Information processing device

Abstract

To inform a status of a bus vehicle to a rear vehicle.SOLUTION: In an information processing device 1 comprises a notification unit and a control unit, the control unit performs operations which include predicting a retention time of a bus vehicle 2 stopped at a bus stop; and notifying a rear vehicle 3 traveling behind the bus vehicle 2 of information regarding a traveling of the bus vehicle 2, including the retention time, via the notification unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a notification system has been disclosed that notifies vehicles other than the automated driving vehicle or pedestrians, etc., of whether they can pass or to draw attention, etc., according to the behavior of an automated driving vehicle scheduled to pass through a predetermined traffic area (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] When a bus vehicle is stopped at a bus stop, a following vehicle approaching from behind the bus vehicle cannot know the situation of the bus vehicle such as when the bus vehicle will depart, and it is difficult to determine whether to overtake the bus vehicle. As a result, the following vehicle may unreasonably overtake the bus vehicle, and the bus vehicle and the following vehicle may be in a dangerous situation in terms of traffic safety.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to convey the situation of a bus vehicle to a following vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus including a notification unit and a control unit, wherein the control unit predicts the stopping time of a bus vehicle stopped at a bus stop, and Execute an operation including notifying, via the notification unit, information regarding the running of the bus vehicle including the dwell time to a following vehicle running behind the bus vehicle.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the situation of a bus vehicle can be communicated to a following vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of use of the information processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 1 notifies a following vehicle 3 traveling behind a bus vehicle 2 of information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle 2 that has stopped at a bus stop. As one embodiment, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the information processing apparatus 1 predicts the stopping time of the bus vehicle 2 at the bus stop. An example is shown in which the information processing apparatus 1 notifies the following vehicle 3 by drawing the predicted stopping time on the road surface as "The bus will depart in 5 minutes" as one of the information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. As one embodiment, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the information processing apparatus 1 is installed on the road surface beside the road on which the bus vehicle 2 and the following vehicle 3 travel, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information processing apparatus 1 may be installed at any location near the road, such as on the roof of a bus stop with a roof, or on a bridge or gantry column spanning above the road. In FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the information processing apparatus 1 is installed between the bus vehicle 2 or the bus stop and the following vehicle 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. The following vehicle 3 may be any vehicle traveling behind the bus vehicle 2, and includes, for example, an automobile, a motorcycle, a moped, and a light vehicle.

[0010] Although the bus vehicle 2 in the present embodiment is described based on the fact that it is an autonomous vehicle, the bus vehicle 2 may be a bus vehicle driven by a driver. For the following vehicle 3, since the bus vehicle driven by a driver is driven by a professional driver, there is a recognition that unreasonable departures will not occur. On the other hand, there is an uneasiness in the following vehicle 3 that an autonomous bus vehicle may suddenly start moving. According to the present disclosure, the information processing apparatus 1 further enables to eliminate the uneasiness associated with the fact that the bus vehicle 2 is an autonomous vehicle and to foster a sense of security in the following vehicle 3 when the bus vehicle 2 is an autonomous vehicle. Examples of the form of the bus vehicle 2 in the present embodiment are as follows. · A bus vehicle with one boarding and alighting door (in this case, the person getting off gets off first, and then the person getting on gets on.) · A bus vehicle in which the boarding and alighting doors are divided into two, one for boarding and one for alighting (in this case, boarding and alighting are performed simultaneously.) ·A bus vehicle that is used solely for boarding or alighting (in this case, the bus vehicle is, for example, a shuttle bus or an airport limousine. During the journey to the final destination, there are only passengers boarding or alighting, and there is no simultaneous boarding and alighting in the middle.) ·A bus vehicle that has introduced a reservation system that allows reservations for boarding and alighting (in this case, information regarding the number of reserved boarding and alighting passengers can be obtained in advance.)

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the information processing system S of the present embodiment. The information processing system S may be capable of communicating with the information processing device 1, the bus vehicle 2, and the control server 4 via the network NW. The network NW includes, for example, a mobile communication network, the Internet, or a fixed communication network.

[0012] In Figure 2, for simplicity of explanation, one information processing device 1, one bus vehicle 2, and one control server 4 are illustrated. However, the number of each of the information processing device 1, the bus vehicle 2, and the control server 4 is not limited to this. For example, the processing executed by the information processing device 1 of the present embodiment may be executed by a plurality of distributed information processing devices 1. The information processing device 1 may be capable of communicating with a plurality of bus vehicles 2 and a plurality of control servers 4.

