Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device that makes it easier for vehicle drivers to recognize crosswalk states.SOLUTION: There is provided an information processing device including: a first acquisition unit that acquires a display state of a traffic signal installed at a crosswalk; and a notification control unit that controls a notification to a driver of a vehicle who tries to cross through the crosswalk based on the display state. The traffic signal is a pedestrian signal, and the notification control unit performs control so as to perform the notification in different modes depending on whether the display state of the traffic signal is a solid green light or a flashing green light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various technologies have been developed to prevent collisions between vehicles and objects such as pedestrians at crosswalks. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that detects information such as the position and speed of pedestrians in a potential collision area such as a crosswalk, and information such as the position, speed, and acceleration of a vehicle approaching the potential collision area, and notifies the driver of the vehicle based on a determination of the possibility of a collision. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-126193 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a traffic signal is installed at a crosswalk, a person crossing the crosswalk may behave differently depending on the display state of the traffic signal. For example, when a pedestrian traffic signal installed at a crosswalk is flashing green, a pedestrian may try to run across the crosswalk. Therefore, when a pedestrian traffic signal is flashing green, the possibility of collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle increases. However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the display state of the traffic signal when notifying the driver of the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved technology that makes it easier for vehicle drivers to recognize the situation at a crosswalk. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including a first acquisition unit that acquires a display state of a traffic signal installed at a crosswalk, and a notification control unit that controls a notification to a driver of a vehicle that is about to pass through the crosswalk based on the display state.

[0007] The traffic signal may be a pedestrian traffic signal, and the notification control unit may control the notification to be made in a different manner depending on whether the display state of the traffic signal is a steady green state or a flashing green state.

[0008] The information processing device may further include a second acquisition unit that acquires target information about targets present near the crosswalk, and the notification control unit may control to notify of the presence of the target based on the display state of the traffic signal acquired by the first acquisition unit and the target information acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0009] The object information may include information on a location of the object.

[0010] The object information may further include information on the speed of the object.

[0011] The notification control unit may control the notification based on whether the target is moving.

[0012] The notification control unit may perform control so as to perform the notification in different modes depending on the speed of the target.

[0013] The notification control unit may control the traffic signal to execute a notification in a first manner when the traffic signal is in a steady green state and the pedestrian is moving, and may control the notification in a second manner when the traffic signal is in a flashing green state and the pedestrian is moving.

[0014] The notification control unit may control the notification to switch the notification in the second manner to the first notification when the pedestrian stops crossing.

[0015] The notification control unit may control the notification to end the notification in the second manner when the pedestrian has finished crossing.

[0016] The information processing device may further include a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle to stop when a predetermined condition for the target information is satisfied.

[0017] The predetermined condition may include the speed of the target being equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

[0018] The information processing device may further include an acquisition unit that acquires an indication direction input into a turn indicator equipped on the vehicle, and the notification control unit may control the transmission of control information for executing the notification to the vehicle identified based on the indication direction acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0019] The notification control unit may control transmission of control information for executing the notification to the vehicle that is about to turn right and pass through the crosswalk.

[0020] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method executed by a computer, which includes obtaining a display state of a traffic signal installed at a crosswalk, and controlling a notification to a driver of a vehicle that is about to pass through the crosswalk based on the display state.

[0021] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention to solve the above problem, a program is provided that causes a computer to function as a first acquisition unit that acquires the display state of a traffic signal installed at a crosswalk, and a notification control unit that controls a notification to a driver of a vehicle that is about to pass through the crosswalk based on the display state. Effect of the Invention

[0022] As described above, according to the present invention, a driver of a vehicle can easily recognize the situation of a pedestrian crossing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle notification system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of installation of each base station in a vehicle notification system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a radar base station 10. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a DSRC base station 20. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a normal notification. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an emphasis notification. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which a normal notification is executed. [Figure 8] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which a traffic signal S1 is flashing green and a pedestrian P1 has started to cross a pedestrian crossing W. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing a situation where a traffic signal S1 is flashing green and a bicycle B1 is running toward a crosswalk W on the sidewalk in front of the crosswalk W. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operation processing of the DSRC base station 20 according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device 900 that embodies a vehicle notification system 1 according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0025] In addition, in this specification and drawings, multiple components having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished by adding different numbers after the same reference numeral. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between multiple components having substantially the same functional configuration, each of the multiple components is given only the same reference numeral.

[0026] <1. Overview> One embodiment of the present invention relates to a vehicle notification system that controls notifications for drivers of vehicles that are about to cross a crosswalk. For drivers of vehicles that are about to turn at an intersection and cross a crosswalk, pedestrians crossing the crosswalk are objects that they should be careful of. In particular, when a pedestrian signal is flashing green, there is a current situation in which there are objects that try to cross the crosswalk in a hurry before the pedestrian signal turns red. Therefore, the vehicle notification system according to one embodiment of the present invention notifies the driver of the vehicle based on the display state of a traffic signal installed at the crosswalk, thereby improving the driver's ability to recognize the crosswalk situation.

