Management device, restriction equipment, road management system, road management method, and program

Abstract

To obtain a management device for improving safety without requiring a manual operation.SOLUTION: A management device 2 comprises: a photographing data reception section 24 for acquiring photographing data obtained by allowing restriction equipment 1 indicating a restriction zone of a road to photograph an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on the road; a vehicle state estimation section 26 for estimating a position, travel direction, and speed of a vehicle on the upstream side with the use of the photographing data; and a collision determination section 27 for predicting a movement route of the vehicle with the use of an estimation result by the vehicle state estimation section 26, determining whether the vehicle has a possibility to collide with an object based on the predicted movement route and position information indicating the position of the object within the restriction zone, and executing avoidance processing when it is determined that the vehicle has a possibility to collide with the object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, a control device, a road management system, a road management method, and a program for managing roads. [Background technology]

[0002] On roads such as expressways, restricted sections are sometimes set up to prohibit vehicle entry for construction work, accident handling, and the like. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for ensuring the safety of workers working in the restricted sections. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, a rubber cone installation terminal equipped with a sensor that detects impact is installed to separate a vehicle-prohibited area (restricted section) from a passable area, and when the rubber cone installation terminal detects an impact, a warning is issued. A warning is also issued when a flagman determines that a vehicle is entering the vehicle-prohibited area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3189644 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, by the time the rubber cone installation terminal detects an impact and issues a warning, the vehicle has already collided with the rubber cone installation terminal and entered the vehicle entry prohibited area, which is insufficient from the perspective of ensuring safety. Also, in order to issue a warning before the vehicle enters the vehicle entry prohibited area, a flag-waving worker must be deployed for monitoring, which requires manpower.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a management device that can improve safety without requiring human intervention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the management device according to the present disclosure includes an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data obtained by imaging an area including at least the upstream side of the traffic flow on the road by a regulating device indicating a regulated section of the road, and a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates the position, traveling direction, and speed of the upstream vehicle using the image data. The management device further includes a collision determination unit that predicts the movement path of the vehicle using the estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit, determines whether or not the vehicle is likely to collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating the position of the object in the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is determined that the vehicle is likely to collide with the object. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The management device according to the present disclosure has an advantage of being able to improve safety without requiring human intervention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a road cone as an example of a regulating device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an arrow plate as an example of the regulating device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image of photography using a regulating device according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 5] A flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes a management device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a second embodiment; [Figure 9] A flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure related to control of a pre-notification device in a management device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an overview of selection of a pre-notification device by a management device according to a second embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a method for advance notification by a management device according to a second embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] A sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the regulating equipment and the vehicle according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the concept of controlling regulated equipment taking into account meteorological information according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 17] A flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the regulated equipment according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] A flowchart showing another example of the processing procedure in the regulating equipment of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of a method for arranging a restriction device according to the fifth embodiment; [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of a method for arranging a restriction device according to the fifth embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The management device, the control equipment, the road management system, the road management method, and the program according to the embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a first embodiment. The road management system 100 of the present embodiment includes a regulating device 1 and a management device 2. Although FIG. 1 shows one regulating device 1, the number of regulating devices 1 may be one or more, and the number of regulating devices 1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1. The terminal device 3 is a terminal device carried by a worker working in a regulated section regulated by the regulating device 1 or around the regulated section, and is, for example, a tablet, a smartphone, a personal computer, or the like. The protective equipment 4 is an equipment for protecting a worker working in a regulated section regulated by the regulating device 1 or around the regulated section, and is, for example, but not limited to, an airbag worn by the worker.

[0011] The control equipment 1 of this embodiment is equipment used to control lanes on a road, and is, for example, a device such as a road cone, also called a color cone (registered trademark) or pylon, or an arrow board. A plurality of control equipment 1 may be used, and road cones and arrow boards may be mixed among the plurality of control equipment 1. The control equipment 1 of this embodiment can move, that is, can be self-propelled, based on the control of the management device 2. Note that, in the following, an example in which the control equipment 1 is self-propelled will be described, but the control equipment 1 does not have to have a function of self-propelling. In other words, the control equipment 1 may be a control equipment that is installed manually. The control equipment 1 has a photographing function and obtains photographed data showing an image photographed on the upstream side of the traffic flow, that is, the upstream side of the road.

[0012] The management device 2 is installed, for example, in a control center that performs traffic control or in a management office that monitors road conditions, but is not limited to this. The management device 2 predicts the vehicle's movement route using the photographic data acquired by the control equipment 1, and uses the prediction result to determine whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the control equipment 1. If there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the control equipment 1, the management device 2 executes an avoidance process.

[0013] The avoidance process includes a process of notifying that the vehicle may collide with the regulated equipment 1, and may be, for example, a process of issuing an alarm, a process of moving the position of the regulated equipment 1, a process of reducing the impact of the collision, or a combination of two or more of these. The process of issuing an alarm may be a process of issuing an alarm to prompt workers working in the regulated section to evacuate, or a process of issuing an alarm to prompt the driver of the vehicle to pay attention. For example, an alarm to prompt the workers to evacuate may be issued by at least one of the terminal device 3 and an independent alarm device (not shown), or an alarm may be issued by an alarm device (not shown) provided in the regulated equipment 1. An alarm to prompt the driver of the vehicle to pay attention may be issued by transmitting an alarm to the vehicle (not shown), or may be issued by an independent alarm device (not shown) or an alarm device (not shown) provided in the regulated equipment 1. The alarm may be, for example, at least one of a warning sound, a warning voice, a display of at least one of a character and a figure indicating a warning, and a display by light emission, but is not limited thereto.

[0014] The process for reducing the impact of a collision may be a process of activating protective equipment 4 worn by the worker, or a process of activating a cushioning material (collision impact cushioning device) not shown that is mounted on the regulated equipment 1.

[0015] In the avoidance process, the notification destinations to which the vehicle may collide with the regulating equipment 1 are notified are, for example, at least one of the terminal device 3, the alarm device, the regulating equipment 1, the protective equipment 4, and the vehicle. Note that, in the avoidance process, the notification destinations to which the vehicle may collide with the regulating equipment 1 are not limited to these.

[0016] 1 illustrates the terminal device 3 and the protective device 4, but depending on the content of the avoidance processing, at least one of them may not be used. Furthermore, when the terminal device 3 is used in the avoidance processing, the road management system 100 may include the terminal device 3, and when the protective device 4 is used in the avoidance processing, the road management system 100 may include the protective device 4. Furthermore, when an alarm device (not shown) is used in the avoidance processing, the road management system 100 may include the alarm device.

[0017] In this embodiment, the management device 2 acquires image data of an area including at least the upstream side of the traffic flow on the road from the control equipment 1, and judges whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the control equipment 1 using the acquired image data, and if there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the control equipment 1, executes an avoidance process, so that measures can be taken before the vehicle reaches the restricted section. This improves safety compared to a case where a vehicle collision with the control equipment 1 is detected and an alarm is issued without requiring human intervention.

[0018] Next, a configuration example of each device in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the management device 2 includes a location information receiving unit 21, a control information transmitting unit 22, an equipment control unit 23, an image capturing data receiving unit 24, a vehicle detection unit 25, a vehicle state estimating unit 26, a collision determination unit 27, and a transmitting unit 28.

[0019] The position information receiving unit 21 receives position information indicating the position of the regulated equipment 1 from the regulated equipment 1, and outputs it to the equipment control unit 23. The position information receiving unit 21 is an example of a position information acquiring unit that acquires the position information of the regulated equipment 1. The control information transmitting unit 22 transmits control information for controlling the regulated equipment 1 to the regulated equipment 1. In detail, the control information transmitting unit 22 transmits the control information received from the equipment control unit 23 to the corresponding regulated equipment 1.

[0020] The equipment control unit 23 controls the position of the restriction equipment 1. In detail, the equipment control unit 23 controls the position of the restriction equipment 1 using the position information received from the restriction equipment 1 via the position information receiving unit 21. The equipment control unit 23 determines a control amount for controlling the position of the restriction equipment 1, for example, using the target position of the restriction equipment 1 and the position information corresponding to the restriction equipment 1, generates control information including the control amount, and transmits the generated control information to the restriction equipment 1 via the control information transmitting unit 22. The control amount indicates, for example, the movement amount of the restriction equipment 1, and specifically, may be the movement method and distance of the restriction equipment 1 in the control cycle for each determined control cycle, or may indicate the movement route to which the restriction equipment 1 should move. The target position of the restriction equipment 1 is the position of the restriction equipment 1 determined according to the restriction section. The target position is set, for example, for each regulated equipment 1 in association with the identification information of the regulated equipment 1, and the equipment control unit 23 generates control information for controlling the position of the regulated equipment 1 for each regulated equipment 1 based on the target position associated with the identification information of the regulated equipment 1 and the position information of the regulated equipment 1 received from the position information receiving unit 21, and outputs the generated control information to the control information transmitting unit 22 in association with the identification information of the regulated equipment 1. The target position may be set by being inputted by an input means (not shown), or may be set by being transmitted from another device and received by the management device 2. Note that the method of controlling the position of the regulated equipment 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned example.

[0021] The image capturing data receiving unit 24 receives the image capturing data from the regulated equipment 1 and outputs the received image capturing data to the vehicle detection unit 25. The image capturing data receiving unit 24 is an example of an image capturing data acquiring unit that acquires image capturing data. The image capturing data may be transmitted from one regulated equipment 1 or from multiple regulated equipment 1. The vehicle detection unit 25 extracts a vehicle from the image indicated by the image capturing data received from the image capturing data receiving unit 24, identifies the position of the vehicle in the image, i.e., the area of ​​the image of the vehicle in the image, and outputs the identification result together with the image capturing data to the vehicle state estimation unit 26. The vehicle may be extracted by any method, and a general image processing method may be used, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0022] The vehicle state estimation unit 26 estimates the position, traveling direction, and speed of the upstream vehicle as the vehicle state using the photographing data. In detail, the vehicle state estimation unit 26 estimates the vehicle state including the position, traveling direction, and speed of the vehicle based on the identification result and photographing data received from the vehicle detection unit 25 and the photographing direction and angle of view at the regulating equipment 1, and outputs the estimation result to the collision determination unit 27. For example, the vehicle state estimation unit 26 estimates the vehicle state using the identification result corresponding to the photographing data photographed at multiple times and the photographing direction and angle of view at the regulating equipment 1. The position and traveling direction of the vehicle may be a relative position and a relative traveling direction with respect to the regulating equipment 1 in a coordinate system based on the regulating equipment 1, or may be converted to a position on a map based on the position information of the regulating equipment 1. These values ​​can be values ​​in any coordinate system as long as the vehicle and the regulating equipment 1 are expressed in the same coordinate system in the processing described later. In FIG. 1, the vehicle detection unit 25 is provided separately from the vehicle state estimation unit 26 , but the vehicle state estimation unit 26 may have the function of the vehicle detection unit 25 .

[0023] The collision determination unit 27 predicts the movement path of the vehicle using the estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit 26, and determines whether or not the vehicle is likely to collide with the regulation equipment 1 based on the predicted movement path and the position information of the regulation equipment 1. If it is determined that the vehicle is likely to collide with the regulation equipment 1, the collision determination unit 27 executes an avoidance process. For example, when the collision determination unit 27 determines that the vehicle is likely to collide with the regulation equipment 1, it notifies the notification unit that executes the avoidance process that the vehicle is likely to collide with the regulation equipment 1. In detail, for example, the collision determination unit 27 determines the predicted movement path of the vehicle as a line extended from the vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle, determines the movement range of the vehicle as a range expanded in consideration of the size (width) of the vehicle body when the vehicle moves on the movement path at the estimated speed, and predicts the time when the regulation equipment 1 will enter the movement range. The size of the vehicle body may be estimated by the vehicle state estimation unit 26 or may be determined in advance. Furthermore, in order to allow for a margin of error, the movement range may be set by adding a fixed value to the size of the vehicle body, or by multiplying the size of the vehicle body by a fixed ratio of 1 or more. If the time when the regulated equipment 1 enters the movement range is within a fixed time, the collision determination unit 27 determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the regulated equipment 1. Note that the method of determining whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the regulated equipment 1 is not limited to this example.

