JP2023009351A - Information provision device, information provision method, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide appropriate signal information to a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information provision device comprises: a storage section for storing a signal control plan to be described below; an information processing section for generating signal information including first and second light colors to be described below and the number of the remaining seconds of the light colors based on the stored signal control plan; and a communication section for transmitting the generated signal information. The information processing section applies the maximum value and the minimum value of the number of the remaining seconds of the first light color to the signal information while the values are not determined at the point of time before the termination of a variable step of the signal control plan, and then, determines the maximum value and the minimum value of the number of remaining seconds of the first light color as the same values when the termination of the variable step is detected. The signal control plan comprises: a plurality of steps including the variable step; and data including the duration times of the respective steps. The first light color is the signal light color of a signal lamp for a vehicle to be displayed by an initial time including the variable step and a fixed step after the variable step. The second light color is the signal light color of the signal lamp for a vehicle to be displayed after the first light color.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present disclosure relates to an information providing device, an information providing method, and a computer program.

Patent Document 1 discloses an information providing device that generates signal information including current and future scheduled display times of signal lamps based on a signal control plan executed by a traffic controller, and transmits the generated signal information to a vehicle. is described.
The information providing device has a lamp color monitoring unit of the signal lamp device, which is a current sensor, and transmits signal information at the cycle start point detected by the lamp color monitoring unit. The information providing device provides signal information after the start of the cycle while subtracting the number of seconds of the currently displayed signal lamp color.

JP 2010-39673 A

Patent Literature 1 does not assume a method for providing appropriate signal information with time continuity secured even when a variable staircase is included in the signal control plan.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information providing device and the like that can provide appropriate signal information to a vehicle.

A device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage unit that stores the following signal control plan, and signal information including the following first and second lamp colors and their remaining seconds based on the stored signal control plan: and a communication unit that transmits the generated signal information, wherein the information processing unit, at the start of the variable tier of the signal control plan, the first When the maximum and minimum values of the remaining seconds of the light color are applied to the signal information without being determined, and the end of the variable staircase is detected, the maximum and minimum values of the remaining seconds of the first light color are detected. as the same value.

Signal control plan: Multiple stairs including variable stairs and data including the duration of each stairs First light color: Signal light color of the vehicle lamp displayed at the initial time including variable stairs and fixed stairs after variable stairs Second light color: Signal light color of the vehicle light device displayed after the first light color

A method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage unit that stores the signal control plan, and signal information including the first and second lamp colors and their remaining seconds based on the stored signal control plan. and a communication unit that transmits the generated signal information, wherein at the start of the variable tier of the signal control plan, the first a step of applying the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining number of seconds of the light color to the signal information while they are undetermined; and determining the minimum value as an equivalence.

A computer program according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage unit that stores the signal control plan, and a signal that includes the first and second lamp colors and their remaining seconds based on the stored signal control plan. A computer program that causes a computer to function as an information providing device comprising an information processing unit that generates information and a communication unit that transmits the generated signal information, wherein at the start of the variable tier of the signal control plan, the a step of applying the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first light color to the signal information while they are undetermined; and determining the value and the minimum value as equivalent.

The present disclosure can be realized not only as a system and apparatus having the characteristic configuration as described above, but also as a program for causing a computer to execute such a characteristic configuration. Also, the present disclosure can be implemented as a semiconductor integrated circuit that implements part or all of the system and device.

According to the present disclosure, appropriate signal information can be provided to the vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a traffic control system. FIG. 2 is a road plan view showing an example of a roadside device around an intersection. FIG. 3 is a road plan view showing another example of the roadside device around the intersection. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the central device. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the traffic controller. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection form between an old controller and other communication nodes. FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection form between the new controller and other communication nodes. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection configuration between a roadside relay device and other communication nodes. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the roadside relay device. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the format of the signal control command. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the format of signal operating state information. FIG. 11 is a table showing an example of a signal control plan created by the roadside relay device. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing the data structure of signal information. FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram showing data values and data contents stored in a header portion and a data portion of signal information. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of signal information generation processing. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of output processing of signal information.

<Outline of Embodiment of Present Disclosure>
An outline of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described below.
(1) The information providing device of the present embodiment includes a storage unit that stores the following signal control plan, and the following first and second lamp colors and their remaining seconds based on the stored signal control plan. An information providing device comprising: an information processing unit that generates signal information; and a communication unit that transmits the generated signal information, wherein the information processing unit, at the start of the variable tier of the signal control plan, When the maximum value and minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first light color are applied to the signal information while the end of the variable staircase is detected, the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first light color are detected. Determine the minimum value as the same value.

Signal control plan: Multiple stairs including variable stairs and data including the duration of each stairs First light color: Signal light color of the vehicle lamp displayed at the initial time including variable stairs and fixed stairs after variable stairs Second light color: Signal light color of the vehicle light device displayed after the first light color

According to the information providing apparatus of the present embodiment, at the start of the variable tier of the signal control plan, the maximum and minimum values of the remaining seconds of the first lamp color are applied to the signal information without being determined, and the variable tier is set. When the end is detected, the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first lamp color are fixed as the same value, so the remaining seconds of the signal information to be provided does not suddenly increase or decrease.
Therefore, even if the signal control plan includes a variable staircase, it is possible to provide appropriate signal information that ensures continuity in time.

(2) In the information providing device of this embodiment, for example, the first light color is a green light, and the second light color is a yellow light.
In this case, the number of remaining seconds of the green light included in the signal information does not suddenly increase or decrease, so sudden deceleration or unnecessary deceleration due to entering the dilemma zone can be avoided.

(3) The information providing device of this embodiment comprises, for example, a roadside relay device that relays communication between a traffic controller and a central device that centrally controls the traffic controller.
In this case, by connecting the roadside relay device to a traffic signal controller (old controller) that does not have a communication interface for vehicles, traffic signal information for vehicles can be provided even at intersections where the old controller is installed. become.

(4) In the information providing apparatus of this embodiment, it is preferable that the information processing section detects the end of the variable grade based on the grade number included in the execution grade information received from the traffic controller.
In this way, it is possible to detect the end of the variable stairs without providing a light color monitoring section, which will be described later.

(5) When the information providing apparatus of the present embodiment further includes a light color monitoring unit for monitoring the light color of the signal light device controlled by the traffic controller, the information processing unit may The end of the variable stair may be detected based on the monitoring result of .
In this way, even if the execution grade information cannot be received from the traffic controller, the end of the variable grade can be detected.

(6) The information providing device of this embodiment may be, for example, a traffic signal controller centrally controlled by a central device.
In this case, the traffic signal controller, which controls the traffic light device, is the source of signal information generation, so that it is possible to provide highly accurate signal information compared to the case where the roadside relay device generates the signal information.

(7) The information providing device of the present embodiment may be, for example, a central device that centrally controls traffic controllers.
In this case, since the central unit is the origin of signal information generation, it is possible to provide vehicles with signal information relating to a plurality of traffic controllers managed by the central unit.

(8) The providing method of the present embodiment relates to the information providing method executed by the information providing apparatus of (1) to (7) above.
Therefore, the providing method of the present embodiment has the same effects as the information providing apparatus (1) to (7) described above.

(9) The computer program of the present embodiment relates to a computer program that causes a computer to function as the information providing device of (1) to (7) above.
Therefore, the computer program of the present embodiment has the same effects as the information providing apparatus (1) to (7) described above.

<Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure>
Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. At least part of the embodiments described below may be combined arbitrarily.

[Overall configuration of traffic control system]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a traffic control system according to this embodiment.
FIG. 1 shows, as an example, a traffic control system in which communication between the central device 6 and the traffic controller 12 is IP communication. As shown in FIG. 1, the traffic control system of this embodiment includes a vehicle 5 equipped with a traffic signal 1, a roadside sensor 2, a roadside communication device 3, an in-vehicle communication device 4 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and a central device 6 and the like. The vehicle 5 includes a vehicle having an in-vehicle communication device 4 capable of communicating with the roadside communication device 3 and a vehicle having no in-vehicle communication device 4 .

