JP2010060321A - Right-turn allowed road determining device and method, computer program for determining whether right turn is allowed on road to be determined, and recording medium for recording the computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and a method capable of automatically determining whether right turn is allowed on an actual road. <P>SOLUTION: The right turn allowed road determining device includes: a probe information memory 11 for storing probe information; a first coordinates information memory 20 for storing first coordinates information where it is estimated that a vehicle having turned right from a road to be determined is located; a probe information extraction device 16 for extracting probe information having coordinates information equal to the first coordinates information from probe information read from the probe information memory 11; a counter 17 for counting the number of pieces of probe information extracted by the probe information extraction device 16 for each road to be determined; and a first determining device 18 for determining that a vehicle can turn right for a road to be determined of which the number of counts by the counter is not less than the first threshold. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a right-turnable road determination device and method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique suitable for determining whether a determination target road as a road map content for a navigation system or the like can turn right.

Conventionally, updating of road map contents (roads, intersections, traffic lights, etc.) has been performed by fieldwork. For example, a person in charge is assigned to each area, and the person in charge visits the area to check the content of the road map content (road information). Here, examples of the road information accompanying the content include one-way restrictions, entry prohibition restrictions, and traffic lights at intersections. Such road information is used to operate the navigation system.
It has been necessary to spend a great deal of time and cost to update such road information by hand.
For labor saving. Patent Documents 1 to 3 introduce techniques for automatically extracting objects to be updated. In this technique, road information is collected using a probe car.
JP 2005-267470 A JP 2005-267471 A JP 2005-267472 A

In order to park in a parking lot such as a store on the opposite lane side while driving, turning right on the road is often performed during actual operation of the vehicle. However, the road map used in the navigation system does not include information on whether or not a right turn is possible on the road as road information.
If the road map for the car navigation system has such information, it is possible to propose a more convenient route for the user in destination search or the like.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for automatically determining the possibility of a right turn on an actual road so that road information relating to a road map for car navigation can be given.

The present invention has been made to achieve the above object.
The first aspect of the present invention can be defined as follows. That is,
A probe information memory for storing probe information; and
A first coordinate information memory for storing first coordinate information estimated to be located by a vehicle that has turned right from the determination target road;
A probe information extracting device that extracts the probe information read from the probe information memory and having the coordinate information equal to the first coordinate information;
A counter that counts the number of probe information extracted by the probe information extraction device for each determination target road;
A first determination device that determines that a right turn is possible for a determination target road whose count value by the counter is equal to or greater than a first threshold;
A right-turnable road judging device comprising:

  According to the right-turnable road determination device of the first aspect defined as described above, the one having the first coordinate information that is estimated to be located in the probe information that is the traveling history of the probe car is the right-turned vehicle. When there are a large number (greater than or equal to the first threshold value), it is determined that the determination target road can turn right, assuming that the fact that many vehicles have made a right turn on the determination target road.

The second aspect of the present invention can be defined as follows.
That is, in the right-turnable road determination device defined in the first aspect, a road information memory for storing road information of the determination target road;
For a determination target road whose count value by the counter is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to the second threshold, the road information stored in the road information memory is referred to, and the right turn possibility of the determination target road A second determination device is further provided.
According to the right-turnable road determination device of the second aspect defined in this way, even when the probe information having the first coordinate information does not satisfy the first threshold value and exceeds the second threshold value, With reference to road information accompanying the determination target road, it is determined whether the determination target road can turn right. Thereby, the precision of the right turn possibility determination improves. Here, the road information used by the second determination apparatus includes right turn possibility information, right turn possibility reliability, road type, and the like. One or more of them can be referred to arbitrarily.

  The right turn possibility information includes right turn inhibition information that denies the possibility of right turn and right turn affirmation information that affirms the possibility of right turn. The right turn inhibition information includes the presence of a median. Road information obtained by executing the present invention can be used as right turn affirmative information. That is, even if road information indicating that a right turn is possible is attached to a predetermined road that can be turned right, the road information of the road needs to be updated from time to time.

