JP7054667B2 - Road traffic control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a road traffic control system or the like that controls road traffic.

Currently, the development of computer-controlled autonomous driving technology for automobiles is underway worldwide. Automated driving is divided into 6 levels, the stage where the driver operates everything is set to level 0, and the stage where any of acceleration (accelerator), steering (steering), and braking (brake) is automated. Level 1, the stage where multiple operations are automated is level 2, all operations are automated only in a specific place such as a highway, but the stage where the driver operates only in an emergency is level 3, operation only in a specific place The stage where all of the operations are automated is defined as level 4, and the stage where all operations are automated without limitation is defined as level 5.

In order to implement autonomous driving, it is important to capture various information around the vehicle such as the driving lane of the road and other vehicles, and as a means of that, image recognition for the captured image of the camera mounted on the vehicle is widely used. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, in order to implement safe autonomous driving, it is necessary to recognize the situation around the vehicle in real time and accurately, so further improvement in image recognition performance reliability and recognition speed is required. Development is progressing every day.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-73275 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-207563

For example, information necessary for realizing autonomous driving includes traffic signals and railroad crossing warnings at intersections. Railroad crossings and intersections are places where many cars come and go from multiple directions, and in any case, misrecognition or recognition delay may lead to an accident immediately, so accurate and real-time recognition is required. Traffic signals at intersections and warnings at railroad crossings change from moment to moment, and there are also traffic signals that suddenly appear in sight, such as signals immediately after a curve and signals immediately after turning left or right. Therefore, in order to realize safety-first automatic driving, advanced arithmetic processing technology is required to realize accurate and real-time automatic driving only from the images captured by the camera mounted on the own vehicle. Such conventional technology is based on the basic idea of autonomous control by an automobile alone.

In order to realize safety-first autonomous driving, there must be various methods other than autonomous control by the vehicle alone. The present invention has been devised to provide a new technique for realizing automatic driving.

The first invention for solving the above problems is
A car that automatically drives to a given destination along a given planned route, and
A pass permission control system that is connected to the train operation system and controls whether or not to allow the vehicle to pass through railroad crossings and intersections (hereinafter referred to as "passing spots" in the case of inclusion).
Is a road traffic control system configured to enable communication,
The train operation system and the pass / fail control system each perform high-precision time by receiving satellite signals from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites, receiving standard radio waves, or communicating with an absolute time information providing system. It is equipped with a high-precision timekeeping function to measure timekeeping.
The car
Initial setting means (for example, initial setting unit 608 of FIG. 19) for initializing the automatic driving control setting of the planned traveling route as a stop setting for each of the passing spots existing on the planned traveling route.
When a pass permission notification is received from the pass permission control system to permit the passage of the passing spot, the pass permission setting updating means for updating the stop setting of the target pass spot of the pass permission notification to the pass possible setting (for example). , The passable setting update unit 610) in FIG.
Equipped with
The pass / fail control system is
Railroad crossing timetable information acquisition means (for example, FIG. 15) for acquiring railroad crossing timetable information which is a timetable of railroad crossing warning predicted time based on the high-precision time of each railroad crossing when a railroad crossing warning is issued from the train operation system. Railroad crossing timetable information acquisition unit 202) and
A travel schedule information storage means for storing the travel schedule route information of the vehicle (for example, the vehicle management information 340 in FIG. 17) and
A traveling information receiving means (for example, a traveling information receiving unit 206 in FIG. 15) that receives traveling information including own vehicle position information from the automobile.
Based on the railroad crossing timetable information, the planned travel route information, and the travel information, it is determined whether or not the railroad crossing to which the automobile is approaching can be notified of the passage permission, and if it is determined, the notification of the passage permission is given. The railroad crossing pass / fail control means (for example, the railroad crossing pass / fail control unit 210 in FIG. 15) to be transmitted to the automobile, and the railroad crossing pass / fail control unit 210.
A right-of-way grant timing information storage means (for example, intersection management information 330 in FIG. 18) that stores right-of-way grant timing information, which is a right-of-way grant timing for each traffic direction based on the high-precision time of each intersection.
Based on the right-of-way grant timing information, the planned travel route information, and the travel information, it is determined whether or not the traffic permission notification can be given to the intersection where the automobile is approaching, and when it is determined that the traffic permission notification is possible. With the intersection pass / fail control means (for example, the intersection pass / fail control unit 212 in FIG. 15)
With,
It is a road traffic control system.

According to the first invention, in an automatically driven vehicle, all passing spots such as railroad crossings and intersections on the planned travel route are initially set to stop settings as the automatic travel control setting of the planned travel route. Then, when the passage permission notification is received from the passage permission / rejection control system, the stop setting of the corresponding passing spot is updated to the passability setting. That is, the automobile is a safe operation (automatic driving) in which the vehicle cannot pass through a passing spot such as a railroad crossing or an intersection on the planned travel route until the passage is permitted by the passage permission / rejection control system.

The traffic permission / rejection control system permits traffic at the railroad crossing that the car is approaching, for example, during the time when the railroad crossing warning is given due to the approaching and passing of the train, based on the predicted railroad crossing warning time when the railroad crossing warning is given. It is determined whether or not to give a traffic permission notification according to the situation of the alarm, such as not. In addition, at intersections where automobiles are approaching, based on the timing of granting the right of way for each direction of travel, for example, traffic is not permitted during times when the right of way is not granted in the direction of travel of the vehicle. , Determine whether or not to give a traffic permit notification according to the status of granting the right of way for each traffic direction. This makes it possible to avoid collisions between trains and automobiles at railroad crossings and collisions between automobiles at intersections, and it is possible to realize a completely new technology for autonomous driving that is different from the conventional technology.

The second invention is the first invention.
The passage permission notice includes deadline information indicating the expiration date of the passage permission.
The car
When the deadline indicated by the deadline information included in the pass permission notification is reached, the stop setting update means for updating the passability setting of the target passing spot of the pass permission notification to the stop setting (for example, the stop setting update in FIG. 19). Part 612),
To prepare
It is a road traffic control system.

According to the second invention, the pass permission control system sends the pass permission notice including the deadline information, and when the deadline indicated by the deadline information included in the received pass permit notice is reached, the vehicle passes through the target passing spot. The possible setting can be updated to the stop setting. While the conditions of railroad crossing warnings and traffic signals at intersections can change from moment to moment, for example, communication delays and communication blackouts can occur between the pass / fail control system and the automobile. Then, if the state in which the vehicle cannot receive the traffic permission notification continues, even if the traffic permission notification is received once, when the deadline is reached, the stop setting is updated and the vehicle cannot enter the passing spot. This is a safe operation. In this way, it is possible to prevent automobiles from entering railroad crossings and intersections in accordance with so-called "old" permission notices, and to realize safe autonomous driving.

The third invention is the first or second invention.
The railroad crossing pass / fail control means predicts the estimated railroad crossing arrival time of the vehicle based on the planned travel route information and the travel information, and determines whether or not the railroad crossing can pass at the expected railroad crossing arrival time based on the railroad crossing timetable information. By making a judgment, it is judged whether or not the above-mentioned traffic permission notification can be given.
It is a road traffic control system.