The traffic signal 1 includes a plurality of signal lamps 11 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) that indicate the presence or absence of the right of passage on each inflow road of the intersection, and the round lamps and arrow lamps included in the signal lamps 11 that turn on and off. and a traffic signal controller 12 for controlling timing.
The traffic controller 12 is installed at each of a plurality of intersections Ji (i=1 to 12 in the example shown) included in the area under the control of the central device 6 . The traffic controller 12 is connected to the router 7 via a dedicated communication line 8 such as a telephone line.

The router 7 is connected via a communication line 8 to the central device 6 of the traffic control center. The central device 6 constitutes a LAN (Local Area Network) together with the traffic signal controllers 12 of each intersection Ji included in the area under its jurisdiction.
Therefore, the central device 6 can communicate with the traffic controllers 12 within its jurisdiction area, and the traffic controllers 12 can also communicate with the traffic controllers 12 of other intersections Ji. Note that the central device 6 may be installed on the road or on the side of the road instead of the traffic control center.

The roadside sensor 2 is installed at an appropriate location on the road within its jurisdiction area, mainly for the purpose of counting the number of vehicles entering the intersection Ji.
The roadside sensor 2 includes a vehicle detector that detects a vehicle 5 passing directly below with ultrasonic waves or the like, a loop coil that detects the vehicle 5 by changes in inductance, a monitoring camera that captures the traffic conditions of the vehicle 5 in time series, and , an optical beacon that performs optical communication with the vehicle 5 using near-infrared rays. The roadside sensor 2 may be a radio wave sensor such as a millimeter wave or a lidar sensor.

The roadside communication device 3 is, for example, a roadside radio communication device compatible with ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) radio. The roadside communication device 3 is installed near one or more intersections Ji included in the area covered by the central device 6 .
In the example of FIG. 1, of the intersections J1 to J12 included in the jurisdiction area, the roadside communication device 3 is installed at some intersections J4 to J6 such as important intersections, and the roadside communication devices 3 are installed at the other intersections J1 to J3 and J7 to J12. The roadside communication device 3 is not installed.

The roadside communication device 3 can receive a communication frame of inter-vehicle communication performed wirelessly by the on-board communication device 4 of the vehicle 5 traveling on the road, and wirelessly transmits the communication frame including the provided information for the vehicle to the on-board communication device 4. can be sent.
The roadside sensor 2 is connected to a traffic controller 12 by a dedicated communication line 9 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The roadside communication device 3 is connected to a traffic signal controller 12 through a communication line 10 different from the communication line 9 (see FIG. 3).

The in-vehicle communication device 4 is, for example, a vehicle-side radio communication device that supports ITS radio. Therefore, the in-vehicle communication device 4 can perform wireless communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) with another vehicle 5 traveling on the road, and the communication frame including the provision information for the vehicle that the roadside communication device 3 downlink-transmits. can also receive
The vehicle-mounted communication device 4 may have an optical communication function of performing optical communication with the optical beacon using near-infrared rays in a communication area below the optical beacon.

The central device 6 consists of one or a plurality of server computers owned by a business operator responsible for traffic control. The central device 6 collects sensor information measured by the roadside sensor 2, inter-vehicle communication information (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle information") received by the roadside communication device 3 from the vehicle 5, and the like.
The sensor information includes detection information (traffic volume and occupancy time) by a vehicle sensor, beacon information received by the optical beacon from the onboard communication device 4 compatible with optical communication, and the like. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication information includes the vehicle ID, time, position, speed, and the like of the vehicle 5 that generated the information.

The central device 6 uses the collected various data to calculate a traffic index such as an inflow traffic volume per unit time to the intersection Ji. Based on the calculated traffic index, the central device 6 performs traffic sensitive control (centralized control) for intersections Ji belonging to the area under its jurisdiction.
The traffic-sensitive control of the central unit 6 includes, for example, "system control" for controlling a group of traffic signals at an intersection Ji belonging to a predetermined system section, and "wide-area control (area control)" by extending the system control to the road network. and so on.

In Japan, the control method of the traffic signal controller 12 by the central unit 6 is roughly classified into "step control type" and "table control type".
In the step control type, the central unit 6 determines a signal control plan (for example, FIG. 11) that defines the duration of each step of the signal lamp 11, and at the time when the step switches in the determined signal control plan. , to send a control signal (stepping command) to the traffic signal controller 12 to command lighting or extinguishing of a predetermined lamp color.

In the table control type, the central unit 6 transmits a "signal control command" (see FIG. 9), which is the original data of the signal control plan, to the traffic controller 12, and the traffic controller 12 receives the received signal control command. is a method for determining a signal control plan (for example, FIG. 11) based on.
The traffic controller 12 switches the display of the signal lamp 11 according to the signal control plan determined by itself. The signal control plan is determined for one cycle every cycle. It is assumed that the traffic control system of this embodiment is compatible with the table control method.

When the central unit 6 executes traffic sensitive control, it generates signal control commands including signal control parameters such as cycle, split and offset. The central device 6 transmits the generated signal control command to the traffic signal controller 12 of the intersection Ji to be controlled.

The traffic controller 12 transmits signal control execution information representing the details of the control executed in the previous cycle to the central device 6 at the start of the current cycle.
The information stored in the signal control execution information includes the cycle start time of the previous cycle (the start time of the first step), the number of seconds of each step executed, the response execution type indicating the type of terminal response control performed, It also includes sensing information (traffic volume and occupancy time) of vehicle sensors.

The traffic controller 12 transmits "signal operation state information" (see FIG. 10) indicating the operation state of the current cycle to the central unit 6 at a cycle (for example, every second) shorter than the transmission cycle of the signal control execution information.
The signal operation state information includes, for example, execution stage information including the current state during execution and the stage number, and operation status for notifying the operation abnormality (timer abnormality, CPU abnormality, etc.) of the own machine. . The execution tier information is always transmitted to the central device 6 at the timing when the tier progresses.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, when a roadside relay device 70 (see FIG. 8) is connected to the traffic signal controller 12 near the intersection Ji, the roadside relay device 70 is also included in the traffic control system. be

[Roadside equipment around intersections]
FIG. 2 is a road plan view showing an example of a roadside device around an intersection.
The traffic signal controller 12 installed at the intersection J1 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a road plan view showing another example of the roadside device around the intersection.
The traffic signal controller 12 installed at the intersection J4 in FIG.

Regarding the traffic controller 12, common reference numeral "12" is used when describing items common to old and new. Further, when describing items unique to the old controller, the code "12A" representing the old model is used, and when describing items unique to the new controller, the code "12B" representing the new model is used.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, roadside devices at intersections J1 and J4 include traffic signals 1 and roadside sensors 2 . The traffic signal device 1 includes a plurality of signal lamp devices 11 arranged for each inflow path, and a traffic signal controller 12 connected to each signal lamp device 11 by a signal control line 13 .

When receiving a signal control command from the central device 6, the traffic controller 12 determines the number of seconds of offset follow-up operation according to the received signal control command, and determines the light color switching timing of the signal lamp 11 (centralized control).
When the traffic signal controller 12 does not receive a signal control command from the central device 6, it performs constant period control to set a signal control plan according to the time slot. At an intersection Ji where terminal sensitive control based on sensory information is executed, the traffic controller 12 may vary the variable stairs included in the signal control plan within the range specified by the signal control command.

At the intersection J1 in FIG. 2 and the intersection J4 in FIG. Therefore, the traffic controller 12 has a function of relaying wired communication between the roadside sensor 2 and the central device 6 .
At intersection J4 in FIG. Therefore, the new controller 12B also has a function of relaying wired communication between the roadside communication device 3 and the central device 6. FIG.

