JP2023042688A - Information provision system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information provision system that provides information to an automatic driving vehicle so that the automatic driving vehicle can stop at an appropriate position.SOLUTION: An information provision system 100 includes: a communication unit 30 that communicates with an automatic driving vehicle VE to receive future location information; an information acquisition unit SEi that acquires object marker information for a detection area DD1, which is a predetermined range including a scheduled traveling route of the future location information; and a determination unit 52a that determines whether or not a prior blockage has occurred based on the object marker information and the future location information. The communication unit 30 transmits information on a virtual stop line to the automatic driving vehicle VE according to a determination result of the determination unit 52a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a traffic information providing system that provides traffic information from the infrastructure side to an autonomous vehicle.

For example, as a control device for an automatic driving vehicle, there is known a technique for detecting the surroundings using a sensor mounted on the automatic driving vehicle (see Patent Literatures 1 and 2).

However, in Patent Literatures 1 and 2, since it is based on the detection performed by the sensor mounted on the automatically driving vehicle, there is a limit to the detection only from the automatically driving vehicle side. For example, road shape, road construction, or parking vehicles become obstacles, and it is possible that the road ahead cannot be seen, and traffic jams and the like at the destination cannot be sufficiently detected.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-101268 JP 2019-219986 A

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information providing system that provides information to an automatically driving vehicle so that the automatically driving vehicle can stop at an appropriate position.

The information provision system for achieving the above purpose includes a communication unit that communicates with the autonomous vehicle to receive future position information, and an information acquisition unit that acquires target information for a predetermined range including the planned travel route of the future position information. and a judging unit that judges whether or not a dead end has occurred based on the target information and the future position information. send to.

In the above information provision system, based on the target information acquired by the infrastructure for a predetermined range including the planned travel route and the future position information from the self-driving vehicle, the judgment unit judges whether or not a dead end has occurred. By transmitting the virtual stop line to the autonomous driving vehicle, information on the virtual stop line can be provided to the autonomous driving vehicle so that it can stop at an appropriate position in response to the occurrence of a dead end such as traffic jam. , it becomes possible to avoid stranded vehicles.

In a specific aspect of the present invention, the predetermined range from which target information is acquired by the information acquisition unit includes a range that exceeds the detectable range of the automatically driving vehicle when the future position information is transmitted. In this case, for example, appropriate judgment can be made based on information that cannot be acquired only from detection by a sensor or the like mounted on an autonomous vehicle.

In another aspect of the present invention, the communication unit receives vehicle size information from the automatically driven vehicle, and the determination unit determines whether or not a leading-end jam has occurred based on the vehicle size information. In this case, based on the vehicle size, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the autonomous vehicle can proceed.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the predetermined range includes a range ahead of the intersection through which the automatic driving vehicle is scheduled to pass, and the determination unit determines that other vehicles are clogged in the predetermined range, the intersection The position in front of is the position of the imaginary stop line. In this case, the infrastructure detects in advance that other vehicles are stuck at the end of the intersection (that a jam has occurred), and by stopping the automated driving vehicle before the intersection, the automated driving vehicle can It is possible to prevent getting stuck in an intersection.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the predetermined range includes a range before the intersection through which the automatic driving vehicle is scheduled to pass, and the determination unit determines that other vehicles are clogged in the predetermined range. The position of the last vehicle on the planned travel route is set as the position of the virtual stop line. In this case, by providing information in advance from the infrastructure side about other vehicles being jammed (that the leading edge of the vehicle is jammed), the automated driving vehicle will be able to stop appropriately in response to this. Operation can be controlled.

In still another aspect of the present invention, the information acquisition unit includes a calculation unit that calculates the possible departure time based on the target information acquired by the information acquisition unit, , the possible departure time calculated by the calculating unit is transmitted. In this case, an accurate departure timing can be indicated to the automatically driven vehicle that is stopped at the virtual stop line.

In still another aspect of the present invention, a roadside sensor that outputs target information as a result of sensing a predetermined range to an information acquisition unit is provided, and the roadside sensor includes at least one of an imaging unit and a distance measuring unit. . In this case, by having the imaging unit or the distance measuring unit, it is possible to accurately acquire the traffic conditions in a predetermined range necessary for determining the presence or absence of the occurrence of a dead end, for example.

1 is a plan view conceptually showing an intersection and its surroundings at which an information providing system according to a first embodiment is provided; FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual side view for explaining a detection range of an automatically driving vehicle; 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information providing system; FIG. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the determination apparatus in an information provision system. (A) and (B) are data diagrams showing an example of an overview of communication content. (A) to (D) are conceptual diagrams for explaining future position information. (A) and (B) are flowcharts for explaining a series of operations in the information providing system. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an outline of an information providing system; FIG. It is a top view which shows notionally about the intersection which provided the information provision system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and the state of the periphery. FIG. 4 is a conceptual side view for explaining a detection range of an automatically driving vehicle; FIG. 11 is a conceptual plan view for explaining the operation of one modified example; FIG. 11 is a conceptual plan view for explaining the operation of another modified example; FIG. 11 is a conceptual plan view for explaining the operation of another modified example; FIG. 11 is a conceptual plan view for explaining the operation of still another modified example;

[First embodiment]
An example of the information providing system according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and the like. FIG. 1 is a plan view conceptually showing an intersection CS provided with an information providing system 100 according to the present embodiment and its surroundings, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual side view for explaining the range; Furthermore, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one configuration example of the information providing system 100, and FIG. 4 explains an example of the configuration and operation of the determination device JD (information providing device PV) that constitutes the information providing system 100. It is a block diagram for doing.

FIG. 1 shows an operation example when an automatically driven vehicle VE, which is a target of receiving information provided by the information providing system 100, is about to go straight through an intersection CS in the middle of a planned travel route. In the drawing, a bus BU that runs along a predetermined route is shown as an example of an autonomous vehicle VE. Alternatively, necessary information can be provided to various automatic driving vehicles VE having different vehicle lengths (vehicle sizes) such as trailers and towing vehicles. In one example here, as shown in the figure, the automatically driven vehicle VE (bus BU), which is the object of receiving information from the information providing system 100, is traveling straight in the Z direction indicated by the arrow A1, and continues straight ahead. Assume that the vehicle is about to pass through the intersection CS. In FIG. 1 and the like, X, Y, and Z are a right-handed orthogonal coordinate system, and the +Z direction indicates the traveling direction of the autonomous vehicle VE indicated by the arrow A1 as described above, and the X direction indicates the horizontal direction with respect to the traveling direction, and the Y direction indicates the vertical direction.