[0013] The information processing device 1 can execute the processing described in relation to Figure 4. As an alternative embodiment, the information processing device 1 may be communicably connected to a server that supports services provided by an enterprise, and the processing described in relation to Figure 4 may be executed by the server. Such a server may be installed, for example, in a dedicated facility of the enterprise or a shared facility including a data center. Such a server may be referred to as a center server. In one example, the information processing device 1 may be used for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service), which is a service that utilizes mobility.

[0014] The bus vehicle 2 may have, for example, an in-vehicle monitoring system or the like. The bus vehicle 2 can image the interior of the bus vehicle 2 via an imaging unit such as a camera installed inside the bus vehicle 2. The captured image includes a still image or a moving image. Further, the bus vehicle 2 can detect, for example, the open / closed state of the boarding / alighting door.

[0015] The control server 4 may be an operation management system that manages the operation of the bus vehicle 2. The control server 4 can acquire and hold information such as the departure schedule, travel route, and current position of the bus vehicle 2, for example. The control server 4 may have a reservation system that can make reservations regarding boarding and alighting on the bus vehicle 2, or may cooperate with a reservation system. The control server 4 or the reservation system can acquire and hold reservation information regarding the bus vehicle 2, such as how many boarding and alighting passengers there are at an arbitrary stop, for example. The reservation information may include personal information such as the name and age of the reservation holder.

[0016] The internal configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0017] The information processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, a storage unit 13, a notification unit 14, and an imaging unit 15. Each component of the information processing apparatus 1 is communicably connected to each other via, for example, a dedicated line.

[0018] The control unit 11 includes, for example, one or more general-purpose processors including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The control unit 11 may include one or more dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. Instead of including a processor, the control unit 11 may include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 11 may include an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control unit 11 transmits and receives arbitrary information via the communication unit 12.

[0019] The communication unit 12 includes a communication module that conforms to one or more wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards for connecting to the network NW. The communication unit 12 may include a module that conforms to one or more mobile communication standards including LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 12 may include a communication module or the like that conforms to one or more short-range communication standards or specifications including Bluetooth (registered trademark), AirDrop (registered trademark), IrDA, ZigBee (registered trademark), Felica (registered trademark), or RFID. The communication unit 12 transmits and receives any information via the network NW.

[0020] The storage unit 13 includes, for example, but is not limited to, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an 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 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 may store the information of the result analyzed or processed by the control unit 11. The storage unit 13 may store various information related to the operation or control of the information processing apparatus 1. The storage unit 13 may store a system program, an application program, and embedded software, etc. The storage unit 13 may be provided outside the information processing apparatus 1 and accessed from the information processing apparatus 1.

[0021] The notification unit 14 includes, for example, a wireless communication interface, a display such as an LED display, a speaker, a light-emitting device, a projection device, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. The notification unit 14 is provided outside the information processing device 1 and may be accessed from the information processing device 1. The notification unit 14 is used to notify the following vehicle 3 of information regarding the running of the bus vehicle 2.

[0022] The imaging unit 15 includes a camera. The imaging unit 15 can image the surroundings including, for example, the bus vehicle 2, the passengers boarding and alighting the bus vehicle 2, and the following vehicle 3. The imaging unit 15 may record the captured image in the storage unit 13 or transmit it to the control unit 11 for image analysis. The image can be analyzed by any image analysis method. The image includes still images or moving images. The imaging unit 15 is provided outside the information processing device 1 and may be accessed from the information processing device 1. The imaging unit 15 may image images in multiple directions simultaneously and may be provided in plurality.

[0023] Hereinafter, the processing executed by the information processing device 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4. Here, as an example, as shown in FIG. 1, the processing for the information processing device 1 to notify the following vehicle 3 approaching from behind the bus vehicle 2 of information regarding the running of the bus vehicle 2 stopped at the bus stop will be described.