At the intersection J1 in FIG. 2 and the intersection J4 in FIG. The traffic controller 12 forwards sensor information received from the roadside sensors 2 to the central unit 6 .
At the intersection J4 in FIG. 3, the roadside communication device 3 is installed in the vicinity of the intersection J4 so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle 5 traveling on the inflow road of the intersection J4. Therefore, the roadside communication device 3 can receive the communication frame containing the vehicle information S1 transmitted and received by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

When receiving the vehicle information S1 from the vehicle-mounted communication device 4, the roadside communication device 3 transmits the received vehicle information S1 to the new controller 12B. The new controller 12B transfers the vehicle information S1 received from the roadside communication device 3 to the central device 6 .
When the roadside communication device 3 receives the provided information S2 for vehicles from the traffic controller 12, the roadside communication device 3 generates a communication frame including the received provided information S2, and broadcasts the generated communication frame.

The provided information S2 for vehicles includes, for example, road congestion information, regulation information, road alignment information near the intersection Ji, and the like.
When the new controller 12B is compatible with DSSS (Driving Safety Support System), the new controller 12B can output signal information (see FIG. 12) to the roadside communication device 3 as provided information S2 for vehicles. The signal information is information indicating the scheduled display time of the signal lamp device 11 after the present time, and includes, for example, the scheduled display seconds (remaining seconds) for each light color in each inflow path.

[Internal configuration of the central device]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the central device 6. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4 , the central device 6 includes a control section (information processing section) 61 , a display section 62 , a communication section 63 , a storage section 64 and an operation section 65 .
The control unit 61 of the central unit 6 comprehensively collects, processes (calculates), and records various types of information, controls traffic signals, and provides information. The control unit 61 is connected to each hardware unit via an internal bus, and also controls the operation of these units.

The control unit 61 of the central unit 6 is composed of an arithmetic processing unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a main memory composed of a RAM (Random Access Memory).
The CPU of the control unit 61 reads the computer program stored in the storage unit 64 into the main memory, and performs various information processing according to the program. The control unit 61 may include integrated circuits such as FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

The control unit 61 of the central device 6 executes the aforementioned system control and wide area control (area control). Specifically, the control unit 61 sets signal control parameters (split, cycle length and offset) for each intersection Ji based on a traffic index (for example, inflow traffic volume) calculated from collected sensor information. Performs sensitive control.

The communication unit 63 of the central device 6 has a communication interface and is connected via the communication line 8 to a roadside device other than its own device.
The communication unit 63 transmits to each traffic signal controller 12 a signal control command generated for each predetermined control cycle and traffic information such as congestion information and regulation information. The signal control command is transmitted every control cycle (for example, 1.0 to 2.5 minutes) of the signal control parameter, and the traffic information is transmitted, for example, every 5 minutes.

The communication unit 63 of the central unit 6 receives from the traffic signal controller 12 the vehicle ID, position information and speed information of the vehicle 5 having the in-vehicle communication device 4, and the detection signal of the roadside sensor 2 consisting of a vehicle sensor in substantially real time. (eg, 0.1 to 1.0 second cycle).

The storage unit 64 of the central device 6 is composed of a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like. The storage unit 64 stores a control program for traffic sensitive control, a computation program for signal control parameters used for traffic sensitive control, and the like.
The storage unit 64 of the central unit 6 temporarily stores the signal control command and traffic information generated by the control unit 61, and the vehicle ID, position information, speed information, sensing signal, and the like acquired from the LAN side.

The display unit 62 of the central device 6 is composed of one or more liquid crystal displays or the like. The display unit 62 can display a road map of the management area. The road map displayed on the display unit 62 includes icons representing the traffic signals 1 and the roadside sensors 2 within the jurisdiction area.
The operation unit 65 of the central device 6 includes input interfaces such as a keyboard and a mouse. The operator of the traffic control center can switch screens to be displayed on the display unit 62 by inputting an operation to the operation unit 65 .

[Internal configuration of traffic signal controller]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the traffic controller 12. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the traffic signal controller 12 includes a control section (information processing section) 21, a lamp drive section 22, a communication section 23, a storage section 24, and the like. The control unit 21 is connected to the lamp driving unit 22, the communication unit 23, and the storage unit 24 via an internal bus.

The control unit 21 of the traffic controller 12 is composed of an arithmetic processing unit including a CPU and a main memory composed of a RAM.
The CPU of the control unit 21 reads the computer program stored in the storage unit 24 into the main memory, and performs various information processing according to the program. The control unit 21 may include integrated circuits such as FPGA and ASIC.

The control unit 21 of the traffic controller 12 creates a signal control plan based on the signal control parameters included in the signal control command generated by the central unit 6 .
Based on the created signal control plan, the control unit 21 generates a control signal (stepping signal) for turning on/off each signal lamp constituting the signal lamp device 11 and outputs the generated control signal to the lamp device driving unit 22. do.

The lamp drive section 22 is connected to the signal lamp 11 by a signal control line 13 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) including a power line. The lamp device drive unit 22 includes a semiconductor relay (not shown) that switches the signal lamp color of the signal lamp device 11 according to the control signal input from the control unit 21 .
Specifically, the lamp drive unit 22 turns on/off the AC voltage or the DC voltage supplied to each of the blue, yellow, and red signal lamps included in the signal lamp unit 11 according to the control signal input from the control unit 21. do.

The communication unit 23 of the traffic controller 12 has a communication interface for wired communication with the central device 6 and a communication interface for wired communication with the roadside sensor 2 .
The communication unit 23 of the traffic controller 12 outputs the received signal control command to the control unit 21 upon receiving the signal control command generated by the central device 6 . When signal control execution information or signal operating state information is input from the control unit 21 , the communication unit 23 transmits the input information to the central unit 6 . Upon receiving the sensor information from the roadside sensor 2 , the communication unit 23 transfers the received sensor information to the central device 6 .

When the traffic controller 12 is the new controller 12B, the communication unit 23 further has a communication interface for wired communication with the roadside communication device 3 .
Therefore, when the communication unit 23 of the new controller 12B receives the provided information S1 for vehicles such as traffic jam information from the central device 6, it transfers the received information to the roadside communication device 3. FIG. Further, when receiving vehicle information from the roadside communication device 3 , the communication unit 23 transfers the received vehicle information to the central device 6 .

The storage unit 24 of the traffic controller 12 is composed of a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like. Various computer programs executed by the control unit 21 are stored in the storage unit 24 .
The computer programs stored in the storage unit 24 include a communication control program for relaying various received data such as signal control commands, traffic information, sensor information, and vehicle information to appropriate destinations.

When the traffic signal controller 12 is the DSSS-compatible new controller 12B, the computer program stored in the storage unit 24 includes a program for causing the control unit 21 to execute "signal information generation processing" for vehicles. included.
The signal information generation processing performed by the traffic controller 12B is substantially the same as the signal information generation processing performed by the roadside relay device 70 (see FIG. 8), which will be described later. Accordingly, the details of the signal information generation process will be described later.

After generating the signal information for the vehicle, the control unit 21 of the new controller 12B outputs the generated signal information to the communication unit 23 .
The communication unit 23 of the new controller 12B transmits the input signal information to the roadside communication device 3 . The roadside communication device 3 broadcasts the communication frame including the received signal information to the vehicle 5 at a predetermined transmission cycle (for example, 100 ms).

[Issues and Solutions of Traffic Control Systems]
FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram showing a connection form between the old controller 12A and other communication nodes.
The old controller 12A does not have a communication interface for the roadside communication device 3. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, the old controller 12A is connected to the communication line 8 leading to the central device 6 and the signal control line 13 leading to the signal lamp 11. FIG.

FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram showing a connection configuration between the new controller 12B and other communication nodes.
The new controller 12B has a communication interface for the roadside communication device 3 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the new controller 12B is connected to the communication line 8 leading to the central device 6, the signal control line 13 leading to the signal lamp 11, and the communication line 10 leading to the roadside communication device 3. .

