JP5493894B2 - Traffic flow information generating apparatus, computer program, and traffic flow information generating method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a traffic flow information generation device that generates travel flow information by acquiring travel locus information from a plurality of vehicles, a computer program for realizing the traffic flow information generation device, and a traffic flow by the traffic flow information generation device. The present invention relates to an information generation method.

  Road traffic control system or traffic information that provides traffic information such as signal information or traffic jam information to vehicles traveling on the road, or performs traffic signal control, in order to reduce traffic congestion and realize smooth traffic Technology development related to the provision system is underway. One of the information used in such a system is a traffic flow branching rate at an intersection.

  For example, as a device that can estimate the branching rate at low cost, from the measurement data of the vehicle detectors installed at each of the inflow link and the outflow link, the traffic volume at a certain time interval at each installation point, etc. Data is obtained and the travel path of the vehicle traveling from the inflow link to the outflow link is used to measure the outflow direction of the plurality of outflow links from the inflow link. A technique for estimating a branching rate of a traffic flow at a branching node is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

  There is also a technique for measuring traffic at a point where a vehicle detector is installed using measurement data of a vehicle detector installed at a specific point.

JP 2008-181397 A

  However, in the prior art or the device of Patent Document 1, only the traffic volume passing through a certain point or the vehicle outflow direction at the intersection is measured. In a road network in which many roads intersect (road network), individual vehicles are branched in various directions at the intersections. Information on only the outflow direction of vehicles at specific intersections only means that individual vehicles are at intersections. It is impossible to grasp the route until it flows into the road or the route after it flows out of the intersection. That is, the traffic flow by many vehicles cannot be grasped by the entire road network.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road network. Consider a road network (road network) composed of intersections (nodes) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Suppose there are A, B, C, and D as traffic flows. Traffic A is due to vehicles flowing to intersections 1, 2, 3, and 4. Traffic flow B is due to vehicles flowing to intersections 1, 2, 3, and 6. Traffic flow C is due to vehicles flowing to intersections 5, 2, 3, 4; The traffic flow D is due to vehicles flowing to the intersections 5, 2, 3, and 6.

  Consider two cases now. In case 1, the traffic volumes of traffic flows A, B, C, and D are 80, 20, 20, and 80, respectively. In case 2, the traffic volumes A, B, C, and D are 20, 80, 80, and 20, respectively.

  When attention is paid to the traffic volume at a specific point as in the past, the same traffic volume is measured in both cases 1 and 2. Further, when attention is paid only to the branching rate at the intersection as in the prior art, the branching rate at the intersection 3 is the same value in the cases 1 and 2.

  That is, in the conventional technology or the device of Patent Document 1, cases 1 and 2 can be understood only as the same traffic state, and the difference between the two is not known. However, for example, in order to alleviate traffic congestion, in order to reduce the traffic volume passing through the intersections 2 and 3, vehicles in the traffic flow A are distributed to detours. However, in case 2, only 20 units can be reduced at most.

  Further, when smooth traffic is realized by adjusting the offset of traffic lights at each intersection, in case 1, for example, it is desirable to perform system control with intersections 1, 2, 3, and 4 as one subarea. In case 2, unlike case 1, for example, it is desirable to perform system control with intersections 5, 2, 3, 4 as one subarea. In other words, different system control needs to be performed in cases 1 and 2 even when performing system control of the traffic light.

  Thus, in order to alleviate traffic congestion and realize smooth traffic, the traffic flow of the entire road network can be reduced only by the traffic volume at a specific point or the branching rate at a specific intersection as in the past. I couldn't figure it out and it was inadequate.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, a traffic flow information generation device capable of grasping a traffic flow on a road network, a computer program for realizing the traffic flow information generation device, and the traffic It aims at providing the traffic flow information generation method by a flow information generation device.

A traffic flow information generation device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a traffic flow information generation device that generates travel flow information by acquiring travel trajectory information of a plurality of vehicles, based on the acquired travel trajectory information. A route extraction means for extracting a plurality of different travel routes passing through the vehicle, and a vehicle number calculation means for calculating the number of vehicles that have traveled the travel route extracted by the travel route extraction means based on the acquired travel locus information And is configured to generate traffic flow information including a plurality of extracted travel routes and the number of vehicles traveling on each travel route .

