JP2019101580A - Information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To distribute traffic from busy sections of a toll road to other sections.SOLUTION: An information processing device according to an embodiment includes a bypass route determination part, a transmission part, a reception part, a determination part, and a toll calculation part. When there is a congested section which is a section with a congestion degree equal to or higher than a first threshold in each section in a toll road, the bypass route determination part determines one or more bypass routes allowing for bypassing the congested section. The transmission part transmits information indicating the bypass route to a road-to-vehicle communication device or an entrance device capable of communicating with an on-vehicle device of a vehicle. The reception part receives, from the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device, identification information on the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device and identification information of the vehicle received by the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device from the on-vehicle device. The determination part determines whether or not the vehicle has passed any of the bypass routes. The toll calculation part calculates a toll by applying a discount to the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle has passed any of the bypass routes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for a vehicle traveling on a toll road such as an expressway, there is known a technique for determining a toll based on an entrance and an exit through which the vehicle passes. Further, not only the entrance and the exit but also a technology such as a toll collection system that charges different amounts according to the route traveled by the vehicle is known.

JP, 2016-151969, A Patent No. 3212241 Patent No. 3760134 Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2012-59046 JP, 2010-198571, A JP 2003-123109

  However, in the prior art, vehicles may be concentrated on a route with a low charge amount, and the route may be congested. For this reason, it has been required to disperse the traffic volume from the congested section in the toll road to other sections.

  The information processing apparatus according to the embodiment includes a detour path determination unit, a transmission unit, a reception unit, a determination unit, and a charge calculation unit. The detour route determination unit is a combination of sections in the toll road and is capable of bypassing the congested section when there is a congested section in which the congestion degree for each section in the toll road is equal to or higher than the first threshold 1 Or determine multiple detour routes. The transmission unit is installed at each section of the toll road, the information indicating the detour route, and is provided at a road-to-vehicle communication device capable of communicating with an on-vehicle device of a vehicle traveling on the toll road or at the entrance of the toll road Send to an ingress device that can communicate with the on-board unit. The reception unit receives, from the road-vehicle communication device or the entrance device, identification information of the road-vehicle communication device or the entrance device and identification information of the vehicle received by the road-vehicle communication device or the entrance device from the on-board unit. The determination unit determines whether the vehicle has passed any of the detour paths based on the identification information of the vehicle received by the reception unit for each section and the identification information of the road-vehicle communication device or the entrance device. The charge calculating unit calculates a toll by applying a discount to the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle has passed any of the detour routes.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an ETC system and a traffic control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions of an information processing device and a traffic control device according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a data structure of the discount information database concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of a charging information database according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of a zone database according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of a route database according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of a transmission information database according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a data configuration of bypass route information according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a dynamic charging process according to the first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a discount process of the toll charge concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an ETC system and a traffic control system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions of an information processing device and a traffic control device according to a third embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a data structure of the discount information database concerning Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the dynamic fee-charging process concerning Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a discount process of the toll charge concerning Embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an ETC system and a traffic control system according to a fourth embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a data structure of the discount information database concerning Embodiment 4. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a discount process of the toll charge concerning Embodiment 4. FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
In the ETC (Electronic Toll Collection (registered trademark) system) of the present embodiment, a detour route is dynamically set according to the congestion degree for each zone (section) in a toll road, and a toll of a vehicle traveling on the detour route Distribute traffic from busy zones to other zones by discounting.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an ETC system S1 and a traffic control system S10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the toll road R of the present embodiment is a toll road having a branch in the middle section. And in order to charge a toll to the vehicle 2a which drive | works this toll road R, ETC system S1 is installed. The ETC system S1 includes an information processing device 100, an inlet device 11a, and an outlet device 12a.

  Further, the toll road R is divided into a plurality of zones A0 to A4 by a communication area of road-to-vehicle communication devices 10a to 10d, which will be described later, and the entrance device 11a or the exit device 12a. If the zones A0 to A4 are not particularly distinguished, they are referred to as zone A. Further, in the present embodiment, a combination of a plurality of zones A is referred to as a route.

  Although one entrance device 11a and one exit device 12a are installed on the toll road R in FIG. 1, the number and location of the installation of the entrance device 11a and the exit device 12a are not limited to this. For example, each zone A may be provided with a plurality of inlet devices 11a or outlet devices 12a.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle 2a traveling on the toll road R is mounted with an in-vehicle device that can communicate with the entrance device 11a and the exit device 12a. The vehicle-mounted device can also communicate with the road-to-vehicle communication devices 10a to 10d using DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication: "dedicated short range communication"). In this embodiment, one onboard unit corresponds to ETC and DSRC, but the onboard unit for ETC and the onboard unit for DSRC may be separate onboard units. The vehicle-mounted device displays the information received from the road-to-vehicle communication devices 10a to 10d, the entrance device 11a, and the exit device 12a on the display unit.

  The entrance device 11a is provided at the entrance of the toll road R, and can communicate with the on-vehicle devices of the vehicle 2a passing through the entrance. In the present embodiment, the entrance device 11 a is an ETC gate provided at the entrance of the toll road R.

  The entrance device 11a transmits the information transmitted from the information processing device 100 to the in-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a entering (inflowing) the toll road R from the entrance where the entrance device 11a is installed. The entrance device 11a also receives vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a entering the toll road R from the entrance where the entrance device 11a is installed from the in-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a, and transmits the information to the information processing device 100.

  The exit device 12a is provided at the exit of the toll road R, and can communicate with the on-vehicle devices of the vehicle 2a passing through the exit. In the present embodiment, the exit device 12 a is an ETC gate provided at the exit of the toll road R. The exit device 12a receives, from the information processing device 100, the information of the toll associated with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a. The toll amount is the amount charged when the vehicle 2a exits (outflows) the toll road R from the exit where the exit device 12a is installed.

  When the vehicle 2a passes through the exit device 12a, the exit device 12a transmits, to the on-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a, information on the amount of toll charged for the vehicle 2a. Further, the exit device 12a may display the amount of the toll on a display unit (not shown) or the like.

  In addition, the exit device 12a transmits, to the information processing device 100, vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a that has left the toll road from the exit where the exit device 12a is installed.

  The information processing apparatus 100 is, for example, an ETC central apparatus, and calculates a toll to be charged to the vehicle 2a. The information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment basically calculates the toll to be charged to the vehicle 2a based on the entrance and exit through which the vehicle 2a passes, but the congestion degree for each zone A to avoid congestion. Accordingly, the detour route is dynamically set, and the toll of the vehicle 2a traveling on the detour route is discounted.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, traffic control system S10 is provided with traffic control apparatus 200 and road-vehicle communication apparatus 10a-10d.

  The traffic control device 200 mutually communicates with the road-vehicle communication devices 10 a to 10 d and the information processing device 100. In addition, the traffic control device 200 calculates congestion information indicating the congestion status of the toll road R using a known method, and transmits the congestion information to the information processing device 100.

  The road-to-vehicle communication devices 10 a to 10 d are devices capable of communicating with the vehicle 2 a traveling on the toll road R, and are provided on the road side of the toll road R. In the present embodiment, the road-to-vehicle communication devices 10a to 10d are set as ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) spots that can communicate with the vehicle 2a using DSRC. The communication means of the vehicle-mounted device and the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 is not limited to DSRC. Hereinafter, the road-to-vehicle communication devices 10a to 10d will be referred to as road-to-vehicle communication devices 10 unless otherwise specified. The road-to-vehicle communication device 10 is also referred to as a roadside wireless communication device.