[0024] In S1, the information processing device 1 predicts the stop time of the bus vehicle 2 stopped at the bus stop. The stop time of the bus vehicle 2 is one of the information regarding the running of the bus vehicle 2. Examples of the information processing device 1 predicting the stop time of the bus vehicle 2 are as follows. (1) The control unit 11 may acquire an image captured by at least one of the imaging unit 15 and the imaging units within the bus vehicle 2, detect the number of people getting on and off the bus vehicle 2 (boarding and alighting number), and predict the stop time based on the detected boarding and alighting number. The number of boarding passengers may be the number of people in the line waiting to board at the bus stop. The number of alighting passengers may be the number of people in the line waiting to alight at the boarding or alighting door. The number of boarding passengers and the number of alighting passengers may be weighted such that the time required for boarding is longer or shorter than the time required for alighting. The number of boarding passengers and the number of alighting passengers may detect the age of the people getting on and off from the captured image, and be weighted according to the detected age, for example, assuming that infants and the elderly require time for getting on and off. As other specific examples, the following are listed. (1-1) The control unit 11 may predict the stop time by determining a predetermined stop time based on the detected boarding and alighting number. For example, in the case of the bus vehicle 2 with one boarding and alighting opening, the control unit 11 may determine a predetermined stop time (for example, 5 minutes) for the total number of people (for example, 5 people) of the number of boarding passengers (for example, 3 people) and the number of alighting passengers (for example, 2 people). Alternatively, the control unit 11 may determine a predetermined stop time (for example, 3 minutes) for the number of boarding passengers (for example, 3 people) and a predetermined stop time (for example, 2 minutes) for the number of alighting passengers (for example, 3 people), and determine the sum of those stop times (for example, 5 minutes) as the stop time. For example, in the case of the bus vehicle 2 where the boarding and alighting openings are divided into two, one for boarding and one for alighting, the control unit 11 may compare the number of boarding passengers (for example, 3 people) and the number of alighting passengers (for example, 2 people), and determine a predetermined stop time (for example, 3 minutes) for the larger number of people (for example, 3 people). Alternatively, the control unit 11 may determine a predetermined stop time (for example, 3 minutes) for the number of boarding passengers (for example, 3 people) and a predetermined stop time (for example, 2 minutes) for the number of alighting passengers (for example, 3 people), compare those stop times, and determine the longer stop time (for example, 3 minutes) as the stop time. (1-2) The control unit 11 may predict the dwell time by multiplying the detected number of boarding and alighting passengers by a predetermined time. For example, in the case of a bus vehicle 2 with one boarding and alighting opening, the control unit 11 may multiply the total number of passengers (e.g., 5 people, which is the sum of the number of boarding passengers (e.g., 2 people) and the number of alighting passengers (e.g., 3 people)) by a predetermined time (e.g., 1 minute) to determine the dwell time (e.g., 5 minutes). Alternatively, the control unit 11 may multiply the number of boarding passengers (e.g., 2 people) by a predetermined time (e.g., 1 minute), multiply the number of alighting passengers (e.g., 2 people) by a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds), and determine the sum of those times (e.g., 3 minutes) as the dwell time. For example, in the case of a bus vehicle 2 with two separate openings for boarding and alighting, the control unit 11 may compare the number of boarding passengers (e.g., 3 people) and the number of alighting passengers (e.g., 2 people), and multiply the larger number of passengers (e.g., 3 people) by a predetermined time (e.g., 1 minute) to determine the dwell time (e.g., 3 minutes). Alternatively, the control unit 11 may multiply the number of boarding passengers (e.g., 4 people) by a predetermined time (e.g., 1 minute), multiply the number of alighting passengers (e.g., 4 people) by a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds), compare those times, and determine the longer time (e.g., 4 minutes) as the dwell time. (2) In the case of a bus vehicle 2 equipped with a reservation system, the control unit 11 may obtain, from the control server 4 or the reservation system via the communication unit 12, the number of passengers boarding and alighting the reserved bus vehicle 2 (the number of boarding and alighting reservation passengers), and predict the dwell time based on the number of boarding and alighting reservation passengers. The number of boarding and alighting reservation passengers may be at least one of the number of passengers with a boarding reservation and the number of passengers with an alighting reservation for the bus vehicle 2. The prediction of the dwell time may be carried out in the same manner as in (1), for example. (3) The control unit 11 may obtain the departure schedule of the bus vehicle 2 from the control server 4 via the communication unit 12, determine the scheduled departure time from the departure schedule, and calculate the difference between the current time and the scheduled departure time to predict the dwell time. As an alternative embodiment, the control unit 11 may request the control server 4 for the scheduled departure time of the bus vehicle 2 and receive the scheduled departure time to predict the dwell time. (4) The control unit 11 may obtain the past stopping time of the bus vehicle 2 from the control server 4 via the communication unit 12, and predict the stopping time based on the obtained past stopping time. More specifically, the following examples can be cited. (4-1) The control unit 11 may predict the stopping time from the past actual stopping time. More specifically, the stopping time may be predicted from the average of the past stopping times. For example, when it is the bus vehicle 2 operating in the 7 o'clock hour, the stopping time of the bus vehicle 2 may be predicted by calculating the average of the stopping times when the bus vehicles that operated in the 7 o'clock hour in the past stopped. (4-2) The control unit 11 may predict the stopping time by taking into account constraint conditions such as time, weather, and road congestion information in the past stopping time. For example, the control unit 11 may perform machine learning on the relationship between data such as time, weather, and road congestion information and the stopping time to calculate the stopping time.

