JP2010049391A - Traffic information management system and traffic information management processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a traffic information management system that prevents the degradation of prediction accuracy of arrival time. <P>SOLUTION: The traffic information management system includes: a traffic information acquisition part 20 for acquiring traffic information 410 including a travel situation of a vehicle of each link defined in map information 400; a change point detection part 30 for comparing information of each spot included in the map information 400 and information of each spot detected on the vehicle side, and detecting a change point of traffic environment causing a change of the traffic information from a result of the comparison; a traffic information monitoring part 40 for monitoring a change amount of the traffic information 410 occurring caused by the change of the traffic environment; and a traffic information correction part 50 for replacing the traffic information corresponding to the change point detected by the change point detection part 30 with substitutional traffic information related to another spot obtained based on the traffic environment after the change when it is decided that the change amount of the traffic information 410 is a prescribed value or above. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a traffic information management apparatus and a traffic information management method for managing road traffic information.

  Traffic that calculates the arrival time at the destination based on statistical traffic information that is created from VICS information or probe information and that is periodically updated with changes over time, and travel history information on the measured travel state of the vehicle An information prediction apparatus is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-241519 A

However, statistical traffic information is updated at regular intervals, such as every year. Therefore, if traffic conditions change due to changes in traffic environment, such as the establishment of a three-dimensional intersection, until the statistical traffic information is updated. Since the arrival time to the destination is predicted based on the old statistical traffic information, there is a problem that the prediction accuracy of the arrival time is lowered.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to properly manage traffic information and prevent a decrease in the prediction accuracy of arrival time.

The present invention detects a change point of the traffic environment, and if the change amount of the traffic information due to the change of the traffic environment is a predetermined value or more, the traffic information regarding the detected change point of the traffic environment is changed. The above-mentioned problem is solved by substituting with alternative traffic information related to other points in the traffic environment having a predetermined correlation with the later traffic environment.

According to the present invention, after the traffic information is updated, even if a change occurs in the traffic information due to a change in the traffic environment, the traffic information is reflected so that the actual traffic environment is reflected by correcting the traffic information. Since it can be managed, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the prediction accuracy of the arrival time calculated based on this traffic information.

The traffic information management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a function of correcting traffic information according to changes in traffic environment. The traffic information that is corrected and managed according to changes in the traffic environment is used for a process for calculating the arrival time at the destination or the relay station, a process for searching for the shortest route, a process for calculating the required travel time, and the like.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a traffic information management system 10000 including the traffic information management device 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the traffic information management system 10000 includes an in-vehicle device A including a traffic information management device 100 mounted on a vehicle, and a traffic information management server 2000. The in-vehicle device A including the traffic information management device 100 and the traffic information management server 2000 provide traffic information by exchanging traffic information with in-vehicle terminals via a communication network, VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System). Part of the transportation system.

<First Embodiment>
Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a block configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device 1000 including the traffic information management device 100 according to the present embodiment, and an example of a block configuration of the information providing server 2000.

First, the information providing server 2000 will be described. The information providing server 2000 generates and / or manages traffic information related to the driving situation of the vehicle. The traffic information management server 2000 includes an information providing function 2010 that distributes traffic information to each in-vehicle terminal or the like by the VICS function 2011, a probe information collection function 2020 that collects probe information related to vehicle travel from each in-vehicle terminal, And traffic information 2030 that is generated and managed based on information collected through the administrator and the probe information collection function 2020.

The traffic information 2030 managed by the traffic information management server 2000 is distributed to the in-vehicle device A mounted on each vehicle via a communication network and VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System).

Next, the in-vehicle device A will be described. The in-vehicle device A of this embodiment includes a navigation device 1000 including the traffic information management device 100, an in-vehicle camera 3000, and a vehicle controller 4000.

The navigation apparatus 1000 includes a GPS unit (Global Positioning System) 201, a position detection apparatus 200 that detects position information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of each point where the vehicle travels, a travel history 301, map information 400, A storage device 300 that stores traffic information 410, a route search device 500 that searches for a route between two points, and an input / output device 600 that inputs and outputs information.

The in-vehicle camera 3000 is a digital camera including an image sensor such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge coupled device (CCD).

The vehicle controller 4000 is a computer that centrally manages information on vehicles and in-vehicle devices.

The navigation device 1000, the in-vehicle camera 3000, and the vehicle controller 4000 are connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN and exchange information with each other.

Note that the navigation apparatus 1000 including the traffic information management apparatus 100, the vehicle controller 4000, and the information providing server 2000 include a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, or the like in which a program or firmware for executing each function is stored in advance. Combination of memory and operation circuit such as CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and the like for executing a program stored in the memory, and calculation A RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores results and the like can be combined.

Next, the traffic information management device 100 will be described.

The traffic information management device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a communication device 10 that exchanges information with the inside or outside of the in-vehicle device A, and an arithmetic device 1 that performs traffic information management processing based on the acquired information.

The communication device 10 includes a wide area communication function for performing communication with an information providing server 2000 configured on a wired or wireless communication network, and exchanges information with the information providing server 2000. The specific communication method of the communication device 10 is not particularly limited, and is a mobile phone network, a wireless LAN such as UWB (Ultra Wide Band) or DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), a terrestrial data broadcast wave, an FM broadcast wave, A satellite broadcast wave or the like can be used. Further, the communication device 10 has a wireless communication function via a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other vehicle-mounted LAN in order to exchange information with the navigation device 1000, the vehicle controller 4000, the vehicle-mounted camera 3000, and other vehicle-mounted devices.

The communication device 10 also functions as a communication unit of the navigation device 1000, and can acquire information used in the navigation device 1000.

Next, the arithmetic device 1 will be described.