According to the third invention, the pass / fail control system predicts the predicted arrival time of the railroad crossing approached by the automobile, determines whether or not the railroad crossing can pass at the predicted arrival time of the railroad crossing, and gives a pass permission notification. Can be determined.

The fourth invention is the first to third inventions.
The railroad crossing pass / fail control means is specified as a railroad crossing approaching a railroad crossing that satisfies a predetermined railroad crossing approach condition in terms of distance and / or time to the railroad crossing scheduled to be passed by the automobile based on the planned travel route information and the travel information. Then, after satisfying the railroad crossing approach condition, it is determined whether or not the traffic permission notification can be given at a predetermined time interval until the railroad crossing is passed.
It is a road traffic control system.

According to the fourth invention, whether or not the pass permission control system gives a pass permit notification not for all railroad crossings on the planned travel route of the vehicle but for the railroad crossings that satisfy the railroad crossing approach conditions and can be regarded as the vehicle approaching. It can be the subject of judgment. In addition, since the predicted railroad crossing warning time can change from moment to moment depending on the train, it is possible to repeatedly determine whether or not to give a pass permission notification for the railroad crossing until the car passes the railroad crossing. The judgment can be made based on the train running situation.

The fifth invention is the fifth invention in any one of the first to fourth inventions.
The intersection permission / rejection control means predicts the estimated intersection arrival time of the automobile based on the planned travel route information and the travel information, and determines whether or not the intersection can pass at the intersection arrival prediction time based on the right-of-way grant timing information. By making a judgment, it is judged whether or not the above-mentioned traffic permission notification can be given.
It is a road traffic control system.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the pass / fail control system predicts the estimated time of arrival at the intersection where the automobile is approaching, determines whether or not the intersection can pass at the predicted time of arrival at the intersection, and gives a notice of pass permission. Can be determined.

The sixth invention is the invention in any one of the first to fifth inventions.
Based on the planned travel route information and the travel information, the intersection pass / fail control means identifies an intersection where the distance and / or time to the intersection where the vehicle is scheduled to pass meets a predetermined intersection approach condition. Then, after satisfying the intersection approach condition and before passing through the intersection, it is determined whether or not the traffic permission notification can be given at a predetermined time interval.
It is a road traffic control system.

According to the sixth invention, the pass / fail control system gives a pass permit notification not for all intersections on the planned travel route of the vehicle but for the intersections that satisfy the intersection approach conditions and can be considered that the vehicle is approaching. It can be used as a judgment target. In addition, since the direction of way in which the right of way is granted at an intersection may change from moment to moment, it is possible to repeatedly determine whether or not to give a notice of permission to pass at the intersection until the vehicle passes the intersection. The judgment can be based on the latest intersection conditions.

Application example of road traffic control system. Explanatory diagram of information acquired and transmitted by the pass / fail control system. Schematic diagram of automatic driving control of automobiles. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a railroad crossing to pass through a car. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a railroad crossing to pass through a car. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a railroad crossing to pass through a car. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a railroad crossing to pass through a car. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a railroad crossing to pass through a car. Explanatory diagram of traffic control at an intersection. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a car to pass at an intersection. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a car to pass at an intersection. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a car to pass at an intersection. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a car to pass at an intersection. An explanatory diagram of the judgment of whether or not to allow a car to pass at an intersection. Functional configuration diagram of the pass / fail control system. An example of railroad crossing management information. An example of car management information. An example of intersection management information. Functional configuration diagram of the in-vehicle device. An example of automatic driving control setting information. Flow chart of the process executed by the pass / fail control system. Continuation of the flowchart of FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below do not limit the present invention, and the embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the following embodiments. Further, in the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is an application example of the road traffic control system 1 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the road traffic control system 1, a traffic permission / rejection control system 10 communicably connected to a train operation system 50 via a communication network N2 and an in-vehicle device 30 mounted on each automobile are used. It is configured to be communicably connected via the communication network N1. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the traveling of all the automobiles equipped with the in-vehicle device 30 is controlled by the automatic driving in which the planned traveling route is set.

The passage permission / rejection control system 10 is a system that controls whether or not to allow an automobile to pass through a railroad crossing and an intersection (hereinafter, referred to as a “passing spot” in the case of inclusion).

The train operation system 50 is communicably connected to the on-board device 70 of each train via the communication network N3. The estimated arrival time of each train to the railroad crossing is calculated based on the on-line management function that manages the railroad crossing, and the alarm start time is calculated based on the estimated arrival time of each train at each railroad crossing. It has various functions related to train operation, such as a railroad crossing warning function that centrally controls warnings.

Communication networks N1, N2, and N3 mean communication paths capable of data communication, and include telephone communication in addition to LAN (Local Area Network) using a dedicated line (dedicated cable) for direct connection and Ethernet (registered trademark). It means to include communication networks such as networks, cable networks, and the Internet. Wired / wireless can be appropriately selected as the communication method related to the communication network, but the communication networks N1 and N3 are wireless.

The pass / fail control system 10 acquires information on railroad crossing warnings from the train operation system 50, and also relates to automatic driving including the position of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 30 is mounted and the planned travel route from the in-vehicle device 30. Get information. Then, based on the acquired information, it is determined whether or not to allow the passage of the passing spots (railroad crossings and intersections) for each vehicle, and if the passage is permitted, a passage permission notice is generated and the corresponding vehicle-mounted vehicle is used. It is transmitted to the device 30.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating information acquired and transmitted by the pass / fail control system 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the pass / fail control system 10 is a timetable of railroad crossing warning predicted time based on the high-precision time of each railroad crossing when a railroad crossing warning is given as information on a railroad crossing warning from the train operation system 50. Acquire a certain railroad crossing timetable information 60. The railroad crossing timetable information 60 includes an update time of the information based on a high-precision time, a railroad crossing ID of the corresponding railroad crossing, and a start prediction time and an end prediction time for each alarm control. The alarm control included in the railroad crossing timetable information 60 is a predicted time related to all alarm controls within a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes) from the current time, or is related to alarm control up to a predetermined number of times (for example, 3 times). It can be an estimated time. If an alarm is currently being issued, the alarm control being implemented is also included.

Further, the pass / fail control system 10 acquires the travel information 40 from the in-vehicle device 30 of each automobile. The traveling information 40 includes an update time of the information based on a high-precision time, an in-vehicle device ID of the corresponding in-vehicle device 30, and a traveling position and a traveling speed which are own vehicle position information of the vehicle in which the corresponding in-vehicle device 30 is mounted. , Direction of travel and planned travel route.

Then, the passage permission / rejection control system 10 determines whether or not to allow the passage of the passing spots (railroad crossings and intersections) for each vehicle based on the acquired information, and if the passage is permitted, the passage permission notification. 20 is generated and transmitted to the in-vehicle device 30 of the corresponding automobile. The passage permission notification 20 includes an update time of the information based on the high-precision time, a railroad crossing ID or an intersection ID of the target passing spot, and an expiration date of the passage permission indicated by the time based on the high-precision time.