In the DSSS application, the signal information generated by the new controller 12B is provided to the vehicle 5 by the roadside communication device 3 compatible with ITS radio. Therefore, based on the received signal information, the driver of the vehicle 5 can quickly determine whether or not the vehicle can pass through the planned intersection Ji, and can drive safely and smoothly.

When the vehicle 5 is an automatic driving vehicle, it is possible to improve the recognition accuracy of the signal light color by comparing the current signal light color sensed by the in-vehicle sensor with the signal information provided from the infrastructure side.
In this way, assuming that the provision of signal information is useful for automatic driving, it is preferable to provide the vehicle 5 with the signal information of all intersections Ji included in the traffic route of the vehicle 5 that performs automatic driving. .

In the traffic control system of FIG. 1, the old controllers 12A existing at the intersections J1 to J3 and J7 to J12 are replaced with the new controllers 12B, or the old controllers 12A are replaced so as to enable communication with the roadside communication device 3. , it is possible to build a system for providing useful signal information for autonomous vehicles.
However, in Japan, for example, most of the traffic controllers 12 are old controllers 12A that do not have a communication interface for the roadside communication device 3, so replacing or modifying all the old controllers 12A is Not realistic in terms of cost.

Moreover, since the replacement cycle of the traffic controller 12 is about 20 years and it takes a long time to update, it is difficult to quickly popularize the information providing service for automatic driving.
On the other hand, as a communication system for wirelessly providing information to vehicles, the use of cellular communication such as the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G) is being considered. However, since the traffic controller 12 does not have a communication interface for communicating with the base station, replacement or modification of the traffic controller 12 is required anyway.

A roadside relay device (hereinafter also referred to as a "signal conversion adapter") 70 of the present embodiment is a device for solving the above problems. The roadside relay device 70 has functions 1 to 3 below. It is a relay device.

Function 1: A function of relaying communication between the central device 6 and the traffic controller 12A Function 2: A control command (for example, a signal control command) for controlling the traffic controller 12A generated by the central device 6, and the relevant A function of generating signal information for vehicles using the control content (for example, signal operation state information) executed by the traffic controller 12A based on the control command Function 3: A communication system that wirelessly provides signal information (for example, ITS radio system, mobile communication system, etc.)

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection configuration between the roadside relay device 70 and other communication nodes.
As shown in FIG. 7, a roadside relay device (signal conversion adapter) 70 is connected to a communication line 8, which is a transmission line for the central device 6, and a communication line 9, which is a transmission line for the traffic signal controller 12A. A communication line (for example, a serial communication line, a LAN cable, an optical line, etc.) 10, which is a transmission line for a communication device 30 for vehicles, is connected.

A communication path between the signal conversion adapter 70 and the central device 6 may include a router 7 or a relay device capable of protocol conversion.
Similarly, a relay device such as a LAN switch or media converter may intervene in the communication path between the signal conversion adapter 70 and the communication device 30 .

The signal conversion adapter 70 includes a first communication interface to which the communication line (first line) 8 is connected, a second communication interface to which the communication line (second line) 9 is connected, a communication line (third line) 10 and a third communication interface to which is connected.
The signal conversion adapter 70 has a function of converting a communication protocol between the communication lines 8 and 9 and relaying it. Therefore, the signal conversion adapter 70 behaves as the traffic controller 12A with respect to the central device 6, and behaves as the central device 6 with respect to the traffic controller 12A.

If the first communication interface and the second communication interface are of the same communication standard (for example, UD type transmission system), no protocol conversion is required between the two communication interfaces, and the communication lines 8 and 9 are of the same type. line is used.

Since the signal conversion adapter 70 relays the downstream frame transmitted by the central unit 6 to the traffic controller 12A and the upstream frame transmitted by the traffic controller 12A to the central unit 6, information can be extracted.
Therefore, the signal conversion adapter 70 generates signal information for the vehicle based on information (signal control commands, etc.) included in the communication frame. That is, the signal conversion adapter 70 also functions as an information providing device that generates and outputs signal information for vehicles.

The signal conversion adapter 70 transmits the generated signal information to the communication device 30 . The communication device 30 is composed of, for example, an ITS radio (roadside communication device 3) or a base station for cellular communication.
If the communication device 30 is an ITS radio, the signal information is wirelessly transmitted from the ITS radio to the vehicle-mounted communication device 4 of the vehicle 5 . If the communication device 30 is a base station, the signaling information is transferred from the base station to the cloud server of the core network. The cloud server forwards the signaling information to the same or another base station, which wirelessly transmits the signaling information to the mobile terminal in the vehicle 5 .

[Internal configuration of roadside repeater]
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the roadside relay device 70. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, the roadside relay device 70 includes an upper communication unit 71, a traffic light communication unit 72, a vehicle communication unit 73, a communication processing unit 74, an information processing unit 75, a synchronization processing unit 76, a memory 77, and a A light color monitoring unit 78 and the like are provided.

The upper communication unit 71 is a communication interface that transmits and receives electrical signals to and from the central device 6 according to a predetermined transmission method (communication protocol). Here, it is assumed that the transmission system of the central unit 6 is, for example, a "UD type transmission system" capable of IP communication.
A communication line (first line) 8 used for wired communication with the central device 6 is connected to the upper communication section (first communication section) 71 .

The upper communication unit 71 demodulates the electrical signal (carrier signal) input from the communication line 8 and reproduces the downstream frame. The upper communication unit 71 outputs the reproduced downstream frame to the communication processing unit 74 .
The upper communication unit 71 modulates the upstream frame input from the communication processing unit 74 into an electric signal (carrier signal) of a predetermined frequency. The upper communication section 71 sends out the modulated electric signal (carrier signal) to the communication line 8 .

The traffic signal side communication unit 72 is a communication interface that transmits and receives electrical signals according to a predetermined transmission method to and from the traffic controller 12A. Here, it is assumed that the transmission system of the traffic controller 12A is, for example, a "U-shaped transmission system" incapable of IP communication.
A communication line (second line) 9 used for wired communication with the traffic signal controller 12A is connected to the traffic signal side communication section (second communication section) 72 .

The signal-side communication unit 72 demodulates the electrical signal (carrier signal) input from the communication line 9 to reproduce the upstream frame. The traffic signal side communication unit 72 outputs the reproduced upstream frame to the communication processing unit 74 .
The signal-side communication unit 72 modulates the downstream frame input from the communication processing unit 74 into an electric signal (carrier signal) having a predetermined frequency. The traffic signal side communication unit 72 sends out the modulated electric signal (carrier signal) to the communication line 9 .

The vehicle-side communication unit 73 is a communication interface that transmits and receives electrical signals to and from the communication device 30 according to a predetermined communication protocol. The transmission method of the communication device 30 may employ, for example, a high-speed serial transmission method or a transmission method capable of IP communication such as a wired LAN.
A communication line (third line: for example, a serial cable or an Ethernet cable) 10 is connected to the vehicle-side communication section (third communication section) 73 . A communication line (third line) 10 is used for wired communication between the roadside relay device 70 and the communication device 30 . The communication device 30 belongs to a communication system that wirelessly provides information to the vehicle 5 .

The vehicle-side communication unit 73 demodulates the electrical signal (carrier signal) received from the communication line 10 and reproduces the upstream frame. The vehicle-side communication section 73 outputs the reproduced upstream frame to the communication processing section 74 .
The vehicle-side communication unit 73 modulates the downstream frame input from the communication processing unit 74 into an electric signal (carrier signal) having a predetermined frequency. Vehicle-side communication unit 73 transmits the modulated electrical signal (carrier signal) to communication line 10 .

