JP5392009B2 - Traffic signal control device and computer program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a traffic signal control device that performs micro control for individually switching the signal light color of a traffic signal at an intersection of a specific point, and a computer program for causing the device to execute the control.

Signal control methods for traffic signals can be broadly classified from the viewpoint of setting method of signal control parameters (split, cycle length, offset, etc.), and fixed-cycle control that sets signal control parameters according to time zones, and according to traffic conditions There are two types of traffic sensitive control that set signal control parameters.
Among these, the latter traffic sensitive control is classified into terminal sensitive control performed for each traffic signal controller of the terminal and central sensitive control that changes signal control parameters for a plurality of intersections that are route system controlled or surface controlled. The

On the other hand, as one of the terminal sensitive control for the purpose of speed control for a runaway vehicle, when a runaway vehicle at a certain speed or more is detected by a vehicle detector, the blue time is shortened or the red time at the traffic signal downstream. There is a high-speed sensitive control that stops the runaway vehicle with a red signal (see pages 74 to 76 of Non-Patent Document 1).
According to this high-speed sensitive control, when a runaway vehicle is detected, the possibility of stopping the runaway vehicle with a red signal at an intersection on the downstream side thereof is increased, and the running speed of the runaway vehicle can be suppressed.

"Revised Traffic Signal Guide" Editorial and publication Traffic Engineering Research Group (16-18, 74-76)

However, since the high-speed response control is executed only at the intersection immediately downstream of the runaway vehicle occurrence point, if the runaway vehicle passes through this intersection, the speed of the runaway vehicle is suppressed by a traffic signal thereafter. There is no way to do it.
In view of such a situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a traffic signal control device and the like that can more reliably suppress the speed of a runaway vehicle.

  (1) The traffic signal control device of the present invention is a traffic signal control device comprising control means for executing micro control for individually switching the signal light color of the traffic signal for an intersection at a specific point, the control means The first determination for determining whether or not the target vehicle to be prevented from traveling can pass through the intersection at the timing when the target vehicle arrives at the downstream intersection, and the intersection when the first determination is affirmative A second determination is made to determine whether or not the blue hours on the road into which the target vehicle flows can be shortened, and the determination result of the second determination at the intersection is negative, the target vehicle is The first determination and the second determination are performed on the next intersection downstream of the intersection when the traveling direction is used as a reference.

  According to the traffic signal control device of the present invention, even when the determination result of the second determination at the intersection is negative, the control means is on the downstream side of the intersection when the target vehicle travels as a reference. Since the first determination and the second determination are performed for the next intersection, the runaway vehicle is compared with the conventional high-speed sensitive control in which the blue time is shortened only at the intersection immediately downstream of the occurrence point of the runaway vehicle. The speed can be more reliably suppressed.

(2) In the traffic signal control device of the present invention, the second determination in the case of the blue time shortening method is specifically the maximum blue shortening in which the time from the current time to the red start time for the intersection is set in advance. When the time is less than or equal to the time, it is determined that the blue time at the intersection can be shortened.
In this case, by setting the shortened number of seconds of the blue time in the direction in which the target vehicle travels at the intersection to a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin time to the time from the current time to the red start time, the target vehicle is You can stop at the intersection. The margin time is set to encounter red display before the intersection so that the vehicle can stop in front of the stop line with a margin.

(3) In the traffic signal control apparatus of the present invention, the second determination in the case where the first determination is affirmative is not whether “blue time can be shortened” on the road where the target vehicle flows at the intersection. Further, it may be determined whether or not “red time can be extended” on the road where the target vehicle flows at the intersection.
Even in this case, if the first determination and the second determination are performed on the next intersection downstream of the intersection when the target vehicle travels as a reference, the intersection immediately downstream of the occurrence point of the runaway vehicle Thus, the speed of the runaway vehicle can be suppressed more reliably than in the case of the conventional high-speed sensitive control in which only the blue time is reduced.

(4) In the traffic signal control apparatus of the present invention, the second determination in the case of the red time extension method is specifically a time obtained by adding a preset maximum red extension time to the blue start time for the intersection. However, when the target vehicle is later than the predicted time when it reaches the intersection, it is determined that the red time can be extended at the intersection.
In this case, the target vehicle can be stopped at the intersection by the red extension by setting the extension time of the red time in the direction in which the target vehicle travels at the intersection to the value of the maximum red extension time set in advance. it can.

  (5) (6) The computer program of the present invention is a computer program for causing a computer to perform micro control by the traffic signal control device of the present invention, and has the same effects as the traffic signal control device of the present invention. .

  As described above, according to the present invention, even if the determination result of the second determination at the intersection is negative, the first determination and the second determination are executed for the next intersection downstream of the intersection. The speed can be more reliably suppressed.

It is a whole lineblock diagram showing an outline of a traffic signal control system. It is a road top view for showing the composition of a traffic signal. It is a functional block diagram which shows the internal structure of a central apparatus. It is a functional block diagram which shows the internal structure of a traffic signal controller. It is an image figure of the suppression control of the 1st step. It is an image figure of the suppression control of a 2nd step. It is an image figure of the suppression control between 3rd steps. It is a road map which shows the setting state of a control area. It is a road linear diagram which shows the relationship between a control area and a target intersection. The split control with respect to an important intersection is shown, (a) is a road linear diagram of an important intersection, (b) is a table | surface which shows the content of split control. The split control with respect to a general intersection is shown, (a) is a schematic block diagram of a general intersection, (b) is a table | surface which shows the content of split control. It is a time distance graph which shows an example of the running locus in the case of normal offset. It is a time distance graph which shows an example of the running locus in the case of reverse priority offset. It is a road linear diagram which shows the contents of cycle length control. It is a table | surface which shows the content of all-red control. It is a table | surface which shows the characteristic of each control classification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[Overall system configuration]
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a traffic signal control system employing the present invention. FIG. 2 is a road plan view showing the configuration of the traffic signal 1 of the system.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the traffic signal control system of the present embodiment includes a traffic signal 1, a roadside sensor 3 including a vehicle detector, a central device 4, a vehicle 5, a vehicle information and communication system (VICS). “VICS” includes a registered trademark) center 9 and the like.

