Vehicle operation management apparatus

Abstract

To reduce a calculation load when creating a route.SOLUTION: In the map data, a plurality of nodes are set as stoppable positions of the mobile object (personal mobility device 30, delivery vehicle 32) with which communication is to be performed. The communication-vehicle computing unit 50G and the non-communication-vehicle computing unit 50H obtain traffic conditions by obtaining data at the time of traveling from mobile objects. The node extraction unit 50I extracts nodes to be used for route calculation based on the traffic conditions. The route calculation unit 50J calculates a route of the moving object based on the extracted node.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification discloses a vehicle operation management device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a control device. The control device manages the movement of moving objects in a passage network. The passage network is divided into a plurality of virtual flow areas. For each moving object, a virtual flow area to be used for movement is determined. In addition, an entry time into at least the first virtual flow area is determined for each moving object. The control device instructs each moving object to move based on the determined content. Each moving object moves from a starting position to a destination according to the received instructions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-79376 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When setting possible stopping points of a mobile object as nodes, a large number of nodes are set on the map data. If all of the nodes are used to create a route, the calculation load becomes excessive.

[0005] Therefore, this specification discloses a vehicle operation management device that can reduce the calculation load when creating a route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle operation control device disclosed in this specification includes a map data storage unit, a calculation unit, an extraction unit, and a route calculation unit. The map data storage unit stores map data. In this map data, multiple nodes are set as possible stopping positions of a mobile object to be communicated. The calculation unit obtains traffic conditions by acquiring data from the mobile object while it is traveling. The extraction unit extracts nodes to be used for route calculation based on the traffic conditions. The route calculation unit calculates the route of the mobile object based on the extracted nodes.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the nodes used in route calculation are selected based on traffic conditions. For example, nodes are thinned out in areas with low traffic volume. As a result, the calculation load related to route calculation can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The vehicle operation control device disclosed in this specification can reduce the computational load associated with route creation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle operation management device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a mobile object traveling on a road. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a vehicle operation management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a vehicle operation control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of extracting a node to be operated on from an initial setting node. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a route calculation flow according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 1. Traffic Management System 1 illustrates an example of a traffic management system including a traffic management device 50 according to this embodiment. The traffic management system includes the traffic management device 50, a personal mobility 30, and a delivery vehicle 32.

[0011] The personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 are communication targets of the operation management device 50. In other words, the operation management device 50 manages the operation of the personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32. The personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 are collectively referred to as "mobile bodies of communication targets."

[0012] The mobile objects (personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicle 32) that are the communication targets receive driving route data from the operation management device 50. For example, the mobile objects that are the communication targets perform autonomous driving in accordance with the received driving route data. Autonomous driving refers to level 4 or level 5 autonomous driving, based on the definition of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the United States.

[0013] A mobile object to be communicated with travels on a road 10. In addition to the mobile object to be communicated with, a non-communicating vehicle 34 also travels on the road 10. The non-communicating vehicle 34 does not communicate with the traffic management device 50. As will be described later, when determining the traffic conditions of the road 10, the conditions of the non-communicating vehicle 34 are taken into consideration in addition to the mobile object to be communicated with. As will be described later, the traffic management device 50 acquires the conditions of the non-communicating vehicle 34 from the mobile object to be communicated with.

[0014] As will be described later, the traffic management device 50 calculates travel route data for a mobile object to communicate with, based on nodes virtually set for the road 10. Here, when calculating the travel route, several nodes are thinned out from all nodes (initial setting nodes) virtually set for the road 10. This thinning out is determined according to the traffic conditions of the road 10. By thinning out the nodes, the calculation load on the traffic management device 50 is reduced.

[0015] 2. Mobile 1 illustrates examples of moving bodies including a personal mobility device 30, a delivery vehicle 32, and a non-communicating vehicle 34. The personal mobility device 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 communicate with an operation management device 50 and acquire driving route data from the device.