  The right turn possibility reliability is defined based on the number of lanes and the presence of a median. For example, on a road with multiple lanes on one side or a road with a median strip, the right turn possibility reliability is low. In addition, the right turn possibility reliability is small even at a short distance from the intersection. For road types, the possibility of turning right is higher in the order of national roads, prefectural roads, and municipal roads. The right turn possibility reliability is given for each road information, the average value of the road information attached to the determination target road with the right turn possibility reliability is calculated, and the possibility of a right turn is determined according to the calculation result. For example, when the average value exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that a right turn is possible, and when the average value is less than another threshold, it is determined that a right turn is impossible.

The third aspect of the present invention is defined as follows. That is,
A probe information reading device for reading probe information from the probe information memory; and
The probe information extraction device refers to the first coordinate information that is estimated that the vehicle turned right from the determination target road stored in the first coordinate information memory, and the probe information read in the reading step. An extraction step of extracting probe information having coordinate information equal to the first coordinate information from
A counter that counts the number of probe information extracted in the extraction step for each of the determination target roads;
A first determination step wherein the first determination device determines that a right turn is possible for the determination target road whose count number counted in the counting step is equal to or greater than a first threshold;
A method for determining a right-turnable road, comprising:
According to the right-turnable road determination method of the third aspect thus defined, the right-turn possibility of the determination target road can be automatically determined in the same manner as in the first aspect of the invention.

The fourth aspect of the present invention can be defined as follows. That is,
In the method for determining a right-turnable road defined in the third aspect, the second determination device uses a road for a determination target road whose count in the counter step is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to the second threshold. A second determination step of referring to the road information stored in the information memory and determining the possibility of a right turn of the determination target road is further included.
According to the right-turnable road determination method of the fourth aspect defined as described above, the accuracy of the right-turn possibility determination is improved as in the second aspect of the invention.

  Computer programs for causing a computer system to execute the right-turnable road determination method defined as the third aspect and the fourth aspect are defined as the fifth and sixth aspects. A recording medium for recording the computer program defined in the fifth and sixth aspects is defined as the seventh aspect.

  In the present invention, the probe information of the probe car includes at least the coordinate information (latitude and longitude) and direction information when the probe car exists at the coordinates. Such information can be specified if the vehicle has a position detection function such as GPS. Further, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-150495, a system that performs bidirectional information transmission between a vehicle navigation system and a base station is well known. Therefore, if the information transmission system is used, a general vehicle equipped with a navigation system can be used as a probe car. Of course, this does not exclude the use of a probe car equipped with a dedicated device for collecting road information.

As the probe information, in addition to the coordinate information and the azimuth information, information related to the vehicle status of the probe car can be used. Examples of information related to the vehicle status of the probe car include information related to probe car time information, turn signal lamps, steering wheel, brake, light, speed, and the like. More specifically, turn-on / off of the blinker lamp, brake, and light is detected, a rotation angle of the steering wheel is detected, and a speedometer value is detected for the speed.
Furthermore, information on starting and stopping of the vehicle can also be used as probe information.

Probe information corrected by map matching or the like can also be used. Thereby, the error contained in probe information can be reduced.
Here, map matching is a technique for preventing the position of the probe car from deviating from the road of the map information in the car navigation system, and as a result, the position of the probe car always exists on the road. In order to perform map matching, a travel locus is formed from the coordinate information, direction information, travel distance, etc. of the probe car in the car navigation system, and this travel locus is compared with road shape data in the map information. Since there are a plurality of road shape data, weighting is performed according to a predetermined priority, and one road is selected. Then, the coordinates of the probe car are changed to the coordinates on the road.
For details, please refer to Car Navigation System (Public Data Structure KIWI and its Usage), Chapter 4, Kyoritsu Publishing, etc.
The map matching may be performed on the base station side that has received the probe information from the probe car.

In the present invention, probe information related to a road to be determined whether or not a right turn is possible is extracted based on the coordinate information.
Probe information including the same coordinates as the first coordinates that are estimated to be located at the right turn of the vehicle from the determination target road is extracted. The probe information including the coordinates is generated by a probe car that has actually turned right on the determination target road. According to the study by the present inventors, since the coordinate information in the probe information includes some error, in order to eliminate the influence from other roads, a predetermined distance (first step) from both ends (intersection etc.) on the road. Those within a distance of 1 are preferably canceled. In addition, the direction of the probe car that turns right and left is not along the road in the intersection, and the direction information may become unstable. As will be described later, whether or not the determination target road can turn right is determined based on the number of pieces of probe information having the first coordinates. Therefore, it is preferable to remove unstable probe information in advance.
The first distance can be appropriately set based on the shape of the intersection (the width of the intersecting road, the number of intersections, the angle of the intersecting road), and the like.

When the determination target road is expressed as a link, as shown in FIG. 1, the virtual area 2 and the virtual area 3 are set outside a predetermined width (first width) centered on the link 1. Then, probe information I4 including coordinate information that matches the coordinates in the virtual regions 2 and 3 is extracted. This probe information I4 is based on the premise that the previous few pieces of probe information I1 to I3 exist above the link 1. That is, it must be confirmed from the series of probe information that the probe information existing in the virtual region 2 represents the position of the vehicle that has turned right. If the previous probe information exists in the lane below the link 1, even if the probe information exists in the virtual area 2, it is not extracted as valid probe information.
In the above, the distance between the link 1 and each of the virtual areas 2 and 3 can be made to coincide with the road width of the determination target road.

  Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, attention is paid only to probe information I1 to I3 obtained by a probe car traveling in the lane of the upper half (upper part of the link 1 in FIG. 1) on the illustrated road. According to FIG. 1, a vehicle that makes a right turn from the upper lane will be positioned at least once in the virtual region 2. Of course, the vehicle that has made a right turn from the lower lane in FIG. 1 will be positioned at least once in the virtual region 3, but the description thereof will be omitted.

Even when such a virtual area 2 is set, it is preferable to cancel those within a first distance (for example, 5 m) from both ends (ie, nodes) 5 and 6 of the link 1.
The coordinate information indicating the coordinates of the virtual area 2 is the first coordinate information.
The probe information I1 to I4 includes at least coordinate information and time information. In addition, turn signal information, steering wheel angle information, and the like can be included.

The number of probe information existing in the virtual area 2 is counted for each determination target road, and it is determined whether the determination target road can turn right based on the counted number.
For example, if a sufficient number of probe information (the first threshold or more: for example, 100 or more) exists in the virtual area 2, many probe cars have actually turned right on the determination target road. Therefore, it is appropriate to determine that the determination target road can turn right.
For a road to be judged with zero probe information in the virtual region 2, it should be judged that it is impossible to make a right turn. Even when there are several pieces of probe information, a right turn is taken in consideration of the risk of error. It cannot be judged possible.
On the other hand, if probe information that is less than the first threshold number but is a considerable number (second threshold number: for example, several tens) is present in the virtual region 2, the possibility of a right turn on the determination target road Is determined, reference is made to road information associated with the link 1 of the determination target road. For example, when the road is wide (indicating multiple lanes on one side), it is difficult to make a right turn because there are many oncoming vehicles, and this is information that denies the possibility of a right turn.

Examples of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the right-turnable road judging device of the present invention.
The computers of the probe cars P1, P2,... Pm are wirelessly connected to a network N such as the Internet. The probe car transmits probe information at predetermined intervals. This probe information includes current coordinate information (X, Y), direction information (D), time (T), and other information of the probe car. The probe information is transmitted to the central controller 10 via the network N and stored in the probe information memory 11.
The method of transmitting the probe information is not limited to the method via the network, but can be temporarily stored in the memory in the probe car and the probe information can be supplied from the memory directly to the probe information memory 11 via wire.

The right-turnable road determination device 12 includes a determination target road coordinate assignment device 14 in order to specify a road to be determined. When the operator designates a specific road in the device 14, the link 1 of the road is read from the memory 15, and the virtual area 2 is automatically designated centering on the link 1 as shown in FIG. In addition, in the range of nodes 5 and 6 to 5 m, it is excluded from the area designation. This is to cancel the error included in the probe information. The coordinates (first coordinate information) of the virtual area 2 are specified and stored in the first coordinate information memory 20.
Probe information stored in the probe information memory 11 is read out by the probe information reading device 13, and further, the first coordinate information is read out from the first coordinate information memory 20, and each probe is extracted by the probe information extracting device 16. The coordinate information in the information is compared with the first coordinate information (coordinate information of the virtual area 2).

  Probe information having coordinate information that matches the first coordinate information in the probe information extraction device 16 is sent to the counter 17 for each road to be determined. The counter 17 counts the number of probe information sent from the probe information extraction device 16. The number of probe information indicates the number of probe information that is effectively present in the virtual area 2 in FIG.

  The count number and a predetermined threshold value are compared by the data number comparison device 18. That is, when the count number is equal to or greater than the first threshold, it is determined that a right turn is possible. The determination result is output externally by the output device 19.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the right turn possible road determination device 12.
The hardware configuration of the device 12 is such that various elements are coupled to the central control device 21 via the system bus 22 in the same manner as a general computer system.
The central control device 21 includes a general-purpose CPU, a memory control device, a bus control device, an interrupt control device, and a DMA (direct memory access) device. The system bus 22 also includes a data line, an address line, and a control line. A memory circuit including a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23 and a nonvolatile memory (ROM 24, CMOS-RAM 25, etc.) is connected to the system bus 22. The RAM 23 is read or rewritten by the central controller 21 or other hardware elements. The data in the non-volatile memory is read-only, and the data is not lost when the device is turned off. The system program for controlling the hardware is stored in the hard disk device 27 and is also stored in the RAM 23, and is appropriately read into the central control device 21 through the disk drive control device 26 for use. The hard disk device 27 has an area for storing a computer program for operating a general-purpose computer system as the right-turnable road determination device 12.
Map information and road information are stored in a predetermined area of the hard disk device 27. The map information includes nodes and links for designating roads, and the road information includes road types, speed limits, road widths, presence / absence of median strips, and various types of restriction information (one-way restrictions, etc.).
Probe information is stored in another area of the hard disk device 27.

  The system bus 22 is connected to a flexible drive control device 31 that reads and writes data from and to the flexible disk 32 and a CD / DVD control device 33 that reads data from the compact disk 34. In this embodiment, a printer 38 is connected to the printer interface 37.

A keyboard / mouse control device 41 is connected to the system bus 22 to enable data input from the keyboard 42 and the mouse 43. A monitor 45 is connected to the system bus 22 via a monitor control device 44. As the monitor 45, a CRT type, a liquid crystal type, a plasma display type, or the like can be used.
An empty slot 51 is prepared in order to allow the addition of various elements (such as a modem).

  The system of the embodiment is connected to the network N via the network adapter 61. A probe car is connected to the network (Internet) N.

  Programs (OS program and application program (including those of the present invention)) necessary for operating the right turn possible road determination device 12 comprising this computer system are installed in the system via various recording media. . For example, it is possible to install in the form of a non-write recording medium (CD-ROM, ROM card, etc.), a writable recording medium (FD, DVD, etc.), or a communication medium using the network N. Of course, these programs can be written in the nonvolatile memories 24 and 25 and the hard disk device 27 in advance.

According to such a computer system, all probe information from the probe car is taken into the system via the network adapter 61 and temporarily stored in a predetermined folder on the hard disk 27. Next, predetermined probe information is extracted from all the probe information stored in the hard disk 27. The extracted probe information is temporarily stored in the RAM 23.
Next, the central control device 21 determines the right turn possibility of the determination target road based on the probe information in the RAM 23 in accordance with a predetermined program stored in the hard disk 27.