The computing device 1 includes a traffic information acquisition unit 20 that executes a function of acquiring traffic information, a change point detection unit 30 that executes a function of detecting a change point, and traffic information that executes a function of monitoring changes in traffic information. It has the monitoring part 40 and the correction | amendment part 50 which performs the function which correct | amends traffic information.

Although not particularly limited, the computing device 1 includes a traffic information acquisition unit 20, a change point detection unit 30, a traffic information monitoring unit 40, and a correction unit 50. The ROM (Read -Only Memory (Flash Memory), CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that executes programs stored in this memory A combination of operation circuits such as the above and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores calculation results and the like can be combined.

Hereinafter, functions of each component of the traffic information management device 100 will be described.

First, the traffic information acquisition unit 20 will be described. The traffic information acquisition unit 20 acquires the traffic information included in the information providing server 2000 or the traffic information 410 stored in the storage device 300 included in the navigation device 1000 via the communication device 10. And the traffic information storage function 21 of the traffic information acquisition part 20 memorize | stores the acquired traffic information at least temporarily. Further, the traffic information may be stored in advance in the traffic information storage function 21 in the traffic information management device 100.

The acquired traffic information 410 or 2030 includes the vehicle travel speed for each link defined in the map information 400, the link travel time required to travel each link, and other vehicle travel conditions. Here, each link is a road section between a point (node) and a point (node) in the map information 400 defined in advance, and is managed by a link ID (identifier).

The acquired traffic information 410 or 2030 is information that is managed by the information providing server 2000 or the like, and is generated and updated based on information collected by the intelligent transport systems and the probe information collection function 2020. is there.

The traffic information 2030 or 410 of this embodiment includes at least (1) the average link travel time of each link, (2) the distance of each link, (3) the average travel speed of each link, and (4) the average link travel of each link. It includes travel conditions such as time variation (standard deviation, etc.) and (5) average travel speed variation (standard deviation, etc.) of each link.

Next, the change point detection unit 30 will be described.

The change point detection unit 30 compares information on each point included in the map information 400 included in the navigation device 1000 with information on each point detected on the vehicle side, and the traffic information changes based on the comparison result. Detect the changing point of the traffic environment.

The information on each point included in the map information 400 in this embodiment is position information such as longitude, latitude, and height of each point on the road measured in advance. These pieces of position information are stored in the map information 400 in association with information (point identification identification symbols, longitude / latitude) for specifying each point in the map information 400.

On the other hand, information on each point detected on the vehicle side is detected by a GPS unit (Global Positioning System) 201 included in the position detection device 200 of the vehicle-mounted navigation device 1000 and stored as a part of the travel history 301. . That is, the information on each point detected on the vehicle side is information detected while the vehicle is traveling.

Based on the map information 400 already stored in the in-vehicle device A and the travel history 301 detected in actual travel, the change point detection unit 30 determines the traffic environment from the result of comparison of the information of each point included in these. Detect change points. That is, the detected change point of the traffic environment is information regarding a point where the traffic environment has changed after the creation of the map information 400. This change point information includes at least “location information of a point” where a change in the traffic environment has occurred.

Further, the change point detection unit 30 detects “the traffic environment after the change” based on the comparison result between the information on each point included in the map information 400 and the information on each point included in the travel history 301. .

That is, the change point detection unit 30 generates a traffic environment such as a new three-dimensional intersection that changes traffic information, a new signal, a signal removal, an increase in lanes, an increase in road width, etc. that occurred after the map information 400 is created or updated. The position of the change point and the traffic environment after the change at the change point are detected.

The change point detection unit 30 of the present embodiment is based on the change in the height information 201H obtained by the GPS unit 201 and the analysis result of the vehicle surrounding image 3010 acquired by the in-vehicle camera 3000. And detect the traffic environment after the change.

First, a method for detecting a change point of a traffic environment based on a change in height information will be described.

The GPS unit 201 included in the navigation device 1000 acquires absolute position information (longitude, latitude, altitude) from a GPS satellite. For example, the technique for obtaining the absolute position information of the vehicle that has processed the GPS information disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-304513 and a similar technique can be used.

Further, if the vertical velocity component based on the Doppler shift amount included in the information obtained from the GPS is used, the vehicle height difference displacement data can be obtained. The altitude of the road surface on which the vehicle travels can be obtained based on the height difference displacement of the vehicle.

Using such a method, the GPS unit 201 of the present embodiment detects height information of each point where the vehicle has traveled, and stores it as height information 201H. The height information 201H stores information (point ID, longitude / latitude, etc.) for specifying a point and height information at the point in association with each other.

The map information 400 includes height information 4012 of each point obtained by the above-described method or actual measurement.

By the way, if there is a difference between the height information 4012 of the map information 400 obtained in advance and the height information 3011 of the spot actually detected by the vehicle after the map information 400 is created, A road structure may have been constructed.

For example, it is assumed that the height information 4012 (recorded in the map information 400) recorded at the time of creating the map information 400 for a certain point is about 1 m. Then, after the map information 400 is distributed or distributed, a road structure having a height such as a three-dimensional intersection road is constructed at that point, and then the own vehicle passing through that point is about 5 m in height information 201H. Is detected. When there is such a change in height information, it can be predicted that a high-rise road building has been constructed at a point where the difference in height information has occurred. The change point detection unit 30 of this embodiment can create a three-dimensional structure with a height like a three-dimensional intersection road by monitoring the difference in height between two pieces of height information (4012 and 201H) having different detection timings. That the traffic environment has changed.

The change point detection unit 30 of this embodiment refers to the map information 400 in which the height information 4012 of each point is stored in advance, the height information 4012 of the point included in the map information 400, and the position on which the vehicle is mounted. The point height information 201H detected by the GPS unit 201 of the detection apparatus 200 is compared. If the height difference between the two is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it is assumed that a structure with a new height has been built at that point, and that point is detected as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established. .

