JP2010146334A - On-vehicle apparatus and information providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately notify a driver of a timing of safe passage through an intersection. <P>SOLUTION: An information providing apparatus is configured to generate a time range when a moving body will pass through an intersection as passage time range information according to moving body information obtained from an infrastructure sensor, and transmit the generated passage time range information to an on-vehicle apparatus. The on-vehicle apparatus is configured to receive the passage time range information from the information providing apparatus, obtain a vehicle running state as vehicle information, calculate the degree of safety of vehicle passage through the intersection according to the received passage time range information and the obtained vehicle information, determine the signal color of a virtual signal representing a virtual signal according to the calculated degree of safety, and notify the virtual signal having the determined signal color. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device and an information providing system that provide information related to other vehicles or pedestrians by using an infrastructure sensor and an information providing device installed in the vicinity of a road and an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle. The present invention relates to an in-vehicle apparatus and an information providing system that can provide a plurality of information that can be easily recognized by a driver and can notify a driver of the timing of safely passing an intersection.

  There is known an information providing system in which a plurality of infrastructure sensors are installed near intersections and roads, and an information providing apparatus installed near roads connected to these infrastructure sensors notifies the traveling vehicle of intersection information. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  For example, the infrastructure sensor transmits a plurality of detected information such as other vehicles near the intersection, motorcycles, pedestrians, and the like to an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile via the information providing device.

  The in-vehicle device alerts the driver by converting a plurality of pieces of information such as other vehicles, motorcycles, and pedestrians in the vicinity of the received intersection into character information / speech information and providing them respectively. .

JP 2006-323671 A

  However, in the conventional information providing system, the in-vehicle device provides all of the plurality of information from the infrastructure sensor, so the driver who is informed of the information is confused due to the amount of information, which hinders driving. There was a problem of becoming.

  In addition, with text / voice information such as “Beware of approaching vehicles”, it is difficult to instantly determine when the driver can safely enter the intersection, and the information cannot be used effectively. It was.

  For these reasons, the vehicle-mounted device and the information providing system can provide a plurality of information detected by the infrastructure sensor in a form that is easily recognized by the driver, and can notify the driver of the timing of safely passing the intersection. How to achieve this is a big issue.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems caused by the prior art, and can provide a plurality of pieces of information detected by the infrastructure sensor in a form that is easily recognized by the driver, and at the intersection of the driver. It is an object of the present invention to provide an in-vehicle device and an information providing system capable of notifying the timing of passing safely.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a receiving means for receiving, from the information providing apparatus, a time zone in which the mobile body passes through the intersection as passing time zone information, and the reception means receives the time zone. About the passing time zone information, the safety level calculation for calculating the safety level when the own vehicle passes the intersection by comparing the passing time zone information of the own vehicle with the passing time zone information other than the own vehicle. And a notifying means for notifying the safety degree calculated by the safety degree calculating means.

  According to the present invention, the time zone in which the mobile body passes through the intersection is received from the information providing device as the passage time zone information, and the received passage time zone information includes the passing time zone information of the own vehicle and other than the own vehicle. By comparing the vehicle's passing time zone information with the vehicle, the safety level when the vehicle passes the intersection is calculated and the calculated safety level is notified. It is possible to provide an in-vehicle device and an information providing system capable of notifying the driver of the timing of safely passing through the intersection.

  Exemplary embodiments of an in-vehicle device and an information providing system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, an embodiment of the information providing system according to the present invention will be described. In the following, an outline of the information providing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2, and then an embodiment of the information providing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the conventional information provision system, the in-vehicle device provided all the information from the infrastructure sensor, so the driver who was informed of the information was too confused and entered the intersection safely. It was difficult to instantly determine possible timing.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the conventional information providing system, when the host vehicle tries to turn right at an intersection, the infrastructure sensor A detects, for example, an oncoming vehicle traveling toward the intersection. The “collision vehicle information” is transmitted to the information providing apparatus.

  Also, “Meeting vehicle information” from infrastructure sensor B, “Approaching vehicle information” from infrastructure sensor C, “Pedestrian information” from infrastructure sensor D, “Involved motorcycle information” from infrastructure sensor E, Each is transmitted to the information providing device.

  The in-vehicle device converts all of the received information into notification information such as “Beware of approaching vehicles” or “Beware of crossing pedestrians” and display it on the display or notify the driver by voice or the like. It was like that.

