Information processing device

Abstract

To assist in traffic control using a hand signal and reduce congestion.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit is capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles. The control unit calculates switching timing of a hand signal based on a traffic volume near an intersection, specifies a leading vehicle stopped at the intersection, and controls an on-vehicle appliance that is provided in the leading vehicle via a communication unit and can recognize its operation from outside the leading vehicle, based on the switching timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a traffic signal control device has been proposed that controls traffic signals so that traffic jams at intersections are resolved by grasping the traffic jam situation of roads connecting to intersections based on probe information collected from probe vehicles (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the event of a disaster such as an earthquake or lightning strike, or a power outage when traffic signals cannot be used, and when traffic jams occur at intersections without traffic signals, police officers, who are traffic managers, may conduct traffic control using hand signals. With the conventional method, it was not possible to provide information on signal switching to the police officers conducting traffic control, so it was not possible to appropriately support the police officers. Therefore, the police officers had no choice but to rely on their intuition to conduct traffic control.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to support traffic control performed using hand signals and reduce traffic jams.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication unit capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles, calculates a switching timing of a hand signal based on the traffic volume near an intersection, identifies a leading vehicle stopped at the intersection, and controls, based on the switching timing, an in-vehicle device provided outside the leading vehicle and capable of recognizing an operation from outside the leading vehicle via the communication unit.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to assist traffic regulation performed by hand signals and reduce traffic jams.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings used in the following description are schematic. The dimensional ratios and the like on the drawings do not necessarily match the actual ones.

[0010] (Traffic Regulation System) FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a traffic control system 1 including an information processing apparatus 10 according to the present disclosure. The traffic control system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 20 traveling on a road 40 in addition to the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing apparatus 10 and the vehicles 20 are configured to be communicable with each other via a network 30. The network 30 includes the Internet and a wireless communication network provided by a mobile carrier or the like.

[0011] The information processing apparatus 10 can identify an intersection 41 where a police officer 5 performs traffic control. The intersection 41 is, for example, a crossroads where two roads 40 intersect at right angles. The police officer 5 allows the vehicles 20 on one road 40 to pass through the intersection 41 by a hand signal, and stops the vehicles 20 on the other road 40 in front of the intersection 41. The police officer 5 sequentially switches, by a hand signal, the passing side road 40 on which the vehicles pass through the intersection 41 and the stopping side road 40 on which the vehicles 20 are stopped in front of the intersection 41.

[0012] The information processing apparatus 10 can collect information on the traffic volume in the vicinity of the intersection 41. In the present application, the “vicinity” is a range in which the passage of the vehicle 20 at the intersection 41 affects the congestion on the road 40. The “vicinity” can be set, for example, to 100 m, 300 m, or 1 km from the intersection 41. The “vicinity” can be replaced with “surroundings”.

[0013] The information processing apparatus 10 calculates the switching timing between the passing side road 40 and the stopping side road 40 by the hand signal of the police officer 5 based on the traffic volume information. The information processing apparatus 10 identifies the leading vehicle 20A stopped on the stopping side road 40, and transmits control information to the leading vehicle 20A when the switching timing is reached. When the leading vehicle 20A receives the control information, the in-vehicle device 25 (see FIG. 3) that can recognize the operation from the outside is operated to signal the police officer 5 that it is the switching timing.

[0014] When receiving a signal indicating the switching timing from the leading vehicle 20A, the police officer 5 stops the vehicles 20 on the road that has been the passing side by performing a predetermined operation of a hand signal, and allows the vehicles 20 stopped on the road that has been the stopping side to pass into the intersection 41.

[0015] Note that the information processing device 10 may manage not only the intersection 41 where the police officer 5 conducts traffic control by hand signals but also intersections with traffic lights. The information processing device 10 may transmit the calculated switching timing information to the traffic lights as control information to switch the signals.

[0016] A more detailed description of the configuration and operation of each part of the traffic control system 1 is described below.

[0017] (Configuration of the Information Processing Device) The information processing device 10 is a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), a workstation, a server, or a dedicated computer designed for a specific purpose. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The information processing device 10 may further include an input unit that receives input of information from the outside and an output unit that outputs information to the outside. The input unit includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The output unit includes a display and a printer.