In addition, in the illustration of FIG. 1 and the like, the target area NS, which should not remain stopped in the intersection CS, is hatched with oblique lines. At the intersection CS through which the bus BU) is scheduled to pass, the range ahead of the target area NS is set as a predetermined range for detecting traffic conditions. Here, this range is defined as the detection area DD1. The target area NS is assumed to be, for example, a rectangular area surrounded by boundary edges where roads intersect in the intersection CS. On the other hand, the detection area DD1 shown in the drawing is a range extending in the +Z direction from the +Z side end of the target area NS. EGe, and the opposite side, that is, the edge on the +Z side that is farthest from the target region NS, is the edge EGs. Also, the length in the traveling direction (depth direction), that is, the length from the end EGe to the end EGs is defined as a length L1.

The information providing system 100 monitors traffic conditions in a detection area DD1, which is a predetermined range included in the scheduled travel route of the autonomous vehicle VE, and acquires target information, and also obtains target information from the autonomous vehicle VE at the intersection CS and its intersection. Acquires information (future position information to be described later) indicating the planned travel route when passing through the vicinity, and based on this information, detects the occurrence of a dead end in the detection area DD1, which is the range ahead of the intersection CS for the autonomous vehicle VE. The presence or absence is determined, and information on the determination result is transmitted to the automatically driven vehicle VE. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the automatically driven vehicle VE is unable to proceed within the intersection CS, that is, beyond the target area NS, and is stuck in the target area NS.

Here, the autonomous driving vehicle VE is capable of autonomous driving, is equipped with various sensors and the like for driving (see, for example, FIG. 3), and is capable of various detections of the surrounding environment by itself. , there is a limit to sensing in such an autonomous vehicle VE itself. For example, road shape, road construction, or parking vehicles become obstacles, and it is possible that the road ahead cannot be seen, and traffic jams and the like at the destination cannot be sufficiently detected. As a typical example, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , when the autonomous vehicle VE is heading to an intersection CS, the road on which the autonomous vehicle VE travels is an uphill slope CL, and a dot pattern is shown in the figure. , there may be places such as blind spots that cannot be detected no matter how wide the intersection CS and its surroundings are detected in the detection of the front in the traveling direction by the autonomous vehicle VE itself. In addition, of course, detection cannot be performed in front of the sensing range of the sensors mounted on the autonomous vehicle VE. Furthermore, although illustration etc. are omitted, for example, the same applies to the case where the road on which the automatically driven vehicle VE is traveling, the point beyond the intersection CS, that is, the detection area DD1, etc. is curved and cannot be seen. As described above, there are areas outside the capabilities of the sensors installed in the automated driving vehicle VE, areas where the sensors installed in the automated driving vehicle VE cannot detect due to poor visibility of the road alignment, and obstacles on the road such as parking on the road and construction. The detection area DD1 includes a range that exceeds the detectable range of the automatic driving vehicle, such as when an object cannot see ahead, and this range is monitored from the infrastructure side, i. Information that cannot be detected by the driving vehicle VE side alone can be provided. As a result, more appropriate judgments can be made in automatic driving by the automatic driving vehicle VE.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the information providing system 100 is mainly composed of the information providing device PV. More specifically, the information providing device PV is a roadside device installed in the vicinity of the intersection CS. Then, information (future position information) on the automatically driven vehicle VE is acquired from the automatically driven vehicle VE itself. Further, the information providing device PV obtains information about the traffic light SG provided at the intersection CS via the traffic signal controller SC that constitutes the traffic light TL as necessary, thereby enabling various It functions as a determination device JD that performs determination. It is assumed that the signal controller SC performs overall control of all of the signal lights SG provided at the intersection CS (four signal lights SG in the example of FIG. 1). As described above, the function of the information providing system 100 is established by the cooperation of each part centering on the information providing apparatus PV. In the illustrated example, the information providing device PV is provided in the vicinity of the traffic signal controller SC, and is connected by wire to the signal controller SC, so that it is possible to obtain necessary information (light color information, etc.) regarding the control of the traffic signal. It has become. Further, in the configuration as described above, the information providing system 100 can be regarded as having only the information providing apparatus PV.

In particular, in this embodiment, based on the various information acquired as described above, the information providing system 100 determines that, in the detection area DD1, as shown in FIG. Determine if it exists. That is, when the information providing system 100 determines that there is a sufficient empty space SPα for the automatically driven vehicle VE in the detection area DD1, the information providing system 100 provides information to the effect that the automatically driven vehicle VE can pass through the intersection CS. Output. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no sufficient empty space SPα and that the leading edge is jammed, the information providing system 100 instructs the autonomous vehicle VE to stop before the target area NS. Information on the stop line VL is transmitted to the automatically driven vehicle VE.

The virtual stop line VL indicates a predetermined position by an area or a line segment. In the drawing, the virtual stop line VL is indicated by a broken line. and is stored in the information providing device PV. The position data (position information) of the virtual stop line VL is provided from the roadside to the automatically driven vehicle VE as needed. As described above, in the information providing system 100, the virtual stop line VL as a unified reference for safely stopping when a stop (temporary stop) is required during the progress (running) of the autonomous vehicle VE. are provided.

Here, various modes can be adopted for the method of determining whether or not the information providing system 100 has caused a jam, which determines whether or not to draw the virtual stop line VL. A method of comparing the length Lm (in the depth direction) with the vehicle length Lv of the automatically driven vehicle VE is conceivable. More specifically, first, when detecting in the detection area DD1, the moving body MB, obstacles, etc. existing in the detection area DD1 are detected. Of these, as shown surrounded by a frame FR in the figure, the mobile body MB (general vehicle GM), which is the last vehicle existing on the closest side (-Z side) on the route of the autonomous vehicle VE, By extracting the end DTe, the distance from the end DTe to the end EGe of the target region NS can be calculated as the length Lm in the advancing direction (depth direction) in the empty space SPα. On the other hand, the vehicle length Lv of the automatically driven vehicle VE is included in the information transmitted from the automatically driven vehicle VE to the information providing device PV as a precondition for providing information through communication in the information providing system 100. can be done. In the above, for example, if Lm>Lv, there is a sufficient empty space SPα, no jamming has occurred, and information on the virtual stop line VL is not transmitted from the information providing system 100. If Lm≦Lv, For example, it is conceivable that the information providing system 100 transmits the information of the virtual stop line VL when the jam occurs. Furthermore, a buffer area may be defined for this, and a criterion for judging the presence or absence of occurrence of leading jam may be set.