If the communication device 30 is a base station that uses an optical line, the vehicle-side communication unit 73 is composed of an optical transceiver. The processing contents of the vehicle-side communication unit 73 in this case are as follows.
The vehicle-side communication unit 73 converts the optical signal input from the optical fiber (third line) 10 into an electrical signal and reproduces the upstream frame. The vehicle-side communication section 73 outputs the converted upstream frame to the communication processing section 74 .
The vehicle-side communication unit 73 converts the downstream frame input from the communication processing unit 74 into an optical signal with a predetermined wavelength. Vehicle-side communication unit 73 transmits the converted optical signal to optical fiber 10 .

The communication processing unit 74, the information processing unit 75, the synchronization processing unit 76, the memory 77, and the lamp color monitoring unit 78 are functional parts of an arithmetic processing device including, for example, a CPU and a RAM.
The CPU of the arithmetic processing unit reads a computer program installed in a storage device (not shown) into a main memory (RAM) and performs various information processing according to the program. The processing unit may also consist of one or more integrated circuits other than or in addition to the CPU, such as FPGAs and ASICs.

The communication processing unit 74 relays communication frames transmitted and received between the central device 6 and the traffic controller 12A after performing predetermined protocol conversion.
Specifically, the communication processing unit 74 converts the downstream frame of the UD transmission system input from the upper communication unit 71 into the format of the U transmission system, and outputs the converted downstream frame to the traffic signal side communication unit 72 . do. Conversely, the communication processing unit 74 converts the upstream frame of the U-type transmission method input from the signal-side communication unit 72 into the format of the UD-type transmission method, and outputs the converted upstream frame to the higher-order communication unit 71 .

When the downstream frame input from the upper communication unit 71 contains a signal control command, the communication processing unit 74 extracts the signal control command from the downstream frame and temporarily stores the extracted signal control command in the memory 77 . Let
When the upstream frame input from the traffic signal side communication unit 72 contains signal operation state information, the communication processing unit 74 extracts the information from the upstream frame and temporarily stores the extracted information in the memory 77.

Among the information necessary for signal information generation processing, information that is not transmitted and received in communication between the central device 6 and the traffic signal controller 12A (included in one cycle, which is implicitly set between both devices) If there is a correspondence relationship between the number of floors, the number of floors and the light color of each inflow passage, etc., it may be permanently stored in the memory 77 by manual setting or the like.

The communication processing unit 74 relays communication frames transmitted and received between the central device 6 and the communication device 30 after performing predetermined protocol conversion.
Specifically, the communication processing unit 74 converts the downstream frame of the UD transmission method input from the upper communication unit 71 into the format of the transmission method adopted by the communication device 30, and transmits the converted downstream frame to the vehicle side communication. Output to unit 73 . Conversely, the communication processing unit 74 converts the upstream frame of the transmission method adopted by the communication device 30 input from the vehicle side communication unit 73 into the format of the UD type transmission method, and transmits the converted upstream frame to the upper side communication unit 71. output to

The information provided by the central device 6 to the communication device 30 by downlink frames includes, for example, traffic information such as congestion information or regulation information.
The information provided by the communication device 30 to the central device 6 via upstream frames includes, for example, inter-vehicle communication information generated by the vehicle 5 .

The information processing section 75 can perceive the current control state of the traffic controller 12A based on the signal control command and the signal operation state information stored in the memory 77 .
For example, the information processing section 75 can create a signal control plan based on signal control parameters (cycle, split, offset, etc.) included in the signal control command. The information processing section 75 can also determine whether or not the traffic controller 12A is executing terminal-sensitive control based on the type of terminal-sensitive control specified by the signal control command.

The information processing unit 75 generates signal information for vehicles based on the created signal control plan. The details of the “signal information generation processing” by the information processing unit 75 will be described later.
After generating the signal information for the vehicle, the information processing section 75 generates a downstream frame including the generated signal information, and outputs the generated downstream frame to the vehicle-side communication section 73 . Vehicle-side communication unit 73 transmits a downstream frame including the input signal information to communication device 30 .

The synchronization processing unit 76 is a processing unit for achieving time synchronization with other communication nodes such as the central device 6 by a predetermined synchronization method.
The synchronization method of the synchronization processing unit 76 is, for example, GPS synchronization that synchronizes time with a 1PPS (Pulse Per Second) signal acquired by a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, NTP (Network Time Protocol) and PTP (Precision Time Protocol) ) can adopt a synchronization method using a communication frame.

The communication processing unit 74 determines transmission timing of communication frames and the like according to the local time generated by the synchronization processing unit 76 .
The information processing section 75 determines the cycle start time TS (see FIG. 11) and the like of the created signal control plan according to the local time generated by the synchronization processing section 76 .

The lamp color monitoring section 78 is connected to the lamp color sensor 79 . The lamp color sensor 79 is composed of, for example, an ammeter that detects the current flowing from the lamp drive unit 22 to the signal lamp 11 .
The lamp color monitoring unit 78 determines the current lamp color of the signal lamp device 11 based on the current value detected by the lamp color sensor 79 . For example, the lamp color monitoring unit 78 determines that the current lamp color is red while the current of the red signal lamp is on. The same applies to other lamp colors.

The light color sensor 79 may be an image sensor (such as a CCD camera) capable of capturing moving images. In this case, the lamp color monitoring unit 78 may determine the current lamp color of the signal lamp 11 based on the RGB values of the lamp part included in the image data input from the lamp color sensor 79 .
The lamp color monitoring unit 78 outputs the determination result of the current lamp color to the information processing unit 75 . The information processing unit 75 uses the determination result of the current light color to determine the end of the variable stairs, the presence or absence of an operational abnormality in the traffic controller 12A, and the like.

For example, in the signal control plan of FIG. 11, when 1PG is a variable staircase, the signal processing unit 75 can determine the end of 1PF by the start of green flashing of the pedestrian lights.
Further, when detecting an abnormality in the transition state of the current light color (such as a green light in both the east-west direction and the north-south direction), the information processing section 75 may notify the central device 6 of this. Specifically, the information processing section 75 generates a communication frame addressed to the central device 6 including the identification information of the traffic controller 12A and the content of the abnormality, and outputs the generated communication frame to the communication processing section 74 .

[Format of signal control command and signal operation status information]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the format of the signal control command. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the format of signal operating state information.
The format of FIGS. 9 and 10 is a format specified in the "U-shaped traffic signal controller U-shaped communication application standard" issued by the UTMS Association. Therefore, the data contents included in the formats of FIGS. 9 and 10 are described in the relevant standard.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, in the "execution level information" of the signal operation state information, the bit value of D7 is an identifier for the type of terminal operation, 0 means normal operation, and 1 means terminal operation.
The bit values of D6 and D5 are identifiers of the current state, 00 meaning standard status, 01 meaning first status, 10 meaning second status, and 11 meaning third status. Bit values D4 to D0 are grade number identifiers, where 00000 means grade 1, 00001 means grade 2, and 00010 means grade 3. In the following, it is possible to define up to tier 24 in the same way.

[Specific example of signal control plan]
FIG. 11 is a table showing an example of a signal control plan created by the roadside relay device 70. As shown in FIG.
In the example of FIG. 11, one cycle consists of the following eight stages (steps), and TS represents the cycle start time according to the local time of the own device.
The inflow path R1 is an inflow path that extends in a first direction (for example, the east-west direction) and is provided with a pedestrian light. The inflow path R2 is an inflow path in which no pedestrian lighting device is installed and which extends in a second direction (for example, north-south direction) that intersects the first direction.