[0027] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle notification system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation of each base station of the vehicle notification system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle notification system 1 according to this embodiment includes a radar base station 10, a DSRC base station 20, and a network 30.

[0028] (Radar Base Station 10) The radar base station 10 is a base station installed on the roadside. The radar base station 10 measures objects existing near pedestrian crossings by radar waves. Note that the radar base station 10 may perform measurements by a camera or Lidar (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) instead of or in addition to measurements by radar waves.

[0029] 1, the measurement object to be measured by the radar base station 10 includes, for example, a pedestrian P and a bicycle B. Note that the measurement object is not limited to this example, and may include, for example, various moving objects that may cross a pedestrian crossing. For example, the measurement object may include an electric kickboard and an autonomously running robot.

[0030] The vicinity of the crosswalk, which is the measurement range of the radar base station 10, includes, for example, the crosswalk. Furthermore, the vicinity of the crosswalk may also include a sidewalk on the near side of the crosswalk as seen from the pedestrian P who is about to cross the crosswalk, where the pedestrian can wait until the traffic signal S changes from red to green.

[0031] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the radar base station 10 targets pedestrians P1 and P2 present within a measurement range Sr near a crosswalk W.

[0032] The radar base station 10 processes radio signals obtained by measurement using radar waves to obtain target information including the position and moving speed of the measurement target.

[0033] (DSRC base station 20) The DSRC base station 20 is a base station installed on the roadside. As shown in Fig. 1, the DSRC base station 20 communicates with an on-board device mounted on the vehicle C through radio waves by Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), thereby exchanging various information with the vehicle C. For example, the DSRC base station 20 shown in Fig. 2 communicates with vehicles C, such as vehicle C1, that are present within the communication range Sc, and exchanges various information with them. Note that the characteristics of the radio waves used for communication between the DSRC base station 20 and the vehicle C are not particularly limited, and radio waves other than DSRC may be used.

[0034] 1, the DSRC base station 20 communicates with the radar base station 10 via a network 30. The DSRC base station 20 receives, for example, target information of a measurement target from the radar base station 10.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1, the DSRC base station 20 communicates with a traffic signal S via the network 30. The traffic signal S is a traffic signal installed at a crosswalk to enable a pedestrian P to determine whether or not he or she can cross the crosswalk W. More specifically, the traffic signal S may be a pedestrian signal to enable a pedestrian P to determine whether or not he or she can cross the crosswalk W, which is included in the measurement target of the radar base station 10. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the DSRC base station 20 communicates with a traffic signal S1, which is a pedestrian signal that indicates to a pedestrian P whether or not he or she can cross the crosswalk W.

[0036] 1 and 2 show an example in which the traffic signal S is a pedestrian signal, but if there is no pedestrian signal indicating whether or not a pedestrian can walk on a crosswalk included in the measurement target of the radar base station 10, the traffic signal S may be a traffic signal for vehicles. In this embodiment, an example in which the traffic signal S is a pedestrian signal will be mainly described.

[0037] The DSRC base station 20 receives the display state of the traffic signal S from the traffic signal S. The display state of the traffic signal S may include, for example, a green light state, a flashing green light state, and a red light state. If the traffic signal S is a traffic light for vehicles, the display state of the traffic signal S may include a green light state, a yellow light state, and a red light state. The display state of the traffic signal S may also include the remaining time for which each display state will continue.

[0038] The DSRC base station 20 controls the notification to the driver of the vehicle C based on the received display state of the traffic signal S. The DSRC base station 20 may also control the notification to the driver of the vehicle C based on the received target information. For example, the DSRC base station 20 may transmit a notification to the vehicle C when the display state of the traffic signal S is in a green light state and a target exists on the pedestrian crossing W. A specific example of the notification to the driver of the vehicle C by the DSRC base station 20 will be described in more detail later.

[0039] 1 and 2, an example in which one radar base station 10 and one DSRC base station 20 are installed at an intersection has been described, but the method of installing the radar base station 10 and the DSRC base station 20 may be flexibly determined based on the measurement range of the radar base station 10 and the communication range of the DSRC base station 20. For example, a radar base station 10 may be installed whose measurement target is the crosswalk on the opposite side of the crosswalk W across the vehicle C1 in Fig. 2, and may be communicatively connected to the DSRC base station 20 shown in Fig. 2. Also, four radar base stations 10 whose measurement targets are each of the four crosswalks at the intersection, and four DSRC base stations 20 whose communication ranges are on both sides of each intersection on each roadway may be installed.

