Management system, operating device, management method, and program

Abstract

To provide a management system, an operating device, a management method, and a program that enable low-cost equipment while maintaining high safety standards.SOLUTION: A management system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is provided in connection with toll booths on toll roads. The management system includes:a roadside device installed in correspondence with each lane included in a plurality of lanes; a management device installed as an integral part or a separate part from the roadside device, capable of transmitting lane information indicating the lane where an abnormality has occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality when an abnormality occurs in one lane included in the plurality of lanes; and a portable operation device that is connected to the management device in a state where it is carried out to the vicinity of the lane where the abnormality has occurred, acquires and notifies the lane information and abnormality content information from the management device, and accepts operations for controlling the roadside device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management system, an operation device, a management method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a pollard control system used to restrict vehicle entry into a specific area on event days, in the event of a disaster, etc. The management device of this pollard control system has a receiving unit that receives position information of a portable roadside device via the roadside device or an operator terminal device, and a control unit that acquires setup information corresponding to the installation location of the roadside device based on the received position information, regarding antenna setup for performing road-to-vehicle communication with high accuracy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-185722 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the system described in Patent Document 1 is not designed to be applied to locations with multiple lanes, such as toll booths on toll roads. Therefore, if such a system is applied to a location with multiple lanes, it may be difficult to reduce the cost of the equipment while maintaining high safety.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a management system, an operating device, a management method, and a program that can reduce the cost of equipment while maintaining high safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a management system is provided in association with a toll booth of a toll road, and includes: roadside devices provided in association with each of a plurality of lanes; a management device provided integrally or separately from the roadside devices and capable of transmitting, when an abnormality occurs in one of the lanes, lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality has occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality; and a portable operation device that is carried near the lane in which the abnormality has occurred and is communicatively connected to the management device, acquires the lane information and the abnormality content information from the management device, notifies the lane information and the abnormality content information, and accepts operations for controlling the roadside devices.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an operating device is an operating device used in association with a toll booth of a toll road, the operating device including: a communication unit that, when an abnormality occurs in one lane among a plurality of lanes, is brought near the lane in which the abnormality occurs and is communicably connected to a management device that manages information about the lane in question; an information acquisition unit that acquires, via the communication unit, lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality occurs and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from the management device; a notification unit that notifies the lane information and the abnormality content information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and an operation reception unit that receives an operation to control a roadside device installed corresponding to the lane in which the abnormality occurs.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a management method is related to a toll booth of a toll road, and includes the steps of: when an abnormality occurs in one lane among a plurality of lanes, a computer serving as a portable terminal device acquires lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from a management device that manages information about the lane, while the terminal device is carried near the lane in which the abnormality occurred, notifying the acquired lane information and the abnormality content information, and accepting an operation to control a roadside device installed corresponding to the lane in which the abnormality occurred.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a program used in association with a toll booth of a toll road includes causing a computer serving as a portable terminal device to, when an abnormality occurs in one lane among multiple lanes, acquire lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality has occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from a management device that manages information about the lane in which the abnormality has occurred, notify the acquired lane information and the abnormality content information, and accept an operation to control a roadside device installed corresponding to the lane in which the abnormality has occurred, while the terminal device is carried near the lane in which the abnormality has occurred. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the management system, operation device, management method, and program of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the cost of equipment while maintaining a high level of safety. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an operating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the operation device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be assigned the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of those components may be omitted. In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX" and may include a case where the component is based on another element in addition to XX. Furthermore, "based on XX" is not limited to a case where the component is based directly on XX, but may also include a case where the component is based on XX after calculation or processing. In this application, "XX or YY" is not limited to either XX or YY, but may include both XX and YY. This also applies when there are three or more optional elements. XX and YY are arbitrary elements (e.g., arbitrary information).

[0013] In this application, "acquire" is not limited to actively acquiring by sending a transmission request, but may also include passively receiving information transmitted from another device. Furthermore, "acquire" is not limited to directly acquiring target information (information to be acquired) from outside, but may also include performing calculations or processing on information obtained from outside to generate target information.

[0014] (Embodiment) <1. Overall configuration of the management system> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a management system 1 according to an embodiment. The management system 1 is a system provided in association with a toll gate TG (such as an entrance toll gate or an exit toll gate) of a toll road. The management system 1 is, for example, a system that collects tolls from vehicles V entering the toll gate TG. The toll gate TG automatically collects tolls from vehicles equipped with on-board units (hereinafter referred to as "ETC vehicles") using, for example, an Electronic Toll Collection System (ETC (registered trademark) system, also referred to as an "automatic toll collection system"). Note that the "management system" referred to in this disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and may also be applied to toll gates that do not have an ETC system. The vehicle V may include ETC vehicles equipped with on-board units and non-ETC vehicles that do not have on-board units.

[0015] The toll gate TG of this embodiment has multiple lanes L. Below, an example will be described in which there are three lanes L (a first lane L1, a second lane L2, and a third lane L3) on one side of the toll gate TG (lanes on which vehicles can travel in the same direction). However, the number of lanes L included on one side of the toll gate TG may be two, or four or more.

[0016] The toll booth TG has a plurality of islands I that define a plurality of lanes L. In this embodiment, the plurality of islands I include a first island I1, a second island I2, a third island I3, and a fourth island I4. The first lane L1 is defined between the first island I1 and the second island I2. The second lane L2 is defined between the second island I2 and the third island I3. The third lane L3 is defined between the third island I3 and the fourth island I4.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the management system 1 of this embodiment includes a group of roadside devices 100, a monitoring device 200, and a portable operating device 300.