1PG: Both the vehicle light on the inflow road R1 and the pedestrian light are blue 1PF: The vehicle light on the inflow road R1 is blue and the pedestrian light is blinking in blue 1PR: The vehicle light on the inflow road R1 is blue And the pedestrian light is red 1Y: The vehicle light of the inflow path R1 is yellow and the pedestrian light is red 1AR: Both the inflow path R1 and the inflow path 2 are red (all red)
2G: Vehicle light on inflow path R2 is blue 2Y: Vehicle light on inflow path R2 is yellow 2R: Vehicle light on inflow path R2 is red

In the example of FIG. 11, among the eight stages, the duration of stages other than 1PG are all fixed stages whose time is fixed, but the duration of 1PG is not determined in advance unlike other stages. Defined as time with range. This means that the 1PG is a variable tier that can be varied by centralized control, offset tracking operation, terminal sensitive control, and the like.

[Format of signal information]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the format of signal information for vehicles.
Specifically, FIG. 12A is a diagram showing the data structure of signal information, and FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram showing data values and data contents stored in a header portion and a data portion of signal information.
The signal information in FIG. 12B is the signal information at the cycle start time TS of the inflow path R1 (signal information at the start of the green light in the inflow path R1) based on the signal control plan in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12A, the signal information for vehicles has a data structure including a header portion, a data portion, and a footer portion.
The header portion includes an identifier indicating signal information, the size of the signal information, and the number of light colors to be provided (three in the example shown). A CRC value and the like are stored in the footer. The data section stores the scheduled display times (seconds in the figure) of the lamp colors (1) to (3) corresponding to the number of lamp colors defined in the header section. Hereinafter, this scheduled display time is also referred to as "remaining seconds".

In FIG. 12B, the correspondence between the data values (codes) of the lamp colors (1) to (3) and the actual signal lamp colors is as follows.
Signal light color (1) with code "01" = green light Signal light color (2) with code "02" = yellow signal Light color (3) with code "03" = red light

As shown in FIG. 12B, in the inflow path R1, the shortest expected number of seconds to display light color (1) (=green light) is 40 seconds, and the longest is 70 seconds.
The shortest time (40 seconds) and the longest time (70 seconds) are obtained by the following formula based on the duration of 1PG, 1PF and 1PR in the signal control plan.
Shortest time (40 seconds) = 1PG shortest time (30 seconds) + 1PF (5 seconds) + 1PR (5 seconds)
Minimum time (70 seconds) = Maximum time of 1PG (50 seconds) + 1PF (5 seconds) + 1PR (5 seconds)

In the inflow path R1, both the shortest time and the longest time for the number of seconds to be displayed for the light color (2) (=yellow light) are 5 seconds. In the inflow path R1, both the shortest time and the longest time for the number of seconds to be displayed for the light color (3) (=red light) are 55 seconds. In this way, when the shortest time and the longest time match, it means that the number of seconds to be displayed for the lamp color is fixed.
Note that the scheduled display time (remaining seconds) of the light color may be expressed in units of 100 milliseconds or 10 milliseconds, and the format itself is not limited to the format shown in FIG. 12 .

[Problems and Solutions Regarding Signal Information Generation Method]
The accuracy of the number of seconds of the signal information provided to the vehicle 5 is desirably suppressed to an error of ±several 100 milliseconds or less in consideration of utilization in an automatic driving vehicle.
Specifically, assuming the use of signal information in autonomous vehicles, when providing the current light color state and the scheduled number of seconds to display the light color, avoid sudden or unnecessary deceleration due to entry into the dilemma zone. For this reason, it is desirable that the error in the number of seconds remaining in the green light is ±several hundred milliseconds or less.

However, even in the case of centralized control by the central unit 6, it is the traffic controller 12 that ultimately determines the execution time of each variable staircase. Also, the number of seconds for executing the variable staircase in the terminal response operation, response correction operation, offset follow-up operation, etc. depends on the specifications of the traffic controller 12 .
For example, the standard specifications stipulated by the National Police Agency stipulate only the functional requirements of equipment, and specific operations depend on product specifications that are not disclosed to the public. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the number of seconds of execution of the variable stairs that satisfies appropriate accuracy for a wide variety of traffic controllers 12 .

The traffic controller 12 can also perform different operations depending on internal settings (for example, the number of seconds guaranteed for the lower limit of each tier, the tier for which the offset follow-up operation, or the responsive correction operation is to be performed).
Therefore, emulating the operation of the traffic controller 12 requires the roadside repeater 70 to have exactly the same settings as the traffic controller 12 . In this case, problems arise in terms of complexity in operation management and human error in setting work. In addition, since the definition and contents of the setting items are not subject to standard specifications, the conversion of settings according to the traffic signal controller 12 is also an issue.

Therefore, a method of correcting or estimating the number of remaining green light seconds according to the actual situation (hereinafter referred to as " It is conceivable to adopt a post-correction method.)
However, such post-correction schemes may provide temporarily erroneous signal information because the correction is performed after detection of the predetermined event being monitored.

Specifically, errors caused by the time lag of the roadside relay device 70 and the estimation of the remaining seconds are corrected by ex-post correction, and the remaining seconds rapidly increase or decrease.
If the fluctuation width of this increase/decrease exceeds a predetermined error (for example, ±several hundred milliseconds), the decision to start deceleration is delayed to avoid a dilemma, and sudden deceleration becomes necessary, or unnecessary deceleration is performed. There are concerns about the impact on the reliability and stability of automatic driving control. In particular, in the case of correction based on the monitoring result of the signal lamp device 11, the correction is executed after the color of the signal lamp has changed, so the influence is large.

More specific examples of the above problems are as follows.
Example 1: When the number of execution seconds of the signal information is shorter than the actual number The number of remaining seconds of the green light of the signal information changes to the next yellow light prior to the signal lamp device 11 . Alternatively, the time period in which the number of remaining green light seconds=0 continues until the monitoring result of the traffic light color is acquired.
Example 2: When the number of execution seconds of the signal information is longer than the actual time After the signal lamp device 11 first changes to the next yellow light, the signal information changes to yellow with a delay. Alternatively, the signal information suddenly changes from a state in which there is a green signal remaining in seconds to a yellow signal.

In this way, as a solution to the problem that the number of remaining seconds of signal information changes discontinuously, when the terminal sensitive operation, the sensitive correction operation, the offset follow-up operation, etc. are being executed, the expected error is calculated in advance. It is conceivable to provide the minimum number of seconds remaining expected (estimate-lower probability error) and the maximum number of seconds remaining (estimate+upper probability error).
However, this still leaves the problem that the start timing of the yellow light cannot be determined with a desired error (±several hundred milliseconds).

In view of the above problems, in the present embodiment, at the start of the green light, the correction or estimation of the remaining seconds of the green light is not performed, and the maximum and minimum values of the remaining seconds that are not corrected or estimated values are not determined. We decided to apply it as it is, and decided to provide the fixed number of remaining seconds of the green light by a predetermined time before the start timing of the yellow light.
In this way, even if the estimated error shown above is several seconds or more, it is possible to avoid sudden deceleration or unnecessary deceleration due to entry into the dilemma zone.

Typically, the green light duration (VG) for a vehicle consists of multiple steps. For example, in the case of an intersection with pedestrian lights, the VG consists of Pedestrian Green (PG), Pedestrian Flashing Green (PF), and Pedestrian Red (PR). be done.
VG dynamically changes the number of execution seconds according to traffic conditions, but as shown in FIG. Pedestrian Red (PR) run seconds are often used as fixed staircases with fixed times.

Therefore, based on the step number included in the execution step information of the signal operating state information (FIG. 10) or the determination result of the light color monitoring section 78, the end of the variable step is detected, and when this end is detected, The number of remaining green seconds until the start of the yellow light is updated and provided as a definite value.
As a result, it is possible to tolerate a prediction error of several seconds or more, and it is suitable for autonomous driving while suppressing costs such as the development of highly accurate prediction technology for execution seconds of several hundred milliseconds or less and complicated operation management. It is possible to provide highly accurate signal information.