[0040] (Network 30) The network 30 is a wired or wireless transmission path for information transmitted from devices connected to the network 30. For example, the network 30 may include public line networks such as the Internet, telephone lines, and satellite communication networks, as well as various LANs (Local Area Networks) including Ethernet (registered trademark), and WANs (Wide Area Networks). The network 30 may also include a dedicated line network such as an IP-VPN (Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Network).

[0041] The vehicle notification system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been outlined above. Next, a configuration example of the radar base station 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0042] <2. Configuration of Radar Base Station 10> 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the radar base station 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the radar base station 10 includes a radio unit 110, a control unit 120, a network communication unit 130, and a storage unit 140.

[0043] (Radio unit 110) Wireless unit 110 transmits radar waves near crosswalk W and receives the radar waves reflected by an object to be measured.

[0044] (Control unit 120) The control unit 120 is mainly configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and controls the overall operation of the radar base station 10. The control unit 120 also functions as an evaluation processing unit 121 as shown in FIG.

[0045] (Evaluation processing unit 121) The evaluation processing unit 121 evaluates the radar wave received by the wireless unit 110. The evaluation processing unit 121 evaluates the radar wave to obtain target information of a measurement target present near the crosswalk W. The target information may include, for example, the position and speed of the measurement target.

[0046] (Network communication unit 130) The network communication unit 130 transmits the target information acquired by the evaluation processing unit 121 to the DSRC base station 20 via the network 30.

[0047] Furthermore, the network communication unit 130 may be communicatively connected to the traffic signal S via the network 30. The network communication unit 130 may receive the display state of the traffic signal S from the traffic signal S. In this case, the control unit 120 may determine whether or not to transmit radar waves by the wireless unit 110, i.e., whether or not to perform measurement using radar waves, based on the display state of the traffic signal S. More specifically, the control unit 120 may cause the wireless unit 110 to transmit radar waves only when the display state of the traffic signal S is a lit green state or a flashing green state.

[0048] (Storage unit 140) The storage unit 140 has a function of temporarily or permanently storing various data such as data related to processing by the control unit 120 and operation program files for the control unit 120.

[0049] <3. Configuration of DSRC base station 20> Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the DSRC base station 20. As shown in Fig. 4, the DSRC base station 20 includes a signal information acquisition unit 210, an object information acquisition unit 220, a vehicle communication unit 230, a control unit 240, and a storage unit 250.

[0050] (Signal information acquisition unit 210) The traffic light information acquisition unit 210 functions as a first acquisition unit that acquires the display state of the traffic light S from the traffic light S via the network 30.

[0051] (Target information acquisition unit 220) The target information acquisition unit 220 functions as a second acquisition unit that acquires the measured target information from the radar base station 10 via the network 30. The signal information acquisition unit 210 and the target information acquisition unit 220 may be realized by the same interface.

[0052] (Vehicle communication unit 230) The vehicle communication unit 230 communicates with the vehicle C to exchange various information. The vehicle communication unit 230 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires an indicated direction input to a direction indicator equipped in the vehicle C, for example. The vehicle communication unit 230 also transmits control information for executing a notification to the driver of the vehicle C according to the control by a vehicle control unit 242 described later. The vehicle communication unit 230 may communicate with an in-vehicle device mounted in the vehicle C through radio waves by DSRC.

[0053] (Control unit 240) The control unit 240 is mainly configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and controls the overall operation of the DSRC base station 20. The control unit 240 also functions as a determination unit 241 and a vehicle control unit 242 as shown in FIG.

[0054] (Judgment unit 241) The determination unit 241 determines the state of the target based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 220. For example, the determination unit 241 may determine whether the target is present on the crosswalk W based on the position included in the target information.

[0055] The determination unit 241 may also determine whether the target is moving based on the speed included in the target information. The determination unit 241 may also determine whether the target has started moving on the crosswalk W based on the position and speed included in the target information.

[0056] The determination unit 241 may determine the state of the target further based on the display state of the traffic signal S acquired by the signal information acquisition unit 210. For example, the determination unit 241 may determine whether an target determined to be moving when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state can complete crossing the crosswalk W while the flashing green state continues, based on the position and speed included in the target. At this time, the determination unit 241 may determine whether the target can complete crossing the crosswalk W, using the remaining time for which the lit green state continues, included in the display state of the traffic signal S.

[0057] In addition, when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state, the determination unit 241 may determine whether or not an object determined to be moving has stopped before entering the crosswalk W.

[0058] When the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state, the determination unit 241 may determine whether the object determined to be moving on the crosswalk W has changed direction (i.e., whether the object has stopped crossing and turned back) based on a reversal of the direction of change in position included in the object information. Furthermore, the determination unit 241 may determine whether the object can completely turn back on the crosswalk W based on the position and speed included in the object information and the duration of the green light state included in the display state of the traffic signal S.

