Auxiliary control device, auxiliary control method and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides an assist control device, an assist control method, and a program computer-readable storage medium. The assist control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires position information of a first moving object and a second moving object; a first determination unit that determines, on the basis of the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object, whether or not traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object is necessary; a second determination unit that determines whether or not the first moving object and the second moving object are capable of communicating with the assist control device when it is determined by the first determination unit that traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object is necessary; and an assist control unit that, when the second determination unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the assist control device, performs control for performing traffic assistance on at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object without using the communication means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an auxiliary control device, an auxiliary control method and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems for disadvantaged people among traffic participants have become increasingly active. In order to achieve this goal, research and development are being devoted to further improving the safety and convenience of traffic through research and development related to preventive safety technologies. Patent documents 1 and 2 describe technologies related to vehicle operation assistance.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-175201

[0004] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-92840 Summary of the invention

[0005] However, in terms of preventive safety technology, assistance for mobile objects that cannot communicate with auxiliary devices has become a problem. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the purpose of this application is to provide appropriate assistance to mobile objects that cannot communicate with auxiliary devices. Moreover, it also contributes to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

[0006] In a first aspect of the present invention, an auxiliary control device is provided. The auxiliary control device includes an acquisition unit that acquires position information of a first moving object and a second moving object. The auxiliary control device includes a first judgment unit that judges whether it is necessary to perform traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object based on the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object. The auxiliary control device includes a second judgment unit that, when the first judgment unit judges that it is necessary to perform traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object, judges whether the first moving object and the second moving object can communicate with the auxiliary control device. The auxiliary control device includes an auxiliary control unit that, when the second judgment unit judges that the first moving object and the second moving object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device, performs control for performing traffic assistance on at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object without using a communication unit.

[0007] In the above-mentioned auxiliary control device, when the second judgment unit determines that at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object is able to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit can perform control for performing traffic assistance on the at least one moving object using a communication unit.

[0008] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, when the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit may perform traffic assistance control for at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object through a sound or visual unit.

[0009] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, when the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit may be used to perform sound or visual traffic assistance control on at least one of the moving objects through a mobile object that is located within a predetermined range from the at least one moving object and is able to communicate with the auxiliary control device.

[0010] Any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices may also be provided with a receiving control unit, which performs control for receiving the position information of the one or more third mobile objects sent from the one or more third mobile objects through the communication unit. In the case where the second judgment unit determines that the first mobile object and the second mobile object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit may select a mobile object that is located within a predetermined range from the at least one mobile object and can communicate with the auxiliary control device from the one or more third mobile objects based on the position information of the one or more third mobile objects, and perform control for performing the sound or visual traffic assistance on the at least one mobile object through the selected mobile object.

[0011] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, when the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit may select a mobile object from the one or more third moving objects that is within a predetermined range from the at least one moving object, exists in front of the traveling direction of the at least one moving object, and is able to communicate with the auxiliary control device.

[0012] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, when the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit may perform traffic assistance control on at least one of the moving objects using a display device or a sound output device set on the route of the moving object.

[0013] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, the first judgment unit can judge that traffic assistance is needed for the first moving object and the second moving object based on the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object when there is a risk that the first moving object approaches the second moving object.

[0014] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, when the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit may perform control for notifying at least one of the moving objects of the first moving object and the second moving object of information indicating the position of the other moving object or the distance to the other moving object using a display device or a sound output device arranged on the travel route of at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object.

[0015] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, when the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit can perform control for outputting alarm information to at least one of the moving objects more emphatically when the risk of the other moving object approaching is higher, using a display device or a sound output device arranged on the travel route of at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object.

[0016] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, the acquisition unit can acquire position information of the first moving object and the second moving object detected by a photographing device.

[0017] In any of the above auxiliary control devices, a receiving control unit may be further provided, which controls the reception of the position information of the one or more third mobile objects transmitted from the one or more third mobile objects through the communication unit. When the position information of the first mobile object and the second mobile object is detected by the photographing device, and the position information matching the position information of the first mobile object and the second mobile object is not received through the control of the receiving control unit, the second determination unit may determine that the first mobile object and the second mobile object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device.

[0018] In any of the above auxiliary control devices, the first moving object may be a vehicle.

[0019] In any of the above auxiliary control devices, the first moving object may be a vehicle, and the second moving object may be a pedestrian.

[0020] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices, the acquisition unit can acquire position information of the first moving object and the second moving object detected by a camera installed on the road.

