JP2020145640A - Notification system, mobile body, and traffic control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce the possibility of congestion when transmitting state information on a mobile body to a higher-level device.SOLUTION: A notification system includes a traffic control device and a mobile body. The traffic control device includes a control unit that transmits region information indicating a region to the mobile body. The mobile body includes: an information control unit that transmits state information which is information on the state of its own device to another device; and a communication control unit that receives the region information and determines a communication condition indicating communication cycles different between the inside and outside of the region indicated by the received region information. The communication control unit transmits a detailed request when a predetermined detailed condition is satisfied in its own device. The information control unit transmits the state information under the communication condition determined by the communication control unit. The information control unit operates in a communication condition of transmitting the state information at a transmission cycle smaller than the communication condition when a condition where the own device operates correspondingly to the detailed request is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for acquiring state information of a moving body by a host device.

Conventionally, a technique for acquiring the position information of an automobile in a host device has been proposed for various purposes. In such a technique, the position information of the automobile is transmitted by wireless communication from the wireless communication device mounted on the automobile. For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the user can grasp the current position by managing the position information of the transportation vehicle that delivers the delivered goods by the distribution management system. Further, in recent years, a technology has been proposed that realizes cooperative operation of a plurality of vehicles by collecting the position information of automobiles and enables automatic driving. For these purposes, it is required to acquire the position information of the automobile with as high accuracy as possible.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-39601

However, in places where automobiles are concentrated, there is a risk that congestion will occur in wireless communication for transmitting location information. When congestion occurs, it takes a lot of time for the location information to reach the device that collects the location information, and the location information may become old and inaccurate. In addition, if congestion occurs, retransmission may occur and the bandwidth may be compressed. Such a problem is not limited to automobiles, but is a problem common to moving objects such as robots and drones. Further, the transmitted information is not limited to the position information, but is a problem common to the information indicating the state related to the moving body such as the moving speed.
In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing the possibility of congestion occurring when transmitting the state information of a moving body to a host device.

One aspect of the present invention is a notification system including a traffic control device and a moving body, wherein the traffic control device includes a control unit for transmitting area information indicating an area to the moving body, and the moving body is itself. An information control unit that transmits state information, which is information about the state of a device, and a communication condition that receives the area information and indicates different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the received area information. The communication control unit includes a communication control unit for determining the above, the communication control unit transmits a detailed request when a predetermined detailed condition is satisfied in the own device, and the information control unit transmits the communication condition determined by the communication control unit. When the condition for the own device to perform the operation according to the detailed request is satisfied, the information control unit transmits the state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication condition. It is a working notification system.

One aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned notification system, wherein the communication condition shows a longer communication cycle in the area information of the area where congestion is likely to occur, and the area where congestion is unlikely to occur. Information shows a shorter communication cycle.

One aspect of the present invention is the above notification system, in which the traffic control device transmits the area information and communication conditions to a moving body, and the communication control unit of the moving body is located at the position of the own device. Determine the communication conditions associated with the corresponding area information.

In one aspect of the present invention, the area information is received and received from an information control unit that transmits state information, which is information about the state of the own device, to another device, and a traffic control device that transmits area information indicating an area. The communication control unit includes a communication control unit that determines communication conditions that indicate different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the area information, and the communication control unit requests detailed information when a predetermined detailed condition is satisfied in the own device. Is transmitted, the information control unit transmits the state information under the communication conditions determined by the communication control unit, and the information control unit satisfies the condition that the own device operates according to the detailed request. In this case, it is a moving body that operates under the communication condition for transmitting the state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication condition.

One aspect of the present invention is a traffic control method performed by a notification system including a traffic control device and a moving body, wherein the traffic control device transmits area information indicating an area to the moving body, and the moving body. However, a step of transmitting a detailed request when a predetermined detailed condition is satisfied in the own device, an information control step in which the moving body transmits state information which is information about the state of the own device to another device, and the area. It has a communication control step of receiving information and determining communication conditions indicating different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the received area information, and in the information control step, in the communication control step. When the state information is transmitted under the determined communication conditions and the condition for the own device to operate according to the detailed request is satisfied in the information control step, the state information is transmitted in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication conditions. This is a traffic control method that operates under the communication conditions to be transmitted.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the possibility that congestion will occur when transmitting the state information of the moving body to the host device.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the system structure of the state information notification system 100 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the apparatus configuration example of a moving body 10. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the apparatus configuration example of the position information management apparatus 20. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the apparatus configuration example of the traffic control apparatus 40. It is a figure which shows the outline of the combination of area information and communication condition. It is a sequence chart which shows the specific example of the processing flow about the traffic control information. It is a sequence chart which shows the specific example of the processing flow about a detailed request. It is a sequence chart which shows the specific example of the processing flow about the position information. It is a sequence chart which shows the specific example of the processing flow about the traveling route information. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the device configuration example of the modification of the traffic control device. It is a figure which shows the modification of the combination of area information and communication condition.