[0059] So far, there has been described an example of the condition determined by the determination unit 241. The condition determined by the determination unit 241 is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and for example, the determination unit 241 may determine whether or not the speed of the target is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

[0060] (Vehicle control unit 242) The vehicle control unit 242 has a function of a notification control unit that controls a notification to the driver of the vehicle C based on the display state of the traffic signal S acquired by the signal information acquisition unit 210. For example, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit to the vehicle C control information for outputting a sound from the in-vehicle device as a notification to the driver of the vehicle C. The vehicle control unit 242 may also control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit to the vehicle C control information for displaying a notification on a display screen of the in-vehicle device.

[0061] The vehicle control unit 242 may identify the vehicle C and transmit the control information to the vehicle C. For example, the vehicle control unit 242 may identify the vehicle C to which the control information is to be transmitted, based on the indicated direction input to a direction indicator provided on the vehicle C, which is acquired by the vehicle communication unit 230.

[0062] More specifically, the vehicle control unit 242 may identify a vehicle C for which the indicated direction input into a turn indicator equipped on the vehicle C is right, i.e., a vehicle C that is attempting to turn right, as a vehicle C to which control information is to be transmitted.

[0063] For example, in the installation example shown in FIG. 2, since the radar base station 10 measures an object near the crosswalk W, among the vehicles C in the communication range Sc, the vehicle C that is about to turn right at the intersection is considered to be the vehicle C that is about to pass through the crosswalk W. Therefore, the vehicle control unit 242 of the DSRC base station 20 in the example shown in FIG. 2 may specify the vehicle C that is about to turn right as the vehicle C that transmits control information. As a result, only the driver of the vehicle C that is about to turn right and needs to be careful of the object near the crosswalk W can receive the notification. This improves convenience for the driver. In particular, the driver's visibility is poor when turning right, so by notifying the vehicle C that is about to turn right, the ease of driving for the driver is improved.

[0064] However, the vehicle C identified as the vehicle C that transmits the control information is not limited to the vehicle C that is about to turn right, but may be the vehicle C that is about to turn left. For example, in Fig. 2, when a radar base station 10 is installed that measures the crosswalk on the opposite side of the crosswalk W across the vehicle C1, notification to the vehicle C that is about to turn left may be controlled according to the display state of a pedestrian traffic light that indicates whether or not the crosswalk can be pedestrianized, which is measured by the radar base station 10.

[0065] The vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit the control information to all vehicles C present within the communication range Sc. In this case, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the notification content so that the driver can recognize which direction in the traveling direction of the vehicle C is the target of the attention call.

[0066] For example, the vehicle control unit 242 may perform control to notify the driver of the vehicle C that an object exists at the crosswalk W ahead of the right turn. The vehicle control unit 242 may also perform control to show the crosswalk W that is the object of the attention alert on a map displayed on the display screen of the vehicle-mounted device. The DSRC base station 20 may also be installed so that the communication range of the DSRC base station 20 is the left turn lane or the right turn lane of the roadway. In this way, the control information is transmitted only to the vehicle C that is about to turn right or left.

[0067] Next, a method of controlling notification by the vehicle control unit 242 will be described. The vehicle control unit 242 controls the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit control information for notifying the driver of an attention call to an object such as a pedestrian to the vehicle C, based on the display state of the traffic signal S and the determination result by the determination unit 241. The vehicle control unit 242 may control the notification to the driver based on whether or not the determination unit 241 has determined that the object is moving.

[0068] The vehicle control unit 242 may transmit control information to the vehicle C so as to execute notification in different modes based on the display state of the traffic signal S or the determination result by the determination unit 241. For example, the vehicle control unit 242 may transmit control information to the vehicle C so as to execute notification in different modes depending on whether the display state of the traffic signal S is a lit green state or a flashing green state.

[0069] More specifically, when the determination unit 241 determines that the display state of the traffic signal S is green and that an object is moving on the crosswalk W, the vehicle control unit 242 may transmit to the vehicle C control information for outputting a notification at a predetermined volume or in a predetermined display method to alert an object such as a pedestrian to be careful. The predetermined volume may be, for example, a volume equivalent to the route guidance in a normal car navigation system. In addition, the predetermined display method may be, for example, displaying characters alerting the user at the edge of the display screen of a display device installed in the vehicle C. Such a notification mode is also referred to as a "normal notification." The normal notification is an example of a notification according to the first mode.