Returning to FIG. 1, the automobile (own vehicle) on which the in-vehicle device 30 is mounted is equipped with an automatic driving device, and the automatic driving device is used for automatic driving. In autonomous driving, the vehicle is controlled to travel along a planned travel route to a predetermined destination. The in-vehicle device 30 supports automatic driving control by the automatic driving device so that the passing spots that are not allowed to pass stop in front of the passing spots and do not enter the passing spots in accordance with the passing permission notification 20 received from the passing permission control system 10. ..

Further, the in-vehicle device 30 has a GNSS receiver that receives a satellite signal from the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite G, and has a positioning function based on the received GNSS satellite signal. With this positioning function, the in-vehicle device 30 can detect the position, speed, and traveling direction of the own vehicle with high accuracy.

Further, each device of the pass / fail control system 10, the in-vehicle device 30, the train operation system 50, and the on-board device 70 has a GNSS receiver for receiving a satellite signal from the GNSS satellite G, and is based on the received GNSS satellite signal. It is equipped with a high-precision time counting function that measures high-precision time. As a result, time synchronization between the devices can be realized. GNSS satellite G is a global position such as GPS (Global Positioning System), EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service), QZSS (Quasi Zenith Satellite System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), GALILEO, BeiDou (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System), etc. It is a satellite used in the positioning satellite system (GNSS).

[feature]
(A) Automatic driving control FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of automatic driving control of the automobile 32 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the automobile 32 is automatically driven so as to travel along the set planned travel route 34. The planned travel route 34 is, for example, a route from the current position of the automobile 32 to the designated destination, which is set by the driver instructing the destination by the car navigation function of the automobile 32. A route that satisfies the conditions (for example, the shortest distance, the minimum required time, etc.) is automatically searched and set.

As one of the features of this embodiment, as an automatic driving control setting for driving the automobile 32 along the planned traveling route 34, all the passing spots (railroad crossing RC and intersection IS) existing on the planned traveling route 34 are set. , Set "passable / not" to indicate whether it is passable or not. The vehicle 32 is operated and controlled so that the passing spot, which is set to stop indicating that the vehicle is impassable, stops in front of the passing spot without entering the passing spot.

The driving control for stopping the vehicle in front of the passing spot is, for example, a speed curve showing the relationship of the speed with respect to the position of the vehicle along the road, and the vehicle travels at a predetermined speed (for example, the speed limit of the road). A stop that allows the vehicle to decelerate at a predetermined deceleration (eg, the maximum deceleration determined by the performance of the vehicle) and stop at a predetermined stop position (eg, the position of the stop line defined in front of the passing spot). This can be achieved by defining a speed curve and running the vehicle according to this stop speed curve. It should be noted that this "running along the stop speed curve" control is actually applied in combination with other automatic driving controls. That is, as a result of the automatic driving control that keeps the distance from other vehicles, the vehicle does not run completely along the stop speed curve and does not exceed the speed corresponding to each position defined by the stop speed curve. It is a control that stops before the stop position.

The passability of the passing spot is set as follows. First, after setting the planned travel route 34, as an initial setting, the passability of all the passing spots on the planned travel route 34 is set as a stop setting indicating that the passage is impossible. That is, immediately after the planned travel route 34 is set, the automobile 32 cannot pass through all the traffic spots on the planned travel route 34, and the operation is controlled so as to stop in front of the spot. Then, the automobile 32 can pass or not the passing spot indicated by the passing permission notification 20 only by receiving the passing permission notification 20 from the passing permission control system 10 from the stop setting to indicate that the passing is possible. Change to settings. By changing the passability setting to passability, the vehicle can pass through the passing spot.

In addition, the passage permission notification 20 includes an expiration date (see FIG. 2). When the vehicle 32 reaches the expiration date indicated by the received pass permission notification 20, the pass permission of the pass spot indicated by the pass permit notification 20 is set to "invalid", and the pass permission setting of the pass spot is changed to the stop setting. change.

(B) Judgment of Pass / Fail of Passage FIGS. 4 to 8 are diagrams for explaining the determination of pass / fail of a railroad crossing for an automobile by the pass / fail control system 10. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the automobile 32 traveling along the planned travel route approaches the railroad crossing RC at time _T0 . Here, "approaching" a railroad crossing means that the distance and / or time from the automobile to the railroad crossing satisfies a predetermined railroad crossing approach condition. The railroad crossing approach condition is a condition that the vehicle is considered to be approaching the railroad crossing. As a condition regarding time, it can be set that "the time required to reach the railroad crossing when the vehicle travels along the planned travel route at a predetermined speed (for example, the speed limit of the road) is less than or equal to the predetermined time". ..

The pass / fail control system 10 determines whether or not to pass the railroad crossing to the railroad crossing to which the automobile is approaching. To determine whether or not to allow passage, first, it is determined whether or not the railroad crossing RC is passable at time _T0 , which is the time of the determination. Whether or not the railroad crossing RC is passable can be determined with reference to the railroad crossing timetable information 60. That is, if the time T ₀ is before the next warning start predicted time indicated by the railroad crossing timetable information 60, it is determined that the warning has not started yet and the passage is possible, and if it is after the warning start predicted time, the warning is issued. Judge that it has started and is impassable.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the railroad crossing RC is passable at time _T0 . In this case, subsequently, the estimated arrival time _TS of the automobile 32 to the railroad crossing RC is calculated. The estimated arrival time _TS can be, for example, a time at which the vehicle 32 stops before the railroad crossing RC when the vehicle 32 travels along the stop speed curve. Then, whether or not the railroad crossing RC is passable at the calculated arrival predicted time _TS is similarly determined with reference to the railroad crossing timetable information 60.

As shown in FIG. 5, if the railroad crossing RC is passable at the estimated arrival time _TS of the automobile 32, the passage permission / rejection control system 10 determines that the passage of the railroad crossing RC to the automobile 32 is “permitted”, and the passage is to that effect. The permission notification 20 is transmitted to the automobile 32. The expiration date of the passage permit determined here shall be the expiration date on which it is assumed that the passage permit can be continued. For example, it may be a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, etc.), or it may be the next alarm start predicted time. Therefore, the automobile 32 that has received the pass permission notification 20 can change the passability of the railroad crossing RC from the stop setting to the passable setting, and can pass through the railroad crossing RC. That is, the automobile 32 does not need to follow the stop speed curve determined to stop before the railroad crossing RC, and is operated and controlled so as to pass through the railroad crossing RC.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, if the railroad crossing RC cannot pass at the estimated arrival time _TS of the automobile 32, the pass / fail control system 10 determines that the passage of the railroad crossing RC to the automobile 32 is “not permitted”. In this case, the pass permission notification 20 is not transmitted. Therefore, the automobile 32 cannot pass through the railroad crossing RC, and is operated and controlled so as to stop before the railroad crossing RC according to the stop speed curve defined to stop before the railroad crossing RC.