Hereinafter, a specific configuration example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a system configuration of the state information notification system 100 of the present invention. The status information notification system 100 includes a plurality of mobile bodies 10, a plurality of position information management devices 20, a plurality of first relay devices 30, a plurality of traffic control devices 40, and a plurality of second relay devices 50. The mobile body 10 wirelessly communicates with the first relay device 30 located within a range where wireless communication is possible. The mobile body 10 wirelessly communicates with the second relay device 50 located within a range where wireless communication is possible.

The position information management device 20 is communicably connected to the first relay device 30 associated with the own device. The position information management device 20 and the first relay device 30 may be connected via a network, may be directly connected by a cable or the like, or may be mounted in an integral housing. The traffic control device 40 is communicably connected to the second relay device 50 associated with the own device. The traffic control device 40 and the second relay device 50 may be connected via a network, may be directly connected by a cable or the like, or may be mounted in an integral housing.

The first relay device 30 is configured by using a communication device such as a base station device of a mobile communication network or a gateway device of LPWA (Low Power, Wide Area). The second relay device 50 is configured by using a communication device such as a base station device of a mobile communication network or a gateway device of LPWA. Communication is performed by a method different from that of the first relay device 30 and the second relay device 50. For example, the first relay device 30 and the second relay device 50 may communicate using radio waves of different bands, or may communicate using different protocols. Hereinafter, the configuration in which the first relay device 30 is a base station device of a mobile communication network and the second relay device 50 is a gateway device of LPWA will be described as an example.

The moving body 10 is a device whose existing position changes. The moving body 10 is provided with a drive mechanism and may change its position by self-propelling, or may change its position by moving with a moving organism or device. The moving body 10 may be, for example, a car, a robot, a drone, or a train. The mobile body 10 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet device or equipment carried by a human, or may be a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet device or equipment worn by an animal.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of device configuration of the moving body 10. The mobile body 10 includes a first communication device 11, a second communication device 12, a position information acquisition device 13, a drive device 14, an output device 15, a storage unit 16, and a control unit 17.

The first communication device 11 communicates with the position information management device 20 via the first relay device 30 by using the first communication method. In the present embodiment, the first communication device 11 wirelessly communicates with the first relay device 30 which is a base station device of the mobile communication network.

The second communication device 12 communicates with the traffic control device 40 via the second relay device 50 by using the second communication method. In the present embodiment, the second communication device 12 wirelessly communicates with the second relay device 50, which is a base station device of the mobile communication network.

The position information acquisition device 13 acquires the position information of the current position of the moving body 10. The position information acquisition device 13 acquires the position information of the current position by, for example, communication with a satellite positioning system or a base station of a mobile phone network. Specific examples of the satellite positioning system include GPS (Global Positioning System) and Galileo. The position information acquisition device 13 outputs the acquired position information to the control unit 17.

The drive device 14 changes the position of the moving body 10. For example, when the moving body 10 is an automobile, the drive device 14 includes devices such as an engine, a motor, tires, brakes, and gears. For example, when the moving body 10 is a drone, it includes devices such as a motor and a rotor. When the moving body 10 is a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet device, or an equipment, the moving body 10 may be configured not to include the driving device 14.

The output device 15 is a device that outputs information to the surroundings of the moving body 10. The output device 15 is configured by using, for example, a lighting device, a speaker, an image display device, a horn, and the like. For example, when the moving body 10 is an automobile, the output device 15 may be configured by using a blinker, a horn, a brake lamp, or a speaker.

The storage unit 16 is configured by using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 16 stores information required when the control unit 17 performs processing. For example, the storage unit 16 stores the position information of the own device. The position information stored in the storage unit 16 may be only the latest position information or a history of a predetermined number of past information. The storage unit 16 may store the motion parameters in association with the position information.

The control unit 17 is configured by using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The control unit 17 functions as a position information control unit 171, a communication control unit 172, and a mobile control unit 173 when the processor executes a program. All or part of each function of the control unit 17 may be realized by using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, portable media such as semiconductor storage devices (eg SSD: Solid State Drive), hard disks and semiconductor storage built into computer systems. It is a storage device such as a device. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunication line.