[0025] In S2, the information processing device 1 may determine the planned driving operation after the bus vehicle 2 departs from the stop. The planned driving operation can be one of the information regarding the driving of the bus vehicle 2. The determination of the planned driving operation of the bus vehicle 2 may be performed, for example, by obtaining route information from the bus vehicle 2 or the control server 4 via the communication unit 12, and based on the obtained route information, determining that the bus vehicle 2 will turn right or left within a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be assumed to be, for example, 500 m, or at most 1 km. The information indicating the planned driving operation of the bus vehicle 2 may be, for example, information indicating that the bus vehicle 2 is planned to turn right or left after departure, such as "planned to turn right after departure".

[0026] In S3, the information processing device 1 may determine the departure or continued stop of the bus vehicle 2. The information can be one of the information regarding the driving of the bus vehicle 2. The information may be, for example, information indicating "will depart" or "stopping" for the bus vehicle 2. Examples of embodiments in which the information processing device 1 determines the information are as follows. (1) The control unit 11 may acquire an image captured by at least one of the imaging unit 15 and the imaging units within the bus vehicle 2, detect a person boarding the bus vehicle 2, and determine whether the person boarding the bus vehicle 2 has finished boarding. When the control unit 11 determines that the person boarding the bus vehicle 2 has finished boarding or that the boarding queue at the bus stop has disappeared, the control unit 11 may determine that the bus vehicle 2 departs. When the control unit 11 determines that the person boarding the bus vehicle 2 has not finished boarding, the control unit 11 may determine that the bus vehicle does not depart or continues to stop because it is in the process of boarding and alighting. This may be executed in a bus vehicle 2 with one boarding and alighting opening where the person getting off gets off first and then the person getting on boards, or in a bus vehicle 2 that is only for boarding. As an alternative embodiment, in a bus vehicle 2 that is only for alighting, it can be similarly implemented by detecting the person getting off the bus vehicle 2. (2) In addition to the above (1), the control unit 11 may acquire an image captured by at least one of the imaging unit 15 and the imaging units within the bus vehicle 2, detect a person getting off the bus vehicle 2, and further determine whether the person getting off the bus vehicle 2 has finished getting off. When it is further determined that the person getting off the bus vehicle 2 has finished getting off, the control unit 11 may determine that the bus vehicle 2 departs. When it is further determined that the person getting off the bus vehicle 2 has not finished getting off, the control unit 11 may determine that the bus vehicle 2 does not depart or continues to stop because it is in the process of alighting. This may be executed in a bus vehicle 2 where the boarding and alighting openings are divided into two, one for boarding and one for alighting. (3) The control unit 11 may acquire an image captured by at least one of the imaging unit 15 and the imaging units within the bus vehicle 2, detect the opening and closing state of the boarding and alighting doors of the bus vehicle 2, and determine whether the boarding and alighting doors of the bus vehicle 2 are closed. When the control unit 11 determines that the boarding and alighting doors of the bus vehicle 2 are closed, the control unit 11 may determine that the bus vehicle 2 departs. When the control unit 11 determines that the boarding and alighting doors of the bus vehicle 2 are not closed, the control unit 11 may determine that the bus vehicle 2 does not depart or continues to stop. The boarding and alighting doors may include a boarding door and an alighting door in the case of a bus vehicle 2 where the boarding and alighting openings are divided into two, one for boarding and one for alighting. The same applies in (4) described later. (4) When the control unit 11 receives information indicating that the boarding and alighting doors of the bus vehicle 2 are closed via the communication unit 12, it may determine that the bus vehicle 2 departs. When the control unit 11 receives information indicating that the boarding and alighting doors of the bus vehicle 2 are open, it may determine that the bus vehicle 2 does not depart or continues to stop. (5) In the case of the bus vehicle 2 introduced with a reservation system, the control unit 11 acquires the number of people boarding and alighting the reserved bus vehicle 2 (the number of boarding and alighting reservations) from the control server 4 or the reservation system, and counts the number of people boarding and alighting the bus vehicle 2 (the number of boarding and alighting people) from the image captured by at least one of the imaging unit 15 and the imaging unit inside the bus vehicle 2, and may determine whether the number of boarding and alighting reservations matches the number of boarding and alighting people. When the control unit 11 determines that the number of boarding and alighting reservations matches the number of boarding and alighting people, it may determine that the bus vehicle 2 departs. When the control unit 11 determines that the number of boarding and alighting reservations does not match the number of boarding and alighting people, it may determine that the bus vehicle 2 does not depart or continues to stop.