[0024] When the avoidance process is the issuance of an alarm by at least one of the terminal device 3 and the alarm device, the notification unit is the transmission unit 28 described later, and when the avoidance process is the activation of the protective equipment 4, the notification unit is also the transmission unit 28 described later. When the avoidance process is the movement of the position of the regulated equipment 1, the notification unit is the equipment control unit 23 and the control information transmission unit 22. In this case, the collision determination unit 27 notifies the equipment control unit 23 of the movement path of the vehicle, for example, and the equipment control unit 23 generates control information for moving the regulated equipment 1 to a position where it will not collide with the vehicle and outputs it to the control information transmission unit 22. Alternatively, when a collision between the vehicle and the regulated equipment 1 cannot be avoided, the equipment control unit 23 may avoid the impact by moving the regulated equipment 1 in a direction away from the vehicle as much as possible, or may move the regulated equipment 1 to set an angle to avoid a head-on collision. Alternatively, the collision determination unit 27 may specify the amount of movement of the regulated equipment 1 to the equipment control unit 23, and the equipment control unit 23 may generate control information for moving the regulated equipment 1 by the specified amount of movement and output it to the control information transmission unit 22. The control information transmission unit 22 transmits the control information received from the equipment control unit 23 to the regulated equipment 1. The control information for avoiding a vehicle is an example of information indicating that the vehicle may collide with the regulated equipment 1, and by transmitting this control information to the regulated equipment 1, the regulated equipment 1 is notified that the vehicle may collide with the regulated equipment 1.

[0025] When the avoidance process is the transmission of an alarm to the vehicle, the notification unit may be the transmission unit 28 described later, or may be a vehicle transmission unit (not shown) that communicates with the vehicle. When the avoidance process is the activation of a buffer material mounted on the regulated equipment 1, the notification unit is the equipment control unit 23 and the control information transmission unit 22. In this case, the collision determination unit 27 notifies the equipment control unit 23 that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the regulated equipment 1, and the equipment control unit 23 generates control information for activating the buffer material and outputs it to the control information transmission unit 22. The control information transmission unit 22 transmits the control information received from the equipment control unit 23 to the regulated equipment 1. The control information for activating the buffer material is an example of information indicating that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the regulated equipment 1, and the regulated equipment 1 is notified that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the regulated equipment 1 by transmitting this control information to the regulated equipment 1. Note that two or more types of processing may be performed as the avoidance process. For example, both an alarm to the vehicle and the movement of the regulated equipment 1 may be performed as the avoidance process.

[0026] When one regulated equipment 1 is placed in a regulated area and the regulated equipment 1 transmits image data, the relative position and relative traveling direction with respect to the regulated equipment 1 may be used to determine whether or not the vehicle is likely to collide with the regulated equipment 1. Alternatively, the collision determination unit 27 may take into consideration the position of the regulated equipment 1 and the image capture direction, convert the position and traveling direction of the vehicle into coordinate values ​​on a map, and determine whether or not the vehicle is likely to collide with the regulated equipment 1 based on the converted values ​​and the position of the regulated equipment 1 on the map.

[0027] In addition, when there are multiple pieces of control equipment 1 arranged in the regulated section, the collision determination unit 27 acquires position information indicating the position of each piece of control equipment 1 from the equipment control unit 23, and determines for each piece of control equipment 1 whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the piece of control equipment 1 using the position of each piece of control equipment 1 and the estimation result received from the vehicle state estimation unit 26. The collision determination unit 27 may determine the possibility of collision with the vehicle for all pieces of control equipment 1 arranged, or may determine the possibility of collision with the vehicle for a specified part of the pieces of control equipment 1 arranged. For example, there are cases where multiple pieces of control equipment 1 are arranged diagonally on the upstream side of the regulated section, and subsequent pieces of control equipment 1 are arranged along the extension direction of the road. In such a case, the collision determination unit 27 may determine the possibility of collision with the vehicle for multiple pieces of control equipment 1 arranged on the upstream side of the regulated section. In addition, when the cushioning material of the regulated equipment 1 is activated during the avoidance process, the cushioning material of the regulated equipment 1 that is likely to collide may be activated, or the cushioning material of the surrounding regulated equipment 1 may also be activated, or the cushioning material of all regulated equipment 1 that is placed may be activated.

[0028] The regulated equipment 1 can move under the control of an equipment control unit 23 of the management device 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the regulated equipment 1 includes a self-location determination unit 11, a location information transmission unit 12, a control information reception unit 13, a travel control unit 14, a travel mechanism unit 15, an imaging unit 16, and an imaging data transmission unit 17.

[0029] The self-location identifying unit 11 identifies the self-location of the restricted equipment 1. That is, the self-location identifying unit 11 acquires location information indicating the location of the restricted equipment 1, and transmits the acquired location information to the location information transmitting unit 12. The self-location identifying unit 11 may acquire location information by performing a satellite positioning system such as a global positioning system (GPS) or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), or may acquire photographic data of the surroundings as information indicating the location information. That is, the location information may be a positioning result using a satellite positioning system, or may be image information indicating an image photographed by the restricted equipment 1. An example of performing GNSS positioning as a satellite positioning system will be described below. In addition, a plurality of wireless communication devices that transmit wireless signals may be arranged around the site where the restricted equipment 1 is arranged, and the relative position of the restricted equipment 1 with respect to the plurality of wireless communication devices may be calculated using the strength of the wireless signal received from the wireless communication device and the identification information of the wireless communication device that transmits the wireless signal. The plurality of wireless communication devices may include a fixed wireless communication device. When the self-location determination unit 11 acquires location information by GNSS positioning, any positioning method may be used, but highly accurate location information can be obtained by using a positioning method that can obtain highly accurate positioning results, such as RTK (Real Time Kinematic) positioning using reinforcing information distributed via a quasi-zenith satellite or a terrestrial network, or high-precision independent positioning.

[0030] The location information transmission unit 12 transmits the location information received from the self-location identification unit 11 to the management device 2. For example, the location information transmission unit 12 transmits the location information to the management device 2 as a wireless signal. When the self-location identification unit 11 acquires image information as location information, the location information transmission unit 12 transmits the image information to the management device 2 as location information. Any communication line may be used for the communication line from the location information transmission unit 12 to the management device 2, but the delay can be reduced by using a low-latency communication line. For example, by using a high-speed, low-latency communication line such as a fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G) or a sixth-generation mobile communication system (6G) for a section where a wireless line is used, the location information can be transmitted from the regulated equipment 1 to the management device 2 with low latency even when image information is transmitted as location information. Note that the communication line from the location information transmission unit 12 to the management device 2 may be a combination of a wireless line and a wired line.

[0031] The control information receiving unit 13 receives control information from the management device 2 and outputs the received control information to the travel control unit 14. The travel control unit 14 controls the travel mechanism unit 15 using the control information to move the regulated equipment 1. The travel mechanism unit 15 includes a mechanism capable of moving itself, i.e., the regulated equipment 1. Any mechanism may be used for the travel mechanism unit 15, and may be, for example, a travel mechanism using wheels, a crawler-type travel mechanism, or any other travel mechanism.

[0032] The photographing unit 16 is capable of photographing the upstream side of the regulation equipment 1 on the road, and outputs photographed data showing the photographed image to the photographed data transmission unit 17. The photographing direction of the photographing unit 16 may be controlled by the management device 2 by the management device 2 controlling the orientation as well as the position of the regulation equipment 1. Furthermore, the photographing unit 16 may be made rotatable, and the orientation of the photographing unit 16 may be controlled by the management device 2 after the regulation equipment 1 is installed.

[0033] The photographing data transmission unit 17 transmits the photographing data received from the photographing unit 16 to the management device 2. The photographing data transmission unit 17 transmits the photographing data to the management device 2 as a wireless signal, for example. As with the communication line from the position information transmission unit 12 to the management device 2, any communication line may be used for the communication line from the photographing data transmission unit 17 to the management device 2, but the delay can be reduced by using a low-latency communication line. As with the communication line from the position information transmission unit 12 to the management device 2, for example, a high-speed, low-latency communication line such as a fifth-generation mobile communication system or a sixth-generation mobile communication system may be used for the section where a wireless line is used, so that the photographing data can be transmitted from the regulated equipment 1 to the management device 2 with low latency even when transmitting the photographing data. Note that the communication line from the photographing data transmission unit 17 to the management device 2 may be a combination of a wireless line and a wired line.

[0034] When photographed data is used as the position information, the photographing unit 16 may also function as the self-location identifying unit 11 , and the photographed data transmitting unit 17 may also function as the position information transmitting unit 12 .

[0035] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a road cone as an example of the regulating equipment 1 of the present embodiment. The regulating equipment 1 shown in FIG. 2 includes a cone-shaped housing 18, the above-mentioned photographing unit 16, wheels 19 which are part of the traveling mechanism unit 15, and a control box 20. The control box 20 is provided, for example, inside the housing 18, and the control box 20 stores the position information transmission unit 12, the control information reception unit 13, the photographing data transmission unit 17, a control circuit which realizes a part of the self-location identification unit 11 and the traveling control unit 14, a drive circuit which drives the wheels 19 of the traveling mechanism unit 15, and the like. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a motor which drives the wheels 19 as part of the traveling mechanism unit 15 is also mounted on the regulating equipment 1. The photographing data transmission unit 17 may be integrated with the photographing unit 16, or may be provided near the photographing unit 16. At least a part of the position information transmission unit 12, the control information reception unit 13, and the photographing data transmission unit 17 may be provided separately from the control box 20. The position of the control box 20 is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an arrow plate, which is an example of the regulating equipment 1 of the present embodiment. The regulating equipment 1 shown in FIG. 3 includes a housing 18 including an arrow portion on which an arrow is displayed, the above-mentioned photographing unit 16, wheels 19 which are part of the traveling mechanism unit 15, and a control box 20. The control box 20 is provided, for example, inside the housing 18, and the control box 20 stores the position information transmitting unit 12, the control information receiving unit 13, the photographing data transmitting unit 17, a part of the self-location identifying unit 11, a control circuit which realizes the traveling control unit 14, a driving circuit which drives the wheels 19 of the traveling mechanism unit 15, and the like. Although not shown in FIG. 3, a motor which drives the wheels 19 as part of the traveling mechanism unit 15 is also mounted on the regulating equipment 1. The position of the control box 20 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3.

[0037] 2 and 3 are each a schematic illustration of one example, and the position and size of each part are not limited to the examples shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. As described above, the traveling mechanism part 15 is not limited to the one using the wheels 19.

[0038] If the regulated equipment 1 is equipped with an alarm device, the alarm device may receive control information indicating that an alarm should be issued from the management device 2 and issue an alarm, or the control information receiving unit 13 may receive the control information and output it to the alarm device, causing the alarm device to issue an alarm. If the regulated equipment 1 is equipped with a cushioning material, the regulated equipment 1 may be equipped with a start-up control unit that starts the cushioning material, and the start-up control unit may receive control information for starting the cushioning material from the management device 2 and start the cushioning material, or the control information receiving unit 13 may receive the control information and output the start-up control unit, causing the start-up control unit to start the cushioning material.