  Specifically, the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 transmits the information transmitted from the traffic control device 200 to the in-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a traveling in the zone A in which the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 is installed. Further, in the present embodiment, the information processing device 100 transmits, to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 via the traffic control device 200, information indicating a detour route to which the toll is discounted. The bypass route in the present embodiment is a combination of zone A in the toll road R, and is a route that can bypass zone A in which the degree of congestion is equal to or greater than the first threshold. Details of the information transmitted from the information processing apparatus 100 will be described later.

  In addition, the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 receives vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a traveling in the zone A in which the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 is installed from the in-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a and transmits it to the information processing device 100. In the present embodiment, the ID of the on-board unit mounted on the vehicle 2a and the ID of the ETC card inserted in the on-board unit are used as the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a. The vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a is not limited to this.

  The information processing apparatus 100 and the traffic control apparatus 200 include a central processing unit (CPU), a memory such as a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), and an external storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD). It has a hardware configuration that uses an ordinary computer. Further, the information processing device 100 and the traffic control device 200 are installed at a management center or the like of the toll road R. Alternatively, the information processing device 100 and the traffic control device 200 may be installed at different places. Next, details of the functions of the information processing device 100 and the traffic control device 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functions of the information processing apparatus 100 and the traffic control apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the traffic control device 200 includes a receiving unit 201, a transmitting unit 202, and a processing unit 203. The receiving unit 201 receives information from the road-vehicle communication device 10 and the information processing device 100. The processing unit 203 calculates congestion information indicating the congestion state of the toll road R using information obtained from the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 and other information using a known method. The transmission unit 202 transmits information to the road-vehicle communication device 10 and the information processing device 100.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 100 includes an acquisition unit 101, a congestion degree calculation unit 102, a bypass route determination unit 103, a transmission unit 104, a reception unit 105, a determination unit 106, and a charge. A calculation unit 107 and a storage unit 150 are provided.

  The storage unit 150 includes a charge information database (DB) 151, a discount information database (DB) 152, a charging information database (DB) 153, a zone database (DB) 154, a route database (DB) 155, and transmission information. And a database (DB) 156. The storage unit 150 is configured of, for example, a storage device such as an HDD.

  The toll information database 151 is a database in which tolls of the toll road R are registered in advance. More specifically, in the charge information database 151, for each zone A, a toll from the start position to the end position of each zone A, or an exit device provided in the zone A from the start position of each zone A Tolls up to 12a are registered. Also, when the entrance device 11a is provided in the zone A, the toll fee from the entrance device 11a in the zone A to the exit device 12a provided in the zone A is also registered in the charge information database 151. . Note that different tolls may be registered in the toll information database 151 for each vehicle type. The tolls registered in the toll information database 151 are standard tolls before the discount is applied.

  The discount information database 152 is a database in which information on a discount applied to the toll of the toll road R is registered. The discount in this embodiment is to charge (charge) an amount lower than the standard toll, and the method of discount is not limited. For example, discounting an amount obtained by multiplying a discount rate by a standard toll, discounting a predetermined amount by a standard toll, applying a fixed rate lower than the standard toll, Can be adopted as a discount method.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the discount information database 152 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in the discount information database 152, the discount identification information, the detour target zone, the detour confirmation zone, the branch zone, the discount degree, the start time, and the end time are associated with each other and registered. Be done. In the present embodiment, the detour target zone associated with each discount identification information, the detour determination zone, the branch zone, the discount degree, the start time, and the end time are collectively referred to as discount information. Further, each piece of information included in the discount information database 152 is registered by a charge calculation unit 107 described later.

  The discount identification information is information that can identify the discount information, and is, for example, a code, a number, or the like.

  The bypass target zone is the zone A to be bypassed because it is congested or congested. In the present embodiment, the "zone A4" is registered as the bypass target zone. Which zone A is to be a bypass target zone is determined by the bypass route determination unit 103 described later.

  The bypass determination zone is a zone A in which the vehicle 2a travels to avoid the bypass target zone. In the present embodiment, the "zone A2" is registered as the bypass determined zone. When the vehicle 2a enters the detour determination zone, it is determined that the vehicle 2a does not pass through the detour target zone. Also, the detour determination zone is one of the zones A that constitute the detour path. Which zone A is to be the detour determination zone is determined by the detour path determination unit 103 described later.

  The branch zone is located upstream of the bypass target zone and the bypass determination zone, and zone A including the branch point between the route including the bypass target zone (route to be bypassed) and the bypass route, or a zone located upstream of the branch point It is A. Which zone A becomes a branch zone is determined by the bypass route determination unit 103 described later. In the present embodiment, the “zone A1” including the branch point and the “zone A0-1” and the “zone A0-2” located on the upstream side of the “zone A1” are branch zones. The range of the upstream branch zone is not particularly limited. For example, it may be a branch zone until reaching another zone A including another branch point located upstream. The range of the branch zone is not limited to this, and only the zone A including the branch point between the bypass target route and the bypass route may be set as the branch zone.

  The degree of discounting includes a discount type and a numerical value, and indicates how much the standard toll is discounted. There are a plurality of discount types, and this is a type of technique used to apply a discount to toll charges. For example, "Discount rate" when discounting the amount obtained by multiplying the standard toll rate by the discount rate, "discount amount" when discounting the prescribed amount against the standard toll rate, from the standard toll rate In the case of applying a low fixed charge, “limit price” is registered as a discount type. In the present embodiment, “discount rate” is registered as the discount type. The content of the discount type is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. Moreover, when the same discount type is used in all the discount information, the discount information database 152 may not include the item.

  The numerical value is a numerical value used when the discount method registered in the discount type is applied. For example, when the discount type is "discount rate", the value of the discount rate (for example, "50%" or the like) multiplied by the standard toll is registered as a numerical value. Further, when the discount type is “discount amount”, the amount to be subtracted from the standard toll (for example, “500 yen, etc.) is registered as a numerical value. Further, when the discount type is “limit price”, the fixed charge which is cheaper than the standard toll is registered. The content of the degree of discount is an example, and is not limited to this.

  The start time is the time at which the application of the discount information is started. Further, the end time is a time when the application of the discount information ends. In the present embodiment, the discount information database 152 may adopt a configuration in which the start time and the end time are not held because the application of the discount information starts or ends according to the degree of congestion of each zone A.

  The data configuration of the discount information database 152 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the information registered in the discount information database 152 is also referred to as variable charging information because it is information relating to the fluctuation of the charging amount with respect to the standard toll fee.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the charging information database 153 is a database in which information on the toll charged for the vehicle 2 a traveling on the toll road R is registered.

  FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the charging information database 153 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the charging information database 153 includes vehicle identification information, the latest passing device, an update time, a fixed fee, a traveling zone, an estimated additional charge for each zone A, and target discount information. The bypass determination flag is registered in association with each other.

  The latest passing device is the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a that has last communicated with the vehicle 2a.

  The update time is the time at which the road-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a registered as the latest passage device has communicated with the vehicle 2a.

  The fixed charge is a total value of tolls on the travel route through which the vehicle 2a has passed.

  The traveling zone is zone A in which the vehicle 2a is traveling. The traveling zone is also referred to as zone A in which the road-vehicle communication device 10 registered as the latest passage device or the entrance device 11a is installed. In addition, when the vehicle 2a leaves the toll road R, "exit" is registered in the traveling zone.