The position information control unit 171 performs processing related to the position information. When the communication condition determined by the communication control unit 172 is satisfied, the position information control unit 171 transmits the position update information including the current position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13 via the first communication device 11. It is transmitted to the position information management device 20. The communication condition may be defined as, for example, a position estimation error, a communication cycle, or another condition. The position update information is one of the specific examples of the state information in the present embodiment. The state information is information about the state of the moving body 10. Other examples of the state information include information indicating the content of control of the moving body 10 and information indicating the environment around the moving body 10.

(Position estimation error)
When the communication condition is defined as the position estimation error, the position information control unit 171 operates as follows. The position information control unit 171 estimates the current position of the moving body 10 based on one or more position information transmitted from the own device to the position information management device 20 in the past by using a specific position estimation algorithm. It is desirable that this specific position estimation algorithm is the same as the position estimation algorithm applied in the position information management device 20.

When the difference between the current position estimation result and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13 exceeds the threshold value defined as the position estimation error, the position information control unit 171 acquires the current position by the position information acquisition device 13. Generate position update information including the location information. The position update information includes at least the latest position information of the moving body 10 and identification information indicating the moving body 10 (hereinafter referred to as “moving body identification information”). The position update information may include information regarding the movement of the moving body 10 (hereinafter, referred to as “movement parameter”). When the position estimation error becomes a larger value, the transmission interval of the position update information becomes longer, and the traffic related to the position update information is reduced. When the position estimation error becomes a smaller value, the transmission interval of the position update information becomes shorter, and the traffic related to the position update information increases.

(Communication cycle)
When the communication condition is set as the communication cycle, the position information control unit 171 operates as follows. The position information control unit 171 generates and transmits position update information including the latest position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13 every time the communication cycle defined as the communication condition arrives. When the communication cycle becomes a larger value, the transmission interval of the position update information becomes longer, and the traffic related to the position update information is reduced. When the communication cycle becomes a smaller value, the transmission interval of the position update information becomes shorter, and the traffic related to the position update information increases.

The communication control unit 172 determines the communication condition based on the traffic control information received from the traffic control device 40. The traffic control information includes, for example, information indicating an area (hereinafter referred to as “area information”) and communication conditions in each area. The communication control unit 172 executes the communication condition determination process at a predetermined timing (for example, a predetermined cycle). In the communication condition determination process, the communication control unit 172 determines which area information included in the traffic control information includes the current position information. When the communication control unit 172 determines the area information including the current position information, the communication control unit 172 acquires the communication condition associated with the area information. The communication control unit 172 outputs the acquired communication condition to the position information control unit 171 as the current communication condition.

In the traffic control information, for example, area information and communication conditions are defined as follows. Communication conditions such that the transmission interval of the position update information becomes longer are associated with the area information indicating the area where the wireless communication with the position information acquisition device 20 is congested and the area where such congestion is likely to occur. .. Communication conditions that shorten the transmission interval of the position update information are associated with the area information indicating the area where congestion is unlikely to occur and other general areas as described above. A valid period may be set for the traffic control information. In that case, the communication control unit 172 determines the communication condition based only on the traffic control information whose valid period has not expired.

Further, the communication control unit 172 controls the transmission process of the detailed request. The transmission process of the detailed request will be described below. The moving body 10 (for example, the moving body control unit 173) may need to grasp the position information of the own device with higher accuracy in the position information management device 20 in order to control the own device. For example, when finer and more accurate route control is required due to the existence of an obstacle around the moving body 10, the position information can be obtained with higher accuracy for controlling the own device. Needs to be grasped at 20. More specifically, when the moving body 10 is trying to interrupt between the first moving body 10 and the second moving body 10, or when the moving body 10 is trying to change lanes, or when moving. This is a case where the body 10 is about to join the traveling lane from the merging lane. Whether or not it is necessary to send the detailed request is determined based on whether or not the predetermined detailed conditions are satisfied. For example, when the moving body control unit 173 intends to perform the movement as described above, the detailed conditions are satisfied.

When the detailed condition is satisfied, the communication control unit 172 transmits the detailed request to the traffic control device 40. The detailed request includes the position information of the own device and predetermined information indicating that the detailed request is made. By transmitting the detailed request, the traffic control device 40 transmits a communication condition indicating a smaller communication cycle with respect to the area information including the position of the own device (moving body 10).

The communication control unit 172 may receive the area information and communication conditions transmitted from the traffic control device 40 in response to the detailed request transmitted by the other mobile body 10. In this case, when the own device (moving body 10) is located in the area indicated by the area information, the position update information is transmitted under the communication condition of a smaller communication cycle based on the communication condition.