[0039] Also, some of the regulated equipment 1 may be equipped with the photographing unit 16 and the photographing data transmission unit 17, and the remaining may not be equipped with the photographing unit 16 and the photographing data transmission unit 17. When all of the regulated equipment 1 to be the target of the avoidance process are equipped with the photographing unit 16 and the photographing data transmission unit 17, the determination of the possibility of a collision between each regulated equipment 1 and the vehicle may be performed based on the photographing data acquired by the management device 2 itself. Alternatively, in this case, the management device 2 may integrate the photographing data photographed by the multiple regulated equipment 1 and the position, photographing direction, and angle of view of each regulated equipment 1 to estimate the state of the vehicle, and may determine the possibility of a collision between the regulated equipment 1 and the vehicle for each regulated equipment 1 based on the estimated state of the vehicle and the position of each regulated equipment 1. If, among the regulated equipment 1 that is the subject of the avoidance process, there is a first regulated equipment 1 that is a regulated equipment 1 that does not have an imaging unit 16 and an imaging data transmission unit 17, the management device 2 estimates the state of the vehicle based on the imaging data acquired by the second regulated equipment 1 that is a regulated equipment 1 that has an imaging unit 16 and an imaging data transmission unit 17, and determines the possibility of a collision between the first regulated equipment and the vehicle based on the state of the vehicle and the position of each regulated equipment 1.

[0040] In the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the regulating equipment 1 is self-propelled, but as described above, the regulating equipment 1 may be installed by a worker or the like without being self-propelled. In this case, the regulating equipment 1 and the management device 2 may not have each functional unit for moving the regulating equipment 1. That is, when the regulating equipment 1 is not self-propelled, the regulating equipment 1 may not have the self-location identification unit 11, the position information transmission unit 12, the control information reception unit 13, the travel control unit 14, and the travel mechanism unit 15, and the management device 2 may not have the position information reception unit 21, the control information transmission unit 22, and the equipment control unit 23. When the regulating equipment 1 and the management device 2 are not provided with each functional unit for moving the regulating equipment 1, the avoidance process does not include a process for moving the regulating equipment 1. In addition, when multiple regulating equipment 1 are used, both the self-propelled regulating equipment 1 and the non-self-propelled regulating equipment 1 may be used.

[0041] In addition, when the regulated equipment 1 does not move by itself and the avoidance process includes at least one of issuing an alarm by the regulated equipment 1 and activating the cushioning material, the regulated equipment 1 may not include the self-location identification unit 11, the location information transmission unit 12, the travel control unit 14, and the travel mechanism unit 15, but may include the control information receiving unit 13. In this case, the control information receiving unit 13 may receive control information for the avoidance process and output the received control information to a functional unit corresponding to the avoidance process (at least one of the alarm device and the activation unit of the cushioning material), or, as described above, the functional unit corresponding to the avoidance process may have the function of receiving control information and the control information receiving unit 13 may not be provided.

[0042] In addition, when the regulated equipment 1 is not self-propelled, the regulated equipment 1 may be installed by a worker based on a predetermined installation plan, for example, and the management device 2 may grasp the position of each regulated equipment 1 based on the installation plan. Alternatively, after the regulated equipment 1 is installed, the position of each regulated equipment 1 may be transmitted from the worker to an operator of the management device 2 or the like and input to the management device 2, or the worker may input the position of the regulated equipment 1 to the terminal device 3, and the terminal device 3 may transmit the position of the regulated equipment 1 to the management device 2.

[0043] The parameters related to shooting, such as the shooting direction and angle of view, of the regulating equipment 1 may be determined in advance by an installation plan, or may be adjusted by a worker according to the road conditions and then communicated by the worker to an operator of the management device 2 and input into the management device 2 after adjustment, or the worker may input the parameters into the terminal device 3 and the terminal device 3 may transmit the parameters to the management device 2.

[0044] Next, the operation of the road management system 100 of this embodiment regarding collision determination and avoidance processing will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image of photography by the regulating equipment 1 of this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a vehicle 5 is traveling on a road with two lanes on each side. An arrow 202 written in front of the vehicle 5 indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle 5. The angle of view 201 is the angle of view of the photographing unit 16 of the regulating equipment 1 on the left edge of the paper, and as shown in FIG. 4, this regulating equipment 1 photographs an area including the upstream side of the road, that is, the side opposite to the traveling direction of the lane. The traveling direction of the lane is the direction that is determined as the direction in which the vehicle 5 should travel on each lane on the road.

[0045] In the example shown in FIG. 4, a worker wearing protective equipment 4 is working in a restricted section surrounded by the restriction equipment 1. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, before a vehicle 5 enters the restricted section, the upstream side of the road is photographed by the restriction equipment 1, and the management device 2 predicts the movement route of the vehicle 5 using the photographed image data. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the movement route of the vehicle 5 traveling on the lane in which the restricted section is located is shown by a dashed line. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the second restriction equipment 1 from the left is present on the movement route. For example, the management device 2 predicts the time when the vehicle 5 will reach the second restriction equipment 1 from the left using the estimated speed of the vehicle 5, and if the predicted time is within a certain time (within a certain time from the present), it determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with the restriction equipment 1. In addition, depending on the setting of the movement range of the vehicle 5, there may be regulated equipment 1 on both sides of the second regulated equipment 1 from the left within the movement range, so the management device 2 may predict the time at which the regulated equipment 1 will enter the movement range for the regulated equipment 1 that will enter the movement range first, and if the predicted time is within a certain time period, determine that there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with the regulated equipment 1.

[0046] When it is determined that the vehicle 5 will collide with the regulating equipment 1, for example, the protective equipment 4 is activated as an avoidance process, thereby improving the safety of the worker. Also, as an avoidance process, when an alarm is issued via the terminal device 3, the regulating equipment 1, or other alarm devices not shown in FIG. 4, the safety of the worker can be improved. Also, as an avoidance process, the regulating equipment 1 is moved, thereby avoiding a collision between the vehicle 5 and the regulating equipment 1, improving the safety of the driver of the vehicle 5, and reducing the possibility that the regulating equipment 1, the vehicle 5, etc. will collide with the worker due to a collision between the vehicle 5 and the regulating equipment 1. Also, as an avoidance process, the buffer material of the regulating equipment 1 is activated, thereby improving the safety of the driver of the vehicle 5.

[0047] Although Figure 4 illustrates an example of photographing the upstream side, it is sufficient that at least the upstream side is photographed, and a wider range than that shown in Figure 4 may be photographed, and the side may be photographed in addition to the upstream side.

[0048] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the management device 2 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the management device 2 receives the photographed data (step S1). In detail, the photographed data receiving unit 24 receives the photographed data from the regulated equipment 1 and outputs the received photographed data to the vehicle detection unit 25.

[0049] Next, the management device 2 detects the vehicle 5 in the image (step S2). In detail, the vehicle detection unit 25 extracts the vehicle 5 from the image indicated by the shooting data received from the shooting data receiving unit 24, identifies the position of the vehicle 5 in the image, i.e., the area of ​​the image of the vehicle 5 in the image, and outputs the identification result to the vehicle state estimation unit 26 together with the shooting data.

[0050] Next, the management device 2 estimates the position, traveling direction, and speed of the vehicle 5 (step S3). In detail, the vehicle state estimation unit 26 estimates the position, traveling direction, and speed of the vehicle 5 using the imaging data and the identification result received from the imaging data receiving unit 24, and outputs the estimation result to the collision determination unit 27.

[0051] Next, the management device 2 predicts the movement path of the vehicle 5 (step S4). More specifically, the collision determination unit 27 predicts the movement path of the vehicle 5 using the estimation result received from the vehicle state estimation unit 26. Next, the management device 2 judges whether or not there is a possibility of a collision (step S5). More specifically, the collision determination unit 27 judges, for example, using the predicted movement path whether or not there is a possibility of the vehicle 5 colliding with the regulated equipment 1 within a certain time period. For example, the collision determination unit 27 sets a movement range using the movement path and the size of the vehicle 5, calculates the time when the regulated equipment 1 will enter the movement range, and if the calculated time is within a certain time period from the present, judges that there is a possibility of the vehicle 5 colliding with the regulated equipment 1.

[0052] If there is no possibility of a collision (step S5 No), the processing from step S1 is repeated. If there is a possibility of a collision (step S5 Yes), the management device 2 executes avoidance processing (step S6) and ends the processing. Note that after step S6, the processing from step S1 may be repeated. In detail, in step S6, the collision determination unit 27 notifies the notification unit executing the avoidance processing that there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with the regulated equipment 1. As described above, the notification unit is, for example, one or more of the transmission unit 28, the equipment control unit 23, and the control information transmission unit 22.

[0053] By the above processing, in this embodiment, avoidance processing can be performed without human intervention before the vehicle 5 enters the regulated area, thereby improving safety compared to a case in which a collision of the vehicle 5 with the regulated equipment 1 is detected and an alarm is issued.

[0054] In the above example, the collision determination unit 27 determines whether or not there is a possibility of a collision between the regulating equipment 1 and the vehicle 5. Alternatively, or in addition, it may determine whether or not there is a possibility of a collision between the worker and the vehicle 5. In this case, for example, the vehicle detection unit 25 of the management device 2 detects not only the vehicle 5 but also the worker from the video shown by the shooting data acquired by the regulating equipment 1, thereby determining the position of the worker, and notifies the collision determination unit 27 of the position information indicating the position of the worker. The collision determination unit 27 determines the possibility of a collision between the worker and the vehicle 5 in the same manner as determining the possibility of a collision between the regulating equipment 1 and the vehicle 5, and if it determines that there is a possibility of a collision, an avoidance process is executed. In this case, the regulating equipment 1 photographs not only the upstream side of the road but also the inside of the regulated section. For example, one regulating equipment 1 may photograph both the upstream side of the road and the inside of the regulated section, or the regulating equipment 1 photographing the upstream side of the road and the regulating equipment 1 photographing the inside of the regulated section may be different.

[0055] Alternatively, the management device 2 may obtain worker position information indicating the position of the worker from a terminal device 3 carried by the worker. The terminal device 3 may detect its own position by including a position detection device such as a GPS receiver and transmit position information indicating the position to be detected to the management device 2 as the worker's position information, or may receive input of position information indicating the worker's position from the worker and transmit the received position information to the management device 2 as the worker's position information. Alternatively, the worker may wear a position management device that detects the worker's position and transmits the position to the management device 2 separately from the terminal device 3.

[0056] In this way, the object to be judged as a collision with the vehicle 5 is not limited to the regulated equipment 1, but may be at least one of a person and an object located within the regulated section. That is, the collision judgment unit 27 judges whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating the position of the object within the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is judged that there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with the object. The object includes at least one of the regulated equipment 1 and a worker within the regulated section. In addition, the object may include a person other than a worker located within the regulated section, or may include equipment used within the regulated section other than the regulated equipment 1.

[0057] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the management device 2 performs the process shown in FIG. 5 using the photographed data, but the subject of the process is not limited to the management device 2. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system 100a according to a modified example of this embodiment. Components having the same functions as those in the configuration example shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations are omitted. The road management system 100a shown in FIG. 6 includes a regulating device 1a and a management device 2a. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, the regulating device 1a includes a management unit 200, which is a management device, and the management unit 200 includes the vehicle detection unit 25, the vehicle state estimation unit 26, the collision determination unit 27, and the transmission unit 28 shown in FIG. 1. In this way, the vehicle detection unit 25, the vehicle state estimation unit 26, the collision determination unit 27, and the transmission unit 28 may be provided in the regulating device 1a. That is, the management device of this embodiment may be provided in the regulating device. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, the photographing unit 16 serves as the photographed data acquisition unit, and the self-location identification unit 11 serves as the location information acquisition unit.

[0058] The equipment control unit 23 in the management device 2a may also be provided in the regulated equipment 1a. In this case, each regulated equipment 1a moves autonomously based on a target position set for itself, and the management device 2a may not be provided, and the regulated equipment 1a may not be self-propelled, and in this case, the management device 2a may not be provided.

[0059] The management unit 200 may be provided as a management device separate from the regulated equipment 1a and the management device 2a. That is, the position of the regulated equipment 1a may be controlled by a management device separate from the management device 2 that performs the process shown in Fig. 5 using the photographed data. In this case, when the regulated equipment 1a is moved in the avoidance process, the management device that performs the process shown in Fig. 5 using the photographed data transmits an instruction to move the regulated equipment 1a to the management device 2a that controls the position of the regulated equipment 1a.