  A traffic flow information generating apparatus according to a second invention comprises, in the first invention, a point selecting means for selecting a plurality of points including a branch point of a road existing around the arbitrary point, and the travel route extracting means is The travel route of the vehicle that has passed the point selected by the point selection means is extracted.

  In the traffic flow information generating apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the point selecting means is configured to detect the vehicle at a predetermined time zone at least before or after the passage time point when the vehicle has passed the arbitrary point. It is configured to select a passing point.

  In the traffic flow information generating apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the point selecting means is configured such that the vehicle that has passed the arbitrary point is within a predetermined distance from the point, and at least before passing the point or It is configured to select a point where the vehicle has passed somewhere after passing.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the traffic flow information generating apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the vehicle number calculating means is one of the travel routes extracted by the travel route extracting means. When the route is included in another travel route, the number of vehicles traveling on the one travel route is calculated by adding the number of vehicles traveling on the other travel route to the number of vehicles traveling on the one travel route. It is comprised so that it may calculate.

  A traffic flow information generating device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the travel route that is not included in any other travel route among the travel routes extracted by the travel route extracting means in any one of the first to fifth aspects. It is characterized by comprising route selection means for selecting.

  In a traffic flow information generating apparatus according to a seventh aspect based on the sixth aspect, the route selection means is included in another travel route among travel routes in which the number of vehicles calculated by the vehicle number calculation means satisfies a desired condition. It is configured to select a travel route that is not available.

A computer program according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is a computer program for causing a computer to execute a step of acquiring traffic trajectory information of a plurality of vehicles and generating traffic flow information. The computer program is based on the acquired travel trajectory information. Extracting a plurality of different traveling routes passing through any point on the road, calculating a number of vehicles that have traveled the extracted traveling route based on the acquired traveling locus information, and extracting the plurality of extracted routes Generating a traffic flow information including a travel route and the number of vehicles traveling on each travel route .

A traffic flow information generation method according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the traffic flow information generation method by the traffic flow information generation device that acquires the travel trajectory information of a plurality of vehicles to generate the traffic flow information, and is based on the acquired travel trajectory information. The step of extracting a plurality of different traveling routes passing through any point on the road by the traveling route extracting means, and the number of vehicles traveling on the extracted traveling route based on the acquired traveling locus information And a step of generating traffic flow information including a plurality of extracted traveling routes and the number of vehicles traveling on each traveling route by the traffic flow information generating unit.

  In the first invention, the eighth invention, and the ninth invention, a plurality of different traveling routes that acquire traveling locus information of a plurality of vehicles and pass through arbitrary points on the road based on the obtained traveling locus information. To extract. The travel trajectory information can be acquired from a vehicle passing through an optical beacon, for example, by installing roadside devices such as an optical beacon at a plurality of points on a road network (road network). The travel locus information includes, for example, time-series information such as a vehicle-specific ID and a vehicle position at each time. In addition, when acquiring the travel trajectory information, the information including the travel trajectory information, the optical beacon number from which the travel trajectory information was acquired, and the vehicle passage time (communication time with the optical beacon) are stored as uplink history information. I can keep it.

  The travel route can be extracted by aligning (sorting) the travel locus information by vehicle ID and aligning the data of the same vehicle ID by time. For example, if the extracted travel route is a new route, the number of trips is registered as 1 in the travel route list. If the extracted travel route has already been registered, 1 is added to the number of trips. The number of trips in each extracted travel route is calculated as the number of vehicles that have traveled. Then, traffic flow information is generated based on the calculated number and travel route. The traffic flow information includes each extracted travel route and the number of vehicles that have traveled along the route. Thereby, it is possible to grasp not only the traffic volume at a specific point or the branching rate at a specific intersection but also the traffic flow in the entire road network.

  In the second invention, a plurality of points including a branch point of a road existing around an arbitrary point are selected, and a travel route of the vehicle that has passed the selected point is extracted. The arbitrary point includes, for example, a point where a roadside device such as an optical beacon is installed, an intersection, or a road (link) connecting the intersections. Thereby, it is possible to extract a travel route in a road network composed of many roads passing through a plurality of points existing around an arbitrary point.

