information of the vehicle on which the communication device is disposed, and vehicle information of one or more vehicles received from another communication device. Creation means for creating vehicle group information and created by the creation means Means for transmitting the vehicle group information by the third communication means, and means for storing the received vehicle group information when the third communication means receives the vehicle group information transmitted from another communication device. And separating / combining means for separating and / or combining vehicle group information created by the creating means and vehicle group information received and stored from other communication devices, Based on the identification information of the vehicle information included in the vehicle group information, the vehicle information included in each vehicle group information is separated and / or combined so as not to overlap.

  In the communication method according to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the first and second communication devices that are respectively distributed to a plurality of mobile bodies have directivities in different directions and communicate with any of the other communication devices. A communication means and a third communication means for communicating with another communication device by a method different from the first and second communication means are provided, and the mobile device includes the identification information of the moving body and moves between the plurality of communication devices. A communication method for transmitting and receiving mobile body information indicating the state of the body, wherein each communication device transmits the mobile body information of the mobile body to which the communication device is disposed by the first communication means, and other communication devices The transmitted mobile body information is received by the second communication means, and includes the mobile body information of the mobile body to which the mobile body is placed, and the received mobile body information of one or more mobile bodies. Create mobile body group information that shows the information of the group to which the mobile body belongs When the mobile group information transmitted from the other communication device is received by the third communication unit, the mobile group information is stored. Based on the identification information of the moving body information included in each moving body group information, the moving body group information including the created moving body group information and the moving body group information received and stored from other communication devices is included. It is characterized by separating and / or combining so that body information does not overlap.

  In the first invention and the sixteenth invention, the communication device itself is provided by the first communication means having directivity in one direction among the first and second communication means for realizing wireless communication with other communication devices. Is transmitted to the communication device in the one direction. The mobile body information transmitted from the other communication device in the other direction is received by the second communication means having directivity in the other direction. Thereby, transmission / reception of mobile body information having a fixed direction is performed via each communication device. In addition, each communication device includes a mobile body information of a mobile body in which the communication device is arranged and mobile body information transmitted from another communication device with a certain direction, and the mobile device in which the communication device is arranged. Mobile body group information indicating the status of the mobile body group to which it belongs is created. The created mobile group information is transmitted to another communication device by the third communication means. When a plurality of moving bodies are not moving in proximity, the moving body group information may include only information on one moving body. Each communication device separates and / or combines the created moving body group information and the moving body group information received from another communication device so that the moving body information included in each moving body group information does not overlap. Thereby, the moving body group information of the own group and the other group is formed while the moving body moves, and conforms to the situation of the group that changes every moment.

  In the second invention, the success or failure of establishment of a connection with another communication device in one direction is determined, and when the connection is established, the mobile information is transmitted and the mobile information received from the other communication device is transferred. To do. Thereby, multi-hopping communication having a certain direction is realized. Each communication device transmits the mobile group information created by itself when the connection with another communication device in one direction is not established. As a result, a communication device that performs multi-hopping communication in a certain direction and is divided in transfer is representative, and the mobile device information received by the representative communication device itself is transmitted collectively.

  In 3rd invention, when transmitting the mobile body information which shows the condition of the mobile body with which communication apparatus itself is provided, mobile body information is extracted and it transmits as a summary containing at least identification information. Thereby, the amount of communication between communication apparatuses is reduced, and communication is made efficient.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, the communication device separates the mobile body information included in the mobile body group information received from other communication devices from the stored mobile body group information, and moves included in each mobile body information It is processed so that body information does not overlap. Thereby, the moving body group information corresponding to the state of the moving body group that changes from moment to moment is stored.

  In the fifth invention, the mobile body group information created by the first communication device is not separated even when the mobile body information that overlaps with the mobile body group information received from another second communication device is included. When the moving body group information transmitted from the second communication apparatus cannot be received by another third communication apparatus, the other third communication apparatus receives the moving body group information created by the first communication apparatus. There is a possibility. Thereby, each communication apparatus can receive mobile group information without omission. In addition, since the separation / combination processing is performed in each communication device, even when mobile group information including overlapping part mobile body information is transmitted, each communication device appropriately separates / combines the mobile group information. It will be in line with.

  In the sixth invention, the moving body group information including the same moving body information is combined among the stored moving body group information. Thereby, it becomes mobile body group information according to the situation of the group of mobile bodies which changes every moment.

  In the seventh aspect of the invention, even if the moving body group information created by the communication apparatus itself includes moving body information that overlaps with the moving body group information received from another communication apparatus, it is not combined. The mobile group information created by itself is transmitted to other communication devices, and the separation / combination may be appropriately performed because each communication device uses the mobile group information internally. By transmitting the mobile body group information created by itself without changing due to the coupling, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the mobile body information included in the mobile body information is leaked in another communication device.

  In the eighth aspect of the invention, a limit is imposed on the number of transfers of mobile object information. When multi-hop communication is performed many times between communications distributed to a mobile unit, the mobile unit information to be transferred is received over time as the number of transfers increases. By providing the restriction, the moving body group information is created based on newer information, and the moving body information changes from moment to moment.

  In the ninth invention, the mobile body information included in the mobile body group information is associated with an order corresponding to the number of transfers added at the time of transmission. When separating mobile body group information including the same mobile body information, mobile body information associated with the order after the overlapping mobile body information is separated into other mobile body group information. As a result, the moving body group information conforms to the group situation that changes from moment to moment.

  In the tenth aspect of the invention, time information is included in each of the mobile object information summaries included in the mobile body group information, and information that is older than a predetermined time is deleted. Thereby, each moving body group information becomes in accordance with the state of the moving body group which changes every moment.

  In the eleventh invention, time information is included in each moving body group information, and information older than a certain time is deleted. As a result, each moving body group information is adapted to the group status that changes from moment to moment.

  In the twelfth invention, the communication range by the third communication means for transmitting / receiving the mobile group information is finite. Thereby, since the distance between the communication apparatuses that represent each of the mobile body groups is within the communication range of the third communication means, the mobile body group information is transmitted and received satisfactorily without omission.

  In the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the success / failure of connection establishment with the communication device of another mobile unit in one direction is determined at a constant cycle, so that the communication environment that changes every moment and between the mobile units that change every moment Mobile body group information corresponding to the physical distance is created, and each mobile body group information is adapted to the situation of the group of mobile bodies that change from moment to moment.

  In the fourteenth aspect, transmission / reception and transfer of mobile body information, and separation and / or combination of mobile body group information transmitted and received are performed within a fixed period. Thereby, each moving body group information used for control in a moving body becomes high in real time property.

  In the fifteenth aspect of the invention, particularly in communication between vehicles, a first communication means for realizing wireless communication with a preceding vehicle and a second communication means for realizing wireless communication with a rear vehicle are used. Each communication device transmits vehicle information to the communication device of the vehicle ahead and communicates the vehicle information from the communication device of the vehicle behind. Thereby, multihopping communication from the back to the front is performed. Each communication device creates vehicle group information that includes the vehicle information of itself and one or a plurality of vehicle information received from behind, and indicates the status of the vehicle group to which the vehicle to which the communication device belongs is located. Each communication device receives vehicle group information other than its own group from the representative communication devices of other groups. Further, each communication device separates and / or combines the vehicle group information of the own group and the vehicle group information of the other group so that the vehicle information included in each vehicle group information does not overlap. Thereby, it becomes possible to make each vehicle group information vehicle group information that matches the situation of the vehicle group that changes from moment to moment.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of communication devices perform transmission / reception with a certain direction. Then, the representative communication device transmits the mobile body group information in which the mobile body information received from the other communication devices is collected. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which each communication device independently transmits mobile information using all other communication devices as transmission destinations, the wireless communication band is saved and the efficiency is improved. Reduction of communication error can be expected by saving communication bandwidth and increasing efficiency, and mobile information from other communication devices can be received without omission. Furthermore, the mobile body group information created by itself and the mobile body group information transmitted from another device can be separated and / or combined and used for control according to the situation of the group that changes every moment. .

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. In the following embodiment, a case will be described as an example where the communication device according to the present invention is applied to inter-vehicle communication in which a plurality of vehicles are arranged to perform communication between vehicles.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication apparatus according to the present embodiment. The communication device 1 includes a front vehicle group communication unit 11, a rear vehicle group communication unit 12, a vehicle group communication unit 13, an information processing unit 14, a storage unit 15, a vehicle communication unit 16, and a communication line 17. Is done. Each component of the communication device 1 is arranged in the vehicle.

  The front vehicle group communication unit 11 is a vehicle in front of a communication medium having directivity such as millimeter wave, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), infrared light, etc., particularly a vehicle traveling immediately before (referred to as a front vehicle). Wireless communication with the communication device 1 arranged in the network is realized. The rear vehicle group communication unit 12 is a component corresponding to the front vehicle group communication unit 11, and is a communication device 1 that is arranged in a rear vehicle, that is, a vehicle that is running immediately after (referred to as a rear vehicle). Realize wireless communication. That is, a connection is established between the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 of the front vehicle. The communication speeds of the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 are, for example, 1 Mbps. Of course, it is not limited to 1 Mbps. The maximum communication range is, for example, within about 50 meters. The front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 are connected to the vehicle communication unit 16 via the communication line 17, and transmit and receive various types of information to the information processing unit 14.

  The inter-vehicle group communication unit 13 realizes wireless communication with the communication devices 1, 1,... Arranged in other vehicles by a CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access) method using radio waves in the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band. Therefore, during the period in which one communication device 1 transmits information by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13, all the other communication devices 1, 1,... Existing in the communication range are transmitted by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13. Receiving information. The inter-vehicle group communication unit 13 realizes communication in a wider range than the communication range of the front in-vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear in-vehicle group communication unit 12. The communication speed of the vehicle group communication unit 13 is, for example, 10 Mbps, and the communication range is, for example, within 400 meters. Of course, the communication speed is not limited to 10 Mbps, and the communication range is not limited.

  The information processing unit 14 uses a microcomputer (microcomputer) including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and the front vehicle group communication unit 11, the rear vehicle group communication unit 12, and the vehicle group communication unit. Controls transmission and reception of various types of information. In addition, it controls the storage of various information transmitted and received in the storage unit 15.

  The storage unit 15 uses volatile memory, and the vehicle group information created by the information processing unit 14, the vehicle group information received by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13, the front vehicle group communication unit 11, and the rear vehicle group Various information including the vehicle information received by the communication unit 12 is stored.

  The in-vehicle communication unit 16 realizes communication with the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 via the communication line 17 by the information processing unit 14.

  The information processing unit 14, the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13, the storage unit 15, and the in-vehicle communication unit 16 are components in one ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and are connected to each other by an internal bus. In addition, it is good also as a structure which is each distribute | arranged to different ECU and performs a process by mutually transmitting / receiving information via the communication line 17. FIG. Alternatively, the information processing unit 14, the vehicle group communication unit 13, the storage unit 15, the vehicle communication unit 16, the front vehicle group communication unit 11, and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 are included in one housing, and the internal bus It is good also as a structure connected mutually.

  The communication line 17 implements an in-vehicle LAN using a LAN (Local Area Network) cable. For example, the information processing unit 14 can transmit various kinds of information by the in-vehicle communication unit 16 to another control device that controls traveling of the vehicle (not shown).

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the contents of various types of information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig.2 (a) shows the example of the content of the vehicle information which shows the condition of the vehicle by which the communication apparatus 1 is arranged. The vehicle information includes a vehicle ID (Identification Data) for identifying each vehicle, a vehicle position, a vehicle speed, and a traveling direction. In addition, information such as a steering angle and continuous running time may be included. Further, the vehicle information includes a front link indicating whether or not a connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle in the front vehicle group communication unit 11 in each vehicle is successful, and a rear vehicle in the rear vehicle group communication unit 12. Including a back link indicating success or failure of connection establishment with the other communication device 1. The vehicle information can be represented by, for example, 100-byte digital data. The communication device 1 continues to update the vehicle information of the vehicle on which the communication device 1 is arranged at a certain period. Here, the update cycle is T (for example, 100 milliseconds).

  FIG. 2 (b) shows an example of the contents of the vehicle summary information extracted from the vehicle information transmitted by the communication device 1 using the in-vehicle group communication unit 11. The vehicle summary information includes at least a vehicle ID and a position in the vehicle information, and further includes at least a back link. The vehicle summary information includes age information represented by numerical values or symbols that increase (or decrease) with the passage of time. It is assumed that the vehicle summary information is represented by 20-byte digital data with respect to the vehicle information represented by 100-byte digital data, for example.

  FIG. 2C shows an example of the contents of the vehicle group information indicating the status of the vehicle group to which the vehicle to which the communication device 1 is arranged belongs. The vehicle group information includes a vehicle located at the head of the vehicle group (referred to as a leader vehicle), that is, vehicle information of a vehicle on which the vehicle group is provided, and vehicle summary information (dependent vehicle summary information) of a subordinate vehicle that follows the leader vehicle. Including the number of subordinate vehicles x. The dependent vehicle summary information is included in the order of positions 1, 2,..., X in the vehicle group of each vehicle from the leader vehicle. For example, the subordinate vehicle summary information of the vehicle behind the leader vehicle is included first. The vehicle group information includes age information represented by numerical values or symbols that increase (or decrease) with the passage of time.