Furthermore, in order to improve the accuracy of the detection process, the change point detection unit 30 of the present embodiment is newly provided with a three-dimensional intersection road when the point satisfies one or more of the following additional conditions: Detects changes in traffic environment.

The first additional condition is that the height information at a point equal to or greater than a predetermined value is changed even at a plurality of points in a predetermined region including a change point where a change in height information is detected.

That is, the change point detection unit 30 includes the height information 4012 of the points included in the map information 400 and the points detected by the in-vehicle position detection device 200 at a plurality of points in the predetermined area including the detected change points. When the difference from the height information 201H is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, an intersection within the predetermined area is detected as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established.

Since a three-dimensional intersection road has a predetermined volume, when a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established, there should be a change in height information in a region including the three-dimensional intersection road. For this reason, when the height information is changed at a plurality of points in the region around the change point, the change point detection unit 30 detects the point as a change point at which the three-dimensional intersection road is newly established.

In this way, the change point is not detected only by the difference in height information at one point, but is detected by the difference in height information at a plurality of points in the region including the change point where the change in height is detected. By doing so, the change point can be accurately detected.

The second additional condition is that the intersection is in the vicinity of the point having the highest height information 201H among the plurality of points in the predetermined area including the changing point.

That is, the change point detection unit 30 is closest to the point where the height information of the point detected by the position detection device mounted on the vehicle is the maximum among the plurality of points in the predetermined region including the detected change point. The intersection is detected as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established. The predetermined area in the second additional condition can be arbitrarily defined, and may be the same as or different from the predetermined area in the first additional condition.

The three-dimensional intersection road has a low height at the start and end, and a high height at the intersection. Considering the basic structure of such a three-dimensional intersection road, the height is the highest at the point where the links or routes intersect, and the height decreases as the distance from the intersecting point increases. For this reason, when the relatively high height information 201H is detected at a point where a link or route in the vicinity of the changing point intersects, the changing point detection unit 30 newly establishes a three-dimensional intersection road as the closest intersection to that point. Detect as a change point. The intersection closest to the change point can be obtained with reference to the map information 400.

The third additional condition is that the height information 201H of the detected change point is greater than or equal to a predetermined height. However, this predetermined height is set according to the type (standard) of the road defined in the map information 400.

That is, the change point detection unit 30 crosses a point when the height information 201H of the point detected by the position detection device 200 mounted on the vehicle is higher than a predetermined height defined in advance for each link including the point. It is detected as a change point where a road is newly established.

Even if a change in the height information 201H is detected, this is not necessarily due to the construction of a three-dimensional intersection road that causes a change in the traffic environment. On the other hand, the height of the three-dimensional intersection road must satisfy a predetermined standard, so that the height of the three-dimensional intersection road can be predicted in advance. For this reason, when the detected height information 201H exceeds the predetermined height, the change point detection unit 30 detects the point as a change point of the traffic environment in which the three-dimensional intersection road is newly established.

In addition, since the scale (height) of a three-dimensional intersection road varies depending on the scale (number of lanes, width) of the road on which the three-dimensional intersection road is provided, the criterion for determining whether it is a three-dimensional intersection road is the type of road (number of lanes) , Width, highway, main road, street).

As described above, the change point detection unit 30 is based on the difference in height between the height information 201H detected when the host vehicle is traveling and the height information 4012 defined in the map information 400 in advance. Since it is possible to infer that an intersection road has been newly established, it is possible to detect a change point where the traffic environment has changed.

Further, in consideration of the shape of the three-dimensional intersection road, there is a change in the height information 201H at a plurality of points in the predetermined area including the changing point, and the height information among the points in the predetermined area including the changing point is By adding additional conditions that the intersection is closest to the maximum point and that the height of the changing point is equal to or higher than the predetermined height according to the road type, a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established with high accuracy. The detected change point can be detected.

Next, a traffic environment change point detection method based on the vehicle surrounding image 3010 will be described.

The change point detection unit 30 performs a change point detection process based on the vehicle peripheral image 3010 in addition to the change point detection process based on the height information.

The change point detection unit 30 acquires a captured image 3010 around the vehicle imaged in the vicinity of a point (change point candidate) detected based on the height information from the in-vehicle camera 3000. And when the predetermined information regarding a three-dimensional intersection road is contained in the acquired captured image 3010 around the vehicle, the changing point detection unit 30 detects that point as a changing point where the three-dimensional intersection road is newly established.

Predetermined information regarding a three-dimensional intersection road includes an image indicating side road guidance information (for example, a guidance sign for a side road), an image indicating lane branch guidance information (for example, a guidance sign for a branch route), and information for a three-dimensional intersection. For example, an image showing a road sign indicating a three-dimensional intersection, an image of a road shape peculiar to a three-dimensional intersection road, and the like, which are stored in advance as feature image information 31 respectively associated with a predetermined road structure such as a three-dimensional intersection road. .

The change point detection unit 30 refers to the feature image information 31 defined in advance, and when the feature image information 31 is included in the vehicle peripheral image 3010 captured in the vicinity of the change point candidate acquired from the in-vehicle camera 3000. The point is detected as a change point of the traffic environment in which the road structure associated with the feature image information 31 is newly established.

Specifically, the change point detection unit 30 extracts feature points of the vehicle peripheral image 3010, compares the extracted feature points with the feature image information 31, and the similarity on the images is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. In this case, it is determined that the vehicle surrounding image 3010 includes the feature image information 31. The criteria for determining the similarity of images can be arbitrarily defined in advance using a technique for determining the similarity of images. Then, the change point detection unit 30 detects a point where the vehicle peripheral image 3010 is captured as a change point where a road structure associated with the feature image information 31 included in the vehicle peripheral image 3010 is newly established.