[0021] In a second aspect of the present invention, an auxiliary control method is provided. The auxiliary control method includes a step of acquiring position information of a first mobile object and a second mobile object. The auxiliary control method includes a step of judging whether traffic assistance is required for the first mobile object and the second mobile object based on the position information of the first mobile object and the second mobile object. The auxiliary control method includes a step of judging whether the first mobile object and the second mobile object can communicate with an auxiliary control device that performs control for traffic assistance when it is judged that traffic assistance is required for the first mobile object and the second mobile object. The auxiliary control method includes a step of performing control for traffic assistance for at least one of the first mobile object and the second mobile object without using a communication unit when it is judged that the first mobile object and the second mobile object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device.

[0022] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a computer to function as any one of the above-mentioned auxiliary control devices.

[0023] In addition, the above summary of the invention does not list all the features of the present invention. In addition, a sub-combination of these feature groups may also be an invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A usage scenario of the assistance system 10 is schematically shown.

[0025] Figure 2 The functional structure of the auxiliary device 60 is shown.

[0026] Figure 3 The reception information received by the support device 60 from the imaging device 70 and the in-vehicle processing device 40 is shown in a table format.

[0027] Figure 4 An example of the execution flow of the processes of the alarm output device, the imaging device 70 , the in-vehicle processing device 40 included in the vehicle 20 , and the support device 60 is shown.

[0028] Figure 5 An example of a flowchart related to an assist control method performed by the assist device 60 is shown.

[0029] Figure 6 An example of a computer 2000 is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of the embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the claimed invention. In addition, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the solution means of the invention.

[0031] Figure 1 The following schematically shows a usage scenario of the support system 10. The support system 10 includes vehicles 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, a camera 70, a support device 60, and alarm output devices 100, 110, and 120.

[0032] The vehicle 20c includes a vehicle-mounted processing device 40c, and the vehicle 20d includes a vehicle-mounted processing device 40d. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 20a, the vehicle 20b, the vehicle 20c, and the vehicle 20d are sometimes collectively referred to as "the vehicle 20". The vehicle-mounted processing device 40c and the vehicle-mounted processing device 40d are sometimes collectively referred to as "the vehicle-mounted processing device 40". The alarm output device 100, the alarm output device 110, and the alarm output device 120 are sometimes collectively referred to as "the alarm output device".

[0033] In the present embodiment, the vehicle 20b is a vehicle parked on the road 90 , and the vehicles 20a , 20c , and 20d are vehicles traveling on the road 90 . The pedestrian 80 is walking on the road 90 .

[0034] The vehicle-mounted processing device 40 of each of the vehicles 20c and 20d includes various sensors such as a position sensor including a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver and a speed sensor such as a vehicle speed sensor. The vehicle-mounted processing device 40 has a function of processing information obtained by various sensors provided in the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 and a function of communicating with the auxiliary device 60. The vehicle-mounted processing device 40 provides an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) function provided in the vehicle 20. The vehicle-mounted processing device 40 has a function of outputting an alarm to the outside of the vehicle 20.

[0035] The camera 70 is a camera installed on the traffic infrastructure. The camera 70 obtains the positions of the vehicle 20 and the pedestrian 80 existing in the shooting range of the camera 70 by analyzing the captured image, and sends the acquired positions of the vehicle 20 and the pedestrian 80 to the auxiliary device 60. The camera 70 has the function of outputting an alarm sound. The camera 70 has the function of outputting a directional alarm sound.

[0036] The vehicle 20 and the pedestrian 80 are traffic participants and are examples of mobile objects that can be assisted by the assisting device 60. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 20c and the vehicle 20d can communicate with the imaging device 70 via the vehicle-mounted processing device 40. On the other hand, the vehicle 20a and the vehicle 20b cannot communicate with the assisting device 60. The pedestrian 80 cannot communicate with the assisting device 60.

[0037] The support device 60 receives information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 via mobile communication. The support device 60 may receive information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 and the imaging device 70 via any combination of mobile communication, the Internet, or a communication line such as a dedicated line.

[0038] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated situation, the camera 70 determines the positions of the vehicles 20a, 20b, 20d, and the pedestrian 80 by analyzing the images captured by the camera, and transmits the positions to the assisting device 60. The vehicle-mounted processing device 40c and the vehicle-mounted processing device 40d transmit the position information of the vehicle 20c and the vehicle 20d, respectively. The assisting device 60 extracts the moving objects to be assisted from the vehicles 20 and the pedestrian 80 based on the position information received from the camera 70.

[0039] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the assistance device 60 determines an area 150 that may become obstructed from the view of the vehicle 20a due to the presence of the vehicle 20b based on the position information of the vehicle 20b and the position information of the vehicle 20a. When it is determined based on the position information of the pedestrian 80 that the pedestrian 80 is located in the area 150, the assistance device 60 determines to perform assistance for the vehicle 20a and the pedestrian 80.