Furthermore, when the information providing system 100 stops the automatically driven vehicle VE at the virtual stop line VL, after that, the information providing system 100 continues to monitor whether or not the jam that occurred in the detection area DD1 is resolved. By performing the determination, etc., information (departure possible time) related to the time to be resolved is generated, and the generated information is provided to the automatically driven vehicle VE. Regarding the possible departure time, for example, it is indicated by a fixed time (from what hour, minute, and second to what hour, minute, and second), or the length of time It is assumed that it will be indicated by "Can depart until later".

On the other hand, when the information on the virtual stop line VL is transmitted from the information providing system 100, the autonomous vehicle VE is stuck at the intersection CS. (Vacant space SPα) does not exist, and it is determined that the intersection CS (target area NS) should not be entered, and autonomous travel is performed so as to stop at the virtual stop line VL. Further, when the vehicle VE stops at the virtual stop line VL, the autonomous vehicle VE waits for the information on the possible departure time from the information providing system 100 and resumes driving.

When the determination is made as described above, the length L1 from the end EGe to the end EGs required for the detection area DD1 is equal to or greater than the vehicle length Lv of the autonomous vehicle VE. As described above, the self-driving vehicle VE that can be the target of information provision in the information provision system 100 is not limited to the bus BU, and various modes including ordinary passenger cars are conceivable. Therefore, the vehicle length Lv of the longest one (for example, a towing vehicle) among those that can be the automatic driving vehicle VE should be considered and set. Alternatively, the range of the detection area DD1 may be changed each time according to the vehicle length Lv of the automatically driven vehicle VE.

A configuration example for performing the above operations in the information providing system 100 will be described below with reference to block diagrams shown as FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. First, with reference to FIG. 3, the outline of the overall configuration will be described not only on the road side but also on the vehicle side (vehicle side). After that, with reference to FIG. 4, an example of details such as the operation of the information providing device PV will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the automated driving vehicle VE includes a driving operation unit DO composed of various units necessary for normal driving such as steering, accelerator, and brake, and an engine corresponding to these operations. Autonomous driving program AO that controls actions, surveillance sensor SE that consists of an imaging unit (camera) that detects the surrounding situation and a distance measuring unit such as LiDAR, GNSS acquisition that consists of a GPS receiver, etc. A medium RE, a communication unit TT for communicating with external devices such as the information providing device PV, a route data unit RO for accumulating information about a planned travel route, and a planned travel route of the route data unit RO. A map data unit MPv and the like for grasping the position are provided.

Note that the map data section MPv stores map data for at least the range that can be included as the planned travel route, and it is assumed that, for example, national road map data is incorporated. The self-driving vehicle VE travels along the map data accumulated in the map data section MPv for one planned travel route set in the route data section RO.

In the case of the automatic driving vehicle VE configured as described above, for example, the automatic driving program AO controls the operation of each part that constitutes the monitoring sensor SE in addition to various programs necessary for automatic driving, so that the vehicle Acquire information about the situation around the VE (for example, information about the position of the white line that determines the lane on the road and the position of the stop line), or GNSS (GPS, etc.) via the GNSS acquisition medium (GPS receiver, etc.) RE ) to obtain self-location information. As a result, it is possible to perform automatic driving based on the estimation result while accurately estimating the self-position.

In particular, the automatic driving program AO uses the GNSS acquisition medium RE, etc., as described above, to obtain information about the current status of the automatic driving vehicle VE itself on one planned travel route set from the route data section RO. It includes a future position information generation unit FG for generating future position information composed of information such as future route plan information based on the current position and position.

Further, in one example here, in the automatic driving vehicle VE, as the scheduled travel route, a route that travels through a predetermined location, such as a tour bus, is predetermined, and further, the travel schedule It is assumed that the vehicle passes through an intersection CS in the middle of the route by going straight. In other words, the autonomous vehicle VE is automatically driving along the map data section MPv for one planned traveling route in the route data section RO. The position information is transmitted in advance to the information providing device PV (determining device JD) installed near the intersection CS via the communication unit TT before reaching the intersection CS. As a result, the automatically driven vehicle VE also acquires information about the virtual stop line VL and possible departure time from the information providing device PV.

On the other hand, in the information providing system 100, the information providing device PV (determining device JD) includes a main control section 50, a communication section 30, and a map data section MPj in order to perform various operations for realizing the above mode. Furthermore, the main control unit 50 connects the determination unit JU configured with various circuit boards, a CPU, a storage device, etc., and the roadside sensor (sensor unit) 10 installed to monitor the detection area DD1. sensor interface (information acquisition unit) SEi. Furthermore, the information providing device PV (determining device JD) is also connected to the traffic light TL as described above. In addition, in the above description, the roadside sensor (sensor unit) 10 can also be considered as the information providing device PV (determining device JD).

Among the above, the map data section MPj stores data (terrain information) relating to detailed shapes and the like of the location where the information providing device PV (determination device JD) is installed and its surroundings. That is, in one example here, the terrain information about the intersection CS and its surroundings, the shape of the road leading to the intersection CS, and the like is included. In particular, in the present embodiment, it is conceivable that the terrain information includes various types of information regarding locations where congestion (traffic jam, etc.) is likely to occur.

As described above, in the above aspect, the automatic driving vehicle VE and the information providing device PV (determining device JD) communicate with each other when entering and passing through the intersection CS to obtain future position information, virtual stop line, Alternatively, it transmits and receives information about possible departure times.

Hereinafter, one configuration example and one operation example of the information providing device PV (determining device JD) including the roadside sensor (sensor section) 10 will be described in more detail with reference to the block diagram shown as FIG.