  The in-vehicle device and the information providing system according to the present invention are characterized mainly in that a plurality of pieces of information detected by the infrastructure sensor are integrated and notified in a virtual signal format. By doing in this way, it is possible to provide the driver with an easy-to-recognize whether or not the vehicle can safely enter the intersection or the timing at which the vehicle can safely pass through the intersection.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the in-vehicle device and the information providing system according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, a plurality of infrastructure sensors are installed in the vicinity of the road near the intersection, and the plurality of infrastructure sensors installed on the road side are installed at equal intervals.

  For example, the distance between the infrastructure sensor A1 and the infrastructure sensor A2, the distance between the infrastructure sensor B1 and the infrastructure sensor B2, the distance between the infrastructure sensor C1 and the infrastructure sensor C2, and the distance between the infrastructure sensor C2 and the infrastructure sensor C3 are all the same. The infrastructure sensor is installed so that

  An information providing device is installed near the road, and the information providing device receives information about the intersection from a plurality of infrastructure sensors installed within a predetermined range, and is installed in a vehicle or the like. Provide information to

  Here, as shown in the figure, while the host vehicle 1 is traveling near the intersection, the other vehicle 2 that tries to turn left from the intersection rightward, the oncoming vehicle 3 that runs toward the intersection, and the intersection are crossed. A case where there is a pedestrian 4 who is going to be described.

  The infrastructure sensor A2 detects the host vehicle 1 and transmits the information of the host vehicle 1 to the information providing device, and the infrastructure sensor B1 detects the other vehicle 2 and transmits the information of the other vehicle 2 to the information providing device. To do.

  The infrastructure sensor C2 detects the oncoming vehicle 3 and transmits information about the oncoming vehicle 3 to the information providing device. The infrastructure sensor D detects the pedestrian 4 and sends information about the pedestrian 4 to the information providing device. Send.

  Therefore, the information providing device calculates and calculates a time zone during which the mobile body passes through the intersection (hereinafter referred to as “passing time zone”) based on a plurality of pieces of information received from a plurality of infrastructure sensors. The color indicating the safety level is determined according to the passage time zone, and the determined color is transmitted to the in-vehicle device provided in the host vehicle 1.

  And in the vehicle-mounted apparatus provided in the own vehicle 1, while notifying by the virtual signal which is a traffic signal provided virtually, the color received from the information provision apparatus can be provided in a form that the driver can easily recognize. Inform the driver of the timing of safely passing the intersection.

  In the first embodiment, the information providing device calculates the passage time zone based on the information on the moving body detected by the infrastructure sensor, the in-vehicle device corrects the calculation result, and determines the safety level. An information providing system for reporting the safety level will be described.

  In the second embodiment, the in-vehicle device calculates the passage time zone based on the moving body information received from the infrastructure sensor via the information providing device, further corrects the calculation result, and determines the safety level. An information providing system for notifying the determined safety level will be described.

  In the third embodiment, the information providing device calculates the passage time zone based on the moving body information received from the infrastructure sensor, determines the safety level, and the in-vehicle device reports the safety level determined by the information providing device. An information providing system to be described will be described.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the in-vehicle device and the information providing system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus included in the information providing system according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the information providing system includes an in-vehicle device 10, an information providing device 20 that transmits information on a moving object to the in-vehicle device 10, an infrastructure sensor A 30a and an infrastructure sensor B 30b that detect a moving object near an intersection. Consists of. In addition, in the same figure, although it has shown about the case where the number of infrastructure sensors is two, there is no restriction | limiting in the number of infrastructure sensors.

  When the infrastructure sensor A30a detects a mobile object near the intersection, the infrastructure sensor A30a transmits the mobile object information A to the information providing device 20. When the infrastructure sensor B30b detects a mobile object near the intersection, the infrastructure sensor A30a provides the mobile object information B. Transmit to device 20.

  Here, in the mobile body information A and the mobile body information B, the mobile body type information indicating whether the mobile body is a vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, or a pedestrian, and the current position information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the mobile body And the traveling speed of the moving object.

  The information providing device 20 includes a wireless device such as a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) or a wireless device such as an optical beacon, and calculates a passing time zone based on the received plurality of mobile body information, The calculated passing time zone is wirelessly transmitted to the in-vehicle device 10.

  The in-vehicle device 10 corrects the passing time zone based on the received passing time zone, the position information of the on-vehicle device 10 updated as the vehicle moves and the traveling speed of the own vehicle, and the corrected passing time zone The safety degree is calculated based on the signal color, and the signal color corresponding to the calculated safety degree is notified by the virtual signal.