[0018] <2. Roadside equipment group> First, the roadside device group 100 will be described. The roadside device group 100 is a device associated with each lane L and installed beside the lane L. For example, the management system 1 includes, as the multiple roadside device groups 100, a first lane roadside device group 100A associated with the first lane L1, a second lane roadside device group 100B associated with the second lane L2, and a third lane roadside device group 100C associated with the third lane L3. The first lane roadside device group 100A is installed on the first island I1 or the second island I2. The second lane roadside device group 100B is installed on the second island I2 or the third island I3. The third lane roadside device group 100C is installed on the third island I3 or the fourth island I4.

[0019] Each roadside device group 100 has a plurality of roadside devices associated with the same lane L. Each roadside device group 100 has, for example, a crossing gate 11, a signboard 12, a first vehicle detector 13, an NP reader 14, a roadside antenna 15, a second vehicle detector 16, a printer 17, a start controller 18, a third vehicle detector 19, a monitoring camera 20, and a management device 50 as the plurality of roadside devices associated with the same lane L. Here, the "abnormality detected in the lane" described below refers to, for example, a case where an ETC card is not properly inserted into the onboard unit of an ETC vehicle (when the ETC card cannot be read), or a case where a non-ETC vehicle enters a lane L that is reserved for ETC. However, the "abnormality detected in the lane" is not limited to the above examples, and may also include malfunction or failure of each roadside device.

[0020] (Breaker) The crossing barrier 11 is a device that restricts the entry of a vehicle V into the lane L with which the crossing barrier 11 is associated. The crossing barrier 11 is installed, for example, at the most upstream position of the lane L in the direction of travel of the vehicle V. The crossing barrier 11 includes, for example, an opening and closing bar that is driven up and down to restrict the entry of the vehicle V. The crossing barrier 11 is driven between an open state that allows the vehicle V to enter the lane L, and a closed state that closes the lane L and restricts the entry of the vehicle V into the lane L. When an abnormality is detected in the lane L with which the crossing barrier 11 is associated, the crossing barrier 11 is driven to the closed state that closes the lane L. In this way, the crossing barrier 11 restricts following vehicles from entering the lane L in which the abnormality has been detected.

[0021] (display board) The display board 12 is an electronic display board that provides information about the lane L associated with the display board 12 to the driver of the vehicle V entering the toll gate TG. The display board 12 displays information indicating, for example, whether the lane L associated with the display board 12 is an ETC-only lane L, a lane L that non-ETC vehicles can pass through, or a closed lane L.

[0022] (First vehicle detector) The first vehicle detector 13 detects a vehicle V that has entered the lane L associated with the first vehicle detector 13. The first vehicle detector 13 is, for example, a transmission type vehicle detector, but is not limited to this example. The detection result of the first vehicle detector 13 is output to the management device 50.

[0023] (NP reader) When a vehicle V is detected by the first vehicle detector 13, the NP reader 14 captures a vehicle image including the license plate of the detected vehicle V. The NP reader 14 reads the license plate information (NP information) of the vehicle V from the captured vehicle image. The NP information includes the size and color of the license plate, and characters written on the license plate (place name, classification number, symbol, serial number, etc.). The NP information read by the NP reader 14 is transmitted to the monitoring device 200 via the management device 50.

[0024] (Roadside antenna) When a vehicle V is detected by the first vehicle detector 13, the roadside antenna 15 emits radio waves for wireless communication toward a predetermined area of the lane L associated with the roadside antenna 15. The roadside antenna 15 then performs wireless communication with the on-board unit of the ETC vehicle in a predetermined procedure, acquires on-board unit information from the on-board unit, and notifies the on-board unit of the toll. For example, if the roadside antenna 15 is unable to acquire on-board unit information from the on-board unit (for example, if an ETC card is not properly inserted in the on-board unit or if a non-ETC vehicle enters the lane L reserved for ETC), it outputs a communication result indicating that it is unable to acquire on-board unit information to the management device 50.

[0025] (Second vehicle detector) The second vehicle detector 16 detects a vehicle V that passes through the communication range of the roadside antenna 15. The second vehicle detector 16 has, for example, the same equipment configuration as the first vehicle detector 13. When the second vehicle detector 16 detects a vehicle V, the roadside antenna 15 stops emitting radio waves for wireless communication. The detection result of the second vehicle detector 16 is output to the management device 50.

[0026] (printing device) The printing device 17 is, for example, a device that issues documents related to the collection of tolls for non-ETC vehicles. For example, the printing device 17 at the entrance toll booth issues toll tickets, etc. For example, the printing device 17 at the exit toll booth performs processing related to the collection of tolls and issues toll receipts, etc.

[0027] (Launch control device) The departure control device 18 is a device for restricting the passage of a vehicle V for which toll-related processing (e.g., toll collection or toll ticket receipt) has not been completed. The departure control device 18 includes, for example, an opening and closing bar that is driven up and down to restrict the passage of the vehicle V. The departure control device 18 is driven between an open state that allows the vehicle V to pass and a closed state that closes the lane L and restricts the passage of the vehicle V. The departure control device 18 is maintained in the closed state that closes the lane L until the toll-related processing is completed. On the other hand, the departure control device 18 is driven to an open state that opens the lane L in response to the completion of the toll-related processing, etc.

