Roadside device and notification method

Abstract

To improve a technique for notifying pedestrians and vehicles of warning information.SOLUTION: When a pedestrian heading toward a roadway is detected from a video captured by a photographing unit 22, a roadside device 20 acquires the time distance from an automatic driving vehicle 10 approaching the roadside device 20 to the roadside device 20, and if the acquired time distance is less than a threshold determined according to an external environment, the roadside device notifies the automatic driving vehicle 10 via a notification unit 21 of first information indicating the presence of a pedestrian and / or notifies the pedestrian of second information indicating restrictions on crossing the roadway.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a roadside device and a notification method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for notifying pedestrians and vehicles of information are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a notification system that notifies vehicles and pedestrians other than the automated driving vehicle of passage permission or caution information according to the behavior of an automated driving vehicle scheduled to pass through a predetermined traffic area.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a perspective for determining the necessity of notifying caution information based on the time distance between a pedestrian heading towards a lane and an automated driving vehicle approaching the pedestrian. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the technology for notifying pedestrians and vehicles of information.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for notifying pedestrians and vehicles of information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A roadside device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a roadside device including a photographing unit, a notification unit, and a control unit. When a pedestrian heading towards a roadway is detected from an image captured by the photographing unit, the control unit acquires a time distance from an automated driving vehicle approaching the roadside device to the roadside device. If the acquired time distance is less than a threshold determined according to an external environment, the control unit notifies the automated driving vehicle of first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian and / or notifies the pedestrian of second information indicating a restriction regarding crossing of the roadway via the notification unit.

[0007] A notification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a notification method executed by a roadside device. When a pedestrian heading towards a roadway is detected from an image, the method includes acquiring a time distance from an automated driving vehicle approaching the roadside device to the roadside device, and if the acquired time distance is less than a threshold determined according to an external environment, notifying the automated driving vehicle of first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian and / or notifying the pedestrian of second information indicating a restriction regarding crossing of the roadway.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology for notifying information to pedestrians and vehicles is improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0011] (Overview of Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 1, an overview of the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The system 1 includes a vehicle 10 and a roadside device 20. The vehicle 10 and the roadside device 20 are communicably connected to a network 2 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0012] The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited thereto and may be any vehicle. The automobile may be a gasoline vehicle, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), an FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), etc., but is not limited to these. In the present disclosure, the vehicle 10 is an autonomous driving vehicle 10 having an autonomous driving function. However, the vehicle 10 is not limited to the autonomous driving vehicle 10. The number of autonomous driving vehicles 10 included in the system 1 may be arbitrarily determined. The autonomous driving vehicle 10 is communicably connected to the roadside device 20 via the network 2.

[0013] The roadside device 20 is an information communication device that, when detecting a pedestrian heading towards the road lane from a camera image, notifies the pedestrian and also notifies the autonomous driving vehicle 10 approaching the pedestrian. The roadside device 20 is communicably connected to the autonomous driving vehicle 10 via the network 2.

[0014] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. When a pedestrian heading towards the road lane is detected from an image captured by the imaging unit 22, the roadside device 20 acquires the time distance from the autonomous driving vehicle 10 approaching the roadside device 20 to the pedestrian. If the acquired time distance is less than a threshold determined according to the external environment, the roadside device 20 notifies the autonomous driving vehicle 10 of first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian and / or notifies the pedestrian of second information indicating restrictions regarding crossing the road lane via the notification unit 21.

[0015] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the time distance from the autonomous vehicle 10 to the roadside device 20 is less than the threshold value, a notification is made to the autonomous vehicle 10 and / or the pedestrian. Therefore, for example, even when a pedestrian enters the blind spot of the autonomous vehicle 10 and the visibility is poor, the autonomous vehicle 10 can recognize that the pedestrian is about to cross the road and the pedestrian can recognize that the autonomous vehicle 10 is approaching through the notification of the first information and / or the second information from the roadside device 20. Therefore, the technology for notifying information to pedestrians and vehicles is improved in terms of improving the probability of preventing traffic accidents.

[0016] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0017] (Configuration of the vehicle) As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 (autonomous vehicle 10) includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, a measurement unit 13, an input unit 14, an output unit 15, a storage unit 16, and a control unit 17.

