Road state evaluation device and road state evaluation method

Abstract

To provide a road state evaluation device and a road state evaluation method for appropriately evaluating road states.SOLUTION: A road state evaluation device 10 includes: an acquisition unit 11 configured to acquire road information representing a length and a position of a road section as an evaluation unit, and to acquire a plurality of pieces of state information including information relating to a road state and information representing a position relating to the state; a mapping unit 12 configured to map each piece of state information to the road section based on a positional relationship between the position represented by the road information and the position represented by each piece of state information; a determination unit 13 configured to set a criterion based on the length of the section represented by the road information and to determine, based on the set criterion, whether or not the road state of the section is to be evaluated from the number of pieces of state information mapped to the road section; and an evaluation unit 14 configured to evaluate the road state of the section based on the state information mapped to the section according to the determination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a road condition evaluation device and a road condition evaluation method for evaluating the condition of a road.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 shows that a road is imaged from a vehicle, and road surface deterioration of the road is detected from an image obtained by the imaging.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When evaluating the condition of a road by imaging the road from a vehicle as shown in Patent Document 1, for example, it is conceivable to compare the position of the vehicle at the time of imaging with the position of the road to be evaluated, and associate information related to the evaluation of the road with the position of the road. However, simply comparing the position of the vehicle with the position of the road to be evaluated may not necessarily enable appropriate association. For example, depending on the road conditions, the driving conditions of the vehicle, and the accuracy of the position, there is a possibility that information related to the evaluation of the road may be associated with a road other than the road on which the vehicle has traveled. As a result, there is a possibility that the evaluation result according to the position of the road may not be appropriate.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a road condition evaluation device and a road condition evaluation method capable of appropriately evaluating the condition of a road.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a road condition evaluation apparatus according to the present invention acquires road information indicating the length and position of a section of a road serving as an evaluation unit, and also acquires a plurality of pieces of state information including information related to the state of the road and information indicating the position related to the state. A correlation unit that correlates each piece of state information with a section of the road based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit and the position indicated by each piece of state information. For a section of the road, a reference is set based on the length of the section indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit, and based on the set reference, a determination unit that determines whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road from the number of pieces of state information correlated with the section of the road by the correlation unit. An evaluation unit that evaluates the state of the road for the section of the road based on the state information correlated with the section of the road by the correlation unit according to the determination by the determination unit.

[0007] In the road condition evaluation apparatus according to the present invention, based on a reference set based on the length of the section, it is determined whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road from the number of pieces of state information correlated with the section of the road, and the state of the road is evaluated. By this determination, it is possible to evaluate the state for a section of the road where the number of correlated pieces of state information is appropriate. Therefore, according to the road condition evaluation apparatus according to the present invention, the state of the road can be appropriately evaluated.

[0008] Incidentally, the present invention can be described not only as an invention of a road condition evaluation apparatus as described above, but also as an invention of a road condition evaluation method as follows. These are only different in category and are substantially the same invention, and exhibit the same actions and effects.

[0009] That is, the road condition evaluation method according to the present invention includes: an acquisition step in which a road condition evaluation device acquires road information indicating the length and position of a road section serving as an evaluation unit, and a plurality of state information including information related to the road condition and information indicating the position related to the state; a correspondence step in which the road condition evaluation device associates each state information with a road section based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information acquired in the acquisition step and the position indicated by each state information; a determination step in which the road condition evaluation device sets a criterion based on the length of the section indicated by the road information acquired in the acquisition step for a road section, and determines whether to evaluate the condition of the road section based on the number of state information associated with the road section in the correspondence step based on the set criterion; and an evaluation step in which the road condition evaluation device evaluates the road condition of the road section based on the state information associated with the road section in the correspondence step based on the determination in the determination step.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the road condition can be appropriately evaluated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a road condition evaluation apparatus and a road condition evaluation method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a road condition evaluation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The road condition evaluation apparatus 10 is an apparatus (system) for evaluating the condition of a road. The evaluation by the road condition evaluation apparatus 10 is used, for example, for formulating a road repair plan. Specifically, the evaluation by the road condition evaluation apparatus 10 assumes the following.

