Information processing apparatus

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit is capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles. The control unit calculates the switching timing of the gesture signal on the basis of the traffic volume in the vicinity of the intersection, specifies a preceding vehicle that stops at the intersection, and controls, via the communication unit, an in-vehicle device provided in the preceding vehicle and capable of recognizing an operation from the outside of the preceding vehicle on the basis of the switching timing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been proposed a traffic signal control apparatus configured to grasp a traffic congestion state of a road connected to an intersection based on detection information collected from detection vehicles, and thereby control a signal lamp so as to eliminate traffic congestion at the intersection (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-146138).

[0003] In the case where the signal lamp cannot be used during a disaster such as an earthquake or lightning strike and a power outage, and in the case where traffic congestion has occurred at an intersection without a signal lamp, a police officer as a traffic administrator sometimes conducts traffic control by a gesture signal. In the method of the prior art, information on signal switching cannot be provided to the police officer who conducts traffic control, and thus the police officer cannot be assisted appropriately. Therefore, the police officer can only conduct traffic control based on intuition. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure accomplished in view of the above situation is to assist traffic control by a gesture signal to reduce traffic congestion.

[0005] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by including: a communication unit capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles; and a control unit configured to calculate a switching timing of a gesture signal based on a traffic volume near an intersection, determine a leading vehicle stopped at the intersection, and control, based on the switching timing and via the communication unit, an in-vehicle device provided in the leading vehicle and capable of recognizing an action from the outside of the leading vehicle.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to assist traffic control by a gesture signal to reduce traffic congestion.

[0007] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining a traffic control system including an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment;

[0009] Figure 2 is for showing Figure 1 a schematic configuration of the information processing apparatus;

[0010] Figure 3 is for showing Figure 1 a schematic configuration of the vehicle;

[0011] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of traffic control of an information processing apparatus that uses Figure 1 ;

[0012] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the processing executed by the control unit of the information processing apparatus. Detailed Embodiment

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the drawings used in the following description are schematic. The dimensional ratios on the drawings do not necessarily match the actual ratios.

[0014] Traffic Control System

[0015] Figure 1 This is a diagram schematically showing the overall structure of a traffic control system 1 including the information processing apparatus 10 of the present disclosure. In addition to the information processing apparatus 10, the traffic control system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 20 traveling on a road 40. The information processing apparatus 10 and the vehicles 20 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network 30. The network 30 includes the Internet and a wireless communication network provided by a mobile communication company or the like.

[0016] The information processing apparatus 10 can determine an intersection 41 where a police officer 5 conducts traffic control. The intersection 41 is, for example, an intersection where two roads 40 cross each other at right angles. The police officer 5 allows the vehicles 20 on one road 40 to pass through the intersection 41 by using a gesture signal, and stops the vehicles 20 on the other road 40 near the intersection 41. The police officer 5 sequentially switches the passing side road 40 and the stopping side road 40 in the intersection 41 by using a gesture signal.

[0017] The information processing apparatus 10 can collect information on the traffic volume near the intersection 41. In the present application, "nearby" is a range in which the passing of the vehicles 20 in the intersection 41 affects the congestion on the road 40. "Nearby" can be set, for example, to 100 m, 300 m, or 1 km from the intersection 41. "Nearby" can be replaced with "perimeter".

[0018] The information processing apparatus 10 calculates the switching timing between the passing side road 40 and the stopping side road 40 based on the gesture signal of the police officer 5 based on the traffic volume information. The information processing apparatus 10 determines the leading vehicle 20A stopped on the stopping side road 40, and sends control information to the leading vehicle 20A when the switching timing is reached. If the leading vehicle 20A receives the control information, it causes an in-vehicle device 25 that can recognize the action from the outside (see Figure 3) actions and indicate to the police officer 5 the situation of the switching timing.

[0019] If the police officer 5 receives a prompt indicating the switching timing from the leading vehicle 20A, the police officer 5 performs the specified actions of the gesture signal, thereby stopping the vehicle 20 on the road that was previously the passing side, and allowing the vehicle 20 stopped on the road that is the stopping side to pass within the intersection 41.

[0020] In addition, the information processing device 10 not only manages the intersection 41 where the police officer 5 conducts traffic control using gesture signals, but can also manage intersections with traffic lights. The information processing device 10 can also send the calculated information on the switching timing as control information to the traffic lights to cause the signals to switch.