FIG. 7 shows a case where the railroad crossing RC is impassable at time _T0 . In this case, the passage permission / rejection control system 10 determines that the passage of the railroad crossing RC to the automobile 32 is “not permitted”, and does not transmit the passage permission notification 20. Therefore, the automobile 32 cannot pass through the railroad crossing RC, and is operated and controlled so as to stop before the railroad crossing RC according to the stop speed curve defined to stop before the railroad crossing RC.

As described above, the pass / fail control system 10 is a vehicle when the railroad crossing RC is passable at the time of determination and it is predicted that the railroad crossing RC is passable even at the time when the railroad crossing RC of the automobile 32 reaches the railroad crossing RC. The passage of the railroad crossing RC is "permitted" to 32, and the passage permission notice is transmitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the passage permission notification 20 is not received, the vehicle 32 cannot pass through the railroad crossing RC and stops in front of the railroad crossing RC according to the stop speed curve. When the automobile 32 stops before the railroad crossing RC, the automobile 32 will be able to pass the railroad crossing RC when the railroad crossing becomes passable by the train 72 passing through the railroad crossing RC. That is, when the railroad crossing RC becomes passable due to the passage of the train 72, the automobile 32 has already reached the railroad crossing RC, and that time is the estimated arrival time _TS . Therefore, in the case shown in FIG. Correspondingly, the passage permission / rejection control system 10 determines that the passage of the railroad crossing RC to the vehicle 32 is “permitted”, and transmits the passage permission notification 20 to the vehicle 32.

The pass / fail control system 10 repeatedly determines whether or not to allow the railroad crossing RC for the automobile 32 as described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 at predetermined time intervals until the automobile 32 passes the railroad crossing RC. .. Since the judgment of passage permission is made for the railroad crossing RC approaching the automobile 32, the distance and / or the time to the railroad crossing RC to be to be passed on the planned travel route of the automobile 32 satisfies the predetermined railroad crossing approach condition. After that, it can be said that the determination of whether or not the railroad crossing RC is allowed to pass for the automobile 32 is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals until the railroad crossing RC is passed. The predicted start time of the railroad crossing RC may change depending on the traveling condition of the train 72. Further, since the estimated arrival time Ts to the railroad crossing RC may change depending on the driving condition of the automobile 32, the judgment result of "permit / disapproval" may be different for each repeated judgment. For example, immediately after the vehicle 32 approaches the railroad crossing RC and the repeated determination is started, the passage of the railroad crossing RC is determined to be "not permitted" and the vehicle 32 is controlled to stop in front of the railroad crossing RC. , In some cases, the vehicle 32 is judged to be "permitted" before reaching the railroad crossing RC, and conversely, immediately after the start of repeated judgments, it is judged to be "permitted" and the vehicle 32 can pass through the railroad crossing RC. Therefore, the operation is controlled so as to pass through, but there may be a case where the operation is controlled so that the vehicle cannot pass and stops in front of the railroad crossing RC because it is determined to be "not permitted" before reaching the railroad crossing RC. ..

At intersections, traffic is controlled so that the right of way is granted in order to each of a plurality of traffic directions that intersect each other. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating traffic control at an intersection. FIG. 9 shows an example of a cross intersection where two traffic directions of a main road and a secondary road intersect, as shown in the upper part. At such a cross intersection, as shown in the timing chart at the center of FIG. 9, the right of way is alternately granted to each of the main road and the secondary road. This timing chart shows the time zone in which the right of way is granted for each of the main road and the secondary road with the horizontal direction as the time axis. From the viewpoint of safety, the timing of switching the right of way for granting the right of way is provided with a period during which the right of way is not granted in all directions (for example, times T _b to T _c , T _d to _Te , etc.). ing. The length of time for granting the right of way in a certain direction of way may be different or the same for each direction of way. Further, it may be made variable according to the traffic volume.

In order to realize such traffic control, the right-of-way control system 10 stores the right-of-way grant timing information 335, which is the right-of-way grant timing for each traffic direction at an intersection, as shown in the lower part of FIG. There is. The right-of-way grant timing information 335 is a data table stored in time series in association with the time zone and the traffic direction to which the right of way is granted. The right-of-way control system 10 may acquire and store the right-of-way grant timing information 335 from an external system (for example, an intersection signal control system), or the time for granting a right-of-way for each direction. Control parameters required for traffic control at intersections, such as the length of the vehicle, the length of time during which the right of way is not granted in all directions, and the reference timing for granting the right of way in all directions, are acquired from the external system and controlled. According to the parameter, the right-of-way grant timing may be calculated for each traffic direction to generate the right-of-way grant timing information 335.

10 to 14 are diagrams for explaining the determination of the passage permission / rejection of an intersection with respect to an automobile by the passage permission / rejection control system 10. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the automobile 32 traveling along the planned travel route approaches the intersection IS at time _T0 . Here, "approaching" an intersection means that the distance and / or time from the automobile to the intersection satisfies a predetermined intersection approach condition, as in the case of a railroad crossing. The intersection approach condition is a condition that the vehicle is considered to be approaching the intersection. For example, as a condition regarding the distance, "the distance along the planned travel route from the vehicle to the intersection is not more than a predetermined distance" or As a condition regarding time, it can be set that "the time required for the vehicle to travel along the planned travel route at a predetermined speed (for example, the speed limit of the road) and reach the intersection is not more than the predetermined time".

The pass / fail control system 10 determines whether or not to pass the intersection for the automobile, targeting the intersection where the automobile is approaching. To determine whether or not to allow passage, first, it is determined whether or not the intersection IS is passable at time _T0 , which is the time of the determination. Whether or not the intersection is passable can be determined with reference to the right-of-way grant timing information 335. In other words, if the right of way is granted in the direction of travel along the planned travel route of the vehicle, it is judged that the vehicle is passable, and if the right of way is not granted, the vehicle is impassable. Judge.

FIG. 10 shows a case where the intersection is passable at time _T0 . In this case, subsequently, the estimated arrival time _TS to the intersection of the automobile is calculated. The estimated arrival time _TS can be, for example, a time when the vehicle stops before the intersection when the vehicle travels along the stop speed curve. Then, whether or not the intersection is passable at the calculated arrival estimated time _TS is similarly determined with reference to the right-of-way grant timing information 335.

As shown in FIG. 11, if the intersection IS is passable at the estimated arrival time _TS of the automobile 32, the passage permission / rejection control system 10 determines that the passage of the intersection IS to the automobile 32 is “permitted”, and the passage to that effect. The permission notification 20 is transmitted to the automobile 32. The expiration date of the passage permit determined here shall be the expiration date on which it is assumed that the passage permit can be continued. For example, it may be a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, etc.), or it may be a time when the right of way granted at time _t0 , which is the time of determination, ends. Therefore, the vehicle 32 that has received the pass permission notification 20 can change the passability of the intersection IS from the stop setting to the passable setting, and can pass through the intersection IS. That is, the automobile 32 does not need to follow the stopping speed curve determined to stop before the intersection, and is controlled to pass through the intersection IS.