First, the roadside sensor 10 is a sensor unit composed of a camera unit 11 and a distance measuring unit 12, and detects a moving body MB, an obstacle, etc. existing in a detection area DD1 as a predetermined range to be monitored. do. It should be noted that the moving body MB may be a vehicle, a bicycle, a pedestrian, an obstacle, or the like. The camera section (infrastructure camera) 11 performs imaging and generates image data in order to monitor the detection area DD1, which is the range ahead of the intersection CS. In addition, for the ranging unit 12, for example, in addition to LiDAR, a millimeter wave sensor or radar can be used. enable. Although only one sensor unit 10 is shown in the drawing, a plurality of cameras or the like can be installed within the site in order to thoroughly monitor the intersection CS and its surroundings. Further, here, the detection area DD1 is shown as an example, but if the detection area DD1 is changed depending on the traveling direction of the automatic driving vehicle VE to which information is to be provided, the camera to be used can be changed accordingly. etc. can be selected as appropriate. Here, the detection result acquired by the sensor unit 10, and various information such as image data and distance measurement data related to the moving object MB existing in the detection area DD1 will be referred to as target object information. In other words, the target object information includes information about the presence of obstacles, etc., in addition to the operating conditions of various vehicles and pedestrians existing in the detection area DD1.

Of the main control unit 50, the sensor interface (information acquisition unit) SEi takes in information acquired by the roadside sensor (sensor unit) 10, that is, target object information, and outputs it to the determination unit JU. That is, the information acquisition unit SEi is for acquiring target object information about the detection area DD1 as a predetermined range.

The communication unit 30 is a wireless unit for performing wireless communication with the autonomous vehicle VE. Here, as described above, the autonomous driving vehicle VE, which is the communication partner, provides the information providing device PV, which is the determination device JD, with future position information indicating its own future position as data for making a determination. is to be sent. More specifically, first, in order to perform various controls for automatic driving, the automatic driving vehicle VE generates the current position of the automatic driving vehicle VE itself and Future position information including future route schedule information and the like based on the current position is generated. This future position information includes the current position of the autonomous vehicle VE (position at the current time), the future position created based on this (including predicted arrival time), as well as the speed at each of these times (scheduled time). and azimuth (azimuth angle). Therefore, the judgment device JD or the information providing device PV receives the future position information from the automatically driven vehicle VE, so that it can grasp, for example, the predicted arrival time of the automatically driven vehicle VE at the intersection CS, the time required to pass the intersection CS, and the like. .

Of the main control section 50, the judging unit JU has a leading end jam judging section (judging section) 52a and a calculating section 52b.

The clogging determination unit (determination unit) 52a receives the predicted arrival time of the automatically driven vehicle VE at the intersection CS received by the communication unit 30, information on the vehicle length (vehicle size) Lv, and the detection result by the sensor unit 10. target information, etc. are collected, and based on this, the clogging determination is performed. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, in the case of going straight through an intersection CS, the forward vehicle (general vehicle) GM, which is a moving object MB as target object information by image analysis processing, etc. The detection area can be detected by extracting the driving situation, obtaining data related to the road shape and the like in the detection area DD1 stored in the map data section MPj, and obtaining information on the switching timing of the signal lamp SG from the signal controller SC. It is possible to determine whether or not leading edge jamming has occurred in DD1. As a result of the determination, when it is determined that there is a risk of a jam, a signal recommending or commanding a stop (temporary stop) at the virtual stop line VL is automatically sent from the information providing device PV (determining device JD). It is transmitted to the driving vehicle VE. Specifically, when the communication unit 30 determines that another vehicle (front vehicle GM) is jammed in the detection area DD1 by the jam determination unit (determination unit) 52a, the position before the intersection CS is assumed to be The position of the stop line VL is set, and information (stop signal) indicating that the vehicle should stop at that position is transmitted to the automatically driven vehicle VE.

In the above description, the image analysis processing and the like for grasping the traffic situation in the detection area DD1 is, for example, a mode in which the processing is started when receiving notification of various information such as the first future position information from the autonomous vehicle VE. can be considered. In another aspect, these processes are performed in advance, and the notification from the automatic driving vehicle VE (especially the information on the vehicle length Lv) is referred to as a final result to determine whether or not the jam has occurred. may be output.

The calculation unit 52b calculates a possible departure time (a possible departure time) at which the automatically driven vehicle VE stopped at the virtual stop line VL can start from the virtual stop line VL. Regarding the calculation of the possible departure time, typically, whether the value of the length Lm in the traveling direction (depth direction) corresponding to the empty space SPα described with reference to FIG. 1 satisfies Lm>Lv. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the possible departure time is calculated in consideration of whether or not an area including a buffer area or the like is secured as necessary.

The communication unit 30 transmits the information on the possible departure time calculated in the calculation unit 52b as described above to the automatically driven vehicle VE.

FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B) are data diagrams showing an example of an overview of communication contents between the vehicle side and the road side in the above-described mode. FIG. 5B is information transmitted from the road side to the vehicle side. In the illustrated example, the roadside is identified by the ID (traffic light ID) of the traffic light SG installed at the intersection CS. On the vehicle side, it is assumed that a vehicle ID is used to identify the automatically driven vehicle VE.

First, as shown in FIG. 5A, in addition to various IDs and date and time of creation, the vehicle transmits position information (current position) and future position information of the autonomous vehicle VE to the roadside. In other words, the information providing device PV (determination device JD) installed on the roadside receives these pieces of information.

In particular, in the illustrated example, vehicle size (vehicle length) data is transmitted along with the vehicle ID (source ID). That is, the vehicle side transmits data for enabling the infrastructure side to grasp the numerical value of the vehicle length Lv (see FIG. 1) of the automatically driven vehicle VE. From a different point of view, the communication unit 30 of the information providing device PV (determining device JD) receives vehicle size information from the automatically driven vehicle VE, and further, the jam determination unit (determination unit) 52a determines the length of the vehicle ( Based on the information of the vehicle size) Lv, it is determined whether or not there is a leading-edge jam.

In addition, regarding the position information (current position) of the autonomous vehicle VE, in addition to the latitude and longitude indicating the point where the autonomous vehicle VE is present at the present time (at the time of transmission), the speed (travel speed) of the autonomous vehicle VE, Azimuth (azimuth) information is included. On the other hand, the future position information includes the same information as the position information (current position), and further information about the offset (distance) from the position information (current position). The future position information includes a plurality of (n) predicted values for each lapse of a certain period of time (for example, every t seconds; t=1) from the current time. In other words, the roadside equipment can grasp the scheduled route of the automatically driven vehicle VE until n seconds later, for example.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(B), from the side of the road, that is, the side of the information providing device PV (determining device JD), in addition to various IDs and creation date and time, information on the virtual stop line VL and transmission of the virtual stop line VL are transmitted. Information such as whether or not the vehicle has traveled (that is, whether or not it has been determined that a jam has occurred) and furthermore, information such as the time when it is possible to leave is transmitted to the vehicle side. In the illustrated example, information on the coordinates (latitude, longitude) of the start point and the end point indicating the positions of both ends of the virtual stop line VL is provided so as to indicate the position of the virtual stop line VL as a line (line segment). . Regarding the possible departure time, it is conceivable to provide the information of the time literally, but for example, when it becomes possible to start departure, it is possible to communicate that fact, that is, to send a departure possible signal to the autonomous vehicle VE. The aspect of doing so can also be regarded as provision of information corresponding to possible departure times. Here, information such as whether or not it is possible to calculate the available departure time, that is, whether or not the jammed state that has occurred may be displayed.