[0021] The following describes in more detail the structure and actions of each part of the traffic control system 1.

[0022] Structure of the information processing device

[0023] The information processing device 10 is a computer such as a personal computer (PC), a workstation, a server, or a dedicated computer designed for a specific purpose. As Figure 2 shown, the information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The information processing device 10 may also include an input unit that receives information input from the outside, and an output unit that outputs information to the outside. The input unit includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The output unit includes a display and a printer, etc.

[0024] The communication unit 11 includes at least one external communication interface connected to the network 30. The external communication interface can be either a wired communication or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a local area network (LAN) interface or a universal serial bus (USB). In the case of wireless communication, the external communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to mobile communication standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4th generation (4G), or 5th generation (5G). The communication unit 11 receives data for the operation of the information processing device 10, and also sends data obtained through the operation of the information processing device 10 to the outside. The communication unit 11 can communicate with the vehicle 20, obtain information on the vehicle 20 including the position information of the vehicle 20, and send control information to the in-vehicle device 25 of the vehicle 20.

[0025] The control unit 12 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor dedicated to specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 12 controls each part of the information processing device 10 and performs processing related to the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0026] The storage unit 13 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 13 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache. Programs and data for the operation of the information processing device 10 and data obtained through the operation of the information processing device 10 are stored in the storage unit 13. The information stored in the storage unit 13 can also be updated with information obtained from the network 30 via the communication unit 11, for example.

[0027] The storage unit 13 can store and manage data related to roads and traffic, such as road map information 14, vehicle position information 15, and traffic volume information 16.

[0028] The road map information 14 is information on the road map of the area where the information processing device 10 conducts traffic guidance. The road map information 14 includes the position information of the intersection 41, the positions, shapes, number of lanes, etc. of the roads 40 around the intersection 41. The position information of the intersection 41 and the roads 40 can be stored as information on the absolute position represented by latitude and longitude, etc.

[0029] The vehicle position information 15 includes the position information of the vehicles 20 passing within the scope of the traffic guidance object of the information processing device 10. The vehicle 20 is configured to periodically or irregularly send the position at each moment to the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 grasps the current position of each vehicle 20 in real time based on the position information of the vehicle 20 sent from the vehicle 20, and stores the latest vehicle position information 15 in the storage unit 13. Based on the position information obtained from each vehicle 20, the vehicle position information 15 stored in the storage unit 13 is updated sequentially.

[0030] The traffic volume information 16 is the information of the traffic volume of the road 40 around the intersection 41. The information of the traffic volume may include at least any one of the information on the occurrence of traffic jams, the information on the degree of traffic jams, the information on the average speed of the vehicle 20, and the information on the time taken to pass through the intersection 41. The information processing device 10 can obtain or generate the traffic volume information 16 by any method. As an example, the information processing device 10 can use a plurality of vehicles 20 as probe vehicles and obtain the position and speed information from each vehicle 20 traveling around the intersection 41. The information processing device 10 can determine the traffic volume or traffic jam condition around the intersection 41 based on the obtained position and speed information of each vehicle 20. In addition, as another example, the information processing device 10 can also obtain the traffic volume information from the server of an enterprise providing external traffic information of the traffic guidance system 1 via the communication unit 11.

[0031] The control unit 12 can determine the switching timing of the gesture signal based on the traffic volume information 16 around the intersection 41 that is the object of traffic guidance. For example, the switching timing of the gesture signal can be determined so that at the intersection 41 where two roads 40 intersect, the road 40 with a larger traffic volume can have a longer passing time compared to the road 40 with a smaller traffic volume. Thereby, the occurrence of traffic jams can be reduced.

[0032] In addition, the control unit 12 can determine the switching timing of the gesture signal in a manner that enables multiple intersections 41 on the same route to cooperate. For example, the control unit 12 can determine the switching timing of the gesture signal based on the traffic volume information and / or traffic jam information so that the vehicles 20 traveling on the road with a larger traffic volume and experiencing congestion or traffic jams can pass through multiple intersections 41 on that road in sequence. That is, the control unit 12 can determine the switching timing of the gesture signal in a manner that optimizes the traffic of the road including multiple intersections 41. In this case, for multiple intersections 41, there may be a mixture of intersections 41 where traffic lights can be controlled from the information processing device 10 and intersections 41 where the police 5 conduct traffic guidance.