[0070] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a normal notification. FIG. 5 shows a display screen 2320 including a car navigation screen and a normal notification, which is an example of a display screen displayed on a display device installed in a vehicle C. In this way, the normal notification is performed in a less conspicuous manner than the highlighted notification described below. This is because, when the display state of the pedestrian traffic light is green, the driver is usually aware of the presence of the object. Also, when the display state of the pedestrian traffic light is green, the object generally crosses the crosswalk W without hurrying, so the driver can recognize the object that has entered the crosswalk W without the driver being given a large warning.

[0071] When the determination unit 241 determines that the traffic signal S is in a green light state and an object is moving on the crosswalk W, the vehicle control unit 242 controls to perform a normal notification to the driver of the vehicle C, thereby making it possible to notify the driver of the vehicle C of the presence of an object without requiring complex processing by the determination unit 241 and the vehicle control unit 242. This makes it possible to notify the driver of the vehicle C of the possibility of contact between the vehicle C and the object earlier, making it easier for the driver of the vehicle C to recognize the situation at the crosswalk W.

[0072] The conditions under which the vehicle control unit 242 issues a normal notification are not limited to the above-mentioned examples. The vehicle control unit 242 may also transmit control information to the vehicle C to output a normal notification when the display state of the traffic signal S is a green light state and an object that is determined by the determination unit 241 to be moving in the direction of the crosswalk W is present on the sidewalk in front of the crosswalk W. The vehicle control unit 242 may also transmit control information to the vehicle C to output a normal notification when the display state of the traffic signal S is a green light state and the determination unit 241 determines that an object is present on the crosswalk W.

[0073] The vehicle control unit 242 may perform control so as to continue the normal notification only for a predetermined time, or may perform control so as to continue the normal notification until the determination unit 241 determines that there is no longer any target crossing the crosswalk W.

[0074] On the other hand, when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state and the determination unit 241 determines that there is an object moving on the crosswalk W, the vehicle control unit 242 may control a notification in a manner that more strongly calls the attention of the driver of the vehicle C than in a normal notification. Such a notification is also called an "emphasis notification." The emphasis notification is an example of a notification in the second manner.

[0075] The emphasized notification may be, for example, a notification with a louder volume than the normal notification. The emphasized notification may be a notification in which text is displayed larger on the screen to draw attention than the normal notification, or a notification that is emphasized more than the normal notification by using a color or the like. Furthermore, the emphasized notification may be performed for a longer period of time than the normal notification. For example, the notification may be controlled so that the number of times the sound is output is greater for the emphasized notification than for the normal notification.

[0076] In addition, the contents of the normal notification and the emphasized notification may be different. For example, the normal notification may be a notification with the content "Watch out for pedestrians." On the other hand, the emphasized notification may be a notification with the content "Pedestrians present."

[0077] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an emphasis notification. Fig. 6 shows a display screen 2321 including an emphasis notification superimposed on a car navigation screen, which is an example of a display screen displayed on a display device installed in a vehicle C.

[0078] As can be seen by comparing with the normal notification illustrated in FIG. 5, the emphasized notification is made more noticeable than the normal notification. When the pedestrian traffic light is flashing green, it is conceivable that a crossing target will start crossing the crosswalk W at a speed faster than normal. For this reason, it is preferable to emphasize and notify the driver of the vehicle C turning at the intersection of the presence of a target that suddenly appears. By calling the driver's attention with emphasis, the driver can easily recognize the presence of the target, thereby reducing the possibility of contact between the target and the vehicle C.

[0079] In addition, by controlling the vehicle control unit 242 to provide an emphasized notification to the driver of vehicle C when the display state of the traffic signal S is in a flashing green state and the judgment unit 241 judges that there is an object moving on the crosswalk W, it is possible to strongly notify the driver of vehicle C of the presence of an object without requiring complex processing in the judgment unit 241 and the vehicle control unit 242.

[0080] The conditions under which the vehicle control unit 242 issues an emphasis notification are not limited to the above examples. For example, the vehicle control unit 242 may transmit control information to the vehicle C to output an emphasis notification when the traffic signal S is flashing green and an object that is determined by the determination unit 241 to be moving toward the crosswalk W is present on the sidewalk in front of the crosswalk W. This makes it possible to notify the driver of the presence of an object that may be crossing the crosswalk W.

[0081] In addition, when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state and the judgment unit 241 judges that an object is present on the crosswalk W, the vehicle control unit 242 may send control information to the vehicle C to output a normal notification.

[0082] The vehicle control unit 242 may control the transmission of control information from the vehicle communication unit 230 to end the emphasis notification when the determination unit 241 determines that there is no longer an object crossing the crosswalk W, that is, that the object that was crossing has finished crossing the crosswalk W. Note that even if the display state of the traffic signal S has turned red, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the transmission of control information from the vehicle communication unit 230 to continue the emphasis notification if it is not determined that the object has finished crossing the crosswalk W.