[0018] The communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), or an in-vehicle network (for example, CAN (Controller Area Network)), but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle 10 communicates with the roadside device 20 via the communication unit 11 and the network 2.

[0019] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more devices for acquiring the position information of the autonomous vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 includes, for example, a receiver corresponding to GPS, but is not limited thereto, and may include a receiver corresponding to any satellite positioning system. The position information is the information of the latitude and longitude of the target point.

[0020] The measurement unit 13 includes one or more devices that collect data inside and outside the autonomous vehicle 10. Specifically, the one or more devices are, for example, a pressure sensor, an exhaust gas sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, an infrared radar, or a camera (in-vehicle camera), etc., which measure and collect data inside and outside the autonomous vehicle 10. However, the one or more devices are not limited to these. Note that the ultrasonic sensor, millimeter-wave radar, infrared radar, or camera may be used as a collision prevention sensor or a sensor for detecting obstacles.

[0021] The input unit 14 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of receiving an input by an operator of the autonomous vehicle 10. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a camera, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the output unit 15 described later, or a microphone that picks up the voice of the operator. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0022] The output unit 15 is configured to include at least one audio output interface capable of outputting audio, and at least one display interface capable of displaying characters or video. The audio output interface is, for example, a speaker that outputs, by voice, the first information indicating the presence of a pedestrian received from the roadside device 20. The display interface is, for example, a display such as an LCD or an organic EL display that outputs, by characters or video, the first information indicating the presence of a pedestrian received from the roadside device 20. However, the audio output interface and the display interface are not limited to these.

[0023] The storage unit 16 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited thereto. Each memory included in the storage unit 16 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 16 stores any information used for the operation of the autonomous vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 16 may store a system program, an application program, embedded software, and map information. The information stored in the storage unit 16 may be updated with information acquired from the network 2 via the communication unit 11, for example.

[0024] The control unit 17 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, 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, but is not limited thereto. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited thereto. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited thereto. The control unit 17 controls the operation of the entire autonomous vehicle 10.

[0025] (Configuration of roadside device) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the roadside device 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the roadside device 20 includes a notification unit 21, a photographing unit 22, a storage unit 23, and a control unit 24.

[0026] The notification unit 21 functions as a communication unit 211 and an output unit 212.

[0027] The communication unit 231 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard. In the present embodiment, the roadside device 20 communicates with the autonomous vehicle 10 via the communication unit 211 and the network 2.

[0028] The output unit 212 includes at least one audio output interface capable of outputting audio, at least one display interface capable of displaying characters or video, and at least one light emitting interface capable of emitting light, and is configured to include the like. The audio output interface is, for example, a speaker 212A that notifies a pedestrian of second information indicating a restriction regarding crossing a roadway by voice. The display interface is, for example, a display 212B such as an LCD or an organic EL display installed on the roadside strip of the roadway that notifies a pedestrian of second information indicating a restriction regarding crossing a roadway by characters, video, or the like. The light emitting interface is, for example, a signal lamp 212C that notifies a pedestrian of the approach of the autonomous vehicle 10 by flashing light. The second information may be notified to the pedestrian by using at least two of the speaker 212A, the display 212B, and the signal lamp 212C at the same time.

[0029] The imaging unit 22 includes a video camera 22A and captures a moving image or a still image of a pedestrian heading for the roadway.

[0030] The storage unit 23 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 23 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 23 stores any information used for the operation of the roadside device 20. For example, the storage unit 23 may store a system program, an application program, a database, and an image captured by the imaging unit 22. The information stored in the storage unit 23 may be updated by information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 211, for example.

[0031] The control unit 24 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 24 controls the operation of the roadside device 20 as a whole.

[0032] (Operation flow of roadside device) With reference to FIG. 3, the operation of the roadside device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. This operation relates to the notification of information to pedestrians and the automated vehicle 10.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a traffic area. As shown in FIG. 4, the automated vehicle 10 travels on the roadway 3, and the pedestrian 4 crosses the roadway 3 at a crosswalk 5 or the like. The roadside device 20 can be installed at any location. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the roadside device 20 is installed, for example, in the roadside strip of the roadway 3 near the crosswalk 5.

[0034] S101: The control unit 24 detects a pedestrian heading towards the roadway from the video captured by the imaging unit 22.