[0033] The control unit 12 can identify the leading vehicle 20A located at the front end from the vehicles 20 that are stopped side by side in front of the intersection 41 which is the object of traffic guidance. For example, the control unit 12 can determine the leading vehicle 20A based on the road map information 14 and the vehicle position information 15. Additionally, for example, as will be described later, the vehicle 20 is equipped with a function to determine whether the vehicle itself is the leading vehicle 20A, and the control unit 12 can also obtain the information of the leading vehicle 20A from the vehicle 20. The control unit 12 can send control information for controlling the in-vehicle device 25 to the leading vehicle 20A based on the switching timing of the gesture signal.

[0034] Structure of the vehicle

[0035] In this application, the vehicle 20 includes passenger cars, trucks, buses, large and small special vehicles, etc., but is not limited to these. The vehicle 20 includes various types of vehicles 20 that will be realized in the future. As Figure 3 shown, the vehicle 20 includes a vehicle communication unit 21, a vehicle control unit 22, a vehicle storage unit 23, a position information acquisition unit 24, and an in-vehicle device 25.

[0036] The vehicle communication unit 21 includes an external communication interface for transmitting and receiving information with a system outside the vehicle 20 using wireless communication. The vehicle communication unit 21 can use any one or more of the 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) for communication. The vehicle communication unit 21 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information with the communication unit 11 of the information processing device 10.

[0037] The vehicle control unit 22 is the same as the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 and includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The vehicle control unit 22 periodically or aperiodically sends the current position information obtained by the position information acquisition unit 24 to the information processing device 10. In addition, when waiting for the switching of the gesture signal on the road 40 on the stop side of the vehicle 20, the vehicle control unit 22 can determine whether the vehicle is at the front end among the vehicles 20 waiting for the signal by any method. For example, each vehicle 20 can also be equipped with a sensor for detecting the vehicle 20 in front and determine whether there is another vehicle 20 in front when the vehicle stops near the intersection 41. The sensor for detecting the vehicle 20 in front includes, for example, a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, and a camera. When stopping near the intersection 41, for example, when no other vehicle is detected in the front within a short distance range such as within 5 meters, the vehicle control unit 22 can identify the vehicle as the leading vehicle 20A. The vehicle control unit 22 of the leading vehicle 20A can notify the information processing device 10 via the vehicle communication unit 21 that the vehicle is the leading vehicle 20A. In addition, as described above, the determination of the leading vehicle 20A can also be performed by the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10. Moreover, the vehicle control unit 22 can receive control information from the information processing device 10 via the vehicle communication unit 21 and control the in-vehicle device 25 based on the control information.

[0038] The vehicle storage unit 23 is the same as the storage unit 13 of the information processing device 10 and includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination of these. The vehicle storage unit 23 stores programs executed by the vehicle control unit 22, data for the operation of the vehicle control unit 22, and data obtained through the operation of the vehicle control unit 22, etc. The vehicle storage unit 23 can store map information of the road 40 on which the vehicle 20 travels. In addition, the vehicle storage unit 23 can store the control mode of the in-vehicle device 25 corresponding to the type of the in-vehicle device 25 when switching the gesture signal to the police officer 5.

[0039] The position information acquisition unit 24 is configured to be able to acquire information on the current position of the vehicle 20 from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver mounted on the vehicle 20. The position information acquisition unit 24 transfers the acquired current position information to the vehicle control unit 22. The GNSS receiver is a receiver corresponding to the global positioning system using artificial satellites. GNSS includes systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Galileo, and BeiDou. The current position information of the vehicle 20 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 24 may be absolute position information represented by latitude and longitude, etc.

[0040] The in-vehicle device 25 is a device equipped on the vehicle 20 and capable of being recognized from the outside for its operation. The in-vehicle device 25 is used to prompt the switching timing of the notification gesture signal sent from the leading vehicle 20A to the police officer 5. The in-vehicle device 25 may include, for example, at least one of the headlamp 26, the windshield wiper 27, and the horn 28. The headlamp 26 can, for example, notify the switching timing by flashing. The windshield wiper 27 can, for example, notify the switching timing by performing a left-right high-speed movement on the windshield. The horn 28 can, for example, notify the switching timing by intermittently sounding the horn. Each in-vehicle device 25 may include an electronic control unit (ECU) of the in-vehicle device 25. The in-vehicle device 25 can operate through the vehicle control unit 22 based on the control information sent from the information processing device 10 to the leading vehicle 20A.