1 and 2, among various signals or information indicated by reference numerals S <b> 1 to S <b> 3, S <b> 1 is a signal control command for controlling the switching timing of the signal light color of the traffic light 1 generated by the central device 4. .
S2 is VICS information generated by the VICS center 9. This VICS information S2 includes traffic jam information, link travel time, accident / malfunction vehicle / construction information, speed regulation / lane regulation information, parking location, parking / service / parking area full / empty information, etc. It is.

Further, S3 is roadside measurement information (for example, the number of passing vehicles 5) measured by the roadside sensor 3.
In the following, among the vehicles 5 traveling on the road, reference numeral 5A denotes a runaway vehicle that travels exceeding the legal speed, a runaway vehicle on which the criminal boardes, and a stolen vehicle. The reference vehicle 5B represents a police vehicle (see FIGS. 5 to 7).

In the traffic signal control system shown in FIG. 1, each traffic signal 1 is installed at each of a plurality of intersections Ji (i = 1 to 12) and connected to a router 7 via a communication line 6 such as a telephone line. .
The router 7 is connected to a central device 4 in the traffic control center, and the central device 4 constitutes a LAN (Local Area Network) with the traffic signal controller 1a of each intersection Ji included in the jurisdiction area of the own device. .

Therefore, the central device 4 can perform bidirectional communication with each traffic signal controller 1 a, and each traffic signal 1 can also perform bidirectional communication with other traffic signals 1. The central device 4 may be installed on the road instead of the traffic control center.
Further, in FIG. 1, for simplification of illustration, only one signal lamp 1b is depicted at each intersection Ji. However, as shown in FIG. There are four signal lamps 1b for up and down.

The roadside sensor 3 is, for example, a vehicle detector that ultrasonically senses the vehicle 5 that passes underneath, a loop coil that senses the vehicle 5 by inductance change, or an image of a camera to perform traffic processing and vehicle speed. It consists of an image sensor or the like to be measured, and is installed on some roads in the jurisdiction area for the purpose of measuring the number of vehicles flowing into the intersection Ji and the vehicle speed.
The roadside sensor 3 is installed on the upstream side of the corresponding intersection Ji, and is connected to the traffic signal controller 1a via the communication line 8. The roadside measurement information S4 detected by the roadside sensor 3 is relayed by the traffic signal controller 1a and transmitted to the central device 4 via the communication line 6.

[Central equipment]
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of the central device 4.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the central device 4 includes a control unit 401, a display unit 402, a communication unit 403, a storage unit 404, and an operation unit 405.
The control unit 401 of the central device 4 includes a workstation (WS), a personal computer (PC), and the like, and collects, processes (calculates) and records various measurement information from the traffic signal controller 1a, the roadside sensor 3, and the like. Performs overall signal control and information provision. The control unit 401 is connected to the hardware units via an internal bus, and also controls the operations of these units.

The control unit 401 of this embodiment includes a macro control unit 401A, a micro control unit 401B, and an area setting unit 401C.
In the present specification, “macro control” refers to the traffic signal 1 for each traffic signal 1 based on the accumulated traffic volume for a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute, 2.5 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) of the entire area. This is a control method for determining the optimum signal control parameter.
“Micro control” refers to a control method for detecting a change in traffic conditions based on vehicle sensing information and switching the signal light color of the downstream traffic light 1 in response to this in real time. For this reason, the control period of micro control is 1 second or less.

The macro control unit 401A performs system control for adjusting the traffic signal group 1 on the same road for the traffic signal 1 at the intersection Ji belonging to its own network, or wide area control (surface control) that extends this system control to the road network. )I do.
In addition, the macro control unit 401A of the present embodiment executes program formation control (MODERATO control) that automatically updates signal control parameters such as split, cycle length, and offset according to traffic conditions based on the roadside measurement information S3. Is possible.

In the MODERATO control, in order to cope with a near-saturated traffic state, a signal control parameter optimum for each traffic signal 1 is automatically generated for each cycle using a traffic index called a load factor.
For example, in the case of split control, for each intersection Ji, the maximum load factor of each inflow path for each indication is obtained, and the load factor ratio distribution method for distributing the split normalized by the ratio of the indication load factor Is adopted. The load factor ρ is defined as ρ = (Q + E) / s using the inflow flow rate Q (vehicles / hour), the number of queues E (vehicles / hour), and the saturated traffic flow rate s (vehicles / hour). Is done.

In MODERATO control, cycle length control is performed in which adjacent subareas (cycle length control units composed of a plurality of intersections including important intersections) are combined or divided according to traffic conditions.
In this subarea combination determination, a common cycle length for each subarea is obtained, and when the difference between the calculation results of the cycle lengths of adjacent subareas is smaller than a preset threshold, these subareas are set to 1 It is combined as two subarea configurations, and is controlled by the cycle length with the larger cycle length.

Note that the cycle length for each sub-area is directly calculated based on the intersection load factor ρ using, for example, the following expression obtained by extending the Webster empirical expression.
Cycle length C = (a1 × L + a2) / (1-a3 × ρ)
However, L is the loss time of the intersection, and a1 to a3 are predetermined coefficients.