  The communication device 1 uses the front vehicle group communication unit 11 to determine the vehicle information (own vehicle information) of the vehicle on which the vehicle shown in FIG. Send to the car behind you. Further, each communication device 1, 1,... Transmits vehicle summary information by the front in-vehicle group communication unit 11 and forwards the vehicle summary information received by the rear in-vehicle group communication unit 12 through the front in-vehicle group communication unit 11. To do. Then, each communication device 1, 1,... Receives the vehicle group information (own vehicle group information) of the vehicle group to which the vehicle to which the vehicle shown in FIG. It transmits to communication apparatus 1,1, .... Further, the communication device 1 receives the vehicle group information (other vehicle group information) of the vehicle group to which the other communication devices 1, 1,.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a content example of a packet including each information used when the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment transmits vehicle information, vehicle summary information, and vehicle summary information.

  Fig.3 (a) shows the example of the content of the vehicle information packet which the communication apparatus 1 uses in order to transmit the own vehicle information. The vehicle information packet is transmitted / received by the front in-vehicle group communication unit 11 and the back in-vehicle group communication unit 12 as described above. The vehicle information packet includes, at the top, the type (type) of the packet, that is, type information for identifying that vehicle information is included, and includes the vehicle ID and vehicle information of a front-facing vehicle or a rear-facing vehicle as a destination.

  FIG. 3B shows an example of the contents of a vehicle summary information packet used by the communication device 1 to transmit vehicle summary information. The vehicle summary information packet is transmitted by the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and received by the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 as described above. The vehicle summary information packet includes the type of the packet at the head, that is, type information identifying that the vehicle summary information is included, and the vehicle ID (relay vehicle ID) of the vehicle in which the communication device 1 that transmits or forwards (relays) is arranged. , The number of relays, and vehicle summary information of the transmission source vehicle. When the vehicle summary information is transmitted by the front vehicle group communication unit 11, the communication device 1 increments the number of transfers of the vehicle summary information packet by one. At the time of transmission from the communication device 1 of the transmission source vehicle, the number of transfers is zero.

  FIG. 3C shows an example of the contents of a vehicle group information packet used by the communication device 1 to transmit vehicle group information. The vehicle group information packet is transmitted by the vehicle group communication unit 13 as described above. The vehicle group information packet includes the type of the packet, that is, type information for identifying that the vehicle group information is included, and vehicle group information.

  A specific example of vehicle information, vehicle summary information, and vehicle group information included in the packet shown in FIG. 3 and transmitted / received between the communication devices 1, 1,. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of vehicle information and vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of each vehicle forming the vehicle group. In the center of the explanatory diagram of FIG. 4, a state at an arbitrary time point t when a plurality of traveling vehicles are viewed from above is schematically shown. At time t, a vehicle group is formed by the vehicles V1, V2, V3, and V4. The vehicle group is formed so as to form a platoon in the order of the vehicle V2, the vehicle V3, and the vehicle V4 with the vehicle V1 at the head.

  When the vehicle group is formed as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 4, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V <b> 2 receives the vehicle information of the vehicle V <b> 1 that is traveling immediately before, and the vehicle information (front Vehicle contact information). The vehicle V1 is the leading vehicle at the time t and there is no front vehicle, and the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 has not established a connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle, but the communication of the rear vehicle V2 A connection with the device 1 has been established. Therefore, the front link of the front vehicle information stored at the time t in the storage unit 15 of the vehicle V2 is False, and the rear link is True. Further, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 receives vehicle information of the vehicle V3 that is running immediately after, and stores it in the storage unit 15 as vehicle information (rear vehicle information) of the rear vehicle. The communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 has established connection with the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 and the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 at time t. Therefore, the front link and the rear link of the rear vehicle information stored in the storage unit 15 of the vehicle 2 at the time t are both True.

  Note that the front vehicle information and the rear vehicle information are mainly used in the communication device 1 to determine whether or not connection has been established in the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 (described later). Explanation). However, the front vehicle information and the rear vehicle information are not only used for determination, but the travel control device that controls the travel of the vehicle controls the prevention of rear-end collision with the front and rear vehicles, so that the distance between the front and rear vehicles is grasped. Used for.

  In addition, vehicle summary information from the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V4 is transmitted and transferred to the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2. Therefore, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 uses the vehicle information of the vehicle V2 as leader vehicle information at the time t, and the vehicle summary information received from the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V4. Vehicle group information as information is created and stored in the storage unit 15. Note that the vehicle summary information transmitted from the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V4 is transmitted by a vehicle summary information packet. When the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 receives the vehicle summary information of the vehicle V3, the number of transfers included in the vehicle summary information packet is 0. Therefore, the information processing unit 14 adds the number of transfers 1 to the vehicle V3 in order 1. The subordinate vehicle summary information is included in the vehicle group information. When the vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 is received, the number of transfers included in the vehicle summary information packet is 1. Therefore, the vehicle group information is used as the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 as the 2 (= 1 + 1) th dependent vehicle summary information. Include in

  Similarly, the front vehicle information and the rear vehicle information are stored in the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3. The front vehicle information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 is vehicle information of the vehicle V2, and the rear vehicle information is vehicle information of the vehicle V4.

  The vehicle summary information from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 is transmitted to the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3. At time t, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 uses the vehicle information of the vehicle V3 as leader vehicle information, and the vehicle group information including the vehicle summary information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 as dependent vehicle summary information. Created and stored in the storage unit 15.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicles V2 and V3 belonging to the same group may not match. Each of the communication devices 1, 1... Of each vehicle creates and stores vehicle group information with the vehicle information of the vehicle on which it is arranged as leader vehicle information. Each communication device 1, 1,... Creates vehicle group information at a constant cycle. The period at this time is the same as the period T for updating the own vehicle information. The vehicle group information is used by a travel control device that controls the travel of the vehicle to prevent a collision with a vehicle belonging to a vehicle other than the vehicle group. Therefore, the contents of the vehicle group information obtained by the communication devices 1 and 1 do not necessarily match between the vehicle V2 and the vehicle V3. For example, the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information obtained by the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 includes a vehicle V2, a vehicle V3, and a vehicle V4 that use the vehicle V2 as a leader vehicle. The vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information obtained by the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 includes a vehicle V3 and a vehicle V4 that use the vehicle V3 itself as a leader vehicle. Even if the vehicle V3 does not recognize the vehicle V2 as a vehicle belonging to the same group, there is no problem because the vehicle V3 is correctly recognized as a front vehicle in terms of travel control of the vehicle V3. Even if the vehicle V2 is recognized as a vehicle of another group, there is no problem in traveling control as long as it is included in the received vehicle group information of the other group. Further, since the formed vehicle group changes from moment to moment, it is not realistic to execute the process of matching the contents of the vehicle group information of each communication device 1, 1,.

  Then, the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicle V2 and the vehicle V3 receive the other vehicle group information and store them in the storage unit 15, respectively. The vehicle group information is transmitted and received by the inter-group communication unit 13 by the communication devices 1, 1,... However, as described above, the communication devices 1, 1,... Of all the vehicles create vehicle group information in which each is a leader vehicle. When the communication devices 1, 1,... For all vehicles transmit vehicle group information, the vehicle information and vehicle summary information included in the vehicle group information overlap, and transmission / reception by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13 collides. . For example, when the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicle V2 and the vehicle V3 transmit the vehicle group information, the vehicle information and the vehicle summary information of the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V4 included in the respective vehicle group information overlap. In this Embodiment, the communication apparatus 1 which transmits vehicle group information to the other communication apparatus 1 is restrict | limited. Basically, when each communication device 1 is not able to receive other vehicle group information in which the vehicle on which it is arranged is a dependent vehicle, the communication device 13 transmits the vehicle group information created by itself to the other vehicle group communication unit 13. It transmits to communication apparatus 1,1, ....

  Even if the communication device 1 that transmits the vehicle group information is limited, the vehicle information included in the other vehicle group information received by each of the communication devices 1, 1,. For example, when the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 transmits the own vehicle group information, the following overlap occurs. The vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information created by the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 itself includes the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V4 that use the vehicle V3 itself as a leader vehicle. The vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 includes the vehicle V2, the vehicle V3, and the vehicle V4 that use the vehicle V2 as a leader vehicle, and the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V4 overlap. Therefore, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment integrates the vehicle group information created by itself and the other vehicle group information, processes it so as to eliminate duplication, and causes a problem in its own travel control. Information that should not be.

Here, the effect that the communication device 1 as a representative performs communication by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13 will be specifically described. The bandwidth required for transmission / reception of the vehicle group information can be defined as the following Expression 1.
Necessary bandwidth = number of vehicle groups × number of vehicle group information bytes / transmission cycle (1)
Further, the bandwidth required for transmitting and receiving vehicle information without limiting the communication device 1 that transmits vehicle group information can be defined as the following Expression 2.
Non-vehicle group communication required band = number of vehicles × number of vehicle information bytes / transmission cycle (2)
When the communication device 1 that transmits the vehicle group information is limited and communication is performed between the vehicle groups, the number of vehicles belonging to each vehicle group (the number of vehicle group vehicles) can be defined by Equation 3 below.
Number of vehicles in the group = total number of vehicles / number of vehicles ... (3)
The number of vehicle group information bytes in Equation 1 can be defined as in Equation 4.
Number of vehicle group information bytes = number of vehicle information bytes (number of vehicle information bytes of the leader vehicle)
+ Number of subordinate vehicles x number of vehicle summary information bytes (4)
The summarization ratio obtained by including the vehicle information of the subordinate vehicle as vehicle summary information and including it in the vehicle group information can be defined as shown in Equation 5.
Summarization rate = vehicle summary information byte count / vehicle information byte count (5)

The above formula 1 can be modified using the formulas 2 to 5 as shown in the following formula 6.
Required bandwidth = (number of vehicle groups) x (number of vehicle group information bytes) / transmission cycle
= (Total number of vehicles / number of vehicles in the vehicle group) × (number of vehicle information bytes + number of dependent vehicles × number of vehicle summary information bytes) / transmission cycle
= (Total number of vehicles x number of vehicle information bytes / transmission cycle) x (1 + number of subordinate vehicles x number of vehicle summary information bytes / number of vehicle information bytes) x (1 / number of vehicles in the vehicle group)
= Non-vehicle group communication required band × {1+ (number of vehicles in the vehicle group−1) × summarization rate} × (1 / number of vehicles in the vehicle group)
= Non-vehicle group communication required band × {(1−summary rate) / number of vehicles in vehicle group + summary rate} (6)

The curly braces in the final form of Equation 6, that is, {(1−summary rate) / number of vehicles in the vehicle group + summary rate} is the bandwidth reduction rate due to the communication between the vehicle groups. For example, when the summarization rate is 20% and the number of vehicles belonging to one vehicle group (the number of vehicles in the vehicle group) is 10, for example, the reduction rate is expressed by the following equation (7).
Reduction rate = (1−0.2) /10+0.2=0.28 (7)
Thus, the bandwidth required for communication between vehicles can be reduced to 28%.

  As a specific example, the total number of vehicles in the communication range between the vehicle groups is 1000, the number of bytes of vehicle information is 100 bytes, and the transmission cycle is every 100 milliseconds. Proposal for proposals for development proposal guidelines, press release, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, March 1, 2007, Attachment 3 <Basic plan> “Study on advanced frequency technology for vehicle-to-vehicle communication to support safe driving” Development "). In this case, the non-vehicle group communication required bandwidth is 8 Mbps (= 1000 × 100 (bytes) / 100 (milliseconds)). On the other hand, in the case of inter-car group communication in which the number of vehicles in the vehicle group is 10 and the summarization rate is 20%, the reduction rate is 0.28 according to Equation 7. Therefore, the necessary bandwidth is 2.24 Mbps. When the number of vehicles in the vehicle group is 5, the reduction rate is 0.36 and the required bandwidth is 2.88 Mbps, and when 4 is 4, the reduction rate is 0.4 and the required bandwidth is 3.2 Mbps. In communication using the CSMA method, the available bandwidth is about 30% of the communication bandwidth, so the communication bandwidth may be 10 Mbps with 30% being about 3 Mbps (communication speed by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13).

  Next, in order for each communication device 1 configured as described above to transmit and receive vehicle information, vehicle summary information, and vehicle group information efficiently and without omission, and to obtain vehicle group information that does not cause a problem in traveling control. Details of the processing to be performed will be described with reference to a flowchart.

  5 and 6 are flowcharts showing an outline of the entire processing procedure performed by the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 is an example.

  When the communication device 1 is activated and supplied with power from the power supply device, the communication device 1 performs initial setting (step S101). For example, the communication device 1 resets and stores the vehicle information (own vehicle information) of the vehicle on which the communication device 1 is disposed in the storage unit 15. Specifically, the communication device 1 sets both the front link and the back link included in the own vehicle information to False.

  The communication device 1 updates the own vehicle information by acquiring the speed, position, and traveling direction of the vehicle on which the communication device 1 is arranged (step S102). The communication device 1 transmits the host vehicle information to the front vehicle by the front vehicle group communication unit 11 (step S103). At this time, the presence or absence of the front vehicle is unknown. Therefore, it transmits without using the destination vehicle ID of the vehicle information packet to transmit, or transmits as information which shows undecided etc. At this time, the communication device 1 performs transmission regardless of whether or not the front vehicle belongs to the same group as the vehicle (own vehicle) to which the front vehicle is arranged. Therefore, in this case, there is a possibility that communication with the front vehicle is not in-vehicle communication.