[0018] The communication unit 11 includes at least one external communication interface for connecting to the network 30. The external communication interface may be either a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the external communication interface is an interface corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation). The communication unit 11 receives data used for the operation of the information processing device 10 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 10 to the outside. The communication unit 11 can communicate with the vehicle 20, acquire information from the vehicle 20 including the position information of the vehicle 20, and transmit control information for the in-vehicle device 25 of the vehicle 20.

[0019] The control unit 12 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or a GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The control unit 12 executes processing related to the operation of the information processing device 10 while controlling each part of the information processing device 10.

[0020] The storage unit 13 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory) or a ROM (read only memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (static random access memory) or a DRAM (dynamic random access memory). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). The storage unit 13 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 stores a program and data used for the operation of the information processing apparatus 10, and data obtained by the operation of the information processing apparatus 10. The information stored in the storage unit 13 may be updated, for example, with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 11.

[0021] The storage unit 13 may store and manage data related to roads and traffic, such as road map information 14, vehicle position information 15, and traffic volume information 16.

[0022] The road map information 14 is information on the road map of the area targeted for traffic control by the information processing apparatus 10. The road map information 14 includes the position information of the intersection 41, and information such as the position, shape, and number of lanes of the road 40 around the intersection 41. The position information of the intersection 41 and the road 40 may be stored as information on the absolute position represented by latitude and longitude, etc.

[0023] The vehicle position information 15 includes the position information of the vehicle 20 passing within the scope targeted for traffic regulation by the information processing device 10. The vehicle 20 is configured to transmit its position at each time point to the information processing device 10 periodically or irregularly. The information processing device 10 grasps the current position of each vehicle 20 in real time based on the position information of the vehicle 20 transmitted from the vehicle 20, and stores the latest vehicle position information 15 in the storage unit 13. The vehicle position information 15 stored in the storage unit 13 is sequentially updated based on the position information acquired from each vehicle 20.

[0024] The traffic volume information 16 is information on the traffic volume of the road 40 around the intersection 41. The traffic volume information may include at least any one of information on the occurrence of traffic jams, information on the degree of traffic jams, information on the average speed of the vehicle 20, and information on the time taken to pass through the intersection 41. The information processing device 10 may acquire or generate the traffic volume information 16 by any method. As an example, the information processing device 10 may use a plurality of vehicles 20 as probe cars and acquire information on the position and speed from each vehicle 20 traveling around the intersection 41. The information processing device 10 may determine the traffic volume or traffic jam situation around the intersection 41 from the acquired information on the position and speed of each vehicle 20. Also, as another example, the information processing device 10 may acquire traffic volume information from a server of a service provider that provides traffic information external to the traffic regulation system 1 via the communication unit 11.

[0025] The control unit 12 can determine the switching timing of the manual signal based on the traffic volume information 16 around the intersection 41 that is the target of traffic regulation. For example, at the intersection 41 where two roads 40 intersect, the switching timing of the manual signal may be determined so that the road 40 with a larger traffic volume has a longer passing time than the road 40 with a smaller traffic volume. By doing so, the occurrence of traffic jams can be reduced.

[0026] Further, the control unit 12 may determine the switching timing of the hand signal so as to cooperate a plurality of intersections 41 on the same route. For example, the control unit 12 may determine the switching timing of the hand signal based on traffic volume information and / or congestion information so that a plurality of intersections 41 on a road with a large traffic volume where congestion or traffic jam has occurred can be sequentially passed by the vehicles 20 traveling on the road. That is, the control unit 12 may determine the switching timing of the hand signal so as to optimize the traffic on the road including the plurality of intersections 41. In this case, the plurality of intersections 41 may include intersections 41 provided with traffic lights that can be controlled by the information processing device 10 and intersections 41 where police officers 5 conduct traffic regulation.