Furthermore, in MODERATO control, an offset that minimizes the number of delays and stops by performing a predetermined traffic simulation for each route in the same sub-area using the cycle length, split, and traffic volume (demand rate) by round-trip direction. (TRANSYT) is provided.
In addition, the macro control unit 401A of the present embodiment forcibly changes the traffic volume for a specific inflow path of the intersection Ji and automatically generates an offset, thereby giving a high system effect to the specific direction. Can be executed.

On the other hand, the micro control unit 401B can execute micro control for individually switching the signal lamp color of the traffic signal 1 for the intersection Ji of a specific point. The micro control unit 401B of the present embodiment can execute “high-speed sensitive control” and “all red control” as suppression control for suppressing the traveling of the target vehicle 5A.
Further, in the present embodiment, the macro control unit 401A can also execute the suppression control for suppressing the traveling of the target vehicle 5A. In this case, the suppression control is performed for the plurality of intersections Ji by the target vehicle. The signal control parameter is changed so that a red signal is easily encountered in Ji.

  Specifically, in the control unit 401 of the present embodiment, the suppression control by the macro control unit 401A is “split control” for reducing the split of the inflow path corresponding to the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A, and the target vehicle is at each intersection Ji. The “offset control” for changing the offset so as to stop at a red signal and the “cycle length control” performed on the premise of these controls will be described later in detail.

  Further, the area setting unit 401C of the control unit 401 sets a control area CA in which the target vehicle 5A may travel, and the macro control unit 401A is an intersection included in the preset control area CA. For Ji, suppression control such as the above-described split control and offset control is executed. A method for setting the control area CA will also be described later.

The communication unit 403 of the central device 4 is a communication interface connected to the LAN side via the communication line 6 and is acquired from the VICS center 9 and a signal control command S1 regarding the lamp color switching timing of the signal lamp 1b every predetermined time. The VICS information S2 including the traffic jam information and the like transmitted to each traffic signal controller 1a.
The signal control command S1 is transmitted every calculation period (for example, 1.0 to 2.5 minutes) of the signal control parameter, and the VICS information S2 is transmitted every five minutes, for example.

The VICS information S2 transmitted from the central device 4 is sent to an in-vehicle device (not shown) of the vehicle 5 by an optical beacon, a radio wave beacon or the like (not shown).
Further, the communication unit 403 of the central device 4 receives the roadside measurement information S3 detected by the roadside sensor 3 from each traffic signal controller 1a in almost real time (for example, a cycle of 0.1 to 1.0 seconds). .

The storage unit 404 of the central device 4 is composed of a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, and the like, and stores a control program for performing the macro control (MODERATO control) and micro control, a calculation program for a traffic index used for the control, and the like. Yes.
The storage unit 404 temporarily stores the signal control command S1 generated by the control unit 401, the VICS information S2 acquired from the VICS center 9, and the roadside measurement information S3 acquired from the LAN side.

The storage unit 205 also stores road map data. This road map data includes intersection data in which the ID number of each intersection Ji is associated with the intersection position.
In the road map data, the link ID, the link start point / end point / interpolation point (corresponding to the point where the road bends), the link ID of the link connected to the link start point, and the link end point are connected. Link data in which the link ID of the link to be associated with the link cost used for specifying the optimum route is also included.

For example, the number of link costs is the same as the number of links and links connected to the end point, and after entering the start point of the link, the end point of the link is exited, and the start point of the next link to be connected is entered. The time required to do is set.
That is, the link cost includes the cost (time) required to travel from the start point to the end point of the link and the cost (time) required to travel from the end point of the link to the start point of the next link, that is, the intersection. The cost required to pass is included.

The display unit 402 of the central device 4 includes a road map of a jurisdiction area managed by the central device 4 and a display screen on which the positions of all traffic signals 1, optical beacons 11 and the like on the road map are displayed. To inform the operator of traffic conditions such as traffic jams and accidents.
The operation unit 405 of the central device 4 includes an input interface such as a keyboard or a mouse, and the operator of the central device 4 can perform a display switching operation on the display unit 402 by the operation unit 405.

[Traffic signal]
Next, with reference to FIG.2 and FIG.4, the structure of the traffic signal 1 is demonstrated. FIG. 2 illustrates an intersection Ji where the main roads RM1, RM2 having a large traffic volume and the slave roads RS1, RS2 having a small traffic volume merge.
As shown in FIG. 2, the traffic signal 1 is connected to four signal lamps 1b installed on the main roads RM1 and RM2 and the secondary roads RS1 and RS2 and the signal lamp 1b via a communication line 8. And a traffic signal controller 1a.

The traffic signal controller 1a receives the signal control command S1 from the central device 4, and based on the signal control command S1, turns on / off each signal light such as blue, yellow, red and right turn arrow of each signal lamp 1b. Control blinking.
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of the traffic signal controller 1a.
As shown in FIG. 4, the traffic signal controller 1 a includes a control unit 101, a lamp driving unit 102, a communication unit 103, and a storage unit 104.

The control unit 101 of the traffic signal controller 1a is composed of one or a plurality of microcomputers, and a lamp drive unit 102, a communication unit 103, and a storage unit 104 are connected to the control unit 101 via an internal bus. The control unit 101 controls the operations of these hardware units.
The control unit 101 drives each signal lamp 1b according to a signal control command S1 that is an output as a result of the central device 4 performing MODERATO control, and switches the signal lamp color of each signal lamp 1b at a predetermined timing based on the command S1. .

  The lamp drive unit 102 includes a semiconductor relay (not shown) and corresponds to each of the blue, yellow, and red lamps of the plurality of signal lamps 1b based on the signal control command S1 input from the control unit 101. Then, the AC voltage (AC 100 V) or DC voltage supplied to the signal lights of each color is turned on / off.