[0040] The vehicle 20a and the pedestrian 80 cannot communicate with the auxiliary device 60. Therefore, the auxiliary device 60 causes the alarm output device 100, the alarm output device 110, the alarm output device 120, the vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle-mounted processing device 40, and / or the camera 70 to output an alarm. The alarm output device 110 and the alarm output device 120 are, for example, light-emitting devices having light-emitting elements disposed on the road surface on both sides of the lane of the road 90 along the extending direction of the road 90. The alarm output device 100 is, for example, an electronic screen or the like.

[0041] As assistance to the vehicle 20 a , the assistance device 60 outputs an alarm from the alarm output device 110 and / or the alarm output device 120 .

[0042] As assistance to the vehicle 20a, the assistance device 60 causes the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c of the vehicle 20c, which is the oncoming vehicle of the vehicle 20a, to output an alarm to the vehicle 20a. For example, the assistance device 60 instructs the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c to flash the headlights of the vehicle 20c for a short time. As another means, the assistance device 60 instructs the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c to output an alarm sound from the alarm of the vehicle 20c. As another means, the assistance device 60 causes the alarm output device 110 of the alarm output device 110 and the alarm output device 120, which is close to the lane where the vehicle 20a is traveling, to emit light. Specifically, the assistance device 60 causes the light-emitting element 112 of the light-emitting elements of the alarm output device 110, which is near the position of the vehicle 20a, to emit light. As another means, the assistance device 60 instructs the alarm output device 100 located in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle 20a to display a warning to pay attention to pedestrians. Thus, the support device 60 notifies the occupant of the vehicle 20 a of the risk through signal transmission and / or alarm sound from the vehicle 20 c , light emission from the alarm output device 110 , and display from the alarm output device 100 .

[0043] As assistance to the pedestrian 80, the assistance device 60 causes the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c of the vehicle 20c traveling near the pedestrian 80 to output an alarm to the pedestrian 80. For example, the assistance device 60 instructs the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c to output an alarm sound from the alarm of the vehicle 20c. As another means, the assistance device 60 causes the alarm output device 110 near the position of the pedestrian 80, among the alarm output devices 110 and the alarm output device 120, to emit light. Specifically, the assistance device 60 causes the light emitting element 114 near the position of the pedestrian 80, among the light emitting elements provided in the alarm output device 110, to emit light. As another means, the assistance device 60 causes the camera 70 to output an alarm sound. For example, the assistance device 60 causes the camera 70 to output an alarm sound having a directionality toward the position of the pedestrian 80. Thus, the assistance device 60 notifies the pedestrian 80 of the existence of a risk through the alarm sound from the vehicle 20c, the light emission from the alarm output device 110, and the alarm sound from the camera 70.

[0044] According to the assistance system 10, even when the pedestrian 80 and the vehicle 20a, which are the assistance targets of the assistance device 60, cannot communicate with the assistance device 60, assistance can be appropriately provided. Thus, even when there is a vehicle that does not have a function of communicating with the outside world and / or when the pedestrian does not have a smartphone or a wearable terminal, it is possible to notify the passengers of the vehicle 20 and the pedestrian 80 of the presence of a risk.

[0045] Figure 2 The following is a functional configuration of the support device 60. The support device 60 includes a support control device 200, a communication device 290, and a storage device 280.

[0046] The communication device 290 is responsible for the communication between the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 and the camera device 70 and the auxiliary device 60, respectively, based on the control of the auxiliary control device 200. The auxiliary control device 200 is implemented by a circuit including, for example, a calculation processing device including a processor. The auxiliary control device 200 can be implemented by a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, bus, etc. The storage device 280 is implemented by including a non-volatile storage medium. The auxiliary control device 200 performs processing using information stored in the storage device 280. The storage device 280 stores map information including information indicating the position of the road 90.

[0047] The auxiliary control device 200 includes an acquisition unit 250, a first determination unit 210, a second determination unit 220, an auxiliary control unit 260, and a reception control unit 270. Figure 2 The functional form of a part of the functional structure shown.

[0048] The acquisition unit 250 acquires the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object. For example, the acquisition unit 250 acquires the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object detected by the camera 70. The acquisition unit 250 may acquire the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object detected by the camera 70 disposed on the road 90. The acquisition unit 250 may also acquire the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object detected by the camera provided by the vehicle-mounted processing device 40.

[0049] The first judgment unit 210 judges whether it is necessary to perform traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object based on the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object. When the first judgment unit 210 judges that it is necessary to perform traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object, the second judgment unit 220 judges whether the first moving object and the second moving object can communicate with the auxiliary control device 200. When the second judgment unit 220 judges that the first moving object and the second moving object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 performs control for performing traffic assistance on at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object without using a communication unit. In the present embodiment, the first moving object and the second moving object are a vehicle 20a and a pedestrian 80.

[0050] When the second determination unit 220 determines that at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object can communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 performs control for performing traffic assistance on at least one of the moving objects using the communication unit. For example, when the auxiliary control unit 260 needs to perform assistance on the pedestrian 80 and the vehicle 20c with a communication function, it can send an instruction to the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c to output an alarm through the communication line.