  The additional scheduled charge for each zone A is a toll to be charged to the vehicle 2a when the vehicle 2a enters another zone A connected to the zone A registered as the traveling zone. In addition, when the exit device 12a is provided in the traveling zone, a toll to be charged when the vehicle 2a leaves the exit device 12a provided in the traveling zone is also registered as an additional scheduled charge for each zone A. Be done. As an additional scheduled charge for each zone A, a standard toll before the discount is applied is registered.

  The target discount information is information for identifying discount information that may be applied to the vehicle 2a identified by the vehicle identification information.

  The detour determination flag is a flag indicating whether or not it is determined that the vehicle 2a specified by the vehicle identification information has traveled the detour path. Details of the bypass determination flag will be described in the determination unit 106 described later.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the zone database 154 is a database in which information on the zone A included in the toll road R is registered.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the zone database 154 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in the zone database 154, zone ID, zone entry 1 to n, zone exit 1 to n, discount identification information 1 to n, zone type 1 to n, congestion degree It is matched and registered.

  The zone ID is an example of identification information for identifying each zone A.

  Zone entrances 1 to n are road-to-vehicle communication devices 10 or entrance devices 11a that communicate when the vehicle 2a enters each zone A. More specifically, the zone entrances 1 to n are the road-vehicle communication device 10 indicating the start position of each zone A, or the entrance device 11 a included in each zone A. Since one zone A may have multiple entry paths, multiple zone entry can be registered.

  Zone exits 1 to n are road-to-vehicle communication devices 10 or exit devices 12a that communicate when the vehicle 2a exits each zone A. More specifically, the zone exits 1 to n are the road-vehicle communication device 10 indicating the start position of the next zone A connected to each zone A, or the exit device 12a included in each zone A. Since one zone A may have multiple exit paths, multiple zone exits can be registered.

  Discount identification information 1 to n is information for identifying discount information. Also, for each of the zone types 1 to n, whether each zone A corresponds to the branch zone, the bypass determination zone, the bypass target zone, or the normal zone by the bypass route determination unit 103 described later for each of the discount identification information 1 to n Is a type that indicates If the discount identification information is different even in one zone A, the corresponding zone type may be different. In FIG. 5, the zone A which is not any of the branch zone, the bypass determination zone, and the bypass target zone is a normal zone, but it is also possible to have no zone type.

  The congestion degree is information indicating how much each zone A of the toll road R is congested. In the present embodiment, the congestion degree is indicated by three discrete values of “smooth”, “congestion”, and “congestion”, but is not limited thereto. For example, the congestion degree may be indicated by a continuous value.

  In the present embodiment, “traffic congestion” is an example of a first threshold used in the dynamic charging process described later. Also, “congestion” is an example of a second threshold used in the dynamic charging process described later. Details of the first threshold and the second threshold will be described later.

  Among the information included in the zone database 154, the zone ID, the zone entry 1 to n, and the zone exit 1 to n are assumed to be registered in advance. Further, the discount identification information 1 to n and the zone types 1 to n are registered in association with the zone ID by the bypass route determination unit 103 described later. The congestion degree is registered by the congestion degree calculation unit 102 described later.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the route database 155 is a database in which information on a route, which is a combination of zones A in the toll road R, is registered.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the route database 155 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in the route database 155, a route ID for identifying a route, a zone A included in each route, a configuration zone in which the order is defined, and a route type are registered in association with each other. Ru. Further, each piece of information included in the route database 155 is generated by the bypass route determination unit 103 described later.

  The route type is a type indicating whether each route is a bypass target route or a bypass route. The bypass target route is a route including the bypass target zone, and is also referred to as a congestion route.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the transmission information database 156 is a database in which information on the transmission destination of the discount information registered in the discount information database 152 is registered.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the transmission information database 156 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, in the transmission information database 156, the transmission destination device, the discount identification information, and the zone type are registered in association with each other.

  The transmission destination device is the road-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a to which each discount information is transmitted. The zone type is the type of zone A in which the transmission destination device (road-vehicle communication device 10 or entrance device 11a) is installed. Each information included in the transmission information database 156 is registered by a charge calculation unit 107 described later.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the acquisition unit 101 acquires congestion information indicating the congestion status of the toll road R from the traffic control device 200 at regular intervals. The fixed time is, for example, 5 minutes, but is not limited thereto. In addition, since the congestion information calculated by the traffic control device 200 is used also for the purpose other than the determination of the detour route, the congestion status may be indicated in a unit different from the zone A.

  The congestion degree calculation unit 102 calculates the congestion degree for each zone A in the toll road R using the known method from the congestion information acquired by the acquisition unit 101.

  The bypass route determination unit 103 determines one or more bypass routes that can bypass zone A in which the congestion degree is equal to or higher than the first threshold. More specifically, the detour path determination unit 103 according to the present embodiment sets the zone A4 in which the congestion degree of each zone A registered in the zone database 154 is “congestion” as a detour target zone. The bypass target zone is an example of the congested section in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the first threshold is set to “congestion” which is the highest congestion level, but the first threshold is not limited to this. For example, the detour path determination unit 103 may adopt a configuration in which the zone A with the congestion degree equal to or higher than “congestion” is the detour target zone.

  Further, the bypass route determination unit 103 determines a bypass route that is a combination of a plurality of zones A that can bypass the bypass target zone. In the detourable zone, the vehicle 2a is located in the zone A downstream of the detourable zone without passing (passing) the detourable zone (zone A4 in this embodiment). It is that it can join with the route passing through. In the present embodiment, the bypass route determination unit 103 determines a route from zone A1 located in front of zone A4 to zone A3 via zone A2 as a bypass route.

  A publicly known method can be adopted as a method of determining a detour path. For example, the bypass route determination unit 103 generates a route not passing through the bypass target zone by applying a known algorithm such as closed loop determination with each zone A as a node of the directed graph. The method of determining the detour path is not limited to this, and other methods may be adopted.

  Further, the detour route determination unit 103 sets a zone A in which the vehicle 2a is determined to travel the detour route as a detour determination zone. In the present embodiment, the zone A2 is a bypass determination zone. The bypass route determination unit 103 registers information on each zone A in the zone database 154. Further, the bypass route determination unit 103 is located upstream of the bypass target zone and the bypass determination zone, and includes zone A including a branch point between the bypass target route and the bypass path, or zone A located upstream of the branch point, It will be a branch zone.

  Further, the bypass route determination unit 103 registers the determined bypass route in the route database 155. Further, the bypass route determination unit 103 registers a route reaching from the zone A1 to the zone A3 via the zone A4 in the route database 155 as a bypass target route.

  The fee calculation unit 107 generates discount information to be applied to the vehicle 2 a that has traveled the detour route, and registers the discount information in the discount information database 152. More specifically, the charge calculation unit 107 acquires information on the detour path registered in the path database 155 and information on zone A constituting the detour path registered in the zone database 154. Then, the charge calculation unit 107 determines the degree of discount to be applied to the vehicle 2a traveling on the bypass route.

  In the present embodiment, the method of determining the degree of discounting is not particularly limited. For example, the charge calculating unit 107 may discount the degree of discounting as the detour path is longer than the detouring target path. Decide to increase the amount of money. When the congestion degree is indicated by a continuous value, the charge calculation unit 107 may determine the discounting degree such that the higher the congestion degree of the bypass target zone, the larger the discounted amount.

  Further, the charge calculation unit 107 determines the start time at which the application of the discount information is started, and registers the start time in the discount information database 152. The start time is, for example, the time when the charge calculation unit 107 generates the discount information, but is not limited to this. For example, the charge calculation unit 107 may use, as the start time, a time after a predetermined time has elapsed since the acquisition unit 101 acquired the congestion level equal to or higher than the first threshold (“congestion”). In the present embodiment, although only one discount information is registered, when a plurality of zones A are congested in toll road R, a plurality of discount information are registered.

