Vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility control method, vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility control device, and vehicle-purpose infrastructure system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility control method, a vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility control device, and a vehicle-purpose infrastructure system that can determine whether or not to relay traffic lane blockage information for indicating blockage of a predetermined traffic lane, based on real-time congestion information, when transmitting the traffic lane blockage information to a vehicle.SOLUTION: When a vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility control device 13 and a vehicle-purpose infrastructure system 1 acquire traffic lane blockage information, they determine whether a target traffic lane Lx is congested or not within a predetermined range from a vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility 10; and when the vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility control device and the vehicle-purpose infrastructure system determine that the target traffic lane Lx is congested, they transmit traffic lane blockage information to another vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility 10 via a communication unit 12, the other vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility being located behind the vehicle-purpose infrastructure facility 10 in a vehicle travel direction and functioning as a relay facility.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle infrastructure facility control method, a vehicle infrastructure facility control device, and a vehicle infrastructure system. [Background technology]

[0002] The in-vehicle communication device described in Patent Document 1 stores the frequency of traffic congestion at each time as statistical information for the location of the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle communication device. When performing inter-vehicle communication, the in-vehicle communication device described in Patent Document 1 determines whether to relay information to another in-vehicle communication device as a relay device based on the frequency of traffic congestion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5260991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the in-vehicle communication device described in Patent Document 1 determines whether to relay the information to be communicated based on the frequency of traffic congestion extracted from statistical information, and therefore cannot determine whether relaying is necessary based on real-time information.

[0005] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a vehicle infrastructure equipment control method, a vehicle infrastructure equipment control device, and a vehicle infrastructure system that can determine whether or not to relay lane blockage information based on real-time congestion information when transmitting lane blockage information to a vehicle indicating that a specific lane is blocked. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by, when lane blockage information is acquired, determining whether a specified target lane is congested within a specified range from the vehicle infrastructure equipment, and if it is determined that the target lane is congested, transmitting the lane blockage information via a communication unit to another vehicle infrastructure equipment that is located behind the vehicle infrastructure equipment in the direction of vehicle travel and functions as a relay equipment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when lane blockage information indicating that a specific lane is blocked is transmitted to a vehicle, it is possible to determine whether or not to relay the lane blockage information based on real-time congestion information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a vehicle infrastructure facility and a vehicle infrastructure system including a vehicle infrastructure facility control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the vehicle infrastructure equipment illustrated in FIG. 1 transmits lane block information to a vehicle, and the vehicle that receives the lane block information changes lanes. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example in which the vehicle infrastructure equipment shown in FIG. 1 transmits lane blockage information to a vehicle, and the vehicle that receives the lane blockage information detours around a point where a cause of lane blockage has occurred. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for the vehicle infrastructure equipment to transmit and receive lane block information in the vehicle infrastructure system shown in FIG. 1, and a driving control of a vehicle that has received the lane block information. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for vehicle infrastructure equipment to transmit and receive lane blockage information in a vehicle infrastructure system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for vehicle infrastructure equipment to transmit and receive lane blockage information in a vehicle infrastructure system according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle infrastructure system 1 includes a plurality of vehicle infrastructure facilities 10 and a plurality of vehicles 4. The vehicle infrastructure facilities 10 are provided along a road R on which the vehicles 4 travel (see Fig. 2). Each vehicle infrastructure facility 10 monitors the traffic flow on the road R and transmits various types of traffic information to vehicles 4 within a predetermined communication range Ac.

[0010] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the multiple vehicle infrastructure facilities 10 are composed of first vehicle infrastructure facilities 10a, second vehicle infrastructure facilities 10b, third vehicle infrastructure facilities 10c, and fourth vehicle infrastructure facilities 10d. The number of vehicle infrastructure facilities 10 in the vehicle infrastructure system 1 is not limited to four, but may be two or more. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the multiple vehicles 4 are composed of a first vehicle 4a, a second vehicle 4b, a third vehicle 4c, and a fourth vehicle 4d, but the number of vehicles 4 is not limited to four, but may be one to three, or five or more. The vehicle 4 according to this embodiment is an autonomously driven vehicle capable of autonomous driving, but is not limited thereto, and the vehicle 4 may be manually driven by a driver.

[0011] Each vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 can communicate with other vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 within a predetermined communication range Ac. Furthermore, each vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 can communicate with vehicles 4 within the predetermined communication range Ac. In the example of FIG. 1 , the first vehicle 4a, the second vehicle 4b, the third vehicle 4c, and the fourth vehicle 4d are within the communication range Ac of the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a, the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b, the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, and the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d, respectively. That is, the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a, the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b, the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, and the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d can communicate with the first vehicle 4a, the second vehicle 4b, the third vehicle 4c, and the fourth vehicle 4d, respectively. Each vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 can function as a transmitting equipment that transmits predetermined traffic information to the vehicles 4. Furthermore, each vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 can also function as a relay equipment for other vehicle infrastructure equipment 10. For example, when a first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a transmits predetermined traffic information to a fourth vehicle 4d via a second vehicle 4b, a third vehicle 4c, and a fourth vehicle 4d, each of the second vehicle 4b, the third vehicle 4c, and the fourth vehicle 4d functions as a relay equipment. In this way, each vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 can communicate with other vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 and vehicles 4 without going through a server, thereby reducing communication capacity and avoiding delays in communication speed.