  The communication device 1 determines whether or not the period t1 has elapsed since the host vehicle information was transmitted by the in-vehicle group communication unit 11 (step S104). The period t1 at this time is the upper limit of the response waiting time from the front vehicle. The period t1 is 10 milliseconds of the period T in which the communication device 1 updates the own vehicle information, for example, 10 milliseconds if the period T is 100 milliseconds.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the period t1 has not elapsed since the host vehicle information was transmitted by the front vehicle group communication unit 11 (S104: NO), the communication device 1 uses the front vehicle group communication unit 11 from the preceding vehicle. It is determined whether or not the own vehicle information (vehicle information of the front vehicle) transmitted from the front vehicle has been received (step S105). Specifically, the communication device 1 determines whether or not the destination vehicle ID of the host vehicle information packet received from the preceding vehicle matches the vehicle ID of the host vehicle, and determines that the destination vehicle ID has been received if they match. That is, the communication device 1 determines whether or not the vehicle information packet addressed to itself has been received from the preceding vehicle.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S105 that vehicle information has been received from the front vehicle (S105: YES), the communication device 1 processes the vehicle information received from the front vehicle (step S106), and whether the period t1 has elapsed. It is determined whether or not (step S107). Through the processing in step S106, the communication device 1 can determine whether or not the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle has been established. Details of the processing in step S106 will be described later (see FIG. 7).

  When it is determined that the vehicle information is not received from the front vehicle (S105: NO), the communication device 1 performs processing of information received from the rear vehicle or another vehicle (step S108), and the processing is performed to step S104. Return to. The communication device 1 receives the vehicle information of the front vehicle and performs processing (S106). Even when it is determined that the period t1 has not yet elapsed (S107: NO), the communication device 1 receives the vehicle information from the rear vehicle or another vehicle. Information is processed (S108), and the process returns to step S107.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S104 or step S107 that the period t1 has elapsed (S104: YES, S107: YES), the vehicle group information integration process (step S109), the own vehicle group information transmission process (step S110), and transmission processing of the own vehicle summary information is performed (step S111). Details of the processing in step S109, step S110, and step S111 will be described later (see FIGS. 10 to 15).

  Next, the communication device 1 adds 1 to the age included in each of the dependent vehicle summary information included in the own vehicle group information of the storage unit 15 (step S112), and the dependent vehicle summary information of the age equal to or greater than a predetermined value (B1) is Since it is old, it is deleted (step S113). Note that each time the period T is repeated with the predetermined value B1 being 5, for example, it is deleted when the added age becomes B1 or more, that is, when the subordinate vehicle summary information becomes information before the predetermined value B1 × period T. So that The communication device 1 also adds 1 to the age included in each of the other vehicle group information of the storage unit 15 (step S114), and deletes the other vehicle group information of the age equal to or greater than the predetermined value (A) because it is old (step S115). . When the period T is repeated with the predetermined value A set to 3, it is deleted whenever the age to be added becomes A or more, that is, when the vehicle group information becomes information that is more than the predetermined value A × cycle T. So that

  The communication device 1 determines whether or not the period T has elapsed since the own vehicle information was updated and transmitted in Step S102 and Step S103 (Step S116). If the communication device 1 determines that the period T has not elapsed (S116: NO), the communication device 1 processes the information received from the rear vehicle or another vehicle (S108), and returns the processing to step S116. This is because the transmission timings of the vehicle group information and the vehicle summary information from the communication devices 1, 1,... Are not synchronized.

  When determining that the period T has elapsed in step S116 (S116: YES), the communication device 1 returns the process to step S102 and repeats the process from step S102. Thereby, each process is performed with the fixed period T. FIG. Note that the communication device 1 ends the process when power is not supplied to the communication device 1.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of processing of vehicle information received from the front vehicle performed by communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S106 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The communication device 1 determines whether the front vehicle is new or not changed based on the vehicle information from the front vehicle received by the front vehicle group communication unit 11 (step S201). Specifically, when the information processing unit 14 has not yet stored the vehicle information of the front vehicle in the storage unit 15, the communication device 1 determines that the front vehicle is new. Further, the communication device 1 stores the vehicle information of the front vehicle in the storage unit 15 by the information processing unit 14, and stores the vehicle ID included in the vehicle information received by the in-vehicle communication unit 11 ahead and the storage unit 15. If the vehicle ID included in the vehicle information of the preceding vehicle is the same, it is determined that there is no change in the preceding vehicle.

  When it is determined that the front vehicle is new or has not been changed (S201: YES), the communication device 1 stores the received vehicle information as the front vehicle information in the storage unit 15 (step S202). And the communication apparatus 1 determines whether the connection with the communication apparatus 1 of a front vehicle is established (step S203). Specifically, the communication apparatus 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to determine whether or not the front link of the host vehicle information is True. The communication device 1 determines that the connection with the front vehicle is established when the front link of the host vehicle information stored in the storage unit 15 is True.

  If the communication device 1 determines that the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle has been established (S203: YES), the connection procedure is continued as it is and the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. The process returns to step S107.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle has not been established (S203: NO), that is, the front link of the own vehicle information stored in the storage unit 15 is False. In this case, 1 is added to the number of continuous responses from the communication device 1 of the front vehicle (step S204). The number of continuous responses is initially set to zero. The communication device 1 determines whether or not the number of continuous responses from the communication device 1 of the front vehicle is a predetermined number (for example, 5) or more (step S205), and determines that the number is less than the predetermined number (S205). : NO), assuming that the connection is being established, the process returns to step S107 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the number of continuous responses from the communication device 1 of the front vehicle is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (S205: YES), the communication device 1 determines the establishment of the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle (step) S206). Specifically, the communication device 1 sets the front link of the vehicle information (own vehicle information) of the host vehicle stored in the storage unit 15 to True by the information processing unit 14. In this case, the communication apparatus 1 sets the number of continuous responses to zero and resets it (step S207), and returns the process to step S107 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S201 that the front vehicle is not new and the front vehicle has changed (S201: NO), the communication device 1 releases the connection of the existing front vehicle with the communication device 1 (step 201). S208). Specifically, the communication device 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to obtain a vehicle ID included in the vehicle information received by the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and a vehicle ID included in the front vehicle information stored in the storage unit 15. If they do not match, it is determined that there is a change in the front vehicle. And the front vehicle information already memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 15 is deleted from the memory | storage part 15, and the front link of the own vehicle information is set to False. And the communication apparatus 1 memorize | stores the vehicle information received by the front vehicle group communication part 11 this time in the memory | storage part 15 as a front vehicle information (step S209). The communication device 1 sets the number of continuous responses from the preceding vehicle to 1 (step S210), and returns the process to step S107 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  In the communication device 1, the communication device 1 of the front vehicle that has received the own vehicle information transmitted by the communication device 1 continuously transmits the vehicle information to the own device a plurality of times (for example, five times) or more by the processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7. If the communication device 1 is able to receive it, it is determined that the connection has been established because the communication with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle is stable. When the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle is established, the communication device 1 is basically the front vehicle or the vehicle traveling ahead is the head (the real leader vehicle). It can be determined that there is. Conversely, the communication device 1 is unstable in communication with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle when the vehicle information cannot be received once or continuously several times from the communication device 1 of the same front vehicle. Therefore, it is determined that the connection has not been established. In this case, the communication device 1 can basically determine that the host vehicle is the head (the true leader vehicle).

  Note that the communication device 1 may determine that the front vehicle group communication unit 11 has established a connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle only by receiving vehicle information addressed to itself.

  Alternatively, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is determined to be the front vehicle under the following conditions, and when the vehicle is not determined to be the front vehicle, the communication device 1 determines that there is no change in the front vehicle (S201: YES), when the distance exceeds the predetermined distance and should not be confirmed as the front vehicle, the number of continuous responses is set to zero, and the connection is released even if the connection is established. For example, the communication device 1 calculates the distance between the position of the front vehicle included in the vehicle information received from the front vehicle and the position of the host vehicle included in the host vehicle information. Confirm that the vehicle is in close contact. The predetermined distance in this case is, for example, an appropriate inter-vehicle distance according to the speed included in the vehicle information of the host vehicle. Further, the vehicle is determined to be a front vehicle when the angle difference between the traveling direction of the front vehicle and the traveling direction of the host vehicle is within a predetermined angle (for example, 30 °). Further, it is determined whether or not the front vehicle and the host vehicle are traveling on the same lane within an appropriate inter-vehicle distance, and when the vehicle is traveling on the same lane, the front vehicle is determined. Specifically, whether or not the distance between the front vehicle and the host vehicle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the traveling direction is within 1 meter, for example, based on the positions included in the vehicle information of the front vehicle and the host vehicle. Judgment is made, and if it is within 1 meter, it is determined that the vehicle is on the same lane. When there are a plurality of vehicles that satisfy the above conditions, the vehicle with the shortest inter-vehicle distance is determined as the front vehicle. Furthermore, the communication device 1 schedules the vehicle to change lanes based on operation information such as direction indicators, accelerators, brakes, transmissions, steering wheels, etc., route information for car navigation, or control information for each ECU. For example, if it can be estimated that the above condition is not satisfied, the front-facing vehicle may not be determined. In addition, the driver may be set so that the vehicle ahead is not a front vehicle or a rear vehicle.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of processing of information received from the rear vehicle or another vehicle performed by communication device 1 in the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S108 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The communication device 1 determines whether vehicle information is received from the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle by the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 (step S301). That is, as shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6, each communication device 1, 1,... Transmits its own vehicle information by the in-vehicle communication unit 11, so whether or not the communication device 1 has received it. Determine whether.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the vehicle information has been received from the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle (S301: YES), it stores the received vehicle information (own vehicle information transmitted by the rear vehicle) as the rear vehicle information. Store in the unit 15 (step S302). And the communication apparatus 1 employ | adopts the result of the connection establishment determination contained in the vehicle information received from the communication apparatus 1 of the back vehicle for the connection establishment determination with its back vehicle (step S303). Specifically, the communication device 1 causes the information processing unit 14 to copy the value of the front link included in the vehicle information received from the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle to the rear link of the own vehicle information. If the communication device 1 of the rear-facing vehicle determines that the host vehicle is determined as the front-facing vehicle and has established a connection, the front-link of the vehicle information of the rear-facing vehicle should be True. Yes, if it is being established, it is False.

  Next, the communication device 1 transmits its own vehicle information to the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle by the rear in-vehicle communication unit 16 (step S304), and determines whether or not the connection with the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle has been established. Determination is made (step S305). More specifically, in step S305, the communication device 1 determines whether or not the rear link of the own vehicle information (the front link of the rear vehicle information) is True, so that the communication device 1 with the rear vehicle communication device 1 determines. Determine whether a connection is established.

  If it is determined that the communication device 1 has established a connection with the communication device 1 of the rear-facing vehicle (S305: YES), the communication device 1 returns the process to step S108 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. On the other hand, when it is determined that the connection with the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle has not been established (S305: NO), the communication device 1 is subordinate to the own vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 by the information processing unit 14. When vehicle summary information is included, the age included in each subordinate vehicle summary information is adjusted to a predetermined value B2 (for example, a value 2 less than age maximum value B1 (B2 = B1-2)) (step S306), the process returns to step S104, S107 or S116 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. Note that the process in step S306 is to delete the dependent vehicle summary information because there is no dependent vehicle when the connection with the succeeding vehicle is not established. However, the information processing unit 14 does not immediately delete the subordinate vehicle summary information, but sets the age to a value slightly smaller than the age maximum value B1 (for example, a value 1 to 3 less than B1). To be properly deleted.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S301 that vehicle information has not been received from the vehicle behind (S301: NO), has the period t2 elapsed since the vehicle information was received from the vehicle in the previous cycle? It is determined whether or not (step S307). The period t2 is the sum of the period T at which each communication device 1, 1,... Updates and transmits its own vehicle information and the upper limit t1 of the response waiting time for vehicle information from the preceding vehicle (t2 = T + t1). ). This is because if the vehicle information from the same rear vehicle is transmitted, it should be transmitted in the cycle T from the previous reception.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the period t2 has elapsed (S307: YES), it can be estimated that the rear-facing vehicle to which the communication device 1 that is the transmission source of the previous vehicle information is arranged has left the vehicle group. Therefore, the connection with the communication device 1 of the existing rear-facing vehicle is released (step S308). Specifically, the communication apparatus 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to delete the trailing vehicle information already stored in the storage unit 15 from the storage unit 15 and sets the trailing link of the host vehicle information to False. Then, since there is no rear vehicle, the communication device 1 includes the dependent vehicle summary information when the information processing unit 14 includes the dependent vehicle summary information in the own vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15. The contained age is adjusted to the predetermined value B2 (S306), and the process is returned to step S104, S107 or S116 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  When determining that the period t2 has not elapsed (S307: NO), the communication device 1 determines whether the vehicle summary information has been received from the vehicle behind by the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 (step S309). . Specifically, when the relay vehicle ID in the vehicle summary information packet matches the vehicle ID in the subsequent vehicle information, the communication device 1 determines that the vehicle summary information has been received from the subsequent vehicle.