[0051] When the second judgment unit 220 determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 can perform traffic assistance control for at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object through a sound or visual unit.

[0052] When the second judgment unit 220 determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 can be used to control the traffic assistance of at least one moving object by sound or visual means through a mobile object that is located within a predetermined range from at least one moving object and can communicate with the auxiliary control device.

[0053] The receiving control unit 270 performs control for receiving the position information of one or more third mobile objects transmitted from the one or more third mobile objects through the communication unit. When the second determination unit 220 determines that the first mobile object and the second mobile object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 can select a mobile object that is within a predetermined range from at least one of the mobile objects and can communicate with the auxiliary control device from the one or more third mobile objects based on the position information of the one or more third mobile objects, and perform control for performing traffic assistance on at least one of the mobile objects in terms of sound or vision through the selected mobile object.

[0054] When the second judgment unit 220 determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 may select a mobile object from one or more third moving objects that is within a predetermined range from at least one of the moving objects, exists in front of the traveling direction of at least one of the moving objects, and is able to communicate with the auxiliary control device.

[0055] When the second determination unit 220 determines that the first moving object and the second moving object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 may perform a control for performing traffic assistance on at least one of the moving objects using a display device or a sound output device provided on the moving object's route. The alarm output device 100, the alarm output device 110, and the alarm output device 120 are examples of display devices. The camera 70 is an example of a sound output device.

[0056] The first judgment unit 210 judges that it is necessary to perform traffic assistance for the first mobile object and the second mobile object when there is a risk that the first mobile object approaches the second mobile object based on the position information of the first mobile object and the second mobile object. When the second judgment unit 220 judges that the first mobile object and the second mobile object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 can control to notify at least one of the first mobile object and the second mobile object of information indicating the position of the other mobile object or the distance to the other mobile object using a display device or a sound output device set on the travel route of at least one of the mobile objects. When the second judgment unit 220 judges that the first mobile object and the second mobile object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit 260 can control to output warning information to at least one of the first mobile object and the second mobile object in a manner that emphasizes the higher the risk of the other mobile object approaching, using a display device or a sound output device set on the travel route of at least one of the mobile objects.

[0057] The receiving control unit 270 performs control for receiving the position information of one or more third mobile objects transmitted from one or more third mobile objects through the communication unit. When the position information of the first mobile object and the second mobile object is detected by the photographing device 70, and the position information matching the position information of the first mobile object and the second mobile object is not received through the control of the receiving control unit, the second determination unit 220 may determine that the first mobile object and the second mobile object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device.

[0058] Figure 3 The received information received by the support device 60 from the imaging device 70 and the in-vehicle processing device 40 is shown in a table format. The received information includes ID, time, position, type, and acquisition unit as data items.

[0059] ID represents identification information of a mobile object. The photographing device 70 assigns identification information to a mobile object acquired by analyzing an image. The position information sent from the photographing device 70 includes identification information assigned to the mobile object by the photographing device 70. The position information sent from the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 includes identification information fixedly assigned to the vehicle-mounted processing device 40.

[0060] The time indicates the time when the imaging device 70 or the in-vehicle processing device 40 acquires the position information.

[0061] The position indicates the position of the moving object. Specifically, the position indicates the position of the moving object acquired by the camera 70 through image analysis, or the position of the vehicle 20 acquired by the vehicle-mounted processing device 40. The position may be, for example, longitude and latitude information.

[0062] The type indicates the type of the moving object. The imaging device 70 determines the type of the moving object acquired by analyzing the image. The position information transmitted from the imaging device 70 includes the type of the moving object determined by the imaging device 70. The position information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 includes information indicating the type of the vehicle 20 as the moving object.

[0063] The acquisition unit indicates a unit for acquiring position information. Figure 3 The “infrastructure camera” in FIG. 7 indicates that the unit for acquiring the position information is the photographing device 70 . Figure 3 The "vehicle" indicates that the acquisition unit of the position information is a vehicle.

[0064] Here, assuming Figure 3 The IDs "101", "102" and "103" in the figure are identification information of the vehicle 20a, the vehicle 20b and the vehicle 20d, respectively, assigned by the camera 70. The ID "104" is set to be the identification information of the pedestrian 80. The IDs "301" and "302" are set to be the identification information of the vehicle 20c and the vehicle 20d, respectively.

[0065] Since the degree of coincidence between the position 3 corresponding to the ID “103” acquired from the camera 70 and the position 3′ corresponding to the ID “302” acquired from the information transmitted by the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 d is higher than the predetermined value, the second determination unit 220 determines that the mobile object identified by the ID “103” is the vehicle 20 d identified by the ID “302”. Therefore, the second determination unit 220 determines that the mobile object identified by the ID “103” can communicate with the assistance device 60.