[0014] In the maintenance management of road pavement, regular inspections are carried out approximately once every five years in accordance with the pavement management guidelines determined by the state, and a five-year pavement repair plan is formulated based on the inspection results. Therefore, the repair plan at the end of the five-year regular inspection cycle is based on data from several years ago. Therefore, the repair plan may be assumed to be in a state where there is a deviation from the actual situation. Therefore, it is necessary for the road operator himself / herself to easily grasp the latest road condition (for example, pavement condition) and formulate a new plan.

[0015] The road surface condition survey conducted in the above-mentioned regular inspection every five years is expensive because it requires a specialized vehicle and a measurement engineer. The road condition evaluation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is used for a simple evaluation of the road condition during the above-mentioned regular inspection every five years. For example, the evaluation according to the road condition evaluation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can be performed using a general vehicle and an inexpensive camera. The road condition evaluated by the road condition evaluation apparatus 10 is a condition indicating the soundness of the road surface, such as the deterioration state of the road surface. Specifically, the road condition evaluated by the road condition evaluation apparatus 10 is the cracking rate of the road (pavement).

[0016] The road operator holds the road condition obtained in the regular inspection every five years in a database. The road condition evaluation apparatus 10 may update the information in the database with the evaluated road condition.

[0017] However, the road condition evaluation device 10 may be used for backgrounds and purposes other than the above. Also, the condition of the road evaluated by the road condition evaluation device 10 may be any arbitrary one according to the purpose of use, other than the cracking rate of the road.

[0018] The road condition evaluation device 10 is constituted by a computer such as a PC (personal computer) or a server device. The road condition evaluation device 10 may be constituted by a plurality of computers. The road condition evaluation device 10 may be able to transmit and receive information to and from another device via a network for acquiring information necessary for realizing functions.

[0019] Subsequently, the functions of the road condition evaluation device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the road condition evaluation device 10 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 11, a correlation unit 12, a determination unit 13, and an evaluation unit 14.

[0020] The acquisition unit 11 is a functional unit that acquires road information indicating the length and position of a section of the road that is an evaluation unit, and also acquires a plurality of pieces of state information including information related to the condition of the road and information indicating the position related to the condition.

[0021] The evaluation of the road by the road condition evaluation device 10 is performed for each preset section of the road. In the present embodiment, the section of the road that is the evaluation unit is called SEQ. Usually, SEQ is set by dividing a plurality of roads to be evaluated. The length of SEQ in the traveling direction is basically 100 m. Also, there may be a SEQ whose length in the traveling direction is less than 100 m, for example, several tens of m. The length may be different for each SEQ. Also, the section of the road that is the evaluation unit may be other than the above.

[0022] The road information of the SEQ obtained by the acquisition unit 11 is information indicating the length and position of the driving direction for each SEQ. For example, the road information of the SEQ is information indicating the section length for each SEQ (for example, information in units of m), and information indicating the position of the starting point (from) and the position of the ending point (to) (for example, information indicating latitude and longitude). The road information of the SEQ obtained by the acquisition unit 11 may be other than the above as long as it indicates the length and position of the section of the road that is the evaluation unit.

[0023] The state information obtained by the acquisition unit 11 is, for example, the information obtained by the simple inspection as described above. The inspection is performed as follows. A camera is provided on the vehicle so that the road to be inspected can be imaged. For example, a camera is provided on the front surface of the front glass of the vehicle so that the road (road surface) on which the vehicle will travel can be imaged. While the vehicle travels on the road to be evaluated, the road is imaged with the camera. In addition, a positioning device such as GPS (Global Positioning System) is provided on the vehicle, and the position of the vehicle (for example, latitude and longitude) at the time when the camera images is detected by the positioning device.

