Traffic jam absorbing vehicle discrimination system, traffic jam absorbing vehicle discrimination server, and traffic jam absorbing vehicle discrimination method

Abstract

To provide a technology for identifying vehicles that absorb congestion. [Solution] The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system of the embodiment comprises a probe server connected to a roadside device and a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server connected to the probe server, the probe server comprising a receiving unit that receives probe information including the vehicle ID and location information of vehicles that have passed the roadside device, and a transmitting unit that transmits vehicle information including the probe information to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server, the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server comprising a congestion database that stores congestion information on roads, and a vehicle discrimination server control unit that determines the position of the end of the congestion based on the congestion information, determines based on the vehicle information whether the vehicle's position is located within a predetermined range behind the end of the congestion, and if it determines that the vehicle's position is located within a predetermined range behind the end of the congestion, determines that the vehicle may be a congestion absorbing vehicle.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system, a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server, and a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination method. [Background technology]

[0002] Traffic congestion occurs on toll roads due to traffic concentration, accidents, construction, etc. Among these, congestion caused by traffic concentration accounts for 70% of the total. To improve this situation, various measures have been implemented, such as installing pacemaker lights to slow down and resume speed, providing information on speed recovery through congestion point signs, and changing lane operations according to changes in traffic conditions.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that identifies the leading vehicle in a natural traffic jam caused by traffic concentration and transmits notification information to the leading vehicle informing it that it is at the front of the traffic jam, thereby reducing the time required for the traffic jam to be resolved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-133998 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-043094 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-186907 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Among the vehicles traveling, there are a certain number that travel from a point before the congestion point, keeping a sufficient distance in advance so as not to get too close to other vehicles (hereafter referred to as congestion-absorbing vehicles). These vehicles contribute to easing congestion and should be evaluated highly. However, there is a problem in that there is no system that can identify such vehicles.

[0006] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technology for identifying vehicles that absorb congestion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to the embodiment includes: a probe server connected to a roadside device; and a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server connected to the probe server, wherein the probe server comprises a receiving unit that receives probe information including vehicle IDs and location information of vehicles that have passed the roadside device, and a transmitting unit that transmits vehicle information including the probe information to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server, and the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server comprises a congestion database that stores congestion information on the road, and a vehicle discrimination server control unit that determines the position of the end of the congestion based on the congestion information, determines based on the vehicle information whether the position of the vehicle is located behind the end of the congestion within a predetermined range, and determines that the vehicle may be a congestion absorbing vehicle if it is determined that the position of the vehicle is located behind the end of the congestion within a predetermined range. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each device of the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for calculating a distance between vehicles by a probe server according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a congestion absorbing vehicle determination procedure of the congestion absorbing vehicle determination server according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The traffic congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system, traffic congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server, and traffic congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination method will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, parts with the same numbers perform the same operation, and redundant description will be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common symbol may be used to describe each element without distinguishing between them, or a sub-number may be used in addition to the common symbol to describe each element with distinction between them.

[0010] [Embodiment] (composition) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to an embodiment. The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system includes a probe server 1, a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2, a roadside device 3, a vehicle 4, and an in-vehicle device 5 mounted on the vehicle 4.

[0011] The probe server 1 is a so-called central device, and is a server installed in a predetermined location such as the control room of a management company that manages toll roads. The probe server 1 receives information from roadside devices 3 and the like. The probe server 1 also transmits the information collected from the roadside devices 3 to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2.

[0012] The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 is a server installed in a predetermined location such as the management office of a management company that manages the toll road. The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 receives congestion information from a traffic control system, which is an external device. The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 then discriminates congestion absorbing vehicles based on the vehicle information received from the probe server 1 and the congestion information received from the traffic control system.