  If the communication device 1 determines that the vehicle summary information has been received (S309: YES), the communication device 1 establishes a connection with the communication device 1 (relayed communication device 1) of the succeeding vehicle that has transmitted the vehicle summary information (step 1). S310). Specifically, the communication apparatus 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to set the back link of the host vehicle information to True. The fact that the vehicle group summary information has been transmitted determines that the communication device 1 of the rear-facing vehicle has established a connection with the front-facing vehicle (own vehicle), and the communication device 1 determines in the rear-facing vehicle. This is because the result is adopted (see step S303). Then, the communication device 1 performs the process when the vehicle summary information is received from the rear vehicle (step S311), and returns the process to step S104, S107 or S116 in the process procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. . Details of the processing in step S311 will be described later (see FIG. 9).

  When determining that the vehicle summary information is not received in step S309 (S309: NO), the communication device 1 determines whether the vehicle group information transmitted from the other vehicle is received by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13. (Step S312). Specifically, the communication device 1 is received by the information processing unit 14 when the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information received by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13 does not match the vehicle ID of the own vehicle information. Judge that

  When it is determined that the vehicle group information transmitted from the other vehicle is received by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13 (S312: YES), the communication device 1 stores the vehicle group information in the storage unit 15 as the other vehicle group information by the information processing unit 14. (Step S313), the processing is returned to Step S104, S107 or S116 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. If the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the received vehicle group information matches the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information already stored as other vehicle group information in the storage unit 15, the reception is performed. When the vehicle group information is overwritten, and does not match, it is stored as new other vehicle group information.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S312 that vehicle group information from another vehicle has not been received by the vehicle group communication unit 13 (S312: NO), the processing shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. The processing is returned to step S104, S107 or S116 in the procedure.

  In step S301, in determining whether or not vehicle information has been received from the communication device 1 of the rear-facing vehicle, it is similarly determined whether or not a condition for determining whether the vehicle is the front-facing vehicle is satisfied, When it can be determined that the vehicle is a rear vehicle, it may be determined that the vehicle information is received from the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle. That is, for example, the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in which the communication device 1 that is the transmission source of the vehicle information is arranged is within a predetermined distance, the difference in traveling direction is within a predetermined angle, and the vehicle is traveling on the same lane. In some cases, it is determined that the vehicle is a trailing vehicle. Further, when vehicle information is received from a plurality of communication devices 1, 1,... Of the rear vehicle, the vehicle having the shortest inter-vehicle distance is determined as the rear vehicle.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating details of the vehicle summary information reception process performed by communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S311 shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  When the communication device 1 receives vehicle summary information from the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle by the rear vehicle group communication unit 12, the value obtained by adding 1 to the number of relays included in the vehicle summary information packet is a predetermined number of times S (for example, 20) It is determined whether or not it is below (step S401).

  When the communication device 1 determines that the value obtained by adding 1 to the number of relays exceeds the predetermined number S (S401: NO), the communication device 1 returns the processing as it is. Therefore, the processing is returned to step S104, S107 or S116 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. Thus, even if the vehicle summary information is received from the communication device 1 of the succeeding vehicle, if the vehicle summary information is from the vehicle communication device 1 exceeding the limit of the number of dependent vehicles, the communication device of the transmission source A vehicle with 1 is not a dependent vehicle.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the value obtained by adding 1 to the number of relays is equal to or less than the predetermined number S (S401: YES), the position information is included when the vehicle summary information of the transmission source vehicle includes the position information. It is determined whether or not the linear distance between the indicated position and the position indicated by the position information included in the vehicle information of the host vehicle is equal to or less than the predetermined distance L (step S402). The predetermined distance L in this case is, for example, 200 meters, which is half of the communication range of 400 meters by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13. When the last vehicle of the own vehicle group is located behind the communication range by the vehicle group communication unit, the vehicle group information from the communication device 1 of the vehicle belonging to another vehicle group traveling behind the vehicle group It is because it cannot receive.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the linear distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance L (S402: YES), the own vehicle group information in the order in which the received vehicle summary information is added to the number of relays included in the vehicle summary information packet. Is stored as the dependent vehicle summary information included in (step S403). Thereby, the own vehicle group information is appropriately created. And the communication apparatus 1 judges whether the vehicle to which the communication apparatus 1 of the transmission source of vehicle summary information is arranged is the tail end of a vehicle group (step S404). Specifically, when the communication device 1 determines by the information processing unit 14 that the subsequent link included in the received vehicle summary information is False, the vehicle to which the communication device 1 of the transmission source is arranged is a vehicle group. It is judged that it is the tail end of.

  If the communication device 1 determines that the vehicle to which the transmission source communication device 1 is arranged is not the tail end of the vehicle group (S404: NO), the communication device 1 refers to the front link of the own vehicle information and is the front vehicle. It is determined whether or not a connection has been established with the communication device 1 (step S405). When the information processing unit 14 determines that the front link included in the own vehicle information is True, the communication device 1 determines that the communication device 1 has established a connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle. When it is determined that the communication device 1 has established a connection with the front vehicle (S405: YES), the vehicle summary information received is incremented by 1 and the vehicle ID is set as the vehicle ID of the vehicle information. It is included in the summary information packet and relayed to the front vehicle by the in-vehicle group communication unit 11 (step S406), and the process returns. Thereby, the processing is returned to step S104, S107 or S116 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  If it is determined in step S405 that the connection with the front vehicle has not been established (S405: NO), the communication device 1 returns the process without relaying. Thereby, the processing is returned to step S104, S107 or S116 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S404 that the transmission source vehicle is the tail end of the vehicle group (S404: YES), the dependent vehicle summary information included in the vehicle group information already stored as the own vehicle group information. Among these, the age of the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle corresponding to the rear of the transmission source vehicle is adjusted to a predetermined value (B2) (step S407), and the process proceeds to step S405. Specifically, the communication device 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to set the age of the subordinate vehicle summary information that is later in order than the (number of relays + 1) th identified in step S403 included in the own vehicle group information as the predetermined value B2. To do. Since the subordinate vehicle summary information is deleted by the subsequent processing, when the speed of the subordinate vehicle so far decreases and the inter-vehicle distance increases, the communication device 1 of the vehicle When communication with the front vehicle in the front vehicle group communication unit 11 becomes unstable, it belongs to a new vehicle group, so this can be dealt with.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S402 that the linear distance between the vehicle on which the communication device 1 that is the vehicle summary information transmission source is arranged and the host vehicle is not less than the predetermined distance L (S402: NO), the host vehicle group information In the subordinate vehicle summary information included in the subordinate vehicle, the age of the subordinate vehicle summary information after the transmission source vehicle is adjusted to a predetermined value (B2) (step S408), and the process returns. Thereby, the processing is returned to step S104, S107 or S116 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. More specifically, in step S408, the communication apparatus 1 causes the information processing unit 14 to set the age of the (second relay number + 1) -th subordinate vehicle summary information included in the own vehicle group information to a predetermined value B2.

  Note that the number of vehicles included in one vehicle group is limited to the same number or less as the predetermined number of times S by determining whether or not the number obtained by adding 1 to the number of relays in step S401 is equal to or less than the predetermined number S. The vehicle summary information is transmitted and relayed by the communication devices 1, 1,... Of each vehicle receiving by the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 and transmitting by the front vehicle group communication unit 11. That is, it is realized by multi-hop communication. Therefore, the vehicle summary information having a larger number of relays is information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle. When the number of vehicles included in one vehicle group is too large, it takes time to receive the vehicle summary information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the last vehicle. In order to end the processing within the cycle T for updating and transmitting the vehicle information, the time required to receive the vehicle summary information from the communication device 1 of the last vehicle is suppressed to about 20% of the cycle T. desirable. Also, the configuration using old vehicle summary information is invalid for travel control.

Transmission of vehicle summary information from the communication device 1 of one vehicle to the communication device 1 of the front vehicle, that is, from reception by the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 to completion of transmission by the front vehicle group communication unit 11 The time required is calculated as shown in Equation 8 below.
Communication speed by the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 and the front vehicle group communication unit 11 = 1 Mbps,
Communication speed of communication line 17 in in-vehicle LAN = 1 Mbps or 500 kbps,
Vehicle summary information size = 20 bytes,
Time required for completion of transmission from the rear to the front = 20 bytes / 1 Mbps + 2 × (20 bytes / 1 Mbps)
= 480 microseconds ... (8)

When the period T is 100 milliseconds and the time required to receive the vehicle summary information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the last vehicle in the vehicle group is suppressed to 20 milliseconds, a predetermined number of relays is limited. The number of times is defined as the number of times relaying is completed in 10 milliseconds, which is a half of 20 milliseconds, and is calculated as shown in Equation 9 below.
Predetermined number of times = period T × 20% / 2 / time required to complete one transmission = 100 milliseconds × 0.2 / 2/480 microseconds = 20 (9)
In this case, by setting the predetermined number S to 20, the number of relays is limited to 19, and the number of vehicles belonging to one vehicle group is limited to 20.

  The communication apparatus 1 transmits and receives vehicle information before the vehicle group information integration process (S109) of the processes shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 according to the process procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. Determines whether the connection with the communication devices 1 and 1 of the front vehicle and the rear vehicle is successful or not, and if the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle is established, the vehicle received from another device Relay summary information. Then, the own vehicle group information is updated as appropriate based on the vehicle summary information received from other devices. When vehicle group information is received from another device, it is stored in the storage unit 15 as other vehicle group information. Thus, the communication device 1 stores the latest own vehicle group information and other vehicle group information in the storage unit 15 before the vehicle group information integration process (S109). Since the own vehicle group information and the other vehicle group information may include overlapping own vehicle information or dependent vehicle summary information, the communication device 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to perform the following FIG. 10 to FIG. 14. The processing shown in the flowchart is performed to separate and combine the vehicle information so as not to overlap.

  10 to 12 are flowcharts showing details of the vehicle group information integration processing performed by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 12 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S109 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The information processing unit 14 temporarily duplicates the own vehicle group information that has been created and updated and stored in the storage unit 15, and stores the information in the storage unit 15 as internal vehicle group information (step S501). The internal vehicle group information is information that is distinguished from the vehicle group information transmitted to the other vehicle group by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13 as will be described later. The vehicle travel control device in which the communication device 1 is arranged uses the internal host vehicle group information when performing processing according to the vehicle group situation.

  The information processing unit 14 extracts, as a set h, vehicle group information satisfying the following conditions from the own vehicle group information and other vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 (step S502). The conditions here are that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information does not overlap the rear part of another vehicle group, or that the leader vehicle of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information has established a connection with the front vehicle. is there. In step S502, the information processing unit 14 extracts vehicle group information that satisfies one of the two conditions described above. Specifically, when the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information does not match the vehicle ID of the dependent vehicle summary information included in the other vehicle group information, the information processing unit 14 performs the vehicle group information. To extract. Or the information processing part 14 extracts the vehicle group information whose front link of the leader vehicle information contained in vehicle group information is True.

  In step S502, the information processing unit 14 does not extract only the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information that does not overlap the rear part of another vehicle group, but the leader vehicle of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information is connected to the front vehicle. The vehicle group information of the vehicle group that is the leader vehicle that has established connection with the front vehicle is leaked to the extraction process in step S504.

  The information processing unit 14 pays attention to the vehicle group information i that has not yet undergone the processing from step S504 shown below as the vehicle group information i in the vehicle group information set h extracted in step S502 (step S503). The information processing unit 14 extracts, as a set j, other vehicle group information that satisfies the following conditions for the vehicle group information i of interest (step S504). The condition is that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information overlaps the rear part of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i of interest, and the leader vehicle of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information is connected to the communication device 1 of the front vehicle. Is not established. In step S504, the information processing unit 14 extracts vehicle group information that satisfies both of the above two conditions. Specifically, the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information is one of the vehicle IDs of the dependent vehicle summary information 1, 2,..., X included in the vehicle group information i. The vehicle group information that matches and the front link of the leader vehicle information is False is extracted.

  The information processing unit 14 determines whether there is unprocessed vehicle group information in the vehicle group information set j extracted in step S504 (step S505). When it is determined that the set j is not empty and there is unprocessed vehicle group information (S505: YES), the information processing unit 14 extracts the vehicle group information k that satisfies the following condition from the set j (step S506). . Here, the condition is that the position in the vehicle group indicated by the first vehicle group information i of the vehicle that overlaps the vehicle group of the vehicle group information i among the vehicle group information of the set j is the frontmost. Specifically, the information processing unit 14 obtains leader vehicle information having a vehicle ID that matches one of the vehicle IDs of the dependent vehicle summary information 1, 2,..., X included in the vehicle group information i in step S504 described above. A set j of vehicle group information including the same was extracted. In step S506, the information processing unit 14 extracts vehicle group information k including leader vehicle information having a vehicle ID that matches the vehicle ID of the subordinate vehicle summary information with the smallest order.

  The information processing unit 14 performs a process of separating the vehicle group information k extracted in step S506 and the vehicle group information i including overlapping vehicle information (step S507), and the vehicle group information k after the separation process is stored in the vehicle group. It is added to a set h that is a set of information i (step S508). Details of the vehicle group information separation processing in step S507 will be described later (see FIG. 13).