[0060] Next, a hardware configuration of the management device 2 of this embodiment will be described. In the management device 2 of this embodiment, a computer program in which processing in the management device 2 is described is executed on the computer system, so that the computer system functions as the management device 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes the management device 2 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, this computer system includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a storage unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107.

[0061] In FIG. 7, the control unit 101 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes a program in which the processing in the management device 2 of this embodiment is described. The input unit 102 is, for example, composed of a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and is used by a user of the computer system to input various information. The storage unit 103 includes various memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device such as a hard disk, and stores the program to be executed by the control unit 101, necessary data obtained in the process of processing, and the like. The storage unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for the program. The control unit 101 and the storage unit 103, for example, constitute a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be one circuit or multiple circuits. The display unit 104 is composed of a display, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display Panel), and the like, and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and a transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a printer, a speaker, and the like. Note that FIG. 7 is an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example of FIG. 7.

[0062] Here, an example of the operation of the computer system until the program of this embodiment is in an executable state will be described. In the computer system having the above-mentioned configuration, for example, a program is installed in the storage unit 103 from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM set in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). Then, when the program is executed, the program read from the storage unit 103 is stored in the main storage area of ​​the storage unit 103. In this state, the control unit 101 executes the process as the management device 2 of this embodiment according to the program stored in the storage unit 103.

[0063] In the above description, a program describing the processing in the management device 2 is provided on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM as a recording medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Depending on the configuration of the computer system and the capacity of the program to be provided, for example, a program provided over a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105 may be used.

[0064] The equipment control unit 23, the vehicle detection unit 25, the vehicle state estimation unit 26, and the collision determination unit 27 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 7 executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 7. The storage unit 103 is also used to realize the equipment control unit 23, the vehicle detection unit 25, the vehicle state estimation unit 26, and the collision determination unit 27. The position information receiving unit 21, the control information transmitting unit 22, the photographed data receiving unit 24, and the transmitting unit 28 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 7. The management device 2 may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the management device 2 may be realized by a cloud computer system. Similarly, the management device 2a shown in FIG. 6 may be realized by the computer system shown in FIG. 7, may be realized by a plurality of computer systems, or may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0065] For example, the program of this embodiment causes the management device 2, which is a computer system, to execute the following steps: acquiring imaging data obtained by the regulating equipment 1 photographing an area that includes at least the upstream side of the traffic flow on the road; using the imaging data to estimate the position, direction of travel and speed of the upstream vehicle 5 as vehicle states; predicting the movement path of the vehicle 5 using the estimated vehicle state, and determining whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with an object in the regulated section based on the predicted movement path; and executing an avoidance process if it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with the object.

[0066] Similarly to the management device 2, the terminal device 3 is also realized by a computer system exemplified in FIG. 7. The travel control unit 14, the position information transmission unit 12, and the control information reception unit 13 in the regulated equipment 1 are realized by, for example, a control circuit including a control unit 101, a storage unit 103, and a communication unit 105 in the computer system exemplified in FIG. 7. The travel control unit 14 shown in FIG. 1 is realized by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 7 executing the management program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 7. The position information transmission unit 12 and the control information reception unit 13 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 7. Note that, when the self-location unit 11 acquires position information by GNSS positioning, it is provided with a GNSS antenna, and the position information is calculated by the above-mentioned control circuit using a signal received by the GNSS antenna. When the self-location unit 11 receives reinforcing information, it is provided with an antenna for receiving the reinforcing information. Alternatively, when the reinforcing information is received from a ground network, the reinforcing information is received by the communication unit 105 in the control circuit. Moreover, when the self-location identifying unit 11 acquires image information as the location information, the self-location identifying unit 11 is realized by a camera. Moreover, the photographing unit 16 in the regulated equipment 1 is realized by a camera. The photographed data transmitting unit 17 may be realized by the communication unit 105 that realizes the above-mentioned location information transmitting unit 12 and the control information receiving unit 13, or may be realized by a communication device other than the communication unit 105 that realizes the location information transmitting unit 12 and the control information receiving unit 13. Similarly, the management unit 200 in the regulated equipment 1a shown in FIG. 6 is realized by a control circuit including the control unit 101, the storage unit 103, and the communication unit 105.

[0067] As described above, in this embodiment, the management device 2 predicts the moving path of the vehicle 5 using the photographic data acquired by the regulated equipment 1, and performs avoidance processing when there is a possibility that the vehicle 5 will collide with the regulated equipment 1 using the prediction result. Therefore, measures can be taken before the vehicle 5 collides with the regulated equipment 1 in the regulated section. This improves safety compared to the case where a collision of the vehicle 5 with the regulated equipment 1 is detected and an alarm is issued without requiring human intervention.

[0068] Embodiment 2 FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to the second embodiment. The road management system 100b of this embodiment includes a regulating device 1b, a management device 2b, and an advance notification device 6. Although FIG. 8 shows one regulating device 1b and one advance notification device 6, the number of regulating devices 1b and advance notification devices 6 may be one or more, and the number of regulating devices 1b and advance notification devices 6 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 8. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0069] In this embodiment, the advance notification device 6 that notifies the driver of the vehicle 5 in advance that a restricted section is provided, i.e., that the restriction equipment 1b is installed, is selected according to the installation location of the restriction equipment 1b. Also, in this embodiment, the method of advance notification by the advance notification device 6 is determined according to the installation environment of the advance notification device 6. By selecting an appropriate advance notification device 6 according to the arrangement of the restriction equipment 1b, it becomes easier for the driver of the vehicle 5 to recognize the restricted section in advance, and safety can be improved. Also, by determining the method of advance notification according to the installation environment of the advance notification device 6, it becomes easier for the driver of the vehicle 5 to recognize the restricted section in advance, and safety can be improved.

[0070] The advance notification device 6 is a device that indicates, for example, by letters, figures, voice, etc., that a lane change is required because a regulated section is ahead. In this embodiment, an example in which the advance notification device 6 is self-propelled will be described, but the advance notification device 6 may be a portable device that can be moved by being carried by a worker, or may be a device that is fixed to a predetermined location. When multiple advance notification devices 6 are used, they may be mixed. Also, when the advance notification device 6 is not self-propelled, the advance notification device 6 and the functional unit for controlling the position of the advance notification device 6 in the management device 2b may not be provided.

[0071] The regulating equipment 1b is the same as the regulating equipment 1 of the first embodiment, except that the imaging unit 16 and the imaging data transmission unit 17 are deleted from the regulating equipment 1 of the first embodiment. The regulating equipment 1b does not need to be self-propelled and may be placed by a worker. In this case, the position information of the regulating equipment 1b may be determined by a placement plan as described in the first embodiment, or may be input by a worker. In this case, the regulating equipment 1b and the management device 2b may not be provided with a functional unit for controlling the position of the regulating equipment 1b.

[0072] The management device 2b includes a location information receiving section 21a, a control information transmitting section 22a, an equipment control section 23, an information storage section 29, a prior notification device control section 31, a prior notification device selection section 32, and a notification method determination section 33. The equipment control section 23 is similar to the equipment control section 23 of the first embodiment. However, in addition to the operations described in the first embodiment, the equipment control section 23 outputs location information of the restricted equipment 1b to the prior notification device selection section 32. Note that the location information of the restricted equipment 1b may be output from the location information receiving section 21a to the prior notification device selection section 32.

[0073] The location information receiving unit 21a receives location information from the regulated equipment 1b in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and outputs the received location information to the equipment control unit 23. The location information receiving unit 21a also receives location information from the advance notification device 6, and outputs the received location information to the advance notification device control unit 31.

[0074] The control information transmitting unit 22a, when receiving control information for controlling the regulated equipment 1b from the equipment control unit 23, transmits the received control information to the regulated equipment 1b, as in the first embodiment. In addition, when receiving control information for controlling the prior notification device 6 from the prior notification device control unit 31, the control information transmitting unit 22a transmits the received control information to the prior notification device 6.

[0075] The information storage unit 29 stores map information and advance notification device information. The map information includes information indicating the positions of structures on roads such as tunnels. The map information may also include congestion information, the speed of the vehicle 5 on each road, and the like, such as a dynamic map. The map information may, for example, be stored in the information storage unit 29 in advance, or may be acquired from a server that provides external map information, and may be updated, for example, periodically. In addition, dynamic information such as congestion information and the speed of the vehicle 5 may be acquired separately from the map information by a detection device installed on the road, and stored in the information storage unit 29. The advance notification device information includes information regarding each advance notification device 6, and includes, for example, information indicating the installation position of each advance notification device 6. The advance notification device information may also include information indicating the type (model) of the advance notification device 6.

[0076] The pre-notification device control unit 31 controls the position of the pre-notification device 6 using the position information received from the pre-notification device 6 via the position information receiving unit 21a. The method of controlling the position of the pre-notification device 6 is, for example, the same as the control method of the restriction equipment 1 in the first embodiment, and the pre-notification device control unit 31 determines the control amount for controlling the position of the restriction equipment 1b using the target position of the pre-notification device 6 and the position information corresponding to the pre-notification device 6. The pre-notification device control unit 31 generates control information including the control amount, and transmits the generated control information to the pre-notification device 6 via the control information transmitting unit 22a. The target position of the pre-notification device 6 may be set by being input by an input means not shown, or may be set by being transmitted from another device and received by the management device 2b. Note that the method of controlling the position of the pre-notification device 6 is not limited to the above example. When the pre-notification device 6 moves to the target position, the pre-notification device control unit 31 stores the position of the pre-notification device 6 in the information storage unit 29 as the pre-notification device information. The prior notification device 6 may be installed independently of the installation of the restriction equipment 1b, or the prior notification device 6 may be installed when the restriction equipment 1b is installed.

[0077] The advance notification device selection unit 32 uses the location information of the restricted equipment 1b received from the equipment control unit 23 and the advance notification device information stored in the information storage unit 29 to select an advance notification device 6 that will provide notification regarding the restricted section corresponding to the restricted equipment 1b, and outputs the selection result to the notification method determination unit 33.

[0078] The notification method determination unit 33 uses the selection result received from the pre-notification device selection unit 32 and the map information stored in the information storage unit 29 to determine the method of pre-notification (pre-notification method) according to the installation environment of the selected pre-notification device 6. The notification method determination unit 33 generates control information that instructs to perform notification using the determined pre-notification method, and outputs the generated control information to the control information transmission unit 22a.

[0079] The pre-notification method according to the installation environment is, for example, a method of changing the illuminance according to the brightness, such as increasing the illuminance when making a notification when the pre-notification device 6 is installed in a dark place. For example, the illuminance of the light of the roadside guide lamp, which is an example of the pre-notification device 6, may be changed between inside and outside the tunnel. In this way, when the pre-notification device 6 is capable of making a pre-notification by emitting light, the notification method determination unit 33 may determine the illuminance of the light according to the brightness of the location where the pre-notification device 6 is installed. In addition, when a projection device that projects at least one of characters and figures on a road is used as the pre-notification device 6, the pre-notification method may be determined to project at least one of the characters and figures so that the projection target moves at the same speed as the vehicle speed according to the average speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicles 5 around the pre-notification device 6. In other words, the notification method determination unit 33 may determine the speed of movement of the projection area so that the projection area where the pre-notification is projected moves in accordance with the speed of the vehicles 5 traveling at the location where the pre-notification device 6 is installed. For example, based on the above-mentioned map information or dynamic information acquired separately from the map information, for a pre-notification device 6 installed in a location where the vehicle 5 is traveling at 10 km / h due to congestion, the notification method determination unit 33 determines that the pre-notification method is to project the projection target while moving it in the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 at 10 km / h. Note that the pre-notification method according to the installation environment of the pre-notification device 6 is not limited to these examples.