[0013] The roadside unit 3 is a device installed on toll roads, toll booths, etc. For example, the roadside unit 3 may be a probe roadside unit capable of collecting probe information. The roadside unit 3 may also include an ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) roadside unit installed at an ITS spot, etc. When the roadside unit 3 detects a vehicle 4, it establishes communication with an onboard unit 5 of the vehicle 4. The roadside unit 3 then transmits and receives various information to and from the onboard unit 5. Furthermore, the roadside unit 3 acquires the time when communication with the vehicle 4 is established as the passing time, and measures the passing speed and acceleration of the vehicle 4, etc. Furthermore, the roadside unit 3 may acquire information about the vehicle 4, such as onboard unit information including the card ID, card number, and expiration date of the ETC card inserted in the onboard unit 5, the onboard unit ID, the vehicle number, an image of the driver (driver image) driving the vehicle 4, axles, axle weights, etc., through communication with the onboard unit 5.

[0014] In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, the roadside device 3 is described as being installed on a toll road. However, the roadside device 3 is not limited to being installed on a toll road, and may of course be installed on an ordinary road. In this case, the probe server 1 and the congestion absorbing vehicle determination server 2 may be installed at a predetermined location, such as a management company that manages the ordinary road.

[0015] The probe information includes the vehicle ID of the vehicle 4, and driving history data and behavior history data of the vehicle 4. The driving history data includes the passing time and location information of the vehicle 4, etc. The vehicle ID is an identifier that can identify the vehicle 4, and is, for example, an in-vehicle device ID, the vehicle number of the vehicle 4, etc. The location information may be information (latitude and longitude) about the installation location of the roadside device 3, or may be the roadside device ID of the roadside device 3. The behavior history data includes the passing speed and longitudinal acceleration, etc. In one embodiment, the probe information includes at least the vehicle ID, the roadside device ID, the passing time and passing speed of the vehicle 4. The probe information may also include the above-mentioned in-vehicle device information.

[0016] The on-board unit 5 is installed in a vehicle 4 traveling on a toll road. The on-board unit 5 is capable of communicating with the roadside unit 3 and the like, and transmits on-board unit information. The on-board unit 5 is also capable of receiving various types of information from the roadside unit 3 and storing the various types of information in an ETC card.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each device of the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to one embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each of the probe server 1, the congestion absorbing vehicle determination server 2, the roadside device 3, and the vehicle-mounted device 5. As shown in FIG.

[0018] First, a configuration example of the probe server 1 according to one embodiment will be described. The probe server 1 includes a probe server control unit 11, a probe server storage unit 12, a probe server communication unit 13, and the like.

[0019] The probe server control unit 11 is a control unit that controls and processes data in the probe server 1. The probe server control unit 11 is a control unit that has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that acquires various information from the roadside unit 3 and the like by executing a program, and realizes various processing functions. The CPU is connected to each component that constitutes the probe server 1 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory, such as a non-volatile memory that stores the program executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, etc. In other words, the probe server control unit 11 controls each component and processes data by the CPU executing the program stored in the memory.

[0020] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the probe server control unit 11 will be described. The probe server control unit 11 has a function of extracting the vehicle ID, passing speed, and passing time from the probe information received from the roadside unit 3, and storing the information in the probe server storage unit 12. The probe server control unit 11 has a function of calculating the inter-vehicle time based on the passing time of the vehicle 4 that passed immediately before and the passing time included in the probe information. The probe server control unit 11 has a function of calculating the inter-vehicle distance based on the inter-vehicle time and passing speed. Furthermore, the probe server control unit 11 has a function of controlling the probe server communication unit 13 to transmit the probe information and vehicle information including the inter-vehicle distance to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2.

[0021] The probe server storage unit 12 is a storage unit including a storage medium such as a main memory that can read and write data at high speed. The probe server storage unit 12 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The probe server storage unit 12 stores various data related to the probe server 1. For example, the probe server storage unit 12 includes a time database 121, a speed database 122, a vehicle-to-vehicle time database 123, and a vehicle-to-vehicle distance database 124.

[0022] The time database 121 is a database that stores the vehicle ID, the passing time, and the like included in the probe information acquired from the roadside device 3.

[0023] The speed database 122 is a database that stores the vehicle ID, passing speed, and the like included in the probe information acquired from the roadside unit 3.