[0027] The control unit 12 can recognize the leading vehicle 20A located at the head among the vehicles 20 stopped in line in front of the intersection 41 that is the target of traffic regulation. For example, the control unit 12 may determine the leading vehicle 20A based on the road map information 14 and the vehicle position information 15. Also, for example, as will be described later, the vehicle 20 has a function of determining whether the own vehicle is the leading vehicle 20A, and the control unit 12 may acquire information on the leading vehicle 20A from the vehicle 20. The control unit 12 can transmit control information for controlling the in-vehicle device 25 to the leading vehicle 20A based on the switching timing of the hand signal.

[0028] (Configuration of Vehicle) In the present application, the vehicle 20 includes, but is not limited to, passenger cars, trucks, buses, large and small special motor vehicles, etc. The vehicle 20 includes various types of vehicles 20 that will be realized in the future. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 20 includes a vehicle communication unit 21, a vehicle control unit 22, a vehicle storage unit 23, a position information acquisition unit 24, and an in-vehicle device 25.

[0029] The vehicle communication unit 21 includes an external communication interface that transmits and receives information to and from a system outside the vehicle 20 using wireless communication. The vehicle communication unit 21 may perform communication using any one or more of the fourth-generation mobile communication system (4G), the fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). The vehicle communication unit 21 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from the communication unit 11 of the information processing device 10.

[0030] Similar to the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10, the vehicle control unit 22 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The vehicle control unit 22 periodically or irregularly transmits the current position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 24 to the information processing device 10. Also, when waiting for a hand signal change on the stop side road 40 of the vehicle 20, the vehicle control unit 22 may determine whether the host vehicle is positioned at the head among the vehicles 20 waiting for the signal by any method. For example, each vehicle 20 may be equipped with a sensor for detecting the vehicle 20 ahead and determine whether there is another vehicle 20 ahead while the host vehicle is stopped in front of the intersection 41. The sensor for detecting the vehicle 20 ahead includes, for example, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, and camera. When no other vehicle is detected ahead within a short distance range, such as within 5 meters, while stopped in front of the intersection 41, the vehicle control unit 22 can recognize the host vehicle as the leading vehicle 20A. The vehicle control unit 22 of the leading vehicle 20A may notify the information processing device 10 that the host vehicle is the leading vehicle 20A via the vehicle communication unit 21. As described above, the identification of the leading vehicle 20A may also be performed by the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 22 can receive control information from the information processing device 10 via the vehicle communication unit 21 and control the in-vehicle device 25 based on the control information.

[0031] Similar to the storage unit 13 of the information processing device 10, the vehicle storage unit 23 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The vehicle storage unit 23 stores programs executed by the vehicle control unit 22, data used in the operations of the vehicle control unit 22, and data obtained by the operations of the vehicle control unit 22. The vehicle storage unit 23 may store map information of the road 40 on which the vehicle 20 travels. Further, the vehicle storage unit 23 may store a control pattern of the in-vehicle device 25 according to the type of the in-vehicle device 25 when signaling the switching of the hand signal to the police officer 5.

[0032] The position information acquisition unit 24 is configured to be able to acquire information on the current position of the vehicle 20 from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver mounted on the vehicle 20. The position information acquisition unit 24 delivers the acquired current position information to the vehicle control unit 22. The GNSS receiver is a receiver corresponding to a global positioning system using artificial satellites. GNSS includes systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), Galileo, and BeiDou. The current position information of the vehicle 20 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 24 may be absolute position information represented by latitude, longitude, etc.

[0033] The in-vehicle device 25 is a device installed in the vehicle 20 and capable of recognizing operations from the outside. The in-vehicle device 25 is used to send a signal to notify the police officer 5 of the switching timing of the hand signal from the leading vehicle 20A. The in-vehicle device 25 may include, for example, at least one of the headlight 26, the wiper 27, and the horn 28. The headlight 26 can notify the switching timing by, for example, blinking. The wiper 27 can notify the switching timing by, for example, moving rapidly left and right on the front windshield. The horn 28 can notify the switching timing by, for example, intermittently emitting a horn sound. Each in-vehicle device 25 may include an electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) of the in-vehicle device 25. The in-vehicle device 25 may be operated by the vehicle control unit 22 based on the control information transmitted from the information processing device 10 to the leading vehicle 20A.