[0080] The advance notification device 6 includes a self-location determining unit 61, a location information transmitting unit 62, a control information receiving unit 63, a travel control unit 64, a travel mechanism unit 65, a notification control unit 66, and an advance notification unit 67. The self-location determining unit 61, the location information transmitting unit 62, the control information receiving unit 63, the travel control unit 64, and the travel mechanism unit 65 are similar to the self-location determining unit 11, the location information transmitting unit 12, the control information receiving unit 13, the travel control unit 14, and the travel mechanism unit 15 in the regulating equipment 1b, respectively, but the control information receiving unit 63 outputs the control information to the notification control unit 66 when the received control information is control information that indicates the advance notification method.

[0081] Any communication line may be used for the communication line from the position information transmission unit 62 to the management device 2b, but the delay can be reduced by using a low-latency communication line. For example, for a section where a wireless line is used, by using a high-speed, low-latency communication line such as a fifth-generation mobile communication system or a sixth-generation mobile communication system, the position information can be transmitted from the advance notification device 6 to the management device 2b with low delay even when image information is transmitted as the position information. Note that the communication line from the position information transmission unit 62 to the management device 2b may be a combination of a wireless line and a wired line.

[0082] The notification control unit 66 controls the advance notification unit 67 based on the control information received from the control information receiving unit 63. Under the control of the notification control unit 66, the advance notification unit 67 performs a display visible to the driver of the vehicle 5 by light emission, projection, or the like.

[0083] Next, an operation of the management device 2b of this embodiment regarding the control of the advance notification device 6 will be described. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure regarding the control of the advance notification device 6 in the management device 2b of this embodiment. The management device 2b receives the position information of the restricted equipment 1b (step S11). In detail, the position information receiving unit 21a receives the position information from the restricted equipment 1b, and outputs the received position information to the equipment control unit 23 and the advance notification device selection unit 32.

[0084] Next, the management device 2b selects a pre-notification device 6 (step S12). In detail, the pre-notification device selection unit 32 selects a pre-notification device 6 according to the position of the restricted device 1b using the position information of the restricted device 1b received from the position information receiving unit 21a and the pre-notification device information stored in the information storage unit 29, and outputs the selection result to the notification method determination unit 33. The pre-notification device selection unit 32 may select multiple pre-notification devices 6. Also, it is sufficient that the position information of at least one restricted device 1b is used for selection for one restricted section. For example, the position information of the restricted device 1b located at the most upstream side in one restricted section may be used for selection, or the average value of the positions of multiple restricted devices 1b may be used for selection based on the position information of multiple upstream restricted devices 1b corresponding to one restricted section.

[0085] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of the selection of the pre-notification device 6 by the management device 2b of this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 10, pre-notification devices 6-1 and 6-2, each of which is a pre-notification device 6, are arranged around the restricted equipment 1b. For example, the pre-notification device selection unit 32 selects the pre-notification device 6-2, which is located upstream of the lane in which the restricted equipment 1b is arranged and is within a specified distance from the restricted equipment 1b. The specified range is determined by an upper limit value and a lower limit value, such as a range from 50 m to 70 m. Note that the specified range is not limited to this example. FIG. 10 shows an example in which there are two pre-notification devices 6, namely, the pre-notification devices 6-1 and 6-2, as the pre-notification devices 6 whose distance from the restricted equipment 1b is within a specified range. In this example, the pre-notification device 6-1 is not located upstream of the restricted equipment 1b, so the pre-notification device 6-2 located upstream of the restricted equipment 1b is selected as the pre-notification device 6 corresponding to the restricted equipment 1b.

[0086] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 9, the management device 2b then determines the advance notification method (step S13). In detail, the notification method determination unit 33 acquires the installation environment of the advance notification device 6 corresponding to the selection result received from the advance notification device selection unit 32 using map information stored in the information storage unit 29, and determines the advance notification method according to the acquired installation environment. The notification method determination unit 33 generates control information indicating the determined advance notification method, and outputs the generated control information to the control information transmission unit 22a. The information from which the installation environment is acquired is not limited to map information, and may be dynamic information acquired separately from the map information.

[0087] Next, the management device 2b instructs the advance notification method (step S14) and ends the process. In detail, in step S14, the control information transmitting unit 22a transmits the control information received from the notification method determining unit 33 to the advance notification device 6, thereby instructing the advance notification device 6 on the advance notification method.

[0088] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a pre-notification method by the management device 2b of the present embodiment. FIG. 11 illustrates a pre-notification method implemented by the pre-notification device 6-2 shown in FIG. 10 after the pre-notification device 6 is selected as the pre-notification device 6 corresponding to the regulated equipment 1b. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the pre-notification device 6-2 is a projection device that projects at least one of a figure and a character onto a road, and is capable of changing a projection area 203 that is a projection area. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the pre-notification method is determined so that the projection area 203 is moved according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle 5 traveling around the pre-notification device 6-2. This makes it easier for the driver of the vehicle 5 to visually recognize at least one of a figure and a character projected onto the projection area 203, and makes it easier to recognize the pre-notification that the regulated equipment 1b is installed. In FIG. 11, an arrow that encourages a lane change is projected into the projection area 203 as a pre-notification that the regulated equipment 1b is installed, but the specific content of the pre-notification is not limited thereto.

[0089] The management device 2b of this embodiment is also realized by, for example, the computer system illustrated in FIG. 7, like the management devices 2 and 2a of the first embodiment. The equipment control unit 23, the advance notification device control unit 31, the advance notification device selection unit 32, and the notification method determination unit 33 illustrated in FIG. 8 are realized by the control unit 101 illustrated in FIG. 7 executing the programs stored in the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 7. The storage unit 103 is also used to realize the equipment control unit 23, the advance notification device control unit 31, the advance notification device selection unit 32, and the notification method determination unit 33. The location information receiving unit 21a and the control information transmitting unit 22a illustrated in FIG. 8 are realized by the communication unit 105 illustrated in FIG. 7. The information storage unit 29 illustrated in FIG. 8 is a part of the storage unit 103. The management device 2b may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the management device 2b may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0090] The travel control unit 14, the location information transmission unit 12, and the control information receiving unit 13 in the regulated equipment 1b are realized, for example, by a control circuit including a control unit 101, a storage unit 103, and a communication unit 105 in a computer system illustrated in Fig. 7, as in the regulated equipment 1 in the first embodiment. The travel control unit 64, the location information transmission unit 62, the control information receiving unit 63, and the notification control unit 66 in the advance notification device 6 are also realized, for example, by a control circuit including a control unit 101, a storage unit 103, and a communication unit 105 in a computer system illustrated in Fig. 7.

[0091] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the position of the regulating equipment 1b is controlled by the management device 2b, but as described in the first embodiment, the regulating equipment 1b may autonomously control the position. In this case, the function of the management device 2b may be provided in the regulating equipment 1b. Also, as in the modified example of the first embodiment, the regulating equipment 1b may include a management unit, and the management unit may include an information storage unit 29, a pre-notification device control unit 31, a pre-notification device selection unit 32, and a notification method determination unit 33. That is, the management device 2b of this embodiment may be provided in the regulating equipment 1b. In this case, all the regulating equipment 1b may include a management device, or some of the regulating equipment 1b may include a management device.

[0092] Moreover, the first embodiment (including the modified example) may be combined with the second embodiment. For example, the regulating equipment 1b may further include a photographing unit 16 and a photographed data transmitting unit 17, and the management device 2b may further include a vehicle detecting unit 25, a vehicle state estimating unit 26, a collision determining unit 27, and a transmitting unit 28, so that the operations described in the first embodiment may be performed in addition to the operations of this embodiment.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, the advance notification device 6 that notifies the driver of the vehicle 5 in advance that a restricted section has been provided, i.e., that the restricted equipment 1b has been installed, is selected according to the installation location of the restricted equipment 1b, and the method of advance notification by the selected advance notification device 6 is determined according to the installation environment of the advance notification device 6. This makes it easier for the driver of the vehicle 5 to recognize the restricted section in advance, thereby improving safety.

[0094] Embodiment 3 FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to the third embodiment. A road management system 100c according to the present embodiment includes a regulating device 1c and a management device 2c. Although one regulating device 1c is shown in FIG. 8, the number of regulating devices 1c may be one or more, and the number of regulating devices 1c is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 12. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0095] The regulating device 1c of this embodiment is similar to the regulating device 1 of the first embodiment, except that the photographing unit 16 and the photographed data transmission unit 17 are omitted, and the position information transmission unit 12 is replaced with a position information transmission unit 12a.

[0096] The management device 2c of this embodiment is similar to the management device 2 of embodiment 1, except that the shooting data receiving unit 24, the vehicle detection unit 25, the vehicle state estimation unit 26, the collision judgment unit 27, and the transmission unit 28 are deleted from the management device 2 of embodiment 1.

[0097] In this embodiment, an example in which the regulating equipment 1c is self-propelled will be described, but the regulating equipment 1c does not have to be self-propelled, and when multiple regulating equipment 1c are used, they may be mixed. When the regulating equipment 1c is not self-propelled, the management device 2c is not required, and the regulating equipment 1c only needs to include a self-location identification unit 11 and a location information transmission unit 12a. Alternatively, the regulating equipment 1c may not include the self-location identification unit 11, and location information indicating the location of the regulating equipment 1c may be input via an input reception unit (not shown), or may receive location information from another device, and the location information transmission unit 12a may transmit the location information to the vehicle 5.

[0098] In this embodiment, the position information transmission unit 12a of the regulating equipment 1c transmits the position information indicating the position of the regulating equipment 1c to the management device 2c and also to the vehicle 5. The vehicle 5 is capable of performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and when it receives the position information from the regulating equipment 1c, it transmits the received position information to the surrounding vehicles 5. FIG. 12 illustrates vehicles 5-1 to 5-4, each of which is a vehicle 5, where the vehicles 5-1 and 5-2 receive the position information from the regulating equipment 1c, the vehicle 5-1 transmits the received position information to the vehicle 5-3, and the vehicle 5-2 transmits the received position information to the vehicle 5-4. In this manner, in this embodiment, the position information indicating the position of the regulating equipment 1c is transferred sequentially by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Note that in FIG. 12, the vehicles 5-1 to 5-4 are illustrated as examples of the vehicles 5, but the number of the vehicles 5 is not limited to the example illustrated in FIG. 12. The vehicles 5 may also be included in the road management system 100c.

[0099] The location information may be transferred by one-to-one communication between vehicles, or the source vehicle 5 may report the location information to multiple vehicles 5, thereby transmitting the location information.

[0100] Vehicle 5-1 includes a location information receiving unit 51, a driver notifying unit 52, and a location information transmitting unit 53. Each vehicle 5 also includes components not shown, such as functional units for driving, but Fig. 12 illustrates components related to the location information of the regulating equipment 1c of this embodiment. Although not illustrated, vehicles 5-2 to 5-4 also include a location information receiving unit 51, a driver notifying unit 52, and a location information transmitting unit 53, similar to vehicle 5-1.

[0101] The position information receiving unit 51 receives position information from the regulated equipment 1c and outputs the received position information to the driver notification unit 52 and the position information transmitting unit 53. The position information transmitting unit 53 transmits the position information received from the position information receiving unit 51 to another vehicle 5. The position information receiving unit 51 and the position information transmitting unit 53 may be provided for the operation of this embodiment, or may be realized by a general communication device for performing inter-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication, but the delay can be reduced by using a low-latency communication line. For example, inter-vehicle communication by a fifth generation mobile communication system, a sixth generation mobile communication system, or the like may be realized.

[0102] The driver notification unit 52 notifies the driver of the position of the regulating equipment 1c by using the position information received from the position information receiving unit 51. For example, the driver notification unit 52 notifies the driver of the position of the regulating equipment 1c by at least one of display and voice. Specifically, the driver notification unit 52 may notify the driver of the position of the regulating equipment 1c for all the received position information, for example, by displaying the position of the regulating equipment 1c on a map in a car navigation system. Alternatively, when the regulating equipment 1c is located within a certain distance from the current position on the upstream side, the driver notification unit 52 may notify the driver of the position of the regulating equipment 1c by notifying the driver of the distance to the regulating equipment 1c and that there is a regulated section ahead. The method of notifying the driver of the position of the regulating equipment 1c is not limited to these examples.