[0024] The inter-vehicle time database 123 is a database that stores inter-vehicle times that indicate the time between vehicles 4 calculated by the probe server control unit 11 based on the passing times of the vehicles 4 .

[0025] The inter-vehicle distance database 124 is a database that stores inter-vehicle distances that indicate the distances between vehicles 4 calculated by the probe server control unit 11 based on the passing speed and inter-vehicle time.

[0026] The probe server communication unit 13 is a communication unit equipped with a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the probe server communication unit 13 includes a communication module for wired or wireless connection to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2. Furthermore, the probe server communication unit 13 includes a communication module for wired or wireless connection to the in-vehicle device 5. The probe server communication unit 13 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2, roadside device 3, etc. under the control of the probe server control unit 11 and send and receive various information.

[0027] Next, a configuration example of the congestion absorbing vehicle determination server 2 according to one embodiment will be described. The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 includes a vehicle discrimination server control unit 21, a vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22, a vehicle discrimination server communication unit 23, and the like.

[0028] The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 is a control unit that controls the entire congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 and performs data processing, etc. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 has a CPU, memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each part that makes up the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory such as a nonvolatile memory that stores programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable nonvolatile memory that saves setting data, etc.

[0029] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 will be described. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 has a function of storing various information included in the vehicle information in the vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 has a function of calculating the end of a traffic jam based on traffic jam information stored in the vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22, which will be described later. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 has a function of determining whether the position of the vehicle 4 is located behind the end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range. Furthermore, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 has a function of determining that the vehicle 4 may be a traffic jam absorbing vehicle if it determines that the position of the vehicle 4 is located behind the end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range. For example, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 has a function of determining that the vehicle 4 is a traffic jam absorbing vehicle if the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance and the passing speed is within a predetermined speed. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 has a function of storing the determination result of whether the vehicle 4 is a traffic jam absorbing vehicle or not (non-applicable) in the vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22.

[0030] The vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22 includes a storage medium such as a main memory that can read and write data at high speed. The vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22 stores various data related to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2. For example, the vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22 includes a vehicle distance database 221, a speed database 222, a congestion absorbing vehicle database 223, a congestion database 224, etc.

[0031] The inter-vehicle distance database 221 is a database that stores inter-vehicle distances calculated by the probe server 1.

[0032] The speed database 222 is a database for storing the passing speeds acquired by the probe server 1 from the roadside units 3.

[0033] The congestion absorbing vehicle database 223 is a database for storing information about congestion absorbing vehicles identified by the vehicle identification server control unit 21. The method of identification will be described in detail later.

[0034] The congestion database 224 is a database that stores congestion information received from a traffic control system, which is an external device.

[0035] The vehicle discrimination server communication unit 23 is a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules for communicating with the probe server 1 and the traffic control system. For example, the vehicle discrimination server communication unit 23 includes a communication module for connecting to the probe server 1 and the traffic control system by wire or wirelessly. The vehicle discrimination server communication unit 23 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each device and each instrument under the control of the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 and send and receive various information.

[0036] Next, a configuration example of the roadside device 3 according to an embodiment will be described.

[0037] The roadside device 3 includes a roadside device control unit 31, a roadside device storage unit 32, a higher-level communication unit 33, a vehicle communication unit 34, and the like.

[0038] The roadside device control unit 31 is a control unit that controls the entire roadside device 3 and performs data processing, etc. The roadside device control unit 31 has a CPU, memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each component that constitutes the roadside device control unit 31 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory, such as a nonvolatile memory that stores programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable nonvolatile memory that saves setting data, etc.

[0039] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the roadside device control unit 31 will be described. The roadside device control unit 31 has a function to detect the vehicle 4. It has a function to establish communication with the vehicle-mounted device 5 of the vehicle 4 and acquire vehicle-mounted device information including the vehicle ID. Furthermore, the roadside device control unit 31 has a function to measure the passing speed, longitudinal acceleration, etc. of the vehicle 4. The roadside device control unit 31 also has a function to acquire the passing speed and passing time of the vehicle 4. The roadside device control unit 31 also has a function to transmit probe information including at least the vehicle ID, roadside device ID, passing time, and passing speed to the probe server 1 via the upper communication unit 33.