[0028] (Third vehicle detector) The third vehicle detector 19 detects a vehicle V that has passed the launch controller 18. The third vehicle detector 19 has, for example, the same equipment configuration as the first vehicle detector 13. The detection result of the third vehicle detector 19 is output to the management device 50. When the third vehicle detector 19 detects a vehicle V, the launch controller 18 is driven to the closed state again.

[0029] (Surveillance camera) The monitoring camera 20 captures an image of a vehicle V traveling on a lane L. The vehicle image captured by the monitoring camera 20 is transmitted to the monitoring device 200 via the management device 50.

[0030] (Management device) The management device 50 manages information related to one or more (e.g., multiple) roadside devices included in the same roadside device group 100. In this embodiment, the management device 50 is provided separately from the roadside devices. However, the management device 50 may be provided integrally with any one of the roadside devices.

[0031] In this embodiment, a management device 50 is installed individually for each lane L. In other words, when viewed as a whole at the toll booth TG, the management system 1 has, as the multiple management devices 50, a management device 50A associated with the first lane L1, a management device 50B associated with the second lane L2, and a management device 50C associated with the third lane L3.

[0032] The three management devices 50A, 50B, and 50C are installed, for example, on different islands I. For example, the first management device 50A is installed on the first island I1. The second management device 50B is installed on the second island I2. The third management device 50C is installed on the third island I3. For example, the three management devices 50A, 50B, and 50C have the same configuration. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the three management devices 50A, 50B, and 50C, they will simply be referred to as "management devices 50."

[0033] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management system 1. In this embodiment, the management device 50 is connected to the roadside devices included in the same roadside device group 100 via wired or wireless communication. For example, the detection results of the first to third vehicle detectors 13, 16, and 19, the reading results of the NP reader 14, the communication results of the roadside antenna 15, and the image capture results of the monitoring camera 20 are transmitted from each roadside device to the management device 50. The management device 50 transmits predetermined information received from each roadside device to the monitoring device 200. The management device 50 also controls the roadside antenna 15, the printer 17, the launch controller 18, and the like based on the detection results received from the first to third vehicle detectors 13, 16, and 19.

[0034] 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management device 50. The management device 50 includes, for example, an abnormality detection unit 51, a control unit 52, an information transmission unit 53, a storage unit 54, and a connector 55.

[0035] The abnormality detection unit 51 detects an abnormality occurring in the lane L based on information acquired from the roadside device. For example, the abnormality detection unit 51 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the lane L based on the communication result of the roadside antenna 15. In this embodiment, the abnormality detection unit 51 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the lane L when it acquires a communication result from the roadside antenna 15 indicating that it is unable to acquire vehicle-mounted device information. Alternatively / in addition to this, the abnormality detection unit 51 may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the lane L when it acquires a signal from the roadside device indicating that an error has occurred in the roadside device.

[0036] When an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51, the control unit 52 controls the roadside device to deal with the abnormality. For example, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51, the control unit 52 maintains the closed state of the starting control unit 18 and drives the crossing gate 11 to the closed state. Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51, the control unit 52 displays a message on the display board 12 indicating that the lane L is closed.

[0037] When an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51, the information transmission unit 53 transmits predetermined abnormality occurrence information (first abnormality occurrence information) from the management device 50 to the monitoring device 200. The first abnormality occurrence information includes, for example, lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality was detected (e.g., the lane number of the lane L in which the abnormality was detected) and abnormality content information indicating the content of the detected abnormality (e.g., an error code corresponding to the detected abnormality). The storage unit 54 of each management device 50 pre-registers and stores the lane number of the lane L associated with that management device 50 as lane number information 54a. The storage unit 54 of each management device 50 pre-registers and stores an error code corresponding to the content of each abnormality as part of error code information 54b.

[0038] In the present embodiment, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51 and the portable operating device 300 and the management device 50 are communicably connected, the information transmission unit 53 transmits predetermined abnormality occurrence information (second abnormality occurrence information) from the management device 50 to the operating device 300. In the present embodiment, the information transmission unit 53 determines whether or not the connector 307 provided at the tip of the cable 306 of the operating device 300 is connected to the connector 55 of the management device 50. For example, the information transmission unit 53 determines whether or not the connector 307 of the operating device 300 and the connector 55 of the management device 50 are connected based on the electrical connection state between the operating device 300 and the management device 50. Note that instead of or in addition to this, the information transmission unit 53 may determine whether or not the connector 307 of the operating device 300 and the connector 55 of the management device 50 are connected based on whether or not a predetermined operation on the operating device 300 (for example, manual input of a connection start command) has been detected.

[0039] When it is determined that connector 307 of operation device 300 and connector 55 of management device 50 are connected, information transmission unit 53 transmits predetermined abnormality occurrence information (second abnormality occurrence information) from management device 50 to operation device 300 via cable 306. The second abnormality occurrence information may be the same as or different from the first abnormality occurrence information. In this embodiment, like the first abnormality occurrence information, the second abnormality occurrence information includes, for example, lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality was detected (e.g., the lane number of lane L in which the abnormality was detected) and abnormality content information indicating the content of the detected abnormality (e.g., an error code corresponding to the detected abnormality).

