Route information management system

Abstract

This provides a route information management system that can manage the status of whether a route is passable or not. [Solution] The route information management system 1 is a system for managing route information based on vehicle driving information, and includes an information acquisition unit 21 that acquires driving information from a vehicle 3, a first setting unit that, based on the acquired driving information, identifies a vehicle that has been staying at the same location for a predetermined time or longer while still having driving force, and sets the route including that location as a difficult-to-drive route, and a second setting unit that, based on the acquired driving information, identifies a vehicle that has returned along the route it most recently traveled, and sets the route of the returned section as an impassable route.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a route information management system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a ground management system that manages a map of the uneven distribution of the ground on which an off-road vehicle travels. In this system, a ground uneven distribution map is created based on the ground uneven position data accumulated as the off-road vehicle travels.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the system of Patent Document 1, the presence of unevenness on the ground can be confirmed from the ground uneven distribution map, but it is not possible to confirm whether actual travel is possible.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a route information management system that can manage the travelable state of a route.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A route information management system according to one aspect of the present invention is a system for managing route information based on vehicle driving information, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires driving information from a vehicle; a first setting unit that, based on the acquired driving information, identifies a vehicle that has been staying at the same location for a predetermined time or longer while maintaining driving force, and sets the route including that location as a difficult-to-drive route; and a second setting unit that, based on the acquired driving information, identifies a vehicle that is retracing its most recently traveled route, and sets the section of the route that has been retraced as an impassable route.

[0007] This allows the system to identify a vehicle that has been staying at the same location with driving force for a predetermined period of time or longer based on driving information acquired from each vehicle, and to set the route including that location as a difficult route to drive. It also allows the system to identify a vehicle that is retracing its most recent route, and to set the route it is retracing as an impassable route. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a route information management system that can manage the status of whether a route is drivable or not. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates the schematic configuration of a route information management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the route information management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the route information management system according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0011] Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the route information management system according to the embodiment will be described. The route information management system 1 includes, for example, a route information management device 2 and a vehicle 3.

[0012] Vehicle 3 is equipped with various sensors such as an accelerator sensor, brake sensor, gyro sensor, acceleration sensor, speed sensor, torque sensor, camera, millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), ultrasonic sensor (sonar), drive recorder, GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, car navigation system, winch, and in-vehicle communication device.

[0013] Route information management device 2 is, for example, a server device located in a system center or the like. Functionally, route information management device 2 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 21, a driveability status setting unit 22, a route provision unit 23, and a storage unit 24. However, the components of route information management device 2 are not limited to these, and any components can be added as needed.

[0014] The memory unit 24 stores, for example, vehicle driving information collected from each vehicle 3, map information used for navigation, route drivability status information, and vehicle specifications information in a database.

[0015] Driving information includes, for example, vehicle information, GPS information, vehicle speed, driving force, tire slip status, and winch usage status. Vehicle information may include, for example, information on vehicle specifications that enable the identification of the vehicle type, such as the drive system and the possible driving force.

[0016] The information regarding the drivability status includes, for example, the drivability status such as drivable, difficult to drive, and impossible to drive; the location (including place and section) to which the drivability status applies; the period to which the drivability status applies, such as season, day or night, year, month, and date; and the type of vehicle to which the drivability status applies.

[0017] For example, a drivable route is mapped to the map information as a drivable route by setting the drivable state in the drivability state. A route including a difficult-to-drive section is mapped to the map information as a difficult-to-drive route by setting the difficult-to-drive state in the drivability state. A route including an impassable section is mapped to the map information as an impassable route by setting the non-drivable state in the drivability state.

[0018] The information acquisition unit 21 collects the driving information of each vehicle 3 and acquires the driving information of each vehicle 3. The driving information may be acquired in real time, or may be acquired collectively regularly or irregularly. When acquiring regularly or irregularly, it is preferable to attach date and time information to the driving information and acquire it when communication is possible.

[0019] The drivability state setting unit 22 sets drivability state information including the drivability state of the route traveled by the vehicle 3 based on the driving information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21. Specific examples will be given and explained below.

[0020] When the drivability state setting unit 22 identifies a vehicle 3 that has stayed at the same point in a state with driving force for a predetermined time or more based on the driving information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21, the route including that point is set as a difficult-to-drive route for that vehicle 3 (including the type) (function of the first setting unit).

[0021] When the drivability state setting unit 22 identifies a vehicle 3 that has turned back and traveled on the most recently traveled route after staying at the same point in a state with driving force based on the driving information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21, the route of the turned-back section is set as an impassable route for that vehicle 3 (including the type) (function of the second setting unit).

[0022] The route providing unit 23 searches for a route on the map based on the vehicle specifications information and the search conditions specified by the user, and provides a drivable route that meets the search conditions. The search conditions can arbitrarily include, for example, the departure location, destination, via location, departure time, arrival time, season, day and night, year, month, date, time, etc.

[0023] Here, the route providing unit 23 can determine the travelable state based on the collected travel information and provide a travelable route based on the determined travelable state even in (1) an area where no road is laid, (2) a section where a road is newly laid, and (3) a location where no road is laid during a disaster, in the same manner as described above. This will be described in order below.

[0024] (1) Area where no road is laid: Examples of areas where no road is laid include, for example, jungles, deserts, savannas, etc.