[0034] The vehicle control unit 22 may operate the in-vehicle device 25 according to a specific operation pattern for notifying the switching timing of the hand signal stored in the vehicle storage unit 23. The specific operation pattern includes an operation pattern that a normal driver does not perform or cannot perform manually. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 can operate the in-vehicle device 25 at a higher speed than the operation by manual operation. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 can blink the headlight 26 faster than the speed that can be manually operated. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 22 may blink the left and right headlights 26 alternately. The control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can transmit control information to the vehicle control unit 22 to operate the in-vehicle device 25 in an operation method that cannot be performed manually. Note that the specific operation pattern for notifying the switching timing of the hand signal may be stored in the storage unit 13 of the information processing device 10 instead of the vehicle storage unit 23 of the vehicle 20. In this case, when operating the in-vehicle device 25, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 transmits the specific operation pattern to the vehicle 20. The vehicle control unit 22 of the vehicle 20 that has received this may operate the in-vehicle device 25 according to the received specific operation pattern.

[0035] (Usage Scenario of Traffic Regulation System) FIG. 4 shows an example of a usage scenario of the traffic regulation system 1. In this example, at the intersection 41 of an intersection where the first road 40A and the second road 40B intersect, it is assumed that a police officer 5 is regulating traffic. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the police officer 5 allows the vehicle 20 on the first road 40A to pass through the intersection 41, and stops the vehicle 20 on the second road 40B in front of the intersection 41. The police officer 5 gives a stop instruction to the vehicle 20 on the second road 40B on the stop side by spreading his / her hands facing the front or the rear of the vehicle 20.

[0036] The control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can identify the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for a hand signal change on the second road 40B. The control unit 12 may identify the leading vehicle 20A by receiving a notification from the leading vehicle 20A that itself is the leading vehicle 20A. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may identify the leading vehicle 20A from the queue of vehicles 20 waiting for a hand signal change based on the detailed current position information acquired from each vehicle 20 and the road map information 14.

[0037] When it reaches the switching timing determined based on the traffic volume of the road 40 near the intersection, the information processing device 10 transmits control information to the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for a signal on the second road 40B on the stop side. When the leading vehicle 20A receives the control information, the vehicle control unit 22 operates the in-vehicle device 25 to send a signal for a hand signal change to the police officer 5.

[0038] The police officer 5 can recognize that the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for a hand signal change on the second road 40B is at the timing of the hand signal change when the leading vehicle 20A gives a signal for a hand signal change. The police officer 5 who has received the signal for a hand signal change stops the vehicle 20 on the first road 40A from entering the intersection 41 according to a predetermined procedure. When the vehicle 20 on the first road 40A stops, the police officer 5 allows the vehicle 20 that has been waiting in front of the intersection 41 on the second road 40B to pass through the intersection 41. By doing so, it is possible to switch between the road 40 on the passing side of the vehicle 20 and the road 40 on the stop side.

[0039] As described above, between the first road 40A and the second road 40B, by sequentially switching the road on the side where the vehicle 20 passes and the road on the side where the vehicle stops, the traffic at the intersection 41 is controlled. The information processing device 10 controls the time interval of the switch of the hand signal based on the traffic volumes of the first road 40A and the second road 40B. For example, when the traffic volume of the first road 40A is twice the traffic volume of the second road 40B, the information processing device 10 may determine the switching timing of the hand signal so that the vehicle 20 on the first road 40A passes for 2 minutes and the vehicle 20 on the second road 40B passes for 1 minute in sequence. Also, for example, when the traffic volume is large and congested in the range including a plurality of intersections 41 adjacent to the first road 40A, the information processing device 10 may determine the switching timing so that the plurality of adjacent intersections 41 can be sequentially passed along with the running of the vehicle 20. By doing so, the information processing device 10 can eliminate the congestion of the first road 40A.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, when the intersection 41 is an intersection of a crossroads, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can identify the leading vehicles 20A at the heads of both of the two lanes facing each other across the intersection 41. The control unit 12 may control the in-vehicle devices 25 of the leading vehicles 20A identified for each lane based on the same switching timing. That is, the control unit 12 can operate the in-vehicle devices 25 of the two leading vehicles 20A across the intersection 41 substantially simultaneously based on the same switching timing. By doing so, no matter which side of the stopped vehicle 20 the police officer 5 is facing, the police officer 5 can surely recognize the signal indicating the switching timing of the hand signal.