[Details of signal information generation processing]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of signal information generation processing executed by the information processing section 75 . As shown in FIG. 13, the signal information generation process includes the following processes 1 to 3.
Process 1: Create Signal Control Plan (Step ST1)
Process 2: Determining the maximum/minimum value of the variable ladder (step ST2)
Process 3: Creation of signal information at the time of TS (step ST3)

The information processing section 75 executes the above processes 1 to 3 for each cycle to generate signal information for the next cycle and records it in the memory 77 . The information processing section 75 outputs the signal information recorded in the memory 77 to the vehicle side communication section 73 at the cycle start time TS of the next cycle.
Further, when the local time of its own device passes TS, the signal processing unit 75 sequentially updates the signal information by subtracting the remaining seconds by the elapsed time for the currently displayed lamp color, and updates the updated signal information. Output to vehicle communication unit 73 . Details of this output processing will be described later.

Process 1) Creation of signal control plan (step ST1)
The information processing section 75 creates a signal control plan to be applied to the next cycle from the signal control command (see FIG. 9) and the signal operation state information (see FIG. 10) stored in the memory 77. FIG.
The signal control plan includes a plurality of steps included in one cycle, the duration of each step (for example, number of seconds), cycle start time TS, and the like (see FIG. 11).

The information processing unit 75 represents the offset value, the tier number, the reference value of splits 1 to 6, the +variation value, the −variation value, the cycle length, and the relationship between each tier and each indication included in the signal control command. Based on constants, cycle start times, etc., determine the number of steps to include in the signal control plan and the duration of each step.

Process 2) Determination of maximum/minimum value of variable ladder (step ST2)
Next, the information processing section 75 determines the maximum and minimum values of the variable tier (1PG) in the signal control plan.
For example, the information processing section 75 determines whether or not the offset follow-up operation is executed based on the time difference between the offset value included in the signal control command and the cycle start time of the traffic controller. Also, from the response permission of the signal control command, it is determined whether or not the traffic controller 12A is executing terminal response control (control for changing the variable grade based on information sensed by the vehicle sensor).

Then, if the information processing section 75 determines that it is necessary to perform the offset follow-up operation, it calculates the reference values of the splits 1 to 6 and the estimated number of seconds of offset follow-up allocated to each variable step. Further, when the terminal response control is being executed, the estimated number of response correction seconds to be allocated to each variable tier is calculated from the response operation result of the previous cycle. Next, after correcting the reference value commanded by the signal control command with the number of seconds for offset follow-up and the number of seconds for response correction, the maximum number of seconds obtained by adding the maximum extension number of seconds for response control specified by the response permission and internal setting is calculated. The minimum number of seconds obtained by subtracting the maximum number of seconds shortened by the sensitivity control specified by the sensitivity permission and internal settings from the maximum value of the variable tier (1PG) is the minimum value of the variable tier (1PG).

Here, when connecting to the traffic controller 12A for which information on detailed specifications and internal settings cannot be acquired, or when the times of the traffic controller 12A and the roadside relay device 70 are not synchronized, the offset value included in the signal control command and the traffic signal controller 12A cycle start time can not be obtained accurately, such as when the number of offset follow-up operation seconds allocated to each variable stage, the number of response correction seconds, etc. cannot be accurately estimated, the assumed error update the minimum value (estimated value - lower expected error) and maximum value (estimated value + upper expected error) according to

Process 3) Creation of signal information at the time of TS (step ST3)
The information processing section 75 creates signal information in a predetermined format (for example, FIG. 12) at the time of TS based on the calculated duration of each stage. For example, in the case of the signal information of the inflow path R1, the expected display seconds of the green, yellow and red lights are calculated by the following equations.
Expected number of seconds to display green light = 1PG + 1PF + 1PR
Number of seconds to display yellow light = 1Y
Expected number of seconds to display red light = 1AR + 2G + 2Y + 2AR

Here, the green light displayed on the variable staircase (1PG) and the subsequent fixed staircase (1PF+1PR) is the "first light color", the yellow light displayed after the first light color is the "second light color", and the second light color Assuming that the red signal displayed after the second light color is the "third light color", the signal information should include at least the first and second light colors, and does not include the third light color. may

[Output processing of signal information]
FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of signal information output processing executed by the information processing section 75 .
In FIG. 14, table T1 is a signal control plan at TS when 1PG is a variable tier. Data D1 represents signal information output at time TS, and data D2 represents signal information output upon detection of the end of the variable staircase.

When the local time (current time) of the device itself reaches the cycle start time TS, the information processing section 75 outputs the signal information D1 at the time TS recorded in the memory 77 (step S11).
Next, when the local time of the device 75 passes TS, the information processing section 75 subtracts the number of remaining seconds by the elapsed time for the lamp color currently being displayed, and sequentially updates the signal information D1. The information is output to vehicle communication unit 73 .

That is, the information processing unit 75 updates the signal information D1 by counting down the remaining seconds of the currently displayed signal lamp color (1) (=green signal) by the elapsed time from the TS (step S12). signal information to the vehicle communication unit 73 .
In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the information processing section 75 changes the shortest time of lamp color (1) every time one second elapses from the TS to the number of seconds of the fixed tier following the variable tier. , 37 .

It should be noted that the update of the remaining seconds and the output of the signal information by the countdown (step S12) are not necessarily limited to one-second cycles. That is, the countdown (step S12) may be executed at a preset appropriate period, such as every 100 milliseconds. This point also applies to the countdown (step S14) of the signal information D2, which will be described later.

As described above, the information processing unit 75 of the present embodiment can detect the end of the variable grade based on the grade number of the execution grade information included in the signal operation state information, or the green flashing start of the pedestrian lights. can.
Therefore, when the information processing unit 75 detects the end of the variable staircase, the information processing unit 75 replaces the output target with the signal information D2 having the fixed value of the remaining number of seconds of the fixed staircase following the variable staircase (step S13).

Specifically, the information processing section 77 determines the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the signal lamp color (1) (=green light) to be the same value, and outputs the determined signal information D2.
Next, when the local time of the own device has passed the end point of the variable staircase, the information processing unit 75 subtracts the remaining seconds by the elapsed time for the currently displayed lamp color, and sequentially updates the signal information D2. , and outputs the updated signal information to the vehicle communication unit 73 .

That is, the information processing unit 75 updates the signal information D2 by counting down the remaining seconds of the currently displayed traffic light color (1) (=green signal) by the amount of time elapsed from the end of the variable staircase (step S14). ), and outputs the updated signal information to the vehicle communication unit 73 .
In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the information processing unit 75 sets the minimum time and maximum time of the light color (1) to 9, 8, 7, . Update.

[Transition example of remaining seconds of green light]
In the output process of FIG. 14, the transition of the remaining seconds of the traffic light color (1) (=green light) when the variable staircase (1PG) ends in 30 seconds is as follows.

(Transition example 1: When 1PG ends in 30 seconds)
(minimum 40: maximum 60) ←TS
(minimum 39: maximum 59)
(minimum 38: maximum 58)
・・・
(minimum 12: maximum 32)
(minimum 11: maximum 31)
(Minimum 10 = Maximum 10) ← Detect end of variable stair (30 seconds after TS)
(minimum 09 = maximum 09)
(minimum 08 = maximum 08)
・・・

In the output process of FIG. 14, the transition of the remaining seconds of the traffic light color (1) (=green light) when the variable staircase (1PG) ends in 40 seconds is summarized as follows.

(Transition example 2: When 1PG ends in 40 seconds)
(minimum 40: maximum 60) ←TS
(minimum 39: maximum 59)
(minimum 38: maximum 58)
・・・
(minimum 11: maximum 31)
(minimum 10: maximum 30)
(minimum 10: maximum 29)
・・・

(minimum 10: maximum 22)
(minimum 10: maximum 21)
(Minimum 10 = Maximum 10) ← Detect end of variable stair (40 seconds after TS)
(minimum 9 = maximum 9)
(minimum 8 = maximum 8)
・・・

In the output process of FIG. 14, the transition of the number of remaining seconds of the traffic light color (1) (=green light) when the variable staircase (1PG) ends in 50 seconds is as follows.