[0024] The crack rate is estimated from the image obtained by the imaging of the camera. The estimation of the crack rate from the image can be performed by an existing method, for example, by the analysis of an AI (artificial intelligence) that performs image recognition. According to the above inspection, a plurality of pieces of information in which the crack rate and the position are associated are obtained. The position corresponding to the crack rate is, for example, the position where the image used for the estimation of the crack rate is imaged (the position of the camera). This position is regarded as the position of the road related to the estimated crack rate (the position of the road where the crack rate is detected). The imaging by the camera is performed, for example, at substantially regular intervals. Specifically, for example, the imaging by the camera is performed every 20 m in the driving direction of the road. The information in which the crack rate and the position are associated may be time-series information in the order of imaging by the camera. The generation of the state information may be performed outside the road state evaluation device 10 or may be performed by the road state evaluation device 10.

[0025] Of the state information acquired by the acquisition unit 11, the information related to the state of the road is, for example, the above-mentioned crack ratio. The information indicating the position related to the state among the state information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 is, for example, the information indicating the position of the vehicle as described above. However, the state information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 may be other than the above. For example, the information related to the state of the road may be information capable of estimating (calculating) the state of the road (for example, an image obtained by imaging with a camera). In this case, the acquisition unit 11 may estimate the state of the road from the information (image) related to the state of the road. Further, the state information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 may be other than the above as long as it includes information related to the state of the road and information indicating the position related to the state.

[0026] The acquisition unit 11 acquires, for example, by receiving the road information for each SEQ input to the road state evaluation device 10 by the operation of the user and a plurality of state information. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 11 acquires by reading out the road information for each SEQ and a plurality of state information stored in a database or the like. Further, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire each information by a method other than the above. Note that the road information and the state information are identifiable in the road state evaluation device 10, for example, by being assigned an identifier. The acquisition unit 11 outputs the acquired information to the association unit 12. The acquisition unit 11 outputs the acquired road information for each SEQ to the determination unit 13. The acquisition unit 11 outputs the acquired state information to the evaluation unit 14.

[0027] The association unit 12 is a functional unit that associates each state information with a road section based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and the position indicated by each state information.

[0028] The road state evaluation device 10 evaluates the state using a plurality of state information for one SEQ. The association unit 12 associates the state information used for the evaluation of the state with each SEQ. Note that the road state evaluation device 10 may evaluate the state using one state information depending on the SEQ.

[0029] The association unit 12 performs the association as follows, for example. The association unit 12 inputs the road information for each SEQ and a plurality of state information from the acquisition unit 11. The association unit 12 associates the state information for each SEQ indicated by the input road information. Among the input state information, the association unit 12 identifies the state information whose indicated position is closest to the position of the start point (self) of the SEQ indicated by the road information. If the distance between the position indicated by the closest state information and the position of the start point (self) of the SEQ is not less than a preset threshold value (for example, 25 m), the association unit 12 does not perform the association of the state information to the SEQ. Note that for SEQ for which the association of state information is not performed, the evaluation by the evaluation unit 14 described later is not performed.

[0030] Among the input state information, the association unit 12 identifies the state information whose indicated position is closest to the position of the end point (to) of the SEQ indicated by the road information. If the distance between the position indicated by the closest state information and the position of the end point (to) of the SEQ is not less than a preset threshold value (for example, 25 m), the association unit 12 does not perform the association of the state information to the SEQ. For example, the association unit 12 calculates the distance between the position indicated by the state information and the position of the start point of the SEQ for each state information, and performs the above identification and determination of the state information.

[0031] The association unit 12 associates the two identified state information and all the state information sandwiched between these two state information in the chronological order among the chronological state information with the SEQ. By the above, the chronological state information can be collectively associated with the SEQ, and the chronological state information can be efficiently associated with the SEQ.

[0032] The association of the state information with each SEQ by the association unit 12 may be performed by a method other than the above as long as it is based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information and the position indicated by each state information. For example, the association unit 12 may associate, for each SEQ, the SEQ closest to the position indicated by the state information and all state information whose distance between the position indicated by the state information and the position of the SEQ is equal to or less than a preset threshold value with the SEQ.

[0033] The association unit 12 outputs information indicating the association between the SEQ and the state information obtained by the association to the determination unit 13 and the evaluation unit 14.