  The information processing unit 14 determines whether or not the vehicle group information i of interest at this time is own vehicle group information in which the vehicle to which the vehicle group i is arranged is the leader vehicle (step S509). Specifically, the information processing unit 14 determines whether or not the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information i matches the vehicle ID of the own vehicle information. It is judged that. When the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group information i is the own vehicle group information (S509: YES), the information processing unit 14 returns the process to step S505, and processes other vehicle group information included in the set j. On the other hand, if the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group information i is not the own vehicle group information (S509: NO), the process proceeds to the next step S510.

  The process in step S509 is performed for the following reason. As will be described later, the vehicle group information separation process in step S507 for the vehicle group information i and the vehicle group information k is performed for the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information k that overlaps the rear part of the subordinate vehicle of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i. This is a process for separating the vehicle into new vehicle group information i. Therefore, by performing the separation process from the vehicle group information k that overlaps most forward, any vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information extracted in step S504 does not overlap with the new vehicle group information i. Therefore, the separation process for the vehicle group information i ends. However, in the vehicle group information separation process of step S507, when the vehicle group information i is the own vehicle group information, control is performed so that the own vehicle group information itself is not separated even if there is an overlap in the vehicle group information i. . Therefore, the vehicle group information i remains as it is without being separated, and each vehicle group information of the vehicle group information set j extracted in step S504 still has an overlap with the vehicle group information i. Therefore, since it is necessary to perform vehicle group information processing for all the vehicle group information indicating the vehicle group that overlaps the rear part of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i that is the own vehicle group information, the determination process of step S509 is performed.

  Next, when the information processing unit 14 determines in step S505 that there is no unprocessed information in the vehicle group information set j (S505: NO), or in step S509, the vehicle group information i is determined not to be the vehicle group information. If so (S509: NO), the information processing unit 14 determines whether there is unprocessed vehicle group information in the vehicle group information set h (step S510). When it is determined that there is unprocessed vehicle group information (S510: YES), the information processing unit 14 returns the process to step S503, and sets other unprocessed vehicle group information as the vehicle group information i and the processes after step S504. To do.

  If it is determined in step S510 that there is no unprocessed vehicle group information (S510: NO), the information processing unit 14 deletes the set h and newly extracts vehicle group information that satisfies the following conditions as the set h (step h). S511). Note that the target vehicle group information here includes target vehicle group information after the processing from step S504 to step S509 is performed and separated. The extraction condition in step S511 is that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information does not overlap the rear part of another vehicle group, or the leader vehicle of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information has not established a connection with the front vehicle. That is. In step S511, the information processing unit 14 extracts vehicle group information that satisfies one of the two conditions described above. Specifically, when the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information does not match the vehicle ID of the dependent vehicle summary information included in the other vehicle group information, the information processing unit 14 performs the vehicle group information. To extract. Or the information processing part 14 extracts the vehicle group information whose front link of the leader vehicle information contained in vehicle group information is False.

  The information processing unit 14 pays attention to the vehicle group information i that has not yet undergone the processing from step S513 shown below as the vehicle group information i in the vehicle group information set h extracted in step S511 (step S512). The information processing unit 14 extracts, as a set j, other vehicle group information that satisfies the following conditions for the vehicle group information i of interest (step S513). The condition here is that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information overlaps behind the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i of interest, and the leader vehicle of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information is a communication device for the front vehicle. 1 is established. In step S513, the information processing unit 14 extracts vehicle group information that satisfies both of the above two conditions. Specifically, the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information is one of the vehicle IDs of the dependent vehicle summary information 1, 2,..., X included in the vehicle group information i. The vehicle group information that matches and the front link of the leader vehicle information is True is extracted.

  Next, the information processing unit 14 determines whether or not there is unprocessed vehicle group information in the vehicle group information set j extracted in step S513 (step S514). When it is determined that the set j is not empty and there is unprocessed vehicle group information (S514: YES), the information processing unit 14 extracts the vehicle group information k that satisfies the following condition from the set j (step S515). . Here, as in step S506, the condition is that the position in the vehicle group indicated by the first vehicle group information i of the vehicle that overlaps the vehicle group of the vehicle group information i in the vehicle group information of the set j is the frontmost. .

  When the vehicle group information k extracted in step S515 is combined with the vehicle group information i, the information processing unit 14 determines whether the number of dependent vehicles in the vehicle group is within a predetermined number S (step S516). Specifically, the information processing unit 14 sums the order in the vehicle group indicated by the first vehicle group information i of the vehicle overlapping the vehicle group of the vehicle group information i and the number of vehicles in the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information k. Is determined to be within a predetermined number. Here, the significance of determining whether or not the total number of vehicles is within a predetermined number S when combined is the same as that the limit on the number of relays of the vehicle summary information is within the predetermined number S. This is to limit the number of vehicles.

  When the information processing unit 14 determines in step S516 that the number is within the predetermined number S (S516: YES), the information processing unit 14 performs a process of combining the vehicle group information k with the vehicle group information i (step S517), and returns the process to step S514. Continue processing for other vehicle group information. Details of the vehicle group information combination processing in step S517 will be described later (see FIG. 14).

  When the information processing unit 14 determines in step S516 that the predetermined number S does not fall within the predetermined number (S516: NO), the information processing unit 14 determines whether the vehicle group information k is own vehicle group information (step S518). Specifically, the information processing unit 14 determines whether or not the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information included in the vehicle group information k matches the vehicle ID of the host vehicle information. to decide. When the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group information k is the own vehicle group information (S518: YES), the information processing unit 14 releases the connection of the front vehicle with the communication device 1 of the own vehicle (step S519). Specifically, the front link of the own vehicle information is set to False, and the continuous response count is reset to zero. When the number of vehicles subordinate to the vehicle group information combined with other vehicle group information i exceeds a predetermined number S, the vehicle group information remains as vehicle group information indicating an independent vehicle group. The front link of is set to False.

  Then, the information processing unit 14 performs vehicle group information separation processing on the vehicle group information i and the vehicle group information k (step S507). Even when the information processing unit 14 determines in step S518 that the vehicle group information k is not the own vehicle group information (S518: NO), the vehicle group information separation process is performed (step S507). Next, the information processing unit 14 adds the separated vehicle group information k to the vehicle group information set h (step S520), and determines whether or not there is unprocessed vehicle group information in the set h (step S520). S521).

  If the information processing unit 14 determines in step S514 that the set j is empty or that there is no unprocessed vehicle group information (S514: NO), the process proceeds to step S521 and the unprocessed vehicles in the set h. It is determined whether there is group information (S521).

  When the information processing unit 14 determines that there is unprocessed vehicle group information in the set h (S521: YES), the process returns to step S512, and the other vehicle group information is set as the vehicle group information i and the processes after step S513. To do. When it is determined that there is no unprocessed vehicle group information in the set h (S521: NO), the information processing unit 14 returns the process to step S110 in the processing procedure illustrated in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  Next, details of the vehicle group information separation process and the vehicle group information combination process in the vehicle group information integration process shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 12 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing details of the vehicle group information separation process performed by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S507 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The information processing unit 14 determines whether or not the focused vehicle group information i is the own vehicle group information with respect to the extracted vehicle group information k (step S61). Whether or not the vehicle group information i is own vehicle group information is determined by whether or not the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information matches the vehicle ID of the own vehicle information.

  If the information processing unit 14 determines in step S61 that the vehicle group information i is not the own vehicle group information but other vehicle group information (S61: NO), the subordinate vehicle summary corresponding to the vehicle overlapping from the other vehicle group information i. The information is deleted (step S62), and the process returns to step S508 or S520 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  When the information processing unit 14 determines in step S61 that the vehicle group information i is own vehicle group information (S61: YES), the information processing unit 14 does not delete the dependent vehicle information from the own vehicle group information itself. In this case, the information processing unit 14 rewrites the contents of the dependent vehicle summary information corresponding to the vehicle overlapping the vehicle group information k in the own vehicle group information i to the corresponding dependent vehicle summary information included in the vehicle group information k. (Step S63). Then, the information processing unit 14 adjusts the age of the subordinate vehicle summary information corresponding to the vehicle that overlaps the vehicle group information k in the own vehicle information i to a predetermined value B2 so that it is deleted in a later process (step). S64). Next, the information processing unit 14 corresponds to a vehicle that overlaps the vehicle group information k from the internal vehicle group information obtained by duplicating the vehicle group information in advance as shown in step S501 in the flowcharts of FIGS. The dependent vehicle summary information is deleted (step S65), and the process returns to step S508 or S520 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The vehicle group information separation process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13 separates the vehicle information from the vehicle group information i and the vehicle group information k so as not to overlap. However, when the vehicle group information i is own vehicle group information, the own vehicle group information transmitted to the other communication devices 1, 1,. It is only updated so that it becomes the latest information, and the other communication devices 1, 1,... Can receive the vehicle group information without omission.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating details of the vehicle group information combining process performed by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 14 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S517 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

The information processing unit 14 newly rewrites the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle that overlaps with the vehicle group information i and the vehicle group information k of interest (step S71). When the vehicle group information i is own vehicle group information, the same processing as the vehicle group information i is performed for the internal own vehicle group information. Specifically, the information processing unit 14 refers to the subordinate vehicle summary information having the same vehicle ID in the vehicle group information i and the vehicle group information k, and sets the age of the vehicle group information and the age of the subordinate vehicle summary information, respectively. Calculate the sum. When the sum in the vehicle group information k is smaller than the sum in the vehicle group information i, the information processing unit 14 rewrites the dependent vehicle summary information in the vehicle group information i with the dependent vehicle summary information in the vehicle group information k. At this time, the age is calculated by subtracting the age of the vehicle group information i from the age of the vehicle group information k so that the sum of the age of the vehicle group information and the age of the subordinate vehicle summary information is stored. It is the sum of the ages of the dependent vehicle summary information. When the vehicle ID of the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle group information i matches the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information of the vehicle group information k, the sum of the age of the dependent vehicle summary information and the age of the vehicle group information i Is compared with the age of the vehicle group information k. When it is determined that the age of the vehicle group information k is small, the information processing unit 14 rewrites the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle group information i with the leader vehicle information of the vehicle group information k. At this time, the age is a value obtained by subtracting the age of the vehicle group information i from the age of the vehicle group information k so that the sum of the age of the vehicle group information and the age of the dependent vehicle summary information is preserved.
When the vehicle group information i and the vehicle group information k are compared with each other and the vehicle group information i is missing, the subordinate vehicle summary information included in the vehicle group information k is filled with the missing vehicle group information i. to add. At this time, the age is obtained by subtracting the age of the vehicle group information i from the age of the vehicle group information k and the vehicle group information k so that the sum of the age of the vehicle group information and the age of the dependent vehicle summary information is preserved. And the age of the dependent vehicle summary information. In a situation where the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information k is actually coupled to the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i, the leader vehicle of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i is included in the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information k. This is because there is a possibility that the vehicle summary information is received only from a part of the vehicle.

  Next, the information processing section 14 determines whether or not the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information k extends rearward from the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i (step 72). Specifically, when the vehicle ID of the nth subordinate vehicle summary information of the vehicle group information i matches the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information of the vehicle group information k, the information processing unit 14 matches the vehicle of the vehicle group information i. The number obtained by subtracting n from the group vehicle number is compared with the number of subordinate vehicles in the vehicle group information k. When the number of dependent vehicles in the vehicle group information k is larger than the number obtained by subtracting n from the number of vehicle group vehicles in the vehicle group information i, the information processing unit 14 displays the vehicle group information i as the vehicle group information i. It is determined that the vehicle extends backward from the vehicle group indicated by.

  If the information processing unit 14 determines in step S72 that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information k extends backward from the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i (S72: YES), the information is included in the vehicle group information k. Of the dependent vehicle summary information, the backward dependent vehicle summary information extending beyond the vehicle group information i is added to the vehicle group information i (step S73), and the process proceeds to step S74.

  However, in step S73, when the vehicle group information i is the own vehicle group information, the information processing unit 14 does not add the subordinate vehicle summary information for the rear side to the vehicle group information i, and duplicates the internal information. Add to your vehicle group information.

  Even when the information processing unit 14 determines in step S72 that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information k does not extend backward from the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i (S72: NO), the process proceeds to step S74. . Then, the information processing unit 14 determines whether or not the vehicle group information k is own vehicle group information (step S74). When the vehicle ID of the leader vehicle information of the vehicle group information k matches the vehicle ID of the own vehicle information, the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group information k is the own vehicle group information. When the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group information k is not the own vehicle group information (S74: NO), the vehicle group information k is deleted from the storage unit 15 (step S75), and the flowcharts of FIGS. The process returns to step S514 in the processing procedure shown.

  When the information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group information k is own vehicle group information (S74: YES), the information processing unit 14 deletes the internal vehicle group information while maintaining the vehicle group information k as the own vehicle group information (step S76). ), The process returns to step S514 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  If it is determined in step S74 that the vehicle group information k is the vehicle group information (S74: YES), a process of deleting the internal vehicle group information is performed while maintaining the vehicle group information. In this case, the communication device 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to create vehicle group information by associating the vehicle summary information transmitted from each communication device 1, 1,. At this time, the communication apparatus 1 uses the information processing unit 14 to control the vehicle summary information not to be subordinate vehicle summary information when the number obtained by adding 1 to the number of relay times of the vehicle summary information exceeds a predetermined number S (FIG. 9, S401) and control (FIG. 9, S402) not to be subordinate vehicle summary information even when the distance is not less than L are performed. Even when the vehicle group indicated by the own vehicle group information is actually being combined with the vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information, the configuration in which the own vehicle group information itself is deleted at this time, the vehicle group indicated by the own vehicle group information There is a possibility that the last vehicle may leak from other vehicle group information due to the limitation of the number of dependent vehicles. Since the overlapping vehicle information is adjusted so that each communication device 1, 1,... Therefore, only the internal vehicle group information used for its own travel control is deleted, and the vehicle group information is maintained without being deleted for transmission to the other communication devices 1, 1,.