  In the third invention, when a plurality of points are selected, a point where the vehicle has passed at a predetermined time zone at least before or after the passing point at which the vehicle has passed an arbitrary point is selected. For example, assuming that a passing time point (communication time point with an optical beacon) that has passed a specific optical beacon is t0 and a predetermined time zone is T, from travel locus information in a range from the time point (t0-T) to the time point (t0 + T). Extract travel route. Note that the predetermined time zones before and after the passage time t0 may be different values or only one of them. Thereby, it is possible to extract a travel route in a road network composed of many roads passing through a plurality of points existing around an arbitrary point.

  In the fourth invention, when a plurality of points are selected, the vehicle that has passed through any point is within a predetermined distance from the point, and the vehicle is at least before or after passing the point. Select the point where has passed. For example, if an arbitrary point is a specific link L0 and a predetermined distance is U, a link train having a link length of a predetermined distance U or less from the link L0 to the upstream side and the downstream side is extracted as a travel route. The link lengths from the link L0 to the upstream side and the downstream side may be different values, or only one of the links on the upstream side or the downstream side may be used. Thereby, it is possible to extract a travel route in a road network composed of many roads passing through a plurality of points existing around an arbitrary point.

  In the fifth invention, when one travel route is included in the other travel routes among the extracted travel routes, the vehicle traveling on the other travel route corresponds to the number of vehicles traveling on the one travel route. The number of vehicles traveling along the one travel route is calculated. For example, the travel route r1 starts from the point p1, passes through the point p2 and ends at the point p3, and the travel route r2 starts from the point p0 and passes through the points p1, p2, and p3 and ends at the point p4. In this case, the travel route r1 is included in the travel route r2. When the number of traveling vehicles on the extracted traveling route r1 is x1 and the number of traveling vehicles on the traveling route r2 is x2, the number of traveling vehicles on the traveling route r1 is (x1 + x2). As a result, even when different traveling routes with overlapping portions of the traveling route are extracted, the number of traveling vehicles on the overlapping traveling route can be obtained correctly.

  In the sixth invention, a travel route that is not included in the other travel routes is selected from the extracted travel routes. For example, a travel route that is not included in the other travel routes is longer than the other travel routes. By selecting a route that is longer than other routes, it will include more points (eg, intersections), increasing the options for distributing vehicles to detours to alleviate traffic congestion. Can be more effectively mitigated.

  In the seventh invention, a travel route that is not included in other travel routes is selected from travel routes in which the calculated number of vehicles satisfies a desired condition. The desired condition can be a condition in which, for example, when the traffic jam is alleviated, the number of vehicles traveling is a measure of the traffic jam. Thereby, it is possible to select a travel route that satisfies a desired condition.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to grasp the traffic flow in the entire road network by generating the traffic flow information based on the calculated number and travel route.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the traffic flow information generation apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the road network which calculates | requires traffic flow information. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the produced | generated traffic flow information. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the travel route extraction process of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the traveling vehicle number calculation process of this Embodiment, and a maximum route selection process. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the traffic flow information generation system which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of travel route extraction processing according to the second embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a road network.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, a traffic flow information generation apparatus according to the present invention, a computer program for realizing the traffic flow information generation apparatus, and a traffic flow information generation method using the traffic flow information generation apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. . FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a traffic flow information generation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. Optical beacons 100, 101,... 109 are installed at a plurality of points on the road network (road network). The number of optical beacons is not limited to the example of FIG. Moreover, as long as it has a communication function with a vehicle instead of an optical beacon, another roadside device such as a radio beacon may be used.

  The optical beacon 100 has a communication function with an in-vehicle device mounted on each vehicle passing in the vicinity of itself. The optical beacon 100 receives uplink information including a vehicle ID unique to each vehicle, a time indicating vehicle travel locus information, and vehicle position information at the time from the in-vehicle device. The optical beacon 100 adds its own optical beacon number unique to the optical beacon and the reception time of the uplink information (such as the communication time with the in-vehicle device) to the received uplink information, and transmits the uplink information to the information processing device 20. . The other optical beacons 101,... 109 perform the same processing.