[0041] Also, in FIG. 4, the first road 40A and the second road 40B are roads with one lane on one side. However, at least one of the first road 40A and the second road 40B may be a road with two or more lanes on one side. In such a case, the control unit 12 may identify the leading vehicle 20A for each lane and control the in-vehicle device 25 of the leading vehicle 20A identified for each lane based on the same switching timing. Also, at least one of the first road 40A and the second road 40B may be a road having a dedicated lane for right and / or left turns in front of the intersection 41. Also in this case, the control unit 12 may control the leading vehicle 20A identified for each lane based on the same timing. By doing so, the police officer 5 can more clearly recognize the switching timing of the hand signal.

[0042] The police officer 5 may carry a portable terminal. In addition to the signal of the switching timing of the hand signal by the leading vehicle 20A described above, the information processing device 10 may notify the switching timing to the portable terminal carried by the police officer 5 by wireless communication. The portable terminal includes a display, a speaker and / or a vibrator, etc., and may notify the switching timing to the police officer 5 by image display, sound and / or vibration.

[0043] (Processing of the control unit of the information processing device) FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the processing procedure executed by the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10. The functions of the information processing device 10 are realized by a processor corresponding to the control unit 12 executing a program for executing the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 5. That is, the functions of the information processing device 10 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the information processing device 10, causing the computer to function as the information processing device 10. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 10 by executing the operations of the information processing device 10 according to the program.

[0044] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic recording device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The distribution of the program is performed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) on which the program is recorded. Also, the distribution of the program may be performed by storing the program in the storage of an external server and transmitting the program from the external server to other computers. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0045] In FIG. 5, first, the control unit 12 identifies the intersection 41 that the police officer 5 is to conduct traffic control on (S1). The intersection 41 for which traffic control is to be conducted is an intersection where the traffic signal has become inoperable due to a power outage or a disaster, etc., or an intersection without a traffic signal where traffic congestion has occurred due to heavy traffic volume. The intersection 41 for which the police officer 5 is to conduct traffic control may be input by a police officer to the information processing apparatus 10. Alternatively, information identifying the intersection 41 for which traffic control is to be conducted may be transmitted from an information device within the police to the information processing apparatus 10 outside the police.

[0046] The control unit 12 acquires or calculates the traffic volume of the road 40 near the intersection 41 that is the target of traffic control (S2). The acquired or calculated traffic volume information is stored in the storage unit 13 as traffic volume information 16. The traffic volume can be, for example, the number of vehicles 20 passing through a specific position on the road 40 within a unit time. Also, the traffic volume may include, for example, the degree of congestion of the road 40 determined from the speed of the vehicles 20 traveling on the road 40. The definition of the traffic volume is not limited to these only.

[0047] The control unit 12 calculates the switching timing of the traffic signal based on the traffic volume information 16 of each lane of each road 40 intersecting at the intersection 41 (S3). The switching timing is determined so as to reduce congestion or traffic jams on the road 40. The switching timing may be specified as the time of switching or the interval of switching. In one embodiment, as the switching timing, the timing at which the traffic signal is switched within one cycle may be calculated. Here, one cycle means, for example, the period from the moment when the traffic signal on the first road 40A side becomes passable, after the stop period, until the first road 40A becomes passable again.

[0048] The control unit 12 recognizes the leading vehicle 20A stopped at the intersection 41 (S4). The control unit 12 may identify the leading vehicle 20A based on the road map information 14 in the storage unit 13 and the detailed vehicle position information 15 of each vehicle 20 that is sequentially updated. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may recognize the leading vehicle 20A by receiving a notification from the leading vehicle 20A that recognizes the own vehicle as the leading vehicle 20A among the plurality of vehicles 20.