  In addition, after the application of the discount information is started, the charge calculation unit 107 determines that the discount information in the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold (“congestion”). Finish applying. In the present embodiment, the second threshold is “crowded”, but is not limited to this. For example, the second threshold may be "smooth". The charge calculation unit 107 registers the time when the degree of congestion of the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold in the discount information database 152 as the end time.

  Further, the charge calculation unit 107 transmits the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a registered in the zone database 154 as the zone entrance of the zone A registered as the branch zone in the discount information database 152 as a transmission destination device of the discount information. , And is registered in the transmission information database 156. At this time, the charge calculation unit 107 registers the transmission destination device, the discount identification information for specifying the target discount information, and the zone type in association with each other.

  Further, the toll calculation unit 107 determines the toll of the vehicle 2 a from the toll registered in the toll information database 151 each time the traveling zone of the vehicle 2 a in the toll information database 153 is updated by the receiving unit 105 described later. , And the planned additional charge for each zone A and registered in the charging information database 153.

  Further, the charge calculation unit 107 calculates a discounted toll as the toll of the vehicle 2a when it is determined that the vehicle 2a has passed the detour path by the determination unit 106 described later. In the present embodiment, when it is determined by the determination unit 106 that the vehicle 2a has passed the detour path, the detour determination flag of the charging information database 153 becomes “True”. Therefore, when the detour determination flag is "True", the charge calculation unit 107 uses the discount degree associated with the discount identification information registered as the target discount information of the vehicle 2a to reduce the toll discount. Do. In other words, the charge calculation unit 107 of the present embodiment dynamically charges the toll for the vehicle 2a based on the travel route of the vehicle 2a and the discount information effective for the vehicle 2a.

  The fee calculation unit 107 may apply the discount only to the traveling fee for zone A included in the detour route, or apply the discount to the traveling fee for all zones A traveled by the vehicle 2a. As well.

  The transmitting unit 104 transmits the detour path information to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a registered in the transmission information database 156 as a transmission destination device. More specifically, the transmitting unit 104 transmits the bypass route information to the road-vehicle communication device 10 via the traffic control device 200. The bypass route information is information indicating a bypass route.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the bypass route information 700 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the bypass route information 700 is information in which discount identification information, a bypass target zone, a bypass determination zone, a branch zone, and a discount degree are associated with each other. The transmitting unit 104 acquires these pieces of information from the discount information database 152, and transmits the information as the bypass route information 700 to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a. The data configuration of the bypass route information 700 shown in FIG. 8 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  The roadside-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a that has received the detour path information 700 stores the detour path information 700 in a storage unit (not shown). Then, the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a transmits the detour path information 700 to the on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle 2a traveling in the communication range of the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a.

  In addition, the transmission unit 104 transmits the toll calculated by the charge calculation unit 107 to the exit device 12a in association with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a. More specifically, the transmitting unit 104 transmits the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a registered in the charging information database 153 to the exit device 12a installed in the zone A registered as the traveling zone of the vehicle 2a in the charging information database 153. The associated fixed charge and the estimated additional charge for zone A in which the exit device 12a is provided are transmitted.

  Further, when the application of the discount information set in the discount information database 152 is completed, the transmitting unit 104 transmits the detour path information 700 associated with the discount identification information of the discount information to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10. Then, an instruction to delete the bypass route information 700 is transmitted via the traffic control device 200. Further, the transmitting unit 104 transmits a deletion instruction of the detour path information 700 to the entry device 11a that has transmitted the detour path information 700 associated with the discount identification information of the discount information for which the application has been completed. In the present embodiment, when the ending time is set in the discount information database 152, the transmitting unit 104 determines that the application of the discount information is ended.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the receiving unit 105 of the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 associated with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2 a received by the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 from the vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle 2 a and the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2 a. The identification information is received from the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 via the traffic control device 200. The identification information of the road-vehicle communication device 10 is an ID for specifying the road-vehicle communication device 10. In addition, the reception unit 105 is an entrance device of the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a received by the entrance device 11a from the on-board unit of the vehicle 2a and the identification information of the entrance device 11a associated with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a. Receive from 11a. The identification information of the entrance device 11a is an ID for identifying the entrance device 11a.

  The reception unit 105 travels the zone A in which the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a specified by the identification information is installed in the traveling zone of the charging information database 153 in association with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a. Register as. Further, the reception unit 105 registers the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a specified by the received identification information in the latest passing device of the charging information database 153. At this time, the receiving unit 105 sets the current time to the update time of the billing information database 153.

  Also, the receiving unit 105 is the identification information of the exit device 12a associated with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a that the exit device 12a has received from the on-board unit of the vehicle 2a from the exit device 12a and the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a. And receive. The identification information of the exit device 12a is an ID for identifying the exit device 12a. When these pieces of information are received, the receiving unit 105 registers the exit device 12a specified by the received identification information in the latest pass-through device of the charging information database 153, registers "exit" in the traveling zone, and updates the time Set the current time to

  The determination unit 106 determines that the vehicle 2a is detouring based on the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a received by the reception unit 105 for each zone A and the identification information of the road-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a. Determine if you have passed.

  More specifically, the determination unit 106 refers to the charging information database 153 updated by the receiving unit 105, and the travel zone of the vehicle 2a is one of the undiscounted discount identification information registered in the discount information database 152. When it matches with the branch zone matched, the said discount identification information is registered as object discount information. Further, at the time of registration of the target discount information, it is not determined whether the vehicle 2a actually travels the detour path, so the determination unit 106 sets the detour determination flag to “False”.

  Then, when the traveling zone of the charging information database 153 updated by the receiving unit 105 matches the detour determining zone associated with the discount identification information registered as the target discount information, the determining unit 106 detours the vehicle 2a. Judge that the route has passed. In this case, the determination unit 106 sets the bypass determination flag of the charging information database 153 to “True”.

Next, the dynamic charging process performed by the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the dynamic charging process according to the present embodiment.

  First, the acquisition unit 101 acquires congestion information of the toll road R from the traffic control device 200 (S1). Then, the congestion degree calculation unit 102 calculates the congestion degree for each zone A from the acquired congestion information (S2). The congestion degree calculation unit 102 registers the calculated congestion degree in the zone database 154.

  Next, the bypass route determination unit 103 determines whether or not there is a zone A in which the congestion degree of each zone A registered in the zone database 154 is “congested” (S3).

  When there is no zone A whose congestion degree is "congestion" (S3 "No"), the process of setting the detour route and the application of the discount is not executed, so the processes of S1 and S2 are repeated.

  When there is a zone A whose congestion degree is “congestion” (S3 “Yes”), the detour route determination unit 103 sets the zone A whose congestion degree is “congestion” as a detour target zone. The bypass route determination unit 103 determines a bypass route capable of bypassing the bypass target zone (S4). The bypass route determination unit 103 registers the determined bypass route and the bypass target route including the bypass target zone in the route database 155. Further, the bypass route determination unit 103 determines the bypass determination zone and the branch zone, and registers them in the zone database 154.

  Next, the charge calculation unit 107 generates discount information to be applied to the bypass route determined by the bypass route determination unit 103 (S5). For example, the charge calculation unit 107 determines the degree of discount so that the amount of money to be discounted increases as the distance of the bypass route is longer than that of the bypass route. Further, the charge calculation unit 107 sets, for example, the time when the discount information is generated as the discount start time. The charge calculation unit 107 registers the detour target zone, the detour determination zone, the branch zone, the discount degree, and the start time in the discount information database 152 in association with the discount identification information.