[0034] The determination unit 13 is a functional unit that sets a criterion based on the length of the section indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 for a section of the road, and determines whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road based on the set criterion from the number of state information associated with the section of the road by the association unit 12. The determination unit 13 may also set a criterion based on a preset standard interval between the position indicated by the state information and an adjacent position. The determination unit 13 may further determine whether to evaluate the state of the sections of the plurality of preset roads from the number of sections of the road for which it is determined to evaluate the state of the section of the road.

[0035] The determination by the determination unit 13 corresponds to the determination of whether the state information associated with the SEQ is appropriate as the state information for evaluating the state of the SEQ. When the determination unit 13 determines that the state of the SEQ is to be evaluated, that is, the state information associated with the SEQ is appropriate as the state information for evaluating the state of the SEQ, the evaluation by the evaluation unit 14 described later is performed.

[0036] For example, depending on the road conditions, the driving conditions of the vehicle, and the position accuracy, the association between the SEQ and the state information by the association unit 12 may be inappropriate. An example of an inappropriate association will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a road to be evaluated for the state. FIG. 2 shows a highway and an interchange portion. The circles in the figure indicate the positions indicated by the state information 100 (including state information 100a to 100c). The arrows in the figure indicate the moving direction of the vehicle when imaging for estimating the crack ratio, that is, the time-series direction of the state information 100. The SEQ200 in the figure is provided in the lane leading to the exit direction of the interchange.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the state information 100 associated with the SEQ200 should be the state information 100a included in the range of the SEQ200. In the association between the SEQ and the state information by the above-described association unit 12, if the state information 100 closest to the position of the start point (from) of the SEQ and the state information 100 closest to the position of the end point (to) of the SEQ are respectively the two ends of the state information 100a included in the range of the SEQ200 (for example, the two ends of the five state information 100a shown in FIG. 2), an appropriate association is made.

[0038] However, if at least one of the state information 100 closest to the position of the start point (from) of SEQ and the state information 100 closest to the position of the end point (to) of SEQ is not appropriate, an inappropriate association will occur. For example, if the state information 100 closest to the position of the end point (to) of SEQ is the state information 100b outside the range of SEQ200 that is different from the state information 100a (for example, the left end of the five state information 100a shown in FIG. 2) that should originally be associated, it will be an inappropriate association. In this case, among the time-series state information 100, all the state information 100 from the state information 100 closest to the position of the start point (from) of SEQ (for example, the right end of the five state information 100a shown in FIG. 2) to the state information 100b outside the range of SEQ200 will be associated with the SEQ200. In this case, the state information 100 associated with SEQ200 will include not only the state information 100b outside the range of SEQ200 that is considered to be the closest to the position of the end point (to) of SEQ but also many state information 100c outside the range of SEQ200.

[0039] The above inappropriate association may occur, for example, due to insufficient accuracy of the position indicated by the position of SEQ or the state information. Particularly in the vicinity of the branch point of the interchange and at locations where there is a three-dimensional intersection, the above problem is likely to occur. In addition to the above examples, inappropriate associations may also occur.

[0040] When evaluating the state of SEQ using the state information with such an inappropriate association, the state of the evaluation result will be inappropriate. The determination by the determination unit 13 is for preventing an inappropriate evaluation of the state of SEQ from being performed under the inappropriate association.

[0041] The determination unit 13 makes an association as follows, for example. The determination unit 13 inputs the road information for each SEQ from the acquisition unit 11. The determination unit 13 inputs the information indicating the association between SEQ and the state information from the association unit 12.

[0042] For each SEQ, the determination unit 13 sets a range of the number of road information items associated with the SEQ as a determination criterion. The determination unit 13 sets this range based on the section length indicated by the road information of the SEQ to be determined. Also, the determination unit 13 sets the criterion based on a preset standard interval between the position indicated by the state information and an adjacent position. As described above, imaging by the camera for estimating the crack ratio is performed every 20 m in the traveling direction of the road. The above standard interval is this distance (20 m in this example).