[0035] The imaging unit 22 captures a moving image or a still image of the pedestrian 4 heading towards the roadway 3 by the video camera 22A.

[0036] S102: The control unit 24 acquires the time distance Td from the automated vehicle 10 approaching the roadside device 20 to the roadside device 20.

[0037] The time distance Td (Time distance) represents the distance from one point to another point not in terms of the spatial distance in kilometers but in terms of the required time (seconds) for the movement. For example, the time distance Td is the time such as 2 seconds (2 sec) required for the automated driving vehicle 10 to move to the location where the roadside device 20 is installed. The control unit 24 receives, from the automated driving vehicle 10, the position information L1(x1, y1) of the automated driving vehicle 10 measured by the positioning unit 12 and the vehicle speed S measured by the measurement unit 13 via the communication unit 211 and the network 2. Assuming the position information of the roadside device 20 is L2(x2, y2), the distance D between the automated driving vehicle 10 and the roadside device 20 is calculated by the following formula (1), and the time distance Td is calculated based on formula (2). D 2 =(x1 - x2) 2 +(y1 - y2) 2 (1) Td = D / S (2)

[0038] S103: The control unit 24 determines whether the acquired time distance Td is less than the threshold α determined according to the external environment.

[0039] The external environment is, for example, weather, illuminance, time zone, the number of other vehicles or traffic congestion on lane 3, the number of pedestrians 4 detected from the video of the roadside device 20, and the number of obstacles around the roadside device 20, but the external environment is not limited to these.

[0040] S104 - S105: When the acquired time distance Td is less than the threshold α, the control unit 24 notifies the automated driving vehicle 10 of the first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian 4 via the notification unit 21 and / or notifies the pedestrian 4 of the second information indicating the restrictions regarding crossing lane 3.

[0041] Explain the meaning of "and / or". That is, when the acquired time distance Td is less than the threshold value α, the control unit 24 notifies the automated vehicle 10 of (i) the first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian 4, (ii) the second information indicating the restrictions regarding crossing the lane 3 to the pedestrian 4, or (iii) notifies the automated vehicle 10 of the first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian 4 and notifies the pedestrian 4 of the second information indicating the restrictions regarding crossing the lane 3, via the notification unit 21.

[0042] The control unit 24 sets the threshold value α (sec) based on, for example, at least one of (i) to (vi) described below. The control unit 24 may adopt a specific threshold value α among (i) to (vi), or may adopt the threshold value α with the largest value among (i) to (vi). (i) When the weather is rainy, cloudy, or foggy, a larger value of the threshold value α may be set compared to when it is sunny. For example, the control unit 24 may set the threshold value α = 3 sec when the weather is rainy and the threshold value α = 2 sec when it is sunny. In the case of rain, the visibility becomes worse compared to sunny days, so it is necessary to notify the automated vehicle 10 of the first information and the pedestrian 4 of the second information earlier.

[0043] (ii) When the illuminance is less than the reference value, a larger value of the threshold value α may be set compared to when it is greater than or equal to the reference value. Illuminance is a physical quantity representing the brightness of light illuminating the surface of an object, and the unit of illuminance is expressed in lux (lx). For example, when the illuminance during cloudy days (e.g., 32,000 lx) is used as the reference value, when the illuminance is less than 32,000 lx, the threshold value α = 3 sec, and when it is 32,000 lx or more, the threshold value α = 2 sec may be set. When the illuminance is lower than the reference value, the visibility deteriorates, so it is necessary to notify the automated vehicle 10 of the first information and the pedestrian 4 of the second information earlier.

[0044] (iii) When the time zone is at night, a threshold value α with a larger value may be set as compared with the case during the day. The control unit 24 may set, for example, the threshold value α for the night time as α = 5 sec and the threshold value α for the daytime as α = 2 sec. In the case of night time, since the visibility is worse than that in the daytime, it is necessary to notify the automated driving vehicle 10 of the first information and the pedestrian 4 of the second information earlier.

[0045] (iv) When the number of other vehicles or the traffic congestion level in the lane 3 is less than the reference value, a threshold value α with a larger value may be set as compared with the case when it is equal to or greater than the reference value. For example, when the number of vehicles traveling within a predetermined area is less than the reference value, or when the traffic congestion level is less than the reference value, compared with the case when it is equal to or greater than the reference value, the automated driving vehicle 10 can travel at a higher speed. Therefore, when the number of other vehicles or the traffic congestion level in the lane 3 is less than the reference value, it is necessary to notify the automated driving vehicle 10 of the first information and the pedestrian 4 of the second information earlier as compared with the case when it is equal to or greater than the reference value.