  By the vehicle group information combining process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 14, the vehicle group information k is combined with the vehicle group information i, and there is no overlapping leader vehicle information or dependent vehicle summary information in the vehicle group information used for travel control.

  Next, after the vehicle group information is separated and / or combined by the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 14, the communication device 1 transmits the own vehicle group information and the own vehicle summary information to another communication device 1. Processing will be described.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing details of the transmission processing of the host vehicle group information performed by communication device 1 in the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 15 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S110 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The communication device 1 determines whether or not the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle has been established (step S81). Specifically, the communication device 1 determines that a connection has been established with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle when the front link of the host vehicle information in the storage unit 15 is True.

  When the communication device 1 determines that the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle has not been established (S81: NO), the vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 is transmitted by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13. Are transmitted to the other communication apparatuses 1, 1,... (Step S82), and the process returns to step S111 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  If the communication device 1 determines that the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle is established (S81: YES), there is other vehicle group information including the latest summary of the own vehicle information as subordinate vehicle summary information. Whether or not (step S83). Specifically, in the communication device 1, the information processing unit 14 causes the vehicle ID of the own vehicle information to match the vehicle ID of the dependent vehicle summary information included in the other vehicle group information of the storage unit 15 and the other vehicle group. When the age of the information and the age of the dependent vehicle summary information are zero, it is determined that there is other vehicle group information including the latest summary of the own vehicle information as the dependent vehicle summary information. The fact that the other vehicle group information including the latest summary of the own vehicle information is transmitted from the other communication device 1 means that the vehicle on which the vehicle is arranged belongs to the vehicle group having the preceding vehicle as the leader vehicle. This is because it is possible to determine that transmission from the leader vehicle is not necessary even if the vehicle group information itself is not transmitted.

  If the communication device 1 determines in step S83 that there is other vehicle group information including the latest summary of own vehicle information as subordinate vehicle summary information (S83: YES), the processing is shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. Return to step S111 in the processing procedure. If the communication device 1 determines in step S83 that there is no other vehicle group information that includes the latest vehicle information summary as subordinate vehicle summary information (S83: NO), the vehicle group information is transmitted by the inter-vehicle group communication unit 13. The data is transmitted (S82), and the process returns to step S111 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. In this case, since there is no communication device 1 that transmits the vehicle group information with the host vehicle as a subordinate vehicle, the device itself should transmit in order to transmit and receive the vehicle group information without omission.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing details of the own vehicle summary information transmission process performed by communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 16 corresponds to the details of the processing in step S111 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The communication device 1 determines whether or not the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle is established (step S91), and when it is determined that the connection is established (S91: YES), the front vehicle group The internal communication unit 11 transmits the own vehicle summary information extracted from the own vehicle information to the preceding vehicle (step S92), and returns the process to step S112 in the processing procedure shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.

  When it is determined that the connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle has not been established (S91: NO), the communication device 1 does not transmit the own vehicle summary information, and the flowcharts of FIGS. The process returns to step S112 in the processing procedure shown.

  As described above, the communication device 1 periodically performs the processing from step S102 to step S116 of the processing shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 while performing the processing in each subroutine shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. Perform at T. Thereby, each communication device 1, 1,... Updates its latest vehicle information, and the communication device 1 of the vehicle having the communication device 1 itself or a vehicle on which the communication device 1 is arranged as a subordinate vehicle is updated. Vehicle group information including vehicle information is transmitted and received. Also, by separating and combining the own vehicle group information created by itself and other vehicle group information received from other communication devices 1, 1,... So that the leader vehicle information or the dependent vehicle summary information does not overlap, It can be vehicle group information that matches the vehicle group status at each time point. Therefore, the traveling control device can perform traveling control using appropriate vehicle group information.

  Next, the vehicle group information integration process by the information processing unit 14 will be described with a specific example.

  FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing in-vehicle group communication and inter-vehicle group communication by the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 17 shows the situation at a certain point in time of a plurality of vehicles traveling at the intersection and the vicinity thereof. The communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 includes vehicle summary information from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2, and vehicle summary information transmitted from the communication devices 1, 1, 1 of the vehicles V3, V4, and V5 and relayed by multi-hopping communication. And own vehicle group information including each as subordinate vehicle summary information is stored.

  As shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 17, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 includes not only the own vehicle group information indicating the status of the vehicle group including the vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, and V5, but also the communication device of the vehicle V7. 1 receives and stores other vehicle group information including subordinate vehicle summary information for two vehicles V7 as a leader vehicle. Similarly, the other vehicle group information having the vehicle V8 as the leader vehicle is received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V8, the other vehicle group information having the vehicle V9 as the leader vehicle is received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9, and the vehicle V10 The other vehicle group information in which the vehicle V10 is the leader vehicle is also received from the communication device 1 and stored. And other vehicle group information is also received from the communication apparatus 1 of the vehicle V6.

  Thereby, the traveling control device of the vehicle V1 performs traveling control by regarding the vehicle group including the vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, and V5 as one long vehicle. For other vehicle groups, for example, three vehicle groups with the vehicle V7 as the leader vehicle, three vehicle groups with the vehicle V8 as the leader vehicle, five vehicle groups with the vehicle V9 as the leader vehicle, and the vehicle V10 as the leader The four vehicle groups that are vehicles are regarded as one long vehicle, and travel control is performed to avoid a collision with each vehicle. As a result, the communication load is reduced as compared with the case where communication is performed between the respective communication devices 1, 1,..., And the load of the control process is larger than when processing is performed by calculating the distance to each vehicle. Expected to be lighter. Even on a congested road, it is expected that the lack of bandwidth will be resolved and that the travel control for preventing accidents in each travel control device will be performed smoothly.

  As shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 17, traveling control can be performed using the own vehicle group information and the other vehicle group information. However, each vehicle V1, V2,... Is traveling. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle V5 decelerates or the vehicle V3 turns to the left, the vehicle group changes its composition from moment to moment. The communication devices 1, 1,... Of each vehicle V1, V2,... Perform the processing shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. The vehicle group information corresponding to the situation of the vehicle group changing every moment is used.

  FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a process of the integration processing of the vehicle group information by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 in the present embodiment. 18 represents the passage of time from the upper part to the lower part, an example of the vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 in the left half, and the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 in the right half. The example of the vehicle group information memorize | stored is shown typically. It is assumed that the vehicle V1 and the vehicle V9 are traveling in a positional relationship as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 17 and belong to different vehicle groups.

  At a certain point in time, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 sets the vehicle group information indicating the vehicle group having the vehicle V1 to which the vehicle V1 is disposed as the leader vehicle and the vehicles V2, V3, V4, and V5 as subordinate vehicles as the own vehicle group information. It is stored in the storage unit 15. When the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 has not established a connection with the communication device 1 of the preceding vehicle or has not received other vehicle group information including its latest information as a summary (FIG. 15, S81: NO, S83: NO), because the own vehicle group information is transmitted to the other communication devices 1, 1,... (S82), the vehicle V9 is also received and stored as other vehicle group information.

  It is assumed that the communication with the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3, which has been determined as the front vehicle until then, becomes unstable due to the vehicle V4 decelerating at a later time, and the connection is released. In this case, it is determined that the vehicle V4 has not established a connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle (vehicle V3) (S81: NO), and the vehicle V4 is used as the leader vehicle as the vehicle V5 as its own vehicle group information. Is transmitted as a subordinate vehicle (S82). Both the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 and the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 receive the vehicle group information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 and store it as other vehicle group information.

  Then, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 and the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 respectively perform integration processing for the own vehicle group information and the other vehicle group information as follows. However, in the processing of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1, since the other vehicle group information received from the vehicle V4 and the own vehicle group information overlap, the separation / combination processing is not simply performed.

  The information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 overlaps the rear of the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i with the vehicle V1 as the leader vehicle, and the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information with the vehicle V4 as the leader vehicle, and Since the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 has not established a connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle, the vehicle group information is extracted as a set j of vehicle group information (S504 in FIG. 10). Then, the vehicle group information transmitted from the vehicle V4 is extracted as the vehicle group information k (S506), and the vehicle group information separation process is performed (S507). Since the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 determines that the vehicle group information i is not the own vehicle group information in the vehicle group information separation process (FIG. 13, S61: NO), the vehicle V1 is set as the leader vehicle. From the vehicle group information, the subordinate vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 and the vehicle V5 that overlaps the vehicle group information k is deleted (S62), and the vehicle group information i is obtained. Accordingly, the vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 includes the other vehicle group information 1 indicating the vehicle group including the vehicles V1, V2, and V3, and the vehicle group including the vehicles V4 and V5. It becomes the other vehicle group information 2 shown, and becomes information in accordance with the actual situation.

  The information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 also extracts the vehicle group information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 as the vehicle group information k for the vehicle group information i having the vehicle V1 as the leader vehicle (see FIG. 10, S506), vehicle group information separation processing is performed (S507). However, in the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1, the information processing unit 14 determines the vehicle group information i as the own vehicle group information within the vehicle group information separation process (FIG. 13, S61: YES), as shown in FIG. The own vehicle group information is not separated, and the dependent vehicle summary information of the overlapping vehicles V4 and V5 is deleted from the internal own vehicle group information (S65). At this time, the contents of the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 and the vehicle V5 of the own vehicle group information are rewritten to the contents of the leader vehicle information and the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle group information k (S63). Accordingly, the vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 indicates the own vehicle group information including the vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, and V5 and the vehicle group including the vehicles V4 and V5. Other vehicle group information and internal host vehicle group information indicating a vehicle group including the vehicles V1, V2, and V3. When the travel control device of the vehicle V1 uses the vehicle group information, the internal vehicle group information is used when the vehicle group information is used. As a result, the vehicle group information used for the control is information that matches the actual state of the vehicle group.

  The reason why the vehicle group information is not separated in the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 is as follows. In the above description, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 receives the vehicle group information transmitted from the vehicle V4 and stores it as the other vehicle group information 2. However, communication between the communication devices 1, 1,... Is realized by radio, and transmission / reception is not always successful when a large number of vehicles are traveling close to each other. As soon as the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 receives the other vehicle group information including the dependent vehicle summary information that overlaps with the own vehicle group information, the redundant dependent vehicle summary information is deleted from the own vehicle group information to When the communication device 1 is configured to transmit to the communication devices 1, 1,..., The communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 cannot receive the vehicle group information transmitted from the vehicle V4. Unable to receive vehicle summary information. In this case, the travel control of the vehicle V9 may be in a dangerous state due to leakage of information on the vehicle V4 and the vehicle V5. In this regard, the vehicle group information is transmitted and received without omission by the processing of FIG. Even if overlapping vehicle group information is transmitted, each communication device 1, 1,...

  Next, specific examples of the vehicle group information separation process will be described separately. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of the vehicle group information separation process performed by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. 19 is stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 among the vehicles V1, V2,..., V9,. An example of the vehicle group information is schematically shown.

  FIG. 19A shows a vehicle based on the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 and the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 by the information processing unit 14 by the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1. The example of the process which isolate | separates group information is shown. FIG. 19B illustrates an example of processing in which the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 separates the vehicle group information based on the vehicle group information and the own vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V21 by the information processing unit 14. Indicates. FIG. 19C illustrates an example of processing in which the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 causes the information processing unit 14 to separate the vehicle group information based on the own vehicle group information and the vehicle group information received from the vehicle V4.

  As illustrated in FIG. 19A, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 receives the vehicle group information i received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 in response to the vehicle group information i received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9. Information is extracted as vehicle group information k (FIG. 10, S506). The vehicle group (vehicles V12, V13, V14, V15) indicated by the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 is the rear part of the vehicle group (vehicles V9, V11, V12, V13, V14) indicated by the vehicle group information i. It is because it overlaps. In addition, even when the vehicle group information indicating the vehicle group overlapping the rear part of the vehicle group (vehicles V9, V11, V12, V13, V14) indicated by the vehicle group information i exists in the set j, the vehicle group is For example, in the case of a vehicle group starting with the vehicle V13, the vehicle group whose position in the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i is the foremost is still the vehicle indicated by the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12. Is a group.

  In the information processing unit 14, since the vehicle group information i and the vehicle group information k are both other vehicle group information (FIG. 13, S61: NO), the information of the vehicles V12, V13, V14 overlapping from the vehicle group information i is obtained. The dependent vehicle summary information is deleted (S62). Accordingly, the vehicle group information i indicates a vehicle group composed of the vehicles V9 and V11, and the vehicle group information k indicates a vehicle group composed of the vehicles V12, V13, V14, and V15.