[0103] Next, the operation of the regulating equipment 1c and the vehicle 5 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the regulating equipment 1c and the vehicle 5 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the regulating equipment 1c transmits position information indicating the position of the regulating equipment 1c (step S21). In detail, for example, the position information transmitting unit 12a periodically transmits the position information to the surrounding vehicles 5 and the management device 2c. Although not shown in the figure, the regulating equipment 1c may also transmit the position information to vehicles 5 other than the vehicle 5-1. For example, the regulating equipment 1c may transmit the position information to all vehicles 5 within a communication range with the regulating equipment 1c, or may receive information indicating the position of the vehicle 5 from the vehicle 5 and transmit the position information to the vehicles 5 within the communication range among the vehicles 5 present upstream of the regulating equipment 1c.

[0104] When the vehicle 5-1 receives the position information from the regulating equipment 1c, it transmits the received position information to the vehicle 5-3 (step S22). The position information receiving unit 51 receives the position information from the regulating equipment 1c and outputs the received position information to the driver notification unit 52 and the position information transmitting unit 53. Although not shown in the figure, the vehicle 5-1 may transmit the position information to vehicles other than the vehicle 5-3. For example, the vehicle 5-1 may transmit the position information to all vehicles 5 within a communication range with the vehicle 5-1, or may receive information indicating the position of the vehicle 5 from the vehicle 5 and transmit the position information to the vehicles 5 within the communication range among the vehicles 5 present upstream of the vehicle 5-1.

[0105] The vehicle 5-1 notifies the driver (step S23). In detail, the driver notification unit 52 notifies the driver of the position of the regulating equipment 1c using the position information received from the position information receiving unit 51. Similarly, when the vehicle 5-3 receives the position information, it notifies the driver (step S24) and transmits the position information to the other vehicle 5, although not shown. By performing such an operation, in this embodiment, the driver can be made aware of the position of the regulating equipment 1c before the driver can visually see the regulated section. This can improve safety. Note that the transfer of the position information by the vehicle 5 may not be performed when the distance between the vehicle 5 and the regulating equipment 1c is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0106] The management device 2c of this embodiment is also realized by, for example, the computer system illustrated in Fig. 7, similar to the management devices 2 and 2a of the first embodiment. The management device 2c may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the management device 2c may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0107] The travel control unit 14, the position information transmission unit 12a, and the control information receiving unit 13 in the regulated equipment 1c are realized by a control circuit including a control unit 101, a storage unit 103, and a communication unit 105 in a computer system illustrated in FIG. 7, as in the regulated equipment 1 of the first embodiment. The position information receiving unit 51 and the position information transmitting unit 53 in the vehicle 5 are realized by a communication device. The driver notification unit 52 is realized by at least one of a display device and a speaker. The position information receiving unit 51, the driver notification unit 52, and the position information transmitting unit 53 may be realized by a car navigation system having the functions of vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication.

[0108] 12, the position of the regulation equipment 1c is controlled by the management device 2c, but the regulation equipment 1c may autonomously control the position as described in the first embodiment. In this case, the function of the management device 2c may be provided in the regulation equipment 1c.

[0109] This embodiment may be combined with at least one of the first embodiment (including the modified example) and the second embodiment. For example, the regulating equipment 1c may further include a photographing unit 16 and a photographed data transmitting unit 17, and the management device 2c may further include a vehicle detecting unit 25, a vehicle state estimating unit 26, a collision determining unit 27, and a transmitting unit 28, so that the operation described in the first embodiment may be performed in addition to the operation of this embodiment. Similarly, this embodiment may be combined with the second embodiment, or with the first and second embodiments.

[0110] As described above, in this embodiment, the regulating equipment 1c transmits location information indicating its own location to the vehicle 5, the vehicle 5 transmits the location information to other vehicles 5, and the vehicle 5 that receives the location information notifies the driver of the location of the regulating equipment 1c. This allows the driver of the vehicle 5 around the regulating equipment 1c to recognize the restriction before he or she can see the restricted section, improving safety. Note that the transfer of location information by the vehicle 5 may not be performed when the distance between the vehicle 5 and the regulating equipment 1c is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0111] Embodiment 4 FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a fourth embodiment. A road management system 100d according to this embodiment includes a control device 1d and a management device 2d. Although one control device 1d is shown in FIG. 14, the control device 1d may be one or more, and the number of control devices 1d is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 14. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0112] The regulated equipment 1d is the same as the regulated equipment 1b of embodiment 2, except that the imaging unit 16 and the imaging data transmission unit 17 are deleted from the regulated equipment 1 of embodiment 1. The management device 2d includes the location information receiving unit 21, the control information transmitting unit 22, and the equipment control unit 23 similar to those of embodiment 1, and further includes a weather information receiving unit 34.

[0113] In this embodiment, the weather information receiving unit 34, which is a weather information acquiring unit, acquires weather information by receiving weather information about the vicinity of the restricted equipment 1d from the weather information providing device 7, and outputs the acquired weather information to the equipment control unit 23. As in the first embodiment, the equipment control unit 23 takes into account the weather information received from the weather information receiving unit 34 when controlling the position of the restricted equipment 1d. That is, in this embodiment, the equipment control unit 23 controls the position of the restricted equipment 1 using the position information and weather information of the restricted equipment 1. The weather information includes, for example, information indicating wind direction and wind speed. The weather information may also include information indicating whether the road surface is frozen or not.

[0114] The weather information providing device 7 may be a device that provides actual measurements or forecast values ​​provided by a weather information provider, or may be a device that provides information acquired by sensors, cameras, etc. installed on the road, or may be both of these devices. For example, when weather information is provided on a defined regional basis, the weather information receiving unit 34 may receive weather information for a region including the current location of the restricted equipment 1d, or the weather information receiving unit 34 may receive weather information for a wider range, i.e., multiple regions, and the equipment control unit 23 may select the weather information to be used depending on the location of the restricted equipment 1d. Also, when the weather information is information acquired by a sensor, camera, etc., the equipment control unit 23 may use, for example, information acquired closest to the current location of the restricted equipment 1d.

[0115] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the concept of controlling the regulating equipment 1d in consideration of weather information in this embodiment. FIG. 15 shows an example in which the weather information includes information indicating the wind direction and wind speed, and the equipment control unit 23 controls the position of the regulating equipment 1d based on the wind direction and wind speed, taking into account the amount of movement of the regulating equipment 1d due to the wind. That is, the equipment control unit 23 generates control information for controlling the position of the regulating equipment 1d, taking into account the amount of movement of the regulating equipment 1d due to the wind. FIG. 15 shows an example in which the regulating equipment 1d moves to a specified position after being placed on a road, and the position of the regulating equipment 1d shown by the broken line is the specified position. It is assumed that, if there is no wind, the regulating equipment 1d is scheduled to be moved to a position determined by the movement path 204.

[0116] On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 15, the wind is blowing from left to right on the paper as shown by the wind direction 205. When the wind is strong, the regulating equipment 1d receives a force in the direction from left to right. Therefore, even if the equipment control unit 23 controls the regulating equipment 1d to move along the moving path 204, the regulating equipment 1d may move to the right as shown in the moving path 206 and be positioned to the right of the specified position. This may cause the regulating equipment 1d to enter an adjacent lane. In such a case, for example, even if the target moving path 204 is a straight movement along the road, the equipment control unit 23 moves the regulating equipment 1d so that the vector indicating the moving direction has a component in the opposite direction to the wind direction 205 as shown in the vector 207. This allows the regulating equipment 1d to be positioned at a specified position, preventing the regulating equipment 1d from entering an adjacent lane and improving safety. When calculating the vector 207, the speed at which the regulated equipment 1d moves due to the wind is calculated according to the wind speed. However, since this value differs depending on the structure and weight of the regulated equipment 1d, for example, the correspondence between the wind speed and the speed at which the regulated equipment 1d moves in meters per second is determined in advance through calculation or experiment as correspondence information, and the equipment control unit 23 can use this correspondence information to control the movement of the regulated equipment 1d.

[0117] After the control equipment 1d is installed in a designated position, it may be fixed in place by a weight or the like to prevent it from moving. However, if there is a possibility that the control equipment 1d may move due to wind even after being installed in a designated position, the position of the control equipment 1d may be controlled taking into account the wind direction and wind speed after it is installed in the designated position, i.e., when the control equipment 1d is stationary.

[0118] Furthermore, when information on whether the road surface is frozen or not is used as weather information, for example, when the road surface is frozen, the control equipment 1d becomes slippery, and as a result, it may be positioned out of its designated position. For this reason, the equipment control unit 23 may control the control equipment 1d to move at a slower speed than when the road surface is not frozen, when the road surface is frozen. Furthermore, the equipment control unit 23 determines the amount of movement and the method of movement according to the latest position of the control equipment 1d based on the position information of the control equipment 1d while moving the control equipment 1d at a slower speed than when the road surface is not frozen, thereby reducing the deviation from the original position caused by the control equipment 1d slipping, and improving safety.

[0119] The management device 2d of this embodiment is also realized by, for example, the computer system illustrated in Fig. 7, similar to the management devices 2 and 2a of the first embodiment. The management device 2d may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the management device 2d may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0120] 14, the position of the regulation equipment 1d is controlled by the management device 2d, but the regulation equipment 1d may autonomously control the position as described in the first embodiment. In this case, the function of the management device 2d may be provided in the regulation equipment 1d.

[0121] Also, this embodiment may be combined with at least one of the first embodiment (including the modified example), the second embodiment, and the third embodiment. For example, the regulating equipment 1d may further include the photographing unit 16 and the photographed data transmitting unit 17, and the management device 2d may further include the vehicle detecting unit 25, the vehicle state estimating unit 26, the collision determining unit 27, and the transmitting unit 28, so that the operation described in the first embodiment may be performed in addition to the operation of this embodiment. Similarly, this embodiment may be combined with at least one of the second embodiment and the third embodiment, or this embodiment may be combined with at least one of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment.

[0122] Embodiment 5. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a road management system according to a fifth embodiment. A road management system 100e according to this embodiment includes a regulating device 1e and a management device 2e. Although one regulating device 1e is shown in FIG. 16, the number of regulating devices 1e is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 16 as long as there is one or more regulating devices 1e. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0123] The installation auxiliary device 8 is a device that assists in the installation of the regulated equipment 1e. The installation auxiliary device 8 includes a light irradiation unit 81 that irradiates light such as laser light in a linear manner. The installation auxiliary device 8 indicates the permitted range, which is the range in which the regulated equipment 1e is permitted to exist, or the position where the regulated equipment 1e should be installed, by light such as laser light (hereinafter also referred to as irradiated light). That is, the installation auxiliary device 8 irradiates light indicating the permitted range or the position where the regulated equipment 1e should be installed onto the road. For example, when indicating the permitted range, the installation auxiliary device 8 may irradiate the boundary of the range as irradiated light. Also, when multiple regulated equipment 1e are arranged linearly with intervals between them, the installation auxiliary device 8 may irradiate the line along which the regulated equipment 1e should be lined up as irradiated light. The permitted range may be the range in which the regulated equipment 1e is permitted to be installed, or may be the range in which the regulated equipment 1e is permitted to exist while the regulated equipment 1e is moving. In other words, the irradiated light indicating the permitted range indicates the boundary of the prohibited range where the entry of the regulated equipment 1e is prohibited.

