Wrong-way driving vehicle alert system

Abstract

Reduce the amount of data transmitted for detailed information about vehicles driving in the wrong direction. [Solution] The system includes a first transmitting means that detects a vehicle 12b driving in the wrong direction on the road and transmits wrong-way driving notification information to the vehicle 12b; a second transmitting means that, when the wrong-way driving vehicle 12b receives the wrong-way driving notification information, transmits wrong-way driving information including its own vehicle information to the vehicle; and a third transmitting means that transmits an alert containing the received wrong-way driving information to the vehicle 12a driving in the correct direction. The communication used in the second transmitting means and the communication used in the first and second transmitting means are different communication methods.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a wrong-way driving alert system that notifies oncoming vehicles of wrong-way driving information.

Background Art

[0002] Normally, a vehicle can travel in any direction according to the driver's operation. Therefore, there may be a situation where a vehicle enters and travels in the oncoming lane on a highway or the like. Wrong-way driving is dangerous, and there is a demand to prevent it.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, when wrong-way driving information is received from a wrong-way vehicle, if the host vehicle and the wrong-way vehicle are traveling on the same road, or if the distance between the host vehicle and the wrong-way vehicle is within a predetermined range, the wrong-way vehicle information is notified to the driver of the host vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In Patent Document 1, on the host vehicle which is the receiving side, it is determined whether to notify the driver or not. Therefore, even when notifying, the wrong-way driving information itself is received, and there is room for improvement in terms of reducing communication data capacity.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The wrong-way driving vehicle alert system relating to this disclosure is a wrong-way driving vehicle alert system that notifies a vehicle traveling in the correct direction of information about a wrong-way driving vehicle, and includes: a detection means provided in the roadside system for detecting a wrong-way driving vehicle on the road; a first transmission means provided in the roadside system for transmitting wrong-way driving vehicle notification information to the wrong-way driving vehicle when it is detected; a second transmission means provided in the vehicle for transmitting wrong-way driving information including the vehicle's own information when it receives wrong-way driving vehicle notification information from the roadside system; and a third transmission means provided in the roadside system for transmitting an alert including the received wrong-way driving information to a vehicle traveling in the correct direction.

[0007] The communication used in the second transmission means and the communication used in the first and second transmission means may be based on different communication methods.

[0008] The communication used in the second transmission means is a constantly connected communication, while the communication used in the first and second transmission means is a fixed-point communication.

[0009] The communication used in the second transmission means is DCM communication, while the communication used in the first and second transmission means is ETC2.0 communication. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the wrong-way driving vehicle alert system described herein, detailed information about wrong-way driving vehicles can be communicated only when a wrong-way driving incident occurs. Therefore, it can contribute to reducing the amount of communication data. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the overall configuration of the wrong-way driving vehicle alert system related to this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-side system 30. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the processing procedure for wrong-way driving vehicle alerts. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are not limiting to this disclosure, and configurations formed by selectively combining multiple examples are also included in this disclosure.

[0013] "System Configuration" Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the wrong-way driving vehicle alert system according to this disclosure. Road 10 is, for example, a highway, and in Figure 1, Road 10 is shown as having two lanes on one side. Also in Figure 1, a state is shown on Road 10 where a vehicle 12a going in the right direction and a vehicle 12b going in the wrong direction are in the same lane.

[0014] Along the roadside of Road 10, ITS spots 14 are provided at predetermined intervals. ITS spots 14 are roadside facilities that provide ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) services and communicate bidirectionally with compatible equipment in vehicles using ETC2.0 or similar technologies. Here, ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) is a toll payment system at toll booths on expressways and other roads, but in ETC2.0, a communication antenna (ETC2.0 roadside unit) installed on the roadside, such as an ITS spot 14, and an ETC2.0 compatible onboard unit and navigation device installed on the vehicle 12 communicate bidirectionally using the DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication: spot communication) communication method.

[0015] The ITS spot 14 can obtain probe information such as the location and speed of a moving vehicle provided by the vehicle 12 through communication with the vehicle 12 (a terminal such as an in-vehicle car navigation system). In other words, probe information such as the speed and location of the vehicle 12 at the fixed point where the ITS spot 14 is installed is acquired at the ITS spot 14.

[0016] In addition, a traffic counter 16 may be installed as roadside equipment. The traffic counter 16 is a road sensor that detects the status of vehicles traveling on the road. There are various types, including loop coil type, which uses coils embedded in the road to understand the traffic situation, image processing method using CCTV cameras, and ultrasonic method, which measures congestion using ultrasonic pulses, and can measure the speed of vehicles traveling on the road. Based on the information from the traffic counter 16, fixed-point probe information such as the speed and position of vehicles 12 at fixed points can be acquired, similar to the ITS spot 14.