[0027] As an additional embodiment, the information processing device 1 may determine that at least one of the people boarding and alighting the bus vehicle 2 is present, or at least one of the completion of boarding and the completion of alighting the bus vehicle 2. The said information can be one of the information regarding the running of the bus vehicle 2. The embodiment in which the information processing device 1 determines the said information may be determined in the same manner as in S3. The said information may be information indicating, for example, "boarding", "alighting", "boarding completed", "alighting completed", "boarding and alighting in progress", "boarding and alighting completed" or a combination thereof.

[0028] As an additional embodiment, the information processing apparatus 1 may determine information indicating at least one of the number of people boarding the bus vehicle 2 and the number of people alighting from the bus vehicle 2. The information regarding the number of people may be one of the information regarding the running of the bus vehicle 2. In an embodiment where the information processing apparatus 1 determines the information, the control unit 11 may obtain and detect the number of people boarding the bus vehicle 2 and the number of people alighting from the bus vehicle 2 from an image captured by at least one of the imaging unit 15 and the imaging unit inside the bus vehicle 2. Alternatively, in the case of the bus vehicle 2 having a reservation system introduced, the number of people boarding and alighting from the bus vehicle 2 may be the number of people boarding and alighting from the reserved bus vehicle (boarding and alighting reservation number) described above. The information regarding the number of people may be, for example, information indicating "5 boarding people", "2 alighting people", or "5 boarding people, 2 alighting people", etc.

[0029] In S4, the information processing apparatus 1 notifies the following vehicle 3 traveling behind the bus vehicle 2 of the information regarding the running of the bus vehicle 2 via the notification unit 14. The notification by the notification unit 14 may be performed, for example, by display on a display, voice transmission by a speaker, or light transmission by a light emitting device. An example of the notification by the information processing apparatus 1 is as follows. (1) The control unit 11 may notify the information by projecting or drawing it on the road surface via a projection device or the like that uses light such as projection mapping. There is a technique for projecting on the road surface so that it can be visually recognized even during the day, but it may also be projected on the road surface so that it can be visually recognized even during the day by installing a roof above the road or using appropriate colors. Further, the control unit 11 may change the drawing position based on the position of the following vehicle 3. At least one of the vehicle height, speed, and traveling direction of the following vehicle 3 is detected from the image captured by the imaging unit 15, and based on the result of the detection, the drawing position may be changed so as to be in front of the following vehicle 3. More specifically, the drawing position may be changed to a position where the line of sight of the driver of the following vehicle 3 enters. (2) When a light, tile, display, etc. that emits light is embedded in the road surface, the control unit 11 may transmit, via a wireless communication interface or the like, an instruction for displaying a character string, symbol, figure, etc. on the road surface using the embedded light, tile, display, etc. The instruction may include changing the position to be displayed on the road surface based on the position of the following vehicle 3 as described in (1).

[0030] As a modification of this embodiment, the execution of at least one of S2 and S3 is optional. That is, the information processing apparatus 1 does not necessarily have to execute at least one of S2 and S3. As an additional modification of this embodiment, the order of S1 to S3 may be executed in a swapped order.