[0012] Next, the configuration of the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 will be described using the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b in Fig. 1 as an example. Note that the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a, the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, and the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d also have the same configuration as the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b.

[0013] The second vehicular infrastructure equipment 10b includes an imaging unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a vehicular infrastructure equipment control device 13. The imaging unit 11 is a roadside camera that captures an image of a road R and monitors traffic flow on the road R based on the captured image. The imaging unit 11 is rotatable within a predetermined angle range. The communication unit 12 is capable of communicating with other vehicular infrastructure equipment 10 (in the example of FIG. 1, the first vehicular infrastructure equipment 10a and the third vehicular infrastructure equipment 10c) and a vehicle 4 (in the example of FIG. 1, the second vehicle 4b) within a predetermined communication range Ac. The communication range Ac is within a predetermined communication distance D from the vehicular infrastructure equipment 10. The communication unit 12 transmits traffic information to a vehicle 4 (in the example of FIG. 1, the second vehicle 4b) within the predetermined communication range Ac. The vehicular infrastructure equipment control device 13 controls the vehicular infrastructure equipment 10 using a processor 100. The imaging unit 11 and the communication unit 12 are provided as separate devices. The data acquired by the imaging unit 11 is sent to the processor 100, and the vehicular infrastructure equipment 10 transmits the results processed by the processor 100 via the communication unit 12. The vehicular infrastructure equipment control device 13 is provided on the communication unit 12 side and controls the communication of the communication unit 12. However, without being limited to this, the imaging unit 11, the communication unit 12, and the vehicular infrastructure equipment control device 13 may be included in the vehicular infrastructure equipment 10 as a single device. The vehicular infrastructure equipment control device 13 may also be provided in a server that can communicate with the vehicular infrastructure equipment 10 via the Internet.

[0014] Next, the configuration of the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 will be described. The processor 100 of the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 includes a congestion determination unit 101 , a relay equipment identification unit 102 , and a communication control unit 103 .

[0015] When the communication unit 12 acquires lane block information based on received information received from another vehicle infrastructure facility 10 (for example, the first vehicle infrastructure facility 10a), the congestion determination unit 101 determines whether the blocked lane L1 in which a lane blockage factor has occurred or a connecting lane connected to the blocked lane L1 is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure facility 10. Note that the connecting lane includes not only a lane into which the vehicle 4 enters the blocked lane L1 by traveling straight, but also a lane into which the vehicle 4 enters the blocked lane L1 after turning right or left. In the following description, the blocked lane L1 in which a lane blockage factor has occurred or a connecting lane connected to the blocked lane L1 will be referred to as the "target lane Lx."

[0016] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a detects, based on the image captured by the imaging unit 11, the presence of a parked vehicle 5 that is causing a lane blockage in the blocked lane L1, the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a transmits lane blockage information, including the location where the lane blockage occurred, the type of the lane blockage cause, and the time of the lane blockage cause, to the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b. As a result, the communication unit 12 of the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b acquires the lane blockage information based on the received information received from the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a. At this time, the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b functions as a relay facility. The type of lane blockage cause may be not only the presence of a parked vehicle 5, but also, for example, the occurrence of an accident, the occurrence of a traffic jam, or construction work.

[0017] The congestion determination unit 101 then determines whether the target lane Lx is congested based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit 11. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the congestion determination unit 101 determines whether the speed of passing vehicles traveling on the target lane Lx in the imaging section Ap of the imaging unit 11 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference speed based on the captured image. For example, the congestion determination unit 101 learns the vehicle speed pattern (vehicle speed profile) of passing vehicles in the imaging section Ap based on the fixed-point observation results of the imaging unit 11, and determines whether the vehicle speed of passing vehicles traveling on the target lane Lx in the imaging section Ap is equal to or less than a reference vehicle speed calculated from the vehicle speed pattern. If the vehicle speed of passing vehicles is equal to or less than the reference speed, the congestion determination unit 101 determines that the target lane Lx is congested.

[0018] The congestion determination unit 101 may also determine whether the target lane Lx is congested based on the number of passing vehicles traveling on the target lane Lx. Specifically, first, the congestion determination unit 101 defines a predetermined area within the imaging section Ap of the imaging unit 11 as a congestion determination section Aj based on an image captured by the imaging unit 11. Then, the congestion determination unit 101 acquires the number of passing vehicles traveling on the target lane Lx within a predetermined time in the congestion determination section Aj, and determines that the target lane Lx is congested if the number of passing vehicles is greater than a predetermined reference number. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 2, two congestion determination sections Aj are set within each imaging section Ap, but this is not limiting, and one congestion determination section Aj or three or more congestion determination sections Aj may be set within the imaging section Ap.