  Further, the charge calculation unit 107 transmits the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a registered in the zone database 154 as the zone entrance of the zone A registered as the branch zone in the discount information database 152 as a transmission destination device of the discount information. , And is registered in the transmission information database 156.

  Then, the transmission unit 104 specifies, from the transmission information database 156, the transmission destination device whose zone type is the branch zone and is associated with the discount information that has not been completed. The transmitting unit 104 transmits the detour path information 700 to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a, which is the specified transmission destination device (S6). In the present embodiment, the transmission unit 104 transmits the detour path information 700 via the traffic control device 200 to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10a installed in the zone A1. Further, the transmitting unit 104 transmits the detour path information 700 to the entrance device 11a installed in the zone A0-1.

  Here, in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the road-to-vehicle communication device 10a that has received the detour route information 700 transmits the detour route information 700 to the on-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a that has entered the zone A1. The vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle 2a displays on the display unit that the discount is applied when traveling in the detour determination zone based on the detour route information 700 received from the road-vehicle communication device 10a. Thus, the on-vehicle device can guide the driver of the vehicle 2a to travel on the bypass route. In addition, the vehicle-mounted device may notify the driver that the discount is applied when traveling in the bypass determination zone by outputting the contents of the bypass route information 700 as voice.

  Then, the discount processing of the toll for the vehicle 2a traveling on the detour route is started (S7). The details of the flow of the toll discount process will be described later.

  Further, the acquisition unit 101 acquires congestion information of the toll road R again from the traffic control device 200 (S8). The congestion degree calculation unit 102 calculates the congestion degree for each zone A from the acquired congestion information (S9). The congestion degree calculation unit 102 updates the information of the zone database 154 with the calculated congestion degree.

  The charge calculation unit 107 refers to the zone database 154 and determines whether the congestion degree of the bypass target zone is less than or equal to “congested” (S10). When the congestion degree of the bypass target zone does not become "congested" or less (S10 "No"), the processes of S7 to S10 are repeated.

  When the congestion degree of the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold (“congested”) (S10 “Yes”), the charge calculation unit 107 determines that the congestion degree of the bypass target zone is the second threshold (“congested”) The time when it becomes below is registered in the discount information database 152 as the end time.

  In this case, the transmitting unit 104 transmits a deletion instruction of the bypass route information 700 to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a that has sent the bypass route information 700 associated with the discount identification information of the discount information. To do (S11). In the present embodiment, the transmission unit 104 transmits the deletion instruction to the road-vehicle communication device 10a via the traffic control device 200. Also, the transmitting unit 104 transmits the deletion instruction to the entry device 11a. Thus, the transmission of the detour route information 700 to the vehicle 2a from the road-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a is completed. Here, the processing of this flowchart ends.

Next, the toll discount process performed by the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the toll discount process according to the present embodiment.

  The receiving unit 105 receives the vehicle identification information received by the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 and the identification information of the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 from the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 via the traffic control device 200. Further, the receiving unit 105 receives, from the entrance device 11a, the vehicle identification information received by the entrance device 11a and the identification information of the entrance device 11a. The receiving unit 105 registers the traveling zone of the charging information database 153 and the latest passing device based on the received information. The determination unit 106 determines whether the vehicle 2a is traveling in a branch zone from the traveling zone of the vehicle 2a registered in the charging information database 153 (S101).

  When the traveling zone of the vehicle 2a matches the branch zone associated with any one of the uncompleted discount identification information registered in the discount information database 152, the determination unit 106 determines that the vehicle 2a travels in the branch zone It is judged that it is (S101 "Yes"). In this case, the determination unit 106 registers, in the charge information database 153, the discount identification information for which the vehicle 2a is targeted (S102).

  When the determination unit 106 determines that the vehicle 2a is not traveling in the branch zone (S101 “No”), the process of S101 is repeated.

  Next, the determination unit 106 determines whether the vehicle 2a has traveled in the bypass determination zone (S103). More specifically, when determination unit 106 determines that the traveling zone in charging information database 153 matches the bypass determination zone associated with the discount identification information registered as the target discount information, vehicle 2a passes the bypass route. (S103 "Yes"). When the determination unit 106 does not determine that the vehicle 2a has traveled the detour determination zone (S103 “No”), the process of S103 is repeated.

  When it is determined that the vehicle 2a has passed the detour path (S103 "Yes"), the determination unit 106 sets the detour determination flag of the charging information database 153 to "True" (S104).

  The charge calculation unit 107 applies a discount of discount identification information associated with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a in the charge information database 153, to calculate the toll (fixed charge and scheduled addition charge) for which the vehicle 2a is to be paid. It updates (S105). Further, the charge calculation unit 107 calculates a planned additional charge for each zone A in accordance with the latest travel zone of the vehicle 2a.

  The transmission unit 104 transmits the toll (the fixed charge and the scheduled addition charge) of the vehicle 2a calculated by the charge calculation unit 107 in association with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a to the exit device 12a (S106).

  When receiving the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a from the exit device 12a (S107 "Yes"), the reception unit 105 registers the exit device 12a specified by the received identification information in the latest passing device of the charging information database 153 , The exit of the vehicle 2a is registered (S108). In addition, when the reception unit 105 does not receive the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a from the exit device 12a (S107 “No”), the processing of S107 is repeated and the process waits. Here, the toll discount processing ends, and the processing returns to the processing of the flowchart of FIG.

  Further, in the flowchart of FIG. 10, when the determination unit 106 does not determine that the vehicle 2a has traveled the detour determination zone (S103 “No”), the process of S103 is repeated, but the determination unit 106 determines that the vehicle 2a is It may be determined whether or not the vehicle has traveled the bypass target zone, and the discount processing of the toll may be terminated assuming that the discount is not applied when the vehicle travels the bypass target zone.

  As described above, when there is a zone A with a congestion degree equal to or more than the first threshold (“congestion”) in the toll road R, the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can detour the zone A Decide. Further, the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment transmits detour route information 700 indicating the detour route to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a, and discounts the toll for the vehicle 2a that has traveled the detour route. Apply. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, it is possible to disperse traffic from the congested zone A in the toll road R to another zone A.

  Further, the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment transmits the detour path information 700 to the road-to-vehicle communication apparatus 10 or the entrance apparatus 11a installed in the branch zone. Therefore, according to the information processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, it is possible to notify the driver of the vehicle 2a entering the branch zone of the bypass route information 700.

  Further, when the congestion degree of the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold (“crowd”), the information processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment sends the bypass route information 700 to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a. Then, the deletion instruction of the bypass route information 700 is transmitted. When the detour path information 700 is deleted in the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a, the transmission of the detour path information 700 to the on-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a by the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a ends. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the notification of the bypass route information 700 can be ended at an appropriate timing according to the congestion state of the toll road R.

  In the present embodiment, route information, charging information, and the like are stored in each database of storage unit 150, and a configuration is adopted in which each functional unit such as charge calculation unit 107 and transmission unit 104 refers to each database. A configuration may be adopted in which data are mutually transmitted and received among the functional units.

(Modification 1)
In the first embodiment, the discount is ended when the congestion degree of the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold in the information processing apparatus 100, but the end timing is not limited to this.

  In this modification, after the congestion degree of the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold, the transmitting unit 104 further transmits the information indicating the bypass route when the predetermined time has elapsed. 10. A deletion instruction of the detour path information 700 is transmitted to 10 or the entry device 11a. According to the information processing apparatus 100 of the present modification, by providing such a configuration, it is possible to suppress repetition of termination and start of discounting in a short time when traffic congestion occurs intermittently. .