The moving body control unit 173 performs processing related to the movement of the moving body 10. The moving body control unit 173 determines the environment around the moving body 10 based on, for example, the output of a sensor (not shown). The moving body control unit 173 determines the future moving destination and moving speed of the moving body 10 based on the determination result of the environment around the moving body 10 and the traveling route information received from the position information management device 20. The moving body control unit 173 controls the driving device 14 and the output device 15 based on the determined moving destination, moving speed, and determination result of the surrounding environment. For example, when changing the traveling lane of the moving body 10, the moving body control unit 173 changes the direction of the tires so as to change to the moving lane while maintaining the speed by controlling the driving device 14. Then, by controlling the output device 15, the blinker in the direction corresponding to the lane to be moved is turned on.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a device configuration example of the position information management device 20. The position information management device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23. The communication unit 21 is configured by using a communication interface. The communication unit 21 communicates with the mobile body 10 via the first relay device 30. The communication unit 21 communicates with the mobile body 10 capable of communicating with the first relay device 30 to which the own device is connected. The storage unit 22 is configured by using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 22 stores information required when the control unit 23 performs processing. The storage unit 22 stores, for example, the moving body identification information and the position information of each moving body 10 in association with each other. The position information stored in association with the moving object identification information may be only the latest position information or may be a history of a predetermined number of past information. In addition to the moving body identification information and the position information, the storage unit 22 may further store the motion parameters in association with each other.

The control unit 23 is configured by using a processor such as a CPU and a memory. The control unit 23 functions as a position information control unit 231 and a position estimation unit 232 and a travel route information control unit 233 when the processor executes a program. In addition, all or a part of each function of the control unit 23 may be realized by using hardware such as ASIC, PLD and FPGA. The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, portable media such as semiconductor storage devices (for example, SSDs), and storage of hard disks and semiconductor storage devices built into computer systems. It is a device. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunication line.

When the position information control unit 231 receives the position update information from the moving body 10, the position information control unit 231 records the information included in the position update information in the storage unit 22. The position update information received by the position information control unit 231 is information transmitted from the mobile body 10 capable of communicating with the first relay device 30 to which the own device is connected.

The position estimation unit 232 estimates the current position of each moving body 10 by using a specific position estimation algorithm based on the position information stored in the storage unit 22 at a predetermined cycle. The position estimation unit 232 may record the estimation result in the storage unit 22 in association with the moving object identification information. In this case, the storage unit 22 identifies whether each position information is the position information included in the position update information received from the moving body 10 or the position information estimated by the position estimation unit 232. You may memorize it as much as possible. In the position estimation algorithm applied to the position estimation unit 232, the position may be estimated using only the position information included in the position update information. In this case, the position information control unit 171 of the moving body 10 also estimates the position using only the position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13.

The traveling route information control unit 233 determines the traveling route of each moving body 10 based on the position information of each moving body 10 stored in the storage unit 22. The travel route information control unit 233 generates travel route information indicating the travel route of the determination result. The travel route information control unit 233 transmits the travel route information of each moving body 10 to each moving body 10. The algorithm applied to the travel route information control unit 233 may be any algorithm.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a device configuration example of the traffic control device 40. The traffic control device 40 includes a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 43. The communication unit 41 is configured by using a communication interface. The communication unit 41 communicates with the mobile body 10 via the second relay device 50. The communication unit 41 communicates with the mobile body 10 capable of communicating with the second relay device 50 to which the own device is connected. The storage unit 42 is configured by using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 42 stores information required when the control unit 43 performs processing. The storage unit 42 stores, for example, the area information and the communication condition in association with each other. The storage unit 42 may store a combination of the predefined area information and the communication condition as a fixed value. The area information and communication conditions stored in the storage unit 42 are information related to the area to be processed by the own device.

The control unit 43 is configured by using a processor such as a CPU and a memory. The control unit 43 functions as a control information distribution unit 431 and a detailed request control unit 432 when the processor executes a program. All or part of each function of the control unit 43 may be realized by using hardware such as ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, portable media such as semiconductor storage devices (for example, SSDs), and storage of hard disks and semiconductor storage devices built into computer systems. It is a device. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunication line.

The control information distribution unit 431 distributes traffic control information including a combination of area information and communication conditions to the moving body 10 via the communication unit 41. The control information distribution unit 431 may broadcast, for example, traffic control information. When the detailed request control unit 432 notifies the area information, the control information distribution unit 431 has a communication cycle smaller than the communication condition associated with the other area information including the area information in the notified area information. Set communication conditions so that location update information is transmitted. Then, the area information notified from the detailed request control unit 432 and the communication conditions set in association with this area information are transmitted to the moving body 10. In this case, the control information distribution unit 431 may transmit the communication condition by setting a shorter validity period than in the case of transmitting the normal communication condition.