[0019] The congestion determination unit 101 may also determine whether the target lane Lx is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure facility 10 based on external information received by the communication unit 12. The external information is, for example, traffic information obtained from a road traffic information provider.

[0020] 1 identifies a relay facility to which lane block information is to be transmitted. When the target lane Lx is congested, the relay facility identification unit 102 identifies another vehicle infrastructure facility 10 (the third vehicle infrastructure facility 10c in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) located behind the vehicle infrastructure facility 10 (the second vehicle infrastructure facility 10b in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) in the vehicle travel direction (upstream of the target lane Lx) as a relay facility. On the other hand, when the target lane Lx is not congested, the relay facility identification unit 102 does not identify a relay facility. Note that the processor 100 does not necessarily have to perform the process of identifying a relay facility. In other words, the processor 100 does not necessarily have to include the relay facility identification unit 102 as long as it can transmit lane block information to another vehicle infrastructure facility 10 located behind the vehicle infrastructure facility 10 in the vehicle travel direction and capable of functioning as a relay facility.

[0021] The communication control unit 103 then transmits the lane block information to another vehicle infrastructure 10 (the third vehicle infrastructure 10c in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) functioning as a relay facility via the communication unit 12. The communication control unit 103 also transmits the lane block information to a vehicle 4 (the second vehicle 4b in the example shown in FIG. 1) within the communication range Ac, regardless of whether the target lane Lx is congested or not. The communication control unit 103 also transmits recommendation information to the vehicle 4 (the second vehicle 4b in the example shown in FIG. 1) to encourage the vehicle 4 to change lanes or to detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred.

[0022] When the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b shown in FIG. 1 acquires lane block information based on an image captured by the imaging unit 11 (for example, when a parked vehicle 5 is detected in the imaging section Ap of the imaging unit 11 of the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b), the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 does not determine whether the target lane Lx is congested. In this case, the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b functions as a transmitting facility that transmits the lane block information. That is, when the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b functions as a transmitting facility, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 transmits the lane block information to the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, which serves as a relay facility, regardless of whether the target lane Lx is congested. However, this is not limited thereto. Even when the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b functions as a transmitting facility, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 may determine whether the target lane Lx is congested and, if the target lane Lx is congested, transmit the lane block information to the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c.

[0023] Similarly to the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c that has received the lane block information determines whether the target lane Lx is congested within a predetermined range from the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c. When the target lane Lx is congested, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 identifies the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d, which is located behind the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c in the vehicle's traveling direction, as a relay equipment. The third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c then transmits the lane block information to the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d, which serves as a relay equipment, via the communication unit 12. The vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 also transmits the lane block information to a vehicle 4 (the third vehicle 4c in the example shown in FIG. 1) that is within the communication range Ac. The vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d also performs similar control.

[0024] 2, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d determines that the target lane Lx is not congested, and transmits the lane block information only to the fourth vehicle 4d that is within the communication range Ac, without transmitting it to other vehicle infrastructure equipment 10. In other words, the lane block information acquired by the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a via the imaging unit 11 is relayed through the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b, the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, and the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d, and then transmitted to the fourth vehicle 4d.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, upon receiving lane blockage information, the vehicle 4, which is an autonomous vehicle, executes a lane change to an adjacent lane Ly adjacent to the target lane Lx. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, upon receiving the lane blockage information, the vehicle 4 may detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred, as indicated by the arrow K. Note that the driver may manually drive the vehicle 4 so that the vehicle 4 changes lanes or detours around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred, based on the lane blockage information and / or recommendation information received from the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10.

[0026] Next, using the flowchart of FIG. 4, the procedure by which each vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 transmits and receives lane block information in the vehicle infrastructure system 1, and the procedure for controlling the driving of a vehicle 4 that receives lane block information, will be described. In the following description, the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 that functions as a transmitting equipment (the first vehicle infrastructure equipment 10a in the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) will be referred to as transmitting equipment 10A. Also, the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 that functions as a relay equipment (the second vehicle infrastructure equipment 10b, the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, and the fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d in the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) will be referred to as relay equipment 10B. For ease of explanation, only one relay equipment 10B is shown in FIG. 4, but even if there are multiple relay equipment 10B, each relay equipment 10B transmits and receives lane block information using the same procedure. In FIG. 4, the transmitting equipment 10A executes the process of steps S1 to S4. Also, the relay equipment 10B executes the process of steps S11 to S16. Furthermore, the vehicle 4 executes the processes of steps S21 to S26.

[0027] First, in step S1, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the transmitting equipment 10A acquires lane blockage information from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 11. Next, in step S2, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the originating equipment 10A identifies another vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 on the target lane Lx behind the originating equipment 10A in the vehicle travel direction as the relay equipment 10B. Next, in step S3, vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of originating equipment 10A transfers the lane block information to relay equipment 10B. Then, in step S4, the communication unit 12 of the transmitting equipment 10A transmits the lane block information to the vehicles 4 within the communication range Ac.

[0028] In step S11, the relay apparatus 10B receives lane blockage information. Then, in step S12, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the relay equipment 10B determines whether the imaging unit 11 is able to capture an image of the target lane Lx.