The communication unit 103 of the traffic signal controller 1a is a communication interface that performs wired communication with the central device 4, the roadside sensor 3, and an optical beacon (not shown).
The communication unit 103 receives the signal control command S1 and the VICS information S2 from the central device 4, sends the signal control command S1 to the control unit 101 of the own device, and transfers the VICS information S2 to the optical beacon. Further, the communication unit 103 receives roadside measurement information S3 from the roadside sensor 3 and the optical beacon, and transfers this roadside measurement information S3 to the central device 4.

  The storage unit 104 of the traffic signal controller 1a is composed of a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, and the like, stores a program for performing switching control of the signal lamp color based on the signal control command S1, and the communication unit 103 is the central device. Various information (signal control command S1, VICS information S2, etc.) received from 4 is temporarily stored.

[Outline of deterrence control by central unit]
5-7 is an image figure which shows the outline | summary of the suppression control for suppressing the driving | running | working of 5 A of target vehicles which the control part 401 of the central apparatus 4 performs. Hereinafter, the outline of the inhibition control will be described with reference to FIGS.
5 to 7, hatched circles indicate intersections (control intersections) Ji that execute the control, and symbols CA indicate control areas CA that execute inhibition control by program formation control (macro control). ing.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, the control unit 401 (micro control unit 401A) of the central device 4 performs high-speed response with the intersection in front (downstream) of the target vehicle 5A as a control target as the first stage of the suppression control. Control is performed to delay the escape of the target vehicle 5A.
Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 401 (macro control unit 401 </ b> A) of the central device 4 serves as the target vehicle 5 </ b> A with respect to the control intersection included in the predetermined control area CA as the second stage of the suppression control. The control control is performed so that the control parameters are changed so that a red signal is easily encountered at the control intersections.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 401 (micro control unit 401B) of the central device 4 continues the all red time of the inflow path corresponding to the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A as the third stage of the suppression control. The all-red control is executed, and the target vehicle 5A is stopped together with the general vehicle 5.
In this all-red control, not only the target vehicle 5 </ b> A but also the traveling of the general vehicle 5 is reliably suppressed, and the influence on the traveling of the general vehicle 5 is great. Therefore, the control is performed when the existence range of the target vehicle 5A is almost certain by the first and second stage suppression control, and when the police vehicle 5B arrives and can form an encircling net.

Hereinafter, each content of the inhibition control from the first stage to the third stage will be described in detail.
In the present embodiment, the travel position (either absolute position or link number), travel speed, and travel direction of the target vehicle 5A, which are triggers (input information) when executing the suppression control, are determined from the site. It is assumed that the operator of the central device 4 inputs to the control unit 401 through the operation unit 405 based on the report information and the roadside measurement information (vehicle speed) S3 corresponding thereto. However, a predetermined set value stored in the storage unit 404 of the central device 4 may be used for the traveling speed instead of being input by the operator.

[First stage deterrence control (high-speed sensitive control)]
In the first-stage suppression control, first, the micro control unit 401B performs a first determination that determines whether or not the target vehicle 5A can pass through the intersection Ji at the timing when the target vehicle 5A arrives at the control intersection Ji on the downstream side. .
This first determination is based on the estimated signal time at which the target vehicle 5A reaches the target intersection Ji from the travel position and speed of the target vehicle 5A, and based on the signal display of the inflow path at the calculated arrival time, that is, This is performed based on whether or not the signal lamp color of the inflow path is a signal lamp color indicating that the passage is possible. In this case, the signal lamp color indicating the traffic is “blue” and “blue arrow”.

If the determination result of the first determination is negative, since the target vehicle 5A should stop at the intersection Ji on the downstream side without particularly performing the blue time reduction process, the micro control unit 401B Does not execute high-speed sensitive control.
On the other hand, if the first determination is affirmative, a second determination is performed to determine whether the blue time at the control intersection Ji can be shortened or whether the red time can be extended.

Specifically, the second determination in the case of the blue time shortening method is performed when the time from the predicted arrival time for the intersection Ji to the red start time is equal to or less than a preset maximum blue shortening time. It is determined that the blue time at the intersection can be shortened.
The “maximum blue reduction time” is determined in advance so that the blue time can be reduced to the maximum in a range less than “PG” in the signal step when performing high-speed sensitive control by the blue time reduction method. It's about time.

When the determination result of the second determination is affirmative, the micro control unit 401B determines the blue time in the direction in which the target vehicle 5A travels at the intersection Ji at the control intersection Ji that is the determination target of the second determination. By setting the shortened number of seconds to a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin time α to the time from the predicted arrival time to the red start time, the blue time (specifically, the time of “PG” in the signal stage) is reduced. The target vehicle 5A is stopped at the control intersection Ji.
The margin time α is a time set in advance so as to encounter a red display before the intersection Ji so that the vehicle can stop in front of the stop line with a margin.

In the second determination in the case of the red time extension method, specifically, the time obtained by adding the preset maximum red extension time to the blue start time for the control intersection Ji is the target vehicle 5A at the intersection Ji. When it is later than the predicted arrival time, it is determined that the blue time of the control intersection Ji can be extended.
Note that the “maximum red extension time” is the upper limit number of seconds in the signal step when high-speed response control is performed using the red time extension method (the number of seconds to advance to the next step by the traffic light itself when there is no signal control command (It is set for fail-safe.) It is a predetermined time that can extend the red time to the maximum within a range of less than.

  When the determination result of the second determination is affirmative, the micro control unit 401B determines the red time in the direction in which the target vehicle 5A travels at the intersection Ji at the control intersection Ji that is the determination target of the second determination. Is set to the preset maximum red extension time, thereby extending the red time and stopping the target vehicle 5A at the control intersection Ji.