Further, the change point detection unit 30 has characteristic image information 31 associated with the inclination of the traveling road as a road shape peculiar to the three-dimensional intersection road, and the characteristic points of the image of the traveling road included in the vehicle peripheral image 3010 Are extracted, the extracted feature points are compared with the feature image information 31, and the inclination of the traveling road is obtained based on the comparison result. In general, a three-dimensional intersection road includes an inclined traveling road, and an inclination angle thereof is within a predetermined range (for example, 20 ° to 30 °). Therefore, a road having such an inclination is highly likely to be a three-dimensional intersection road. For this reason, when the inclination of the travel path included in the vehicle peripheral image 3010 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, for example, 15 ° or greater, the change point detection unit 30 determines the point where the vehicle peripheral image 3010 is captured as The road structure associated with the feature image information 31 included in 3010 is detected as a new change point. In addition, the method of calculating | requiring the inclination of a traveling path is not limited, The vehicle periphery image 3010 imaged at different timings may be compared, and the inclination of a traveling path may be calculated | required based on the result.

In addition, the change detection unit 30 can detect the change point of the traffic environment by combining the height information of the point detected on the vehicle side and the vehicle peripheral image 3010. In this case, the change detection unit 30 adds an image indicating side road guidance information, an image indicating lane branch guidance information, a three-dimensional image to the vehicle peripheral image 3010 captured around the point where the change in altitude of the point has started to be detected. If an image of a road shape or the like peculiar to an intersection (feature image information 31) is included, it is assumed that the change in altitude is due to the construction of a three-dimensional intersection road. It can be detected as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established.

Note that the change detection unit 30 is based on the height information of the point and / or the vehicle surrounding image 3010 when the map information 400 records information indicating that the point corresponding to the change point is a three-dimensional intersection. Even if a change point is detected, the point is originally recognized as a three-dimensional intersection and is not detected as a change point of the traffic environment. On the other hand, when information indicating that the point corresponding to the change point is a plane intersection is recorded in the map information 400, the point is detected as the change point.

Next, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 will be described. The traffic information monitoring unit 40 monitors the amount of change in traffic information caused by a change in the traffic environment at the change point detected by the change point detection unit 30.

If the traffic environment changes due to changes in the road structure such as crossing of intersections, expansion of road width, increase in the number of lanes, etc., the flow of vehicles changes, and the traffic information changes accordingly. The traffic information monitoring unit 40 monitors changes in traffic information that occur due to changes in the traffic environment.

Specifically, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 of the present embodiment compares the link travel speed 3011 detected on the vehicle side with the average travel speed 411 of the link extracted from the traffic information 410, That is, a change in traffic information is monitored based on a change in travel speed.

The travel speed 3011 of the link detected on the vehicle side is the position information detected by the GPS unit 201 of the navigation device 1000, the link distance 4011 of the map information 400, and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 4010 of the vehicle controller 400. It is calculated based on the information and is included in the travel history 301 and stored.

The traffic information monitoring unit 40 stores the link travel speed 3011 of the host vehicle stored in the storage device 300 for the link including the change point of the traffic environment detected by the change point detection unit 30 (specified by the link ID), and stored in advance. The obtained link average traveling speed 411 is acquired. The link travel speed 3011, the link average travel speed 411, and the links in the map information 400 are given a common identifier (link ID).

Then, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 calculates a difference between the link travel speed 3011 of the host vehicle in the link including the change point of the traffic environment and the link average travel speed 411 accumulated in advance, and the difference, that is, the average travel speed. It is determined whether or not the amount of change is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and the result is sent to the traffic information correction unit 50 described later.

Further, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 may determine whether or not a change has occurred in the traffic information based on a difference in link travel time required for traveling on the link instead of the travel speed. Specifically, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 compares the link travel time 3012 required to travel on the link detected on the vehicle side with the link average travel time 412 of the link extracted from the traffic information 410, The change of traffic information is monitored based on the difference, that is, the amount of change in the travel time of the link.

The storage device 300 records the current position of the vehicle acquired from the GPS unit 201 of the position detection device 200 and the time acquired from the timer 202 as the travel history 301 in association with each other. That is, the travel history 301 records the time at which each point in the map information 400 is passed. For this reason, the storage device 300 can obtain the link travel time 3011 of the link defined between each point with reference to the travel history 301. Further, the storage device 300 can obtain the link travel time 3012 based on the travel history 301 and the link distance 4011 in the map information.

The traffic information monitoring unit 40 stores the link travel time 3012 of the host vehicle stored in the storage device 300 for the link including the change point of the traffic environment detected by the change point detection unit 30 (specified by the link ID), and stored in advance. The obtained link average travel time 412 is acquired. The link travel speed 3012, the link average travel time 412, and the link in the map information 400 are assigned a common identifier (link ID).

Then, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 includes a link travel time 3012 of the host vehicle in a link including a change point of the traffic environment or a link within a predetermined distance from the change point, and a link average travel time 412 accumulated in advance for the link. And the difference, that is, whether or not the amount of change in the average travel time is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the link ID for the determination and the determination result are given to the traffic information correction unit 50 described later. Send it out.

Furthermore, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 determines a threshold value (speed difference or time difference) for determining the occurrence of a change in traffic information. This threshold value can be set arbitrarily, such as uniformly 15 minutes. In addition, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 according to the present embodiment can set a threshold based on the standard deviation of the link average travel speed 411 and the standard deviation of the link average travel time 412. For example, the threshold can be calculated by multiplying the standard deviation by a predetermined coefficient such as 10% of the standard deviation.