  Next, the configuration of an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a communication I / F (interface) 11, host vehicle information 12, a notification unit 13, and a control unit 14.

  The control unit 14 includes a reception processing unit 14a, a correction unit 14b, a signal color determination unit 14c, and a host vehicle information acquisition unit 14d. Although only the components necessary for explaining the characteristic points of the in-vehicle device 10 are shown in the drawing, the so-called car navigation device has a GPS (Global Positioning System) function and a map display function. Shall have.

  The communication I / F 11 is connected to an antenna that transmits and receives radio waves and the like, and includes a communication device for performing wireless communication. Light or radio waves are transmitted between the information providing apparatus or the GPS satellite and the in-vehicle apparatus 10. To send and receive data.

  The own vehicle information 12 is information representing the current position of the in-vehicle device 10 and a traveling speed acquired by a GPS function or a sensor such as a vehicle speed sensor, and is updated as needed with the movement of the own vehicle.

  The notification unit 13 is a notification device that notifies a signal color corresponding to the calculated safety level by a virtual signal or voice that is a traffic light that is virtually provided, and is configured by, for example, a display and a speaker. This is a notification device used in a car navigation system.

  The notification unit 13 may be configured to be translucent on the windshield portion in front of the driver by a display such as HUD (Head-Up Display), or may be configured in the instrument portion in front of the driver. Alternatively, it may be configured in a rearview mirror portion in front of the driver.

  The reception processing unit 14a is connected to an antenna that receives radio waves via the communication I / F 11, and performs processing for outputting information received from the information providing apparatus to other processing units of the control unit 14. It is a processing unit.

  Specifically, the information providing apparatus calculates the passage time zones of a plurality of moving bodies including the host vehicle traveling near the intersection. Then, the reception processing unit 14a receives the passage time zone calculated by the information providing apparatus, and outputs the received passage time zone to the correction unit 14b.

  The correction unit 14b is a processing unit that performs a correction process for the passage time zone based on the passage time zone received from the reception processing unit 14a and the host vehicle information 12 that is updated as the host vehicle moves. Thereby, the intersection passing time zone of the own vehicle in real time is calculated.

  The signal color determination unit 14c calculates a safety level that allows the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device 10 to pass through the intersection safely based on the passage time zone corrected by the correction unit 14b, and determines a signal color according to the calculated safety level. It is a processing unit that performs a process of determining. The host vehicle information acquisition unit 14d is a processing unit that performs a process of acquiring host vehicle information 12 that is updated as needed with the movement of the host vehicle.

  The in-vehicle device according to the present invention is the in-vehicle device 10, the receiving means is the reception processing section 14a, the safety degree calculating means is the signal color determining section 14c, the notifying means is the notifying section 13, and the own vehicle information acquiring means is the own vehicle information. The acquisition unit 14d and the correction unit correspond to the correction unit 14b.

  Next, an example of processing for calculating the passage time zone will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a time zone calculation process for passing through an intersection.

  As shown in the figure, while your vehicle is traveling near the intersection, let's cross the oncoming vehicle A traveling in the direction of the intersection from the front of the intersection, the other vehicle B traveling in the direction of the intersection from the right direction of the intersection, and the intersection. A case where there is a pedestrian C is described.

  As shown in the figure, it is assumed that the width of the road intersecting at the intersection is a length W in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Let L1 be the line on the opposite side of lines L0 and L0 on the near side of the intersection of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the road that intersects at the intersection.

  Since the passing time zone is a time zone in which the mobile body passes through the intersection, the passing time zone of the own vehicle is the intersection passing through L1 from the time when the own vehicle passes the intersection entry position P0. Until the time of passing the position.

  Based on the current time, the distance from the current position of the host vehicle to the approach position P0, and the traveling speed, the time at which the host vehicle enters the intersection can be calculated. Further, based on the traveling speed of the host vehicle and the width of the road, the time required for the host vehicle to pass through the intersection can be calculated. Therefore, the passing time zone of the host vehicle is from the time when the vehicle enters the intersection from the time when the intersection is calculated as above.

  Similarly, for the oncoming vehicle A, the passing time zone from the intersection entry position P1 of the oncoming vehicle A to the passing of L0 is determined based on the current time, the current position of the oncoming vehicle A and the traveling speed. Can be calculated.