[0041] The vehicle control unit 22 can operate the in-vehicle device 25 according to the inherent operation mode for notifying the switching timing of the gesture signal stored in the vehicle storage unit 23. The inherent operation mode includes an operation mode that is not performed or cannot be performed by the driver manually. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 can operate the in-vehicle device 25 at a higher speed than the operation performed manually. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 can cause the headlamp 26 to blink faster than the speed that can be achieved manually. Or the vehicle control unit 22 can cause the left and right headlamps 26 to blink alternately. The control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can send control information to the vehicle control unit 22 to operate the in-vehicle device 25 in an operation method that cannot be performed manually. In addition, the inherent operation mode for notifying the switching timing of the gesture signal may not be stored in the vehicle storage unit 23 of the vehicle 20, but in the storage unit 13 of the information processing device 10. In this case, when operating the in-vehicle device 25, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 sends the inherent operation mode to the vehicle 20. The vehicle control unit 22 of the vehicle 20 that has received this operation mode can operate the in-vehicle device 25 according to the received inherent operation mode.

[0042] Usage scenarios of the traffic guidance system

[0043] Figure 4 An example of the usage scenario of the traffic guidance system 1 is shown. In this example, at the intersection 41 where the first road 40A intersects with the second road 40B, the police officer 5 is conducting traffic guidance. In Figure 4 the state shown, the police officer 5 allows the vehicle 20 on the first road 40A to pass through the intersection 41, and stops the vehicle 20 on the second road 40B near the intersection 41. The police officer 5 indicates a stop by facing the vehicle 20 on the second road 40B, which is on the stop side, either front or back, and spreading the hands.

[0044] The control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can identify the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for the switching of the gesture signal on the second road 40B. The control unit 12 can identify the leading vehicle 20A by receiving a notification from the leading vehicle 20A that it is the leading vehicle 20A. Or the control unit 12 can identify the leading vehicle 20A from the queue of vehicles 20 waiting for the switching of the gesture signal based on the detailed current position information obtained from each vehicle 20 and the road map information 14.

[0045] If the switching timing is determined based on the traffic volume of Road 40 near the intersection, the information processing device 10 sends control information to the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for the signal on the second road 40B on the stop side. If the leading vehicle 20A receives the control information, the vehicle control unit 22 operates the in-vehicle device 25 and gives a prompt for the switching of the gesture signal to the police officer 5.

[0046] If the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for the switching of the gesture signal on the second road 40B gives a prompt for the switching of the gesture signal, the police officer 5 can recognize that it is the timing for the switching of the gesture signal. The police officer 5 who has received the prompt for the switching of the gesture signal stops the vehicles 20 on the first road 40A from entering the intersection 41 according to a prescribed order. If the vehicles 20 on the first road 40A stop, the police officer 5 allows the vehicles 20 waiting near the intersection 41 on the second road 40B to pass through the intersection 41. In this way, it is possible to switch the road 40 on the passing side and the road 40 on the stop side of the vehicle 20.

[0047] As described above, by sequentially switching between the road on the side where the vehicle 20 passes and the road on the side where the vehicle stops between the first road 40A and the second road 40B, the traffic at the intersection 41 is controlled. The information processing device 10 controls the time interval for the switching of the gesture signal based on the traffic volumes of the first road 40A and the second road 40B. For example, when the traffic volume of the first road 40A is twice that of the second road 40B, the information processing device 10 can determine the switching timing so that the vehicles 20 on the first road 40A pass through for 2 minutes in sequence and the vehicles 20 on the second road 40B pass through for 1 minute. Additionally, for example, when the traffic volume is large and congested within a range including multiple intersections 41 adjacent to the first road 40A, the information processing device 10 can determine the switching timing so that the vehicle 20 can travel through the multiple adjacent intersections 41 and pass through in sequence. In this way, the information processing device 10 can eliminate the congestion on the first road 40A.