  The information processing apparatus 20 receives the uplink information transmitted by each beacon, and stores the received uplink information as uplink history information 30 including the optical beacon number, the vehicle ID, and the reception time. Uplink history information 30 includes travel locus information of each vehicle.

  A traffic flow information generation system can be constructed by the traffic flow information generation device 10, the information processing device 20, the optical beacon 100, and the like.

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 includes a travel route extraction unit 11, a point selection unit 12, a vehicle number calculation unit 13, a maximum route selection unit 14, a traffic flow information generation unit 15, and the like. The traffic flow information generation device 10 acquires the uplink history information 30 stored by the information processing device 20 via the information processing device 20, and generates traffic flow information based on the acquired uplink history information 30.

  The traffic flow information generation apparatus 10 performs each process such as a travel route extraction process, a traveling vehicle number calculation process, and a maximum route selection process. The travel route extraction unit 11 and the point selection unit 12 described above perform a travel route extraction process. The vehicle number calculation unit 13 performs a traveling vehicle number calculation process. The maximum route selection unit 14 performs a maximum route selection process. The maximum route selection process is a process of selecting a travel route that is not included in other travel routes. The travel route (maximum travel route) not included in the other travel routes is, for example, a route longer than the other travel routes. Hereinafter, each process will be described.

  First, the travel route extraction process will be described. Based on the uplink history information 30, the travel route extraction unit 11 extracts a plurality of different travel routes that pass through any point on the road (for example, the installation point of the optical beacon 100). The arbitrary point includes not only a point where a roadside device such as an optical beacon is installed, but also an intersection or a road (link) connecting the intersections.

  The travel route can be extracted by the following procedure. The traveling route extraction unit 11 arranges (sorts) the uplink history information 30 by the vehicle ID. Data with the same vehicle ID is arranged in ascending order of time. When generating traffic flow information of a road network including the optical beacon 100 (arbitrary point), the travel route extraction unit 11 extracts a data string having the same vehicle ID, and the data of the optical beacon 100 is included in the extracted data string. The data string including the data of the optical beacon 100 is extracted.

  The point selection unit 12 selects a plurality of points including a branch point of a road existing around the optical beacon 100 using a data string including the data of the optical beacon 100. More specifically, the point selection unit 12 sets the reception time of the optical beacon 100 (communication time between the optical beacon 100 and the vehicle, the passing time of the vehicle, etc.) to t0, and T is a preset predetermined time zone. The optical beacon numbers of data in the range from time (t0-T) to time (t0 + T) are arranged in the order of passage. The predetermined time zone before and after the reception time t0 may be different values, and only one of the ranges may be considered.

  When the extracted travel route is a new route, the travel route extraction unit 11 registers the number of trips as 1 in the travel route list. In addition, when the extracted travel route has already been registered, the travel route extraction unit 11 adds 1 to the number of trips on the travel route. Note that when the travel route is extracted, the number of trips corresponds to the number of vehicles traveling on the travel route, and one extracted trip route corresponds to one trip number (one traveling vehicle). Thereby, the traveling route which passes the optical beacon 100 can be extracted.

  Next, the traveling vehicle number calculation process will be described. The vehicle number calculation unit 13, when one of the extracted travel routes is included in another travel route, the number of trips on the one travel route (the number of travel vehicles) is tripped on the other travel route. The number (the number of traveling vehicles) is added to calculate the number of vehicles traveling along the one traveling route.

  For example, the travel route r1 starts from the point p1, passes through the point p2 and ends at the point p3, and the travel route r2 starts from the point p0 and passes through the points p1, p2, and p3 and ends at the point p4. In this case, the travel route r1 is included (included) in the travel route r2. When the number of trips (the number of traveling vehicles) on the travel route r1 is x1 and the number of trips (the number of traveling vehicles) on the travel route r2 is x2, the number of traveling vehicles on the travel route r1 is (x1 + x2). As a result, even when different traveling routes with overlapping portions of the traveling route are extracted, the number of traveling vehicles on the overlapping traveling route can be obtained correctly.

  Here, the number of traveling vehicles is the number of vehicles traveling from the start point to the end point of the travel route. The start point is the start point of the travel route or upstream thereof, and the end point is the end point of the travel route or downstream thereof.