  Alternatively, the administrator of the toll road R may input the end time to end the application of the discount. Moreover, when the acquisition part 101 can acquire the time estimated that traffic congestion is eliminated from the traffic control apparatus 200, you may employ | adopt the structure which registers the said time beforehand as completion | finish time of discount.

(Modification 2)
In the first embodiment, the transmission unit 104 of the information processing apparatus 100 transmits the fixed charge of the vehicle 2a, the estimated additional charge, and the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a to the exit device 12a. A configuration may be adopted in which the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 transmits these pieces of information via 200. For example, the charge calculation unit 107 transmits the fixed charge and the like calculated by the charge calculation unit 107 to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 installed in the zone A located ahead of the traveling zone of the vehicle 2a. In the case of adopting the configuration, the road-vehicle communication device 10 transmits, to the on-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a, a fixed fee etc. when the vehicle 2a enters each zone A. In this case, the vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle 2a can notify the driver by displaying the fixed charge etc. at the time of entering each zone A on the display unit.

(Modification 3)
In the first embodiment, the transmitting unit 104 and the receiving unit 105 of the information processing apparatus 100 transmit and receive information with the road-to-vehicle communication apparatus 10 via the traffic control apparatus 200. However, the information processing apparatus 100 and the road-to-vehicle communication A configuration in which the device 10 directly transmits and receives information may be adopted.

(Modification 4)
In the first embodiment, when the determination unit 106 travels the zone A that matches the branch zone associated with any one of the non-finished discount identification information items registered in the discount information database 152, Although the said discount identification information was registered as object discount information of the vehicle 2a, the conditions of application of object discount information with respect to the vehicle 2a are not limited to this. For example, when the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a transmits the detour path information 700 to the on-vehicle device of the vehicle 2a, the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a acquires vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a that has received the detour path information 700. It may be transmitted to the processing device 100. When the configuration is adopted, the determination unit 106 associates the discount identification information included in the detour route information 700 with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2a that has received the detour route information 700, and uses the charging information database as target discount information. Register at 153.

  Alternatively, regardless of whether or not the vehicle 2a receives the detour route information 700, the charge calculation is performed when the congestion degree of the detour target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold and the end time is registered in the discount information database 152. A configuration may be adopted in which the unit 107 ends the application of the toll discount.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the case where there is one bypass route for one bypass target route has been described, but a plurality of bypass routes may be set.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the ETC system S2 and the traffic control system S10 according to the present embodiment. Traffic control system S10 of this embodiment is provided with traffic control device 200 and road-to-vehicle communication devices 10a-10e. The traffic control device 200 and the road-vehicle communication device 10 have the same functions as in the first embodiment.

  Further, the information processing apparatus 2100 according to the present embodiment is, similar to the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2, the acquisition unit 101, the congestion degree calculation unit 102, the bypass route determination unit 103, the transmission unit 104, and the reception unit. 105, a determination unit 106, a charge calculation unit 107, and a storage unit 150. The acquisition unit 101, the congestion degree calculation unit 102, the transmission unit 104, the reception unit 105, the determination unit 106, and the storage unit 150 have the same functions as in the first embodiment.

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, the route from zone A1 to zone A3 includes a route including "zone A1, zone A2, zone A3", a route including "zone A1, zone A4, zone A3", and "zone A1. , Zone A5, and Zone A3 ′ ′, there are three ways. For this reason, when one of the routes is congested or jammed, the other route is a detour.

  In the present embodiment, the zone A4 is a bypass target zone whose congestion degree is "congestion". In such a case, the bypass route determination unit 103 can bypass two routes including “zone A1, zone A2, zone A3” and “zone A1, zone A5, zone A3” as a bypass target zone. It determines as an alternative detour path. The configuration of the path of FIG. 11 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the number of bypass routes is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

  The detour path determination unit 103 of the present embodiment determines the congestion degree for each of a plurality of detour paths from the congestion degree for each zone A calculated by the congestion degree calculation unit 102 after having the function of the first embodiment. The detour path determination unit 103 may set the highest congestion degree of the zone A constituting each detour path as the congestion degree for each detour path, or determines the congestion degree of the path using another method. Also good.

  Further, the charge calculation unit 107 of the present embodiment, having the function of the first embodiment, generates discount information for each bypass route and registers the discount information in the discount information database 152. The charge calculation unit 107 of the present embodiment determines the discount rate of the toll according to the congestion degree of each detour path. More specifically, the charge calculation unit 107 determines the degree of discount so that the discounted amount is higher as the degree of congestion of each bypass route is lower. Thus, by determining the degree of discounting, the vehicle 2a can be guided to a detour path with a lower degree of congestion.

  The flow of the dynamic charging process and the flow of the toll discount process in this embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment.

  According to the information processing apparatus 2100 of the present embodiment, when a plurality of detour routes are determined, the congestion zones in the toll road R are determined in order to determine the discount rate of the toll according to the congestion degree of the detour routes. Traffic can be further distributed from A to other zone A.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first embodiment, the application of the discount is ended when the congestion degree of the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold (“congestion”). In the present embodiment, the upper limit of the number of vehicles 2a to which the discount is applied is set, and the application of the discount is ended when the upper limit is reached.

  The overall configurations of the ETC system S1 and the traffic control system S10 according to the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the functions of the information processing device 3100 and the traffic control device 200 according to the present embodiment. The traffic control device 200 of this embodiment has the same function as that of the first embodiment. The information processing apparatus 3100 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 101, a congestion degree calculation unit 102, a bypass route determination unit 103, a transmission unit 1104, a reception unit 105, a determination unit 106, and a charge calculation unit 107. A discount target control unit 108 and a storage unit 1150 are provided. The acquisition unit 101, the congestion degree calculation unit 102, the reception unit 105, the determination unit 106, and the charge calculation unit 107 have the same functions as in the first embodiment.

  The storage unit 1150 of this embodiment includes a charge information database (DB) 151, a discount information database (DB) 1152, a charge information database (DB) 153, a zone database (DB) 154, and a route database (DB) 155. And a transmission information database (DB) 156. The information registered in the charge information database 151, the charging information database 153, the zone database 154, the route database 155, and the transmission information database 156 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 13 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the discount information database 1152 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, in the discount information database 1152 of this embodiment, the discount identification information, the detour target zone, the detour determination zone, the branch zone, the discount degree, the start time, the remaining discount application number, and Are associated and registered. The discounted identification information, the bypass target zone, the bypass determined zone, the branch zone, the discount degree, and the start time are the same as in the first embodiment.

  The remaining discount application number is the remaining number of vehicles 2a to which the discount is applied. When the discount application remaining number becomes “0”, a deletion instruction of the bypass route information 700 is transmitted to the road-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11 a by the transmission unit 1104 described later.

  Referring back to FIG. 12, the discount target control unit 108 determines the upper limit value of the number of vehicles 2a to be discounted for the toll according to the congestion degree of the bypass target zone. Then, the discount target control unit 108 registers the upper limit of the number of vehicles 2 a in the discount information database 1152 as the remaining discount application number. Further, the discount target control unit 108 refers to the charging information database 153, and, every time the detour determination flag of the vehicle 2a becomes "True", the discount application remaining number of discount information associated with the detour determination flag is Subtract. If the detour determination flag is "True" for the same number of vehicles as the upper limit value of the number of vehicles 2a to be discounted, the remaining discount application number becomes "0".