[0043] When traveling for imaging a SEQ is performed once, generally, imaging is performed approximately (section length of the SEQ) / (standard interval) times before and after. Therefore, when traveling for imaging a SEQ is performed once, approximately (section length of the SEQ) / (standard interval) pieces of state information should be associated with the SEQ. Since the standard section length of a SEQ is 100 m, in a standard SEQ, 100 m / 20 m = 5 pieces of state information are associated. If the number of pieces of state information associated with a SEQ deviates significantly from the above number, it is considered that the state information is not appropriate as state information for evaluating the state of the SEQ. The range serving as the determination criterion set by the determination unit 13 is based on the above.

[0044] The determination unit 13 sets a range corresponding to the value of (section length of the SEQ) / (standard interval) as a determination criterion. The determination unit 13 sets, for example, (section length of the SEQ) / (standard interval) ± 2 as the range serving as the determination criterion. If the number of pieces of state information associated with a SEQ is included in the set range, the determination unit 13 determines that the state of the SEQ is to be evaluated. If the number of pieces of state information associated with a SEQ is not included in the set range, the determination unit 13 determines that the state of the SEQ is not to be evaluated.

[0045] Note that the setting of the criterion by the determination unit 13 may be a criterion other than the above as long as it is set based on the section length of the SEQ. Also, the determination based on the set criterion may be other than the above as long as it is performed based on the number of pieces of state information associated with the SEQ.

[0046] The determination unit 13 may perform a further determination (second determination) on the basis of the above determination (first determination) for a plurality of pre-set SEQs. The plurality of pre-set SEQs are, for example, continuous SEQs of roads such as a parking area or an interchange. Even when it is determined in the above first determination that the state of an SEQ is to be evaluated, if it is determined that the states of the neighboring SEQs such as the front and rear are not to be evaluated, it is considered inappropriate to evaluate only the SEQ for which it is determined that the state is to be evaluated. In such a case, the determination for the SEQ for which it is determined that the state is to be evaluated is not appropriate, and it is considered that the vehicle is not traveling on the continuous SEQ. In particular, the above problem is likely to occur in a road (lane) parallel to the main line such as a parking area and a partial section of an interchange. The above further determination determines whether to evaluate the state of an SEQ from the determination of the neighboring SEQs for a plurality of consecutive SEQs.

[0047] The determination unit 13 calculates the ratio of the number of SEQs determined to have their states evaluated by the first determination to the total number of the plurality of pre-set SEQs for the plurality of pre-set SEQs. The determination unit 13 makes a determination by comparing the calculated ratio with a pre-set threshold (for example, 80%). When the calculated ratio is equal to or greater than the threshold, the determination unit 13 determines that the state of the SEQ determined to have its state evaluated by the first determination is to be evaluated for the plurality of pre-set SEQs. When the calculated ratio is less than the threshold, the determination unit 13 determines that the states of all of the plurality of pre-set SEQs are not to be evaluated.

[0048] Note that the further determination by the determination unit 13 may be other than the above as long as it is performed for each of the plurality of pre-set SEQs on the basis of the first determination. The determination unit 13 outputs information indicating the SEQ finally determined to have its state evaluated to the evaluation unit 14.

[0049] The evaluation unit 14 is a functional unit that evaluates the road condition of a section of the road based on the status information associated with the road section by the association unit 12 according to the determination by the determination unit 13.

[0050] The evaluation unit 14 evaluates the status of the SEQ as follows, for example. The evaluation unit 14 inputs a plurality of status information from the acquisition unit 11. The evaluation unit 14 inputs information indicating the association between the SEQ and the status information from the association unit 12. The evaluation unit 14 inputs information indicating the SEQ determined to finally evaluate the status from the determination unit 13.

[0051] The evaluation unit 14 evaluates the status for each SEQ of the SEQ determined to finally evaluate the status indicated by the information input from the determination unit 13. The evaluation unit 14 refers to the information input from the association unit 12 for the SEQ whose status is to be evaluated, and specifies the status information associated with the SEQ from the status information input from the acquisition unit 11.

[0052] The evaluation unit 14 calculates (evaluates) the crack rate of the SEQ, which is the status of the SEQ, from the crack rate, which is the road condition related to the specified status information. For example, the evaluation unit 14 calculates the average of the crack rates shown in each status information as the crack rate of the SEQ. Note that the evaluation unit 14 may evaluate the status of the SEQ by a method other than the above. Also, in the above example, the road condition related to the status information is the crack rate, but when using something other than the crack rate as the road condition related to the status information, the evaluation unit 14 may calculate (evaluate) the status of the SEQ according to the road condition related to the status information.