[0025] In this case, based on the travel information of the vehicle 3 that has actually traveled in the area where no road is laid, the movement trajectory of the vehicle 3 is mapped onto the map information of the area where no road is laid. Then, the mapped movement trajectory is taken as the route traveled by the vehicle 3, and the travelable state of those routes is set based on the travel information of the actually traveled vehicle 3.

[0026] Specific examples of the travelable state to be set will be described below.

[0027] When the travelable state setting unit 22 identifies a vehicle 3 that has continuously moved without staying at the same point in a state of having driving force for a predetermined time or more based on the travel information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21, the route passed by the vehicle 3 is set as a travelable route for that vehicle 3 (including the type).

[0028] When the travelable state setting unit 22 identifies a vehicle 3 that has stayed at the same point in a state of having driving force for a predetermined time or more based on the travel information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21, but then has moved without turning back on the most recently traveled route, the route where the vehicle 3 has stayed and passed is set as a difficult-to-travel route for that vehicle 3 (function of the first setting unit).

[0029] Based on the driving information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21, the driving feasibility setting unit 22 identifies a vehicle 3 that has stayed at the same location with driving force for a predetermined period of time or longer, and is now driving back along the route it most recently traveled. In such a case, the unit sets the route of the section where the vehicle 3 stayed and then returned as a route that the vehicle 3 (including its type) cannot travel (function of the second setting unit).

[0030] The route provisioning unit 23 provides a route that can be traveled based on the route for which the travel feasibility status has been set.

[0031] (2) Sections where new roads are laid: In this case, the route provision unit 23 provides an optimal and drivable route, such as one that minimizes travel time, based on acquired driving information and information including sections where driving is possible in the newly laid section of road, and sections where driving is difficult or impossible within that section. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide an optimal and drivable route based on the number of sections where driving is difficult or impossible, which affects the cost and time required for construction, as well as the elevation difference, the number of rivers, etc.

[0032] (3) Areas where roads are not laid during a disaster: In this case, it is preferable that the route provision unit 23 provides a traversable route other than roads on the map that can be used even during a disaster, based on the driving information of the vehicle 3 that is traveling in an area where no roads are laid on the map during the disaster.

[0033] Next, referring to Figure 2, an example of the operation when setting the travelability status of a route in the route information management system 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0034] First, the information acquisition unit 21 of the route information management device 2 acquires vehicle driving information from each vehicle 3 (step S101).

[0035] Next, the drive status setting unit 22 of the route information management device 2 determines, based on the driving information acquired in step S101, whether there is a vehicle 3 that has been staying at the same location with driving force for a predetermined time or longer (step S102).

[0036] If this determination is NO (step S102; NO), the route information management device 2's travelability status setting unit 22 sets the route being traveled by the vehicle 3 corresponding to the travel information as a travelable route (step S104). Then, this operation ends.

[0037] If, in step S102, it is determined that there is a vehicle 3 that has been staying at the same location with driving force for a predetermined time or longer (step S102; YES), the driveability status setting unit 22 of the route information management device 2 determines whether there is a vehicle 3 that is driving back along the route it most recently traveled (step S103).

[0038] If this determination is NO (step S103; NO), the route information management device 2's travelability status setting unit 22 sets the route taken by vehicle 3, which was staying at the same location, as a difficult route to travel (step S106). Then, this operation ends.

[0039] If step S103 determines that there is a vehicle 3 that is traveling back along the route it most recently traveled (step S103; YES), the route information management device 2 sets the route that the returning vehicle 3 was traveling along as an impassable route (step S105). Then, this operation ends.

[0040] Furthermore, it is preferable to repeat the processes from step S102 to step S106 in accordance with the number of driving information data acquired in step S101.

[0041] Referring to Figure 3, an example of the operation when providing a drivable route in the route information management system 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0042] First, the route provision unit 23 of the route information management device 2 receives the search conditions specified by the user (step S201).

[0043] Next, the route provision unit 23 of the route information management device 2 searches for a route on the map based on the search conditions and vehicle specifications received in step S201, and provides a drivable route that matches the search conditions (step S202). Then, this operation ends.

[0044] As described above, according to the route information management system 1 of the embodiment, if a vehicle that has been staying at the same location with driving force for a predetermined time or longer is identified based on the driving information acquired from each vehicle 3, the route including that location can be set as a difficult route to travel. Furthermore, if a vehicle that has stayed at a location and then returned along the route it most recently traveled is identified, the route it stayed on and returned along can be set as an impassable route.

[0045] Therefore, according to the route information management system 1 of the embodiment, it is possible to manage the status of whether a route is drivable or not.

[0046] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. For this reason, the above embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted restrictively. For example, the order of each processing step described above can be arbitrarily changed or executed in parallel, as long as there is no inconsistency in the processing content. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1…Route information management system, 2…Route information management device, 3…Vehicle, 21…Information acquisition unit, 22…Driving feasibility status setting unit, 23…Route provision unit, 24…Storage unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A system for managing route information based on vehicle driving information, An information acquisition unit that acquires the aforementioned driving information from the aforementioned vehicle, Based on the acquired driving information, if a vehicle that has been staying at the same location with driving force for a predetermined time or longer is identified, a first setting unit sets the route including that location as a difficult-to-drive route. Based on the acquired driving information, if the vehicle is identified as retracing the route it most recently traveled, a second setting unit sets the retraced section of the route as an impassable route. A route information management system equipped with the following features.

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