(Transition example 3: When 1PG ends in 50 seconds)
(minimum 40: maximum 60) ←TS
(minimum 39: maximum 59)
(minimum 38: maximum 58)
・・・
(minimum 10: maximum 22)
(minimum 10: maximum 21)
(minimum 10: maximum 20)
・・・
(minimum 10: maximum 12)
(minimum 10: maximum 11)
(Minimum 10 = Maximum 10) ← Detect end of variable stair (50 seconds after TS)
(minimum 09 = maximum 09)
(minimum 08 = maximum 08)
・・・

[First Modification: Modification of Signal Control Plan]
In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the signal control plan, the duration (VG) of the green light of the vehicle lamp is composed of pedestrian green (PG), pedestrian green flashing (PF), and pedestrian red (PR). However, at least one fixed staircase (here, referred to as “XG”) may be included in front of Pedestrian Blue (PG).

In this case, for example, the planned number of seconds to display the green light (first light color) of the inflow path R1 is calculated by the formula 1XG+1PG+1PF+1PR. Therefore, the first light color is represented by the initial time (1XG+1PG) containing variable tiers and 1PF+1PR which is a fixed tier after 1PG.
In this way, the first staircase that constitutes the green light (first light color) of the vehicle lamp does not necessarily have to be the variable staircase (1PG), and may be the fixed staircase (1XG).

[Second Modification: Modification of Roadside Relay Device]
In the roadside relay device 70 of FIG. 8, the transmission system of the traffic controller 12A may be the "M-type transmission system" or the "T-type transmission system". The traffic signal controller 12A of the M-type or T-type transmission system adopts the stepping control type and does not correspond to the table control system.

Therefore, the central device 6 transmits a step command to the traffic controller 12A and does not transmit a signal control command to the traffic controller 12A. Therefore, the central device 6 generates a downstream frame addressed to the roadside relay device 70 including a signal control command for remotely controlling the traffic controller 12A, and transmits the generated downstream frame to the communication line 8. Just do it.

In the roadside relay device 70 of FIG. 8, the communication processing unit 74 is not connected to the vehicle-side communication unit 73, and the communication between the host-side communication unit 71 and the vehicle-side communication unit 73 is relayed with protocol conversion. It may be a processing unit that does not perform.
Also in the roadside relay device 70 in this case, since the vehicle-side communication unit 73 transmits the signal information for the vehicle input from the information processing unit 75 to the communication device 30, at least the signal information output function is maintained.

[Third Modification: Information Provision by Traffic Controller]
In the above-described embodiment, the roadside relay device 70 executes signal information generation processing (FIG. 13) and output processing (FIG. 14), but these may be executed by the new controller 12B.
That is, the control unit 21 of the traffic controller 12A shown in FIG. 6B may perform the processing of FIGS. 13 and 14 to provide the vehicle 5 with signal information. Therefore, the traffic signal controller 12A may be an information providing device that generates and outputs signal information.

[Third Modification: Application to Step Control]
In the step control, since the central unit 6 manages all signal control, the central unit 6 also determines the number of seconds to be executed in the sensitive correction operation and the offset follow-up operation.
Therefore, the control unit 61 of the central device 6 that performs step control may execute the signal information generation processing (FIG. 13) and the output processing (FIG. 14). That is, the information providing device that generates and outputs signal information may be the central device 6 .

In stepping control, the traffic controller 12A does not transmit the signal operating state information (FIG. 10), but transmits a "stepping response" including the grade number being executed in response to the stepping command from the central unit 6. do.
Therefore, the central unit 6 can detect the end of the variable staircase by counting the number of seconds the variable staircase is actually executed from the interval of receiving the step response.

[Other Modifications]
The above-described embodiments (including modifications) are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of rights of the present disclosure is indicated by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope of equivalence to the scope of the claims.
For example, in the above-described embodiments, the variable tier of the signal control plan is not limited to 1PG, and may be another tier.

1 traffic signal 2 roadside sensor 3 roadside communication device 4 in-vehicle communication device 5 vehicle 6 central device (information providing device)
7 router 8 communication line (first line)
8A communication line (first line)
8B communication line (second line)
8C communication line 9 communication line (second line)
10 communication line (third line)
11 signal lamp 12 traffic signal controller (information providing device)
12A old controller 12B new controller 13 control line 14 base station 21 control unit 22 lamp drive unit 23 communication unit 24 storage unit 30 communication device 60 central device (information providing device)
61 control unit 62 display unit 63 communication unit 64 storage unit 65 operation unit 70 roadside relay device (signal conversion adapter, information providing device)
71 upper communication unit (first communication unit)
72 Traffic light side communication unit (second communication unit)
73 vehicle side communication unit (third communication unit)
74 communication processing unit 75 information processing unit 76 synchronization processing unit 77 memory (storage unit)
78 Light color monitor 79 Light color sensor

Claims (9)

a storage unit for storing the following signal control plan;
an information processing unit that generates signal information including the following first and second lamp colors and their remaining seconds based on the stored signal control plan;
An information providing device comprising a communication unit that transmits the generated signal information,
The information processing unit
before the end of the variable tier of the signal control plan, applying the maximum and minimum values of the remaining number of seconds of the first lamp color to the signal information while undetermined;
An information providing device for determining the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first lamp color as the same value when the end of the variable staircase is detected.
Signal control plan: Multiple stairs including variable stairs and data including the duration of each stairs First light color: Signal light color for vehicle lamps displayed at the initial time including variable stairs and fixed stairs after variable stairs Second light color: Signal light color of the vehicle light device displayed after the first light color the first light color is a green light,
2. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein said second light color is a yellow light. The information providing device is
3. The information providing device according to claim 1, comprising a roadside relay device for relaying communication between a traffic controller and a central device for centrally controlling said traffic controller. The information processing unit
4. The information providing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the termination of said variable stairs is detected based on the stairs number included in the execution stairs information received from said traffic controller. further comprising a light color monitoring unit for monitoring the light color of the signal light device controlled by the traffic signal controller;
The information processing unit
5. The information providing device according to claim 3, wherein the end of said variable stairs is detected based on the result of monitoring by said light color monitoring unit. The information providing device is
3. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the information providing device is a traffic signal controller centrally controlled by a central device. The information providing device is
3. The information providing device according to claim 1, which is a central device for centrally controlling a traffic signal controller. a storage unit for storing the following signal control plan;
an information processing unit that generates signal information including the following first and second lamp colors and their remaining seconds based on the stored signal control plan;
An information providing method executed by an information providing device comprising a communication unit that transmits the generated signal information,
a step of applying the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first lamp color to the signal information while they are undetermined before the end of the variable tier of the signal control plan;
and determining the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first lamp color as the same value when the end of the variable staircase is detected.
Signal control plan: Multiple stairs including variable stairs and data including the duration of each stairs First light color: Signal light color of the vehicle lamp displayed at the initial time including variable stairs and fixed stairs after variable stairs Second light color: Signal light color of the vehicle light device displayed after the first light color a storage unit for storing the following signal control plan;
an information processing unit that generates signal information including the following first and second lamp colors and their remaining seconds based on the stored signal control plan;
A computer program that causes a computer to function as an information providing device comprising a communication unit that transmits the generated signal information,
a step of applying the maximum value and the minimum value of the remaining seconds of the first lamp color to the signal information while they are undetermined before the end of the variable tier of the signal control plan;
determining the maximum value and the minimum value of the number of remaining seconds of the first light color as the same value when the end of the variable staircase is detected.
Signal control plan: Multiple stairs including variable stairs and data including the duration of each stairs First light color: Signal light color of the vehicle lamp displayed at the initial time including variable stairs and fixed stairs after variable stairs Second light color: Signal light color of the vehicle light device displayed after the first light color

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