[0124] The management device 2e is similar to the management device 2c of the third embodiment, except that it includes an equipment control unit 23a instead of the equipment control unit 23 of the management device 2c of the third embodiment. The equipment control unit 23a generates control information for controlling the position of the regulated equipment 1e, like the equipment control unit 23 of the first embodiment, and outputs the generated control information to the control information transmission unit 22. The equipment control unit 23a further generates control information for controlling the irradiation light emitted by the regulated equipment 1e, and outputs the generated control information to the control information transmission unit 22. The control information for controlling the irradiation light includes, for example, information indicating the direction in which the irradiation light is irradiated. The management device 2e may also be able to control the installation auxiliary device 8. In this case, the management device 2e may include an installation control unit that generates control information for controlling the irradiation direction of the irradiation light of the installation auxiliary device 8, or the equipment control unit 23a may also generate control information for the irradiation direction of the irradiation light of the installation auxiliary device 8. The control information transmission unit 22 of the management device 2e transmits control information related to the installation auxiliary device 8 to the installation auxiliary device 8. Furthermore, the direction of irradiation of the light from the installation auxiliary device 8 may be adjusted by an operator according to a set plan.

[0125] The regulating equipment 1e is obtained by adding a light receiving unit 91, a determination unit 92, and a light irradiating unit 93 to the regulating equipment 1 of the first embodiment. The light receiving unit 91 includes a light receiving element that converts received light into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal as a detection result to the determination unit 92. The determination unit 92 uses the detection result received from the light receiving unit 91 to determine whether or not the light receiving unit 91 has received irradiated light, and if irradiated light has been received, notifies the traveling control unit 14 of that effect.

[0126] In this embodiment, if the control information received from the management device 2e relates to position control, the control information receiving unit 13 outputs the received control information to the driving control unit 14, and if the control information received from the management device 2e relates to control of the irradiation light, the control information receiving unit 13 outputs the received control information to the light irradiation unit 93.

[0127] As in the first embodiment, the travel control unit 14 controls the travel mechanism unit 15 based on the control information received from the control information receiving unit 13, and performs a position adjustment process when notified by the determining unit 92 that the irradiated light has been received. The position adjustment process may be a process of stopping the regulating equipment 1e, or a process of correcting the amount of movement, which is a control amount indicated by the control information regarding the position. In other words, when the determining unit 92 determines that the irradiated light has been received, the travel control unit 14 controls the travel mechanism unit 15 so that the regulating equipment 1e is located within the permitted range.

[0128] In this embodiment, the installation auxiliary device 8 irradiates the road with irradiation light, thereby indicating the permitted range of the regulating equipment 1e or the installation position of the regulating equipment 1e, as described above. Furthermore, the regulating equipment 1e can also indicate the permitted range of the regulating equipment 1e or the installation position of another regulating equipment 1e by irradiating the road with irradiation light, similar to the installation auxiliary device 8. Note that, although FIG. 16 shows an example in which the regulating equipment 1e can also irradiate the road with irradiation light, the regulating equipment 1e may not be able to irradiate the road with irradiation light. That is, the regulating equipment 1e may not be equipped with the light irradiating unit 93. Also, only a part of the multiple regulating equipment 1e may be equipped with the light irradiating unit 93. The irradiation direction of the irradiation light of the regulating equipment 1e may be adjusted by a worker according to a set plan.

[0129] Fig. 17 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure in the regulating equipment 1e of this embodiment. The regulating equipment 1e moves based on the control information (step S31). In detail, the travel control unit 14 controls the travel mechanism unit 15 based on the control information received from the control information receiving unit 13, so that the position of the regulating equipment 1e is moved according to the control from the management device 2e.

[0130] The regulated equipment 1e judges whether or not it has received the irradiated light (step S32). In detail, the judgment unit 92 judges whether or not it has received the irradiated light using the detection result by the light receiving unit 91. For example, in the light receiving unit 91, the light received by a light receiving element having sensitivity to a wavelength band including the wavelength corresponding to the irradiated light is converted into an electrical signal. The light receiving unit 91 outputs the converted electrical signal to the judgment unit 92 as the detection result. The judgment unit 92 judges that the irradiated light has been received, for example, when the detection result, i.e., the light intensity indicated by the electrical signal, is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0131] The light receiving unit 91 may be provided with a filter that extracts light of a wavelength corresponding to the irradiated light in order to remove the influence of light other than the irradiated light, or may be provided with an optical system that guides the irradiated light to the light receiving element. When the irradiated light is irradiated so that the regulated equipment 1e is placed directly above the irradiated light, for example, the light receiving unit 91 is configured to be able to detect the irradiated light directly below the center of the bottom surface of the regulated equipment 1e. When the permitted range is a range that does not allow the regulated equipment 1e to go out of the range, the light receiving unit 91 is configured to be able to detect the irradiated light diagonally downward from the bottom surface. For example, the angle at which the light receiving unit 91 can receive the irradiated light is set so that the regulated equipment 1e remains inside the permitted range when the light receiving unit 91 receives the irradiated light, taking into account the size of the regulated equipment 1e. Alternatively, the permitted range may be set to be inside the range where the regulated equipment 1e can be originally installed, taking into account the size of the regulated equipment 1e, so that the entire regulated equipment 1e can be originally installed when the regulated equipment 1e receives the irradiated light directly below.

[0132] If the irradiated light is not received (step S32 No), the process from step S31 is repeated. If the irradiated light is received (step S32 Yes), the regulating equipment 1e stops (step S33) and the process ends. In detail, in step S33, the determination unit 92 notifies the traveling control unit 14 that the irradiated light has been received, and when the traveling control unit 14 receives the notification, it stops the traveling mechanism unit 15, thereby stopping the regulating equipment 1e.

[0133] For example, during the movement of the regulating equipment 1e, an error in the control amount indicated by the control information may occur, or the control information may not be received due to poor communication, etc., and the position of the regulating equipment 1e may deviate from the planned position. In such a case, the regulating equipment 1e may not be placed at the planned position, and the original regulated section may not be correctly indicated. In addition, if the regulating equipment 1e leaves the permitted range, it may come into contact with the vehicle 5. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the regulating equipment 1e stops when it receives the irradiated light, so that the original regulated section can be correctly indicated and the regulating equipment 1e can be prevented from leaving the permitted range, thereby improving safety. In addition, when the position to be installed is indicated by the irradiated light, the regulating equipment 1e can be similarly placed on a specified line, thereby improving safety.

[0134] Fig. 18 is a flow chart showing another example of the processing procedure in the regulating equipment 1e of this embodiment. Steps S31 and S32 are similar to the example shown in Fig. 17. In the example shown in Fig. 18, the regulating equipment 1e corrects its position in step S33. In detail, when the traveling control unit 14 receives the notification, it corrects the control amount indicated by the control information and controls the traveling mechanism unit 15 based on the corrected control amount.

[0135] For example, suppose that the regulating equipment 1e is moving in a direction perpendicular to the road, the irradiated light is irradiated along the road running direction to indicate the permitted range, and the regulating equipment 1e is instructed by the control information to move in the road running direction. At this time, if the regulating equipment 1e is moving in a direction tilted with respect to the road running direction due to an error, the regulating equipment 1e will receive the irradiated light. In this case, the traveling control unit 14 can correct the traveling direction to a direction in which the irradiated light can be received. Also, for example, suppose that the irradiated light indicates the permitted range, the regulating equipment 1e is moving in a direction perpendicular to the road running direction, and the control information indicates a moving route in which the regulating equipment 1e moves along the road running direction after moving the remaining 0.5 m in the direction perpendicular to the road running direction. At this time, when the traveling control unit 14 is notified that the irradiated light has been received, it corrects the moving route to a route that moves along the extension direction of the road from that point without moving 0.5 m in the perpendicular direction. The correction method is not limited to this example, and any method may be used as long as the method corrects the regulated equipment 1e so that it remains within the permitted range.

[0136] Next, a specific example of the method of arranging the regulating equipment 1e of this embodiment using the irradiated light will be described. FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 are diagrams that show a typical example of the method of arranging the regulating equipment 1e of this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, the regulating equipment 1e is installed by sequentially changing the position of irradiating the irradiated light indicating the possible installation range. Specifically, the final arrangement positions of the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4, each of which is the regulating equipment 1e, are arranged at intervals on a line that is inclined with respect to the running direction of the road. Also, the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4 are controlled to be arranged at intervals in the running direction of the road after being placed on the road, to be moved in the running direction of the road, and then to be moved to the final arrangement position.

[0137] First, in the state shown on the left side of Fig. 19, the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4 are moving straight along the road in the direction of travel based on the control information received from the management device 2e. At this time, as shown on the left side of Fig. 19, the installation auxiliary device 8 is irradiating light 301 along the road, and this irradiated light 301 indicates the permitted range while the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4 are moving straight along the road in the direction of travel.

[0138] Next, as shown in the center of Figure 19, when the regulating devices 1e-1 to 1e-4 finish moving straight in the traveling direction of the road, the regulating device 1e-1 moves in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the road based on the control information received from the management device 2e.

[0139] Next, as shown on the right side of Fig. 19, the regulating device 1e-1 irradiates light 302 in a direction inclined toward the traveling direction of the road based on the control information received from the management device 2e. This irradiated light 302 indicates the placement positions where the regulating devices 1e-2 to 1e-4 will be finally placed, and also indicates the permitted range within which the placement of the regulating devices 1e-2 to 1e-4 is permitted.

[0140] Next, as shown on the left side of Fig. 20, the regulating device 1e-2 moves in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the road based on the control information received from the management device 2e. After the movement of the regulating device 1e-2 is completed, the regulating device 1e-2 moves in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the road. Next, as shown on the right side of Fig. 20, the regulating device 1e-3 irradiates the irradiation light 303 in a direction inclined toward the traveling direction of the road based on the control information received from the management device 2e. This irradiation light 303 indicates the placement position where the regulating device 1e-4 will be finally placed, and also indicates the permitted range in which the placement of the regulating device 1e-4 is permitted.

[0141] In the process of the movement of the above-mentioned regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4, when the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4 receives the irradiated light, the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4 stops or corrects its position. As a result, even if an error occurs in the control information or the control information cannot be received, the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4 is installed within the permitted range, improving safety. In the example shown in Figs. 19 and 20, the regulating equipment 1e also irradiates the irradiated light, but as described above, it is not essential that the regulating equipment 1e irradiates the irradiated light. In addition, the example shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is just an example, and the arrangement method of the regulating equipment 1e-1 to 1e-4 is not limited to this example.

[0142] In addition, when the regulating equipment 1e can receive the irradiated light obliquely downward, the regulating equipment 1e may detect the direction of the irradiated light in a horizontal plane based on the regulating equipment 1e, and may correct the position using the detected direction. In addition, the regulating equipment 1e may be provided with an inter-equipment communication unit for communicating with each other, and when the determination unit 92 of the regulating equipment 1e determines that the irradiated light has been received, the regulating equipment 1e may notify the other regulating equipment 1e of the reception of the irradiated light together with its own position information via the inter-equipment communication unit. In this way, the other regulating equipment 1e that has received the notification can know the position of the irradiated light before receiving the irradiated light, and can reflect this information in stopping or correcting the position. In addition, when the regulating equipment 1e irradiates the irradiated light, the regulating equipment 1e may notify the other regulating equipment 1e of the direction in which the irradiated light is irradiated and its own position information. In this way, the other regulating equipment 1e can adjust the direction in which the irradiated light is received when the light receiving unit 91 can change the direction in which the light is received. The position information transmitting section 12 and the control information receiving section 13 may also function as an inter-equipment communication section, and the position information transmitting section 12 and the control information receiving section 13 may be used as a receiving section and a transmitting section in the inter-equipment communication section.

[0143] The management device 2e of this embodiment is also realized by, for example, the computer system illustrated in Fig. 7, like the management devices 2 and 2a of the first embodiment. The equipment control unit 23a illustrated in Fig. 16 is realized by the control unit 101 illustrated in Fig. 7 executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 illustrated in Fig. 7. The equipment control unit 23a is also realized by using the storage unit 103. The management device 2e may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the management device 2e may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0144] 16, the position of the regulating equipment 1e is controlled by the management device 2e, but the regulating equipment 1e may autonomously control the position as described in the first embodiment. In this case, the function of the management device 2e may be provided in the regulating equipment 1e.