[0049] The control unit 12 waits until the switching timing of the traffic signal calculated in step S3 (S5), and after the switching timing has elapsed, transmits control information of the in-vehicle device 25 to the leading vehicle 20A recognized in S4 (S6). The leading vehicle 20A that has received the control information issues a signal for switching the traffic signal to the police officer 5 who is regulating traffic, by means of the in-vehicle device 25. The signal for switching the traffic signal may include at least any one of the flashing of the headlights 26, the operation of the windshield wiper 27, and the emission of a horn sound by the horn 28. The police officer 5 receives this signal and switches between the passable road and the stop road between the first road 40A and the second road 40B intersecting at the intersection 41.

[0050] Unless the control unit 12 receives an instruction to end traffic regulation (S7: No), it repeats S2 to S7 for the intersection 41 after the road 40 for the passing side and the road 40 for the stopping side are switched. At this time, the road 40 where the leading vehicle 20A is recognized alternates between the first road 40A and the second road 40B each time the hand signal is switched. Also, since the control unit 12 can grasp the change in traffic volume in real time each time S2 is executed, the result can be reflected in the calculation of the switching timing in S3. Note that in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the processes from S2 to S7 are repeated. However, when the traffic volume information 16 does not change in a short time or when the traffic regulation does not end in S7 (S7: No), the control unit 12 may mainly return to the process of S4. The control unit 12 may return to S2 only once in several times.

[0051] When there is an instruction from the outside to end traffic regulation for the information processing device 10 (S7: Yes), the control unit 12 ends the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 5 that supports traffic regulation for the intersection 41. Such an instruction may be directly input to the information processing device 10 by a police officer or transmitted to the information processing device 10 by communication from an information device within the police.

[0052] As described above, according to the information processing device 10 of the present embodiment, the control unit 12 calculates the switching timing of the hand signal based on the traffic volume in the vicinity of the intersection 41 and controls the in-vehicle device 25 provided in the leading vehicle 20A. Thereby, the information processing device 10 supports traffic regulation performed by hand signals and can reduce traffic congestion compared to traffic regulation performed relying on the intuition of the police officer 5.

[0053] Also, by adopting the traffic regulation system 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to renovate a system that controls traffic lights based on traffic volume and suppress the costs related to equipment and installation work compared to newly installing traffic lights.

[0054] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and numerous modifications or alterations are possible. For example, the functions etc. included in each means, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and it is possible to combine a plurality of means or steps, etc. into one, or to divide them.

[0055] In the above embodiment, it was assumed that traffic control was performed by police officers, but traffic control may not be performed by police officers. Traffic control may be performed by staff of an authority that conducts traffic management other than the police. In the above embodiment, the case of performing traffic control at the intersection of an intersection was described. However, the intersection where traffic control is performed is not limited to an intersection, and may be a three-way intersection, a five-way intersection, etc. Further, in the above embodiment, as in-vehicle devices, a headlight, a wiper, and a horn were exemplified. However, in-vehicle devices are not limited to these. The in-vehicle device may be, for example, a hazard lamp.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 1 Traffic control system 5 Police officer 10 Information processing device 11 Communication unit 12 Control unit 13 Storage unit 14 Intersection position information 15 Vehicle position information 16 Traffic volume information 20 Vehicle 20A Leading vehicle 21 Vehicle communication unit 22 Vehicle control unit 23 Vehicle storage unit 24 Position information acquisition unit 25 In-vehicle device 26 Headlight 27 Wiper 28 Horn 30 Network 40 Road 40A First road 40B Second road 41 Intersection

Claims

1. A communication unit capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles; A control unit that calculates the switching timing of a hand signal based on the traffic volume near an intersection, identifies the leading vehicle stopped at the intersection, and controls an in-vehicle device provided on the leading vehicle and recognizable from the outside of the leading vehicle to operate based on the switching timing via the communication unit An information processing apparatus comprising the above.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle device includes at least one of a headlight, a wiper, and a horn.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit operates the in-vehicle device in an operation method that cannot be manually operated.

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

5. When the intersection is an intersection of a crossroads, the control unit identifies the leading vehicles of both lanes facing each other across the intersection, and controls the in-vehicle devices of the leading vehicles identified for each lane based on the same switching timing. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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