Also, as shown in FIG. If the intersection IS is impassable at the estimated arrival time _TS of the automobile 32, the pass / fail control system 10 determines that the passage of the intersection IS to the automobile 32 is "not permitted". In this case, the pass permission notification 20 is not transmitted. Therefore, the automobile 32 cannot pass through the intersection IS and is controlled to stop before the intersection IS according to the stop speed curve defined to stop before the intersection IS.

FIG. 13 shows a case where the intersection IS is impassable at time _T0 . In this case, the pass permission / rejection control system 10 determines that the passage of the intersection IS to the automobile 32 is "not permitted", and does not transmit the pass permission notification 20. Therefore, the automobile 32 cannot pass through the intersection IS and is controlled to stop before the intersection IS according to the stop speed curve defined to stop before the intersection IS.

As described above, when the traffic permit / rejection control system 10 predicts that the intersection IS is passable at the time of determination and that the intersection IS is passable even at the time of reaching the intersection of the automobile 32, the automobile 32 The traffic of the intersection IS is "permitted" to the vehicle, and the traffic permission notification 20 is transmitted.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the pass permission notification 20 is not received, the vehicle 32 cannot pass through the intersection IS and stops in front of the intersection IS according to the stop speed curve. Since the right of way is granted in order in a plurality of traffic directions, when the automobile 32 stops in front of the intersection ID, the right of way is granted in the direction of travel of the automobile 32 and the intersection IS passes. When it becomes possible, you will be able to pass the intersection IS. That is, at the time when the intersection IS becomes passable due to the grant of the right of way, since the automobile 32 has already reached the intersection IS, that time becomes the estimated arrival time _TS . Therefore, in the case shown in FIG. Correspondingly, the right-of-way control system 10 determines that the passage of the intersection IS to the automobile 32 is "permitted" and transmits the right-of-way notice 20 to the automobile 32.

The pass / fail control system 10 repeatedly determines whether or not to allow the intersection IS for the automobile 32 as described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 at predetermined time intervals until the automobile 32 passes through the intersection IS. .. Since the determination of passage permission is made for the intersection IS where the vehicle 32 is approaching, the distance and / or time to the intersection IS to be traveled on the planned travel route of the vehicle 32 satisfies the predetermined intersection approach condition. After that, it can be said that the determination of whether or not the intersection IS is allowed for the automobile 32 is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals until the vehicle passes through the intersection IS. The timing of granting the right of way for each direction of traffic may change depending on the traffic conditions of the intersection IS. Further, since the estimated arrival time Ts to the intersection IS may change depending on the driving condition of the automobile 32, the judgment result of "permit / disapproval" may be different for each repeated judgment. For example, immediately after the automobile 32 approaches the intersection IS and the repeated determination is started, the passage of the intersection IS is determined to be "not permitted" and the automobile 32 is controlled to stop in front of the intersection IS. , The case where the vehicle 32 is judged to be "permitted" before reaching the intersection IS and can pass, or conversely, immediately after the start of the repeated judgment, the car 32 is judged to be "permitted" and the vehicle 32 can pass through the intersection IS. Therefore, the operation is controlled so as to pass through, but there may be a case where the operation is controlled so as to be judged as "not permitted" before reaching the intersection IS of the automobile 32 and to stop in front of the vehicle without being able to pass. ..

[Functional configuration]
(A) Passability control system 10
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the pass / fail control system 10. According to FIG. 15, the pass / fail control system 10 includes an operation unit 102, a display unit 104, a sound output unit 106, a communication unit 108, a GNSS receiving unit 110, a processing unit 200, and a storage unit 300. It can be configured as a kind of computer system.

The operation unit 102 is realized by an input device such as a button switch, a touch panel, or a keyboard, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the performed operation to the processing unit 200. The display unit 104 is realized by a display device such as an LCD or a touch panel, and performs various displays according to a display signal from the processing unit 200. The sound output unit 106 is realized by an audio output device such as a speaker, and outputs various sounds according to the audio signal from the processing unit 200. The communication unit 108 is realized by, for example, a wired or wireless communication device, is connected to the communication networks N1 and N2, and communicates with various external devices such as the train operation system 50 and the in-vehicle device 30.

The GNSS receiving unit 110 is a GNSS receiver that receives a GNSS satellite signal from the GNSS satellite G, performs a positioning calculation based on the received GNSS satellite signal, and performs a positioning calculation based on the received GNSS satellite signal, a position represented by the latitude / longitude altitude, and a clock unit 220. Calculate the error (time error) from the time measured in.

The processing unit 200 is realized by an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and is instructed to each unit constituting the pass / fail control system 10 and data is transferred based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit 300. To perform overall control of the pass / fail control system 10. Further, the processing unit 200 executes the pass / fail control program 302 stored in the storage unit 300 to execute the railroad crossing timetable information acquisition unit 202, the railroad crossing information management unit 204, the traveling information receiving unit 206, and the vehicle information. It functions as each functional block of the management unit 208, the railroad crossing pass / fail control unit 210, the intersection pass / fail control unit 212, and the clock unit 220. However, these functional blocks can also be configured as independent arithmetic circuits by ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

The railroad crossing timetable information acquisition unit 202 acquires railroad crossing timetable information 60 for each railroad crossing from the train operation system 50. This acquisition may be realized by the train operation system 50 voluntarily transmitting at a predetermined transmission interval, or the train operation system may be realized in response to a request from the railroad crossing timetable information acquisition unit 202. It may be realized by transmitting 50.

The railroad crossing information management unit 204 updates the railroad crossing management information 320 and manages the status of each railroad crossing based on the railroad crossing timetable information 60 acquired by the railroad crossing timetable information acquisition unit 202. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of railroad crossing management information 320. According to FIG. 16, the railroad crossing management information 320 is generated for each railroad crossing, and along with the update time 321 at which the information is generated / updated, the railroad crossing ID 322 that identifies the relevant railroad crossing, and the installation position 323 represented by latitude and longitude. And railroad crossing timetable information 324. The railroad crossing timetable information 324 is updated to the latest value at any time by the railroad crossing timetable information 60 acquired from the train operation system 50.

The travel information receiving unit 206 receives the travel information 40 from the vehicle-mounted device 30. This reception may be realized by the vehicle-mounted device 30 voluntarily transmitting at a predetermined transmission interval, or the vehicle-mounted device 30 transmits in response to a request from the traveling information receiving unit 206. It may be realized by.

The automobile information management unit 208 updates the automobile management information 340 based on the driving information 40 acquired by the traveling information receiving unit 206, and manages the situation of each automobile. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of automobile management information 340. According to FIG. 17, the automobile management information 340 is generated for each automobile, and together with the update time 341 in which the information is generated / updated, the automobile ID 342 that identifies the corresponding automobile and the in-vehicle device 30 that is mounted are identified. The vehicle-mounted device ID 343, the traveling position 344, the traveling speed 345, the traveling direction 346, the planned traveling route 347, and the transmission history 348 of the passage permission notification are included. The traveling position 344, the traveling speed 345, the traveling direction 346, and the planned traveling route 347 are updated to the latest values at any time by the acquired traveling information 40.