  Further, in addition to the contents of the first embodiment, the bypass route information 700 of the present embodiment further includes the upper limit value of the number of vehicles 2a to be discounted for the toll. For this reason, the transmitting unit 1104 of the present embodiment is provided with the function of the first embodiment, and the detour route information 700 including the upper limit value of the number of vehicles 2a to be discounted for tolls 10 or to the entry device 11a.

  The road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a that has received the detour route information 700 is the same as the first embodiment in the on-vehicle unit mounted on the vehicle 2a traveling within the communication range of the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a. , And sends detour path information 700. The vehicle-mounted device may notify the driver of the upper limit value of the number of vehicles 2a to be discounted of the toll on the display unit or the like.

  In addition, when the discount application residual number in the discount information database 1152 becomes “0”, the transmission unit 1104 of the present embodiment transmits the bypass route information 700 associated with the discount identification information of the discount information. An instruction to delete the bypass route information 700 is transmitted to the inter-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the dynamic charging process according to the present embodiment. The processes from the acquisition of the congestion information in S1 to the generation of the discount information in S5 are the same as the process of the first embodiment described in FIG.

  Next, the discount target control unit 108 determines the upper limit value of the number of vehicles 2a to be discounted of the toll fee (S31). The discount target control unit 108 registers the upper limit of the number of vehicles 2 a in the discount information database 1152 as the remaining discount application number.

  The transmission process of the detour path information 700 of S6 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Also, the flow of the discount processing (S32) of the present embodiment will be described later.

  The transmitting unit 1104 then refers to the discount information database 1152 to determine whether the remaining discounted application number of discount information currently applied is “0” (S33). If the discount remaining number is not “0” (S33 “No”), the process returns to S32.

  When the discount remaining number is “0” (S33 “Yes”), the transmitting unit 1104 transmits the detour path information 700 associated with the discount identification information of the discount information, or the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a. An instruction to delete the bypass route information 700 is sent to the terminal (S11).

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the toll discount process according to the present embodiment. The process from S101 of determining whether the vehicle 2a is traveling in the branch zone to the process of changing the bypass determination flag of S104 is the same as the process of the first embodiment described in FIG.

  The discount target control unit 108 refers to the charging information database 153, and subtracts the discount application remaining number of discount information associated with the bypass determination flag each time the bypass determination flag of the vehicle 2a becomes “True”. (S301).

  The processing from the toll update processing to which the discount in S105 is applied to the processing for registration of leaving of the vehicle 2a in S108 is the same as the processing in the first embodiment described in FIG.

  As described above, the information processing apparatus 3100 according to the present embodiment determines the upper limit of the number of vehicles 2a to be discounted for the toll according to the congestion degree of the detour target zone, and the vehicle 2a travels the detour path. If the number of vehicles reaches the upper limit value, the deletion instruction of the detour path information 700 is transmitted to the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a that has transmitted the detour path information 700. Therefore, according to the information processing apparatus 3100 of the present embodiment, the notification of the detour route information 700 can be ended when the number of vehicles 2a reaches the upper limit value, and the number of vehicles 2a to which the discount is applied is further increased. You can control in detail.

(Modification 5)
The upper limit of the number of vehicles 2a targeted for the toll discount may be input to the information processing apparatus 3100 by the administrator of the toll road R or the like.

(Modification 6)
The configuration of the first embodiment or the first modification may be combined with the configuration of the third embodiment. For example, the transmitting unit 1104 instructs the deletion of the bypass route information 700 when the number of vehicles 2a having traveled the bypass route reaches the upper limit value or the congestion degree of the bypass target zone becomes equal to or less than the second threshold. May be adopted.

(Embodiment 4)
In the present embodiment, by restricting the type of vehicle to which the discount is applied, the vehicle of the specific type is guided to pass the bypass route.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the ETC system S4 and the traffic control system S10 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, only large vehicles such as the vehicle 2b are targeted for application of the toll discount. In this case, a toll is not discounted for an ordinary vehicle such as the vehicle 2c. Hereinafter, when the vehicle 2b and the vehicle 2c are not particularly distinguished from each other, the vehicle 2 is referred to as "vehicle 2".

  The traffic control device 200 of this embodiment has the same function as that of the first embodiment. As in the third embodiment, the information processing apparatus 4100 according to the present embodiment includes the acquisition unit 101, the congestion degree calculation unit 102, the bypass route determination unit 103, the transmission unit 1104, the reception unit 105, and the determination unit 106. , A charge calculation unit 107, a discount target control unit 108, and a storage unit 1150. The acquisition unit 101, the congestion degree calculation unit 102, the bypass route determination unit 103, the reception unit 105, the determination unit 106, and the charge calculation unit 107 have the same functions as in the first embodiment.

  The storage unit 1150 of this embodiment includes a charge information database 151, a discount information database 2152, a charge information database 153, a zone database 154, a route database 155, and a transmission information database 156. The information registered in the charge information database 151, the charging information database 153, the zone database 154, the route database 155, and the transmission information database 156 is the same as in the first and third embodiments.

  FIG. 17 is a view showing an example of the data configuration of the discount information database 2152 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, in the discount information database 2152 of this embodiment, the discount identification information, the bypass target zone, the bypass determination zone, the branch zone, the discount degree, the start time, the end time, the discount The target vehicle type is correlated and registered. The discounted identification information, the bypass target zone, the bypass determined zone, the branch zone, the discount degree, the start time, and the end time are the same as in the first and third embodiments.

  The discount target vehicle type is a vehicle type to which the discount is applied, and is an example of a predetermined condition in the present embodiment.

  The discount target control unit 108 according to the present embodiment determines the vehicle type to be the target of the toll discount according to the congestion degree of the bypass target zone, and registers it in the discount information database 2152. For example, the discount target control unit 108 may adopt a configuration that increases the number of vehicle types included in the discount target vehicle types as the degree of congestion increases.

  Further, in addition to the contents of the first embodiment, the detour path information 700 transmitted by the transmission unit 1104 of the present embodiment further includes information of a vehicle type to be a target of toll discount. Therefore, the transmission unit 1104 according to the present embodiment has the function of the first embodiment, and then, the detour route information 700 including the information of the vehicle type to be the target of the toll discount is used as the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device. Send to 11a.

  The road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a that receives the detour route information 700 is, as in the first embodiment, the on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle 2 traveling within the communication range of the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a. , And sends detour path information 700. The in-vehicle device displays on the display unit that the discount is applied when traveling in the bypass determination zone when the vehicle type targeted for the toll discount matches the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 in which the own device is mounted. Alternatively, regardless of the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 on which the vehicle-mounted device is mounted, the on-vehicle device displays that the vehicle type to which the toll discount is applied and that the vehicle type is discounted when traveling in the detour determination zone. It may be displayed on the unit.

  In addition, the receiving unit 105 of the present embodiment has the function of the first embodiment, and also receives the vehicle identification information received by the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a from the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a. The identification information of the road-to-vehicle communication device 10 or the entrance device 11a and the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 are received in association with each other. The receiving unit 105 registers the received vehicle type of the vehicle 2 in the charging information database 153, for example, in association with the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 2.

  In addition, after having the function of the first embodiment, the determination unit 106 of the present embodiment determines whether the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 determined to travel in the branch zone is a discount target vehicle type. Do. More specifically, the discount target control unit 108 determines whether or not the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 registered in the charging information database 153 matches the discount target vehicle type registered in the discount information database 2152. It is determined that the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 is a discount target vehicle type.