[0040] The memory unit 54 is a storage device in which information related to lanes L or abnormalities is stored in advance. For example, lane number information 54a and error code information 54b are stored in advance in the memory unit 54. The lane number information 54a is information indicating the lane number of the lane L associated with the management device 50 including the memory unit 54. The lane number is identification information that can identify one lane L among multiple lanes L present at the toll gate TG. The error code information 54b is information indicating an error code set for each type of abnormality that occurs in the lane L.

[0041] Connector 55 is a connection part accessible from outside management device 50 (see FIG. 1). Connector 55 may be exposed to the outside of management device 50, or may be provided with an openable cover for the purpose of dust protection, etc. Connector 307 provided at the tip of cable 306 of operation device 300 can be connected to connector 55 when operation device 300 is carried out next to lane L.

[0042] <3. Monitoring device> Next, returning to FIG. 2, the monitoring device 200 will be described. The monitoring device 200 is a device installed in the office of the toll booth TG. The monitoring device 200 is communicably connected via wire or wirelessly to the management device 50A of the first lane roadside device group 100A, the management device 50B of the second lane roadside device group 100B, and the management device 50C of the third lane roadside device group 100C. The monitoring device 200 has, for example, an information acquisition unit 201 and a display unit 202.

[0043] The information acquisition unit 201 acquires information about each lane L from the management device 50 of the multiple roadside device group 100. In this embodiment, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51 of the management device 50, the information acquisition unit 201 acquires predetermined abnormality occurrence information (first abnormality occurrence information) from the management device 50.

[0044] The display unit 202 is a device that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51 of the management device 50, notifies an office staff member (e.g., a collection officer) of the lane in which the abnormality was detected and the details of the detected abnormality. The display unit 202 is, for example, a display device having a display screen that can display various information. Note that instead of the above example, the display unit 202 may be a device that has multiple lighting units, and different lighting units light up depending on the details of the abnormality.

[0045] The display unit 202 displays the lane where the abnormality was detected and the details of the detected abnormality on the display screen based on the abnormality occurrence information acquired by the information acquisition unit 201. This allows an office staff member to go to the side of the lane L where the abnormality was detected with the portable operation device 300.

[0046] <4.Operation device> Next, the operation device 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The operation device 300 is a portable operation device. The operation device 300 is stored in an office, for example, except when an abnormality occurs. When an abnormality is detected in one of multiple lanes L, the operation device 300 is taken out by an attendant to the side of the lane L where the abnormality was detected and used. Two operation devices 300, including a spare device, are provided at each toll gate TG.

[0047] In this embodiment, the operation device 300 is communicably connected to the management device 50 while being carried out near the lane L where the abnormality has been detected, and acquires predetermined abnormality occurrence information (second abnormality occurrence information) from the management device 50. When the operation device 300 acquires the second abnormality occurrence information, the operation device 300 notifies the staff member operating the operation device 300 of the lane where the abnormality has been detected and the details of the detected abnormality based on the acquired second abnormality occurrence information. The operation device 300 also accepts operations for controlling the roadside device for the lane L where the abnormality has been detected. The operation device 300 is an example of a "terminal device." The operation device 300 may be a dedicated device, or may be realized by installing an application program on a general-purpose terminal device (such as a tablet terminal).

[0048] 4 is a perspective view showing the operation device 300. The operation device 300 includes, for example, a housing 301, a communication unit 302, a display unit 303, an operation unit 304, a control board 305, a cable 306, and a connector 307.

[0049] The housing 301 is a member that forms the outer shape of the operation device 300. The housing 301 is, for example, box-shaped. The communication unit 302 is housed in the housing 10. When the operation device 300 is carried out near a lane L in which an abnormality has been detected, the communication unit 302 is connected to be able to communicate with the management device 50 that is provided in association with the lane L.

[0050] Display unit 303 is housed in housing 301. Display unit 303 has a display screen 303a exposed to the outside. Display unit 303 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, but is not limited to these. Operation unit 304 accepts operations by an attendant on operation device 300. Operation unit 304 includes a physical operation unit B, such as one or more buttons, dials, or switches. Note that operation unit 304 is not limited to a physical operation unit B, and may be a virtual operation unit (such as a soft switch) displayed on display screen 303a.

[0051] The control board 305 is housed in the housing 301. The control board 305 has, for example, one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit that stores programs executed by the hardware processors. A cable 306 extends to the outside of the housing 301. The cable 306 is connected to the control board 305. A connector 307 is provided at the tip of the cable 306. The connector 307 can be connected to a connector 55 of the management device 50.

[0052] 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the operation device 300. The operation device 300 has, for example, an information acquisition unit 311, a notification unit 312, an operation acceptance unit 313, and a storage unit 314. The information acquisition unit 311, the notification unit 312, and the operation acceptance unit 313 are software functional units realized by, for example, one or more hardware processors provided on the control board 305 executing programs. Note that some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0053] (Information acquisition department) When an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 51 of the management device 50 and the operation device 300 and the management device 50 are communicatively connected via the cable 306, the information acquisition unit 311 acquires predetermined abnormality occurrence information (second abnormality occurrence information) from the management device 50.