  The traffic flow information generation unit 15 generates and outputs the number of traveling vehicles for each travel route calculated by the vehicle number calculation unit 13 as traffic flow information. The traffic flow information includes each extracted travel route and the number of vehicles that have traveled the route. Therefore, not only the traffic volume at a specific point or the branching rate at a specific intersection, but also the traffic flow in the entire road network. It is possible to grasp the traffic flow pattern. In addition, it is possible to set an effective detour or set a subarea for a traffic light control system as compared with the case of using the traffic volume or branching rate measured at a specific point in the past.

  As described above, the arbitrary point includes, for example, a point where a roadside device such as an optical beacon is installed, an intersection, or a road (link) connecting the intersections. Thereby, it is possible to extract a travel route in a road network composed of many roads passing through a plurality of points existing around an arbitrary point.

  In particular, if the passing time (communication time with the optical beacon) passing through the optical beacon 100 as an arbitrary point is t0 and the predetermined time zone is T, it is in the range from the time (t0-T) to the time (t0 + T). Since the travel route is extracted from the uplink history information 30, it is possible to extract the travel route in a road network composed of many roads passing through a plurality of points existing around an arbitrary point.

  Next, the maximum route selection process will be described. The maximum route selection unit 14 selects a travel route that is not included in other travel routes from the travel routes extracted by the travel route extraction unit 11. In this case, the maximal route selection unit 14 can select a travel route that is not included in other travel routes from among the travel routes in which the number of vehicles calculated by the vehicle number calculation unit 13 satisfies a desired condition. The desired condition can be a condition in which the number of vehicles traveling is an indication of the traffic jam when the traffic congestion is eased. For example, the condition can be set as a traveling route in which the number of vehicles exceeds 80. .

  By selecting a travel route (maximum travel route) that is not included in other travel routes, more points (for example, intersections) will be included, and vehicles will be distributed to detours to alleviate traffic congestion. Options can be increased, and traffic congestion can be alleviated more effectively. In addition, a maximum travel route that satisfies a desired condition can be selected.

  The traffic flow information generation unit 15 generates and outputs the maximum travel route selected by the maximum route selection unit 14 as traffic flow information. The traffic flow information generation unit 15 can output the generated traffic flow information as real-time information one by one, or accumulates the generated traffic flow information and outputs it as a statistical value by performing statistical calculation or the like. You can also

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road network for obtaining traffic flow information. As shown in FIG. 2, the road network (road network) is composed of intersections (nodes) P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6 and roads (links) connecting them. It is assumed that an optical beacon 100 (not shown) is installed at the intersection P3 as an arbitrary point in the road network. It is also assumed that other optical beacons are installed in the road network.

  Further, it is assumed that the travel history information of the vehicle that has traveled the routes A, B, C, and D exists as the uplink history information 30. Route A is due to vehicles traveling to intersections P1, P2, P3, and P4. Route B is due to vehicles traveling to intersections P1, P2, P3, and P6. Route C is due to vehicles traveling to intersections P5, P2, P3, and P4. The route D is due to a vehicle that has traveled to the intersections P5, P2, P3, and P6. The number of traveling vehicles on routes A, B, C, and D is 80, 20, 20, and 80, respectively.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the generated traffic flow information. The example of FIG. 3 corresponds to the road network shown in FIG. The traffic flow information includes, for example, information related to the route ID, the extracted travel route, and the number of vehicles that have traveled along the travel route. Since the road network includes intersections P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6, the different travel routes are R1 (P1 → P2), R2 (P1 → P2 → P3), R3 (P1 → P2 → P3 → P4), R4 (P1-> P2-> P3-> P6), R5 (P5-> P2), R6 (P5-> P2-> P3), R7 (P5-> P2-> P3-> P4), R8 (P5-> P2-> P3-> P6) ), R9 (P2 → P3), R10 (P2 → P3 → P4), R11 (P2 → P3 → P6), R12 (P3 → P4), and R13 (P3 → P6).