  The charge calculation unit 107 of the present embodiment is provided with the function of the first embodiment, and the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 received by the reception unit 105 is a discount target vehicle type, and the vehicle 2 is a detour. When it is determined that the vehicle has passed the route, a discounted toll is calculated as the toll of the vehicle 2.

  The flow of the dynamic charging process in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described in FIG.

Next, the flow of toll discount processing in the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the toll discount process according to the present embodiment. The process of determining whether the vehicle 2 in S101 is traveling in the branch zone is the same as the process of the first embodiment described in FIG.

  The discount target control unit 108 according to the present embodiment determines whether the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 determined to travel in the branch zone is a discount target vehicle type (S401). If the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 is a discount target vehicle type (S401 “Yes”), the process proceeds to the processing of registration of discount identification information in S102.

  When the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 is not a discount target vehicle type (S401 “No”), the processing of S101 and S401 is repeated. The processing from the registration of the discount identification information in S102 to the processing for the registration of leaving of the vehicle 2 in S108 is the same as the processing of the first embodiment described in FIG.

  As described above, the information processing apparatus 4100 according to the present embodiment determines the type of vehicle to which the toll discount is to be applied according to the degree of congestion in the bypass target zone, and determines that the vehicle 2 has passed through any of the bypass routes. In the case where the vehicle 2 is a vehicle type to which the toll discount is applied, the discounted toll is calculated. In general, large vehicles are more likely to cause congestion on toll roads R than ordinary vehicles. Therefore, according to the information processing apparatus 4100 of the present embodiment, by guiding a specific vehicle type to travel the detour path, it is possible to more efficiently from the congested zone A in the toll road R Traffic can be distributed to zone A.

(Modification 7)
In the fourth embodiment, the discount target control unit 108 determines the discount target vehicle type, but a configuration may be adopted in which the administrator of the toll road R inputs the discount target vehicle type.

(Modification 8)
The predetermined conditions which determine the application object of discount are not limited to a vehicle type. For example, a rule may be provided to specify an application target by the lower two digits of the vehicle-mounted device ID. Alternatively, the vehicle 2 whose traveling time on the toll road R (time from the entrance device 11a to the current time) is equal to or higher than the threshold may be applied.

  As described above, according to the information processing apparatus of the first to fourth embodiments, it is possible to disperse traffic from the congested zone A in the toll road R to another zone A.

  In addition, the configurations included in the above-described Embodiments 1 to 4 and Modifications 1 to 8 may be implemented in combination with each other. For example, the configuration of the second embodiment may be combined with the configurations of the third and fourth embodiments. Also, the configuration of the modification 1 may be combined with the configuration of the second to fourth embodiments.

  The program executed by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is a file in an installable format or an executable format, and is a computer such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). It is recorded and provided on a readable recording medium.

  Furthermore, the program executed by the information processing apparatus of the present embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, the program executed by the information processing apparatus of the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Further, the program executed by the information processing apparatus of the present embodiment may be configured to be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The program executed by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the above-described units (acquisition unit, congestion degree calculation unit, bypass route determination unit, transmission unit, reception unit, determination unit, charge calculation unit, discount target control unit). The actual hardware includes a CPU (processor) reads a program from the storage medium and executes the program to load the above units onto the main storage device, an acquisition unit, a congestion degree calculation unit, A bypass route determination unit, a transmission unit, a reception unit, a determination unit, a charge calculation unit, and a discount target control unit are generated on the main storage device.

  While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and the gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

2, 2a to 2c Vehicles 10, 10a to 10e Road-to-Vehicle Communication Device 11a Entrance Device 12a Exit Device 100, 2100, 3100, 4100 Information Processing Device 101 Acquisition Unit 102 Congestion Degree Calculation Unit 103 Detour Route Determination Unit 104, 1104 Transmission Unit 105 Reception unit 106 Judgment unit 107 Charge calculation unit 108 Discount target control unit 150, 1150 Storage unit 151 Charge information database 152, 1152, 2152 Discount information database 153 Charge information database 154 Zone database 155 Route database 156 Transmission information database 700 Detour route information A , A0 to A5 Zone R Toll road S1, S2, S4 ETC system S10 traffic control system

Claims (10)

When there is a congested section which is the section where the congestion degree for each section in the toll road is equal to or more than the first threshold value, one or more combinations of the sections in the toll road that can bypass the congested section A detour route determination unit that determines a detour route of
The information indicating the detour route is installed in each section of the toll road, and provided at a road-vehicle communication device capable of communicating with an on-vehicle device of a vehicle traveling on the toll road, or at an entrance of the toll road A transmitting unit that transmits to an entrance device that can communicate with the on-board unit;
The identification information of the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device and the identification information of the vehicle received by the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device from the on-vehicle device are received from the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device A receiver,
Based on the identification information of the vehicle received by the reception unit for each section, and the identification information of the road-vehicle communication device or the entrance device, it is determined whether the vehicle has passed any of the bypass routes. The judgment unit to
A charge calculation unit that calculates a toll by applying a discount to the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle has passed any of the detour paths;
An information processing apparatus comprising: An acquisition unit for acquiring congestion information on the toll road from a traffic control system;
A congestion degree calculation unit configured to calculate the congestion degree for each section in the toll road from the acquired congestion information;
An information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The transmission unit is a section located upstream of the congested section, the section indicating the detour path, the section including a branch point between the path including the congested section and the detour path, or It transmits to the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device installed in the section located upstream,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The charge calculation unit determines a discount degree of the toll according to the congestion degree of the bypass route, when a plurality of the bypass routes are determined.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. When the congestion degree of the congested section becomes equal to or less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold, the transmission unit transmits the information indicating the bypass route to the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device. Sending a deletion instruction of the information indicating the bypass route,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The transmitting unit transmits the information indicating the bypass route when a predetermined time further elapses after the congestion degree of the congested section becomes equal to or less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold. And transmitting, to the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device, an instruction to delete the information indicating the bypass route.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The apparatus further comprises a discount target control unit that determines an upper limit value of the number of vehicles to be discounted for the toll fee according to the congestion degree of the congestion section.
The transmission unit transmits the bypass route to the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device that has transmitted the information indicating the bypass route, when the number of vehicles traveling the bypass route reaches the upper limit value. Send an instruction to delete the information shown
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The charge calculation unit is configured to discount the tolls discounted when it is determined by the determination unit that the vehicle has passed any of the detour routes and the vehicle meets a predetermined condition. calculate,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The predetermined condition is a condition based on any of a vehicle type of the vehicle, identification information of the on-vehicle device, or a traveling time on the toll road,
And a discount target control unit configured to determine the predetermined condition in accordance with the congestion degree of the congestion section.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 8. When there is a congested section which is the section where the congestion degree for each section in the toll road is equal to or more than the first threshold value, one or more combinations of the sections in the toll road that can bypass the congested section A detour path determination step of determining a detour path of
Information indicating the detour route is installed for each section of the toll road, and is provided at a road-to-vehicle communication device capable of communicating with an on-vehicle device of a vehicle traveling on the toll road, or at an entrance of the toll road Transmitting to an ingress device capable of communicating with the onboard device;
The identification information of the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device and the identification information of the vehicle received by the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device from the on-vehicle device are received from the road-to-vehicle communication device or the entrance device Receiving step,
Based on the identification information of the vehicle received for each of the sections in the reception step and the identification information of the road-vehicle communication device or the entrance device, whether the vehicle has passed any of the bypass routes or not A determination step to determine
A charge calculating step of calculating a toll by applying a discount to the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle has passed any of the detour routes;
Information processing method including:

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