[0029] If it is determined in step S12 that "the imaging unit 11 is not capable of imaging the target lane Lx," in step S16, the communication unit 12 of the relay equipment 10B transmits the lane blockage information to the vehicle 4 within the communication range Ac without forwarding the lane blockage information to other vehicle infrastructure equipment 10.

[0030] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that "the imaging unit 11 is capable of capturing an image of the target lane Lx," then in step S13, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the relay equipment 10B determines whether the target lane Lx is congested based on the image captured by the imaging unit 11.

[0031] If it is determined in step S13 that the target lane Lx is not congested, in step S16, the communication unit 12 of the relay equipment 10B transmits the lane blockage information to the vehicle 4 within the communication range Ac without forwarding the lane blockage information to other vehicle infrastructure equipment 10.

[0032] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the target lane Lx is congested, in step S14, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 identifies another vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 located behind the relay equipment 10B in the vehicle's direction of travel in the target lane Lx as the next relay equipment. Then, in step S14, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 transfers the lane block information to the next relay equipment. Next, in step S16, the communication unit 12 of the relay equipment 10B transmits the lane block information to the vehicles 4 within the communication range Ac.

[0033] Also, in step S21, vehicle 4, which is an automatically driven vehicle, receives lane blockage information from relay equipment 10B. Then, in step S22, the driving control device of the vehicle 4 determines whether the vehicle 4 is traveling in the target lane Lx.

[0034] If it is determined in step S22 that the vehicle 4 is not traveling in the target lane Lx, the process proceeds to step S26 in which the vehicle 4 continues traveling in the lane in which it is currently traveling without changing the planned traveling route.

[0035] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S22 that "vehicle 4 is traveling in the target lane Lx," in step S23, the driving control device of vehicle 4 calculates the lane blockage continuation probability and determines whether the lane blockage continuation probability is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The lane blockage continuation probability is the possibility that the lane blockage will continue when vehicle 4 passes point P0 where the lane change factor occurred. Specifically, if the lane change factor is construction or an accident, the driving control device of vehicle 4 determines that the lane blockage continuation probability is equal to or greater than the predetermined value even if the lane change factor occurred earlier than the predetermined time. On the other hand, if the lane change factor is congestion, the driving control device of vehicle 4 determines that the lane blockage continuation probability is less than the predetermined value if the lane change factor occurred earlier than the predetermined time. Furthermore, if the lane change factor is a parked vehicle 5, the driving control device of vehicle 4 calculates the lane blockage continuation probability to be higher when the parked vehicle 5 is parked in a parking available area than when the parked vehicle 5 is parked outside the parking available area.

[0036] If it is determined in step S23 that the "probability of the lane being blocked continuing is less than the predetermined value", then in step S26 the vehicle 4 continues traveling in the lane it is currently traveling in without changing the planned traveling route.

[0037] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S23 that "the possibility of lane closure continuing is equal to or greater than a predetermined value," then in step S24, the driving control device of vehicle 4 determines whether vehicle 4 can change lanes or detour around the point P0 where the lane closure factor occurred, based on the distance between the current position of vehicle 4 and the point P0 where the lane closure factor occurred and the congestion status of the target lane Lx.

[0038] If it is determined in step S24 that "vehicle 4 can change lanes or detour around point P0 where the lane blocking factor occurred," then in step S25 vehicle 4 executes a lane change or detour around point P0 where the lane blocking factor occurred.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S24 that "the vehicle 4 is not able to change lanes or detour around the point P0 where the lane blocking factor occurred," then in step S26 the vehicle 4 continues traveling in the lane it is currently traveling in.

[0040] As described above, when lane block information is acquired, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 and the vehicle infrastructure system 1 according to this embodiment determine whether the target lane Lx is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10. If the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 and the vehicle infrastructure system 1 determine that the target lane Lx is congested, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 and the vehicle infrastructure system 1 transmit the lane block information to another vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 that is located behind the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 in the vehicle travel direction and functions as a relay equipment 10B via the communication unit 12. This allows the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 and the vehicle infrastructure system 1 to determine whether to relay the lane block information in accordance with real-time congestion information when transmitting the lane block information to the vehicle 4. Therefore, the vehicle 4 can receive the lane block information via the relay equipment 10B before entering the congested section, allowing it to smoothly change lanes or detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred. In addition, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 and the vehicle infrastructure system 1 can determine that relaying lane blockage information is unnecessary when the target lane Lx within a specified range from the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 is not congested, thereby preventing the communication volume of the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 from increasing more than necessary.

[0041] Furthermore, the target lane Lx is the blocked lane L1 or a connecting lane that connects to the blocked lane L1. This allows the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 to determine whether or not to relay lane blockage information, depending on real-time congestion information on the blocked lane L1 or a connecting lane that connects to the blocked lane L1.

[0042] Furthermore, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether the target lane Lx is congested based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit 11 provided in the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10. This allows the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 to obtain real-time congestion information for the target lane Lx.