  On the other hand, if the determination result of the second determination is negative, the micro control unit 401B is on the downstream side of the control intersection Ji that performed the second determination based on the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A. The first determination and the second determination described above are also executed for the next control intersection Jk (k ≠ i).

When the determination result of the second determination for the next control intersection Jk is affirmative, the micro control unit 401B determines that the blue time is reduced or the red time is reduced by a predetermined time at the next control intersection Jk. If the determination result of the second determination is negative and the second determination is negative, the further next to the control intersection Jk on the downstream side of the control intersection Jk in which the second determination is performed based on the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A The first determination and the second determination described above are executed for the control intersection Jl (l ≠ k).
Although the number of control intersections that repeat the first and second determinations is not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the second stage of inhibition control is performed, so the number of control intersections is limited to three.

  As described above, according to the central device (traffic signal control device) 4 of the present embodiment, the micro control unit 401B is negative in the determination result of the second determination at the control intersections Ji and Jk on the downstream side of the target vehicle 5A. Even in this case, since the first determination and the second determination are executed for the next intersection Jk, Jl downstream of the control intersection Ji, Jk, the blue time is only at the intersection immediately downstream of the generation point of the target vehicle 5A. The traveling of the target vehicle 5 </ b> A can be more reliably suppressed as compared with the conventional high-speed sensitive control that does not execute the shortening or the like.

[Second stage suppression control (program formation control)]
In the second-stage suppression control, first, the area setting unit 401C sets a control area CA that should execute the suppression control, and the macro control unit 401A performs the control intersection included in the set control area CA. Suppression control is executed to change the signal control parameter so that the target vehicle 5A can easily encounter a red light at those control intersections.
Hereinafter, the setting method of the control area CA in the area setting unit 401C and the contents of the suppression control by the macro control unit 401A will be described.

[Control area setting method]
FIG. 8 is a road map showing the setting state of the control area CA.
8A to 8D, FIG. 8A shows the control area CA when only the current travel position of the target vehicle 5A is specified, and FIG. 8B shows the travel. In addition to the position, the control area CA when the traveling direction and the traveling speed are specified is shown.

When the input information by the operator is only the travel position of the target vehicle 5A, the area setting unit 401C has a predetermined upper limit radius and lower limit radius centered on the travel position, as shown in FIG. A donut-shaped control area CA is set.
On the other hand, when the input information by the operator includes the traveling direction and the traveling speed in addition to the traveling position of the target vehicle 5A, the area setting unit 401C displays the information in FIGS. 8B and 8C. As shown, a fan-shaped control area CA with a narrowed area angle θ is set.

The area angle θ can be set automatically or manually according to the number of traveling tracks and the traveling speed of the target vehicle 5A, and when a large number of traveling tracks are obtained, the escape route can be almost specified. As shown in (d), the control area CA can be matched with the escape route by setting the area angle θ = 0. Even when the destination of the target vehicle 5A is known at the initial investigation stage, the control area CA can be matched with the escape route.
As described above, the area setting unit 401C according to the present embodiment can variably set the range of the control area CA based on the travel position, travel direction, and travel speed of the target vehicle 5A.

In addition, the area setting unit 401C determines the distance from the travel position of the target vehicle 5A until the accumulated travel time estimated by the link travel time reaches a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) as the outer periphery of the control area CA (see FIG. 8 is set as the outer peripheral radius R) shown in FIG.
The setting of the outer peripheral edge R may be manually input by an operator, or may be automatically generated by the area setting unit 401C for each control type.

On the other hand, the area setting unit 401C determines the distance that the target vehicle 5A can reach from the travel position of the target vehicle 5A during the control delay time of the suppression control as the inner periphery of the control area CA (the inner peripheral radius r shown in FIG. 8). Set as.
The reason for this is that the change of the signal control parameter by the macro control unit 401A is not in time for the intersection in the range closer to the position of the inner peripheral edge r from the travel position of the target vehicle 5A. Because there is no.

Accordingly, the setting of the inner peripheral edge r is automatically generated by the area setting unit 401C, and as illustrated in FIG. 16, for example, based on the section average speed calculated from the estimated travel time, for each control type. Automatically generated.
In the example shown in FIG. 16, in the case of split control, the average escape distance associated with the control delay is 833 m, and in the case of offset control and cycle length control, the average escape distance is 5197 m. The basis for calculating the average escape distance (inner rim r) is as follows.

In the example shown in FIG. 16, the cycle length C = 140 seconds, the section average speed v calculated from the estimated travel time v = 30 km / h (= 8.33 m / s), the control period of the split control = 1 minute, the cycle, The control period of offset control is 5 minutes.
In addition, the reception time within the control cycle is a, the follow-up time from the control reception time point is b, and the reception time within the cycle length is c.

In this case, in the split control, the average value of the reception time a σa = 60 seconds / 2 = 30 seconds, the follow-up time b = 0, and the average value of the reception time c = 140 seconds / 2 = 70 seconds.
Therefore, in the case of split control, the average value σd of the total delay time d from when the target vehicle 5A is detected until the control is activated is 30 + 0 + 70 = 100 seconds, so that the inner peripheral edge r = v × 100 seconds = 8.33. × 100 = 833 m

On the other hand, in the cycle and offset control, the average value of the reception time a σa = 300 seconds / 2 = 150 seconds, the tracking time b = the average number of tracking times (4 times) × 140 = 560 seconds, and the reception time c = 0. It becomes.
Therefore, in the case of the cycle and offset control, the average value σd of the total delay time d from when the target vehicle 5A is detected until the control is activated is 150 + 560 + 0 = 710 seconds, so the inner peripheral edge r = v × 710 seconds = 8. .33 × 710 = 5917 m.