  For example, when the route ID is R1, as shown in FIG. 2, a total of 80 vehicles traveling on the route A and 20 vehicles traveling on the route B is obtained, and the number of traveling vehicles is 100. When the route ID is R2, as shown in FIG. 2, the total of 80 vehicles traveling on the route A and 20 vehicles traveling on the route B is obtained, and the number of traveling vehicles is 100.

  When the route ID is R5, as shown in FIG. 2, the total of 20 vehicles traveling on the route C and 80 vehicles traveling on the route D is 100, and the number of traveling vehicles is 100. When the route ID is R6, as shown in FIG. 2, the total of 20 vehicles traveling on the route C and 80 vehicles traveling on the route D is obtained, and the number of traveling vehicles is 100.

  When the route ID is R9, as shown in FIG. 2, 80 vehicles traveling on the route A, 20 vehicles traveling on the route B, 20 vehicles traveling on the route C, and a vehicle 80 traveling on the route D are provided. The total number of traveling vehicles is 200. The same applies hereinafter.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when selecting a maximum route from the extracted travel route and the number of travel vehicles, for example, a route traveled by a vehicle passing through the intersection P4 has route IDs R3, R7, R10, and R12. Exist. Among them, there are three routes of route IDs R3, R10, and R12 on which 40% (80) or more of the vehicles (200) passing through the intersection P3 travel, but they are not included in other routes. The route is only R3. Therefore, for example, in order to alleviate the traffic jam between the intersections P2 and P3, it is understood that the vehicle traveling on the travel route having the route ID R3 may be distributed to the detour. The travel route with the route ID R7 is a maximum route that is not included in the other routes among the four routes R3, R7, R10, and R12, but does not satisfy the condition that 80 or more vehicles travel. .

  Next, the process of the traffic flow information generation device 10 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the travel route extraction process of the present embodiment. The traffic flow information generation device 10 acquires the uplink history information 30 (S11), and arranges (sorts) the acquired uplink history information 30 by vehicle ID (S12).

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 arranges data having the same vehicle ID in ascending order of time (S13), and extracts a data string having the same vehicle ID (S14). The traffic flow information generation device 10 determines whether or not there is data of the optical beacon 100 in the extracted data string (S15). If there is no data of the optical beacon 100 (NO in S15), the processing after step S14 is performed. to continue.

  When there is data of the optical beacon 100 (YES in S15), the traffic flow information generating device 10 arranges the optical beacon numbers of the data in the range of the reception time t0 ± predetermined time zone T of the data of the optical beacon 100 in the order of passing of the vehicle. A travel route is created (S16).

  The traffic flow information generating apparatus 10 determines whether there is a travel route created in the travel route list (S17). In the initial state, there is no travel route in the travel route list. If there is a travel route created in the travel route list (YES in S17), the traffic flow information generating device 10 adds 1 to the number of trips on the travel route (S18).

  When there is no travel route created in the travel route list (NO in S17), the traffic flow information generating device 10 registers the created travel route in the travel route list (S19), and the number of trips of the newly registered travel route is calculated. 1 (S20).

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 determines whether or not the processing of all the data strings has been completed (S21), and when the processing of all the data strings has not been completed (NO in S21), the processing after step S14 If all data strings have been processed (YES in S21), the process ends.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the traveling vehicle number calculation process and the maximum route selection process of the present embodiment. Note that the process illustrated in FIG. 5 can be performed following the process illustrated in FIG. The traffic flow information generation device 10 identifies one travel route registered in the travel route list (S31), and determines whether the identified one travel route is a part of another travel route ( S32).

  When one travel route is a part of another travel route (YES in S32), that is, when one travel route is included in another travel route, the traffic flow information generating apparatus 10 The number of trips on one travel route is calculated by adding the number of trips on the other travel route to the number of trips (S33).

  When one travel route is not a part of another travel route (NO in S32), that is, when one travel route is not included in another travel route, the traffic flow information generating device 10 trips one travel route. The number is calculated as the number of traveling vehicles on the one traveling route (S34).

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 determines whether or not the processing for all the travel routes has been completed (S35). If the processing for all the travel routes has not been completed (NO in S35), the processing after step S31 is performed. Continue.