[0054] (Notification Department) When the information acquisition unit 311 acquires predetermined abnormality occurrence information (second abnormality occurrence information), the notification unit 312 displays lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality was detected and abnormality content information indicating the content of the detected abnormality on the display screen 303a of the display unit 303, based on the acquired abnormality occurrence information. For example, the notification unit 312 displays a character string C1 that is the lane number of the lane L in which the abnormality was detected as the lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality was detected (see FIG. 4). For example, the notification unit 312 displays a character string C2 that explains the content of the detected abnormality as information indicating the content of the detected abnormality (see FIG. 4). In this manner, the notification unit 312 notifies the staff of the lane information and the abnormality occurrence information. Note that in the present disclosure, "notifying" is not limited to notifying the staff of predetermined information through display of characters, images, or the like, and may also notify the staff of predetermined information in another output format such as audio guidance.

[0055] In this embodiment, the notification unit 312 displays, as lane information, the lane number included in the abnormality occurrence information acquired by the information acquisition unit 311 on the display screen 303a. In this embodiment, error code information 314a similar to the error code information 54b stored in the management device 50 is stored in advance in the storage unit 314 of the operation device 300. The notification unit 312 identifies the content of the detected abnormality based on the error code included in the abnormality occurrence information acquired from the management device 50 and the error code information 314a stored in the storage unit 314. The notification unit 312 displays, as abnormality content information, the abnormality content identified based on the error code on the display screen 303a.

[0056] (Operation reception section) The operation reception unit 313 receives an operation (a second operation described later) by an attendant to control the roadside device. An operation by an attendant to control the roadside device is, for example, an operation to transition the starting controller 18, which has been maintained in a closed state due to the detection of an abnormality, to an open state, an operation to drive the barrier 11, which has been transitioned to a closed state due to the detection of an abnormality, to an open state, or changing the display content of the display board 12 from a message indicating that the barrier is closed to a message indicating that the road is open. However, the operation by an attendant to control the roadside device is not limited to the above examples and may also include an operation to restore a roadside device that has been stopped due to a malfunction to an operating state.

[0057] In this embodiment, the operation receiving unit 313 displays a confirmation guide C3 on the display screen 303a when displaying lane information indicating the lane L in which an abnormality was detected and abnormality content information indicating the content of the detected abnormality on the display screen 303a. The confirmation guide C3 is a guide for urging the attendant to accept a first operation indicating that the attendant has confirmed the lane information indicating the lane L in which an abnormality was detected and the content of the detected abnormality. The first operation is, for example, an operation of pressing down a specific operation unit B included in the operation unit 304. At the point in time when this confirmation guide C3 is displayed, the operation receiving unit 313 does not accept an operation by the attendant on the operation unit 304 for controlling the roadside device.

[0058] After the operation receiving unit 313 detects a first operation by the attendant indicating that the displayed lane information and abnormality content information has been confirmed, the operation receiving unit 313 transitions to a state in which it can receive a second operation for controlling the roadside device. Then, the operation receiving unit 313 receives the second operation by the attendant on the operation unit 304 for controlling the roadside device.

[0059] The operation receiving unit 313 is not limited to the above-mentioned operations, and may also be capable of receiving operations for resolving an abnormality that has occurred in the lane L. For example, the operation receiving unit 313 may be capable of receiving an operation for collecting a toll using an ETC card removed from the on-board unit when the ETC card is not inserted correctly, an operation for collecting a toll in cash when a non-ETC vehicle enters the lane L that is exclusively for ETC, or an operation for restarting or inspecting roadside equipment.

[0060] In addition, the first operation may include, in addition to an operation indicating that the content of the detected abnormality has been confirmed, an operation indicating that the detected abnormality has been resolved, or an operation to resolve the detected abnormality.

[0061] <5. Processing flow> Next, the flow of processing related to anomaly detection will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing related to abnormality detection. As shown in Fig. 6, the abnormality detection unit 51 of the management device 50 provided in association with each lane L monitors whether or not there is an abnormality in the lane L based on information acquired from one or more roadside devices associated with the same lane L (S101). If no abnormality is detected in the lane L (S101: NO), S101 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.

[0062] On the other hand, if an abnormality is detected in lane L (S101: YES), the information transmission unit 53 of the management device 50 transmits predetermined abnormality occurrence information (first abnormality occurrence information) to the monitoring device 200 (S102). The monitoring device 200 displays the abnormality occurrence information on the display unit 202 of the monitoring device 200. The monitoring device 200 displays, for example, lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality was detected and abnormality content information indicating the content of the detected abnormality on the display unit 202. This allows an attendant waiting in the office of the toll booth TG to recognize that there is a lane L in which an abnormality was detected, the lane number of the lane L in which the abnormality was detected, and the content of the detected abnormality.

[0063] When an attendant recognizes the occurrence of an abnormality, he leaves the office and heads to the lane L where the abnormality was detected, and takes action to resolve the abnormality. For example, if an abnormality is detected due to an ETC card not being properly inserted into the on-board unit of an ETC vehicle, the attendant may, for example, take the ETC card back to the office at toll booth TG and collect the toll using the toll collection equipment provided in the office. For example, if an abnormality is detected due to a non-ETC vehicle entering lane L, which is reserved for ETC, the attendant may, for example, collect the toll in cash. Furthermore, if an abnormality is detected due to a malfunction of roadside equipment, the attendant may, for example, inspect the roadside equipment or replace parts.