[0083] So far, the control of the emphasis notification by the vehicle control unit 242 has been described. Here, there are cases where a pedestrian P rushes to cross the crosswalk W before the display state of the traffic signal S switches from a flashing green state to a steady red state. Also, there are cases where a bicycle B tries to cross the crosswalk W when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state. In such cases, the timing when the driver of a vehicle C turning at the intersection enters the intersection and the timing when the driver of the vehicle C turning at the intersection recognizes the pedestrian P, etc. become closer together.

[0084] Therefore, the vehicle control unit 242 may perform notification in different modes depending on the speed of the target. More specifically, when the determination unit 241 determines that the target is moving on the sidewalk in front of the crosswalk W or on the crosswalk W at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the notification in a mode that calls attention more strongly than the emphasis notification.

[0085] The notification controlled by the vehicle control unit 242 will be summarized with reference to Figs. 7 to 9. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which a normal notification is executed. Fig. 7 shows a situation in which the traffic signal S1 is in a green light state and pedestrians P1 and P2 are present on a crosswalk W. In this situation, the vehicle control unit 242 controls the vehicle communication unit 230 to perform a normal notification to the vehicle C1 that is about to turn right.

[0086] Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which a traffic signal S1 is flashing green and a pedestrian P1 has started to cross a pedestrian crossing W. In the situation shown in Fig. 8, the vehicle control unit 242 controls the vehicle communication unit 230 to give an emphasis notification to a vehicle C1 that is about to turn right.

[0087] Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which a traffic signal S1 is flashing green and a bicycle B1 is running on the sidewalk in front of the crosswalk W in the direction of the crosswalk W. In the situation shown in Fig. 9, the vehicle control unit 242 controls the vehicle communication unit 230 to give an emphasis notification to the vehicle C1 that is about to turn right. In particular, when the bicycle B1 is traveling at or above a predetermined speed, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to give a stronger notification than the emphasis notification.

[0088] So far, there has been described an example of the notification executed by the vehicle control unit 242. Here, the vehicle control unit 242 may further control the notification by the vehicle communication unit 230 according to other conditions.

[0089] For example, even if a target enters the crosswalk W while the light is flashing green, if the determination unit 241 determines that the target has started to turn back, i.e., has stopped crossing, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit control information for controlling switching the emphasis notification to a normal notification. This is because, if the target stops crossing the crosswalk W, the driver who has confirmed the emphasis notification has already recognized the target, and since the target has stopped crossing, it is considered that the target will not suddenly jump out in front of the driver.

[0090] Furthermore, when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green signal and the target enters the crosswalk W, if the determination unit 241 determines that the target can complete crossing the crosswalk W or can turn back during the flashing green signal, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to perform a normal notification. On the other hand, when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green signal and the target enters the crosswalk W, if the determination unit 241 determines that the target cannot complete crossing the crosswalk W or cannot turn back during the flashing green signal, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to perform an emphasis notification. This makes it possible to execute an emphasis notification only for targets who are predicted to continue crossing the crosswalk W even when the display state of the crosswalk W turns to a lit red signal.

[0091] So far, there has been described the notification control by the vehicle control unit 242. The vehicle control unit 242 may further control the stopping of the vehicle C when a predetermined condition for the target information is satisfied.

[0092] The faster the speed of an object crossing the crosswalk W, the longer the moving distance per unit time, and therefore the faster the distance between the object and the vehicle C attempting to pass the crosswalk W decreases. Therefore, when the object is moving fast, there is a high possibility that the object and the vehicle C will come into contact with each other before the driver confirms the attention-call notification from the vehicle control unit 242 and operates the brakes of the vehicle C.

[0093] Therefore, when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state and the determination unit 241 determines that the speed of the target is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit control information for instructing the vehicle C to stop, thereby controlling the stopping of the vehicle C. More specifically, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit control information to the vehicle C identified as attempting to pass through the crosswalk W that the target is crossing or attempting to cross.

[0094] Furthermore, the determination unit 241 may calculate the time until the vehicle C comes into contact with the object from the speed and position of the vehicle C and the speed and position of the object. The vehicle control unit 242 may control the stop of the vehicle C when the time calculated by the determination unit 241 is equal to or shorter than a predetermined time.

[0095] The above mainly describes the control of notifications to the driver of vehicle C by the vehicle control unit 242 when the display state of the traffic signal S is a steady green or a flashing green state. When the traffic signal S is a steady red state, the possibility that a target will start crossing the crosswalk W is low. Therefore, when the traffic signal S is a steady red state, the vehicle control unit 242 does not need to notify the driver of vehicle C. However, considering the possibility that a target will start crossing the crosswalk W even when the traffic signal S is a steady red state, the vehicle control unit 242 may control notifications to the driver of vehicle C when the traffic signal S is a steady red state in the same way as when it is a flashing green state.