[0017] The ITS spot 14 and traffic counter 16 are means for detecting vehicles driving in the wrong direction in the roadside system, and fixed-point probe information from the ITS spot 14 and traffic counter 16 is supplied to the road control system 20. The road control system 20 is composed of a large general-purpose computer system and performs various information processing. For example, it can grasp road conditions from information supplied from local roadside infrastructure, supply various information to vehicles 12, and manage electronic display boards and traffic signals.

[0018] Furthermore, a DCM server 22 is connected to the road control system 20. The DCM server 22 is connected to a DCM (Data Communication Module), which is a communication device specifically for vehicles, via various communication lines including the internet, and communicates with vehicles 12 equipped with a DCM. In other words, by entering into a prescribed contract, a vehicle 12 equipped with a DCM can communicate with the DCM server 22 at all times, i.e., 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can use services that contribute to safety and convenience in the vehicle 12.

[0019] "Vehicle-side system" Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-side system 30. The navigation device 32 displays the current location on a map, determines a route to the destination by route search, and guides the driving route. For this purpose, the navigation device 32 includes a computer that performs various information processes, and constantly grasps information from a vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle and a current location detection device such as GPS. In addition, a display 34 and a speaker 36 are connected to the navigation device 32 as its output devices. The navigation device 32 may have a communication function independently and obtain various services by connecting to the Internet.

[0020] And the navigation device 32 of the present embodiment has a reverse driving flag 32a inside, and turns on and off this reverse driving flag 32a. In addition, a DCM 38 and an in-vehicle device 40 compatible with ETC 2.0 are connected to the navigation device 32. The DCM 38 is connected to a DCM server via a communication line and constantly supplies real-time vehicle information to the DCM server 22. In addition, the in-vehicle device 40 compatible with ETC 2.0 communicates with the ITS spot 14 at a fixed point.

[0021] "Reverse Driving Vehicle Alert" The ITS spot 14 constantly supplies the probe information received from the vehicle 12 to the road control system 20. However, when a reverse driving vehicle is detected based on the probe information supplied from the vehicle 12 ((1) information detection), reverse driving vehicle notification information for turning on the reverse driving flag for the reverse driving vehicle 12b is transmitted ((2) reverse driving vehicle notification information transmission).

[0022] When the reverse driving vehicle 12b receives reverse driving vehicle notification information for turning on the reverse driving flag, the reverse driving flag 32a in the navigation device 32 of the vehicle-side system 30 is turned on ((3) reverse driving flag ON).

[0023] When the reverse driving flag is turned on, the vehicle-side system 30 starts transmitting real-time probe information (speed, position, vehicle type, and other vehicle information) using the in-vehicle DCM 38.

[0024] The DCM server 22 transmits real-time probe information received from the wrong-way vehicle 12b to the road control system 20. The road control system 20 identifies the wrong-way vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) code, ETC onboard unit ID, etc., from the real-time probe information. Based on the various information it possesses, it identifies forward-going vehicles 12a within a predetermined range ahead of the wrong-way vehicle 12b and notifies the relevant forward-going vehicles 12a of the wrong-way vehicle information from the ITS spot 14 that the forward-going vehicles 12a will pass. The forward-going vehicle 12a receives the wrong-way vehicle information in its ETC2.0 compatible onboard unit 40 and outputs an alert via the onboard navigation device 32 through the display 34 and speaker 36.

[0025] Furthermore, the information on vehicles traveling in the wrong direction should ideally include the location, lane, speed, and estimated time until the wrong-way vehicle is encountered, as captured by the road control system 20. The scope of the notification target is not necessarily limited, but for example, it could target forward-moving vehicles 12a in the same lane within 1 km ahead, i.e., forward-moving vehicles 12a requiring immediate attention. It could also target forward-moving vehicles 12a estimated to be encountered within 1 minute, or forward-moving vehicles 12a within several kilometers ahead, or even a wider range of vehicles 12 without including estimated encounter times.

[0026] "Procedure for the wrong-way driving vehicle alert" Based on Figure 3, the processing procedure for wrong-way driving vehicle alerts will be explained. The presence or absence of a wrong-way driving vehicle is monitored from the vehicle's driving status using the ITS spot 14 and traffic counter 16 (S11). Then, it is determined whether a wrong-way driving vehicle has been detected (S12), and if the answer is YES, wrong-way driving vehicle notification information is transmitted to the wrong-way driving vehicle 12b (S13). This transmission of wrong-way driving vehicle notification information corresponds to the transmission by the first transmission means.

[0027] In the ITS-compatible vehicle system 30 (ETC2.0 compatible onboard unit 40) of the vehicle driving in the wrong direction 12b, the wrong-way driving notification information is received (S14), and the wrong-way driving flag 32a in the navigation device 32 is turned ON (S15).

[0028] In the DCM38 of the wrong-way driving vehicle 12b, during normal driving (S21), it is determined whether the wrong-way driving flag 32a is ON (S22), and if it is ON, vehicle information such as probe information and flag information is transmitted in real time (S23). In other words, the DCM38 starts transmitting vehicle information in real time when the wrong-way driving flag 32a is ON. This transmission of vehicle information by the DCM38 corresponds to transmission by the second transmission means.