However, the above calculation method is only when the inner peripheral edge r is calculated based on the average value σd of the total delay time d, and the size of the inner peripheral edge r is the job reception timing within the control cycle (the target vehicle 5A). The detection timing may vary.
As described above, the area setting unit 401C of the present embodiment can set the size of the inner peripheral edge r of the control area CA for each control type of split control, offset control, and cycle length control.

  In the area setting unit 401C, the travel time of each link is used to determine the point where the vehicle 5 reaches within 100 seconds (in the case of split control) and 710 seconds (in the case of cycle and offset control). May be the inner peripheral edge r of the control area CA. In this case, the inner peripheral edge r does not form a strict arc, but the inner peripheral edge r may have a shape other than a polygon or other arc.

FIG. 9 is a road alignment diagram showing the relationship between the control area CA and the target intersection.
As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the control area CA (in FIG. 9, the case of a semicircle is illustrated) is specified, the macro control unit 401 </ b> A determines the target vehicle 5 </ b> A based on the link data stored in the storage unit 404. A search is made for an escape route that can reach the control area CA from the current position.
Then, the macro control unit 401A executes split control, offset control, and cycle length control for making the target vehicle 5A easily encounter a red signal at the control intersection included in the escape route.

The execution of the suppression control by the macro control unit 401A may be executed independently for split control and offset control, but is not executed separately for cycle length control. Split control or offset control or these It is executed simultaneously with both.
The reason for this is that the cycle length control of the present embodiment sets the cycle length larger than usual as will be described later. However, if this is executed alone, the target vehicle 5A will easily pass, This is because the travel inhibition effect on the target vehicle 5A is improved only when the offset control is performed.

[Split control to prevent running]
FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating the split control for running suppression that can be executed by the macro control unit 401A. Of these, FIG. 10 shows split control for an important intersection, and FIG. 11 shows split control for a general intersection.
Here, an important intersection means an intersection that usually has a large load factor and often becomes a bottleneck, and generally corresponds to an intersection between a trunk line and a semi-trunk road. Therefore, in the case of an important intersection, the roadside sensors 3 such as vehicle detectors are usually provided in all inflow paths, and traffic demand can be measured for all inflow paths.

On the other hand, a general intersection means an intersection where traffic demand on a secondary road is less than that of an important intersection and, for example, it is only necessary to ensure the green time of a crossing pedestrian.
Therefore, in the case of a general intersection, the roadside sensor 3 such as a vehicle detector is usually provided only on the inflow path on the main road side, and the roadside sensor 3 is not provided on the subway road side. Can be measured.

[For important intersections]
As shown in FIG. 10, when the target intersection of split control is an important intersection, the macro control unit 401A first searches for a link flowing from the escape route to the important intersection to be controlled, and determines the target inflow route. To do.
Thereafter, the macro control unit 401A sets the congestion length of the target inflow path as a condition for control activation. That is, the macro control unit 401A changes the split as will be described later when the traffic jam length is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, and performs normal control (MODERATO control in this embodiment) when the traffic jam length exceeds the threshold value. ) Is continued and no split changes are made.

The reason for this is that if the congestion length at an important intersection is large from the beginning, there is a high possibility that the target vehicle 5A will stop when it reaches the important intersection without performing the suppression control by split change. .
And when changing the split of an important intersection for driving | running | working suppression, the macro control part 401A is more than the value which remove | divided the traffic demand of the inflow path corresponding to the driving direction of 5 A of object vehicles by the traffic capacity of the said inflow path. Set the split to a smaller value.

For example, in FIG. 10 illustrating three important intersections, the normal splits of the main road 1φ, the right turn 2φ, and the secondary road 3φ are set to 50%, 20%, and 30%, respectively. Further, it is assumed that the target vehicle 5A is traveling on the main road.
In this case, the macro control unit 401A determines that the split of the main road 1φ and the right turn 2φ is a value less than 1 (0.8 in the illustrated example) by dividing the current traffic volume (vehicles / H) by the traffic capacity. ) Multiplied by the value.

Here, when the target intersection of the split control is an important intersection, the split of the inflow path on the escape route of the target vehicle 5A is reduced by multiplying the split by a factor of less than 1 as described above. The reason why the demand is made smaller than the value obtained by dividing the traffic capacity of the route is because of the following a) to c).
a) If the split of the inflow path is set to a small value multiplied by the coefficient less than 1, the traffic congestion can be generated in the inflow path regardless of the traffic volume.
b) The traffic benefit of the inflow path in the direction other than the inflow path of the target vehicle 5A can be maximized.

c) Since important intersections are usually congested, even if there is a lot of traffic due to the smaller splits, ordinary vehicles 5 traveling at the intersection are less likely to notice and confuse. Hateful.
In the present embodiment, the macro control unit 401A determines whether or not to change the split of the inflow path to the important intersection based on the congestion length of the target inflow path. When it occurs in the inflow path, there is an advantage that the original split can be restored.
The coefficient less than 1 may be set in advance for each important intersection as a coefficient for inhibiting travel, or may be changed artificially by an operator's input.

[In the case of general intersections]
As shown in FIG. 11, when the target intersection of the split control is a general intersection, the macro control unit 401A first searches for a control link corresponding to the escape route from the links included in the link data, The display of the general intersection when passing through the link is obtained.
Thereafter, the minimum necessary split for the general intersection is calculated from the offset information belonging to the link.

For example, in FIG. 11 illustrating a two-way general intersection, it is assumed that the normal splits of the main road 1φ and the secondary road 2φ are set to 70% and 30%, respectively. Further, it is assumed that the target vehicle 5A is traveling on the main road.
In this case, the macro control unit 401A changes the split of the main road 1φ and the secondary road 2φ to a value obtained by dividing the current traffic volume (vehicles / H) by the traffic capacity. That is, the coefficient = 1.0.