  Further, similarly, for the other vehicle B, the passage time zone from the entry position P2 to L3 can be calculated, and for the pedestrian C, the passage time zone crossing the intersection from the entry position P3 can be calculated. it can.

  Next, in FIG. 6, a process for determining a signal color based on the passage time zone calculated above will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the signal color determination process.

  In the graph shown in the figure, the horizontal axis is the time axis, the time when the host vehicle enters the intersection is T0, the time required for the host vehicle to pass through the intersection is t, and the host vehicle completes passing through the intersection. When the time is T1, the passing time zone of the host vehicle is shown in the upper part of FIG.

  Here, when the time when the other vehicle enters the intersection while traveling near the intersection coincides with the time when the other vehicle enters the intersection of the own vehicle, the time taken for the other vehicle to pass through the intersection Regardless of tx, there is a possibility that the host vehicle and the other vehicle may come into contact with each other, so the safety degree is set to red (see the lower part of (A) in the figure).

  On the other hand, as shown in the upper part of (B) in the figure, when the time when another other vehicle enters the intersection is earlier than T0 and the time when the vehicle completes passing through the intersection is later than T0, Since there is an overlap in the crossing time zone between the vehicle and the host vehicle, the safety level is yellow.

  Further, as shown in the lower part of (B) in the same figure, when the time when another other vehicle enters the intersection is later than T0 and before T1, the intersection between the other vehicle and the host vehicle is also present. The safety level is yellow because of the overlap of the internal passage time zones.

  Further, as shown in the upper part of (C) in the same figure, when the time when another other vehicle enters the intersection and the time when the vehicle completes passing through the intersection is earlier than T0, the intersection between the other vehicle and the host vehicle. Since there is no overlap of internal passage time zones, the safety level is blue.

  Also, as shown in the lower part of (C) in the same figure, when the time when another other vehicle enters the intersection is later than T1, there is an overlap in the passage time zone between the other vehicle and the own vehicle. Since there is no such thing, the safety level is blue.

  In this way, the safety level is calculated based on the result of comparing the passing time zones of the host vehicle and other vehicles traveling near the intersection. And when there is one other vehicle whose safety degree is red, it is determined that the color of the virtual signal is red.

  In addition, in the comparison result, when there is no other vehicle whose safety degree is red and there is one other vehicle which is yellow, it is determined that the color of the virtual signal is yellow. To do. Furthermore, in the comparison result, when there is no other vehicle whose safety degree is red and yellow, it is determined that the color of the virtual signal is blue.

  Here, an example of comparing the own vehicle with another vehicle has been described, but the signal color is determined by comparing with the own vehicle in the same manner for other moving objects such as pedestrians and motorcycles (not shown). To do.

  In addition, since the passing time zone is corrected based on the host vehicle information 12 by the correcting unit 14b, even if the safety degree is determined to be red at several hundred meters ahead of the intersection, the host vehicle is in the process of approaching the intersection. It is possible to enter the intersection after changing the traveling state, for example, traveling speed, traveling lane, etc. to make the safety degree blue.

  As a result, the driving state can be adjusted in advance at the early stage before entering the intersection, so that safe driving is ensured.

  Next, the process procedure performed in the vehicle-mounted apparatus 10 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the in-vehicle apparatus according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle device 10 receives the passing time zone of the moving object including the host vehicle from the information providing device (step S101).

  Subsequently, the own vehicle information acquisition unit 14d acquires the own vehicle information 12 (step S102), and the correction unit 14b, based on the passing time zone received in step S101 and the own vehicle information 12 acquired in step S102, The passage time zone is corrected (step S103).

  Thereafter, the signal color determination unit 14c calculates the safety level based on the passage time zone corrected in step S103 (step S104), and determines the signal color according to the safety level calculated in step S104 (step S105). ).

  And the alerting | reporting part 13 alert | reports the signal color determined by step S105 by a virtual signal (step S106), and the control part 14 determines whether the own vehicle has completed passing an intersection (step S107). .

  In the control part 14, a process is complete | finished when the own vehicle completes passing an intersection (step S107: Yes). On the other hand, when the own vehicle is passing through the intersection (step S107: No), the control unit 14 proceeds to step S102 and repeats the process until the own vehicle completes passing through the intersection (step S102 to step S106). ).

  Thus, based on the plurality of information detected by the infrastructure sensor, the information providing device 20 calculates the passage time zone, the in-vehicle device 10 corrects the passage time zone, determines the safety level, and determines the determined safety level. The signal color is determined according to the signal, and the determined signal color is notified by a virtual signal.

  In this case, it is possible to safely enter the intersection by integrating a plurality of pieces of information detected by the infrastructure sensor and informing in a virtual signal format, or the timing at which the intersection can be safely passed Can be provided in a form that is easy for the driver to recognize.

  By the way, when the in-vehicle device 10 travels in the vicinity of an intersection, the case where the signal color is notified based on the passing time zone received from the information providing device 20 has been described. If the relationship between the position information stored in the storage unit and the host vehicle position satisfies a predetermined condition, the notification result associated with the position information is displayed. You may make it alert | report.

  Therefore, in the following, a modification example in which a storage unit is provided in the in-vehicle device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. First, FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a modification of the first embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle device 10 a includes a communication I / F (interface) 11, host vehicle information 12, a notification unit 13, a control unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

  The control unit 14 includes a reception processing unit 14a, a correction unit 14b, a signal color determination unit 14c, and a host vehicle information acquisition unit 14d. Here, since the communication I / F 11, the own vehicle information 12, the notification unit 13, the reception processing unit 14a, the correction unit 14b, and the own vehicle information acquisition unit 14d are the same as the in-vehicle device 10 of the first embodiment, the reference numerals are also illustrated. 4 and the description thereof is omitted.

  The signal color determination unit 14c will be described only with respect to the additional processing performed in addition to the processing performed by the signal color determination unit 14c of the first embodiment.

  The storage unit 15 is a storage unit configured by a nonvolatile RAM (Random Access Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like.

  The history information 15a is information in which the safety level and the position information of the intersection are stored in the storage unit 15 when the signal color determined by the signal color determination unit 14c is notified by a virtual signal. Is stored in the storage unit 15 together with the time information.

  The signal color determination unit 14c stores the history information 15a in the storage unit 15 when performing the process of determining the signal color corresponding to the calculated safety degree based on the passage time zone corrected by the correction unit 14b. Is a processing unit.

  Next, the process procedure performed in the vehicle-mounted apparatus 10a is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the in-vehicle device according to the modification of the first embodiment. Here, the case of receiving the passage time zone from the information providing apparatus is the same as in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the reception processing unit 14a determines whether or not there is reception information from the information providing apparatus (step S201), and if there is no reception information from the information providing apparatus (step S201: Yes), the own vehicle The information acquisition unit 14d acquires the own vehicle information 12 (step S202).

  Subsequently, the signal color determination unit 14c searches the history information 15a stored in the storage unit 15 (step S203), the position information of the host vehicle information 12 acquired in step S202, the position information of the history information 15a, and Is determined to match (step S204).

  And the alerting | reporting part 13 alert | reports according to the safety | security level of the log | history information 15a, when the positional information on the own vehicle information 12 acquired by step S202 and the positional information on the log | history information 15a correspond (step S204: Yes). As a virtual signal (step S205).

  The control unit 14 determines whether or not the host vehicle has completed passing through the intersection (step S206), and if the host vehicle has completed passing through the intersection (step S206: Yes), the process ends. On the other hand, when the own vehicle is passing through the intersection (step S206: No), the control unit 14 proceeds to step S202 and repeats the process until the own vehicle completes passing the intersection (step S202 to step S205). ).

  Here, the notification unit 13 notifies the warning information when the position information of the host vehicle information 12 matches the position information of the history information 15a. The warning information may be notified only when the difference from the time is within a predetermined range.

  In this case, since the safety level in the morning commuting time zone and the safety level in the evening time zone differ depending on the direction of travel with respect to the intersection, the warning information with higher accuracy can be obtained. The driver can be notified.

  Generally, an intersection where an infrastructure sensor or an information providing device is set is often an intersection where traffic accidents have frequently occurred so far. Thus, in the in-vehicle device 10a, the notification result and the position information of the intersection are stored in the storage unit 15 in association with each other, and the relationship between the position information stored in the storage unit 15 and the vehicle position is predetermined. When the condition is satisfied, the notification result associated with the position information is notified.

  In this case, the driver can be alerted or warned even if the infrastructure sensor or the information providing device is out of order, or during maintenance, and the passage time zone cannot be received from the information providing device.

  Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms other than the first embodiment described above. You may comprise so that a vehicle-mounted apparatus may perform calculation of the passage time slot | zone which the information provision apparatus performed in Example 1. FIG.

  Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the in-vehicle device and the information providing system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus included in the information providing system according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the information providing system includes an in-vehicle device 10b, an information providing device 20a that transmits information on a moving object to the in-vehicle device 10b, an infrastructure sensor A30a that detects a moving object near an intersection, and an infrastructure sensor B30b. Consists of.

  Note that the infrastructure sensor A30a, infrastructure sensor B30b, mobile object information A, and mobile object information B in the same figure are the same as those in FIG.

  The information providing apparatus 20a receives information on a plurality of moving bodies detected by the infrastructure sensor, and wirelessly transmits the received plurality of moving body information to the in-vehicle apparatus 10b.

  The in-vehicle device 10b calculates a passing time zone based on the received plurality of moving body information, and calculates the passing time zone, the location information of the in-vehicle device 10b updated as needed along with the movement of the host vehicle, and the self-vehicle device. The passing time zone is corrected based on the traveling speed of the vehicle.

  Subsequently, the in-vehicle device 10b calculates the safety level based on the corrected passage time zone, and notifies the signal color corresponding to the calculated safety level by a virtual signal. Here, the configuration of the in-vehicle device according to the second embodiment is the same as the block diagram shown in FIG.

  Next, the process procedure performed in the vehicle-mounted apparatus 10b is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the in-vehicle apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle device 10b receives information on the moving body including the host vehicle from the information providing device (step S301), and the control unit 14 uses the passing time zone based on the received information on the moving body. Is calculated (step S302).

  Subsequently, the host vehicle information acquisition unit 14d acquires the host vehicle information 12 (step S303), and the correction unit 14b, based on the passing time zone calculated in step S302 and the host vehicle information 12 acquired in step S303, The passage time zone is corrected (step S304).

  Thereafter, the signal color determination unit 14c calculates the safety level based on the passage time zone corrected in step S304 (step S305), and determines the signal color according to the safety level calculated in step S305 (step S306). ).

  And the alerting | reporting part 13 alert | reports the signal color determined by step S306 by a virtual signal (step S307), and the control part 14 determines whether the own vehicle completed the passage through an intersection (step S308). .

  In the control part 14, a process is complete | finished when the own vehicle completes passing an intersection (step S308: Yes). On the other hand, when the own vehicle is passing through the intersection (step S308: No), the control unit 14 proceeds to step S303 and repeats the process until the own vehicle completes passing the intersection (step S303 to step S307). ).

  As described above, the in-vehicle device 10b receives the information on the plurality of moving bodies detected by the infrastructure sensor via the information providing device 20a. Further, the in-vehicle device 10b is configured to calculate the passage time zone based on the received moving body information, further correct the calculation result, determine the safety level, and notify the determined safety level.

  In this case, development costs are greatly reduced by integrating multiple pieces of information detected by the infrastructure sensor and notifying them in a virtual signal format without changing the processing of the conventional infrastructure sensor and information providing device. be able to.

  Up to now, the processing from the calculation of the passage time zone to the signal color determination performed by the in-vehicle device in the second embodiment is performed by the information providing device, and the in-vehicle device only notifies the signal color by a virtual signal. You may comprise so that it may perform.

  Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the in-vehicle device and the information providing system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus included in the information providing system according to the third embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the information providing system includes an in-vehicle device 10c, an information providing device 20b that transmits information on a moving object to the in-vehicle device 10c, an infrastructure sensor A30a that detects a moving object near an intersection, and an infrastructure sensor B30b. Consists of.

  Note that the infrastructure sensor A30a, infrastructure sensor B30b, mobile object information A, and mobile object information B in the same figure are the same as those in FIG.

  The information providing apparatus 20b receives information on a plurality of moving bodies detected by the infrastructure sensor, and calculates a passing time zone based on the received plurality of moving body information. Further, the vehicle information such as the position information of the in-vehicle device 10c and the traveling speed of the vehicle, which are updated at any time as the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 10c is mounted, is received from the in-vehicle device 10c.

  Then, the information providing device 20b corrects the passing time zone based on the calculated passing time zone and the received vehicle information, calculates the safety level based on the corrected passing time zone, and a signal corresponding to the calculated safety level. Determine the color.

  Subsequently, the information providing device 20b wirelessly transmits the determined signal color to the in-vehicle device 10c, while the in-vehicle device 10c notifies the received signal color by a virtual signal.

  Next, a processing procedure executed in the in-vehicle device 10c and the information providing device 20b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the in-vehicle apparatus and the information providing apparatus according to the third embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the information providing device 20b receives information on all the moving bodies that run near the intersection from the infrastructure sensor (step S401), and receives the vehicle information of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 10c is mounted as the in-vehicle device 10c. (Step S402).

  On the other hand, when receiving the vehicle information request notification from the information providing device 20b (step S403), the in-vehicle device 10c transmits the host vehicle information to the information providing device 20b (step S404).

  Then, the information providing apparatus 20b receives the vehicle information of the vehicle (step S405), and calculates a passing time zone based on the mobile object information received in step S401 and the vehicle information received in step S405 (step S405). S406).

  Subsequently, the information providing apparatus 20b calculates a safety level based on the passage time zone calculated in step S406 (step S407), and determines a signal color according to the safety level calculated in step S407 (step S408). ).

  Thereafter, the information providing device 20b transmits the signal color determined in step S408 to the in-vehicle device 10c (step S409), and the in-vehicle device 10c notifies the signal color transmitted in step S409 with a virtual signal (step). S410).

  On the other hand, in the information providing apparatus 20b, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has completed passing through the intersection (step S411). If the vehicle has completed passing through the intersection (step S411: Yes), the processing is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle is passing through the intersection (step S411: No), the information providing apparatus 20b proceeds to step S402 and repeats the process until the vehicle completes passing through the intersection (step S402 to step S402). S409).

  As described above, the processing from the calculation of the passage time zone to the determination of the signal color is performed by the information providing device 20b, and the in-vehicle device 10c is configured to notify the signal color by a virtual signal. The load can be greatly reduced.

  In the above embodiment, when the time when the own vehicle enters the intersection coincides with the time when another mobile object enters the intersection, the safety degree is set to red. The degree of safety may be red when there is overlap in the passage time zone within the intersection with the moving body, and the degree of safety is red when the overlap time in the passage time zone within the intersection is within a predetermined range. It is good.

  In this case, the safety degree can be calculated more flexibly by setting the safety degree to red according to the overlapping time of the in-intersection passing time zone.

  In the above embodiment, the degree of safety is calculated by comparing the passing time zone of all moving bodies detected by the infrastructure sensor at the intersection with the passing time zone of the own vehicle. The degree of safety may be calculated only for a moving body related to the traveling direction.

  In this case, by notifying the safety degree based only on the information of the moving body necessary for the host vehicle, the time required for the safety degree calculation process can be shortened, and whether or not the vehicle can enter the intersection with higher accuracy. Can be notified to the driver.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the safety level is notified by a virtual signal, but the safety level indicates whether it can pass or cannot be “GO / STOP”, “OK / NG” or “↑ / ×”. It is good also as alerting | reporting by a display, In this case, a driver | operator can provide in a form which is easier to recognize.

  In the above embodiment, the safety degree is notified by a virtual signal. However, the safety degree may be numerically notified and notified as “risk degree 80%”. Can provide safety in an easy-to-recognize form.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the safety level is notified by a virtual signal, but the virtual signal may be notified by iconification. In this case, a display portion such as a map display included in the car navigation device is provided. A safety level can be provided without blocking.

  In the above embodiment, the safety level is notified by a virtual signal. However, the virtual signal may be notified by capturing a signal image of a traffic light. In this case, by giving the driver a sense of reality. , Can call for stronger attention.

  Moreover, in the said Example, the safety degree was calculated based on the passage time slot | zone when it is assumed that a moving body goes straight through the intersection with respect to the approach direction.

  However, the infrastructure sensor detects not only the current position information of the moving body and the traveling speed of the moving body but also the turn signal information of the moving body to determine whether the moving body is turning left, right or straight ahead in the intersection. Based on the determined result, the passage time zone may be calculated. In this case, a more accurate safety degree can be calculated.

  In the above embodiment, the safety degree is calculated and notified based on the information of the moving body that runs in the vicinity of the intersection. However, in the in-vehicle device, the traffic signal of the intersection is obtained from the infrastructure sensor or the information providing device. The lighting state of the traffic light may be notified by receiving the lighting state.

  In this case, there are things that block the driver's front view such as fog, buildings, or large vehicles ahead, and the driver can be alerted even when the lighting state of the traffic light cannot be confirmed.

  In the above embodiment, the safety degree is calculated and notified based on the information of the moving body that runs near the intersection. However, in the in-vehicle device, the one-way road or the road stop is provided from the infrastructure sensor or the information providing device. By receiving such information, the approach situation of the intersection may be notified, and in this case, the driver can pass the intersection more safely.