Hereinafter, the operation of the right-turnable road determination device 12 according to the embodiment will be described (see the flowchart of FIG. 4).
In step 1, a link of a road that is a determination target of a right turn possibility is designated on a road map. More specifically, a map is displayed on the display 45 based on a road map stored in the hard disk device 27, and a road to be determined on the map is designated by a graphic interface. When the determination target road is designated, the central control device 21 designates the corresponding link 1 and the nodes 5 and 6 from the hard disk device 27 as shown in FIG.
Next, in step 3, as shown in FIG. 1, the central processing unit 21 specifies the virtual region 2 as the determination target road coordinate providing device 14. The virtual area 2 is separated from the link 1 by a distance corresponding to the road width on one side, and has a predetermined width (in this embodiment, 10 m). Exclude the range of nodes (intersections) 5, 6 to 5m at both ends of the link. This is because the probe information on other links (roads) may be affected at both ends of the link. Moreover, since the probe car that turns right and left is not along the direction of the road in the intersection, the direction information becomes unstable. This is because the unstable data is previously removed from the count step described later.
The coordinate information (first coordinate information) of the virtual area 2 is stored in the RAM 23 as the first coordinate information memory 20.

Next, in step 5, the central controller 21 reads the probe information from the probe information memory 11 as the probe information reading device 13.
The coordinate information of the probe information read out in this way is compared with the first coordinate information stored in the RAM 23 in step 3 by the probe information extraction device 16. Then, only probe information having coordinate information equal to the first coordinate information indicating the virtual region 2 is extracted (step 7).

In step 9, the central controller 21 counts the number of probe information extracted in step 7 as the counter 17 for each determination target road designated in step 1. The determination target road and the number of probe information corresponding thereto are tabulated, and the table data is stored in a predetermined area of the hard disk device 27.
In step 11, the central control device 21 performs determination processing based on the count number k of probe information for the determination target road as the data number comparison device 18.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the count number k is 100 or more (step 111), it is determined that the corresponding determination target road can turn right (step 115). When the count number is less than 40 (step 112), it is determined that the corresponding determination target road cannot turn right (step 116). Here, the first threshold value (= 100) and the second threshold value (= 40) are stored in the hard disk device 27, read out to the central control device 21, and used for the processing of step 111 and step 112. Is done.

  When the count number is 40 or more and less than 100, the process proceeds to step 113. In step 113, the central control device 21 reads road information associated with the determination target road from the hard disk device 27, and when there is right turn inhibition road information, the process proceeds to step 116 and determines that right turn is not possible. Right turn-inhibiting road information includes a median strip. If there is no right turn obstructing road information in step 113, the process proceeds to step 114, and the presence or absence of right turn positive road information is verified. The right turn positive road information refers to information that positively accepts a right turn in the middle of the road. If the right turn positive road information exists, the process proceeds to step 115 and it is determined that a right turn is possible.

When the presence of the right turn positive road information cannot be confirmed in step 114, the process proceeds to step 117, and the determination of the possibility of the right turn of the determination target road defines that an on-site investigation is necessary.
The determination results of these steps 115, 116, and 117 are output at step 13. Examples of the output form include displaying on the display 45 and / or printing by the printer 38.
In addition, when outputting the determination result of step 117, it is preferable to output the road information accompanying the determination target road together. This is because it becomes effective information when the operator determines the possibility of turning right on the determination target road.

In the above example, the possibility of a right turn is determined based on the presence or absence of road information that inhibits / affirms a right turn.
In addition, when the road information associated with the road to be judged is given a right turn possibility reliability in advance, and the road information associated with the road to be judged is read, the average value of the right turn possibility reliability of each road information is calculated. By comparing the calculation result with a predetermined threshold value, it is possible to determine the possibility of turning right on the determination target road.