  In the case of the example shown in FIG. 19 (b), the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 gives the own vehicle group information to the vehicle group information i received from the vehicle V21 (not shown in FIG. 17). Extracted as vehicle group information k. The vehicle group (vehicles V21, V22, V1, V2, V3) indicated by the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V21 by the vehicle group (vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5) indicated by the own vehicle group information. It is because it overlaps with the rear part. Since the vehicle group information i is not the own vehicle group information (FIG. 13, S61: NO), the information processing unit 14 deletes the dependent vehicle summary information for the overlapping vehicles V1, V2, and V3 from the vehicle group information i ( Same as S62). Thus, when separating the own vehicle group information from the other vehicle group information, the own vehicle group information and the internal own vehicle group information are maintained as they are.

  In the case of the example shown in FIG. 19C, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 uses the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 with respect to the vehicle group information i that is the own vehicle group information. Extracted as vehicle group information k. The vehicle group (vehicles V4, V5, V6) indicated by the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 overlaps the rear part of the vehicle group (vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5) indicated by the own vehicle group information. Because. Since the vehicle group information i is the own vehicle group information (FIG. 13, S61: YES), the information processing unit 14 leaves the vehicle group information i as it is, and is duplicated from the internal own vehicle group information that is a duplicate of the vehicle group information i. The dependent vehicle summary information for the vehicles V4 and V5 to be deleted is deleted (S65). As described above, the subordinate vehicle summary information for the vehicles V4 and V5 in the vehicle group information i includes the contents of the leader vehicle information of the vehicle V4 and the contents of the subordinate vehicle summary information of the vehicle V5 included in the vehicle group information k. (S63). Then, the age of the vehicle V4 and the vehicle V5 of the vehicle group information i which is the own vehicle group information is adjusted (S64). In this way, when performing the process of separating the other vehicle group information from the own vehicle group information, only the duplicate content is updated and left for the own vehicle group information, and the duplicate is deleted from the internal own vehicle group information. Like that.

  FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a process in which the vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment becomes information appropriate to the situation by the vehicle group information separation process. Note that the explanatory diagram of FIG. 20 represents the passage of time from the upper part to the lower part as in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 18, and examples of vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 and the communication of the vehicle V4 The example of the vehicle group information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 15 of the apparatus 1 and the example of the vehicle group information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 15 of the communication apparatus 1 of the vehicle V9 are shown typically. Note that the vehicle V1, the vehicle V4, and the vehicle V9 are traveling in a positional relationship as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. In addition, the process by the vehicle group information separation process in FIG. 20 is the same as the process described in FIG. 18 and FIG.

  It should be noted in FIG. 20 that the contents of the own vehicle group information and other vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication devices 1, 1, 1 of the vehicle V1, the vehicle V4, and the vehicle V9 at each time point are not necessarily the same. Although they do not coincide, the internal vehicle group information and the other vehicle group information each have contents that are in line with the actual situation of the vehicle group. Even if the vehicle V1 transmits without deleting the overlapping vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 and the vehicle V5 from the own vehicle group information, each communication device 1, 1, 1 performs integration processing to use it for travel control. Information is realistic. As described above, even when the vehicle V9 cannot receive the vehicle group information (other vehicle group information 2) transmitted from the vehicle V4, the vehicles V4 and V5 from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1. Since vehicle group information including information as subordinate vehicle information is transmitted, there is no leakage. It is highly possible that the vehicle V6 is also transmitted from another communication device 1.

  The subordinate vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 and the vehicle V5 included in the own vehicle group information stored in the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 indicates a vehicle group in which the communication device 1 includes the vehicles V4 to V4 and the vehicle V5. When the vehicle group information is received, each age has a predetermined value B2. The predetermined value B2 is a value that is 2 less than the age maximum value B1 of the dependent vehicle summary information to be deleted. Accordingly, the age is incremented by 1 in this period (FIG. 6, S112), and when the next period arrives, the age becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value B1, and is deleted (S113). Thus, even if the subordinate vehicle summary information overlapping with the other vehicle group information is left in the own vehicle group information to be transmitted without being immediately deleted, transmission / reception without omission becomes possible.

  Next, specific examples of the vehicle group information combining process will be described separately. FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of the vehicle group information combining process performed by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. 21 is stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 among the vehicles V1, V2,..., V9,. An example of the vehicle group information is schematically shown.

  FIG. 21A shows a vehicle based on vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 and vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 by the information processing unit 14 by the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1. The example of the process which combines group information is shown. FIG. 21B illustrates an example of processing in which the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 combines the vehicle group information based on the vehicle group information and the own vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V21 by the information processing unit 14. Indicates. FIG. 21C illustrates an example of processing in which the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 uses the information processing unit 14 to combine the vehicle group information based on the own vehicle group information and the vehicle group information received from the vehicle V4.

  As illustrated in FIG. 21A, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 receives the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 in response to the vehicle group information i received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9. Information is extracted as vehicle group information k (FIG. 11, S515). However, the vehicle group (vehicles V12, V13, V14, V15) indicated by the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 is the vehicle group (vehicles V9, V11, V12, V13, V14) indicated by the vehicle group information i. This is a case where the leader vehicle V12 of the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 is connected to the communication device 1 of the front vehicle (V11).

  The information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group indicated by the extracted vehicle group information k and the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i are extending backward (FIG. 14, S72: YES), and the dependent vehicle summary of the vehicle V15. Information is added to the vehicle group information i (S73). Since the vehicle group information extracted as the vehicle group information k is not the own vehicle group information (S74: NO), the information processing unit 14 deletes the vehicle group information k from the storage unit 15 (S75). Thereby, the vehicle group information i received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 and the vehicle group information k received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V12 are combined.

  In the case of the example shown in FIG. 21 (b), the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 gives the own vehicle group information to the vehicle group information i received from the vehicle V21 (not shown in FIG. 17). Extracted as vehicle group information k. However, the vehicle group (vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5) indicated by the own vehicle group information is the rear part of the vehicle group (vehicles V21, V22, V1, V2, V3) indicated by the vehicle group information received from the vehicle V21. And the host vehicle V1 has established a connection with the front vehicle (V22).

  The information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information extracted as the vehicle group information k extends backward from the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i (FIG. 14, S72: YES). The dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 and the vehicle V5 in the own vehicle group information is added to the vehicle group information i (S73). Since the vehicle group information k is own vehicle group information (S74: YES), the information processing unit 14 maintains the vehicle group information k as it is, and deletes the duplicated internal own vehicle group information (same as above). , S76). Thereby, the storage unit 15 indicates vehicle group information indicating a vehicle group including the vehicles V21, V22, V1, V2, V3, V4, and V5, and a vehicle group including the vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, and V5. Both vehicle group information is stored. When the traveling control device of the vehicle V1 uses the vehicle group information, the vehicle V1 determines that it belongs to another vehicle group, and avoids a collision with the vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information using the own vehicle group information. Control can be performed.

  In the case of the example shown in FIG. 21C, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 uses the vehicle group information received from the vehicle V4 as the vehicle group information k for the vehicle group information i that is the own vehicle group information. Extract as However, the vehicle group (vehicles V4, V5, V6) indicated by the vehicle group information received from the vehicle V4 overlaps the rear part of the vehicle group (vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5) indicated by the own vehicle group information, and This is a case where the vehicle V4 has established a connection with the front vehicle (V3).

  The information processing unit 14 determines that the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 extends backward from the vehicle group indicated by the vehicle group information i which is the own vehicle group information (FIG. 14, S72: YES). However, since the vehicle group information i is own vehicle group information, the dependent vehicle summary information of the rear vehicle V6 is added to the internal own vehicle group information (S73). Then, the information processing unit 14 deletes the vehicle group information k because it is not the own vehicle group information (S74: NO, S75). Thereby, the vehicle group information received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 is combined with the internal host vehicle group information.

  FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a process in which the vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 according to the present embodiment becomes information appropriate to the situation by the vehicle group information combining process. The explanatory diagram of FIG. 22 represents the passage of time from the upper part to the lower part, and is an example of vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1, and is stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3. 2 schematically shows an example of vehicle group information and vehicle group information stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9. The vehicle V1, the vehicle V3, and the vehicle V9 are traveling in a positional relationship as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG.

  At a certain point of time, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 stores the vehicle group information indicating the vehicle group having the vehicle V3 to which the vehicle V3 is placed as the leader vehicle and the vehicles V4, V5, and V6 as subordinate vehicles as the own vehicle group information. 15 is stored. Then, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 transmits the own vehicle group information to the communication devices 1, 1,. Therefore, the vehicle group information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 is received by each of the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicle V1 and the vehicle V9, and is stored in the storage unit 15 as other vehicle group information. At this time, it is assumed that the leader vehicle V3 of the vehicle group information transmitted from the vehicle V3 has not established a connection with the communication device 1 of the front vehicle. Therefore, the front link of the leader vehicle information (V3) of the vehicle group information (a vehicle group including the vehicles V3, V4, V5, and V6) stored in each of the vehicles V1, V3, and V9 is False.

  At the next time, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 also stores vehicle group information indicating a vehicle group having the vehicle V1 to which the vehicle V1 is disposed as a leader vehicle and the vehicle V2 as a dependent vehicle in the storage unit 15 as own vehicle group information. In addition, the vehicle group communication unit 13 transmits the data to other communication devices 1, 1,. Therefore, each of the communication devices 1 and 1 of the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V9 also receives the vehicle group information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 and stores it in the storage unit 15 as other vehicle group information.

  Then, it is assumed that the vehicle V3 approaches the vehicle V2 at the next time point and the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 establishes a connection with the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2. In this case, the front link of the leader vehicle information of the own vehicle group information in the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 is True. When the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 transmits the own vehicle group information whose leading link of the leader vehicle information is True to the other communication device 1, the vehicle V1 and the vehicle V9 receive and store them. At this time, since the vehicle V3 approaches the vehicle V2 and the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 establishes a connection with the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 sends its own vehicle to the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2. Sending information. Accordingly, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 also writes the front link True indicated by the vehicle information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 to the rear connection link of the host vehicle information to establish a connection with the rear vehicle (V3). It is determined that Furthermore, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 transmits the vehicle summary information to the communication device 1 of the vehicle V2. The communication device 1 of the vehicle V2 relays the vehicle summary information transmitted from the vehicle V3 to the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1.

  Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 22, vehicle summary information from not only the vehicle V3 but also the vehicles V4, V5, and V6, which are subordinate vehicles thereof, is transmitted by multi-hopping communication. The communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 cannot receive the vehicle summary information that is transmitted from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V4 and is to be relayed by the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V2. However, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 receives the vehicle summary information transmitted from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V5 and relayed by the vehicle V4, the vehicle V3, and the vehicle V2, and as the (number of relay times 4 + 1) th subordinate vehicle summary information. Assume that you have created your own vehicle group information.

  In this case, the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 includes the own vehicle group information indicating the vehicle group including the vehicles V1, V2, V3, and V5, and the vehicles V3, V4 received from the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3. The vehicle group information combining process is performed based on the other vehicle group information indicating the vehicle group consisting of V5 and V6. The information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 overlaps the rear part of the vehicle group indicated by the own vehicle group information and the vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information, and the leader vehicle information of the other vehicle group information corresponding to the rear part. Since the front link is True and the number of vehicles when coupled is within a predetermined number S (for example, 20), the coupling process is performed.

  The information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V1 adds the subordinate vehicle summary information of the vehicle V6 included in the other vehicle group information to the internal host vehicle group information in the combination process (FIG. 14, S73) and cannot receive the information. The vehicle summary information of the vehicle V4 is supplemented by adding the subordinate vehicle information included in the other vehicle group information to the fourth of the own vehicle group information and the internal own vehicle group information.

  And the communication apparatus 1 of the vehicle V1 transmits the own vehicle group information thus obtained by the coupling process to the communication apparatuses 1 and 1 of the vehicle V3 and the vehicle V9. The communication device 1 of the vehicle V9 receives the new vehicle group information (vehicle group consisting of the vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5) transmitted from the vehicle V1, stores it as the other vehicle group information 2, and already stores the vehicle. The other vehicle group information 1 received and stored from the V3 communication device 1 is combined. This is because the vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information 1 overlaps the rear part of the vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information 2 and the front link of the leader vehicle information (vehicle V3) of the other vehicle group information 1 is True. . The other vehicle group information 1 is combined with the other vehicle group information 2 and stored in the storage unit 15 as one other vehicle group information by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V9.

  Similarly, the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 also receives new vehicle group information (vehicle group consisting of the vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5) transmitted from the vehicle V1 and stores it as other vehicle group information. The information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 overlaps the rear part of the vehicle group indicated by the other vehicle group information with the vehicle group indicated by the own vehicle group information and the front link of the leader vehicle information of the own vehicle group information, that is, Since the front link of the vehicle information is True, the other vehicle group information and the own vehicle group information are combined. The information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 of the vehicle V3 adds the dependent vehicle summary information of the vehicle 6 included in the own vehicle group information to the other vehicle group information received from the vehicle V1 (FIG. 14, S73). However, since the overlapping vehicle group information is the own vehicle group information (S74: YES), the own vehicle group information is maintained as it is.

  As shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 22, the own vehicle group stored in the storage unit 15 of each of the communication devices 1, 1, 1 of the vehicle V <b> 1, the vehicle V <b> 3, and the vehicle V <b> 9 by the vehicle group information combination process. The contents of the information and the other vehicle group information do not necessarily match, but the internal host vehicle group information and the other vehicle group information are in accordance with the actual situation of the vehicle group. As a result, the vehicle group information used for the control is information that matches the actual state of the vehicle group.