[0066] On the other hand, since the degree of consistency between the positions corresponding to the IDs "101" and "102" acquired from the camera 70 and the positions acquired from the position information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 is lower than the predetermined value, the mobile objects identified by the IDs "101" and "102" are determined to be vehicles without a communication function. Similarly, since the degree of consistency between the position corresponding to the ID "104" acquired from the camera 70 and the positions acquired from the position information transmitted from other devices including the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 is lower than the predetermined value, the mobile object identified by the ID "104" is determined to not have a terminal with a communication function. Thus, the assistance device 60 determines that all the mobile objects identified by the IDs "101", "102" and "104" cannot communicate with the assistance device 60. Thus, when the IDs "101", "102" and / or "104" become assistance targets, the assistance control unit 260 determines not to perform assistance using the communication unit.

[0067] Figure 4 An example of the execution flow of the processes of the alarm output device, the imaging device 70 , the in-vehicle processing device 40 included in the vehicle 20 , and the support device 60 is shown. Figure 4 The execution flow is shown in Figure 1 In the situation shown, the execution flow is when the vehicle 20a and the pedestrian 80 become the assistance targets.

[0068] In S400, the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c transmits the position information of the vehicle 20c to the support device 60. In S402, the vehicle-mounted processing device 40d transmits the position information of the vehicle 20d to the support device 60. The position information is transmitted from the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c and the vehicle-mounted processing device 40d to the support device 60 periodically.

[0069] In S430, the camera 70 transmits position information indicating the positions of the pedestrian 80, the vehicles 20a, 20b and 20d and the positions of the respective vehicles obtained by analyzing the images captured by the camera 70 to the support device 60. The position information is transmitted from the camera 70 to the support device 60 periodically.

[0070] In S414, the first determination unit 210 of the assistance device 60 determines whether to assist the vehicle 20 and / or the pedestrian 80 based on the position information acquired from the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 and the position information of the pedestrian 80, the vehicle 20a, the vehicle 20b, and the vehicle 20d acquired from the camera 70. As described above, the first determination unit 210 determines that the position of the pedestrian 80 is included in the area 150 where the view from the vehicle 20a is blocked, and determines to assist the vehicle 20a and the pedestrian 80. In addition, when it is determined that there is a moving object whose distance to other moving objects is less than a predetermined value within a predetermined time based on the history of the position information of each moving object of the vehicle 20 and / or the pedestrian 80, the first determination unit 210 may determine to assist.

[0071] In the example of this execution flow, the first determination unit 210 determines that assistance is performed on the vehicle 20a and the pedestrian 80. In this case, the second determination unit 220 determines that the vehicle 20a and the pedestrian 80 cannot communicate with the assistance device 60. Therefore, in S416, the assistance control unit 260 sends assistance information instructing output of an alarm to the alarm output device 100, the alarm output device 110, the camera 70, the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c, and the camera 70 that can output an alarm to the vehicle 20a and the pedestrian 80 visually or acoustically.

[0072] When the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c receives the auxiliary information, it outputs an alarm according to the auxiliary alarm in S408. For example, the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c outputs an alarm through a siren or a light device such as a headlight. When the auxiliary information is received, in S438, the camera 70 outputs an alarm by outputting an alarm sound according to the auxiliary information. When the alarm output device 100 and the alarm output device 110 receive the auxiliary information, in S448, according to the auxiliary information, the alarm output device 100 displays a warning screen, and the alarm output device 110 outputs an alarm by emitting light.

[0073] Figure 5 An example of a flowchart related to the assist control method performed by the assist device 60 is shown. The processing of this flowchart may be repeatedly performed.

[0074] In S500, the first judgment unit 210 selects a mobile object to be assisted. Specifically, the first judgment unit 210 selects a mobile object to be assisted based on the position information from the camera 70 acquired by the acquisition unit 250 and the position information of the vehicle 20 received from the vehicle-mounted processing unit 40 under the control of the receiving control unit 270. For example, when there is an area 150 whose sight from the vehicle 20a is blocked due to the presence of the parked vehicle 20c, and the area 150 contains the position of the pedestrian 80, the first judgment unit 210 selects the pedestrian 80 and the vehicle 20a as mobile objects to be assisted. In addition, based on the history of the position information of the respective mobile objects of the vehicle 20 and / or the pedestrian 80, when it is determined that there is a mobile object whose distance from other mobile objects within a predetermined time is less than a predetermined value, the first judgment unit 210 selects the above-mentioned mobile object and the other mobile object as mobile objects to be assisted.