Furthermore, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 may change a predetermined coefficient to be multiplied by the standard deviation according to the type of road structure at the changing point. For example, when the traffic environment changes due to a three-dimensional intersection at the intersection, the change in the link travel time or the link travel time is considered to be large, and therefore the predetermined coefficient P multiplied by the standard deviation can be set to a large value. Further, when the traffic environment changes due to a change in the lane shape, the change in the link travel time or the link travel time is not so large. Therefore, the predetermined coefficient Q multiplied by the standard deviation can be set to a value smaller than the predetermined coefficient P. . Further, when the traffic environment changes due to the installation of a signal, the change in the link travel time or the link travel time is considered to be small, so the predetermined coefficient R multiplied by the standard deviation can be set to a value smaller than the predetermined coefficient Q. .

The traffic information monitoring unit 40 can include the number of times that the host vehicle travels the link, the average travel time of the link, and the average travel speed of the link in the travel history 301. And the traffic information monitoring part 40 is good also considering the predetermined coefficient multiplied by a standard deviation as a small value according to the frequency | count of driving | running | working of a link. For links through which a user passes many times, it is preferable that the threshold for detecting changes be lowered so that changes in the traffic environment can be detected even by small changes.

When the amount of change in traffic information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 sends a message to that effect to the correction unit 50.

Next, the correction unit 50 will be described. When the traffic information monitoring unit 40 determines that the change amount of the traffic information 410 caused by the change point of the traffic environment is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the correction unit 50 detects the change detected by the change point detection unit 30. The traffic information 410 is corrected by replacing the traffic information corresponding to the point with alternative traffic information regarding another point in the traffic environment having a predetermined correlation with the changed traffic environment.

The correction unit 50 acquires the content of the traffic environment change point detected by the change point detection unit 30, and identifies the traffic environment after the change based on the content of the traffic environment change point. For example, when a three-dimensional intersection road is constructed at an intersection where links cross on the same plane, the traffic environment where the stop and progress of the vehicle are controlled by the road traffic signal has changed to a traffic environment where the stop of the vehicle is not forced. Judgment is made and the traffic environment after the change is identified as a traffic environment of “no road traffic signal control” in which the vehicle is not forced to stop.

In addition to the “with road traffic signal control”, “without road traffic signal control”, “with intersection”, “without intersection”, and “number of intersections”, the correction unit 50 also includes “position proximity”, “road type” Based on the type of traffic environment such as “travel direction of travel path” and “number of lanes”, the similarity of the traffic environment at the point, that is, the correlation of the traffic environment is determined.

Specifically, the correction unit 50 detects that the detected change point has or does not have an intersection, the detected intersection has or does not have a solid intersection, and the distance from the detected change point is within a predetermined value. Based on the condition that the road type of the link including the changed point is common, the traveling direction of the traveling path including the detected change point is common, and the number of lanes of the link including the detected change point is common, The traffic information having the traffic environment correlated with the traffic environment at the changing point is specified. The correction | amendment part 50 judges that traffic environment has a predetermined correlation mutually, when one or more of the conditions mentioned above are satisfy | filled.

The above-described environment type 414 for identifying the type of traffic environment is associated with each link average travel speed 411 and link average travel time 412 in the traffic information 400.

The correction unit 50 determines that the traffic information 410 to which the environment type common to the environment type 414 of the traffic environment after the change of the detected change point is attached has a predetermined correlation with the traffic environment. The link average travel speed 411 and / or the link average travel time 412 to which the environment type common to the environment type 414 at the change point is attached is extracted from the traffic information 410.

As described above, the correction unit 50 uses the environment type 414 as a search key, and traffic information of the traffic environment having a predetermined correlation with the changed traffic environment at the change point of the traffic environment detected by the change point detection unit 30. As alternative traffic information.

Based on FIG. 3, the example of the alternative traffic information selection method based on the traffic environment after a change is demonstrated.

FIG. 3 shows map information 400 regarding the area including the change point X. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the traffic information 410 is associated with each point and link included in the map information 400.

As shown in FIG. 3, an example of a traffic information correction method will be described using a case where a three-dimensional intersection road is constructed at a change point X as an example. Due to the construction of the three-dimensional intersection road at the change point X, the traffic information of one or more links existing around the change point X changes.

In this example, among the links including the change point X and the links within the predetermined distance from the change point X, the traffic of the link 7-1 for which the change amount of the traffic information is determined by the traffic information monitoring unit 40 to be a predetermined value or more. An information correction method will be described. In this example, Link 7-1 is a target to be supplemented with other alternative traffic information. The complementation in this example is performed by replacing the traffic information of the complement target link with the traffic information of other links (link travel time, link travel speed).

The correction unit 50 acquires, as alternative traffic information, traffic information of a traffic environment having a predetermined correlation with the traffic environment after the change at the change point X in order to complement Link 7-1 in which the traffic information has changed.

In this example, since the three-dimensional intersection road was constructed at the change point X, the traffic environment after the change is “no intersection”.

The correction | amendment part 50 searches the traffic information of the traffic environment which has a predetermined correlation with the traffic environment after the change of the change point X based on 1 or 2 or more conditions hung up below.

The first condition is traffic information of links on the same route. In other words, road identifiers that identify roads such as National Route 1 and Ome Kaido are common.

The second condition is that the traffic information is a link in which the traveling direction is the same direction (upward or downward direction of the route).

The third condition is that the traffic environment after the change is common. Specifically, it should be traffic information of links with or without intersections.

The fourth condition is traffic information of links existing within a predetermined distance from the changing point.

The fifth condition is that the traffic information is a link with a common road type (type of highway, national road, prefectural road, vehicle-only road, city road, etc.).

The sixth condition is that the traffic information is a link with a common number of lanes.

The correction unit 50 of the present embodiment is a link that satisfies the change point X on the same route (first condition), has the same traveling direction (second condition), and has no intersection (third condition). It is determined that the traffic environment is similar to the traffic environment after the change at the change point X.