[0096] (Storage unit 250) The storage unit 250 has a function of temporarily or permanently storing various data such as data related to the processing of the control unit 240 and operation program files of the control unit 240.

[0097] <4. Operation processing> Next, the flow of the operation process of the DSRC base station 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of the operation process of the DSRC base station 20 according to this embodiment.

[0098] First, the object information acquisition unit 220 acquires object information, which is information on objects existing near the crosswalk W, from the radar base station 10 (S101). Next, the traffic light information acquisition unit 210 acquires the display state of the traffic light S (S102).

[0099] When the traffic signal S is in the green light state and an object is moving on the crosswalk W (S103 / YES), the vehicle control unit 242 controls the transmission of control information from the vehicle communication unit 230 to the vehicle C so that a normal notification is executed (S104).

[0100] If the display state of the traffic signal S is not a green light state or an object is not moving on the crosswalk W (S103 / NO), the vehicle control unit 242 advances the process to S105.

[0101] The vehicle control unit 242 ends the process when the display state of the traffic signal S is not a flashing green state or an object is not moving on the crosswalk W (S105 / NO). Note that even when the display state of the traffic signal S is a lit red state and an object is moving on the crosswalk W, the process may proceed to S106 and an emphasis notification may be executed.

[0102] When the display status of the traffic signal S is flashing green and an object is moving on the crosswalk W (S105 / YES), the vehicle control unit 242 controls the transmission of control information from the vehicle communication unit 230 to the vehicle C so that a highlight notification is executed (S106).

[0103] Then, the determination unit 241 determines whether or not the object present near the crosswalk W has stopped crossing from the newly obtained object information (S107). If the object has stopped crossing (S107 / YES), the vehicle control unit 242 controls the vehicle communication unit 230 to switch the emphasis notification to a normal notification (S108), and the process ends.

[0104] If the subject does not stop crossing (S107 / NO), the vehicle control unit 242 and the signal information acquisition unit 210 determine whether or not the subject located near the crosswalk has finished crossing the crosswalk W (S109). If the subject has not finished crossing the crosswalk W (S109 / NO), the processes of S107 to S109 are repeated until the subject stops crossing or finishes crossing.

[0105] When the target has finished crossing the crosswalk W (S109 / YES), the transmission of control information from the vehicle communication unit 230 to the vehicle C is controlled so that the emphasis notification is ended (S110), and the process ends.

[0106] <5. Hardware configuration example> The above is a description of the embodiment of the present invention. Various information processes performed by the above-mentioned vehicle notification system 1 are realized by cooperation between software and the hardware of the vehicle notification system 1 described below.

[0107] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device 900 that realizes the vehicle notification system 1 (more specifically, for example, the radar base station 10 or the DSRC base station 20) according to the present embodiment.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 11, the information processing device 900 includes a CPU 901, a ROM 902, a RAM 903, a host bus 904, a bridge 905, an external bus 906, an interface 907, an input device 908, an output device 909, a storage device 910, a drive 911, and a communication device 913.

[0109] The CPU 901 functions as an arithmetic processing device and control device, and controls the overall operation of the information processing device 900 in accordance with various programs. The CPU 901 may be a microprocessor. The ROM 902 stores programs and arithmetic parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU 901, and parameters that change appropriately during the execution of the programs. The CPU 901, ROM 902, and RAM 903 are connected to each other by a host bus 904 that is composed of a CPU bus or the like.

[0110] The host bus 904 is connected to an external bus 906, such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus, via a bridge 905. Note that the host bus 904, bridge 905, and external bus 906 do not necessarily need to be separated, and the functions of these may be implemented in a single bus.

[0111] The input device 908 is composed of an input means for a user to input information, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a button, a switch, or a microphone, and an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on the user's input and outputs it to the CPU 901. A user who operates the information processing device 900 can input various data to the information processing device 900 and instruct the information processing device 900 to perform processing operations by operating the input device 908.

[0112] The input device 908 may be configured with a device that detects information related to the work. For example, the input device 908 may be configured to include various sensors such as an image sensor (e.g., a camera), a depth sensor (e.g., a stereo camera or a ToF sensor), an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, a distance sensor, and a force sensor.

[0113] The output device 909 includes, for example, a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device, or a lamp, or an audio output device such as a speaker.

[0114] The storage device 910 is a device for storing data. The storage device 910 may include a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deleting device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium.

[0115] The drive 911 is a reader / writer for a storage medium, and is externally attached to the information processing device 900. The drive 911 reads out information recorded on a removable storage medium 912, such as an attached magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, and outputs the information to the RAM 903. The drive 911 is also capable of writing information to the removable storage medium 912.