[0075] In S502, the first judgment unit 210 judges whether there is a mobile object of the auxiliary object. In the case that there is no mobile object of the auxiliary object, the processing of this flowchart is terminated. In the case that there is a mobile object of the auxiliary object, in S504, the second judgment unit 220 judges whether one of the mobile objects of the auxiliary object can communicate with the auxiliary device 60. When it is judged in S504 that one of the mobile objects of the auxiliary object can communicate with the auxiliary device 60, in S510, the auxiliary control unit 260 sends auxiliary information instructing the output of an alarm to the mobile object that can communicate with the auxiliary device 60. For example, in the case that the auxiliary object is a vehicle 20 equipped with a vehicle-mounted processing device 40, the auxiliary control unit 260 sends auxiliary information instructing the vehicle-mounted processing device 40 to output an alarm to the vehicle-mounted processing device 40.

[0076] When it is determined in S504 that any of the moving objects that are assistance targets cannot communicate with the assistance device 60 , in S506 , the assistance control section 260 selects an alarm output unit for the moving object that is the assistance target.

[0077] For example, in the case where the pedestrian 80 and the vehicle 20a are the assistance objects, the assistance control unit 260 selects the vehicle 20c that is located within a predetermined range from the pedestrian 80a and can communicate with the assistance device 60 as the alarm output unit. The assistance control unit 260 selects the vehicle 20c that is located within a predetermined range from the vehicle 20a, can communicate with the assistance device 60, and exists in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle 20a as the alarm output unit. The assistance control unit 260 selects the alarm output device 110 that is located within a predetermined range from the pedestrian 80 as the alarm output unit. The assistance control unit 260 selects the alarm output device 100 and the alarm output device 110 that are located within a predetermined range from the vehicle 20a as the alarm output unit. The assistance control unit 260 selects the camera 70 that is located within a predetermined range from the pedestrian 80 as the alarm output unit.

[0078] In S508, the auxiliary control unit 260 instructs the alarm output unit selected in S506 to output an alarm. Specifically, the auxiliary control unit 260 sends auxiliary information instructing the output of an alarm to the alarm output unit selected in S506. As described above, in the case where the pedestrian 80 and the vehicle 20a are auxiliary objects, the auxiliary control unit 260 sends auxiliary information to the alarm output device 100, the alarm output device 110, the vehicle-mounted processing device 40c, and the camera 70. At this time, the auxiliary control unit 260 may send auxiliary information instructing the alarm output device 100 to display an object such as an arrow showing the location where the pedestrian 80 exists.

[0079] The higher the required degree of assistance for the moving object, the more emphasized the alarm is output from the alarm output unit by the assistance control unit 260. The assistance control unit 260 may determine the required degree of assistance according to the distance between the objects to be assisted. The shorter the distance between the objects to be assisted, the higher the required degree of assistance may be determined by the assistance control unit 260. When the alarm output device 100 is caused to display the alarm, the assistance control unit 260 may display the alarm with emphasized characters according to the required degree of assistance. The emphasized display of the alarm by the alarm output device 100 may be performed by enlarging the characters, setting the color of the characters to a predetermined emphasized color, etc. When the alarm is output by light from the alarm output device 110, the alarm output device 120, or the lighting device of the vehicle 20, the assistance control unit 260 may cause the light to be emitted in an emphasized manner according to the required degree of assistance. The lighting device of the alarm output device 110, the alarm output device 120, and the vehicle 20 may emphasize the alarm by increasing the light intensity, may emphasize the alarm by emitting light in a predetermined emphasized color, or may emphasize the alarm by emitting light in a predetermined flashing pattern. When the alarm is output by sound from the camera 70 and the vehicle 20, the assistance control unit 260 may cause the sound to be output in an emphasized manner according to the required degree of assistance. The alarm sound device provided in the camera 70 and the vehicle 20 may emphasize the alarm by increasing the volume of the output sound, by making the height of the output sound reach a predetermined height, or by changing the output sound in a predetermined pattern.

[0080] According to the assistance system 10 described above, even when the assistance device 60 cannot communicate with the vehicle or pedestrian being assisted, it is possible to appropriately provide assistance. Thus, for example, even when there is a vehicle that does not have a function of communicating with the outside world and / or when the pedestrian does not have a smartphone or a wearable terminal, it is possible to appropriately provide assistance to the vehicle occupants and pedestrians.

[0081] Figure 6 An example of a computer 2000 that can fully or partially embody multiple embodiments of the present invention is shown. The program installed in the computer 2000 can cause the computer 2000 to function as a device such as the auxiliary device 60 or each unit of the device involved in the embodiment, perform operations associated with the device or each unit of the device, and / or perform a process involved in the embodiment or steps of the process. Such a program can be executed by the CPU 2012 in order to cause the computer 2000 to perform the processing flow described in this specification and specific operations associated with some or all of the functional blocks in the block diagram.