When the detailed request control unit 432 receives the detailed request from the mobile body 10, the detailed request control unit 432 generates the area information according to a predetermined procedure based on the position information included in the detailed request. For example, area information indicating a circular area having a predetermined size centered on the position information included in the detailed request may be generated. The shape of the region is not limited to a circle, and may be another shape such as a rectangle, a rhombus, or an ellipse. The detailed request control unit 432 notifies the control information distribution unit 431 of the generated area information.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a combination of area information and communication conditions. In FIG. 5, the moving body 10 is represented by a circle. In FIG. 5, moving bodies 10 are concentrated in the region 91. On the other hand, although the moving body 10 exists in the region 92 (other regions other than the region 91), it is not concentrated as compared with the region 91. In the region 91, the density of the moving body 10 is higher than a predetermined threshold value. In the region 92, the density of the moving body 10 is lower than a predetermined threshold.

In such a region 91, the wireless communication of the mobile body 10 may be congested. Such a region 91 is referred to as a "congestion region" in the following description, and a region 92 is referred to as a "normal region" in the following description. In the congestion area 91, communication conditions are set so as to have a larger communication cycle. In the normal area 92, the communication conditions are set so that the communication cycle is smaller than that in the congestion area 91. The position of the congestion area 91 may be fixedly determined in advance based on statistics or the like.

The area 93 is an area set according to the detailed request (hereinafter, referred to as a “detailed area”). In the detail area 93, the position update information is transmitted in a communication cycle smaller than the communication condition associated with the other area (congestion area 91 in the case of FIG. 5) including a part or all of the detail area 93. It is desirable that communication conditions are set. For example, when the detail area 93 is located in the congestion area 91, the same communication conditions as the normal area 92 may be set for the detail area 93. For example, when the detail area 93 is located in the congestion area 91, a communication condition having a communication cycle larger than that of the normal area 92 and smaller than that of the congestion area 91 may be set for the detail area 93. For example, when the detail area 93 is set in the normal area 92, communication conditions having a communication cycle smaller than that of the normal area 92 may be set for the detail area 93. For example, regardless of where the detail area 93 is set, communication conditions having a communication cycle smaller than that of the normal area 92 may be set for the detail area 93.

FIG. 6 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the processing flow related to traffic control information. The control information distribution unit 431 of the traffic control device 40 distributes the traffic control information (step S101). The communication control unit 172 of the moving body 10 that has received the traffic control information records the received traffic control information in the storage unit 16 (step S102). The communication control unit 172 is based on the area information of the latest traffic control information recorded in the storage unit 16 and the latest position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13 each time a predetermined timing arrives. , The area information including the area where the moving body 10 is located is determined (step S103). The communication control unit 172 acquires the communication condition associated with the determined area information (step S104). Then, the communication control unit 172 outputs the acquired communication condition to the position information control unit 171 as the current communication condition.

FIG. 7 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the processing flow related to the detailed request. The detailed request control unit 432 does not transmit the detailed request until the detailed condition is satisfied (step S201-NO). When the detailed condition is satisfied (step S201-YES), the detailed request control unit 432 transmits the detailed request to the traffic control device 40 (step S202). When the detailed request control unit 432 of the traffic control device 40 receives the detailed request, the detailed request control unit 432 sets the detailed area based on the received detailed request (step S203). The control information distribution unit 431 transmits the traffic control information including the area information indicating the set detailed area and the communication conditions set in the detailed area to the moving body 10 (step S204).

The communication control unit 172 of the moving body 10 that has received the traffic control information records the received traffic control information in the storage unit 16 (step S205). The communication control unit 172 is based on the area information of the latest traffic control information recorded in the storage unit 16 and the latest position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13 each time a predetermined timing arrives. , The area information including the area where the moving body 10 is located is determined (step S206). At this time, the communication control unit 172 may determine a plurality of area information as the area information including the area where the moving body 10 (own device) is located. The communication control unit 172 acquires the communication condition associated with the determined area information (step S207). When a plurality of area information is determined, one communication condition is selected from the communication conditions associated with each area information based on a predetermined condition. For example, a communication condition indicating that the communication cycle is the shortest may be selected. By making the determination in this way, the communication conditions are appropriately acquired. Then, the communication control unit 172 outputs the acquired communication condition to the position information control unit 171 as the current communication condition.