[0040] The roadside device storage unit 32 includes a storage medium such as a main memory that can read and write data at high speed. The roadside device storage unit 32 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The roadside device storage unit 32 stores various information related to the roadside device 3. For example, the roadside device storage unit 32 stores a roadside device ID that identifies the roadside device 3, the passing time and passing speed of a vehicle 4 that passed the roadside device 3, in-vehicle device information acquired by communicating with the in-vehicle device 5, etc.

[0041] The upper communication unit 33 is a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules for communicating with the probe server 1. The upper communication unit 33 includes a communication module for connecting to the probe server 1 by wire or wirelessly. The upper communication unit 33 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each device and each equipment under the control of the roadside unit control unit 31 and send and receive various information.

[0042] The vehicle communication unit 34 includes a wireless communication module for communicating with the vehicle-mounted device 5 mounted on the vehicle 4. For example, the vehicle communication unit 34 detects a vehicle 4 approaching the roadside unit 3 (i.e., a vehicle 4 traveling on a toll road) and establishes communication with the vehicle-mounted device 5 mounted on the vehicle 4. The vehicle communication unit 34 then acquires various types of information, such as vehicle-mounted device information, by wirelessly communicating with the vehicle-mounted device 5. Furthermore, the vehicle communication unit 34 transmits various types of information held by the roadside unit 3 to the vehicle-mounted device 5.

[0043] Finally, a configuration example of the vehicle-mounted device 5 according to an embodiment will be described. The vehicle-mounted device 5 includes an vehicle-mounted device control unit 51, a vehicle-mounted device storage unit 52, a vehicle-mounted device communication unit 53, and the like.

[0044] The in-vehicle unit control unit 51 is a control unit that controls the in-vehicle unit 5 and processes data. The in-vehicle unit control unit 51 includes a CPU, memory, an interface, and the like. The CPU is a processor that executes programs to realize various processing functions, such as transmitting in-vehicle unit information, including the card ID of the ETC card inserted in the in-vehicle unit 5, to the roadside unit 3, etc. The CPU is connected to each component of the in-vehicle unit 5 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory, such as a non-volatile memory that stores programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily stores data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, etc. In other words, the in-vehicle unit control unit 51 controls each component and processes data by the CPU executing programs stored in the memory.

[0045] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle-mounted device control unit 51 will be described. The vehicle-mounted device control unit 51 has a function of establishing communication with the roadside device 3. The vehicle-mounted device control unit 51 also has a function of transmitting vehicle-mounted device information and the like to the roadside device 3.

[0046] The vehicle-mounted device storage unit 52 includes a storage medium such as a main memory that allows high-speed reading and writing. The vehicle-mounted device storage unit 52 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The vehicle-mounted device storage unit 52 stores various data related to the vehicle-mounted device 5. For example, the vehicle-mounted device storage unit 52 stores various information including the vehicle-mounted device ID, the vehicle model of the vehicle 4, the vehicle number, the vehicle width, the vehicle height, etc.

[0047] The in-vehicle communication unit 53 is a communication interface including one or more wireless communication modules. For example, the in-vehicle communication unit 53 includes a communication module that wirelessly connects to the roadside unit 3. The in-vehicle communication unit 53 may be a general communication interface as long as it can perform wireless communication with each device and send and receive various information under the control of the in-vehicle control unit 51.

[0048] (operation) First, a procedure for calculating the inter-vehicle distance based on the probe information acquired by the probe server 1 from the roadside device 3 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for calculating the inter-vehicle distance by the probe server 1 according to an embodiment. The probe server control unit 11 of the probe server 1 reads out and executes a program stored in the probe server storage unit 12, thereby realizing the operation of this flowchart.