[0043] Furthermore, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines, based on the captured image, whether the speed of passing vehicles traveling in the target lane Lx in the image capture section Ap of the image capture unit 11 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference speed, and determines that the target lane Lx is congested if the speed of the passing vehicles is equal to or less than the reference speed. This allows the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 to predict the occurrence of congestion based on the speed of passing vehicles even if the target lane Lx in the image capture section Ap is not yet congested enough to be clearly visible.

[0044] Furthermore, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 acquires the number of passing vehicles traveling on the target lane Lx within a predetermined time in a predetermined area (congestion determination section Aj) within the imaging section Ap of the imaging unit 11 based on the captured image, and determines that the target lane Lx is congested if the number of passing vehicles is greater than a predetermined reference number. As a result, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether the target lane Lx is congested based on the number of passing vehicles in the predetermined area (congestion determination section Aj) without detecting the speed of the object, thereby reducing the processing load related to determining whether the target lane Lx is congested or not.

[0045] Furthermore, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether or not the target lane Lx is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 based on external information received by the communication unit 12. This allows the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 to determine whether or not the target lane Lx is congested without processing the captured image, thereby reducing the processing load related to determining whether or not the lane is congested.

[0046] The lane blockage information includes the location where the lane blockage factor has occurred, which allows the vehicle 4 that has received the lane blockage information to determine whether to change lanes or take a detour to avoid the location where the lane blockage factor has occurred.

[0047] The lane block information also includes the type of lane blockage cause. Thus, upon receiving the lane blockage information, the vehicle 4 can determine whether to change lanes or take a detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage cause occurred, depending on the type of lane blockage cause. For example, if the lane blockage cause is the presence of a parked vehicle 5, the vehicle 4 may determine that the lane blockage cause is likely to be resolved in a short time, and may not change lanes or take a detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage cause occurred. On the other hand, if the lane blockage cause is an accident or construction, the vehicle 4 determines that the lane blockage cause is likely to continue for a predetermined period of time or longer, and may take a detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage cause occurred.

[0048] The lane block information also includes the time when the lane blockage factor occurred. Thus, upon receiving the lane blockage information, the vehicle 4 can determine whether to change lanes or detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred, depending on the time when the lane blockage factor occurred. For example, if the lane blockage factor is the presence of a parked vehicle 5 and the time when the lane blockage factor occurred is earlier than the current time by a predetermined time or more, the vehicle 4 may determine that the lane blockage factor will likely be resolved soon and may not change lanes or detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred. On the other hand, if the difference between the time when the lane blockage factor occurred and the current time is shorter than the predetermined time, the vehicle 4 determines that it will likely take some time for the lane blockage factor to be resolved and may change lanes or detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred.

[0049] Furthermore, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 acquires lane block information based on the captured image acquired by the imaging unit 11, it transmits the lane block information to the relay equipment 10B. On the other hand, when the communication unit 12 acquires lane block information based on received information received from another vehicle infrastructure equipment 10, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether the target lane Lx is congested, and if it determines that the target lane Lx is congested, it transmits the lane block information to the relay equipment 10B. In other words, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 functions as the transmission equipment 10A, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 transmits lane block information to the relay equipment 10B regardless of whether the target lane Lx is congested. On the other hand, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 functions as the relay equipment 10B, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 transmits lane block information to the other relay equipment 10B when the target lane Lx is congested. As a result, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 functions as transmission equipment 10A, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 can transmit lane block information to vehicles 4 that are in a range wider than the communication range Ac. On the other hand, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 functions as relay equipment 10B, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 can determine whether to further forward the lane block information depending on whether the target lane Lx is congested.

[0050] Furthermore, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 acquires lane blockage information, it transmits recommendation information to the vehicle 4 traveling on the target lane Lx to change lanes or to detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor has occurred. This allows the driving control device or the driver of the vehicle 4 to determine whether to have the vehicle 4 change lanes or to detour around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor has occurred, based on the recommendation information.

[0051] The vehicle infrastructure system 1 also includes an autonomously driven vehicle 4, and the vehicle 4 traveling in the target lane Lx executes lane changes based on the lane blockage information received from the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10. This allows the vehicle 4 to smoothly avoid congestion caused by lane blockage based on the lane blockage information.

[0052] The vehicle infrastructure system 1 also includes an autonomously driven vehicle 4, and the vehicle 4 traveling in the target lane Lx detours around the point P0 where the lane blockage factor occurred, based on the lane blockage information received from the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10. This allows the vehicle 4 to smoothly avoid congestion caused by the lane blockage, based on the lane blockage information.

[0053] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the flowchart of Fig. 5. The configurations of the vehicle infrastructure system 1 and the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 according to the second embodiment are the same as those shown in Fig. 1. In the flowchart of Fig. 5, the same reference numerals as those in the flowchart of Fig. 4 indicate the same processes, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the flowchart of Fig. 5, steps S21 to S26, which indicate the driving control of the vehicle 4, are omitted.