  When the processing of all the travel routes is completed (YES in S35), the traffic flow information generating device 10 extracts a travel route that satisfies a desired condition (S36). The desired condition is, for example, a case where the number of traveling vehicles is a certain value or more. In step S35, when the processing of all the travel routes is completed and the travel route and the number of traveling vehicles are calculated, these pieces of information can be generated and output as traffic flow information.

  The traffic flow information generation apparatus 10 selects a maximum travel route that is not included in the other travel routes from the extracted travel routes (S37), outputs the selected travel route as traffic flow information (S38), and ends the process.

  The traffic flow information generating apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can also be realized using a general-purpose computer that includes a CPU, a RAM, and the like. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, or FIG. 7 to be described later, program code defining each processing procedure is loaded into a RAM provided in the computer, and the program code is executed by the CPU. The traffic flow information generation device 10 can be realized.

  As described above, the traffic volume measured at a specific point in the past or the branching by obtaining the traveling route traveled by the vehicle passing through the optical beacon 100 as an arbitrary point and the number of traveling vehicles for each section (for example, between intersections). Compared to the case of using the rate, it is possible to set an effective detour or set a sub-area for a traffic light control system. In addition, the traffic flow information generated as described above can be used as an important index for reducing traffic congestion and smooth traffic, and in implementing countermeasures for reducing traffic congestion and smooth traffic. It becomes very useful information.

Embodiment 2
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of the traffic flow information generation system according to the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that wireless receivers 200, 201,... 209 are provided instead of optical beacons and map database 40 is provided. A traffic flow information generation system can be constructed by the traffic flow information generation device 10, the information processing device 20, the wireless reception device 200, and the like.

  The wireless reception device 200 has a communication function with an in-vehicle device mounted on each vehicle. Radio receiving apparatus 200 receives uplink information including a vehicle ID unique to each vehicle, a time indicating vehicle travel locus information, and vehicle position information at the time from the in-vehicle device. The wireless reception device 200 transmits the received uplink information to the information processing device 20. The same applies to the other wireless receiving apparatuses 201,.

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 acquires the uplink history information 30 stored by the information processing device 20 via the information processing device 20, and passes the link L0 as an arbitrary point based on the acquired uplink history information 30. The number of traveling vehicles for each traveling route is obtained, and traffic flow information is generated.

  In the second embodiment, when the point selection unit 12 selects a plurality of points, the vehicle that has passed the arbitrary point is within a predetermined distance from the point, and at least before or after the passage of the point. Select the point where the car passes. For example, the travel route extraction unit 11 travels on a link row in which the link length is a predetermined distance U or less from the link L0 to the upstream side and the downstream side when an arbitrary point is a specific link L0 and a predetermined distance is U. Extract as a route. The link lengths from the link L0 to the upstream side and the downstream side may be different values, or only one of the links on the upstream side or the downstream side may be used. Thereby, it is possible to extract a travel route in a road network composed of many roads passing through a plurality of points existing around an arbitrary point.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure of travel route extraction processing according to the second embodiment. The traffic flow information generation device 10 acquires the uplink history information 30 (S41), and arranges (sorts) the acquired uplink history information 30 by the vehicle ID (S42).

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 arranges data having the same vehicle ID in ascending order of time (S43), and extracts a data string having the same vehicle ID (S44). The traffic flow information generation device 10 converts the extracted data string into a link string on the road network (S45). Here, the link represents a road connecting the intersections. For example, a map used in a car navigation system or the like with reference to the map database 40 with respect to the extracted data string (time series data of coordinates as vehicle position information) is converted into a link string on the road network. This can be done by performing a mapping process.

  The traffic flow information generating apparatus 10 determines whether or not the link L0 is present in the converted link string (S46), and if there is no link L0 in the link string (NO in S46), the process after step S44 is continued. When there is a link L0 in the link row (YES in S46), the traffic flow information generating apparatus 10 creates a travel route by extracting a link row having a link length within a predetermined distance both upstream and downstream from the link L0 (S47). .

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 determines whether there is a travel route created in the travel route list (S48). In the initial state, there is no travel route in the travel route list. If there is a travel route created in the travel route list (YES in S48), the traffic flow information generating device 10 adds 1 to the number of trips on the travel route (S49).