  In the above-described embodiment, the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 are realized by millimeter waves, UWB, infrared light, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in-vehicle communication may use DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) technology. In this case, direct communication and multi-hopping communication between adjacent vehicles can be realized by providing directivity control and transmission power control functions in the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12. .

(Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 are realized by millimeter waves, UWB, infrared light, and the like. However, the vehicle using visible light communication is used. In-group communication may be realized. FIG. 23 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the communication device 1 according to a modification of the present embodiment. The communication device 1 in the modification includes a front transmission unit 21, a front reception unit 22, a rear transmission unit 23, a rear reception unit 24, an inter-vehicle communication unit 13, an information processing unit 14, a storage unit 15, an in-vehicle communication unit 16, and a communication. A line 17 is included. The components common to the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The front transmission unit 21 and the rear transmission unit 23 include a light emitting unit and a modulation unit using LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and the like, and realize transmission of various information packets. That is, a communication device is added by adding a modulation device to the headlight and taillight. The front receiving unit 22 and the rear receiving unit 24 use a visible light camera and a visible light sensor to receive and demodulate light emitted from the front transmitting unit 21 or the rear transmitting unit 23 and extract various transmitted information packets. Is provided. A surveillance camera may be used for the front receiving unit 22 and the rear receiving unit 24. Thereby, it is possible to implement in-vehicle group communication using an existing device arranged in each vehicle.

  Also in the modification, the communication device 1 transmits vehicle information by the front transmission unit 21 and waits until the vehicle information transmitted as a response from the front vehicle can be received by the front reception unit 22. Moreover, the communication apparatus 1 receives the vehicle information transmitted from the rear vehicle by the rear receiving unit 24, and transmits the vehicle information to the rear vehicle by the rear transmission unit 23 as a response. Further, the vehicle summary information transmitted from the rear vehicle is received by the rear receiving unit 24 and relayed by the front transmitting unit 21. The processing by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1 is the same as the processing in the above-described embodiment.

  According to the present embodiment and the modification, the vehicle group information that summarizes and summarizes the vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle that changes from moment to moment is updated at a certain period, and is transmitted and received to perform the integration process, so that the state of the vehicle group is obtained. The information was appropriate. It is preferable that the travel control device of each vehicle uses the result of the vehicle group information integration process of step S109 shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 by the information processing unit 14 of the communication device 1. As a result, each traveling control device can detect a dangerous state by using the positional relationship between the vehicle groups, the positional relationship of the vehicles in the vehicle group, the vehicle speed, and the traveling direction, and can be used to prevent a traffic accident. Control can be performed.

  In the present embodiment, the band information necessary for communication between the vehicle groups is reduced by using the vehicle information of the subordinate vehicle included in the vehicle group information as the vehicle summary information. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the configuration in which in-vehicle group communication is performed based on the vehicle summary information extracted from the vehicle information. When the communication device 1 establishes the connection with the front vehicle, the communication device 1 transmits the own vehicle information that is not summarized, and relays the own vehicle information received from the communication device 1 of the rear vehicle to the communication device 1 of the front vehicle. May be.

  In the present embodiment, the timings at which the communication apparatuses 1, 1,... Perform the processing procedures shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. Therefore, the other vehicle group information and the own vehicle group information that each communication device 1, 1,... Receives from the other communication devices 1, 1,. . Therefore, when the communication device 1 updates the vehicle information, time information indicating the update time may be added to the vehicle information. The time information in this case is preferably represented by absolute time. It is only necessary to recognize an accurate time in milliseconds from the time point when the traveling control is performed to the time point when the update is performed. As a result, even if the vehicle group information is past the period T, the current vehicle position is corrected using the vehicle position and traveling direction indicated by each vehicle information and vehicle summary information time information included in the vehicle group information. Can be obtained. Specifically, the communication device 1 receives each communication device 1, depending on whether it is received from an in-vehicle device having a function of receiving a signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite or whether the communication device 1 itself has a GPS reception function. The absolute time information synchronized with 1,... Can be acquired, and the time at the time of transmitting the vehicle group information and the time of transmitting the vehicle summary information may be added. The absolute time information that can be acquired by each communication device 1, 1,... Does not necessarily have to be synchronized with high accuracy.

  In the present embodiment, the information processing unit 14 is configured to be connected to the front vehicle group communication unit 11 and the rear vehicle group communication unit 12 via the vehicle communication unit 16 and the communication line 17. In the modification, the information processing unit 14 is connected to the front transmission unit 21, the front reception unit 22, the rear transmission unit 23, and the rear reception unit 24 via the in-vehicle communication unit 16 and the communication line 17. However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the information processing unit 14 is connected to the communication line 17 via the in-vehicle communication unit 16, and is integrated with either the front in-car group communication unit 11 or the rear in-car group communication unit 12. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which communication is possible using an internal bus. Also in the modification, the information processing unit 14 may be configured to be integrated with the front transmission unit 21 and the front reception unit 22 or the rear transmission unit 23 and the rear reception unit 24 so as to communicate with each other via an internal bus. As a result, communication can be performed at a higher speed than communication via the communication line 17, and communication with higher certainty is possible.

  In this Embodiment, the example which applied the communication apparatus which concerns on this invention to the communication apparatus distribute | arranged to a vehicle was shown. Therefore, when defining the formation of a vehicle group, a plurality of vehicles traveling in a row were regarded as one vehicle group for the purpose of using vehicle group information for control for safe driving. Therefore, a configuration in which intra-vehicle communication with a nearby vehicle is realized by the front in-vehicle communication unit 11 and the rear in-vehicle communication unit 12 that are directed forward and rearward, and a configuration that performs multi-hopping communication in a daisy chain. did. However, the communication device 1 of the present invention can be applied not only to the vehicle but also to the cooperation of a robot group including a moving unit. In this case, depending on the definition of the group, the in-vehicle group communication unit may be configured to perform multi-hopping communication with the left and right robots instead of communication with the front and rear robots.

  The disclosed embodiments should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the content of the various information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the content of the packet containing each information used when the communication apparatus in this Embodiment transmits vehicle information, vehicle summary information, and vehicle summary information. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the content of the vehicle information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of each vehicle which forms a vehicle group, and vehicle group information. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the whole processing procedure which the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the whole processing procedure which the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of a process of the vehicle information received from the front vehicle which the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the process of the information received from the back vehicle or other vehicle which the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the reception process of the vehicle summary information which the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the vehicle group information integration process which the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the vehicle group information integration process which the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the vehicle group information integration process which the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the vehicle group information separation process which the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the vehicle group information coupling | bonding process which the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the transmission process of the own vehicle group information which the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the transmission process of the own vehicle summary information which the communication apparatus in this Embodiment performs. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the communication in a vehicle group and the communication between vehicle groups by the communication apparatus in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the process of the integration process of the vehicle group information by the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of the vehicle group information separation process by the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the process in which the vehicle group information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment becomes the information according to the condition by vehicle group information separation process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of the vehicle group information coupling | bonding process by the information processing part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the process from which the vehicle group information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the communication apparatus in this Embodiment becomes the information according to a condition by vehicle group information coupling | bonding process. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the communication apparatus in the modification of this Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Front vehicle group communication part 12 Back vehicle group communication part 13 Inter-vehicle group communication part 14 Information processing part 15 Memory | storage part 21 Front transmission part 22 Front reception part 23 Back transmission part 24 Back reception part

Claims (16)

In a communication device that is arranged in a plurality of mobile units and transmits / receives mobile unit information including the identification information of the mobile unit and indicating the status of the mobile unit with other communication units arranged in other mobile units,
First and second communication means each having directivity in a different direction and performing wireless communication with any of the other communication devices;
Third communication means for performing wireless communication with other communication devices by a method different from the first and second communication means;
Mobile body information transmitting means for transmitting the mobile body information of the mobile body in which the mobile terminal is arranged by the first communication means;
Means for receiving, by the second communication means, mobile information transmitted by another communication device;
Creating means for creating mobile body information including the mobile body information of the mobile body in which the mobile body is arranged and the received mobile body information of the one or more mobile bodies;
Mobile body group information transmitting means for transmitting the mobile body group information created by the creating means by the third communication means;
Means for storing the mobile body group information when the mobile body group information transmitted from another communication device is received by the third communication means;
Separating / combining means for separating and / or combining the moving body group information created by the creating means and the moving body group information received and stored from other communication devices;
The separation / combination means is configured to separate and / or combine the mobile body information included in each mobile body group information so as not to overlap based on the identification information of the mobile body information included in the mobile body group information. Communication device. Determining means for determining success or failure of connection establishment with another communication device by the first communication means;
The mobile body information transmitting unit is configured to transmit when the determining unit determines that it is successful,
When the determination means determines that it is successful, the transfer means for transferring mobile body information received from another communication device by the second communication means,
The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mobile group information transmission unit transmits the third group communication unit when the determination unit determines NO. The mobile body information transmitting means extracts the content of mobile body information of the mobile body to which the mobile body is arranged and transmits a summary including at least identification information of the mobile body. 2. The communication device according to 2. The separating / combining means includes:
Based on the identification information of the moving body information included in the moving body group information from the plurality of stored moving body group information, comprising means for extracting the moving body group information including the moving body information of the same moving body,
The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an overlap of mobile body information included in the extracted mobile body group information is separated from the mobile body group information. The separating / combining means includes:
When the moving body group information created by the creating means includes moving body information that is also included in the moving body group information received from another communication device, the moving body information is not separated. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is characterized in that: The separating / combining means includes:
Among the stored moving body group information, comprising means for extracting moving body group information including the same moving body information,
6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extracted mobile body group information is combined. The separating / combining means includes:
The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile group information created by the creating unit is not combined with the mobile group information received from another communication device. The transfer means includes
When transferring mobile information, the number of transfers is added.
A means for adding the number of times of transfer to be added at each transfer,
8. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the number of transfers added to the received mobile information is a predetermined number or more, the mobile information is not transferred. . The creation means includes means for associating the mobile body information included in the mobile body group information in an order corresponding to the number of transfers added to the mobile body information,
The separating / combining means includes:
Among the mobile body information included in the one mobile body group information stored, comprising means for identifying mobile body information that is also included in other mobile body group information,
9. The mobile object information associated with the identified mobile object information and the order after the order of the mobile object information is separated as other mobile object group information. The communication apparatus as described in. Mobile information includes time information indicating the passage of time,
The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: means for deleting mobile body information including time information indicating the passage of a predetermined time or more from the mobile body group information created by the creating means. . The mobile group information includes time information indicating the passage of time,
The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising means for deleting the mobile body group information including time information indicating the passage of a predetermined time or more from the stored mobile body group information. The moving object information includes position information indicating the position of the moving object,
The transfer means is configured not to transfer when the position indicated by the position information included in the mobile object information is more than a predetermined distance from the position of the mobile object to which the transfer means is located. The communication device according to any one of 1 to 11.   13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination by the determination unit is performed at a constant cycle. The transmission of the mobile body information by the mobile body information transmission means, the creation of the mobile body group information by the creation means, and the separation and / or combination of the mobile body group information by the separation / combination means are performed at intervals of the fixed period. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the communication apparatus is performed inside. In a communication device that is arranged in a vehicle and transmits / receives vehicle information that includes vehicle identification information and indicates a traveling state of the vehicle to / from devices arranged in other vehicles,
First communication means for performing wireless communication with forward directivity;
A second communication means for performing wireless communication with directivity to the rear;
Third communication means for performing wireless communication with other communication devices by a method different from the first and second communication means;
Means for transmitting the vehicle information of the vehicle in which the vehicle is arranged by the first communication means;
Means for receiving, by the second communication means, vehicle information transmitted by another communication device arranged in another vehicle;
Creating means for creating vehicle group information including vehicle information of a vehicle in which the vehicle is arranged and vehicle information of one or more vehicles received from another communication device;
Means for transmitting vehicle group information created by the creation means by the third communication means;
Means for storing the received vehicle group information when the third communication unit receives vehicle group information transmitted from another communication device;
Separating / combining means for separating and / or combining vehicle group information created by the creating means and vehicle group information received and stored from other communication devices;
The separation / combination means is configured to separate and / or combine vehicle information included in each vehicle group information so as not to overlap based on identification information of vehicle information included in the vehicle group information. First and second communication means, each of which is arranged in a plurality of mobile bodies, has directivity in different directions and communicates with any of the other communication devices, and A third communication unit that communicates with another communication device using a method different from that of the second communication unit, and includes mobile unit information including the identification information of the mobile unit and indicating the status of the mobile unit between the plurality of communication units. A communication method for transmitting and receiving,
Each communication device
Transmitting the mobile body information of the mobile body in which the mobile station is arranged by the first communication means;
The mobile unit information transmitted by another communication device is received by the second communication unit,
Creates mobile group information that includes the mobile body information of the mobile body in which it is placed and the received mobile body information of one or more mobile bodies, and indicates the group information to which the mobile body to which it is placed belongs. And
The created mobile group information is transmitted by the third communication means,
When the mobile unit information transmitted from another communication device is received by the third communication unit, the mobile unit group information is stored,
Based on the identification information of the moving body information included in each moving body group information, the moving body group information including the created moving body group information and the moving body group information received and stored from other communication devices is included. A communication method characterized by separating and / or combining so that body information does not overlap.

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