Based on the railroad crossing timetable information, the planned travel route information, and the travel information, the railroad crossing pass / fail control unit 210 determines whether or not to give a pass permit notification to the railroad crossing where the vehicle is approaching, and if it determines that it is possible to pass. Send a permit notice to the car. Specifically, it is a railroad crossing on the planned travel route of a car, and the railroad crossing is approaching a railroad crossing that meets the predetermined railroad crossing approach condition in terms of distance from the car and / or the required time, until the car passes the railroad crossing. During that time, the determination of whether or not to allow the vehicle to pass the railroad crossing (permission or disapproval) is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals. If it is predicted that the railroad crossing is passable at the present time and that the railroad crossing is passable at the estimated arrival time _TS of the automobile, the passage of the railroad crossing is "permitted" to the automobile. Judge, and if not, judge as "not permitted". Then, if it is determined to be "permitted", the passage permission notification 20 to that effect is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 30 of the automobile (see FIGS. 4 to 8). Whether or not a railroad crossing is passable at a certain point in time can be determined by referring to the railroad crossing timetable information 324 (see FIG. 16) in the railroad crossing management information 320 relating to the railroad crossing.

The intersection permission / rejection control unit 212 determines whether or not to give a passage permission notification to the intersection where the vehicle is approaching based on the right-of-way grant timing information, the planned travel route information, and the travel information, and when the determination is acceptable. Send a permit notice to the car. Specifically, it is an intersection on the planned travel route of the automobile, and the intersection is approaching an intersection where the distance from the automobile and / or the required time satisfy the predetermined intersection approach conditions, and until the automobile passes through the intersection. During that time, the determination of whether or not to allow the automobile to pass through the intersection (permission or disapproval) is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals. If it is predicted that the intersection is passable at the present time and the intersection is passable at the estimated arrival time _TS of the automobile, the judgment of the passage permission is "permitted" to the automobile. Judge, and if not, judge as "not permitted". Then, if it is determined to be "permitted", the passage permission notification 20 to that effect is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 30 of the automobile (see FIGS. 9 to 14). Whether or not an intersection is passable at a certain point in time can be determined by referring to the right-of-way grant timing information 335 (see FIG. 18) in the intersection management information 330 relating to the intersection.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the intersection management information 330. According to FIG. 18, the intersection management information 330 is generated for each intersection, the update time 331 where the information is generated / updated, the intersection ID 332 for identifying the corresponding intersection, and the installation position 333 represented by latitude and longitude. And the configuration information 334 and the passage right grant timing information 335. The configuration information 334 is information such as the number and positional relationship of the directions constituting the intersection and the traffic direction, and the connection with other intersections.

The clock unit 220 is configured to have an oscillation circuit having a crystal oscillator, and measures the current time and the elapsed time from the designated timing. Further, the clock unit 220 realizes a high-precision time counting function for measuring a high-precision time by correcting the current time measured by using the time error calculated by the GNSS receiving unit 110. The high-precision timekeeping function of the clock unit 220 may not be realized by using the GNSS satellite signal, but may be further equipped with a receiver of a standard radio wave and use the standard radio wave received by this receiver. Alternatively, the absolute time acquired from the absolute time information providing system, which is an external system, may be used via the communication unit 108.

The storage unit 300 is realized by a storage device such as a hard disk, ROM, or RAM, and the processing unit 200 stores programs and data for integratedly controlling the road traffic control system 1, and the processing unit 200 stores the programs and data. It is used as a work area, and the calculation results executed by the processing unit 200 according to various programs, input data via the operation unit 102 and the communication unit 108, and the like are temporarily stored. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 300 stores the passage permission / rejection control program 302, the railroad crossing management information 320, the intersection management information 330, and the automobile management information 340.

(B) In-vehicle device 30
FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 30. According to FIG. 19, the in-vehicle device 30 includes an operation unit 502, a display unit 504, a sound output unit 506, a communication unit 508, a GNSS receiving unit 510, a processing unit 600, and a storage unit 700. It can be configured as a kind of computer system.

The operation unit 502 is realized by an input device such as a button switch, a touch panel, or a keyboard, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the performed operation to the processing unit 600. The display unit 504 is realized by a display device such as an LCD or a touch panel, and performs various displays according to a display signal from the processing unit 600. The sound output unit 506 is realized by an audio output device such as a speaker, and outputs various sounds according to the audio signal from the processing unit 600. The communication unit 508 is realized by, for example, a wired or wireless communication device, connects to the communication network N1 and communicates with various external devices such as the pass / fail control system 10.

The GNSS receiver 510 is a GNSS receiver that receives GNSS satellite signals from the GNSS satellite G, performs positioning calculations based on the received GNSS satellite signals, and performs positioning calculations based on the received GNSS satellite signals, and has a position represented by latitude / longitude altitude and a clock unit 620. It realizes a positioning function that calculates the error (time error) from the time measured by.

The processing unit 600 is realized by, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and gives instructions and data transfer to each unit constituting the in-vehicle device 30 based on programs and data stored in the storage unit 700. , Performs overall control of the in-vehicle device 30. Further, the processing unit 600 executes the in-vehicle program 702 stored in the storage unit 700 to include the travel route setting unit 602, the travel information transmission unit 604, the passage permission notification reception unit 606, and the initial setting unit 608. , The passable setting update unit 610, the stop setting update unit 612, the automatic driving control setting provision unit 614, and the clock unit 620 function as each functional block. However, these functional blocks can also be configured as independent arithmetic circuits by ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

The travel route setting unit 602 sets a planned travel route from the current position of the own vehicle to the instructed destination according to the instruction operation via the operation unit 502. The data regarding the set planned travel route is stored in the storage unit 700 as the scheduled travel route information 716.

The travel information transmission unit 604 generates travel information 40 including the travel position, travel speed, and travel direction indicated by the position / speed information 712 stored in the storage unit 700, and the travel schedule route indicated by the travel schedule route information 716. , Sent to the pass / fail control system 10. This transmission may be voluntarily transmitted by the traveling information transmission unit 604 at predetermined transmission intervals, or may be transmitted in response to a request from the pass / fail control system 10.

The passage permission notification receiving unit 606 receives the passage permission notification 20 from the passage permission / rejection control system 10. The received traffic permission notification 20 is stored and stored in the storage unit 700 as a reception history 730, for example, in the order of reception.

The initial setting unit 608 sets the automatic travel control setting of the planned travel route to the stop setting for each of the passing spots (railroad crossings and intersections) existing on the planned travel route. Specifically, when a new planned travel route is set in the travel route setting unit 602, passability is set to stop for all the passing spots (railroad crossings and intersections) existing on the planned travel route.