In this way, by setting the coefficient to 1 in the case of a general intersection, a value obtained by dividing the split of the inflow path on the escape route of the target vehicle 5A by dividing the traffic demand of the inflow path by the traffic capacity of the inflow path. However, if the congestion occurs on a road that is not normally congested, such as an inflow route to a general intersection, the ordinary vehicle 5 that normally travels on the road This is because confusion may arise.
In this regard, the value obtained by dividing the traffic volume (vehicles / H) by the traffic capacity is a marginal split that does not cause congestion at general intersections. It is considered that it does not cause much trouble.

[Offset control to suppress travel]
As described above, the macro control unit 401A of the present embodiment has a function (for example, TRANSYT) that automatically generates an offset based on the inflow traffic to the intersection Ji.
Accordingly, the macro control unit 401A of the present embodiment automatically generates an offset by estimating the number of vehicles in the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A to be smaller than the actual number of vehicles at the control intersection included in the control area CA. The so-called “reverse priority offset control” is performed in which priority is given to the passage of the inflow path in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle 5A.

In this case, since the number of vehicles in the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A is estimated to be less than actual, the system effect in the reverse direction is relatively prioritized, and as a result, the system effect in the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A is deteriorated. Become.
In other words, in offset control, the method of setting an offset so as to give almost the same system effect to both upstream and downstream traffic is called “equality offset”, but there is a difference in traffic demand by upstream and downstream directions. For example, a method of setting an offset so as to give a high system effect preferentially in any one direction is referred to as a “priority offset method”.

In the priority offset method, a method in which the system effect in only one direction is maximized and the system effect in the opposite direction is completely ignored is referred to as a “complete priority offset method”.
In the priority offset method, the system effect is worsened in the opposite direction in which a high system effect is preferentially given, and there is a high possibility that a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction stops at a red signal at each intersection. .
Therefore, if a priority offset (reverse priority offset) that gives priority to the inflow path in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A is applied, as a result, the target vehicle 5A is likely to stop at a red signal at each intersection. Will be set.

Further, the macro control unit 401A of the present embodiment can automatically generate an offset by setting the number of vehicles in the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A to zero.
In this case, the system effect in the reverse direction is maximized, and a completely reverse priority offset (one-way) that completely ignores the system effect in the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A is obtained, so that the travel of the target vehicle 5A is suppressed by automatically generating the offset. The effect can be improved to the maximum.

FIG. 12 is a time-distance graph showing an example of a travel locus in the case of normal offset (equal offset), and FIG. 13 is a time-distance graph showing an example of a travel locus in the case of the reverse priority offset.
These time-distance graphs are the results of a traffic simulation based on a predetermined offset automatic generation logic for a plurality of intersections in a certain road section. FIG. 13 shows the traffic volume in the upward direction on the main road set to zero. This is a result of performing the complete reverse priority offset.

As is clear from a comparison between FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, if the offset is preferentially set to the inflow path opposite to the inflow path corresponding to the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A, the target vehicle 5A is The possibility of stopping at a red signal is increased, and the present invention can be applied to inhibition control for inhibiting traveling of the target vehicle 5A.
Further, in the case of the reverse priority offset, the traffic benefit (smoothing) of the inflow path in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A is increased, so that the police vehicle 5B is used in addition to being useful for suppressing the traveling of the target vehicle 5A. Can easily reach the target vehicle 5A from the opposite direction, and there is an additional effect that the traffic benefits of the entire control area CA are not impaired.

[Cycle length control for running suppression]
FIG. 14 is a road alignment diagram showing the contents of cycle length control.
In FIG. 14, symbols SA1 to SA6 indicate subareas (subarea units) that are the minimum units of cycle length control. In the example of FIG. 14, four subareas SA2, SA3, SA4, and SA6 are control areas. It is assumed that the sub-areas SA1 and SA5 are outside the range of the control area CA.

Further, it is assumed that the variation range of the cycle length C in each of the subareas SA1 to SA6 and the current operation cycle length C are as shown in the table of FIG. 14, and the threshold value as a subarea combination condition is ± 20 seconds. And
Here, in this embodiment, the control of the traveling is suppressed by narrowing the split of the inflow path of the target vehicle 5A at the control intersection in the control area CA, or setting the reverse priority offset with respect to the traveling direction of the target vehicle 5A. However, if the cycle length C is set to be long at the same time, the probability that the target vehicle 5A encounters a red signal on the inflow path is further increased, and the traveling inhibition effect on the target vehicle 5A is considered to be improved.

Therefore, the macro control unit 401A of the present embodiment executes cycle length control so that the cycle length C of each sub-area in the control area CA becomes as large as possible, simultaneously with split control and offset control for running suppression, The traveling inhibition effect on the target vehicle 5A is further ensured.
Specifically, the macro control unit 401A determines the cycle length C of the sub-areas SA2, SA3, SA4, SA6 including the plurality of control intersections included in the control area CA as the cycle length C allowed for each unit. Change to the maximum value to create a new subarea configuration.

That is, in the example shown in FIG. 14, the current cycle length C of each of the subareas SA2, SA3, SA4, SA6 is raised to the maximum value Cmax, and their combination conditions are determined, and a new subarea configuration is formed. To do.
SA2: Current 90 seconds → Maximum value 120 seconds SA3: Current 100 seconds → Maximum value 110 seconds SA4: Current 110 seconds → Maximum value 110 seconds SA6: Current 120 seconds → Maximum value 130 seconds

In this case, since the cycle lengths C after raising the subareas SA2, SA3, SA4, and SA6 are all within the threshold value range, they are combined as one new subarea.
Further, since the sub-area SA5 is outside the control area CA, the cycle length C is not increased, but the current cycle length is 130 seconds (within the threshold value), so that the sub-area SA5 is combined with the adjacent sub-area SA6. .