It should be noted that the provision of information to the automatically driven vehicle VE by the information providing device PV as described above can be understood to be strictly for driving support of the automatically driven vehicle VE. In other words, the information provided by the roadside is not necessarily mandatory for the automated driving vehicle VE, and the final decision on how to drive is left to the automated driving vehicle VE itself. may be

The future position information will be conceptually described below with reference to FIG. Of FIGS. 6A to 6D, first, FIG. 6A shows the initial future position information transmitted from the automatically driven vehicle VE to the information providing device PV. Points FP1 to FP4 shown along the Z direction indicate the future position of the autonomous vehicle VE, with the position where the autonomous vehicle VE is drawn as the current position. More specifically, the point FP1 indicates the position of the autonomous vehicle VE after t seconds (T=t) from the current position, with the time T at the current position (current time) being 0 (T=0). Similarly, a point FP2 indicates the position of the automatically driven vehicle VE 2t seconds (T=2t) from the current time, and a point FP3 indicates the position of the automatically driven vehicle VE 3t seconds (T=3t) from the current time. , point FP4 indicates the position of the automatically driven vehicle VE 4t seconds (T=4t) from the current time.

Next, FIG. 6(B) shows the second future position information transmitted from the automatically driven vehicle VE to the information providing device PV after t seconds from the state of FIG. 6(A). In this case, since t seconds have passed since the state of FIG. 6A, the automatically driven vehicle VE has advanced to a position corresponding to point FP1 in FIG. 6A. Then, the autonomous vehicle VE transmits new future position information of itself, that is, information of the new points FP1 to FP4, to the information providing device PV. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6C, after t seconds, the third future position information (information on points FP1 to FP4) is transmitted.

On the other hand, when the information of the virtual stop line VL is transmitted from the information providing device PV while the automatically driven vehicle VE is continuing to travel, the automatically driven vehicle VE decelerates at the position of the corresponding virtual stop line VL. In order to stop while driving, change the driving state in automatic driving. In this case, as an example is shown in FIG. 6D, the future position information will also be changed.

In the above case, the distance between each point in the points FP1 to FP4 indicates the physical moving distance and also indicates how the speed changes. A line (trajectory) connecting each point indicates the route and direction (azimuth angle) of the automatically driven vehicle VE.

In the drawing, only the case of the point FP4 is shown, and the information beyond the point FP4 is omitted.

Regarding the above, from the standpoint of the information providing device PV on the infrastructure side, as shown in FIGS. New future position information is transmitted from the autonomous vehicle VE every time (for example, every t=1 second), and the future position information is updated accordingly. On the other hand, as an example is shown in FIG. 6(D), when the information of the virtual stop line VL is added by the notification from the infrastructure side, the future position information that takes this into account is generated by the autonomous vehicle VE side, It will be transmitted to the infrastructure side, and in this case, future position information based on the virtual stop line VL will be sequentially updated in subsequent updates.

An example of a series of operations in the information providing system 100 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 7A is a flowchart showing a series of operations on the road side, that is, the information providing device PV (determination device JD), and FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing a series of operations on the vehicle side, that is, the automatic driving vehicle VE. It is a flow chart showing.

First, with reference to FIG. 7A, a series of operations in the information providing device PV (determining device JD), which is a roadside device, will be described. In actual operation, as a major premise for the automatic driving vehicle VE to be able to pass through the intersection CS, at the timing when the automatic driving vehicle VE passes through the intersection CS, the signal of the road on which the automatic driving vehicle VE is traveling is green. However, this is also taken into consideration based on the information transmitted from the traffic light TL side to the information providing device PV, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The information providing device PV confirms the presence of a vehicle for which information is to be provided, that is, performs vehicle detection (step S101). More specifically, in step S101, the main control unit 50 of the information providing device PV receives various information such as initial future location information that serves as a trigger for starting communication from the automatically driving vehicle VE to be the target of information provision. The operation of confirming whether information has been received (acquired) is continued until confirmation is made (step S101: Yes).

In step S101, when the acquisition of the first future position information is confirmed (step S101: Yes), the main control unit 50 of the information providing device PV also acquires the vehicle size (vehicle length) data of the self-driving vehicle VE. (step S102).

Next, the main control unit 50, as the information acquisition unit SEi, acquires target object information about a detection area (for example, detection area DD1) corresponding to the destination included in the future position information from the sensor unit (roadside sensor) 10. (Step S103). At this time, if necessary, terrain information corresponding to the detection area (detection area DD1) may be obtained from the map data section MPj.

Next, the main control section 50, as the judging unit JU (jagging judging section 52a), judges whether or not jamming has occurred based on the various information acquired as described above (step S104).

In step S104, when it is determined that there is a leading edge jam (step S104: Yes), the main control unit 50, as a leading edge determining unit (determining unit) 52a, directs the autonomous vehicle VE to the virtual stop line VL. Position information is provided (step S105).

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S104 that there is no leading edge jam (step S104: No), the leading edge jam determination unit (determination unit) 52a does not provide the position information of the virtual stop line VL. , information to the effect that it is possible to proceed with respect to the intersection CS is provided to the autonomous vehicle VE (step S106). After that, the main control unit 50 confirms whether or not new future position information has been transmitted from the autonomous vehicle VE, that is, whether or not it has been acquired (step S107), and if acquired (step S107: Yes), the future position information is updated (step S108), and it is confirmed whether or not the automatically driven vehicle VE has passed the position of the virtual stop line VL and entered the area within the intersection CS (step S109).

In step S109, when it is determined that the automatically driven vehicle VE has passed the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S109: Yes), it is assumed that there is no more information that can be provided from the information providing device PV, and the process ends.