FIG. 8 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the flow of processing related to position information. The position information control unit 171 of the mobile body 10 waits for the transmission of the position information until the communication condition is satisfied (step S301-NO). The communication condition in step S301 is the communication condition acquired in step S104 of FIG. When the communication condition is satisfied (step S301-YES), the position information control unit 171 acquires the current position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13 (step S302). The position information control unit 171 generates position update information including the acquired position information. Then, the position information control unit 171 transmits the position update information to the position information management device 20 (step S303). When the position information control unit 231 of the position information management device 20 receives the position update information, the position information included in the position update information is recorded in the storage unit 22 (step S304).

FIG. 9 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the processing flow related to the travel route information. The travel route information control unit 233 of the position information management device 20 generates travel route information of each mobile body 10 based on the latest position information of each mobile body 10 stored in the storage unit 22. Then, the travel route information control unit 233 transmits the generated travel route information to each moving body 10 (step S401). When the moving body control unit 173 of the moving body 10 receives the traveling route information, the moving body control unit 173 records the received traveling route information in the storage unit 16 (step S402). The moving body control unit 173 controls the moving body 10 by controlling the drive device 14 and the output device 15 based on the latest travel route information stored in the storage unit 16 (step S403).

In the state information notification system 100 configured in this way, the possibility of congestion occurring when the position update information (state information) is transmitted from the mobile body 10 to the position information management device 20 (upper device) is reduced. It becomes possible to do. That is, the communication conditions are set so that the transmission interval of the position update information becomes long in the area where congestion is likely to occur. The mobile body 10 transmits the position update information according to such communication conditions. Therefore, it suppresses the occurrence of congestion in the area where congestion is likely to occur, and prevents the position update information from reaching the higher-level device as much as when congestion occurs, even if the transmission interval becomes slightly longer. it can. As a result, it is possible to prevent the accuracy of the position information (state information) acquired by the host device from being lowered as compared with the case where congestion occurs.

Further, in the state information notification system 100 configured in this way, the communication for transmitting the position information (state information) and the communication for transmitting the traffic control information are performed by different methods. Therefore, it is possible to prevent adverse effects (for example, congestion) on the communication of position information (state information) due to the communication of traffic control information.

[Modification example]
FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram showing a device configuration example of a modification of the traffic control device (traffic control device 40a). The traffic control device 40a is different from the above-described configuration in that the control unit 43a further functions as the traffic control unit 433. Hereinafter, the traffic control unit 433 will be described.

The traffic control unit 433 updates the area information stored in the storage unit 42 and the information of the combination of communication conditions at a predetermined timing. Two processes will be described as specific examples of the update process.

(Example of first processing)
The traffic control unit 433 acquires the position information of each moving body 10 in the area to be processed by its own device (traffic control device 40a) from the position information right device 20. The traffic control unit 433 determines a region where the density of the moving body 10 is higher than a predetermined threshold value based on the acquired position information of the moving body 10. This threshold value is a predetermined threshold value for the congestion area 91 in FIG. Then, the traffic control unit 433 registers the area information indicating the area in the storage unit 22 in association with the communication conditions according to the threshold value. The traffic control information that combines the area information and the communication conditions registered in this way is distributed to each moving body 10 by the control information distribution unit 431.

(Second processing example)
The traffic control unit 433 may receive information regarding a combination of area information and communication conditions from another device at a predetermined timing. In this case, the traffic control unit 433 records the received area information and information regarding the combination of communication conditions in the storage unit 42. The traffic control information that combines the area information and the communication conditions registered in this way is distributed to each moving body 10 by the control information distribution unit 431. The other device described above may generate and transmit information that combines area information and communication conditions at a predetermined timing by, for example, the processing described in the first processing example.

This concludes the description of the traffic control device 40a. In the status information notification system 100 provided with the traffic control device 40a configured in this way, the combination of the area information and the communication conditions is dynamically changed. Therefore, a combination of area information and communication conditions is defined according to the situation at that time. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively reduce the possibility of congestion occurring when the position update information (state information) is transmitted from the mobile body 10 to the position information management device 20 (upper device).

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of the combination of the area information and the communication condition. In FIG. 11, the moving body 10 is represented by a circle. In FIG. 11, the moving bodies 10 are concentrated in the congestion area 91a and the congestion area 91b as compared with the normal area 92. Further, in the congestion area 91a, moving objects are more concentrated than in the congestion area 91b. On the other hand, although the mobile body 10 exists in the normal region 92, it is not concentrated as compared with the congestion region 91a and the congestion region 91b.