[0049] First, the roadside device control unit 31 of the roadside device 3 detects a vehicle 4 approaching the roadside device 3. Then, the roadside device control unit 31 detects the vehicle 4 and establishes a connection with the in-vehicle device 5 equipped in the vehicle 4. Then, the roadside device control unit 31 communicates with the in-vehicle device 5 and acquires in-vehicle device information including the vehicle ID. The roadside device control unit 31 also acquires the passing speed and passing time of the vehicle 4. Then, this flowchart starts when the roadside device control unit 31 transmits probe information including at least the vehicle ID, position information (roadside device ID), passing time, and passing speed to the probe server 1 via the upper communication unit 33.

[0050] In step ST101, the probe server control unit 11 extracts the vehicle ID, passing speed, and passing time from the probe information received through the probe server communication unit 13, which functions as a receiving unit.

[0051] In step ST102, the probe server control unit 11 stores each piece of data for each vehicle ID in the time database 111 and the speed database 122. The probe server control unit 11 stores the passage time in the time database 121 and the passage speed in the speed database 122, linking them to the vehicle ID.

[0052] In step ST103, the probe server control unit 11 calculates the time difference between the vehicle ahead and the subject vehicle. The probe server control unit 11 refers to the time database 121, and calculates the inter-vehicle time, which is the time difference between the vehicle 4 (subject vehicle) that received the probe information in step ST101 and the vehicle 4 (vehicle ahead) that received the probe information just before. For example, the probe server control unit 11 calculates the difference between the passing time of the subject vehicle and the passing time of the vehicle ahead as the inter-vehicle time.

[0053] In step ST104, the probe server control unit 11 stores the inter-vehicle time for each vehicle ID in the inter-vehicle time database 123. The probe server control unit 11 stores the calculated inter-vehicle time data in the inter-vehicle time database 123 in association with the vehicle ID.

[0054] In step ST105, the probe server control unit 11 calculates the inter-vehicle distance from the passing speed and the inter-vehicle time. The probe server control unit 11 acquires the passing speed and inter-vehicle time linked to the vehicle ID from the speed database 122 and the inter-vehicle time database 123, respectively. The probe server control unit 11 then calculates the inter-vehicle distance based on the passing speed and the inter-vehicle time. For example, the probe server control unit 11 calculates the inter-vehicle distance as the inter-vehicle time multiplied by the passing speed.

[0055] In step ST106, the probe server control unit 11 stores the inter-vehicle distance for each vehicle ID in the inter-vehicle distance database 124. The probe server control unit 11 stores the inter-vehicle distance calculated in association with the vehicle ID in the inter-vehicle distance database 124.

[0056] In step ST107, the probe server control unit 11 transmits the vehicle information to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2. The probe server control unit 11 acquires the inter-vehicle distance from the inter-vehicle distance database 124. The probe server control unit 11 generates vehicle information including the probe information (vehicle ID, roadside device ID, passing time, passing speed) and the inter-vehicle distance. Then, the probe server control unit 11 transmits the generated vehicle information to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 via the probe server communication unit 13 functioning as a transmission unit. The probe server control unit 11 may transmit the vehicle information to the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 every time it receives probe information, or may transmit multiple vehicle information collectively at any interval.

[0057] Next, a procedure for determining a traffic jam absorbing vehicle by the traffic jam absorbing vehicle determination server 2 will be described.

[0058] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for determining a congestion absorbing vehicle by the congestion absorbing vehicle determination server 2 according to an embodiment. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 of the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 reads out and executes a program stored in the vehicle discrimination server storage unit 22, thereby realizing the operation of this flowchart.

[0059] First, this flowchart starts when the vehicle discrimination server communication unit 23, which functions as a receiving unit, receives vehicle information from the probe server 1. Here, it is assumed that the probe server 1 communicates with the traffic control system and always stores the latest congestion information in the congestion database 224.

[0060] In step ST201, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 extracts the passing speed and the following distance for each vehicle ID from the vehicle information. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 extracts the passing speed and the following distance for each vehicle ID included in the vehicle information received via the vehicle discrimination server communication unit 23.

[0061] In step ST202, the vehicle identification server control unit 21 stores each piece of data for each vehicle ID in the inter-vehicle distance database 221 and the speed database 222. The vehicle identification server control unit 21 stores the inter-vehicle distance in the inter-vehicle distance database 221 and the passing speed in the speed database 222, linking them to the vehicle ID.