[0016] The personal mobility 30 is, for example, a mobile vehicle with one occupant. For example, the personal mobility 30 is an electric kick scooter. For example, when traveling from a predetermined drop-off location to a waiting pool, the personal mobility 30 operates unmanned. During this unmanned operation, travel route data is transmitted from the operation management device 50.

[0017] The delivery vehicle 32 is, for example, a small four-wheeled vehicle. The delivery vehicle 32 may be an unmanned vehicle. Driving route data is transmitted to the delivery vehicle 32 from the operation management device 50. The driving route data defines the route from the receiving location to the delivery destination.

[0018] Furthermore, the personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 can be manually driven with a driver on board. Even in this case, driving route data is transmitted to the personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 as a navigation service for the driver.

[0019] The non-communicating vehicle 34 is, for example, a passenger car with five or seven occupants. For example, the non-communicating vehicle 34 is driven manually by a driver.

[0020] The personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 are smaller than the non-communicating vehicle 34. As will be described later, the personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 travel closer to the side of the road 10 than the center.

[0021] Furthermore, the personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicle 32 successively transmit their own vehicle information to the operation management device 50. The own vehicle information includes their position (latitude and longitude), speed, direction of travel, and identification information (ID number, etc.).

[0022] Furthermore, the personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 sequentially transmit surrounding information to the operation management device 50. The personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32 are equipped with a camera and a LiDAR sensor (not shown). The surrounding information includes surrounding images captured by the camera and surrounding ranging information captured by the LiDAR.

[0023] 3.Operation control device 2, the traffic management device 50 is configured with a computer. For example, the traffic management device 50 is installed in a building 15 (see FIG. 1) of a company that operates and manages personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicles 32. Alternatively, the traffic management device 50 may be a so-called cloud server that is separated from the building.

[0024] 2, the operation management device 50 includes a CPU 50A, a ROM 50B, a RAM 50C, a storage 50D, and an input / output controller 50E. These devices are capable of communicating with each other via an internal bus (not shown).

[0025] The traffic management device 50 is also connected to a display unit 52. The display unit 52 is, for example, a display device.

[0026] Programs are stored in storage devices such as the ROM 50B and the storage 50D. These storage devices also store data received from the personal mobility 30 and the delivery vehicle 32. Map data is also stored in these storage devices.

[0027] When the CPU 50A executes the programs stored in the ROM 50B or the storage 50D, the traffic management device 50 is configured with the functional blocks illustrated in Fig. 3. That is, the traffic management device 50 includes a communicating vehicle calculation unit 50G, a non-communicating vehicle calculation unit 50H, a node extraction unit 50I, a route calculation unit 50J, a map data storage unit 50K, and a transmission / reception unit 50L. These functional blocks execute the route calculation flow illustrated in Fig. 3. Details of each functional block will be described later.

[0028] 4. Node configuration The map data storage unit 50K stores map data. For example, the map data is geographical data of the road 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the latitude and longitude data of the drivable area of ​​the road 10 is stored in the map data storage unit 50K. The map data storage unit 50K also stores latitude and longitude data of the lanes, stop lines, crosswalks, traffic lights, road signs, etc. of the road 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the map data storage unit 50K stores nodes of the road 10 (see FIG. 1). In FIG. 1, the term "initial setting node" is used for the virtually set node on the road 10 to clearly distinguish it from the calculation target node described later.

[0030] Nodes are set as locations where mobile objects to be communicated with, such as personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicles 32, can stop. For example, the distance between nodes is determined based on the vehicle length of the mobile objects to be communicated with, such as personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicles 32. For example, the distance between nodes is set to a distance that prevents the personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicles 32 from coming into contact with each other when they stop at adjacent nodes.

[0031] As will be described later, the driving route is created based on the nodes. For example, the driving route is calculated based on the Dijkstra algorithm using the nodes on the road 10.

[0032] 5. Route calculation flow 3 to 5, the transceiver 50L acquires vehicle data from the mobile object (personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicle 32) with which it is communicating (S10). The vehicle information includes the position (latitude and longitude), speed, direction of travel, and identification information (ID number, etc.). Furthermore, the transceiver 50L acquires data about the surroundings of the vehicle from the mobile object with which it is communicating (S12). The data about the surroundings of the vehicle includes images of the surroundings captured by a camera and distance measurement information about the surroundings captured by a lidar.