The combination of conditions is not particularly limited, and the correction unit 50 exists within a predetermined distance from the change point X (fourth condition), the road type is common (fifth condition), and the number of lanes is common (sixth condition). ) And a link that does not have an intersection (third condition) may be determined to be in a traffic environment similar to the traffic environment after the change at the change point X.

In the case shown in FIG. 3, first, when a link existing within a predetermined distance from the change point X (for example, 5 km around the change point X where the three-dimensional intersection is constructed) is searched, the link that satisfies this condition is a broken circle. Link 2-1, 3-1, 2-2, 3-2, 8-1, 7-2, 8-2, 12-1, 13-1, 12-2, 13-2.

Further, a link having the same traveling direction is searched. The traveling direction is stored in the map information 400. The links that satisfy this condition are Link 2-1, 3-1, 8-1, 12-1, and 13-1.

In addition, a link with a common road type is searched. The links that satisfy this condition are Links 2-1 and 3-1.

Furthermore, a link having a common lane number is searched. The links that satisfy this condition are Links 2-1 and 3-1. That is, the links having the same link 7-1 road standard and the number of lanes are Link 2-1 and 3-1.

Finally, the link closest to the link 7-1 to be complemented is selected. The link that satisfies this condition is Link 2-1.

The correction unit 50 acquires the link average travel speed 411 and / or the link average travel time 412 (Link2-1) of the last selected Link 2-1 from the traffic information 410 via the communication device 10. Then, the traffic information 410 (Link 7-1) of the complement target link Link 7-1 whose traffic information has changed by a predetermined amount or more by the change point detection unit 30 is replaced with the acquired alternative traffic information 410 (Link 2-1). The traffic information 410 is updated to reflect this replacement.

Thereby, after the traffic information 410 and the traffic information 410 are created, the traffic information 410 can be corrected to information reflecting a change in traffic environment due to a newly constructed three-dimensional intersection road or the like.

The corrected traffic information 410 receives access of the route search device 500 and is used for route search processing, and processing for calculating arrival time at a destination or waypoint.

Next, based on FIGS. 4-6, the control procedure of the traffic information management apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the entire traffic information management process.

As shown in FIG. 4, first, in step S100, the traffic information acquisition unit 20 acquires the traffic information 2030 or 410 via the communication device 10 or directly (S100).

Next, in step S101, the change point detection unit 20 detects a change point in the traffic environment that causes a change in the traffic information (S101).

FIG. 5 is a flow chart specifically showing this traffic environment change point detection process.

As shown in FIG. 5, in step S <b> 201, the change point detection unit 30 acquires height information 4012 of a certain point n included in the map information 400 prepared in advance after the map information capturing process (S <b> 101). (S201).

In subsequent step S202, the change detection unit 30 acquires the height information 201H of the point n mounted on the navigation device 1000 and detected by the GPS unit 201 (S202). The height information 201H is information detected when the vehicle is traveling.

Further, in step S203, the change detection unit 30 calculates a difference between the height information 4012 of the point n acquired in S201 and the height information 201H acquired in S202 (S203).

In step S204, the change detection unit 30 proceeds to step S205 if the altitude difference calculated in S203 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and returns to step S201 if the altitude difference calculated in S203 is less than the predetermined value (S204). .

In step S205, it is further determined whether or not the distribution of the height information 201H detected on the vehicle side satisfies a predetermined condition (S205). If the predetermined condition set in S205 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S206. If the predetermined condition set in S205 is not satisfied, the process returns to step S201.

Specifically, in step S205, the change detection unit 30 is included in the height information 201H and map information 400 detected on the vehicle side at a plurality of points in a predetermined area including the change point detected in S101. If the altitude difference from the point height information 4012 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S206.

Further, when the height information 201H detected on both sides is maximized at the point corresponding to the intersection near the change point detected in S101, the change detection unit 30 proceeds to step S206.

Furthermore, when the height information 201H detected on the vehicle side is higher than a predetermined height defined in advance for each link including the change point n, the change detection unit 30 proceeds to step S206.

The additional condition in step S205 may not be set, one condition may be set alone, or two or more conditions may be set in combination.

In subsequent step S206, the change detection unit 30 detects a change point using the vehicle surrounding image 3010 captured by the in-vehicle camera 3000 (S206). Specifically, the change detection unit 30 acquires a captured image 3010 around the vehicle that is captured on the vehicle side in the vicinity of the change point candidate that satisfies the conditions of step S204 or step S204 and step S205. This captured image 3010 is marked with the image capture time detected by the timer 3011. For this reason, the vehicle periphery image 3010 when passing near the change point can be acquired based on the time when passing near the change point and the imaging time.

In subsequent step S207, the change detection unit 30 acquires predetermined information (characteristic image information 31) regarding the three-dimensional intersection road (S207).

In step S208, the change detection unit 30 determines whether the acquired captured image 3010 around the vehicle includes the feature image information 31 (S208). If the captured image 3010 around the vehicle includes the feature image information 31, the process proceeds to step S209. On the other hand, when the captured image 3010 around the vehicle does not include the feature image information 31, the process returns to step S201.

In step S209, the change detection unit 30 detects a point n that satisfies the conditions of step S204, step S205, and step S208 as a change point at which the three-dimensional intersection road is newly established (S209). If step S204 or S205 is satisfied, it is also possible to execute processing that proceeds to step S209.

After the process of step S209, the process returns to FIG. 4 and proceeds to step S102 of FIG.

Returning to step S102 of FIG. 4, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 monitors changes in traffic information due to changes in the traffic environment at the change points detected in step S101 (S102). Changes in the traffic environment that occur at a certain point, such as the construction of a three-dimensional intersection road, affect the traffic information of links around the change point. In step S102, the high position information monitoring unit 40 monitors whether or not traffic information has actually changed.