The passability of each passing spot is managed as the automatic driving control setting information 720. FIG. 20 is an example of the automatic driving control setting information 720. According to FIG. 20, the automatic driving control setting information 720 includes a railroad crossing ID or an intersection ID, which is an identification ID, and passability, for each of the railroad crossing and the intersection, which are passing spots on the planned traveling route set at the present time. It is stored in association with the expiration date.

When the pass permission notification is received from the pass permission control system 10 to the effect that the passage of the passing spot is permitted, the pass permission setting update unit 610 updates the stop setting of the target passing spot of the pass permission notification to the pass permission setting. .. Specifically, the passage permission notification 20 received by the passage permission notification receiving unit 606 is changed to a passability setting for the passage spots (railroad crossings and intersections), and is included in the pass permission notification 20. The automatic driving control setting information 720 is updated in association with the deadline.

When the deadline indicated by the deadline information included in the pass permission notification is reached, the stop setting update unit 612 updates the passability setting of the target passing spot of the pass permission notification to the stop setting. Specifically, the passing spot whose expiration date has reached the current time is determined with reference to the automatic driving control setting information 720, and the passability setting of the determined passing spot is changed to the stop setting.

When the driving mode is the automatic driving mode, the automatic driving control setting providing unit 614 outputs the automatic driving control setting information 720 to the automatic driving device 36 mounted on the own vehicle at any time, and the passage permission / rejection control system 10 is used to output the automatic driving control setting information 720. For a passing spot where passage is not permitted, the automatic driving device 36 controls automatic driving so as to stop in front of the passing spot and not enter.

According to the automatic driving control setting information 720, the automatic driving device 36 causes the vehicle to stop in front of the passing spot that is set to stop, and to pass through the passing spot that is set to be passable. Operation control is performed.

The clock unit 620 is configured to have an oscillation circuit having a crystal oscillator, and measures the current time and the elapsed time from the designated timing. Further, the clock unit 620 realizes a high-precision time timing function for measuring a high-precision time by correcting the current time measured by using the time error calculated by the GNSS receiving unit 510. The high-precision timekeeping function of the clock unit 620 may not be realized by using a GNSS satellite signal, but may be further equipped with a receiver of a standard radio wave and use the standard radio wave received by this receiver. Alternatively, the absolute time acquired from the absolute time information providing system, which is an external system, may be used via the communication unit 508.

The storage unit 700 is realized by a storage device such as a hard disk, ROM, RAM, etc., and the processing unit 600 stores programs, data, etc. for integratedly controlling the in-vehicle device 30, and a work area of the processing unit 600. The calculation result executed by the processing unit 600 according to various programs, the input data via the operation unit 502 and the communication unit 508, and the like are temporarily stored. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 700 includes an in-vehicle program 702, a map DB 710, position / speed information 712, and an operation mode 714 indicating whether the operation mode of the own vehicle is a manual operation mode or an automatic operation mode. , The planned driving route information 716, the automatic driving control setting information 720, and the reception history 730 of the passage permission notification are stored.

The position / speed information 712 includes the traveling position, traveling speed, and traveling direction of the own vehicle, which can be calculated from, for example, a positioning calculation by the GNSS receiving unit 510.

[Processing flow]
(A) Passability control system 10
21 and 22 are flowcharts for explaining the flow of processing in the pass / fail control system 10. This process is a process of controlling whether or not to allow the passage of passing spots (railroad crossings and intersections) (passage permission or non-permission) for autonomously driven vehicles, and the same process is performed in parallel for each vehicle. Will be executed.

First, it is determined whether or not the planned travel route of the target vehicle (target vehicle) has been acquired, and if the planned travel route has been acquired (step S1: YES), the passing spots (railroad crossings and intersections) on the planned travel route have been acquired. ), And the passing spot that the target vehicle will reach next is determined (step S3).

If the next passing spot is a railroad crossing (step S5: railroad crossing), it is determined whether the target vehicle has approached the railroad crossing (target railroad crossing) depending on whether the railroad crossing approach condition is satisfied. If it is not approaching (step S7: NO), it waits until it is approaching. If the target vehicle is approaching the target railroad crossing (step S7: YES), the estimated arrival time _TS of the target vehicle to the target railroad crossing is calculated (step S9). Next, with reference to the railroad crossing timetable information 60 regarding the target railroad crossing, it is determined whether or not the target railroad crossing is passable at the present time. If it is passable (step S11: YES), then, with reference to the railroad crossing timetable information 60 regarding the target railroad crossing, it is determined whether the target railroad crossing is passable at the estimated arrival time _TS of the target vehicle. .. If it is possible to pass (step S13: YES), it is determined that the passage of the target railroad crossing is "permitted" to the target vehicle (step S15), and the passage permission notification 20 is transmitted to the target vehicle (step S17).

On the other hand, when the target railroad crossing is not passable at the present time (step S11: NO), or when the target railroad crossing is passable at the present time but the target railroad crossing is not passable at the estimated arrival time _TS (step). In S13: NO), it is determined that the passage of the target railroad crossing is "not permitted" for the target vehicle (step S15). In this case, the pass permission notification 20 is not transmitted.

Subsequently, it is determined whether the target vehicle has entered the target railroad crossing beyond the stop position in front of the target railroad crossing, and if it has not entered (step S21: NO), after waiting for a predetermined determination interval time (step). S23), the process returns to step S9, and the same process is repeated. If the target vehicle enters the target railroad crossing (step S21: YES), further, after waiting until the target vehicle advances and passes the target railroad crossing (step S26: YES), the process returns to step S3 and the same process is performed. repeat.

On the other hand, if the next passing spot along the planned travel route of the target vehicle is an intersection (step S5: intersection), it is determined whether the target vehicle has reached the intersection (target intersection) depending on whether the intersection approach condition is satisfied. If it is not approaching (step S27: NO), it waits until it is approaching. If the target vehicle is approaching the target intersection (step S27: YES), the estimated arrival time _TS of the target vehicle to the target intersection is calculated (step S29). Next, with reference to the right-of-way grant timing information 335 regarding the target intersection, it is determined whether or not the target intersection is passable at the present time. If it is passable (step S31: YES), then, with reference to the right-of-way grant timing information 335 regarding the target intersection, it is determined whether the target intersection is passable at the estimated arrival time _TS of the target vehicle. do. If it is possible to pass (step S33: YES), it is determined that the passage at the target intersection is "permitted" to the target vehicle (step S35), and the passage permission notification 20 is transmitted to the target vehicle (step S37).

On the other hand, when the target intersection is impassable at the present time (step S31: NO), or when the target intersection is passable at the present time but the target intersection is impassable at the estimated arrival time _TS (step). In S33: NO), it is determined that the passage of the target intersection is "not permitted" for the target vehicle (step S39).
In this case, the pass permission notification 20 is not transmitted.

Subsequently, it is determined whether the target vehicle has entered the target intersection beyond the stop position in front of the target intersection, and if it has not entered (step S41: NO), after waiting for a predetermined determination interval time (step). S43), the process returns to step S29, and the same process is repeated. If the target vehicle enters the target intersection (step S41: YES), further, after waiting until the target vehicle advances and passes through the target intersection (step S45: YES), the process returns to step S3 and the same process is performed. repeat.