[0029] The DCM server 22 receives probe information sent from the vehicle 12 with the wrong-way driving flag turned on (S24), and transmits that probe information to the road control system 20 (S25).

[0030] The road control system 20 receives probe information of the wrong-way vehicle 12b from the DCM server 22 (S24), and performs integrated information processing by combining it with other road condition information (S27). Through this integrated information processing, it identifies the forward-going vehicles 12a to which an alert will be sent, and prepares notification information about the wrong-way vehicle to be supplied to each of the forward-going vehicles 12a.

[0031] Then, notification information is sent to each of the target forward-moving vehicles 12a (S28). This notification information may include information such as the type, color, lane, number of seconds until arrival, speed, and position of the wrong-way vehicle 12b. This transmission of notification information to the forward-moving vehicles 12a corresponds to transmission by the third transmission means.

[0032] In the forward-moving vehicle 12a, the onboard DCM receives notification information and displays this information on the display 34 of the onboard navigation device 32, or outputs a warning sound from the speaker 36.

[0033] In this way, if the vehicle traveling in the wrong direction 12b is in front of the vehicle traveling in the correct direction 12a, the navigation system of the vehicle traveling in the correct direction 12a can provide an alert.

[0034] According to the alert system of this disclosure, a wrong-way driving flag 32a can be set on the vehicle side through communication between the vehicle 12, such as an ETC2.0 device, and the ECT2.0 of the ITS spot 14 on the roadside. When the wrong-way driving flag 32a is ON, the DCM 38 is used to transmit information about the wrong-way driving vehicle 12b to the roadside road control system 20, and the road control system 20 can supply notification information about the wrong-way driving vehicle 12b to the forward-going vehicle 12a that is ahead of the wrong-way driving vehicle 12b.

[0035] Therefore, at ITS spot 14, in addition to the usual processing for fixed-point information, the only additional processing is the detection of vehicles driving in the wrong direction and the transmission of a wrong-way driving flag. Similarly, at vehicle 12, the only additional processing is related to the wrong-way driving flag 32a.

[0036] When the wrong-way driving flag is turned on, detailed information about the wrong-way driving vehicle is supplied from the DCM 38 of vehicle 12 to the road control system 20. However, this communication from the DCM 38 is transmitted only from the wrong-way driving vehicle 12b, where the wrong-way driving flag 32a is turned on. Therefore, the overall volume of DCM service communication does not increase significantly, and it is possible to prevent the volume of data communication for the DCM service from becoming excessive.

[0037] Furthermore, when sending wrong-way vehicle information via communication between ITS spots 14, wrong-way vehicle information can only be obtained at intervals between ITS spots 14, resulting in insufficient real-time performance. In this embodiment, since wrong-way vehicle information is obtained using DCM, sufficient real-time performance can be maintained.

[0038] Thus, monitoring of vehicle 12 is performed using a communication method that utilizes ITS spots 14 and traffic counters 16, while detailed information is transmitted from the wrong-way vehicle 12b using the DCM service's communication method; these are two different communication methods. This ensures both appropriate monitoring and reliable transmission of detailed data from the wrong-way vehicle 12b. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 10 Road, 12 Vehicle, 12a Forward-moving vehicle, 12b Wrong-way vehicle, 14 ITS spot, 16 Traffic counter, 20 Road control system, 22 DCM server, 30 Vehicle-side system, 32 Navigation device, 32a Wrong-way driving flag, 34 Display, 36 Speaker, 40 ETC2.0 compatible in-vehicle unit.

Claims

1. A wrong-way driving vehicle alert system that notifies vehicles traveling in the correct direction of information about vehicles traveling in the wrong direction, A detection means installed in the roadside system for detecting vehicles driving in the wrong direction on the road, A first transmission means installed in the roadside system that transmits wrong-way driving notification information to a wrong-way driving vehicle when it is detected, A second transmission means installed in the vehicle, which transmits wrong-way driving information including the vehicle's own information when it receives wrong-way driving vehicle notification information from a roadside system, A third transmission means is provided in the roadside system and transmits an alert containing received wrong-way driving information to a vehicle traveling in the correct direction. including, Wrong-way driving vehicle alert system.

2. A wrong-way driving vehicle alert system according to claim 1, The communication used in the second transmission means and the communication used in the first and second transmission means are based on different communication methods. Wrong-way driving vehicle alert system.

3. The wrong-way driving vehicle alert system according to claim 2, The communication used in the second transmission means is always-on communication, while the communication used in the first and second transmission means is fixed-point communication. Wrong-way driving vehicle alert system.

4. The wrong-way driving vehicle alert system according to claim 3, The communication used in the second transmission means is DCM communication, while the communication used in the first and second transmission means is ETC 2.0 communication. Wrong-way driving vehicle alert system.

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