[0048] As Figure 4 shown, in the case where the intersection 41 is an intersection in the shape of a crossroads, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can identify the leading vehicles 20A on both of the two lanes facing each other across the intersection 41. The control unit 12 can control the in-vehicle devices 25 of the leading vehicles 20A identified for each lane based on the same switching timing. That is, the control unit 12 can operate the in-vehicle devices 25 of the two leading vehicles 20A separated by the intersection 41 almost simultaneously based on the same switching timing. In this way, regardless of which side of the stopped vehicle 20 the police officer 5 is facing, it is possible to reliably recognize the prompt indicating the switching timing of the gesture signal.

[0049] In addition, inFigure 4 In this case, the first road 40A and the second road 40B are single-lane roads on one side, but at least any one of the first road 40A and the second road 40B may also be a road with two or more lanes on one side. In such a case, the control unit 12 can determine the leading vehicle 20A for each lane and control the in-vehicle device 25 of the leading vehicle 20A determined for each lane based on the same switching timing. In addition, at least any one of the first road 40A and the second road 40B may also be a road with dedicated lanes for right turns and / or left turns near the intersection 41. In this case, the control unit 12 can also control the leading vehicle 20A determined for each lane based on the same timing. In this way, the police officer 5 can more clearly identify the switching timing of the gesture signal.

[0050] The police officer 5 may hold a portable terminal. In addition to the above-mentioned indication of the switching timing of the gesture signal by the leading vehicle 20A, the information processing device 10 can also report the switching timing to the portable terminal held by the police officer 5 through wireless communication. The portable terminal may also be equipped with a display, a speaker, and / or an oscillator, etc., and report the switching timing to the police officer 5 through image display, sound, and / or vibration.

[0051] Processing of the control unit of the information processing device

[0052] Figure 5 is a flowchart for explaining the processing sequence executed by the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10. By executing the program of the flowchart processed by the processor equivalent to the control unit 12, the functions of the information processing device 10 are realized. That is, the functions of the information processing device 10 are realized by software. The program enables the computer to function as the information processing device 10 by causing the computer to execute the operations of the information processing device 10. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 10 by executing the operations of the information processing device 10 according to the program. Figure 5

[0053] In the present embodiment, the program can be pre-recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes non-temporary computer-readable media, such as magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or semiconductor memories. The distribution of the program is carried out, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable recording media such as Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) or Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) on which the program is recorded. In addition, the distribution of the program can also be carried out by pre-storing the program in the storage of an external server and sending the program from the external server to other computers. In addition, the program can also be provided as a program product.

[0054] In Figure 5 , first, the control unit 12 determines the intersection 41 that is the object of traffic control by the police officer 5 (S1). The intersection 41 for traffic control is an intersection where the traffic signal cannot be used due to a power outage or a disaster, or an intersection without a traffic signal and with traffic congestion due to a large traffic volume, etc. The intersection 41 for traffic control by the police officer 5 can be input to the information processing device 10 by a police officer. Alternatively, information determining the intersection 41 for traffic control can be sent from an information device within the police to the information processing device 10 outside the police.

[0055] The control unit 12 obtains or calculates the traffic volume of the road 40 near the intersection 41 that is the object of traffic control (S2). The information on the obtained or calculated traffic volume is stored in the storage unit 13 as traffic volume information 16. The traffic volume can be, for example, the number of vehicles 20 passing through a specific position on the road 40 per unit time. In addition, the traffic volume can also include, for example, the congestion degree of the road 40 determined based on the speed of the vehicles 20 traveling on the road 40. The definition of the traffic volume is not limited to these.

[0056] The control unit 12 calculates the switching timing of the gesture signal based on the traffic volume information 16 of each lane of each road 40 intersecting at the intersection 41 (S3). The switching timing is determined to reduce the congestion or traffic jam on the road 40. The switching timing can be determined as the switching moment or the switching interval. In one embodiment, as the switching timing, the timing of switching the gesture signal within one cycle can be calculated. Here, one cycle means, for example, the period from the moment when the gesture signal on the first road 40A side becomes passable, through the stop period, and then to the period when the first road 40A becomes passable.