[0053] The evaluation unit 14 outputs information indicating the evaluation result of the state of the SEQ. For example, the evaluation unit 14 outputs the evaluation result of the state of the SEQ to a database that holds and manages the state for each SEQ (for example, a database that holds and manages the state of the road obtained in the above-described periodic inspection every five years). The information indicating the state held at that time for the relevant SEQ may be updated according to the evaluation result of the state of the SEQ output to the database. Also, the output of the information indicating the evaluation result of the state of the SEQ may be performed by a method other than the above. For example, the evaluation unit 14 may transmit the information to a device other than the road condition evaluation device 10 (for example, a user's terminal). Alternatively, the evaluation unit 14 may output the information in a format recognizable by the user (for example, display or voice output). The above is the function of the road condition evaluation device 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0054] Subsequently, a road condition evaluation method, which is a process (operation method performed by the road condition evaluation device 10) executed by the road condition evaluation device 10 according to the present embodiment, will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 3. In this process, first, the acquisition unit 11 acquires road information indicating the length and position of the SEQ, which is a section of the road serving as an evaluation unit. Also, the acquisition unit 11 acquires a plurality of state information including information related to the state of the road and information indicating the position related to the state (S01, acquisition step). Subsequently, the association unit 12 associates each state information with the SEQ based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information and the position indicated by each state information (S02, association step).

[0055] Subsequently, based on the length of the SEQ indicated by the road information, a criterion for making a determination is set by the determination unit 13 (S03, determination step). Subsequently, based on the criterion set for the SEQ by the determination unit 13, it is determined whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road from the number of pieces of state information associated with the SEQ (S04, determination step). Also, the above-described further determination corresponding to the determination may be made by the determination unit 13. Subsequently, according to the determination, the evaluation unit 14 evaluates the state of the road for the SEQ based on the state information associated with the SEQ (S05, evaluation step). Subsequently, information indicating the evaluation result is output from the evaluation unit 14 (S06). The above is the road state evaluation method according to the present embodiment.

[0056] In the present embodiment, based on the criterion set based on the section length of the SEQ, it is determined whether to evaluate the state of the SEQ from the number of pieces of state information associated with the SEQ, and the state of the SEQ is evaluated. By this determination, it is possible to evaluate the state of the SEQ for which the number of associated pieces of state information is appropriate. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the state of the road can be appropriately evaluated. As a result, for example, reasonable road maintenance management based on the latest and appropriate road state becomes possible.

[0057] Also, as in the present embodiment, the determination unit 13 may set a criterion based on a preset standard interval (for example, 20 m in the above-described example) between the position indicated by the state information and an adjacent position. According to this configuration, the criterion used for the determination can be made appropriate according to the above interval. As a result, the state of the road can be evaluated more appropriately. However, it is not always necessary to use the above interval for setting the criterion.

[0058] Also, as in the present embodiment, the determination unit 13 may further determine whether to evaluate the states of the plurality of preset road sections based on the number of road sections determined to evaluate the states of the road sections. According to this configuration, the states of the plurality of preset road sections can be evaluated more appropriately. However, the above further determination does not necessarily have to be performed.

[0059] Also, as in the present embodiment, the state of the road evaluated by the road state evaluation device 10 may be the crack ratio of the road. According to this configuration, the state of the road can be evaluated reliably and appropriately. However, the state of the road evaluated by the road state evaluation device 10 may be other than the crack ratio of the road.

[0060] Note that the block diagram used in the description of the above embodiment shows functional unit blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Also, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one physically or logically combined device, or two or more physically or logically separated devices may be directly or indirectly (for example, using wired, wireless, etc.) connected and realized using these multiple devices. The functional block may be realized by combining software with the above one device or the above multiple devices.

[0061] The functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision-making, determination, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, solution, selection, selection determination, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, regarded as, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), assigning, etc. For example, a functional block (component) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or a transmitter. As described above, the implementation method is not particularly limited.

[0062] For example, the road condition evaluation device 10 in an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs the information processing of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the road condition evaluation device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Physically, the above-described road condition evaluation device 10 may be configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like.

[0063] In the following description, the term "device" can be read as a circuit, device, unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the road condition evaluation device 10 may be configured to include one or more of each device shown in the figure, or may be configured without including some devices.

[0064] Each function in the road condition evaluation device 10 is realized by causing the processor 1001 to perform operations by loading a predetermined software (program) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, and controlling the communication by the communication device 1004, or controlling at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0065] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by operating, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be constituted by a central processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, registers, and the like. For example, each function in the above-described road condition evaluation device 10 may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0066] Further, the processor 1001 reads a program (program code), a software module, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and executes various processes according to these. As the program, a program for causing a computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiments is used. For example, each function in the road condition evaluation device 10 may be stored in the memory 1002 and realized by a control program operating in the processor 1001. Although it has been described that the above various processes are executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. Note that the program may be transmitted from a network via a telecommunication line.

[0067] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be constituted by at least one of, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The memory 1002 may be referred to as a register, a cache, a main memory (main storage device), and the like. The memory 1002 can store a program (program code), a software module, etc. executable for carrying out information processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be composed of, for example, at least one of an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The storage medium included in the road condition evaluation device 10 may be, for example, a database including at least one of the memory 1002 and the storage 1003, a server, or other appropriate media.

[0069] The communication device 1004 is hardware (a transmission / reception device) for performing communication between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc.

[0070] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) for receiving external input. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) for performing output to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may have an integrated configuration (e.g., a touch panel).

[0071] Also, each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus or may be configured using different buses for each device.

[0072] Further, the road condition evaluation device 10 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0073] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be reordered as long as there is no contradiction. For example, for the methods described in the present disclosure, the elements of various steps are presented using an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0074] The input and output information, etc. may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input and output information, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or appended. The output information, etc. may be deleted. The input information, etc. may be transmitted to other devices.

[0075] The determination may be made based on a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), a boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0076] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched and used during execution. Also, the notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification of "being X") is not limited to being explicitly performed and may be performed implicitly (e.g., without performing the notification of the predetermined information).

[0077] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented as modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and does not have any limiting meaning for the present disclosure.

[0078] Software, whether called by the name of software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other names, should be broadly construed to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc.

[0079] Also, software, instructions, information, etc. may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, when software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technologies (such as coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, twisted pairs, digital subscriber lines (DSL), etc.) and wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwaves, etc.), at least one of these wired technologies and wireless technologies is included within the definition of the transmission medium.

[0080] The terms "system" and "network" used in the present disclosure are used interchangeably.

[0081] Also, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be represented using absolute values, relative values from a predetermined value, or corresponding other information.

[0082] The terms "determining" and "deciding" as used in this disclosure may encompass a wide variety of operations. "Determining" and "deciding" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., searching in a table, database, or another data structure), ascertaining, and considering something as having been "determined" or "decided". Also, "determining" and "deciding" may include considering something as having been "determined" or "decided" after receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., transmitting information), inputting, outputting, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Further, "determining" and "deciding" may include considering something as having been "determined" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. That is, "determining" and "deciding" may include considering that some operation has been "determined" or "decided". Also, "determining (deciding)" may be read as "assuming", "expecting", "considering", etc.

[0083] The terms "connected" and "coupled," or any variations thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and can include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "accessed." As used in this disclosure, two elements can be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, as well as, by way of some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency region, microwave region, and optical (both visible and invisible) region.

[0084] As used in this disclosure, the recitation "based on" does not mean "based only on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the recitation "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least in part on."

[0085] Any reference to an element using designations such as "first," "second," etc. in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations can be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0086] In this disclosure, when the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used, these terms are intended to be inclusive in the same manner as the term "comprising." Further, the term "or" as used in this disclosure is not intended to be exclusive.

[0087] In the present disclosure, for example, when articles are added by translation like a, an, and the in English, the present disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0088] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean that "A and B are different from each other". Note that the term may also mean that "A and B are different from C respectively". Terms such as "separate", "coupled", etc. may also be interpreted in the same way as "different".