If it is determined in step S109 that the automatically driven vehicle VE has not passed the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S109: No), or if new future position information has not been acquired in step S107 ( Step S107: No), the main controller 50 repeats the operation from step S103. That is, in addition to the current future position information, the target information is acquired again (step S103), and a series of processes such as determining whether or not there is a leading edge jam (step S104) are repeated.

On the other hand, in step S105, when the position information of the virtual stop line VL is provided to the automatically driven vehicle VE, that is, the clogging determination unit (determining unit) 52a determines that the clogging has occurred (step S104: Yes), When the process for stopping the automatically driven vehicle VE at the virtual stop line VL is performed, the main control unit 50 monitors whether or not the leading jam has been resolved as the determination unit JU (step S110). That is, at the intersection CS, it is confirmed whether or not the automatically driven vehicle VE is ready to proceed, and this is continued until the state is resolved.

In step S110, when it is confirmed that the jamming has been eliminated (step S110: Yes), the main control unit 50 confirms whether or not the automatically driven vehicle VE has reached the position of the virtual stop line VL ( Step S111), if it has arrived (step S111: Yes), the calculation result of the possible departure time in the calculation unit 52b or the corresponding departure possible signal is transmitted to the automatically driven vehicle VE. That is, the main control unit 50 provides the possible departure time to the automatically driven vehicle VE (step S112), and ends the series of processes.

In step S111, if the automatically driven vehicle VE has not reached the position of the virtual stop line VL, it means that the jam has been resolved before the automatically driven vehicle VE reaches the position of the virtual stop line VL. Therefore, in this case, the main control unit 50 transmits to the automatically driven vehicle VE information indicating that the position information of the virtual stop line VL transmitted in step S105 has been resolved, and then repeats the operations from step S103. It will be.

Next, with reference to FIG. 7B, a series of operations in the automatically driven vehicle VE when receiving information from the information providing device PV will be described. Note that the automatically driven vehicle VE continuously transmits its own future location information to the information providing device PV while receiving information from the information providing device PV.

First, the automatically driven vehicle VE transmits the first future position information to the information providing device PV (step S201). That is, the future position information corresponding to the contents illustrated with reference to FIG. 6A is transmitted. At this time, an ID for identifying itself is also transmitted, and further transmitted together with the vehicle size (vehicle length) data.

Next, the automatically driven vehicle VE checks whether information on the virtual stop line VL has been acquired (step S202). That is, with the transmission in step S201 as a trigger, the determination processing (steps S102 to S106 in FIG. 7A) regarding the presence or absence of a jam is performed in the information providing apparatus PV, and the virtual stop line information indicates that progress is possible. is transmitted (steps S105 and S106).

In step S202, when the information of the virtual stop line VL is acquired (step S202: Yes), the automatically driven vehicle VE accordingly changes the driving content as illustrated with reference to FIG. change (step S203). That is, the driving mode is changed to stop at the virtual stop line VL, and as a result, the future position information is changed. In this case, the changed future position information is transmitted to the information providing device PV.

The automatically driven vehicle VE stops at the position of the virtual stop line VL as a result of traveling with the change in step S203 (step S204).

In this case, after stopping at the position of the virtual stop line VL, the automatically driven vehicle VE waits for provision of a possible departure time from the information providing device PV (step S205), and continues this. In other words, the information providing apparatus PV stops at the position of the virtual stop line VL and waits until the result of the checking process (steps S110 to S112 in FIG. 7A) for clearing the leading edge jam is obtained.

In step S205, when the possible departure time is received from the information providing device PV (step S205: Yes), the vehicle resumes driving from the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S206), passes through the intersection CS, and provides information. The operation process for receiving information provided from the device PV ends.

On the other hand, if information about the virtual stop line VL is not acquired in step S202 (step S202: No), the automatically driven vehicle VE acquires information indicating that it can proceed from the information providing device PV (step S207). ), the automatically driven vehicle VE continues traveling without changing the traveling mode (step S208).

In this case, the self-driving vehicle VE checks whether it has passed through the intersection CS as a result of continuing traveling, for example, by detecting its own position (step S209).

If it is determined in step S209 that the vehicle has passed through the intersection CS (step S209: Yes), the automatically driven vehicle VE ends the operation process for receiving information provided by the information providing device PV.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S209 that the intersection CS has not yet been passed (step S209: No), the process returns to the operation from step S202, that is, confirming whether or not information on the virtual stop line VL has been acquired. During this period, as illustrated with reference to FIGS. 6B to 6D, new future position information is transmitted from the autonomous vehicle VE to the information providing device PV at predetermined intervals. be done.

Although not shown in the drawings, for example, in the process from step S203 to step S204, if the leading jam is eliminated (step S110 in FIG. 7A: Yes), virtual stop Information indicating that the position information of the line VL has been canceled is transmitted from the information providing device PV to the automatically driven vehicle VE. In this case, the information on the virtual stop line VL that had been acquired before is canceled, and the autonomous vehicle VE performs the operation from step S202 again, that is, confirms whether or not the information on the virtual stop line VL has been acquired. Back to action.

It should be noted that the mode of operation described above is merely an example, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above aspect, the transmission of the future location information from the automated driving vehicle VE is used as a trigger to perform various determination processes regarding the presence or absence of the occurrence of a stagnation in the information providing device PV. As described above, for example, the analysis of traffic conditions in the detection area DD1 (the process in step S103) is always performed. The data of the vehicle length Lv may be acquired from the vehicle length Lv, and the length Lm and the vehicle length Lv may be compared with each other to quickly produce a determination result.

Further, in the above description, when the virtual stop line information is not transmitted, the information indicating that the vehicle can proceed is transmitted. Nothing in particular is transmitted to , and it may be determined that the vehicle can continue running by not transmitting anything. It should be noted that, at this time, by performing confirmation processing regarding delivery of the future position information transmitted at predetermined intervals, it may be handled as an alternative to the signal indicating that it is possible to proceed.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an outline of the configuration and operation of the information providing system 100 described above. As shown in the figure and as described above, in the above-described information providing system 100, target information about the detection area DD1 is acquired by the information acquiring unit SEi, and automatic driving including the detection area DD1 in the planned travel route is performed. By communicating with the vehicle VE, the behavior of the automated driving vehicle VE (scheduled progress, future position information) and vehicle size are grasped. As a result, the information providing system 100 determines whether or not the automatically driven vehicle VE can pass through the target area NS of the intersection CS, which is an area in front of the detection area DD1, in the determination unit 52a. When it is determined that it is possible, the position before the intersection CS is set as the position of the virtual stop line VL, and the automatic driving vehicle VE is urged to stop at this position. As a result, it is possible to prevent the automatically driven vehicle VE from getting stuck in the target area NS of the intersection CS. In particular, in the case of the present embodiment, it is possible to make a more accurate judgment based on detection from the infrastructure side in areas where it is difficult or impossible to respond only by sensing by the self-driving vehicle VE itself. Further, in the present embodiment, by adopting the above aspect, it becomes possible to maintain a smoother traffic condition at the intersection CS and its surroundings.