[0031] As described above, according to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 1 includes predicting the stopping time of the bus vehicle 2 stopped at the stop, and notifying, via the notification unit 14, information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle 2 including the stopping time to the following vehicle 3 traveling behind the bus vehicle 2. With this configuration, the information processing apparatus 1 supports the determination of whether the following vehicle 3 overtakes the bus vehicle 2 or whether the following vehicle 3 can safely overtake the bus vehicle 2, etc., and contributes to improving the traffic safety of the bus vehicle 2 and the following vehicle 3.

[0032] Also, according to this embodiment, the notification by the notification unit 14 is performed by drawing on the road surface. Generally, in the notification by a display, there may be a situation where the driver of the following vehicle 3 does not notice the device itself equipped with the display or the display itself. Also, the notification by a speaker is, for example, a voice such as "Be careful" or a warning sound or an alarm sound, and the amount of information that can be emitted from the speaker may be limited. With the above configuration, the information processing apparatus 1 can notify more information than those so that the driver of the following vehicle 3 can recognize it.

[0033] Also according to the present embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 1 includes determining the planned operation of the bus vehicle 2 after it departs from the bus stop, and the information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle 2 includes information indicating the planned operation. Generally, since the traveling speed of the bus vehicle 2 is slow, the following vehicle 3 attempts to overtake the bus vehicle 2 from the side (from the right or left). For example, by notifying the following vehicle 3 of information indicating that the bus vehicle 2 is planned to turn either right or left after departure, the following vehicle 3 can be made to recognize at least one of the fact that the bus vehicle 2 is planned to turn either right or left immediately after departure and that the bus vehicle 2 will change lanes after departure in order to turn either right or left. Thereby, since the following vehicle 3 can assume that the bus vehicle 2 will disappear in front of the following vehicle 3 immediately after departure, the following vehicle 3 can be made to judge not to overtake the bus vehicle 2. This judgment can also bring about, for the following vehicle 3, prevention of forced or wasted overtaking of the bus vehicle 2 and the like. Therefore, with the above configuration, the information processing apparatus 1 can contribute to further improvement in the traffic safety of the bus vehicle 2 and the following vehicle 3.

[0034] Also according to the present embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 1 includes determining the departure or continued stop of the bus vehicle 2, and the information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle 2 includes information indicating the departure or continued stop. With this configuration, the information processing apparatus 1 can notify the following vehicle 3 in more detail of the information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle 2. Further, with this configuration, the information processing apparatus 1 can assist in the judgment of whether the following vehicle 3 overtakes the bus vehicle 2 or whether the following vehicle 3 can safely overtake the bus vehicle 2, etc., and can contribute to further improvement in the traffic safety of the bus vehicle 2 and the following vehicle 3.

[0035] Also according to the present embodiment, the information processing apparatus 1 is installed beside the road on which the bus vehicle 2 and the following vehicle 3 travel. With this configuration, the information processing apparatus 1 can enable smooth acquisition of information and smooth information cooperation regarding the bus vehicle 2 and the following vehicle 3.

[0036] Although the present disclosure is described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. In addition, changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the functions etc. included in each means or each step can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of means or steps into one.

[0037] For example, in the above embodiment, the program for executing all or part of the functions or processes of the information processing apparatus 1 can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and for example, 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. The distribution of the program may also be performed by storing the program in the storage of an arbitrary server and transmitting the program from the arbitrary server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product. The present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0038] 1 Information processing apparatus 2 Bus vehicle 3 Rear vehicle

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising a notification unit and a control unit, wherein the control unit predicts the dwell time of a bus vehicle stopped at a bus stop, and performs an operation including notifying, via the notification unit, information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle including the dwell time to a following vehicle traveling behind the bus vehicle.

2. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the notification by the notification unit is performed by drawing on a road surface.

3. In the information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, the operation includes determining a planned travel operation of the bus vehicle after the bus vehicle departs from the bus stop, and the information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle includes information indicating the planned travel operation.

4. In the information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, the operation includes determining departure or continued stop of the bus vehicle, and the information regarding the travel of the bus vehicle includes information indicating the departure or the continued stop.

5. In the information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, the information processing apparatus is installed beside a road on which the bus vehicle and the following vehicle travel.

6. A method for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service) using the information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

Images