In the congestion region 91a, the density of the moving body 10 is higher than a predetermined first threshold value. In the congestion region 91b, the density of the moving body 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold value and higher than a predetermined second threshold value. In the normal region 92, the density of the moving body 10 is lower than a predetermined second threshold value. In such a congestion area 91a and a congestion area 91b, the wireless communication of the mobile body 10 may be congested. In the congestion area 91a, communication conditions are set so that the communication cycle is even larger than that in the congestion area 91b. In the congestion area 91b, communication conditions are set so that the communication cycle is smaller than that of the congestion area 91a and larger than that of the normal area 92. In the normal region 92, communication conditions are set so that the communication cycle is smaller than that of the congestion region 91a and the congestion region 91b.

The positions of the congestion area 91a and the congestion area 91b may be fixedly determined in advance based on statistics or the like. The positions of the congestion area 91a and the congestion area 91b may be dynamically determined by the processing shown in the first processing example described above. In the example of FIG. 11, two types of congestion regions 91 (91a and 91b) are shown, but three or more types of congestion regions 91 may be defined depending on the difference in threshold value.

In the above description and FIG. 2, the moving body 10 is described as being configured as a device of one housing. However, the moving body 10 may be configured as a device having a plurality of housings. For example, the first communication device 11 and the other configurations of the mobile body 10 may be configured as devices having different housings. In this case, for example, the first communication device 11 may be configured by using a communication device such as a smartphone or mobile WiFi. In this case, the first communication device 11 and the control unit 17 may be connected by wireless communication or wired communication.

In the above description, the control information distribution unit 431 of the traffic control device 40 transmits the area information and the communication conditions to the moving body 10 in association with each other. However, the control information distribution unit 431 of the traffic control device 40 may transmit the area information to the moving body 10 without including the communication conditions. In this case, when the area information is received, the communication conditions defined in the area indicated by the area information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 16 of the moving body 10. In this case, the communication control unit 172 communicates within the area indicated by the received area information and outside the area under the communication conditions defined in advance and stored in the storage unit 16. The control unit 171 may be controlled.

In the above description, the area information corresponding to the detailed request is determined by the traffic control device 40, and the traffic control information including the determined area information is transmitted from the traffic control device 40. However, the detailed request transmitted from the moving body 10 may be configured to be simply transferred from the traffic control device 40 to another moving body 10. In this case, the communication control unit 172 of the mobile body 10 has its own device under the communication conditions (smaller communication cycle) according to the detailed request based on the position information included in the detailed request transmitted from the other mobile body 10. Determine if it needs to work. Specifically, if the distance between the position information included in the detailed request and the position information of the own device is within a predetermined threshold value, the communication control unit 172 needs to operate under the communication conditions corresponding to the detailed request. judge. The communication control unit 172 may be configured to prioritize communication conditions based on detailed requests over communication conditions based on traffic control information. When the communication control unit 172 determines a plurality of communication conditions, it may decide to use the communication condition having the smallest communication cycle among them as described above, or use the communication condition having the smallest corresponding area information. Then you may decide.

When the detailed request is transferred from the traffic control device 40 in this way, the communication control unit 172 of the moving body 10 may further operate as follows. When the communication control unit 172 transmits a detailed request from the own device, the communication control unit 172 includes the identification information of the own device in the detailed request. When the communication control unit 172 receives the detailed request from the traffic control device 40 after transmitting the detailed request, the communication control unit 172 includes the identification information of the own device or the identification information of the other moving body 10. Determine if it is a thing. Then, the detailed request is repeatedly transmitted at a predetermined timing until the one including the identification information of the own device is received. With such a configuration, it is possible to increase the probability that the detailed request transmitted from the own device is transferred by the traffic control device 40.

In the above description, the detailed request is transmitted from the moving body 10 to the traffic control device 40. However, the detailed request control unit 432 of the moving body 10 may directly transmit the detailed request to the surrounding moving body 10 without going through the traffic control device 40. The transmission of such a detailed request may be realized by using, for example, so-called vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication, or may be realized by using other wireless communication techniques. In this case, the communication control unit 172 of the mobile body 10 that has received the detailed request may output the communication conditions defined in advance for the detailed request to the position information control unit 171.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the design and the like within a range not deviating from the gist of the present invention are also included.