As described above, the information providing system 100 according to the present embodiment includes the communication unit 30 that communicates with the autonomous vehicle VE to receive future position information, and the detection area DD1 that is a predetermined range including the planned travel route of the future position information. and a determination unit 52a that determines whether or not a jam has occurred based on the target information and the future position information. According to the result, the information of the virtual stop line VL is transmitted to the automatically driven vehicle VE. In the information providing system 100, the determination unit 52a determines whether or not a dead end has occurred, based on the target object information acquired by the infrastructure for the detection area DD1 including the planned travel route and the future position information from the autonomous vehicle VE. By transmitting the virtual stop line VL to the autonomous driving vehicle VE according to the result, the autonomous driving vehicle VE can The information of the virtual stop line VL can be provided, and the automatic driving vehicle VE can be prevented from getting stuck.

[Second embodiment]
An example of the information providing system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view conceptually showing an intersection CS provided with the information providing system 100 according to the present embodiment and its surroundings, and corresponds to FIG. 1 and the like. FIG. 10 is a conceptual side view for explaining the detection range of the automatically driven vehicle VE about to pass through the intersection CS, and corresponds to FIG. The information providing system 100 according to the present embodiment includes the range before the intersection CS through which the autonomous vehicle VE is scheduled to pass as the predetermined range for detecting the mobile object MB, etc., in the first embodiment. is different from the case of Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 9, for the automatic driving vehicle VE, the front side (-Z side) of the target area NS of the intersection CS is the detection area DD2 as a predetermined range, and in the detection area DD2 Due to the presence of the stopped vehicle GM (moving body MB), there is a dead end in the range before the intersection CS. Information can be provided to the automatically driven vehicle VE by monitoring this with the information providing device PV (determining device JD), which is a roadside device. Except for the differences described above, it is the same as the case of the first embodiment, so the description of the overall configuration of the information providing system 100 and the like will be omitted, and other drawings will be used as necessary.

In the case of the example shown in FIG. 9, if the automatically driven vehicle VE (bus BU) goes straight without changing lanes, the vehicle GM (moving body MB) stopping before the intersection CS is surrounded by the frame FR. The vehicle stops behind the terminal DTe of the forward vehicle MBx indicated by . In this case, the information providing system 100 accordingly sets a virtual stop line VL behind the terminal DTe, and provides information on the virtual stop line VL to the autonomous vehicle VE so that the autonomous vehicle The VE performs speed adjustment and the like in automatic driving, and can safely stop at an appropriate position without contacting the preceding vehicle MBx. That is, in the present embodiment, when the determination unit 52a (see FIG. 4 and the like) that constitutes the determination unit JU determines that another vehicle is clogged in the detection area DD2, the automatic driving vehicle VE is on the scheduled travel route. is treated as the position of the virtual stop line VL.

Here, as described above, the sensing capability of the self-driving vehicle VE has a limit. In the case of going, the road on which the self-driving vehicle VE travels is an uphill CL, and there may be places such as blind spots shown in the area DE. In such a case, when the automated driving vehicle VE is traveling on the uphill slope CL, as described above, information on the state of the jam and the virtual stop line VL based thereon can be obtained, thereby enabling appropriate driving. can be determined, and by extension, it is possible to maintain smoother traffic conditions.

In addition to the above example, road shapes such as curves, road construction, and parked vehicles that become obstacles make it impossible to see ahead, and traffic jams at the destination may not be detected sufficiently. etc. are also the same as in the case of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment as well, by transmitting the virtual stop line VL to the automatically driven vehicle VE, it is possible to provide the automatically driven vehicle VE with information on the virtual stop line VL so that the automatically driven vehicle VE can stop at an appropriate position.

〔others〕
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the scope of the invention.

First, as a modification of the second embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 11 corresponding to FIG. 9, the road is composed of multiple lanes (two lanes on one side), If the automated driving vehicle VE changes lanes, it is possible to avoid jamming (stop behind the preceding vehicle MBx), the information providing device PV (determining device JD) detects such a situation in the detection area DD2, and It is also possible to adopt a mode in which the automatic driving vehicle VE is notified to that effect.

In addition, the aspect of providing alternatives from the infrastructure side as described above can also be considered in the case of the first embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 12 corresponding to FIG. 1 or FIG. 11, if the vehicle goes straight, there is not enough empty space SPα, but as shown by arrow BB1, the autonomous vehicle VE changes lanes in advance before the intersection CS. Then, if it is possible to avoid passing through the part of the detection area DD1 ahead of the intersection CS where the jam occurs, the information providing device PV (determining device JD) notifies the automated driving vehicle VE to that effect. It is good also as a mode which notifies. As described above, it is also possible to adopt a mode in which, so to speak, the infrastructure side provides information on options to the autonomous vehicle VE.

In addition, among the vehicles causing the jam in the detection area DD1 and the detection area DD2, there are some that are capable of communicating with the information providing device PV (determining device JD) like the automatic driving vehicle VE. In this case, based on the information (future position information) from these, that is, by using the expected behavior of the vehicle existing in the detection area DD1 or the detection area DD2, the determination unit JU predicts the occurrence and resolution of the jam. may be performed. Furthermore, it is also possible to obtain or accumulate data on the characteristics of the occurrence of traffic jams in the detection area DD1 and the detection area DD2, and to predict the occurrence and resolution of the jam in consideration of this information. is.