[Action effect]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to safely and automatically drive a vehicle according to the situation of a railroad crossing warning and a traffic signal at an intersection, which change from moment to moment. For autonomous driving vehicles, all passing spots such as railroad crossings and intersections on the planned travel route are initially set to stop settings as the automatic travel control setting of the planned travel route. Then, when the pass permission notification is received from the pass permission control system 10, the stop setting of the corresponding passing spot is updated to the pass possible setting. That is, the automobile is a safe operation (automatic driving) in which the vehicle cannot pass through a passing spot such as a railroad crossing or an intersection on the planned travel route until the passage is permitted by the passage permission / rejection control system 10.

The traffic permit control system 10 uses the predicted railroad crossing warning time when a railroad crossing warning is given for a railroad crossing approached by a car, for example, during a time zone when a railroad crossing warning is given due to the approaching and passing of a train. It is determined whether or not to give a traffic permission notification according to the situation of the warning, such as not permitting, and at the intersection where the car is approaching, for example, based on the timing of granting the traffic right for each traffic direction, for example, a car. It is determined whether or not to give a railroad crossing permission notification according to the status of granting a railroad crossing for each railroad crossing, such as not allowing a railroad crossing during a time zone when the railroad crossing is not granted in the direction of travel. This makes it possible to avoid collisions between trains and automobiles at railroad crossings and collisions between automobiles at intersections, and it is possible to realize a completely new technology for autonomous driving that is different from the conventional technology.

Further, since the train operation system 50 and the pass / fail control system 10 both have a high-precision time clock, accurate time synchronization can be achieved between the systems.

It should be noted that the applicable embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and of course, it can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 ... Road traffic control system 10 ... Traffic distance permission / rejection control system 200 ... Processing unit 202 ... Crossing timetable information acquisition unit, 204 ... Crossing information management unit 206 ... Driving information receiving unit, 208 ... Vehicle information management unit 210 ... Crossing permission / rejection Control unit, 212 ... Crossing pass permission control unit 220 ... Clock unit 302 ... Pass permission control program 310 ... Map DB
320 ... Crossing management information, 330 ... Crossing management information 340 ... Vehicle management information 20 ... Traffic permission notification 30 ... In-vehicle device 600 ... Processing unit 602 ... Driving route setting unit, 604 ... Driving information transmission unit 606 ... Traffic permission notification receiving unit, 608 ... Initial setting unit 610 ... Passable setting update unit, 612 ... Stop setting update unit 614 ... Automatic driving control setting provision unit 620 ... Clock unit 700 ... Storage unit 702 ... In-vehicle program 710 ... Map DB
712 ... Position speed information, 714 ... Driving mode 716 ... Scheduled driving route information, 720 ... Automatic driving control setting information 730 ... Receipt / separation history of traffic permission notification 32 ... Automobile 34 ... Scheduled driving route 36 ... Automatic driving device 40 ... Driving information 50 ... Train operation system 60 ... Crossing timetable information 70 ... On-board equipment 72 ... Trains N1 to N3 ... Communication network G ... GNSS satellite RC ... Crossing, IS ... Crossing

Claims (5)

A car that automatically drives to a given destination along a given planned route, and
A pass permission control system that is connected to the train operation system and controls whether or not to allow the vehicle to pass through railroad crossings and intersections (hereinafter referred to as "passing spots" in the case of inclusion).
Is a road traffic control system configured to enable communication,
The train operation system and the pass / fail control system each perform high-precision time by receiving satellite signals from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites, receiving standard radio waves, or communicating with an absolute time information providing system. It is equipped with a high-precision timekeeping function to measure timekeeping.
The car
An initial setting means for initializing the automatic driving control setting of the planned traveling route as a stop setting for each of the passing spots existing on the planned traveling route.
1) When a pass permit notification including information indicating the pass permit deadline of the pass spot is received from the pass permit control system, the stop setting of the target pass spot of the pass permit notification is updated to the pass enable setting 2). When the passage permission deadline of the received passage permission notification is reached, the passage permission setting of the target passing spot of the passage permission notification is updated to the stop setting, and the passage permission setting update means.
It is equipped with automatic driving control to prevent entry to the passing spot that is not set to be passable.
The pass / fail control system is
A railroad crossing timetable information acquisition means for acquiring railroad crossing timetable information, which is a timetable of a railroad crossing warning predicted time based on the high-precision time of each railroad crossing when a railroad crossing warning is issued from the train operation system.
A travel schedule information storage means for storing the travel schedule route information of the automobile, and a travel schedule information storage means.
A driving information receiving means for receiving driving information including own vehicle position information from the automobile,
Based on the railroad crossing timetable information, the planned travel route information, and the travel information, it is determined whether or not the passage permission notification can be given to the railroad crossing approached by the automobile, and if it is determined that the passage permission notification is not possible. Is not transmitted to the vehicle, and the railroad crossing permission / rejection control means is transmitted to the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is acceptable.
A right-of-way grant timing information storage means for storing the right-of-way grant timing information, which is the right-of-way grant timing for each traffic direction based on the high-precision time at each intersection.
Based on the right-of-way grant timing information, the planned travel route information, and the travel information, it is determined whether or not the traffic permission notification can be given to the intersection where the automobile is approaching, and if it is determined that the traffic permission is not possible, the traffic permission is determined. An intersection traffic permit control means that transmits the traffic permission notice to the vehicle when it is determined that the notification is not transmitted to the vehicle, and
With,
Road traffic control system. The railroad crossing pass / fail control means predicts the estimated railroad crossing arrival time of the vehicle based on the planned travel route information and the travel information, and determines whether or not the railroad crossing can pass at the expected railroad crossing arrival time based on the railroad crossing timetable information. By making a judgment, it is judged whether or not the above-mentioned traffic permission notification can be given.
The road traffic control system according to claim 1 . The railroad crossing pass / fail control means is specified as a railroad crossing approaching a railroad crossing that satisfies a predetermined railroad crossing approach condition in terms of distance and / or time to the railroad crossing scheduled to be passed by the automobile based on the planned travel route information and the travel information. Then, after satisfying the railroad crossing approach condition, it is determined whether or not the traffic permission notification can be given at a predetermined time interval until the railroad crossing is passed.
The road traffic control system according to claim 1 or 2 . The intersection permission / rejection control means predicts the estimated intersection arrival time of the automobile based on the planned travel route information and the travel information, and determines whether or not the intersection can pass at the intersection arrival prediction time based on the right-of-way grant timing information. By making a judgment, it is judged whether or not the above-mentioned traffic permission notification can be given.
The road traffic control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . Based on the planned travel route information and the travel information, the intersection pass / fail control means identifies an intersection where the distance and / or time to the intersection of the vehicle scheduled to pass meets a predetermined intersection approach condition. Then, after satisfying the intersection approach condition and before passing through the intersection, it is determined whether or not the traffic permission notification can be given at a predetermined time interval.
The road traffic control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

Images