[0054] 5, in step S201, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the transmitting equipment 10A sets a relay distance Dh (e.g., 500 m) as a reference value for the distance over which lane blockage information should be relayed (see FIG. 2). The relay distance Dh is, for example, the distance required for the vehicle 4 to change lanes and avoid a cause of lane blockage (e.g., a parked vehicle 5). Then, in step S2, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 identifies the relay equipment 10B, and in step S3, transmits the lane block information including the relay distance Dh to the relay equipment 10B.

[0055] Then, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the relay equipment 10B that received the lane block information determines in step S13 that "the target lane Lx is congested," it adds the congestion distance to update the relay distance Dh in step S202. The congestion distance is a distance indicating the range of traffic congestion starting from the originating equipment 10A or another relay equipment 10B that was the source of the lane blockage cause. When the relay equipment 10B receives lane blockage information from the originating equipment 10A, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 estimates the distance between the originating equipment 10A and the relay equipment 10B as the congestion distance. When the relay equipment 10B receives lane blockage information from another relay equipment 10B, it estimates the distance between the other relay equipment 10B and the relay equipment 10B as the congestion distance. For example, if the relay distance Dh set by the originating equipment 10A is 500 m and the distance between the originating equipment 10A and the relay equipment 10B, or the distance between another relay equipment 10B and the relay equipment 10B, is 100 m, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 updates the relay distance Dh to 600 m. After updating the relay distance Dh, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0056] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the target lane Lx is not congested, the relay distance Dh is not updated and the process proceeds to step S203.

[0057] Next, in step S203, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether the installation location of relay equipment 10B is within relay distance Dh from originating equipment 10A. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 2, if relay equipment 10B is third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines that the installation location of relay equipment 10B is within relay distance Dh from originating equipment 10A. On the other hand, if relay equipment 10B is fourth vehicle infrastructure equipment 10d, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines that the installation location of relay equipment 10B is not within relay distance Dh from originating equipment 10A.

[0058] If it is determined in step S203 that "the installation position of relay equipment 10B is within relay distance Dh from originating equipment 10A," the process proceeds to steps S14 to S16, and communication unit 12 transmits lane block information to the next relay equipment 10B.

[0059] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S203 that "the installation location of relay equipment 10B is within relay distance Dh from transmitting equipment 10A," processing proceeds to step S16, and communication unit 12 transmits the lane block information to vehicle 4 within communication range Ac without transmitting the lane block information to the next relay equipment.

[0060] As described above, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 is the transmitting equipment 10A, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 sets a relay distance Dh as a reference value for the distance for relaying lane block information, and transmits the lane block information including the relay distance Dh to the relay equipment 10B. On the other hand, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 acquires lane block information based on the received information, it determines whether the target lane Lx is congested, and if it determines that the target lane Lx is congested, it updates the relay distance Dh by adding a predetermined congestion distance. Then, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether the installation location of the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 is within the relay distance Dh from the transmitting equipment 10A, and if the installation location is within the relay distance Dh, it transmits the lane block information to the relay equipment 10B. In this way, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 can set the relay distance Dh so that the vehicle 4 can acquire lane block information before entering the congested section.

[0061] Note that, without being limited to the present embodiment, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 acquires lane block information based on the received information, it may determine whether the target lane Lx is congested. If it determines that the target lane Lx is not congested, it may acquire a remaining relay distance by subtracting the distance between the originating equipment 10A and the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 from the relay distance Dh. Furthermore, if it determines that the target lane Lx is congested, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 may acquire a remaining relay distance by subtracting the distance between the originating equipment 10A and the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 from the relay distance Dh and adding a predetermined congestion distance. Then, if the distance between the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 and the relay equipment 10B is within the remaining relay distance, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 may transmit the lane block information to the relay equipment 10B. For example, if the relay distance Dh is 500 m and the distance between the originating equipment 10A and the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 is 400 m, the remaining relay distance when the target lane Lx is not congested is 100 m. On the other hand, if the target lane Lx is congested and the congestion distance is 200 m, the remaining relay distance is 300 m. As a result, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 calculates the remaining relay distance so that the lane block information can be acquired before the vehicle 4 enters the congested section, and can determine whether or not to relay the lane block information based on this remaining relay distance.

[0062] Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 6. The configurations of the vehicle infrastructure system 1 and the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 according to the third embodiment are the same as those shown in Fig. 1. In the flowchart of Fig. 6, the same reference numerals as those in the flowchart of Fig. 4 indicate the same processes, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the flowchart of Fig. 6, steps S21 to S26, which indicate the driving control of the vehicle 4, are omitted.

[0063] 6, in step S301, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the transmitting equipment 10A sets the number of relays based on the relay distance Dh. For example, if the relay distance Dh is 500 m, the installation interval of the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 is 200 m, and the communication distance D of the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 is 150 m, the number of relays is two. If the number of relays is two, the lane block information is transmitted to the vehicle 4 via two relay equipment 10B.

[0064] Then, in step S2, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 identifies the relay equipment 10B, and in step S3, transmits the lane block information including the number of relays to the relay equipment 10B.