Also, various modes are conceivable for the method of monitoring. In one example of FIG. 13 shown as a modified example of FIG. 1, etc., the automatically driven vehicle VE is a normal vehicle, that is, has a normal size, while the vehicle MBα traveling immediately ahead of the automatically driven vehicle VE is, for example, a bus. It is a large vehicle such as BU, and it is difficult for the autonomous vehicle VE to grasp the situation ahead. In this case, the vehicle MBα (bus BU) is monitored (behavior prediction) by the information providing device PV (determining device JD), and if the vehicle MBα is an automatically driven vehicle capable of communicating with the information providing device PV, communication is performed. It is also possible to predict that the vehicle MBα will enter the detection area DD1 by acquiring position information in the future, and draw a virtual stop line VL for the automatically driven vehicle VE that follows the vehicle MBα. . That is, in such a situation, considering only the vehicle size (vehicle length) of the self-driving vehicle (ordinary vehicle) VE, it can be said that there is a sufficient empty space SPα, but the vehicle size of the vehicle MBα (bus BU) , the information providing device PV (determining device JD) may determine whether or not to transmit the virtual stop line VL based on such a situation. .

Furthermore, if the vehicles (moving bodies) MBβ and MBγ are present on a road (a road in the other direction) that intersects the road on which the autonomous vehicle VE is traveling straight at the intersection CS, their behavior may be taken into consideration. For example, as shown in the figure, when the road on which the autonomous vehicle VE is traveling straight ahead at the intersection CS is a red light and the intersecting road is a green light, the vehicles MBβ and MBγ turn left or right at the intersection CS to create an empty space SPα. may be filled. The information providing device PV (determining device JD) may determine whether or not to transmit the virtual stop line VL based on such a situation. Also in this case, similarly to the above, the information providing device PV (determination device JD) monitors (behavior prediction) of the vehicles MBβ and MBγ, or the vehicles MBβ and MBγ can communicate with the information providing device PV. In the case of autonomous vehicles VEx and VEy, it is conceivable that necessary measures can be taken by acquiring position information in the future through communication.

In the above description, the target area NS of the intersection CS, which should not remain stopped, is a rectangular area surrounded by the edge of the boundary where the roads intersect. Considering stop-prohibited areas and the like, as shown in FIG. 14 as a diagram corresponding to FIG. may include a range up to a predetermined distance (for example, 5 m).

Further, each aspect illustrated in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, etc. may be appropriately combined within a consistent range. That is, the information providing device PV (determining device JD) may monitor both the detection area DD1 and the detection area DD2. Furthermore, the information providing device PV (determining device JD) is determined to travel when the road on which the autonomous vehicle VE is going straight crosses (the road in the other direction), that is, when the autonomous vehicle VE turns right or left at the intersection CS. By monitoring the other roads, even if the autonomous vehicle VE wants to turn right or left at the intersection CS, the situation ahead can be grasped in advance, and a virtual stop line VL can be sent to the autonomous vehicle VE as necessary. It is also possible to set it as the aspect which carries out.

Also, in the above description, the location where the information providing system 100 is introduced is the intersection CS and its vicinity, but the information providing system 100 can be introduced at various locations without being limited to this. For example, the information providing system 100 is provided in locations other than intersections such as in front of a fire station and a railroad crossing where parking and stopping are prohibited, and by providing information using the information providing system 100, It is possible to prevent the automatic driving vehicle VE from getting stuck in a place where stopping is prohibited.

Also, the shape and the like of the intersection CS is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various shapes and structures.

In addition, various aspects other than those described above are conceivable as components of the information providing system 100. For example, when a sensor unit for monitoring is provided in the signal lamp SG, the sensor unit 10 It is good also as a mode to use as.

In the above description, the information providing device PV (determining device JD) and the like constituting the information providing system 100 are installed near the site, that is, near the intersection CS. It is conceivable that a management center (management server) or the like may be provided in a remote location, or various processing and data storage may be performed on the cloud. For example, the position data (position information) of the virtual stop line VL to be stored in the information providing device PV can be stored in a management center (management server) in a remote location or on the cloud.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Roadside sensor (sensor part), 11... Camera part, 12... Ranging part, 30... Communication part, 50... Main control part, 52a... Jam determination part (determination part), 52b... Calculation part, 100... Information Provided system, A1, AA1, BB1... arrow, AO... automatic driving program, BU... bus, MBα... vehicle, CL... ascending slope, CS... intersection, DD1, DD2... detection area, DE... area, DO... driving operation unit , DTe... end, EGe, EGs... end, FG... future position information generator, FP1 to FP4... point, FR... frame, GM... vehicle, JD... determination device, JU... determination unit, Lv... vehicle length (vehicle size), MB... mobile, MBx, MBα, MBβ, MBγ... vehicle, MPj... map data part, MPv... map data part, NS... target area, PV... information providing device, RE... GNSS acquisition medium (GPS reception machine), RO... route data part, SC... signal controller, SE... monitoring sensor, SEi... sensor interface (information acquisition part), SG... signal lamp, SPα... empty space, TL... traffic light, TT... communication part, VE: Autonomous vehicle, VEx, VEy: Autonomous vehicle, VL: Virtual stop line

Claims (7)

a communication unit that communicates with the automated driving vehicle and receives future location information;
an information acquisition unit that acquires target information about a predetermined range including the planned travel route of the future position information;
a determination unit that determines whether or not a leading-edge jam has occurred based on the target information and the future position information;
The information providing system, wherein the communication unit transmits information on the virtual stop line to the automatic driving vehicle according to the determination result of the determination unit. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined range for acquiring said target object information in said information acquisition unit includes a range exceeding a detectable range of said automatically driving vehicle when said future position information is transmitted. The communication unit receives vehicle size information from the automated driving vehicle,
3. The information providing system according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said determination unit determines whether or not a jam has occurred based on said vehicle size information. The predetermined range includes the range ahead of the intersection through which the automatic driving vehicle is scheduled to pass,
4. The determining unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when determining that another vehicle is jammed in the predetermined range, the determination unit sets a position before the intersection as the position of the virtual stop line. Information provision system. The predetermined range includes a range before the intersection through which the automatic driving vehicle is scheduled to pass,
Claims 1 to 4, wherein, when it is determined that another vehicle is jammed in the predetermined range, the determination unit sets the position of the last vehicle existing on the planned travel route to the position of the virtual stop line. Information provision system according to any one of the. a calculation unit that calculates a possible departure time based on the target information acquired by the information acquisition unit;
The communication unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the communication unit transmits the possible departure time calculated by the calculation unit to the automatically driven vehicle stopped at the virtual stop line. information system. A roadside sensor that outputs the target information as a result of sensing the predetermined range to the information acquisition unit;
The information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the roadside sensor includes at least one of an imaging unit and a distance measuring unit.

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