[0064] When the attendant confirms that the abnormality has been resolved, he or she takes the operation device 300, which has been stored in the office, to the side of the lane L where the abnormality was detected. For example, the attendant takes the operation device 300 to the same island I as the management device 50, which is installed in correspondence with the lane L where the abnormality was detected. Then, the attendant connects the connector 307 installed at the tip of the cable 306 of the operation device 300 to the connector 55 of the management device 50, thereby connecting the operation device 300 and the management device 50 so that they can communicate with each other via the cable 306. This makes it possible to perform a predetermined process using the operation device 300 (S104).

[0065] Alternatively, when the occurrence of an abnormality is recognized, the attendant may take the operation device 300 stored in the office to the vicinity of the lane L in which the abnormality has been detected. That is, before the abnormality is resolved, the attendant may carry the operation device 300 to the island I corresponding to the lane L in which the abnormality has been detected. In this case, the attendant may use the operation device 300 to confirm the details of the detected abnormality. For example, the attendant may use the operation device 300 to confirm the details of the detected abnormality by connecting the connector 307 of the operation device 300 to the connector 55 of the management device 50. At least a part of the first operation on the operation device 300 may be performed before the abnormality is resolved.

[0066] Alternatively, when the occurrence of an abnormality is recognized, the attendant may take the operation device 300 stored in the office to the side of the lane L where the abnormality is detected in order to resolve the detected abnormality. In this case, the attendant may use the operation device 300 to confirm the details of the detected abnormality and perform work to resolve the detected abnormality. For example, the attendant may connect the connector 307 of the operation device 300 to the connector 55 of the management device 50, thereby confirming the details of the detected abnormality and performing work to resolve the detected abnormality. At least a part of the first operation on the operation device 300 may be performed before the abnormality is resolved, or may be performed as all or a part of the operation to resolve the abnormality.

[0067] 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of a predetermined process using the operation device 300. First, the information acquisition unit 311 determines whether or not predetermined abnormality occurrence information (second abnormality occurrence information) has been acquired from the management device 50 (S201). If the predetermined abnormality occurrence information has not been acquired (S201: NO), the information acquisition unit 311 repeats the process of S201 at a predetermined cycle.

[0068] When predetermined abnormality occurrence information is acquired (S201: YES), the notification unit 312 displays the acquired abnormality occurrence information on the display screen 303a (S202). For example, the notification unit 312 displays lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality that has occurred on the display screen 303a. The notification unit 312 also displays a confirmation guide on the display screen 303a to prompt the user to perform a first operation indicating that the user has confirmed the lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality was detected and the content of the detected abnormality.

[0069] Then, the operation receiving unit 313 determines whether the first operation has been performed (S203). If the first operation has not been detected (S203: NO), the operation receiving unit 313 repeats the process of S203 at a predetermined cycle. On the other hand, if the first operation has been detected (S203: YES), the operation receiving unit 313 transitions to a state in which a second operation for controlling the roadside device is received (S204). If the operation receiving unit 313 has received the second operation, it transmits information indicating the content of the received second operation to the management device 50 (S205).

[0070] The control unit 52 of the management device 50 generates a control command corresponding to the second operation received by the operation device 300, based on the content of the second operation received. Then, the control unit 52 outputs the generated control command to the roadside device to be controlled. This causes the roadside device to return to its normal state. This completes the series of processes.

[0071] <6. Advantages> As a comparative example, consider a configuration in which a fixed control panel is installed at each lane of a toll booth to control the roadside equipment for that lane. In such a comparative example, a control panel is required for each lane, which results in a cost burden.

[0072] Therefore, in this embodiment, a portable operation device 300 is provided to control roadside equipment. With this configuration, one operation device 300 (or two including a spare device) for multiple lanes L can be used to control the roadside equipment for the lane L in which an abnormality is detected, regardless of which of the multiple lanes L an abnormality is detected. This allows for lower costs compared to installing fixed operation panels on each lane.

[0073] Furthermore, with a fixed control panel, if the control panel breaks down, the control panel needs to be repaired. On the other hand, with the portable operation device 300, another operation device 300 can be used as a substitute. This improves operational efficiency.

[0074] Furthermore, fixed control panels installed outdoors tend to be expensive devices because they have special specifications that take into account the outdoor environment (for example, cold-resistant specifications that can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees). On the other hand, the portable operating device 300 can be taken outdoors when in use, but can be stored indoors under normal circumstances. This eliminates the need for special specifications for the operating device 300. This allows the operating device 300 to be manufactured at a low cost.

[0075] In relation to making the operation device 300 portable, in this embodiment, the operation device 300 is communicably connected to the management device 50 while being carried out near the lane where the abnormality has occurred, and acquires lane information indicating the lane where the abnormality has occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from the management device 50 and reports them. This prevents an attendant from mistakenly recognizing the lane L where the abnormality has occurred and trying to control the roadside device of the wrong lane L (normal lane L) while intending to control the roadside device of the lane L where the abnormality has occurred. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the equipment while maintaining a high level of safety.

[0076] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes within the scope of the present disclosure are also included.

[0077] For example, the management device 50 is not limited to a dedicated device. The management device 50 may be provided as part of another lane device, such as a roadside interface aggregation unit. The connection between the operation device 300 and the management device 50 is not limited to a wired connection, and may be a wireless connection.