  When there is no travel route created in the travel route list (NO in S48), the traffic flow information generating device 10 registers the created travel route in the travel route list (S50), and the number of trips of the newly registered travel route is recorded. 1 (S51).

  The traffic flow information generation device 10 determines whether or not the processing of all the data strings has been completed (S52), and when the processing of all the data strings has not been completed (NO in S52), the processing after step S44 is performed. If all the data strings have been processed (YES in S52), the process ends.

  In the second embodiment, the procedure of the traveling vehicle number calculation process and the maximum route selection process is the same as that in the example of FIG. Also in the second embodiment, the traffic volume measured at a specific point in the past by obtaining the travel route traveled by the vehicle passing through the link L0 as an arbitrary point, the number of traveling vehicles per section (for example, between intersections), Or, compared with the case of using the branching rate, it is possible to set an effective detour or set a subarea for a traffic light control system.

  In the above-described embodiment, the information processing device 20 and the uplink history information 30 are configured as separate devices from the traffic flow information generation device 10, but the information processing device 20 and the uplink history information 30 are configured as traffic flow information. It can also be integrated into the generation device 10.

  The disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Traffic flow information generation apparatus 11 Travel route extraction part (travel route extraction means)
12 point selection part (point selection means)
13 Vehicle number calculation unit (vehicle number calculation means)
14 Maximum route selection unit (route selection means)
15 Traffic flow information generation unit (traffic flow information generation means)
20 Information processing device 30 Uplink history information 40 Map database 100, 101, 109 Optical beacon 200, 201, 209 Wireless reception device

Claims (9)

In a traffic flow information generating device that acquires travel trajectory information of a plurality of vehicles and generates traffic flow information,
Based on the acquired travel locus information, a travel route extracting means for extracting a plurality of different travel routes passing through any point on the road;
Vehicle number calculation means for calculating the number of vehicles that have traveled the travel route extracted by the travel route extraction means based on the acquired travel locus information ;
A traffic flow information generating apparatus configured to generate traffic flow information including a plurality of extracted travel routes and the number of vehicles traveling on each travel route . Point selection means for selecting a plurality of points including a branch point of a road existing around the arbitrary point,
The travel route extraction means includes
The traffic flow information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a travel route of a vehicle that has passed through the point selected by the point selecting means is extracted. The point selecting means is
3. The point according to claim 2, wherein a point at which the vehicle has passed is selected at a predetermined time zone at least before or after the passing point at which the vehicle has passed the arbitrary point. Traffic flow information generator. The point selecting means is
The vehicle that has passed the arbitrary point is configured to select a point that is within a predetermined distance from the point and that the vehicle has passed at least before or after passing the point. The traffic flow information generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The vehicle number calculating means is
Of the travel routes extracted by the travel route extraction means, when one travel route is included in another travel route, the number of vehicles traveling on the other travel route is equal to the number of vehicles traveling on the one travel route. The traffic flow information generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the number of vehicles traveling on the one travel route is calculated by adding .   6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a route selection unit that selects a travel route that is not included in another travel route from the travel routes extracted by the travel route extraction unit. The traffic flow information generator described. The route selection means includes
The travel route that is not included in other travel routes is selected from travel routes in which the number of vehicles calculated by the vehicle number calculation means satisfies a desired condition. Traffic flow information generator. In a computer program for causing a computer to execute a step of generating travel flow information of a plurality of vehicles and generating traffic flow information,
Computer
Extracting a plurality of different traveling routes passing through any point on the road based on the acquired traveling locus information;
Calculating the number of vehicles that have traveled the extracted travel route based on the acquired travel locus information ;
And a step of generating traffic flow information including a plurality of extracted travel routes and the number of vehicles traveling on each travel route . In a traffic flow information generation method by a traffic flow information generation device that acquires travel locus information of a plurality of vehicles and generates traffic flow information,
A step of extracting a plurality of different traveling routes passing through any point on the road by the traveling route extracting means based on the acquired traveling locus information;
Calculating the number of vehicles that have traveled the extracted travel route based on the acquired travel trajectory information by means of the vehicle number calculation means;
A traffic flow information generation method comprising: generating, by a traffic flow information generation means, traffic flow information including a plurality of extracted travel routes and the number of vehicles traveling on each travel route .

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