[0082] The computer 2000 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU 2012 and a RAM 2014, which are connected to each other via a main controller 2010. The computer 2000 further includes a ROM 2026, a flash memory 2024, a communication interface 2022, and an input / output chip 2040. The ROM 2026, the flash memory 2024, the communication interface 2022, and the input / output chip 2040 are connected to the main controller 2010 via the input / output controller 2020.

[0083] The CPU 2012 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 2026 and the RAM 2014 , thereby controlling each unit.

[0084] The communication interface 2022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The flash memory 2024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2012 in the computer 2000. The ROM 2026 stores a startup program executed by the computer 2000 when activated, and / or a program dependent on the hardware of the computer 2000. The input / output chip 2040 can also connect various input / output units such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a monitor to the input / output controller 2020 via an input / output port such as a serial port, a parallel port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, a monitor port, a USB port, and an HDMI (registered trademark) port.

[0085] The program is provided via a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or a USB flash drive, or a network. RAM 2014, ROM 2026, or flash memory 2024 is an example of a computer-readable storage medium. The program is installed in flash memory 2024, RAM 2014, or ROM 2026 and executed by CPU 2012. The information processing described in these programs is read by computer 2000, and the cooperation between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above is realized. The device or method can be constructed by implementing the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of computer 2000.

[0086] For example, when the computer 2000 communicates with an external device, the CPU 2012 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 2014, and based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 2022 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 2012, the communication interface 2022 reads the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer processing area provided in the RAM 2014 and the recording medium such as the flash memory 2024, transmits the read transmission data to the network, and writes the reception data received from the network to the reception buffer processing area provided on the recording medium.

[0087] In addition, the CPU 2012 can read all or a necessary part of a file or database stored in a recording medium such as the flash memory 2024 to the RAM 2014, and execute various processes on the data in the RAM 2014. The CPU 2012 then writes the processed data back to the recording medium.

[0088] Various types of information such as programs, data, tables, and databases can be saved to a recording medium and applied to information processing. CPU2012 can perform various operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., which are specified by the instruction sequence of the program, on the data read from RAM2014, and write the results back to RAM2014. In addition, CPU2012 can retrieve information in files, databases, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when multiple items having attribute values ​​of the first attribute associated with the attribute value of the second attribute are stored in the recording medium, CPU2012 can retrieve an item that specifies the attribute value of the first attribute and is consistent with the condition from the multiple items, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the item, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that meets the pre-set condition.

[0089] The program or software module described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 2000. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium. The program stored in the computer-readable storage medium can be provided to the computer 2000 via a network.

[0090] The program installed in the computer 2000 and causing the computer 2000 to function as the auxiliary device 60 can be run in the CPU 2012 or the like, thereby causing the computer 2000 to function as each unit of the auxiliary device 60 (e.g., the auxiliary control device 200, etc.). The information processing described in these programs is read into the computer 2000, thereby functioning as a specific unit in which software and the various hardware resources described above cooperate, that is, each unit of the auxiliary device 60. And, by using these specific units to realize the calculation or processing of information corresponding to the purpose of use of the computer 2000 in this embodiment, a unique auxiliary device 60 corresponding to the purpose of use is constructed.

[0091] Various embodiments are described with reference to block diagrams, etc. In the block diagram, each functional block may represent (1) a step of a process for performing an operation or (2) each unit of a device having the function of performing an operation. Specific steps and each unit may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may also include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include reconfigurable hardware circuits including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc., including memory elements.

[0092] The computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by an appropriate device, and as a result, the computer-readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein constitutes at least a part of a product containing instructions executable to implement a unit for performing the operations specified in the process flow or block diagram. As examples of computer-readable storage media, electrical storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. may be included. As more specific examples of computer-readable storage media, floppy disks (registered trademark), floppy disks, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROM), static random access memories (SRAM), compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROM), digital versatile disks (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) optical disks, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, etc. may be included.

[0093] Computer-readable instructions may include assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine delegate instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or any source code or object code described in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk (registered trademark), JAVA (registered trademark), C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0094] Computer readable instructions are provided to a processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device via a local or local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, and the computer readable instructions can be executed to implement a unit for performing the operations specified in the described processing flow or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0095] The present invention has been described above using the embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is obvious from the description of the claims that such changes or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0096] Regarding the execution order of each process of actions, processes, steps, and steps in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings, it should be noted that there is no special indication of "before", "preceding", etc., and in addition, as long as the output of the previous process is not used in the subsequent process, it can be implemented in any order. For the action flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings, even if "first", "next", etc. are used for convenience, it does not mean that it must be implemented in such an order.