[0046] (v) When the number of pedestrians 4 detected from the video of the roadside device 20 is equal to or greater than the reference value, a threshold value α with a larger value may be set as compared with the case when it is less than the reference value. When the number of pedestrians 4 is equal to or greater than the reference value, the risk of the pedestrians 4 suddenly entering the lane 3 increases. Therefore, it is necessary to notify the automated driving vehicle 10 of the first information and the pedestrian 4 of the second information earlier.

[0047] (vi) When the number of obstacles around the roadside device 20 is equal to or greater than the reference value, a threshold value α with a larger value may be set as compared with the case when it is less than the reference value. The obstacles are, for example, trees, utility poles, or building structures. When the number of obstacles around the roadside device 20 is equal to or greater than the reference value, since the visibility becomes worse, it is necessary to notify the automated driving vehicle 10 of the first information and the pedestrian 4 of the second information earlier.

[0048] According to such a configuration, in an environment where visibility is relatively poor, such as at night or in rainy weather, by setting the threshold value α to a value larger than that in normal times (daytime or sunny days), even when the automated driving vehicle 10 is located farther from the roadside device 20, notifications can be made to the automated driving vehicle 10 and / or the pedestrian 4, and traffic safety can be improved.

[0049] The control unit 24 may set two or more threshold values α. For example, the control unit 24 sets a first threshold value α1 and a second threshold value α2 that is larger than the first threshold value α1. When the time distance Td is less than the first threshold value α1, a message that prompts a more urgent response is notified to the automated driving vehicle 10 as the first information and / or to the pedestrian 4 as the second information via the notification unit 21, compared with the case where the time distance Td is equal to or greater than the first threshold value α1 and less than the second threshold value α2.

[0050] The meaning of "and / or" is explained. That is, when the time distance Td is less than the first threshold value α1, the control unit 24 notifies, via the notification unit 21, a message that prompts a more urgent response to (i) the automated driving vehicle 10 as the first information, (ii) the pedestrian 4 as the second information, or (iii) both the automated driving vehicle 10 as the first information and the pedestrian 4 as the second information.

[0051] When the time distance Td is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value α2, the control unit 24 may notify, as the first information and the second information, a message that prompts a response with a lower urgency (weak attention arousal) to the automated driving vehicle 10 and the pedestrian 4, for example, a message such as "There is a pedestrian" or "Please cross while paying attention to the automated driving vehicle". On the other hand, when the time distance Td is less than the first threshold value α1, the control unit 24 may notify, as the first information and the second information, a message that prompts a response with a higher urgency (strong attention arousal) to the automated driving vehicle 10 and the pedestrian 4, for example, a message such as "Watch out for pedestrians jumping out" or "Crossing prohibited". According to such a notification, the automated driving vehicle 10 and the pedestrian 4 can respond according to the urgency of the situation.

[0052] The output unit 212 includes, for example, a signal lamp 212C that notifies a pedestrian of the approach of the autonomous vehicle 10 by blinking light. When the time distance Td is less than the first threshold value α1, the control unit 24 may blink the signal lamp 212C at a high speed, and when the time distance Td is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value α2, the control unit 24 may blink the signal lamp 212C at a lower speed. However, other methods such as changing the color of the light may be adopted for the method of blinking the signal lamp according to the urgency.

[0053] When the autonomous vehicle 10 receives a notification such as "Caution: Pedestrians may suddenly appear" from the roadside device 20, for example, the probability of avoiding a traffic accident by decelerating or stopping the vehicle is increased. In addition, a driver assistance person in the autonomous vehicle 10 may receive a notification such as "Caution: Pedestrians may suddenly appear" output by voice or text / image from a speaker or a display provided in the output unit 15 of the autonomous vehicle 10, and manually decelerate or stop the autonomous vehicle 10.