  In the above embodiment, the safety degree is calculated and notified based on the information of the moving body that runs near the intersection. However, in the in-vehicle device, the road under construction from the infrastructure sensor or the information providing device. By receiving the lighting status of the simple signal installed in the vicinity, the lighting status of the non-permanent simple signal may be notified. In this case, the situation near the road under construction may be provided to the driver. it can.

  In the above embodiment, the safety level is calculated and notified based on the information of the moving body that runs near the intersection. However, in the infrastructure sensor, the lighting state of the traffic light at the intersection, the approach direction of the moving body The vehicle speed may be detected and, for example, information on a moving body that may be approached by ignoring the signal is notified to the in-vehicle device. If this is the case, the driver can be alerted when entering the intersection.

  As described above, the in-vehicle device and the information providing system according to the present invention are useful for preventing traffic accidents, and in particular, a driver recognizes a plurality of information detected by a plurality of infrastructure sensors installed near an intersection. It is suitable for not only providing the information in an easy-to-use form but also for notifying the driver of the timing for safely passing the intersection.

It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the conventional information provision system. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the vehicle-mounted apparatus and information provision system which concern on a present Example. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus included in an information providing system according to a first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a first embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the time zone calculation process which passes the inside of an intersection. It is a figure for demonstrating a signal color determination process. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the in-vehicle apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a modified example of the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in an in-vehicle device according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus included in an information providing system according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the in-vehicle apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus included in an information providing system according to a third embodiment. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the in-vehicle device and the information providing device according to the third embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Own vehicle 2 Other vehicle 3 Oncoming vehicle 4 Pedestrian 10 In-vehicle apparatus 10a In-vehicle apparatus 10b In-vehicle apparatus 10c In-vehicle apparatus 20 Information providing apparatus 20a Information providing apparatus 20b Information providing apparatus 30a Infrastructure sensor A
30b Infrastructure sensor B
11 Communication I / F
12 own vehicle information 13 notification unit 14 control unit 14a reception processing unit 14b correction unit 14c signal color determination unit 14d own vehicle information acquisition unit 15 storage unit 15a history information

Claims (5)

Receiving means for receiving, from the information providing apparatus, a time zone during which the mobile body passes through the intersection as time zone information;
About the passing time zone information received by the receiving means, the passing time zone information of the own vehicle and the passing time zone information other than the own vehicle are compared to ensure safety when the own vehicle passes the intersection. A safety degree calculation means for calculating the degree,
An in-vehicle device comprising: an informing means for informing the safety degree calculated by the safety degree calculating means. Own vehicle information obtaining means for obtaining the running state of the own vehicle as own vehicle information;
The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, further comprising: a correcting unit that corrects the passing time zone information of the host vehicle based on the host vehicle information acquired by the host vehicle information acquiring unit. The notification means includes
2. The virtual signal indicating a virtual signal is determined based on the safety degree calculated by the safety degree calculating means, and the virtual signal having the signal color is notified. The vehicle-mounted device according to 2. An accumulating unit for accumulating in the storage unit the association result of the notification by the informing unit and the position information of the intersection;
The notification means includes
The notification result associated with the position information is notified when a relationship between the position information stored in the storage unit and the vehicle position satisfies a predetermined condition. The in-vehicle device according to 2 or 3. An information providing system comprising an infrastructure sensor that detects information about a moving object, an information providing device that acquires moving object information from the infrastructure sensor, and an in-vehicle device that performs wireless communication with the information providing device,
The information providing apparatus includes:
Passing time zone information generating means for generating, as passing time zone information, a time zone in which the mobile body passes through the intersection based on the moving body information acquired from the infrastructure sensor;
Transmission means for transmitting the passing time zone information generated by the passing time zone information generating means to the in-vehicle device,
The in-vehicle device is
Receiving means for receiving the passage time zone information from the information providing device;
Own vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring the running state of the own vehicle as own vehicle information;
Safety degree calculating means for calculating a safety degree when the own vehicle passes the intersection based on the passing time zone information received by the receiving means and the own vehicle information acquired by the own vehicle information acquiring means. When,
Signal color determining means for determining a signal color of a virtual signal indicating a virtual signal based on the safety degree calculated by the safety degree calculating means;
An information providing system comprising: notification means for notifying the virtual signal having the signal color determined by the signal color determination means.

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