[0062] In step ST203, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 determines whether the vehicle 4 is located within X km from the end of the traffic jam. X may be a predetermined value indicating a point an arbitrary distance behind the end of the traffic jam.

[0063] First, to determine whether vehicle 4 is located behind the end of the traffic jam, vehicle identification server control unit 21 acquires traffic jam information from traffic jam database 224. Then, vehicle identification server control unit 21 determines the location of the end of the traffic jam from the traffic jam information. For example, if the traffic jam information indicates the traffic jam distance from a predetermined point on a toll road, vehicle identification server control unit 21 determines that a point that is the traffic jam distance behind the predetermined point is the location of the end of the traffic jam. Furthermore, vehicle identification server control unit 21 identifies the location of vehicle 4 from the location information or roadside device ID. Then, vehicle identification server control unit 21 determines whether the identified location of vehicle 4 is located behind a point within X km from the point where the traffic jam occurred.

[0064] Alternatively, if the roadside unit 3 corresponding to the roadside unit ID is the roadside unit 3 immediately before the tail end of the traffic jam, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 may determine that the vehicle 4 is located behind the tail end of the traffic jam within a predetermined distance. For example, if there are not many roadside units 3 installed at the traffic jam occurrence location, there may be no roadside unit 3 within X km. In such a case, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 determines that the roadside unit 3 immediately before the tail end of the traffic jam is within X km, and discriminates the traffic jam absorbing vehicle based on the probe information.

[0065] If it is determined that vehicle 4 is located within X km from the traffic jam occurrence point, vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 determines that vehicle 4 may be a traffic jam absorbing vehicle. Then, the process proceeds to step ST204. On the other hand, if it is determined that vehicle 4 is located at a point farther than X km from the traffic jam occurrence point, vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 determines that vehicle 4 does not qualify as a traffic jam absorbing vehicle. Then, the process proceeds to step ST206.

[0066] In step ST204, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 determines whether the inter-vehicle distance is Ym or more and the passing speed is Z km / h or less. Here, Y and Z may be any positive integers. However, if the road is a toll road, Z is a value that exceeds the minimum speed set by the toll road. For example, Y may be 70 m, and Z may be in the range of 50 km / h to 70 km / h. The vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 acquires the passing speed from the speed database 122. Then, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 determines whether the inter-vehicle distance of vehicle 4 is Ym or more and the passing speed is within Z km / h. If it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance of vehicle 4 is Ym or more and the passing speed is within Z km / h, the process proceeds to step ST205. On the other hand, if it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance of vehicle 4 is not Ym or more and the passing speed is not within Z km / h, the process proceeds to step ST206.

[0067] In step ST205, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 registers the vehicle 4 as a "traffic jam absorbing vehicle." For example, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 generates traffic jam absorbing vehicle information that includes vehicle information and a discrimination result indicating that the vehicle 4 corresponds to a traffic jam absorbing vehicle, linked to the vehicle ID of the vehicle 4. Then, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 stores the traffic jam absorbing vehicle information in the traffic jam absorbing vehicle database 223.

[0068] In step ST206, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 registers the vehicle 4 as "not a congestion absorbing vehicle." For example, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 generates non-corresponding vehicle information including vehicle information and a discrimination result indicating that the vehicle 4 does not correspond to a congestion absorbing vehicle, linked to the vehicle ID of the vehicle 4. Then, the vehicle discrimination server control unit 21 stores the non-corresponding vehicle information in the congestion absorbing vehicle database 223.

[0069] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the embodiment described above, when a traffic jam occurs, it is possible to identify a congestion-absorbing vehicle that contributes to easing the traffic jam. For example, a toll road operator can provide a discount or other services to the identified congestion-absorbing vehicle.

[0070] [Other embodiments] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in one embodiment, the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 is described as a device separate from the probe server 1. However, the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 may be the same device as the probe server 1. In other words, the processes performed by the probe server 1 and the congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 2 may be performed by a single device.