[0145] Also, this embodiment may be combined with at least one of the first embodiment (including the modified example), the second embodiment, the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment. For example, the regulating equipment 1e may further include the photographing unit 16 and the photographed data transmitting unit 17, and the management device 2e may further include the vehicle detecting unit 25, the vehicle state estimating unit 26, the collision determining unit 27, and the transmitting unit 28, so that the operation described in the first embodiment may be performed in addition to the operation of this embodiment. Similarly, this embodiment may be combined with at least one of the second embodiment, the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment, or this embodiment may be combined with at least one of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment.

[0146] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or the embodiments may be combined with each other. Also, parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0147] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0148] (Appendix 1) an image capturing data acquisition unit that acquires image capturing data obtained by capturing an image of an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on a road where a traffic control device indicating a restricted section of the road is captured; a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle using the photographed data; a collision determination unit that predicts a movement path of the vehicle using an estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit, determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of an object within the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A management device comprising: (Appendix 2) The management device according to claim 1, wherein the object includes the regulated equipment. (Appendix 3) An equipment control unit for controlling the position of the regulating equipment; Equipped with The regulating device is movable under the control of the device control unit, The management device according to claim 2, wherein the avoidance process includes a process in which the equipment control unit moves the position of the regulated equipment. (Appendix 4) The management device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the avoidance process includes a process of activating a cushioning material mounted on the regulated equipment. (Appendix 5) The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the object includes workers working within the regulated area. (Appendix 6) The management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the avoidance process includes a process of issuing an alarm to encourage workers working within the restricted area to evacuate. (Appendix 7) The management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein the avoidance process includes a process of activating protective equipment worn by workers working in the regulated area. (Appendix 8) 8. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the avoidance process includes issuing an alarm to alert a driver of the vehicle. (Appendix 9) a position information acquiring unit for acquiring position information indicating a position of the regulating device; a pre-notification device selection unit that selects the pre-notification device that performs the notification regarding the restricted section corresponding to the restricted equipment, using the location information and pre-notification device information including information indicating the installation locations of a plurality of pre-notification devices that can notify in advance that the restricted section is provided; a notification method determination unit that determines a method of the notification in the pre-notification device according to an installation environment of the pre-notification device selected by the pre-notification device selection unit; 9. The management device according to claim 1, further comprising: (Appendix 10) The advance notification device is capable of making the notification by emitting light, The management device described in Supplementary Note 9, wherein the notification method determination unit determines the illuminance of the light depending on the brightness of the location where the pre-notification device is installed. (Appendix 11) The advance notification device is capable of projecting the notification onto the road while changing a projection position, The management device described in Appendix 9, characterized in that the notification method determination unit determines the speed of movement of the projection area onto which the notification is projected so that the projection area moves in accordance with the speed of vehicles traveling at the location where the advance notification device is installed. (Appendix 12) A weather information acquisition unit for acquiring weather information; a position information acquiring unit for acquiring position information indicating a position of the regulating device; An equipment control unit for controlling a position of the regulating equipment; Equipped with The regulating device is movable under the control of the device control unit, 12. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the equipment control unit controls the position of the regulated equipment using the location information and the weather information. (Appendix 13) a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a position of a regulating device that indicates a regulated section of a road; a pre-notification device selection unit that selects the pre-notification device that performs the notification regarding the restricted section corresponding to the restricted equipment, using the location information and pre-notification device information including information indicating the installation locations of a plurality of pre-notification devices that can notify in advance that the restricted section is provided; a notification method determination unit that determines a method of the notification in the pre-notification device according to an installation environment of the pre-notification device selected by the pre-notification device selection unit; A management device comprising: (Appendix 14) A weather information acquisition unit for acquiring weather information; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a position of a regulating device that indicates a regulated section of a road; An equipment control unit for controlling a position of the regulating equipment; Equipped with The regulating device is movable under the control of the device control unit, The management device is characterized in that the equipment control unit controls the position of the regulated equipment using the location information and the weather information. (Appendix 15) A regulation device indicating a regulated section of a road, an imaging unit that acquires imaging data obtained by imaging an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on the road; a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle using the photographed data; a collision determination unit that predicts a movement path of the vehicle using an estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit, determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of an object within the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A regulatory device characterized by comprising: (Appendix 16) A position determination unit that determines a self-position; a position information transmission unit that transmits position information indicating the vehicle's own position identified by the position identification unit to the vehicle; A regulatory device characterized by comprising: (Appendix 17) A regulation device indicating a restricted section of a road; A management device; Equipped with The traffic control device acquires photographing data obtained by photographing an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on the road, The management device includes: an imaging data receiving unit that receives the imaging data from the regulated equipment; a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle using the photographed data; a collision determination unit that predicts a movement path of the vehicle using an estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit, determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of an object within the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A road management system comprising: (Appendix 18) A regulating device having a running mechanism; An installation assistance device that irradiates a road with light indicating an permitted range in which the regulated equipment is permitted to be present; Equipped with The regulating equipment is: a light receiving unit that converts received light into an electrical signal; a determination unit that determines whether or not the light receiving unit has received the irradiated light based on the electrical signal; a travel control unit that controls the travel mechanism unit so that the regulating equipment is positioned within the permitted range when the determination unit determines that the irradiated light has been received; A road management system comprising: (Appendix 19) A road management method in a management device, comprising: A step of acquiring photographic data obtained by photographing an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on a road where a traffic control device indicating a restricted section of the road is used; estimating a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle as a vehicle state using the photographed data; predicting a movement path of the vehicle using the estimated vehicle state, determining whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of the object within the regulated section, and executing an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A road management method comprising: (Appendix 20) In the computer system, A step of acquiring photographic data obtained by photographing an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on a road where a traffic control device indicating a restricted section of the road is used; estimating a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle as a vehicle state using the photographed data; predicting a movement path of the vehicle using the estimated vehicle state, determining whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of the object within the regulated section, and executing an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A program characterized by executing the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e Regulated equipment, 2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e Management device, 3 Terminal device, 4 Protective equipment, 5 Vehicle, 6 Advance notification device, 7 Weather information providing device, 8 Installation assistance device, 11, 61 Self-location determination unit, 12, 12a, 53, 62 Location information transmission unit, 13, 63 Control information reception unit, 14, 64 Travel control unit, 15, 65 Travel mechanism unit, 16 Shooting unit, 17 Shooting data transmission unit, 18 Housing, 19 Wheel, 20 Control box, 21, 21a, 51 Location information reception unit, 22, 22a Control information transmission unit, 23, 23a Equipment control unit, 24 Shooting data reception unit, 25 Vehicle detection unit, 26 Vehicle state estimation unit, 27 Collision determination unit, 28 Transmission unit, 29 Information storage unit, 31 Advance notification device control unit, 32 advance notification device selection unit, 33 notification method determination unit, 34 weather information receiving unit, 52 driver notification unit, 66 notification control unit, 67 advance notification unit, 81, 93 light irradiation unit, 91 light receiving unit, 92 judgment unit, 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e road management system, 200 management unit.

Claims

1. an image capturing data acquisition unit that acquires image capturing data obtained by capturing an image of an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on a road where a traffic control device indicating a restricted section of the road is captured; a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle using the photographed data; a collision determination unit that predicts a movement path of the vehicle using an estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit, determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of an object within the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A management device comprising:

2. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the object includes the regulated equipment.

3. An equipment control unit for controlling the position of the regulating equipment; Equipped with The regulating device is movable under the control of the device control unit, 3. The management device according to claim 2, wherein the avoidance process includes a process in which the equipment control unit moves the position of the regulated equipment.

4. 3. The management device according to claim 2, wherein the avoidance process includes a process of activating a buffer material mounted on the regulated equipment.

5. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the object includes a worker working within the restricted area.

6. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the avoidance process includes a process of issuing an alarm to urge workers working in the restricted area to evacuate.

7. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the avoidance process includes a process of activating protective equipment worn by a worker working in the restricted area.

8. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the avoidance process includes issuing an alarm to alert a driver of the vehicle.

9. a position information acquiring unit for acquiring position information indicating a position of the regulating device; a pre-notification device selection unit that selects the pre-notification device that performs the notification regarding the restricted section corresponding to the restricted equipment, using the location information and pre-notification device information including information indicating the installation locations of a plurality of pre-notification devices that can notify in advance that the restricted section is provided; a notification method determination unit that determines a method of the notification in the pre-notification device according to an installation environment of the pre-notification device selected by the pre-notification device selection unit; The management device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

10. The advance notification device is capable of making the notification by emitting light, The management device according to claim 9 , wherein the notification method determination unit determines the illuminance of the light depending on the brightness of a location where the advance notification device is installed.

11. The advance notification device is capable of projecting the notification onto the road while changing a projection position, The management device described in claim 9, characterized in that the notification method determination unit determines the speed of movement of the projection area so that the projection area on which the notification is projected moves in accordance with the speed of vehicles traveling at the location where the advance notification device is installed.

12. A weather information acquisition unit for acquiring weather information; a position information acquiring unit for acquiring position information indicating a position of the regulating device; An equipment control unit for controlling a position of the regulating equipment; Equipped with The regulating device is movable under the control of the device control unit, 2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the equipment control unit controls the position of the regulated equipment by using the position information and the weather information.

13. a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a position of a regulating device that indicates a regulated section of a road; a pre-notification device selection unit that selects the pre-notification device that performs the notification regarding the restricted section corresponding to the restricted equipment, using the location information and pre-notification device information including information indicating the installation locations of a plurality of pre-notification devices that can notify in advance that the restricted section is provided; a notification method determination unit that determines a method of the notification in the pre-notification device according to an installation environment of the pre-notification device selected by the pre-notification device selection unit; A management device comprising:

14. A weather information acquisition unit for acquiring weather information; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a position of a regulating device that indicates a regulated section of a road; An equipment control unit for controlling a position of the regulating equipment; Equipped with The regulating device is movable under the control of the device control unit, The management device is characterized in that the equipment control unit controls the position of the regulated equipment using the location information and the weather information.

15. A regulation device indicating a regulated section of a road, an imaging unit that acquires imaging data obtained by imaging an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on the road; a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle using the photographed data; a collision determination unit that predicts a movement path of the vehicle using an estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit, determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of an object within the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A regulatory device characterized by comprising:

16. A position determination unit that determines a self-position; a position information transmission unit that transmits position information indicating the vehicle's own position identified by the position identification unit to the vehicle; A regulatory device characterized by comprising:

17. A regulation device indicating a restricted section of a road; A management device; Equipped with The traffic control device acquires photographing data obtained by photographing an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on the road, The management device includes: an imaging data receiving unit that receives the imaging data from the regulated equipment; a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle using the photographed data; a collision determination unit that predicts a movement path of the vehicle using an estimation result by the vehicle state estimation unit, determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of an object within the regulated section, and executes an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A road management system comprising:

18. A regulating device having a running mechanism; An installation assistance device that irradiates a road with light indicating an permitted range, which is a range in which the regulated equipment is permitted to be present; Equipped with The regulating equipment is: a light receiving unit that converts received light into an electrical signal; a determination unit that determines whether or not the light receiving unit has received the irradiated light based on the electrical signal; a travel control unit that controls the travel mechanism unit so that the regulating equipment is positioned within the permitted range when the determination unit determines that the irradiated light has been received; A road management system comprising:

19. A road management method in a management device, comprising: A step of acquiring photographic data obtained by photographing an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on a road where a traffic control device indicating a restricted section of the road is used; estimating a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle as a vehicle state using the photographed data; predicting a movement path of the vehicle using the estimated vehicle state, determining whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of the object within the regulated section, and executing an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A road management method comprising:

20. In the computer system, A step of acquiring photographic data obtained by photographing an area including at least an upstream side of a traffic flow on a road where a traffic control device indicating a restricted section of the road is used; estimating a position, a traveling direction, and a speed of the upstream vehicle as a vehicle state using the photographed data; predicting a movement path of the vehicle using the estimated vehicle state, determining whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object based on the predicted movement path and position information indicating a position of the object within the regulated section, and executing an avoidance process when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the object; A program characterized by executing the above.

Images