100 ... status information notification system, 10 ... mobile body, 11 ... first communication device, 12 ... second communication device, 13 ... position information acquisition device, 14 ... drive device, 15 ... output device, 16 ... storage unit, 17 ... Control unit, 171 ... Position information control unit, 172 ... Communication control unit, 173 ... Mobile control unit, 20 ... Position information management device, 21 ... Communication unit, 22 ... Storage unit, 23 ... Control unit, 231 ... Position information control Unit, 232 ... Position estimation unit, 233 ... Travel route information control unit, 30 ... First relay device, 40 ... Traffic control device, 41 ... Communication unit, 42 ... Storage unit, 43 ... Control unit, 431 ... Control information distribution unit , 432 ... Detailed request control unit, 433 ... Traffic control unit, 91, 91a, 91b ... Congestion area 91, 92 ... Normal area

One aspect of the present invention is a notification system including a traffic control device and a moving body, wherein the traffic control device includes a control unit for transmitting area information indicating an area to the moving body, and the moving body is itself. An information control unit that transmits state information, which is information about the state of the device, to a higher-level device that acquires the state information of the moving body, and inside and outside the area that receives the area information and is indicated by the received area information. The communication control unit includes a communication control unit that determines communication conditions indicating different communication cycles, and the communication control unit transmits a detailed request to the traffic control device or another mobile body when a predetermined detailed condition is satisfied in the own device. Then, the information control unit transmits the state information under the communication conditions determined by the communication control unit, and the information control unit satisfies the condition that the own device operates according to the detailed request. It is a notification system that operates under communication conditions for transmitting the state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication conditions.

One aspect of the present invention is described above from an information control unit that transmits state information, which is information about the state of the own device, to a higher-level device that acquires state information of a moving body, and a traffic control device that transmits area information indicating an area. The communication control unit includes a communication control unit that receives area information and determines communication conditions that indicate different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the received area information, and the communication control unit is predetermined in its own device. When the detailed conditions are satisfied, the detailed request is transmitted to the traffic control device or another moving body, and the information control unit transmits the state information under the communication conditions determined by the communication control unit, and the information control unit transmits the state information. Is a moving body that operates under communication conditions for transmitting the state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication conditions when the condition for the own device to perform the operation according to the detailed request is satisfied.

One aspect of the present invention is a traffic control method performed by a notification system including a traffic control device and a moving body, wherein the traffic control device transmits area information indicating an area to the moving body, and the moving body. However, when the predetermined detailed conditions are satisfied in the own device, the step of transmitting the detailed request to the traffic control device or another moving body, and the state information in which the moving body is information about the state of the own device , the moving body. Information control step to be transmitted to the host device to acquire the status information of, and communication control to receive the area information and determine the communication conditions indicating different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the received area information. In the information control step, the state information is transmitted under the communication conditions determined in the communication control step, and in the information control step, the condition that the own device operates in response to the detailed request is When satisfied, this is a traffic control method that operates under communication conditions for transmitting the state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication conditions.

Claims (5)

A notification system that includes a traffic control device and a moving body.
The traffic control device includes a control unit that transmits area information indicating an area to a moving body.
The moving body is
An information control unit that transmits status information, which is information about the status of the own device, to other devices,
A communication control unit that receives the area information and determines communication conditions indicating different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the received area information.
When the predetermined detailed conditions are satisfied in the own device, the communication control unit transmits a detailed request and sends a detailed request.
The information control unit transmits the state information under the communication conditions determined by the communication control unit.
The information control unit is a notification system that operates under communication conditions for transmitting state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication conditions when the conditions for operating the own device according to a detailed request are satisfied. The communication condition according to claim 1, wherein the area information in the area where congestion is likely to occur shows a longer communication cycle, and the area information in the area where congestion is unlikely to occur shows a shorter communication cycle. Notification system. The traffic control device transmits the area information and communication conditions to the moving body, and the traffic control device transmits the area information and communication conditions to the moving body.
The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication control unit of the mobile body determines communication conditions associated with area information according to the position of its own device. An information control unit that transmits status information, which is information about the status of the own device, to other devices,
A communication control unit that receives the area information from a traffic control device that transmits the area information indicating the area and determines communication conditions indicating different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the received area information. Prepare,
When the predetermined detailed conditions are satisfied in the own device, the communication control unit transmits a detailed request and sends a detailed request.
The information control unit transmits the state information under the communication conditions determined by the communication control unit.
The information control unit is a moving body that operates under communication conditions for transmitting state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication conditions when the conditions for the own device to perform operations according to detailed requests are satisfied. It is a traffic control method performed by a notification system including a traffic control device and a moving body.
A step in which the traffic control device transmits area information indicating an area to a moving body, and
A step of transmitting a detailed request when the moving body meets a predetermined detailed condition in its own device, and
An information control step in which the moving body transmits state information, which is information about the state of its own device, to another device.
It has a communication control step for receiving the area information and determining communication conditions indicating different communication cycles inside and outside the area indicated by the received area information.
In the information control step, the state information is transmitted under the communication conditions determined in the communication control step.
A traffic control method that operates under communication conditions for transmitting state information in a transmission cycle smaller than the communication conditions when the condition for the own device to perform an operation according to a detailed request is satisfied in the information control step.

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