[0054] As described above, when a pedestrian 4 heading for the lane 3 is detected from the video of the imaging unit 22, the roadside device 20 according to the present embodiment acquires the time distance Td from the autonomous vehicle 10 approaching the roadside device 20 to the roadside device 20. When the acquired time distance Td is less than a threshold value α determined according to the external environment, the roadside device 20 notifies the autonomous vehicle 10 of the first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian 4 via the notification unit 21 and / or notifies the pedestrian 4 of the second information indicating the restriction regarding crossing the lane 3.

[0055] According to such a configuration, when the time distance Td from the autonomous vehicle 10 to the roadside device 20 is less than the threshold value α, a notification is made to the autonomous vehicle 10 and / or the pedestrian 4. For this reason, for example, even when the pedestrian 4 enters the blind spot of the autonomous vehicle 10 and the visibility is poor, the autonomous vehicle 10 can recognize that the pedestrian 4 is about to cross the road 3, and the pedestrian 4 can recognize that the autonomous vehicle 10 is approaching, by the notification of the first information and / or the second information from the roadside device 20. Therefore, the technology of notifying the pedestrian 4 and the vehicle 10 of the attention - calling information is improved in terms of improving the probability of preventing traffic accidents.

[0056] Although the present disclosure has been 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. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or each step, etc., can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of components or steps, etc. into one. For example, in the above - described embodiment, an embodiment in which the configuration and operation of the roadside device 20 are distributed to a plurality of roadside devices capable of communicating with each other is also possible.

[0057] Also, for example, an embodiment in which a general - purpose computer functions as the roadside device 20 according to the above - described embodiment is also possible. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the roadside device 20 according to the above - described embodiment is stored in the memory of a general - purpose computer, and the program is read out and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor or a non - transient computer - readable medium storing the program.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0058] 1 System 2 Network 3 Road 4 Pedestrian 5 Crosswalk 6 Roadside Strip 10 Vehicle (Autonomous Vehicle) 11 Communication Unit 12 Positioning Unit 13 Measurement Unit 14 Input Unit 15 Output Unit 16 Memory Unit 17 Control Unit 20 Road-Side Device 21 Notification Unit 211 Communication Unit 212 Output Unit 212A Speaker 212B Display 212C Signal Lamp 22 Imaging Unit 22A Video Camera 23 Memory Unit 24 Control Unit

Claims

1. A roadside device comprising a photographing unit, a notification unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit, when a pedestrian heading towards the roadway is detected from the video captured by the photographing unit, acquires the time distance from an automated driving vehicle approaching the roadside device to the roadside device, and when the acquired time distance is less than a threshold value determined according to the external environment, notifies the automated driving vehicle of first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian and / or notifies the pedestrian of second information indicating restrictions regarding crossing the roadway via the notification unit. A roadside device.

2. The roadside device according to claim 1, wherein the external environment is weather, illuminance, time of day, the number of other vehicles on the roadway or traffic congestion, the number of pedestrians detected from the video of the roadside device, and the number of obstacles around the roadside device. A roadside device.

3. The roadside device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit sets a threshold value with a larger value when the weather is rainy, cloudy, or foggy compared to when it is sunny, sets a threshold value with a larger value when the illuminance is less than a reference value compared to when it is equal to or greater than the reference value, sets a threshold value with a larger value when the time of day is nighttime compared to when it is daytime, sets a threshold value with a larger value when the number of other vehicles on the roadway or traffic congestion is less than a reference value compared to when it is equal to or greater than the reference value, sets a threshold value with a larger value when the number of pedestrians detected from the video of the roadside device is equal to or greater than a reference value compared to when it is less than the reference value, and sets a threshold value with a larger value when the number of obstacles around the roadside device is equal to or greater than a reference value compared to when it is less than the reference value. A roadside device.

4. The roadside device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets a first threshold value and a second threshold value that is larger than the first threshold value, and when the time distance is less than the first threshold value, notifies the automated driving vehicle of a message prompting a more urgent response via the notification unit as the first information and / or notifies the pedestrian as the second information, compared to when the time distance is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value. A roadside device.

5. A notification method executed by a roadside device, wherein when a pedestrian heading towards the roadway is detected from the captured video, the time distance from an automated driving vehicle approaching the roadside device to the roadside device is acquired, When the obtained time distance is less than a threshold value determined according to the external environment, notify the autonomous vehicle of first information indicating the presence of the pedestrian, and / or notify the pedestrian of second information indicating a restriction regarding crossing the lane. A notification method including the above.

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