[0078] For example, the configuration of the operation device 300 is not limited to the above example. For example, a combination of an operation switch and a lamp, a combination of an operation switch and a liquid crystal display, a tablet terminal with a touch panel, etc. may be applicable as appropriate. Furthermore, the operation device 300 may have some of the functions (lane monitoring function) of the monitoring device 200 installed in the office. In this case, it may be possible to improve the efficiency of operation.

[0079] 8 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the configuration of a computer 1100 according to this embodiment. The computer 1100 includes, for example, a processor 1110, a main memory 1120, a storage 1130, and an interface 1140.

[0080] Each of the functional units of the operation device 300 described above is implemented in a computer 1100. The operation of each of the functional units described above is stored in the form of a program in a storage 1130. The processor 1110 reads the program from the storage 1130, loads it into the main memory 1120, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. The processor 1110 also allocates storage areas in the main memory 1120 to be used by each of the functional units described above in accordance with the program.

[0081] The program may be for realizing some of the functions to be performed by the computer 1100. For example, the program may be combined with other programs already stored in the storage 1130 or other programs implemented in other devices to perform the functions. Furthermore, the computer 1100 may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include a PAL (Programmable Array Logic), a GAL (Generic Array Logic), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions to be performed by the processor 1110 may be realized by the integrated circuit.

[0082] Examples of storage 1130 include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a semiconductor memory. Storage 1130 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of computer 1100, or an external medium connected to computer 1100 via interface 1140 or a communication line. When this program is distributed to computer 1100 via a communication line, computer 1100 that receives the program may load the program into main memory 1120 and execute the above-mentioned processing. The program may also be a program for realizing part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the program may be a program that realizes the above-mentioned functions in combination with another program already stored in storage 1130, i.e., a so-called differential file (differential program).

[0083] <Additional Notes> The management system, operation device, management method, and program described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0084] (1) A first aspect of the management system 1 is a management system provided in association with a tollgate TG of a toll road. The management system 1 includes roadside devices (e.g., one or more of a barrier 11, a sign 12, a first vehicle detector 13, a NP reader 14, a roadside antenna 15, a second vehicle detector 16, a printer 17, a start controller 18, a third vehicle detector 19, and a monitoring camera 20), a management device 50, and an operation device 300. The roadside devices are provided in association with each lane L included in a plurality of lanes L. The management device 50 is provided integrally with or separately from the roadside devices, and, when an abnormality occurs in one of the plurality of lanes L, can transmit lane information indicating the lane L in which the abnormality has occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality. The operation device 300 is a portable operation device. The operation device 300 is carried out near the lane L in which the abnormality has occurred and is connected to the management device 50 so as to be able to communicate with the management device 50. The operation device 300 acquires lane information and abnormality content information from the management device 50, notifies the information, and accepts operations for controlling the roadside devices.

[0085] According to this configuration, by providing a portable operation device 300, it becomes possible to handle multiple lanes L with one or a small number of operation devices 300. Therefore, costs can be reduced compared to installing fixed operation panels for each lane. Furthermore, in the above configuration, the operation device 300 is communicably connected to the management device 50 while being carried out next to the lane where an abnormality has occurred, and acquires lane information and abnormality content information from the management device 50 and reports them. This prevents an attendant from mistakenly identifying the lane L where an abnormality has occurred and erroneously controlling a roadside device corresponding to a different lane L. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the equipment while maintaining a high level of safety.

[0086] (2) In a second aspect of the management system 1, in the management system 1 described in (1), the management device 50 is provided for each lane L, either integrally with or separately from the roadside device. When an abnormality occurs in the lane L associated with the management device 50, the management device 50 can transmit lane information indicating the lane associated with the management device 50. The operation device 300 acquires the lane information and abnormality content information from the management device 50 associated with the lane L in which the abnormality has occurred, and reports them. With this configuration, the management device 50 for the lane L in which the abnormality has occurred and the management device 50 for the lane L in which the abnormality has occurred are separate devices, which further prevents an attendant from mistakenly recognizing the lane L in which the abnormality has occurred and erroneously controlling a roadside device associated with a different lane L.

[0087] (3) In a third aspect of the management system 1, in the management system 1 described in (2), the operation device 300 is carried near a lane L where an abnormality has occurred and is connected to a management device 50 that is individually provided in association with the lane L via a cable 306, and acquires and reports lane information and abnormality content information via the cable 306. This configuration makes it less likely that the operation device 300 will connect to the wrong management device 50 compared to when wireless communication is used. This further reduces the possibility that an attendant will mistakenly recognize the lane L where an abnormality has occurred and erroneously control a roadside device that corresponds to a different lane L.

[0088] (4) In a fourth aspect of the management system 1, in the management system 1 described in any one of (1) to (3), when the operation device 300 reports lane information and abnormality content information, it accepts a first operation indicating that the reported lane information and abnormality content information have been confirmed, and after accepting the first operation, it accepts a second operation for controlling the roadside device. With this configuration, the first operation, which is a predetermined confirmation operation, is performed before the second operation for controlling the roadside device. This further prevents the attendant from mistakenly identifying the lane L in which an abnormality has occurred and erroneously controlling the roadside device corresponding to a different lane L.

[0089] (5) A fifth aspect of the management system 1 is the management system 1 according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the roadside device is a start control device, a signboard, or a crossing gate. With this configuration, the roadside device that is particularly important to the driver of the vehicle V can be operated by the operating device 300. This improves convenience.