[0057] The control unit 12 identifies the leading vehicle 20A stopped at the intersection 41 (S4). The control unit 12 can determine the leading vehicle 20A based on the road map information 14 in the storage unit 13 and the detailed vehicle position information 15 of each vehicle 20 updated in sequence. Alternatively, the control unit 12 can identify the leading vehicle 20A by receiving a notification from the leading vehicle 20A that identifies itself as the leading vehicle 20A from among multiple vehicles 20.

[0058] The control unit 12 waits until the switching timing (S5) of the gesture signal calculated in S3. After passing the switching timing, it sends the control information of the in-vehicle device 25 to the leading vehicle 20A identified in S4 (S6). The leading vehicle 20A that receives the control information uses the in-vehicle device 25 to give a prompt for switching the gesture signal to the police officer 5 who is conducting traffic control. The prompt for switching the gesture signal can include at least any one of the flashing of the headlight 26, the operation of the windshield wiper 27, and the sounding of the horn 28. The police officer 5 receives this prompt to switch between the passing side road and the stopping side road between the first road 40A and the second road 40B that intersect at the intersection 41.

[0059] As long as an instruction to end traffic control is not received (S7: No), the control unit 12 repeatedly performs S2 to S7 for the intersection 41 where the passing side road 40 and the stopping side road 40 are switched. At this time, the road 40 where the leading vehicle 20A is recognized alternates between the first road 40A and the second road 40B according to the switching of each gesture signal. In addition, whenever S2 is executed, the control unit 12 can grasp the change in traffic volume in real time, so it can reflect the result in the calculation of the switching timing in S3. Furthermore, in Figure 5 the process of S2 to S7 is repeated. However, when the traffic volume information 16 does not change for a short period of time and traffic control is not ended in S7 (S7: No), the control unit 12 can mainly return to the process of S4. The control unit 12 can also return to S2 only once every several times.

[0060] If there is an instruction from the outside to the information processing device 10 to end traffic control (S7: Yes), the control unit 12 ends the process of the flowchart for assisting traffic control for the intersection 41. Such an instruction can be directly input to the information processing device 10 by a police officer, or sent to the information processing device 10 through communication from an information device within the police. Figure 5 As described above, according to the information processing device 10 of the present embodiment, the control unit 12 calculates the switching timing of the gesture signal based on the traffic volume near the intersection 41 and controls the in-vehicle device 25 provided in the leading vehicle 20A. Thus, the information processing device 10 assists traffic control by gesture signals, and compared with traffic control relying on the intuition of the police officer 5, it can reduce traffic congestion.

[0061] In addition, by adopting the traffic control system 1 of the present embodiment, compared with refreshing the system based on traffic volume control of traffic lights and newly installing traffic lights, it is possible to suppress the costs involved in equipment and installation work.

[0062]

[0063] ​In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and many modifications or changes can be made. For example, the functions included in each means, each step, etc. can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and a plurality of means or steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, traffic control is carried out by the police, but it may not be the police who carry out traffic control. Traffic control can be carried out by a staff member of an authority other than the police who is in charge of traffic management. In the above-described embodiment, the case of carrying out traffic control at the intersection of an intersection has been described. However, the intersection where traffic control is carried out is not limited to an intersection, and it can also be a three-way intersection or a five-way intersection, etc. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, as vehicle-mounted devices, headlamps, windshield wipers, and horns have been exemplified. However, vehicle-mounted devices are not limited to these. Vehicle-mounted devices can also be, for example, hazard lights.

Claims

1. An information processing device, wherein: The information processing device comprises: a communication unit capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles; and The control unit calculates the switching timing of the gesture signal based on the traffic volume near the intersection, determines the leading vehicle stopped at the intersection, and controls the vehicle-mounted equipment installed in the leading vehicle and capable of recognizing actions from outside the leading vehicle based on the switching timing and via the communication unit.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle-mounted equipment includes at least any one of a headlight, a wiper, and a horn.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit operates the vehicle-mounted device in an operation method that cannot be performed by manual operation.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: When the intersection is an intersection having a plurality of lanes on one side, the control unit identifies the leading vehicle for each lane and controls the vehicle-mounted device of the leading vehicle identified for each lane based on the same switching timing.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: When the intersection is a crossroad, the control unit identifies leading vehicles in both lanes that face each other across the intersection, and controls the vehicle-mounted device of the leading vehicle identified for each lane based on the same switching timing.

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