[0097] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0098] 10. Assistance System

[0099] 20 Vehicles

[0100] 40 On-board processing device

[0101] 60 Auxiliary devices

[0102] 70 Camera

[0103] 80 Pedestrians

[0104] 90 Road

[0105] 100, 110, 120 alarm output device

[0106] 112, 114 Light-emitting element

[0107] 150 Area

[0108] 200 Auxiliary control device

[0109] 250 Acquisition Department

[0110] 210 First Judgment Unit

[0111] 220 Second Judgment Unit

[0112] 260 Auxiliary Control Unit

[0113] 270 Receiving Control Unit

[0114] 280 Storage Devices

[0115] 290 Communication devices

[0116] 2000 Computer

[0117] 2010 Main Controller

[0118] 2012 CPU

[0119] 2014 RAM

[0120] 2020 Input / Output Controller

[0121] 2022 Communication Interface

[0122] 2024 Flash

[0123] 2026 ROM

[0124] 2040 Input / Output Chip.

Claims

1. An auxiliary control device, characterized in that: have: An acquisition unit, which acquires position information of the first moving object and the second moving object; A first determination unit, which determines whether traffic assistance is required for the first moving object and the second moving object based on the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object; a second determination unit, which determines whether the first moving object and the second moving object can communicate with the auxiliary control device when the first determination unit determines that traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object is required; as well as The auxiliary control unit performs control for providing traffic assistance to at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object without using a communication unit when the second determination unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device.

2. The auxiliary control device according to claim 1, wherein: When the second determination unit determines that at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object is capable of communicating with the assistance control device, the assistance control unit performs control for performing traffic assistance on the at least one moving object using a communication unit.

3. The auxiliary control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit performs control for providing traffic assistance to at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object through a sound or visual unit.

4. The auxiliary control device according to claim 3, wherein: When the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit performs sound or visual traffic assistance control on at least one of the moving objects through a mobile object that is located within a predetermined range from the at least one moving object and can communicate with the auxiliary control device.

5. The auxiliary control device according to claim 4, wherein: The device further comprises a reception control unit for performing control for receiving position information of one or more third mobile objects transmitted from the one or more third mobile objects through the communication unit, When the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit selects a mobile object that is within a predetermined range from the at least one moving object and is able to communicate with the auxiliary control device from the one or more third moving objects based on the position information of the one or more third moving objects, and controls the sound or visual traffic assistance for the at least one moving object through the selected mobile object.

6. The auxiliary control device according to claim 5, wherein: When the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit selects a mobile object from the one or more third moving objects that is within a predetermined range from at least one of the moving objects, exists in front of the traveling direction of at least one of the moving objects, and is able to communicate with the auxiliary control device.

7. The auxiliary control device according to claim 3, wherein: When the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit performs traffic assistance control on at least one of the moving objects using a display device or a sound output device set on the moving object's route.

8. The auxiliary control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first determination unit determines that traffic assistance for the first moving object and the second moving object is necessary when there is a risk that the first moving object approaches the second moving object based on the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object.

9. The auxiliary control device according to claim 8, wherein: When the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit performs control for notifying at least one of the moving objects of the first moving object and the second moving object of information indicating the position of the other moving object or the distance to the other moving object using a display device or a sound output device provided on the travel route of at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object.

10. The auxiliary control device according to claim 8, wherein: In a case where the second judgment unit determines that the first moving object and the second moving object are unable to communicate with the auxiliary control device, the auxiliary control unit performs control for outputting alarm information to at least one of the moving objects more emphatically when the risk of the other moving object approaching is higher, using a display device or a sound output device provided on the travel route of at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object.

11. The auxiliary control device according to claim 1, wherein: The acquisition unit acquires position information of the first moving object and the second moving object detected by the imaging device.

12. The auxiliary control device according to claim 11, wherein: The device further comprises a reception control unit for performing control for receiving position information of one or more third mobile objects transmitted from the one or more third mobile objects through the communication unit, When the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object is detected by the shooting device, and no position information matching the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object is received through the control of the receiving control unit, the second judgment unit judges that the first moving object and the second moving object cannot communicate with the auxiliary control device.

13. The auxiliary control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first moving object is a vehicle.

14. The auxiliary control device according to claim 13, wherein: The first moving object is a vehicle, and the second moving object is a pedestrian.

15. The auxiliary control device according to claim 13, wherein: The acquisition unit acquires position information of the first moving object and the second moving object detected by an imaging device installed on a road.

16. An auxiliary control method, characterized in that: have: A step of acquiring position information of a first moving object and a second moving object; Based on the position information of the first moving object and the second moving object, determining whether traffic assistance is required for the first moving object and the second moving object; In a case where it is determined that traffic assistance is required for the first mobile object and the second mobile object, a step of determining whether the first mobile object and the second mobile object can communicate with an auxiliary control device that performs control for traffic assistance; as well as When it is determined that the first moving object and the second moving object cannot communicate with the assistance control device, a step of controlling traffic assistance for at least one of the first moving object and the second moving object without using a communication unit is performed.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A program for causing a computer to function as the assist control device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 is stored.

Images