In FIG. 1, it is assumed that the vehicle turns to the right in the middle of the road and parks in the parking lot on the opposite lane side. However, the possibility of a right turn from the determination target road is similarly determined at a T-shaped intersection without a signal. (See FIG. 6).
In the case of a T-shaped intersection, the virtual area 2 may be extended along the road 4.
The right turn possibility information of the determination target road obtained in this way is used for the navigation device as road information. In this navigation device, when the route calculation unit calculates a route to the destination according to the conditions specified by the driver, the right turn possibility information of the determination target road stored in the memory device is referred to. By referring to this right turn possibility information, the route options increase, and it becomes possible to adopt a route more suitable for the driver.

  The present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments and examples of the invention described above. Various modifications may be included in the present invention as long as those skilled in the art can easily conceive without departing from the description of the scope of claims.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for extracting probe information. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a right-turnable road determination device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a computer system constituting the right-turnable road determination device of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the right-turnable road determination device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of step 11 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining extraction of probe information at a T-shaped intersection.

Explanation of symbols

1 Link 2, 3 Virtual region 4 Road 5, 6 Node 11 Probe information memory 12 Right turnable road determination device 16 Probe information extraction device 17 Counter 18 Determination device 20 Coordinate information memory

Claims (8)

A probe information memory for storing probe information; and
A first coordinate information memory for storing first coordinate information estimated to be located by a vehicle that has turned right from the determination target road;
A probe information extracting device that extracts the probe information read from the probe information memory and having the coordinate information equal to the first coordinate information;
A counter that counts the number of probe information extracted by the probe information extraction device for each determination target road;
A first determination device that determines that a right turn is possible for a determination target road whose count value by the counter is equal to or greater than a first threshold;
A right-turnable road judging device comprising: A road information memory for storing road information of the determination target road;
For a determination target road whose count value by the counter is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to the second threshold, the road information stored in the road information memory is referred to, and the right turn possibility of the determination target road 2. The right-turnable road determination device according to claim 1, further comprising a second determination device configured to determine A probe information reading device for reading probe information from the probe information memory; and
The probe information extraction device refers to the first coordinate information that is estimated that the vehicle turned right from the determination target road stored in the first coordinate information memory, and the probe information read in the reading step. An extraction step of extracting probe information having coordinate information equal to the first coordinate information from
A counter that counts the number of probe information extracted in the extraction step for each of the determination target roads;
A first determination step wherein the first determination device determines that a right turn is possible for the determination target road whose count number counted in the counting step is equal to or greater than a first threshold;
A method for determining a right-turnable road, comprising:   The second determination device refers to the road information stored in the road information memory for the determination target road whose count number in the counter step is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than the second threshold, A right-turnable road determination method, further comprising a second determination step of determining a right turn possibility of the determination target road. A computer program for determining whether or not a determination target road can turn right,
Reading means for reading probe information from the probe information memory;
Referring to the first coordinate information that is estimated that the vehicle turned right from the determination target road stored in the first coordinate information memory, the first coordinate information is read out from the probe information read in the reading step. Extracting means for extracting probe information having coordinate information equal to the coordinate information of
Counting means for counting the number of probe information extracted in the extraction step for each determination target road;
First determination means for determining that a right turn is possible for the determination target road whose count number counted in the counting step is equal to or greater than a first threshold;
A computer program characterized by functioning as: Said computer further
For the road to be determined whose count number counted by the counter means is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to the second threshold, the road information stored in the road information memory is referred to and the right turn of the road to be determined is determined. 6. The computer program according to claim 5, wherein the computer program is caused to function as second determination means for determining possibility.   A recording medium for recording the computer program according to claim 5. A memory device for storing a determination result determined for the possibility of a right turn on the determination target road according to claim 3 or 4,
A route calculator that refers to the determination result stored in the memory device when selecting a route;
A navigation device comprising:

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