In subsequent step S103, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 monitors whether or not the amount of change in traffic information such as link travel speed and / or link travel time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (S103). If the change amount of the traffic information is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S104. If the change amount of the traffic information is less than the predetermined value, the process returns to step S101.

Furthermore, in step S104, the correction unit 50 identifies a link whose traffic information has changed due to a change in the traffic environment as a complement target link (S104).

Here, the process which monitors the change of the traffic information of step S102-S104 is demonstrated based on FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 starts processing after a change point of the traffic environment is detected by the change point detection unit 30.

First, in step S301, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 accesses the traffic information 2030 or 410, and a link including the detected change point (point n) and / or a link within a predetermined distance from the change point (point n). The link average travel speed 411 or the link average travel time 412 is acquired (S301). The link average travel speed 411 or the link average travel time 412 is information recorded when the traffic information 410 is created.

Furthermore, in step S302, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 accesses the travel history 301, and for links including the detected change point (point n) and / or links within a predetermined distance from the change point (point n), The link travel speed 3011 or the link travel time 3012 is acquired (S302).

In step S303, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 calculates a speed difference between the link travel speed 3011 and the link average travel speed 411 detected on the own vehicle side. Instead of or together with this, the traffic information monitoring unit 40 calculates the time difference between the link travel time 3012 detected on the own vehicle side and the link average travel time 412 (S303).

In subsequent step S304, it is determined whether or not the speed difference or time difference calculated in step S303 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. If the calculated speed difference or time difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S305. If the calculated speed difference or time difference is less than the predetermined value, the process returns to step S301 (S304). The traffic information monitoring unit 40 notifies the correction unit 50 of the determination result in step S304.

In subsequent step S305, the correction unit 50 determines that the link in which the speed difference or the time difference has exceeded a predetermined value in step S304 has a large change in traffic information, and identifies the link as a complement target link (S305). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S105 in FIG.

Returning to FIG. 4, in step S <b> 105, the correction unit 50 identifies an alternative link having a traffic environment similar to the identified complement target link, that is, having a predetermined correlation.

Whether or not there is a predetermined correlation in the traffic environment is whether or not there is an intersection, whether or not there is a three-dimensional intersection, the distance from the changing point is within a predetermined value, the road type is common, and the traveling direction of the road Are common and the number of lanes is common. The correction unit 50 determines that the traffic environment of the link has a predetermined correlation and is similar if any one or more of these condition groups is satisfied. The correction unit 50 identifies an alternative link having a traffic environment similar to the complement target link (S105).

Subsequently, in step S106, the correction unit 50 acquires the traffic information of the alternative link from the traffic information using the link identifier of the alternative link specified in step S105 as a search key (S106).

Further, in step S107, the correction unit 50 replaces the traffic information of the complement target link with the traffic information of the specified alternative link (S107).

In step S108, the correction unit 50 overwrites and saves the traffic information 410 replaced in step S107 (S108).

In step S109, the corrected traffic information 410 permits access from the route search unit 500 of the navigation device 500 (S109). The corrected traffic information 410 is used for route search processing, calculation of predicted arrival time to a destination or waypoint, search for an optimal route with the shortest arrival time, and the like.

Since this embodiment is configured and operates as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

The traffic information management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment detects a change point of the traffic environment from the map information 400 and the information detected on the own vehicle side, and detects the change of the traffic information caused by the change of the traffic environment. Since the correction is performed based on the alternative traffic information regarding other points, it is possible to correct in a timely manner a change in traffic information that has occurred along with a change in the traffic environment after the traffic information is updated. For this reason, even if there is a time interval until the revision of the traffic information, the traffic information can be corrected in a timely manner according to changes in the traffic environment.

Furthermore, by replacing the traffic information at the changing point with the alternative traffic information, the traffic information having the predetermined correlation with the changed traffic environment at the changing point is reflected in the traffic information after the change. Can be corrected.

In particular, with or without an intersection, with or without a three-dimensional intersection, a distance from a change point within a predetermined value, a common road type, a common traveling direction, and a common number of lanes Therefore, it is possible to correct the traffic information that accurately reflects the traffic environment after the change because the similarity of the traffic environment is determined and the alternative traffic information is specified.

That is, the traffic information managed by the traffic information management apparatus 100 of the present embodiment always reflects the actual traffic environment regardless of the update or revision of the traffic information. Therefore, the arrival time to the destination predicted using this traffic information, the shortest route of the required time, and the required time to the destination are highly accurate information reflecting the actual traffic environment.

In addition, the traffic information management device 100 according to the present embodiment determines a point where the difference between the height information of the point included in the map information 400 and the height information of the point detected by the vehicle when traveling is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Since the road is detected as a new change point, a change in the traffic environment can be detected during actual driving, and the traffic information can be corrected in a timely manner according to the change in the traffic environment.

Furthermore, in detecting a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established based on the height information, considering the feature of the outer shape of the three-dimensional intersection road, there is a change in height of a predetermined value or more at a plurality of points within a predetermined region. The intersection that is closest to the point of the maximum height among the plurality of points in the predetermined area, and the height of the detected point is higher than the predetermined height defined for each link including the point By making this an additional condition, it is possible to accurately identify the changing point where the three-dimensional intersection road is newly established. By accurately identifying the change point, it is possible to accurately identify a link whose traffic information has changed due to a change in the traffic environment, that is, a link to be supplemented.

In addition, it is possible to accurately specify the changing point at which the three-dimensional intersection road is newly established based on whether or not the captured image of the periphery of the vehicle captured on the vehicle side includes the predefined feature image information 31. By accurately specifying the change point, it is possible to accurately specify a link whose traffic information has changed due to a change in the traffic environment, that is, a link to be supplemented.