[0089] The road condition evaluation device and the road condition evaluation method of the present disclosure have the following configuration. [1] An acquisition unit that acquires road information indicating the length and position of a section of a road serving as an evaluation unit, and acquires a plurality of pieces of state information including information related to the state of the road and information indicating the position related to the state; An association unit that associates each piece of state information with a section of the road based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit and the position indicated by each piece of state information; For a section of the road, a reference is set based on the length of the section indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit, and based on the set reference, it is determined whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road from the number of pieces of state information associated with the section of the road by the association unit; a determination unit; An evaluation unit that evaluates the state of the road for the section of the road based on the state information associated with the section of the road by the association unit according to the determination by the determination unit; A road condition evaluation device comprising the above. [2] The road condition evaluation device according to [1], wherein the determination unit sets the reference based on a preset standard interval between the position indicated by the state information and an adjacent position. [3] The road condition evaluation device according to [1] or [2], wherein the determination unit further determines whether to evaluate the states of a plurality of preset sections of the road from the number of sections of the road for which it is determined to evaluate the state of each of the plurality of preset sections of the road. [4] The road state evaluation device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the state of the road is the cracking rate of the road. [5] An acquisition step in which the road state evaluation device acquires road information indicating the length and position of a section of the road that is an evaluation unit, and also acquires a plurality of pieces of state information including information related to the state of the road and information indicating the position related to the state; A correspondence step in which the road state evaluation device associates each piece of state information with a section of the road based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information acquired in the acquisition step and the position indicated by each piece of state information; A determination step in which, for a section of the road, the road state evaluation device sets a criterion based on the length of the section indicated by the road information acquired in the acquisition step, and determines whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road based on the number of pieces of state information associated with the section of the road in the correspondence step based on the set criterion; An evaluation step in which the road state evaluation device evaluates the state of the section of the road based on the pieces of state information associated with the section of the road in the correspondence step based on the determination in the determination step; A road state evaluation method including the above.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0090] 10... Road state evaluation device, 11... Acquisition unit, 12... Association unit, 13... Determination unit, 14... Evaluation unit, 1001... Processor, 1002... Memory, 1003... Storage, 1004... Communication device, 1005... Input device, 1006... Output device, 1007... Bus.

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires road information indicating the length and position of a section of a road serving as an evaluation unit, and also acquires a plurality of pieces of state information including information related to the state of the road and information indicating the position related to the state; An association unit that associates each piece of state information with a section of the road based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit and the position indicated by each piece of state information; For a section of the road, a reference is set based on the length of the section indicated by the road information acquired by the acquisition unit, and based on the set reference, a determination unit that determines whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road from the number of pieces of state information associated with the section of the road by the association unit; An evaluation unit that evaluates the state of the road for the section of the road based on the state information associated with the section of the road by the association unit according to the determination by the determination unit; A road state evaluation device comprising the above.

2. The road state evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit sets the reference based on a preset standard interval between the position indicated by the state information and an adjacent position.

3. The road state evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit further determines whether to evaluate the states of the plurality of sections of the road from the number of sections of the road for which it is determined to evaluate the state of the road for a plurality of preset sections of the road.

4. The road state evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the state of the road is the cracking rate of the road.

5. A road state evaluation device acquires road information indicating the length and position of a section of a road serving as an evaluation unit, and also acquires a plurality of pieces of state information including information related to the state of the road and information indicating the position related to the state, in an acquisition step; In an association step, the road state evaluation device associates each piece of state information with a section of the road based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the road information acquired in the acquisition step and the position indicated by each piece of state information; In a determination step, for a section of the road, a reference is set based on the length of the section indicated by the road information acquired in the acquisition step, and based on the set reference, the road state evaluation device determines whether to evaluate the state of the section of the road from the number of pieces of state information associated with the section of the road in the association step; An evaluation step in which the road condition evaluation device evaluates the road condition of a section of the road based on the state information associated with the section of the road in the association step based on the determination in the determination step; A road condition evaluation method including the above.

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