[0071] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1...Probe server 11...Probe server control unit 12...Probe server memory section 121...Time database 122...Speed ​​database 123...Inter-vehicle time database 124...Vehicle distance database 13...Probe server communication unit 2...Traffic congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server 21...Vehicle discrimination server control unit 22... Vehicle discrimination server memory unit 221...Vehicle distance database 222...Speed ​​database 223...Traffic congestion absorbing vehicle database 224...Traffic congestion database 23...Vehicle discrimination server communication unit 3…Roadside machine 31...Roadside unit control unit 32…Roadside unit storage unit 33...Host communication unit 34...Vehicle communication unit 4...Vehicle 5…Onboard equipment 51... Vehicle-mounted device control unit 52...Onboard equipment storage section 53...In-vehicle communication unit

Claims

1. a probe server connected to the roadside device; a congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server connected to the probe server; A congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system comprising: The probe server a receiving unit that receives probe information including vehicle IDs and location information of vehicles that have passed the roadside device; a transmission unit that transmits vehicle information including the probe information to the congestion absorbing vehicle determination server; The congestion absorbing vehicle determination server includes: a congestion database that stores congestion information on roads; determining the position of the tail end of the traffic jam based on the traffic jam information; determining whether the position of the vehicle is located behind the rear end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range based on the vehicle information; When it is determined that the position of the vehicle is located behind the rear end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range, it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle corresponds to a traffic jam absorbing vehicle. a vehicle discrimination server control unit; A congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system equipped with the above.

2. The probe information further includes a passing time and a passing speed of the vehicle, The probe server a storage unit that stores the probe information; calculating a time interval between the vehicle and a vehicle that has just passed the vehicle based on the passage time of the probe information stored in the storage unit; Calculating the inter-vehicle distance based on the passing speed and the inter-vehicle time a probe server control unit; Furthermore, The vehicle discrimination server control unit further If it is determined that the position of the vehicle is behind the rear end of the traffic jam, it is determined whether the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and the passing speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed; When it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and the passing speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed, the vehicle is determined to be a congestion absorbing vehicle and congestion absorbing vehicle information including the probe information and the inter-vehicle distance is stored in a congestion absorbing vehicle database. The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to claim 1.

3. the road is a toll road, The vehicle discrimination server control unit further determines whether the passing speed is equal to or greater than a minimum speed set by the toll road. The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to claim 2.

4. the probe information includes position information of the vehicle; the vehicle identification server control unit identifies the position of the vehicle from the position information, and if the identified position is within a predetermined range behind the end of the traffic jam, determines that the position of the vehicle is located behind the end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range. The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to claim 1.

5. the probe information includes a roadside device ID of the roadside device, the vehicle determination server control unit determines that the vehicle is located behind the tail end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range when the roadside device corresponding to the roadside device ID is the roadside device immediately before the tail end of the traffic jam; The congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination system according to claim 1.

6. a receiving unit that receives vehicle information including probe information including a vehicle ID and location information of the vehicle, the vehicle information being generated by a roadside device; a congestion database that stores congestion information on roads; determining the position of the tail end of the traffic jam based on the traffic jam information; determining whether the position of the vehicle is located behind the rear end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range based on the vehicle information; When it is determined that the position of the vehicle is located behind the rear end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range, it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle corresponds to a traffic jam absorbing vehicle. a vehicle discrimination server control unit; A congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination server comprising:

7. The processor of the probe server connected to the roadside unit receiving probe information including a vehicle ID and location information of a vehicle that has passed the roadside device; Transmitting vehicle information including the probe information; a processor of a congestion absorbing vehicle determination server connected to the probe server, storing congestion information on roads; determining the position of the tail end of the traffic jam based on the traffic jam information; determining whether the position of the vehicle is located behind the tail end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range based on the vehicle information; When it is determined that the position of the vehicle is located behind the tail end of the traffic jam within a predetermined range, it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle corresponds to a traffic jam absorbing vehicle; A congestion absorbing vehicle discrimination method comprising:

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