[0033] The vehicle information is transmitted to the communication vehicle calculation unit 50G. The communication vehicle calculation unit 50G determines the traffic conditions on the road 10 based on the position and speed of the mobile object to be communicated. For example, the communication vehicle calculation unit 50G calculates the traffic volume of the mobile object to be communicated on the road 10.

[0034] The host vehicle surroundings information is transmitted to the non-communicating vehicle calculation unit 50H. The non-communicating vehicle calculation unit 50H determines the position and speed of the non-communicating vehicle 34 based on the host vehicle surroundings information. Furthermore, the non-communicating vehicle calculation unit 50H determines the traffic conditions of the road 10 based on the determined position and speed. For example, the non-communicating vehicle calculation unit 50H calculates the traffic volume of the non-communicating vehicle 34 on the road 10.

[0035] Next, the node extraction unit 50I extracts nodes to be used for route calculation based on traffic conditions. The node extraction unit 50I calculates the traffic volume of all mobile bodies on the road 10, i.e., the traffic volume of mobile bodies including the mobile bodies of the communication target and the non-communicating vehicles 34, based on the traffic volume of the mobile body of the communication target and the traffic volume of the non-communicating vehicles 34. In short, the traffic volume (total traffic volume) of all mobile bodies on the road 10 is calculated as the sum of the traffic volume of the mobile body of the communication target and the traffic volume of the non-communicating vehicles 34.

[0036] The node extraction unit 50I then determines congested areas on the road 10 based on the total traffic volume (S14). Next, the node extraction unit 50I extracts nodes to be calculated (S16). For example, as shown by the circles in FIG. 4, all nodes are extracted for congested areas such as intersections. Also, for low-density areas outside the congested areas, for example, every third node is extracted. In other words, nodes are thinned out in low-density areas.

[0037] Furthermore, the route calculation unit 50J calculates a travel route for the mobile object (personal mobility 30 and delivery vehicle 32) of the communication target based on the extracted (thinned) nodes (S18). For example, the travel route is calculated based on the Dijkstra algorithm using the extracted nodes. The calculated travel route data is transmitted to the mobile object of the communication target via the transmitting / receiving unit 50L (S20).

[0038] According to the above configuration, when calculating a driving route, nodes set on the map data are thinned out based on traffic conditions, thereby reducing the calculation load on the traffic management device 50.

[0039] Furthermore, by accumulating the vehicle information and the vehicle surroundings information, it is possible to estimate the nodes to be extracted. For example, the vehicle information and the vehicle surroundings information accumulated in the traffic management device 50 can be used to estimate less congested time periods and days of the week. The nodes to be extracted may be set (or provisionally set) based on this estimation.

[0040] Furthermore, congestion status may be reflected in route calculation. For example, the route calculation unit 50J may multiply the distance between nodes in a congested area by a weighting factor k (k>1.0). By multiplying by the weighting factor k, the distance between nodes in the congested area becomes greater in calculation. Therefore, in the calculation process of the Dijkstra algorithm, routing (route derivation) is performed to avoid congested areas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 Road, 30 Personal mobility (mobile body to be communicated), 32 Delivery vehicle (mobile body to be communicated), 34 Non-communicating vehicle, 50 Operation management device, 50G Communicating vehicle calculation unit, 50H Non-communicating vehicle calculation unit, 50I Node extraction unit, 50J Route calculation unit, 50K Map data storage unit.

Claims

[Claim 1] a map data storage unit that stores map data in which a plurality of nodes are set as possible stopping positions of a mobile object to be communicated; a calculation unit that obtains traffic conditions by acquiring data from the moving object while it is traveling; an extraction unit that extracts the nodes to be used in route calculation based on the traffic conditions; a route calculation unit that calculates a route of the moving object based on the extracted nodes; A vehicle operation management device comprising:

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