[0065] Then, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the relay equipment 10B that has received the lane blockage information determines in step S13 that "the target lane Lx is congested," it updates the number of relays by incrementing it by 1 in step S302. For example, if the number of relays at the originating equipment 10A is 2, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 updates the number of relays to 3 by incrementing it by 1. After the number of relays is updated, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0066] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the target lane Lx is not congested, the number of relays is not updated and the process proceeds to step S303.

[0067] Next, in step S303, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether the number of times the lane block information has been forwarded is less than the number of relays. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, when relay equipment 10B is the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c, the number of forwards is two. If the number of relays is two, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c determines that "the number of forwards is equal to or greater than the number of relays." On the other hand, if the number of relays has been updated to three, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 of the third vehicle infrastructure equipment 10c determines that "the number of forwards is less than the number of relays."

[0068] If it is determined in step S303 that "the number of forwardings is less than the number of relayings," the process proceeds to steps S14 to S16, and the communication unit 12 transmits the lane block information to the next relay facility 10B.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S303 that "the number of forwardings is greater than or equal to the number of relayings," the processing proceeds to step S16, and the communication unit 12 transmits the lane blockage information to the vehicle 4 within the communication range Ac without transmitting the lane blockage information to the next relay equipment 10B.

[0070] As described above, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment 10 is the transmitting equipment 10A, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 sets the number of relays as a reference value for the number of times lane block information should be relayed, and transmits the lane block information including the number of relays to the relay equipment 10B. On the other hand, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 acquires lane block information based on the received information, it determines whether the target lane Lx is congested, and if it determines that the target lane Lx is congested, it updates the number of relays by incrementing it by one. Then, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 determines whether the number of times the lane block information has been transferred is less than the number of relays, and if the number of transfers is less than the number of relays, it transmits the lane block information to the relay equipment 10B. In this way, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 can set the number of relays so that the vehicle 4 can acquire the lane block information before entering the congested section.

[0071] Note that, without being limited to this embodiment, when the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 acquires lane block information based on the received information, it may determine whether the target lane Lx is congested, and if it determines that the target lane Lx is not congested, it may acquire the remaining number of relays by subtracting the number of forwardings from the number of relays. Furthermore, if it determines that the target lane Lx is congested, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 may subtract the number of forwardings from the number of relays and increment the remaining number of relays by one. Then, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 may transmit the lane block information to the relay equipment 10B when the remaining number of relays is one or more. That is, when the target lane Lx is not congested, the remaining number of relays is decremented by one each time the lane block information is forwarded. However, when the target lane Lx is congested, the decrement of one from the remaining number of relays is canceled, and the remaining number of relays is maintained unchanged. As a result, the vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 13 calculates the remaining number of relays so that the vehicle 4 can obtain lane blockage information before entering the congested section, and can determine whether or not to relay the lane blockage information based on this remaining number of relays. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Vehicle infrastructure systems 4...Vehicle 10. Vehicle infrastructure equipment 11. Communications Department 12...imaging unit 13...Vehicle infrastructure equipment control device 100...processor 101...Congestion determination unit 102...Relay Equipment Identification Department 103...Communication control unit Ac…Communication range Ap...Shooting section Dh…Relay distance Lx: Target lane

Claims

1. 1. A vehicle infrastructure control method for controlling, using a processor, vehicle infrastructure equipment having a communication unit that communicates with vehicles within a predetermined communication range, comprising: The processor: When lane blockage information indicating that a predetermined blocked lane is blocked due to a predetermined lane blockage factor is acquired, determining whether a predetermined target lane is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure facility; When it is determined that the target lane is congested, the other vehicle infrastructure equipment that is located behind the vehicle infrastructure equipment in the vehicle travel direction and functions as a relay equipment is The vehicle infrastructure equipment control method further comprises transmitting the lane blockage information via the communication unit.

2. The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 1 , wherein the target lane is the blocked lane or a connecting lane that is connected to the blocked lane.

3. The vehicle infrastructure control method according to claim 1 , wherein the processor determines whether the target lane is congested based on an image captured by an imaging unit provided in the vehicle infrastructure.

4. The processor: determining whether or not a vehicle speed of a passing vehicle traveling in the target lane in an image capture section of the image capture unit is equal to or less than a predetermined reference speed based on the captured image; The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 3 , wherein the target lane is determined to be congested when the speed of the passing vehicle is equal to or lower than the reference speed.

5. The processor: Based on the captured image, the number of passing vehicles traveling in the target lane within a predetermined time period is acquired in a predetermined area within an image capture section of the image capture unit; The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 3 , wherein the target lane is determined to be congested when the number of passing vehicles is greater than a predetermined reference number.

6. The vehicle infrastructure control method according to claim 1 , wherein the processor determines whether the target lane is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure based on external information received by the communication unit.

7. The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 1 , wherein the lane closure information includes a location where the lane closure factor occurs.

8. The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 1 , wherein the lane closure information includes a type of the lane closure cause.

9. The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 1 , wherein the lane closure information includes a time when the lane closure factor occurred.