[0090] (6) The operation device 300 of a sixth aspect is an operation device used in association with a toll booth of a toll road. The operation device 300 is a portable operation device. The operation device 300 has a communication unit 302, an information acquisition unit 311, and an operation acceptance unit 313. When an abnormality occurs in one lane L among multiple lanes L, the communication unit 302 is communicably connected to a management device 50 that manages information about the lane L when the operation device 300 is carried near the lane L where the abnormality occurred. The information acquisition unit 311 acquires lane information indicating the lane where the abnormality occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from the management device 50 via the communication unit 302. The notification unit 312 notifies the user of the lane information and abnormality content information acquired by the information acquisition unit 311. The operation acceptance unit 313 accepts an operation to control the roadside device installed in association with the lane L where the abnormality occurred. According to this configuration, similar to the management system 1 of the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the cost of the equipment while maintaining high safety.

[0091] (7) A seventh aspect of the management method is a management method related to a toll gate of a toll road. In this management method, when an abnormality occurs in one of multiple lanes L, a computer that is a portable terminal device (e.g., operation device 300) acquires lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from a management device 50 that manages information about lanes L while the terminal device is carried near the lane L in which the abnormality occurred, reports the lane information and the abnormality content information, and accepts operations to control roadside devices installed in association with the lane in which the abnormality occurred. This configuration, like the management system 1 of the first aspect, allows for low costs for equipment while maintaining high safety.

[0092] (8) The program of the eighth aspect is a program used in connection with a toll booth of a toll road. When an abnormality occurs in one of multiple lanes L, the program causes a computer, which is a portable terminal device (e.g., operation device 300), to acquire lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from a management device 50 that manages information about the lane L, when the terminal device is carried near the lane L in which the abnormality occurred, and to report the lane information and the abnormality content information, and to accept an operation to control a roadside device installed in association with the lane L in which the abnormality occurred. With this configuration, as with the management system 1 of the first aspect, it is possible to reduce the cost of equipment while maintaining high safety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Management system 11...Breaker (roadside device) 12...Display board (roadside device) 13...First vehicle detector (roadside device) 14...NP reader (roadside device) 15...Roadside antenna (roadside device) 16...Second vehicle detector (roadside device) 17...Printing device (roadside device) 18...Start control device (roadside device) 19...Third vehicle detector (roadside device) 20...Surveillance camera (roadside device) 50…Management device 100…Roadside equipment group 200...Monitoring device 300...Operation device (terminal device) 302…Communications Department 306…Cable 311…Information acquisition department 312…Information Department 313...Operation reception section

Claims

1. A management system provided in association with a toll booth of a toll road, a roadside device provided in association with each of the plurality of lanes; a management device that is provided integrally with or separate from the roadside device and that, when an abnormality occurs in one of the plurality of lanes, is capable of transmitting lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality occurs and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality; a portable operating device that is carried out near the lane in which the abnormality has occurred and is communicably connected to the management device, acquires the lane information and the abnormality content information from the management device, notifies the lane information and the abnormality content information, and accepts operations for controlling the roadside device; A management system with

2. the management device is provided for each lane, either integrally with the roadside device or separately, and when an abnormality occurs in the lane associated with the management device, the management device is capable of transmitting lane information indicating the lane associated with the management device as the lane information; the operation device acquires the lane information and the abnormality content information from the management device provided in association with the lane in which the abnormality has occurred, and notifies the lane information and the abnormality content information. The management system according to claim 1 .

3. The operation device is carried out near the lane where the abnormality has occurred, and is connected via a cable to the management device provided in correspondence with the lane, and acquires the lane information and the abnormality content information from the management device via the cable and notifies them. The management system according to claim 2 .

4. When the operation device reports the lane information and the abnormality content information, the operation device accepts a first operation indicating that the reported lane information and the abnormality content information have been confirmed, and after accepting the first operation, accepts a second operation for controlling the roadside device. The management system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The roadside device is a starting controller, a signboard, or a barrier; The management system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. An operating device used in connection with a toll booth of a toll road, a communication unit that is communicably connected to a management device that manages information about a lane in which an abnormality occurs when the operation device is brought near the lane in which the abnormality occurs, when the operation device is brought near the lane in which the abnormality occurs; an information acquisition unit that acquires, via the communication unit, lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality has occurred and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from the management device; a notification unit that notifies the lane information and the abnormality content information acquired by the information acquisition unit; an operation receiving unit that receives an operation for controlling a roadside device installed in correspondence with the lane in which the abnormality has occurred; A portable operating device equipped with

7. 1. A management method relating to a toll booth of a toll road, comprising: A computer, which is a portable terminal device, When an abnormality occurs in one lane among a plurality of lanes, the terminal device is carried out near the lane in which the abnormality occurs, and acquires lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality occurs and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from a management device that manages information on the lane, notifying the acquired lane information and abnormality content information; accepting an operation to control a roadside device installed in correspondence with the lane in which the abnormality has occurred; Management method.

8. 1. A program for use in connection with a toll booth of a toll road, comprising: A computer is a portable terminal device. When an abnormality occurs in one lane among a plurality of lanes, the terminal device is carried out near the lane in which the abnormality occurs, and acquires lane information indicating the lane in which the abnormality occurs and abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality from a management device that manages information on the lane, notifying the acquired lane information and abnormality content information; accepting an operation to control a roadside device installed in correspondence with the lane in which the abnormality has occurred; program.

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