[0116] The communication device 913 is a communication interface configured with a communication device for performing communication, etc. The communication device 913 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) compatible communication device, or may be a wired communication device that performs wired communication.

[0117] Note that the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 11. For example, the information processing device 900 may not include the input device 908 or the output device 909. Also, a part or all of the configuration shown in Fig. 11 may be realized by one or more integrated circuits (ICs).

[0118] <6. Supplementary Information> Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0119] For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the vehicle control unit 242 controls the notification to the driver of the vehicle C based on the display state and target information of the traffic signal S, but the vehicle control unit 242 may control the notification to the driver of the vehicle C based only on the display state of the traffic signal S. For example, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit control information for executing a normal notification to the vehicle C when the display state of the traffic signal S is a steady green state. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 242 may control the vehicle communication unit 230 to transmit control information for executing an emphasis notification to the vehicle C when the display state of the traffic signal S is a flashing green state.

[0120] In the above embodiment, the vehicle control unit 242 identifies the vehicle C to which the control information is to be transmitted based on the indicated direction input to the turn signal provided on the vehicle C, but the method of identifying the vehicle C is not limited to this. For example, when the vehicle C transmits its own position information to the DSRC base station 20, the vehicle control unit 242 may identify the vehicle C to which the control information is to be transmitted by determining the vehicle that is about to turn right based on the position information of the vehicle C received from the vehicle C by the vehicle communication unit 230. In this case, the communication range of the DSRC base station 20 may include, for example, all four sidewalks included in the intersection shown in FIG. 2.

[0121] Furthermore, the series of processes performed by the information processing device described in this specification may be realized using any of software, hardware, and a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, in a storage medium (non-transitory media) provided inside or outside each device. Then, each program is loaded into a RAM, for example, when executed by a computer, and executed by a processor such as a CPU. The storage medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, etc. Furthermore, the computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a storage medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1 Vehicle Notification System 10 Radar Base Station 110 Radio Section 120 Control section 121 Evaluation Processing Unit 130 Network Communication Department 140 Storage section 20 DSRC base stations 210 Signal information acquisition section 220 Target Information Acquisition Unit 230 Vehicle Communication Unit 240 Control Unit 241 Judgment section 242 Vehicle control unit 250 Storage section 30 Network

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit that acquires a display state of a traffic signal installed at a pedestrian crossing; a notification control unit that controls a notification to a driver of a vehicle that is about to pass through the crosswalk based on the display state; An information processing device comprising:

2. the traffic signal is a pedestrian signal, The notification control unit controls the notification to be performed in a different manner depending on whether the display state of the traffic signal is a lit green state or a flashing green state. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The information processing device includes: A second acquisition unit that acquires object information about an object present near the crosswalk, 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the notification control unit controls to notify of the presence of the object based on the display state of the traffic signal acquired by the first acquisition unit and the object information acquired by the second acquisition unit.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3 , wherein the object information includes information on a position of the object.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the object information further includes information on a speed of the object.

6. The information processing device according to claim 5 , wherein the notification control unit controls the notification based on whether the target is moving or not.

7. The notification control unit: When the traffic signal is in a green light state and the pedestrian is moving, the notification is executed in a first manner; controlling a notification in a second manner when the traffic signal is in a flashing green state and the pedestrian is moving; The information processing device according to claim 6.

8. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the notification control unit controls the notification to be performed in a different manner depending on a speed of the target.

9. The notification control unit controls the notification so as to switch the notification in the second manner to the notification in the first manner when the pedestrian stops crossing. The information processing device according to claim 7.

10. The notification control unit controls the notification to end the notification in the second manner when the pedestrian finishes crossing. The information processing device according to claim 9.

11. The information processing device according to any one of claims 3 to 10, further comprising a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle to stop when a predetermined condition for the target information is satisfied.

12. The information processing device according to claim 11 , wherein the predetermined condition includes a condition that the speed of the target is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

13. The information processing device includes: An acquisition unit that acquires an indication direction input to a direction indicator of the vehicle, The notification control unit controls transmission of control information for executing the notification to the vehicle identified based on the instruction direction acquired by the acquisition unit. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. The notification control unit controls transmission of control information for executing the notification to the vehicle that is about to turn right and pass through the crosswalk. The information processing device according to claim 13.

15. Obtaining a display state of a traffic signal installed at a pedestrian crossing; Controlling a notification to a driver of a vehicle that is about to pass through the crosswalk based on the display state; An information processing method implemented by a computer, comprising:

16. Computer, A first acquisition unit that acquires a display state of a traffic signal installed at a pedestrian crossing; a notification control unit that controls a notification to a driver of a vehicle that is about to pass through the crosswalk based on the display state; A program that functions as a

Images