In addition, the difference between the link travel speed 3011 (or link travel time 3012) detected on the vehicle side and the link average travel speed 411 (or link average travel time 412) extracted from the traffic information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. By determining that the traffic information has changed, it is possible to determine whether the traffic environment has changed and whether the traffic information has actually changed due to the change in the traffic environment. Even if the traffic environment changes, the change may not affect the traffic information. In the present embodiment, the traffic information is corrected only when the traffic information actually changes as the traffic environment changes. Thereby, it can correct | amend only when correction | amendment is required.

The embodiment described above is described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and is not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

That is, in this specification, although the system provided with the vehicle-mounted apparatus 2000 and the information provision server 2000 is demonstrated to an example as one aspect | mode of the traffic information management system which concerns on this invention, this invention is not limited to this.

Further, in the present specification, as one aspect of the traffic information management device, a traffic information acquisition unit 20 as an example of a traffic information acquisition unit, a change point detection unit 30 as an example of a change point detection unit, and a traffic information monitoring unit Although the apparatus provided with the traffic information monitoring part 40 as an example and the correction | amendment part 50 as an example of a traffic information correction | amendment means was demonstrated, it is not limited to this.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the traffic information management system 10000 containing the traffic information management apparatus 100. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the block configuration of the vehicle-mounted navigation apparatus 1000 containing the traffic information management apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment, and an example of the block configuration of the information provision server 2000. It is a figure for demonstrating the correction process of traffic information. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the whole management process of traffic information. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the detection process of a change point. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process which monitors the change of traffic information.

Explanation of symbols

10000 ... Traffic information management system 1000 ... Navigation device 100 ... Traffic information management device 10 ... Communication device 1 ... Calculation device 20 ... Traffic information acquisition unit 21 ... Traffic information storage function 30 ... Change point detection unit 31 ... Characteristic image information 40 ... Traffic Information monitoring unit 50 ... correction unit 200 ... position detecting device 300 ... storage device 301 ... travel history 3011 ... link travel speed 3012 ... link travel time 400 ... map information 4011 ... link distance 4012 ... height information 410 ... traffic information 411 ... link Average travel speed 412 ... Link average travel time 413 ... Standard deviation information 414 ... Environment type 500 ... Route search device 510 ... Arrival time calculation function 600 ... Input / output device 601 ... Display 602 ... Speaker 603 ... Input device 3000 ... In-vehicle camera 3010 ... Vehicle periphery image 4000 ... Vehicle control Roller 4010 ... Vehicle speed sensor

Claims (10)

A traffic information management device mounted on a vehicle,
Traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information including the running status of the vehicle of each link defined in the map information;
The information of each point included in the map information is compared with the information of each point detected on the vehicle side, and the change point of the traffic environment that causes the change of the traffic information is detected from the result of the comparison. Change point detection means;
Traffic information monitoring means for monitoring changes in traffic information caused by changes in the traffic environment;
When the traffic information monitoring means determines that the amount of change in traffic information caused by the change in the traffic environment is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, traffic information related to the change point detected by the change point detection means, A traffic information management device comprising: traffic information correction means that corrects the traffic information by substituting it with alternative traffic information relating to another point in the traffic environment having a predetermined correlation with the changed traffic environment. The traffic information management device according to claim 1,
The change point detection means compares the height information of the point included in the map information with the height information of the point detected by the position detection device mounted on the vehicle, and the difference in height between the two is predetermined. A traffic information management device that detects the point as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established if the value is greater than or equal to the value. The traffic information management device according to claim 2,
The change point detecting means is further detected at a plurality of points in a predetermined area including the detected change point by height information of points included in the map information and a position detection device mounted on the vehicle. A traffic information management device that detects an intersection in the predetermined area as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established when a difference from height information of a certain point is a predetermined value or more. The traffic information management device according to claim 2 or 3,
The change point detection means is further configured to select a point where the height information of the point detected by the position detection device mounted on the vehicle is the maximum among a plurality of points in the predetermined area including the detected change point. A traffic information management device that detects the nearest intersection as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established. The traffic information management device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The change point detecting means further determines the three-dimensional point when the height information of the point detected by the position detection device mounted on the vehicle is higher than a predetermined height defined in advance for each link including the point. A traffic information management device that detects a crossing road as a new change point. The traffic information management device according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The change point detection unit further acquires a captured image of the vehicle periphery imaged on the vehicle side in the vicinity of the detected point, and relates to the three-dimensional intersection road defined in advance in the acquired captured image of the vehicle periphery When the predetermined information is included, a traffic information management device that detects the point as a change point where a three-dimensional intersection road is newly established. The traffic information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The traffic information monitoring means compares the traveling speed of the link detected on the vehicle side with the traveling speed of the link extracted from the traffic information, and when the speed difference between the two is a predetermined value or more, A traffic information management device that judges that a change has occurred in the traffic information of the link. The traffic information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The traffic information monitoring means compares the link travel time required to travel the link detected on the vehicle side with the link travel time of the link extracted from the traffic information, and the time difference between the two is a predetermined value. If so, a traffic information management device that determines that a change has occurred in the traffic information of the link. The traffic information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The traffic information correcting means includes the intersection, the presence or absence of a three-dimensional intersection, a distance from a change point within a predetermined value, a common road type, a common traveling direction, and a lane. A traffic information management device that determines that the traffic environment has a predetermined correlation with each other when any one or more conditions are satisfied among a group of conditions having a common number. A method for correcting traffic information including a driving situation of a vehicle of each link defined in map information,
Compare the information of each point included in the map information with the information of each point detected on the traveling vehicle side, and detect the change point of the traffic environment that causes the change of traffic information based on the comparison result And
If the amount of traffic information change caused by this traffic environment change point is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the traffic information related to the detected change point is obtained from other points acquired based on the changed traffic environment. A traffic information management method for correcting the traffic information by replacing the traffic information with alternative traffic information.

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