10. The processor: When the vehicle infrastructure equipment is a transmitting equipment that has acquired the lane block information based on an image acquired by an imaging unit, the vehicle infrastructure equipment transmits the lane block information to the relay equipment, When the communication unit acquires the lane block information based on reception information received from other vehicle infrastructure equipment, determining whether the target lane is congested; The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the target lane is congested, the lane blockage information is transmitted to the relay facility.

11. The processor: If the vehicle infrastructure equipment is the transmitting equipment, a predetermined relay distance is set as a reference value for the distance at which the lane block information should be relayed, and the lane block information including the relay distance is transmitted to the relay equipment; When the lane block information is acquired based on the received information, determining whether the target lane is congested; If it is determined that the target lane is congested, the relay distance is updated by adding a predetermined congestion distance; determining whether the installation location of the vehicle infrastructure equipment is within the relay distance from the transmission equipment; The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 10 , wherein the lane blockage information is transmitted to the relay facility when the installation location is within the relay distance.

12. The processor: If the vehicle infrastructure equipment is the transmitting equipment, a predetermined relay distance is set as a reference value for the distance at which the lane block information should be relayed, and the lane block information including the relay distance is transmitted to the relay equipment; When the lane block information is acquired based on the received information, determining whether the target lane is congested; If it is determined that the target lane is not congested, a remaining relay distance is obtained by subtracting the distance between the transmission equipment and the vehicle infrastructure equipment from the relay distance; If it is determined that the target lane is congested, the distance between the transmission equipment and the vehicle infrastructure equipment is subtracted from the relay distance, and a predetermined congestion distance is added to the relay distance to obtain the remaining relay distance; determining whether the distance between the vehicle infrastructure facility and the relay facility is within the remaining relay distance; The vehicle infrastructure control method according to claim 10 , wherein the lane block information is transmitted to the relay equipment when the distance between the vehicle infrastructure equipment and the relay equipment is within the remaining relay distance.

13. The processor: If the vehicle infrastructure equipment is the transmitting equipment, a relay count is set as a reference value for the number of times the lane block information should be relayed, and the lane block information including the relay count is transmitted to the relay equipment; When the lane closure information is acquired based on the received information, it is determined whether the target lane is congested; If it is determined that the target lane is congested, updating the number of relays by incrementing it by one; determining whether the number of times the lane block information has been forwarded is less than the number of times the lane block information has been relayed; The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 10 , wherein the lane blockage information is transmitted to the relay facility when the number of forwarding attempts is less than the number of relay attempts.

14. The processor: If the vehicle infrastructure equipment is the transmitting equipment, a relay count is set as a reference value for the number of times the lane block information should be relayed, and the lane block information including the relay count is transmitted to the relay equipment; When the lane closure information is acquired based on the received information, it is determined whether the target lane is congested; If it is determined that the target lane is not congested, the remaining number of relays is obtained by subtracting the number of relays by which the lane blockage information was transferred from the number of relays; If it is determined that the target lane is congested, the number of transfers is subtracted from the number of relays, and one relay is added to obtain the remaining number of relays; The vehicle infrastructure facility control method according to claim 10 , wherein the lane blockage information is transmitted to the relay facility when the remaining number of relays is equal to or greater than one.

15. 2. The vehicle infrastructure equipment control method according to claim 1, wherein, when the processor acquires the lane closure information, the processor transmits, via the communication unit, recommendation information to the vehicle traveling in the target lane to encourage the vehicle to change lanes or to detour around the point where the lane closure factor has occurred.

16. A vehicle infrastructure equipment control device that controls vehicle infrastructure equipment including a communication unit that communicates with vehicles within a predetermined communication range, a congestion determination unit that, when lane blockage information indicating that a predetermined blocked lane is blocked is acquired, determines whether a predetermined target lane is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure; When it is determined that the target lane is congested, the other vehicle infrastructure equipment that is located behind the vehicle infrastructure equipment in the vehicle travel direction and functions as a relay equipment is a communication control unit that transmits the lane blockage information via the communication unit.

17. A vehicle infrastructure system including a plurality of vehicle infrastructure facilities each having a communication unit that communicates with a vehicle within a predetermined communication range, Each of the vehicle infrastructure facilities comprises: When lane blockage information indicating that a predetermined blocked lane is blocked is acquired, it is determined whether a predetermined target lane is congested within a predetermined range from the vehicle infrastructure facility; When it is determined that the target lane is congested, the other vehicle infrastructure equipment that is located behind the vehicle infrastructure equipment in the vehicle travel direction and functions as a relay equipment is A vehicle infrastructure system that transmits the lane blockage information via the communication unit.

18. The vehicle infrastructure system includes the vehicle capable of autonomous driving, The vehicle infrastructure system according to claim 17 , wherein the vehicle traveling in the target lane executes a lane change based on the lane closure information received from the vehicle infrastructure facility.

19. The vehicle infrastructure system includes the vehicle capable of autonomous driving, The vehicle infrastructure system according to claim 17 , wherein the vehicle traveling in the target lane detours around a point where a lane closure factor has occurred based on the lane closure information received from the vehicle infrastructure facility.

Images