On the other hand, since the sub-area SA1 is outside the control area CA, the cycle length C is not raised, and the current cycle length is 80 seconds (outside the threshold), so it is not coupled to the adjacent sub-areas SA5 and SA6. .
From the above, in the example shown in FIG. 14, the five subareas SA2 to SA6 other than the subarea SA1 have one subarea configuration.

[Third stage deterrence control (full red control)]
The third-stage deterrence control is performed when the existence range of the target vehicle 5A becomes almost certain by the first and second-stage deterrence control, and the police vehicle 5B arrives and can form an encircling net.
That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the police vehicle 5B arrives at the link where the target vehicle 5A exists, the operator of the central device 4 sets each of the intersections on the upstream and downstream sides across the link as the control target of the all-red control. To do.

Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the micro control unit 401 </ b> B of the central device 4 executes the all red control that continues the level of the earlier all red time (AR) at the intersection. The traffic signal 1 that has received this execution command holds the steps of the main road and the secondary road in the all-red AR, and the signal lights of the traffic signal 1 are all red.
As a result, the target vehicle 5A stops in the link together with the general vehicle 5, and the target vehicle 5A can be reliably captured.

Note that the trigger for activating the all-red control may be performed not only by a report from the police vehicle 5B but also by a real-time video of the target vehicle 5A taken by the image sensor.
However, when the traffic signal 1 becomes all red, the general vehicle 5 and the target vehicle 5A are separated by guidance of the police officer, so when the local arrival of the police vehicle 5B becomes certain, all red It is preferable to activate the control.

  Also, as shown in the table of FIG. 16, the average escape distance that the target vehicle 5A can reach before the execution of the all-red control is 1167 m, for example. This distance is calculated by multiplying the cycle length (= 140 seconds) by the average speed (30 km / h = 8.33 m / s).

[Other variations]
The above embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the scope of rights of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and all modifications within the scope and equivalents of the claims are included in the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, all of split control, offset control, and cycle length control are executed in the second stage of suppression control (macro control), but only one of split control or offset control is executed. You may decide.

In the above embodiment, the suppression control is executed in the first to third stages. However, only the first-stage suppression control (high-speed sensitive control) may be executed.
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the case where the central device 4 performs wide area control, and a plurality of traffic signals 1 included in the LAN perform system control or wide area control in a group unit separate from the control by the central device 4. It can also be applied to cases.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Traffic signal device 1a Traffic signal control device 1b Signal lamp device 3 Roadside sensor 4 Central device (traffic signal control device)
401 Control unit (control means)
401A Macro control unit 401B Micro control unit 401C Area setting unit 402 Display unit 403 Communication unit 404 Storage unit 405 Operation unit 5 Vehicle Ji Intersection S1 Signal control command S2 VICS information S3 Roadside measurement information

Claims (6)

A traffic signal control device comprising control means for executing micro control for individually switching the signal light color of the traffic signal for an intersection at a specific point,
The control means determines whether or not the target vehicle to be prevented from traveling can pass through the intersection at a timing when it reaches the intersection on the downstream side, and when the first determination is affirmative And a second determination for determining whether or not the blue time on the road where the target vehicle flows at the intersection can be shortened,
When the determination result of the second determination at the intersection is negative, the first determination and the first of the next intersection downstream of the intersection when the target vehicle travels as a reference. 2. A traffic signal control device that performs two determinations.   The second determination is to determine that the blue time at the intersection can be reduced when the time from the current time to the red start time for the intersection is equal to or less than a preset maximum blue reduction time. Item 2. The traffic signal control device according to Item 1. A traffic signal control device comprising control means for executing micro control for individually switching the signal light color of the traffic signal for an intersection at a specific point,
The control means determines whether or not the target vehicle to be prevented from traveling can pass through the intersection at a timing when it reaches the intersection on the downstream side, and when the first determination is affirmative And a second determination for determining whether or not the red time on the road into which the target vehicle flows at the intersection can be extended,
When the determination result of the second determination at the intersection is negative, the first determination and the first of the next intersection downstream of the intersection when the target vehicle travels as a reference. 2. A traffic signal control device that performs two determinations.   The second determination is performed when a time obtained by adding a preset maximum red extension time to a blue start time for the intersection is later than a predicted time when the target vehicle reaches the intersection. 4. The traffic signal control device according to claim 3, wherein it is determined that the time can be extended. A computer program for causing a traffic signal control device to perform micro control for individually switching the signal light color of a traffic signal for an intersection at a specific point,
A first determination that determines whether or not the target vehicle to be prevented from traveling can pass through the intersection at the timing of arrival at the intersection on the downstream side; and if the first determination is affirmative, Performing a second determination for determining whether or not the blue time on the road into which the target vehicle flows can be shortened;
When the determination result of the second determination at the intersection is negative, the first determination and the first of the next intersection downstream of the intersection when the target vehicle travels as a reference. 2 performing a determination;
A computer program comprising: A computer program for causing a traffic signal control device to perform micro control for individually switching the signal light color of a traffic signal for an intersection at a specific point,
A first determination that determines whether or not the target vehicle to be prevented from traveling can pass through the intersection at the timing of arrival at the intersection on the downstream side; and if the first determination is affirmative, Performing a second determination for determining whether red time on a road into which the target vehicle flows can be extended;
When the determination result of the second determination at the intersection is negative, the first determination and the first of the next intersection downstream of the intersection when the target vehicle travels as a reference. 2 performing a determination;
A computer program comprising: