Entry Permission Control Device

Abstract

To provide a new method for controlling the entry of automobiles into intersections. [Solution] The entry / exit control device 1 stores inter-route conflict data 171 that determines whether or not the routes, which are combinations of entry and exit routes to an intersection, conflict with each other. The entry / exit control device 1 includes a priority setting unit 155 that sets multiple permutations for the leading vehicle of each entry route that is scheduled to enter the intersection based on driving information from the vehicle, and sets the priority of the vehicles for each permutation; a conflict determination unit 157 that determines, for each permutation, whether or not the route of each vehicle to enter conflicts with a vehicle with a higher priority, based on the inter-route conflict data 171; a determination unit 159 that determines whether or not to allow each vehicle to enter based on the result of the conflict determination related to the selected permutation selected from the multiple permutations; and a determination information notification control unit 167 that controls the notification of the determination information to the vehicles to enter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an entry permission control device that controls whether a vehicle can enter an intersection of an automobile.

Background Art

[0002] At intersections, traffic signal control, which is operation control of traffic signals for the purpose of ensuring a smooth traffic flow, is performed. As one of the traffic signal controls, priority control is known in which signal control parameters are changed so that specific vehicles such as buses on a route are preferentially allowed to pass (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, the technological development of automatic driving of automobiles capable of autonomous driving has been promoted. Automatic driving of automobiles is characterized in that the driving direction, driving speed, etc. can be controlled without the intervention of a human hand. Therefore, if all automobiles passing through an intersection are automobiles by automatic driving, it would be extremely convenient to realize entry control to the intersection that can pass through the intersection more smoothly and efficiently than before, and it would also be meaningful for the popularization of automobiles by automatic driving. In addition, not only for automobiles driven by automatic driving, but also for automobiles driven by a driver, it would be extremely convenient if it were possible to notify whether entry to the intersection is permitted so that the intersection can be passed through smoothly and efficiently.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a new method for entry control of an automobile to an intersection or notification control related to entry.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The first invention for solving the above problem is: An entry / exclusion control device that controls whether or not a vehicle is allowed to enter a designated intersection, The aforementioned automobile is equipped with a communication control device that communicates with the entry permission control device, and an entry control device (for example, the driving control device 14 in Figure 1) that performs entry control or notification control related to entry into the intersection based on given ruling information received from the entry permission control device. A route conflict data storage means (for example, the storage unit 170 in Figure 21) stores route conflict data that determines whether or not the routes, which are combinations of routes for entering and exiting the aforementioned intersection, conflict with each other. A means for acquiring driving information (for example, the driving information acquisition unit 151 in Figure 21) that acquires driving information from the vehicle, including the location information of the vehicle and information indicating the vehicle's path, Based on the aforementioned driving information, a priority setting means (for example, the priority setting unit 155 in Figure 21) sets a plurality of permutations for the vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection, which are the leading vehicles for each entry route, including a first permutation based on the order of estimated arrival times at the intersection, and a second permutation obtained by rearranging part or all of the first permutation, and sets the priority of the vehicles scheduled to enter for each permutation. For each of the aforementioned permutations, a conflict determination means (for example, the conflict determination unit 157 in Figure 21) performs a conflict determination to determine, based on the inter-path conflict data, whether the paths of each of the aforementioned scheduled vehicles entering in that permutation conflict between them and other scheduled vehicles with a higher priority, When a provisional decision is made on whether each of the planned vehicles to enter the intersection is permitted based on the results of the aforementioned conflict determination, a selection sequence that satisfies predetermined high-efficiency sequence conditions is selected from among the plurality of sequences, and a ruling means (for example, the ruling unit 159 in Figure 21) makes a ruling on whether each of the planned vehicles to enter is permitted to enter based on the results of the aforementioned conflict determination relating to the selected sequence, A ruling information notification control means (for example, the ruling information notification control unit 167 in Figure 21) that controls the notification of the ruling information indicating the ruling result of the ruling means to the vehicle scheduled to enter, This is an entry permission / denial control device equipped with [a specific feature].

[0007] According to the first invention, a new method for controlling or notifying vehicles of their entry into an intersection can be realized. Specifically, the entry / rejection control device stores inter-route conflict data that pre-determines whether or not there is conflict between routes at an intersection. Then, for the leading vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection via each route, multiple permutations are set, including a first permutation based on the order of estimated arrival times at the intersection, and a priority order for the vehicles is set for each permutation. For each permutation, a conflict determination is performed to determine whether or not each vehicle's route conflicts with a higher-priority vehicle, based on the inter-route conflict data. Based on the results of the conflict determination, a decision can be made on whether or not each vehicle is allowed to enter the intersection based on the results of the conflict determination for the selected permutation. The decision result is notified to the vehicle in question. As a result, an autonomous vehicle can perform entry control into an intersection based on the notified decision result. A vehicle driven by a driver can also perform notification control related to entering an intersection based on the notified decision result.

[0008] The second invention is, in the above invention, The arbitration means selects the selected permutation using the high-efficiency permutation condition as the condition for selecting the permutation with the largest number of incoming vehicles that are determined not to be in conflict with the other permutations in the competition determination. This is an entry / exclusion control device.

[0009] According to the second invention, the permutation with the highest number of incoming vehicles that are determined not to be in competition in the competition determination can be selected as the selection permutation.

[0010] The third invention is, in the above invention, Based on the information indicating the route of the aforementioned driving information, the system includes a detection means (for example, the congestion detection unit 165 in Figure 21) that detects congestion in the entry route of the highest priority vehicle scheduled to enter, which has the highest priority in the selection sequence. The arbitration means updates the selection sequence to lower the priority of the vehicle scheduled to enter the road if congestion is detected in the entry route by the detection means. This is an entry / exclusion control device.

[0011] According to the third invention, if congestion occurs in the entry lane of a vehicle scheduled to enter with priority, the priority of the vehicle scheduled to enter with the highest priority can be lowered and the selection order can be updated.

[0012] The fourth invention is, in the above invention, The arbitration means, when there is a competing vehicle determined to be in conflict with the highest priority vehicle in the selection sequence, and the number of vehicles determined not to be in conflict with each of the vehicles, assuming that no such competing vehicle exists, increases from the selection sequence, updates the selection sequence to a sequence in which the priority of the competing vehicle is changed to the highest. This is an entry / exclusion control device.

[0013] According to the fourth invention, if there are competing vehicles that compete with the highest priority vehicle in the selection sequence, and the number of vehicles that would not compete in the competition determination if it were assumed that no competing vehicles existed increases compared to the selection sequence, the priority of the competing vehicle can be changed to the highest and the selection sequence can be updated.

[0014] The fifth invention is, in the above invention, The priority setting means sets the second permutation by rearranging the vehicle scheduled to enter with the highest priority in the first permutation with the other vehicles scheduled to enter. This is an entry / exclusion control device.

[0015] According to the fifth invention, the second permutation can be set by rearranging the topmost vehicle in the first permutation with other vehicles scheduled to enter.

[0016] The 6th invention is, in the above invention, the route conflict data is data representing the presence or absence of conflict for each combination of the routes in 1 bit, the conflict determination means determines whether or not the route of the target vehicle among the vehicles scheduled to enter conflicts with the routes of the vehicles scheduled to enter having a higher priority than the target vehicle by performing a logical operation on the 1-bit values for each of the routes of the vehicles scheduled to enter having a higher priority than the target vehicle with respect to the route of the target vehicle, an entry permission / denial control device.

[0017] According to the 6th invention, as the route conflict data, data representing the presence or absence of conflict for each combination of the routes in 1 bit is stored. Then, by performing a logical operation on the 1-bit values representing the presence or absence of the conflict, it is possible to determine whether or not the route conflicts with the vehicles scheduled to enter having a higher priority, and to adjudicate whether or not to permit entry to the intersection.

[0018] The 7th invention is, in the above invention, the route conflict data storage means stores the route conflict data for each intersection for a plurality of intersections, the priority setting means performs the setting of the plurality of permutations and the setting of the priority of the vehicles scheduled to enter in each permutation for each intersection, the conflict determination means performs the conflict determination for the vehicles scheduled to enter for each permutation for each intersection, an entry permission / denial control device.

[0019] According to the 7th invention, it is possible to realize an entry permission / denial control device that performs entry control for a plurality of intersections. That is, the route conflict data is stored for each intersection. Then, the priority is set for each intersection, and it is possible to adjudicate whether or not to permit entry using the corresponding route conflict data.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an application example of the entry permission / denial control device. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of setting up inter-path competition data. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the setting of inter-path competition data. [Figure 4] Another diagram to illustrate the setting of inter-path competition data. [Figure 5] Another diagram to illustrate the setting of inter-path competition data. [Figure 6] Another diagram to illustrate the setting of inter-path competition data. [Figure 7] A diagram showing other examples of setting up inter-path competition data. [Figure 8] Another diagram to illustrate the setting of inter-path competition data. [Figure 9] Another diagram to illustrate the setting of inter-path competition data. [Figure 10] Another diagram to illustrate the setting of inter-path competition data. [Figure 11] A diagram illustrating the process for determining which vehicle is scheduled to enter the area. [Figure 12] A diagram illustrating the registration of the list of vehicles scheduled to enter the area. [Figure 13] A diagram illustrating the priority setting process. [Figure 14] A diagram showing an example of a competition detection result. [Figure 15] A diagram showing other examples of competition detection results. [Figure 16] A diagram to explain arbitration procedures. [Figure 17] Other diagrams to explain arbitration procedures. [Figure 18] Other diagrams to explain arbitration procedures. [Figure 19] A diagram illustrating an example of updating the selection permutation. [Figure 20] A diagram illustrating another example of updating the selection permutation. [Figure 21] A block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an entry / exclusion control device. [Figure 22] A flowchart illustrating the processing flow performed by the entry / exclusion control system. [Figure 23]A flowchart showing the processing flow following Figure 22. [Figure 24] A diagram illustrating the setting of the second permutation in the modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, nor are the applicable forms of the present invention limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 shows an example of the application of the entry permission control device 1 in this embodiment. Figure 1 shows an example of an intersection (crossroads) IA having four directions E, W, S, and N. The entry permission control device 1 in this embodiment controls whether or not an autonomous vehicle 10 can enter the intersection at each intersection in the road network on which it is traveling.

[0023] In controlling entry permissions, the entry permission control device 1 communicates with vehicles 10 traveling on the roads via wireless base stations 3 installed at various locations so that the entire road network to be controlled is within its communication range. Specifically, the entry permission control device 1 receives driving information 32 from each vehicle 10. The driving information 32 is information related to the driving of the vehicle 10 and includes the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10, location information indicating the driving position, speed information indicating the driving speed, information on the distance to the nearest intersection (for example, the distance to the stop line at the intersection), and route information indicating the route taken at the intersection. Each vehicle 10 generates the latest driving information 32 at predetermined time intervals and transmits it to the entry permission control device 1 as needed.

[0024] The route information includes information on the approach route to the next intersection and information on the approach route to exit that intersection. For example, suppose that the planned route of car 10a traveling on route W in Figure 1 is a route that turns right at intersection IA. In that case, the driving information 32 generated by car 10a will include the approach route W to intersection IA and the approach route S to exit intersection IA, and will be transmitted to the entry permission control device 1.

[0025] The entry permission control device 1 then determines which vehicles 10 are scheduled to enter the intersection based on the driving information 32 received from each vehicle 10, and makes a decision on whether to allow the vehicle to enter the intersection. Subsequently, the entry permission control device 1 notifies the relevant vehicle 10 of the decision result, namely decision information 34. The decision information 34 includes the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10, the intersection ID of the intersection, and the decision result regarding whether to allow entry to the intersection. In this embodiment, the decision result is set to either "Entry permitted" or "Decision pending".

[0026] The vehicle 10 is equipped with a communication control device 12 that communicates wirelessly with the entry permission control device 1 via a wireless base station 3, and a driving control device 14 that has a driving control function for automatic driving. The driving control device 14 has a pre-set driving route by the occupants or by the entry permission control device 1, and along this pre-set driving route, the driving control device 14 generates driving information 32 of its own vehicle (vehicle 10) as needed and transmits it to the entry permission control device 1, and receives ruling information 34 from the entry permission control device 1 to control automatic driving. The driving control functions of the driving control device 14 include known functions that realize various driving controls such as preventing collisions and maintaining a safe distance by recognizing other vehicles based on images captured by an onboard camera and automatically operating the accelerator, brakes, and steering wheel.

[0027] Furthermore, the driving control function of the driving control device 14 in this embodiment includes a function to control entry into an intersection based on ruling information 34 from the entry permission control device 1. Specifically, if the ruling information 34 indicates "entry permitted," the driving control device 14 controls the vehicle to enter the intersection from the entry direction and proceed to the exit direction. On the other hand, if the ruling information 34 indicates "awaiting judgment," the driving control device 14 controls the vehicle to stop at a predetermined position (for example, the stop line of the intersection) without entering the intersection.

[0028] [detail] In this embodiment, for each intersection in the road network to be controlled, inter-lane conflict data 171 (see Figure 21) is prepared in advance and stored in the storage unit 170. The entry permission control device 1 performs entry permission control for each intersection related to the controlled object using the inter-lane conflict data 171 for that intersection. This entry permission control is performed repeatedly at a predetermined control cycle because the driving position and speed of the vehicle 10 change moment by moment.

[0029] Specifically, the entry permission control device 1 executes the following processes (1) to (5) for each control cycle, treating all intersections related to the control target as processing targets. That is, the entry permission control device 1 executes the following: (1) an entry planned vehicle determination process that determines which vehicles are scheduled to enter the intersection; (2) a priority setting process that sets multiple permutations for the leading vehicle in each entry route among the entry planned vehicles and sets a priority for each permutation; (3) a conflict determination process that performs a conflict determination for each permutation using its priority; (4) a ruling process that selects a selection permutation based on the result of the conflict determination and rules whether each entry planned vehicle is allowed to enter the intersection based on the result of the conflict determination related to the selection permutation; and (5) a ruling information notification control process that notifies the entry planned vehicle of ruling information 34 containing the ruling result for that entry planned vehicle. The following describes each process focusing on one intersection (for example, intersection IA in Figure 1).

[0030] 1. Data on competition between career paths Figure 2 shows an example of setting the inter-path conflict data 171 for the intersection IA of interest, and Figures 3 to 6 are diagrams that explain the setting of the inter-path conflict data 171 when the intersection is a cross intersection. Furthermore, Figure 7 shows another example of setting the inter-path conflict data 171, and Figures 8 to 10 are diagrams that explain the setting of the inter-path conflict data 171 for the intersection in Figure 7. The inter-path conflict data 171 determines whether or not the paths, which are combinations of entry and exit paths to a corresponding intersection, conflict with each other.

[0031] For example, as shown in Figure 3, in the case of a four-way intersection like intersection IA, there are four possible routes when using direction S as the entry direction: a route where direction W is the exit direction (left turn), a route where direction N is the exit direction (straight ahead), a route where direction E is the exit direction (right turn), and a route where direction S is the exit direction (U-turn). Since a four-way intersection has four directions E, W, S, and N, there are a total of 16 possible routes. The route conflict data 171 is prepared as a table of combinations for all combinations of these 16 routes, setting whether or not the routes in each combination conflict with each other.

[0032] More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the presence or absence of conflict is represented by 1 bit, with "0" indicating conflict and "1" indicating no conflict. A table of combinations is then filled with "1" or "0" to create the inter-path conflict data 171. In Figure 2, the entry path and exit path are separated by a comma. For example, if the entry path is path E and the exit path is path N, the path is represented as E,N.

[0033] In this embodiment, when simultaneous entry into an intersection is permitted for two vehicles 10 traveling on two different paths, those two paths are considered "non-conflicting." Conversely, paths that are not permitted to enter simultaneously are considered "conflicting." Basically, opposite paths do not conflict, as in the combination of paths W,E and paths E,W shown in Figure 4, while intersecting paths do conflict, as in the combination of paths W,E and paths S,N shown in Figure 5. Although not shown, paths with the same entry direction but different exit directions do not conflict. On the other hand, paths with the same exit direction but different entry directions do conflict.

[0034] Furthermore, for some combinations of routes, it is possible to individually set whether or not they conflict at each intersection. For example, regarding the combination of routes W,S and routes N,E shown in Figure 6, for intersections where the road is wide enough to allow simultaneous entry of vehicles 10 traveling on each route, route conflict data 171 is prepared where the data for that combination does not conflict (the data is set to "1"). In cases where intersection IA is large (wide), it is conceivable to allow simultaneous entry of such routes. In Figure 2, the data related to the combination of routes N,E and routes W,S is shown with hatching, illustrating examples where each is set to "1".

[0035] However, even at similar intersections (in this case, cross-shaped intersections), there are intersections where simultaneous entry should be prohibited, such as those involving the intersection of narrow roads. In the inter-lane conflict data 171 for such intersections, the data related to that combination should be set to "0".

[0036] Here, we have used a four-way intersection as an example to explain how to set up the inter-path conflict data 171, but the same procedure can be used to set up the inter-path conflict data 171 for three-way, four-way, five-way, or more intersections. In other words, for all combinations of paths passing through the intersection, prepare inter-path conflict data 171 that contains data indicating whether or not those paths conflict (for example, 1 bit data indicating whether or not those paths conflict).

[0037] For example, Figure 7 shows an example of setting up route conflict data 171 when the intersection is a three-way intersection (Y-junction). Basically, routes that do not intersect with each other, such as routes A, B and routes B, C shown in Figure 8, do not conflict with each other, while routes that intersect with each other, such as routes B, A and routes A, C shown in Figure 9, do conflict with each other. Also, routes that have the same exit direction, such as routes A, B and routes C, B shown in Figure 10, also conflict with each other.

[0038] 2. Regarding the process for determining which vehicles are scheduled to enter the area. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the process for determining which vehicles are scheduled to enter the intersection. In this process, the entry permission control device 1 determines that vehicles whose distance to the target intersection IA is within a predetermined distance are scheduled to enter the intersection IA, based on the driving information 32 received from each vehicle 10 (vehicle management information 173 updated and managed based on the driving information 32; see Figure 21). In Figure 11, the distance considered to be the distance for which a vehicle is scheduled to enter the intersection IA is shown as a target area in the shape of a dashed circle centered on the intersection IA. The entry permission control device 1 determines that vehicles 10 whose driving position is within the target area and which are traveling on the entry route are scheduled to enter the intersection IA, and designates these vehicles as vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection IA. It is also possible to determine whether a vehicle is scheduled to enter the intersection IA using the distance information to the next intersection from the received driving information 32. In Figure 11, five vehicles 10a to 10f are determined to be scheduled to enter and are designated as vehicles scheduled to enter.

[0039] The size of the target area can be the same for all intersections, or it can be changed for each intersection. For example, the size of the target area to be applied to each intersection can be set appropriately according to the width of the intersection, the volume of traffic, etc.

[0040] 3. Management of vehicles scheduled to enter the area In this embodiment, a list of vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection 175 is prepared for each intersection (see Figure 21). Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the registration of vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection 175, showing vehicles 10a to 10f determined to be vehicles scheduled to enter in the preceding vehicle entry determination process (Figure 12(a)), and an example of registering vehicles 10a to 10f to the vehicle entry list 175 prepared for intersection IA (Figure 12(b)). The entry permission control device 1 manages vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection by registering and unregistering vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection 175 as needed.

[0041] First, the registration of vehicles scheduled to enter the list of vehicles scheduled to enter 175 is performed based on the results of the vehicle determination process described above. For example, as shown in Figure 12(b), the vehicle list of vehicles scheduled to enter 175 is set with the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10 designated as a vehicle scheduled to enter in the vehicle determination process, the estimated arrival time of the vehicle, the route the vehicle will take at intersection IA, and the ruling result in a later stage of processing. If there is a vehicle 10 newly designated as a vehicle scheduled to enter intersection IA in the vehicle determination process, the entry permission control device 1 registers its vehicle ID in the vehicle list of vehicles scheduled to enter intersection IA. At that time, the route is set to the route indicated by the route information in the driving information 32 received from the vehicle 10 in question. In addition, the ruling result is initially set to "awaiting judgment". The ruling result is rewritten to "entry permitted" when a ruling is made in a later stage of ruling processing that permits the vehicle scheduled to enter intersection IA. In the example shown in Figure 12(b), "permission to enter" has already been set for vehicle 10a in the previous control cycle. That is, vehicle 10a is a vehicle scheduled to enter that has been granted permission to enter in the previous ruling process, and has not yet passed through intersection IA.

[0042] Next, the registration of a vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection is removed from the list of vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection 175 when the vehicle in question 10 passes through that intersection. For example, the entry permission control device 1 monitors the driving position of the vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection. Then, when the vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection IA passes through the target intersection and proceeds from the entry lane to the exit lane, the entry permission control device 1 deletes the record of the vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection IA from the list of vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection 175, thereby removing it from registration.

[0043] 4. Priority setting process In the priority setting process, the entry permission control device 1 sets a number of permutations for the first scheduled entry vehicle for each entry route among the scheduled entry vehicles determined in the scheduled entry vehicle determination process. These permutations include at least a first permutation based on the order of estimated arrival times at the intersection, and a second permutation obtained by rearranging some or all of the first permutations. Priority is then set for the scheduled entry vehicles in each permutation. In the example shown in Figure 11, the first scheduled entry vehicles 10a to 10d for each entry route E, W, S, and N among the scheduled entry vehicles 10a to 10f determined in the preceding scheduled entry vehicle determination process are the ones for which permutations are set.

[0044] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the priority setting process, showing the first permutation P1 (Figure 13(a)) and the second permutation P2 (P2-1,2,3,...; Figure 13(b)) of the target vehicles scheduled to enter 10a to 10d. In the priority setting process, the entry permission control device 1 sets the first permutation P1 by arranging the target vehicles scheduled to enter 10a to 10d in order of their estimated arrival time at intersection IA. The entry permission control device 1 also rearranges the vehicles scheduled to enter whose corresponding ruling result in the first permutation P1 is "awaiting judgment" (in the example of Figure 13(b), vehicles scheduled to enter 10b to 10d), and sets all of these combinations as the second permutation P2-1,2,3,... Subsequently, the entry permission control device 1 assigns priority levels No. 1 to 4 to each of the scheduled entering vehicles 10a to 10d for each set permutation P1, P2-1, 2, 3, .... based on their order.

[0045] 5. Regarding the conflict detection process In the conflict determination process, the entry permission control device 1 performs a conflict determination for each of the vehicles scheduled to enter in each permutation set in the preceding priority setting process. In this embodiment, the entry permission control device 1 sequentially processes the first and second permutations set in the priority setting process. The entry permission control device 1 then sequentially processes each of the vehicles scheduled to enter in the permutations to be processed, and determines whether their paths conflict with vehicles scheduled to enter with a higher priority, based on the path conflict data 171, thereby performing a conflict determination for each vehicle.

[0046] Figure 14 shows an example of the results of a competition determination performed on the first permutation P1 in Figure 13(a), with each of the planned entering vehicles 10a to 10d as the target vehicle based on its priority order (No. 1 to 4). On the other hand, Figure 15 shows an example of the results of a competition determination performed on the second permutation P2-1 in Figure 13(b), with each of the planned entering vehicles 10a to 10d as the target vehicle based on its priority order (No. 1 to 4).

[0047] For example, consider the case where the target vehicle is the incoming vehicle 10c, which has the second priority (No. 2) in the first permutation P1 of Figure 13(a). In this case, since the only vehicle with a higher priority than the target vehicle 10c is the incoming vehicle 10a, a conflict check is performed between the target vehicle 10c and the incoming vehicle 10a to determine if their paths conflict.

[0048] Specifically, first, data corresponding to the combination of the target vehicle 10c's paths S and N and the incoming vehicle 10a's paths E and W is read from the path conflict data 171. If the read data (a 1-bit value indicating the presence or absence of conflict) is "1", it is determined that there is no conflict between the target vehicle 10c and the higher-ranking incoming vehicle (in this case, incoming vehicle 10a). The result of the conflict determination is "no conflict". On the other hand, if the read data is "0", it is determined that there is a conflict between the target vehicle 10c and the higher-ranking incoming vehicle. The result of the conflict determination is "conflict". In this example, the path conflict data 171 in Figure 2 falls into the latter category, so the conflict determination result for the target vehicle 10c in the first permutation P1 is "conflict".

[0049] Furthermore, if we consider the case where the target vehicle is the incoming vehicle 10d, which has the third priority in the first permutation P1, there are two incoming vehicle 10a and 10c higher in priority, so we determine whether the paths of the target vehicle 10d and the two incoming vehicle 10a and 10c are in conflict.

[0050] Specifically, first, data corresponding to each combination of the target vehicle 10d's paths N and S and the planned entry vehicle 10a's paths E and W and the planned entry vehicle 10c's paths S and N is read from the path conflict data 171. Then, if there are multiple higher-ranking planned entry vehicles, a logical operation is performed on the read data (a 1-bit value indicating the presence or absence of conflict). If the logical AND is "1", it is determined that there is no conflict between the target vehicle 10d and the higher-ranking planned entry vehicles (in this case, planned entry vehicles 10a and 10c). On the other hand, if the calculated logical AND is "0", that is, if some or all of the read data is "0", it is determined that there is a conflict between the target vehicle 10d and the higher-ranking planned entry vehicles. In this example, the path conflict data 171 in Figure 2 falls into the latter category, so the conflict determination result for the target vehicle 10d in the first permutation P1 is "conflict present".

[0051] Vehicle 10b, which is scheduled to enter the race and has the 4th priority (No. 4), will also be included in the target vehicles, and the same procedure will be used to determine if it is a competitor. As a result, for the first permutation P1, the top-ranked (No. 1) incoming vehicle 10a is determined to have "no competition," while all other incoming vehicles 10b to 10d are determined to have "competition." In the first permutation P1, the number of incoming vehicles determined to have "no competition" (the number of vehicles that can enter intersection IA) is 1.

[0052] Similarly, when processing the second permutation P2-1 in Figure 13(b), each of the planned entering vehicles 10a to 10d is sequentially treated as a target vehicle, and a conflict determination is made according to the priority order related to the second permutation P2-1. In the example in Figure 15, in addition to the top-ranked (No. 1) planned entering vehicle 10a, the second-ranked (No. 2) planned entering vehicle 10b is also determined to have "no conflict," resulting in a total of 2 vehicles being able to enter.

[0053] 6. Arbitration Procedures In the arbitration process, the entry permission control device 1 first makes a provisional decision on whether to allow each vehicle entering the intersection based on the result of the conflict determination, and then selects a selection permutation from among multiple permutations that satisfies a predetermined high-efficiency permutation condition from the first permutation and the second permutation. The high-efficiency permutation condition can be set, for example, as "the maximum number of vehicles that can enter."

[0054] Basically, the entry / denial control device 1 determines whether to allow each incoming vehicle to enter the intersection based on the results of the conflict determination related to the selected sequence, which was selected as satisfying the high-efficiency sequence conditions as described above. The entry / denial control device 1 grants permission to enter the intersection for incoming vehicles that are determined to have "no conflict" as a result of the conflict determination related to the selected sequence, and leaves incoming vehicles that are determined to have "conflict" awaiting a decision without granting permission to enter. However, in certain cases, the entry / denial control device 1 updates the selected sequence and then determines whether to allow each incoming vehicle to enter. The updating of the selected sequence will be described later.

[0055] For example, according to Figure 14, if a provisional decision is made regarding whether each of the planned vehicles 10a to 10d is allowed to enter intersection IA based on the result of the conflict determination for the first permutation P1 in Figure 13(a), the number of vehicles allowed to enter is 1, and only the planned vehicle 10a, which has been determined to have "no conflict," can be granted entry.

[0056] In contrast, according to Figure 15, if the entry of each of the planned vehicles 10a to 10d into intersection IA is provisionally determined based on the result of the conflict determination related to the second permutation P2-1 in Figure 13(b), the number of vehicles that can enter is 2, and entry can be permitted for the two planned vehicles 10a and 10b that were determined to have "no conflict". According to this, by selecting the second permutation P2-1 in Figure 13(b) as the selection permutation based on the number of vehicles that can enter, and ruling on the entry of each of the planned vehicles 10a to 10d, it is possible to make a ruling that allows entry for more planned vehicles. Therefore, it becomes possible to control entry into the intersection (intersection IA in this case) in a smoother and more efficient manner.

[0057] If there are multiple permutations that satisfy the high-efficiency permutation conditions, for example, one may be randomly selected and designated as the selected permutation. If the first permutation is included among the permutations that satisfy the high-efficiency permutation conditions, the first permutation may be selected and designated as the selected permutation.

[0058] Figures 16 to 18 show other examples where a second permutation, obtained by rearranging the first permutation, satisfies the high-efficiency permutation condition (increases the number of vehicles that can enter) more effectively than the first permutation, which is based on the order of estimated arrival times. (a) of each figure shows the competition judgment result for the first permutation, and (b) shows the competition judgment result for the second permutation.

[0059] Figure 16 shows an example where all vehicles 10g to 10j, which are scheduled to enter from each direction, proceed straight ahead. In this example, the first permutation is rearranged to give higher priority to vehicle 10j, which is scheduled to enter later than vehicle 10g. As a result, in the second permutation, the competition judgment result for vehicle 10j is "no competition," and the number of vehicles that can enter is one more than in the case of the first permutation.

[0060] Figure 17 shows an example where, of the vehicles 10k to 10n scheduled to enter from each direction, one goes straight, one turns right, and two turn left. In this example, the first permutation is rearranged to give higher priority to vehicle 10n, which is scheduled to enter later than vehicle 10m. As a result, in the second permutation, the competition judgment result for vehicle 10n is "no competition," and the number of vehicles that can enter is one more than in the first permutation.

[0061] Figure 18 shows an example where two of the planned vehicles 10o to 10r entering from each direction are going straight and two are turning left, and it shows an example of the conflict determination result when intersection IG does not allow simultaneous entry from routes W,N and routes E,S. In this example, the first permutation is rearranged so that the priority of the planned vehicle 10r, which is going straight and has the latest estimated arrival time, is higher than that of the two planned vehicles 10o and 10p that are turning left. As a result, in the second permutation, the conflict determination result for planned vehicle 10r is "no conflict," and the number of vehicles that can enter is one more than in the case of the first permutation.

[0062] 7. Regarding updating the selection permutation. In this embodiment, after selecting a selection sequence in the manner described above, the selection sequence is updated in predetermined cases. Figure 19 shows an example of updating a selection sequence, showing the selection sequence before update (Figure 19(a)) and the selection sequence after update (Figure 19(b)). In the example in Figure 19, there is a competing vehicle 10t that is determined to be in conflict with the highest priority vehicle 10s, which has the highest priority (No. 1) in the selection sequence. The conflict determination result for the highest priority vehicle 10s is "no conflict," and the conflict determination result for the competing vehicle 10t is "conflict." In Figure 19, among the vehicles scheduled to enter after the highest priority vehicle 10s and the competing vehicle 10t, all vehicles except vehicle 10u are shown with dashed lines.

[0063] Here, assuming that there are no competing vehicles 10t, the leading vehicle on entry route W will be vehicle 10u. As shown by the arrows in Figure 19(a), the routes W and E of vehicle 10u do not conflict with the routes E and W of the highest priority vehicle 10s. In such a case, as shown in Figure 19(b), changing the priority of competing vehicle 10t to the highest (No. 1) and allowing it to pass through intersection IA before the original highest priority vehicle 10s will allow both the original highest priority vehicle 10s and the subsequent vehicle 10u to pass through intersection IA, which is efficient.

[0064] Therefore, in the ruling process of this embodiment, when the entry permission control device 1 selects a selection sequence, if there is a competing vehicle that is determined to be in conflict with the highest priority vehicle, it determines that the number of vehicles that are determined not to be in conflict in the conflict determination for each vehicle (number of vehicles that can enter) will increase from the selected sequence, as the first update condition. Then, if the entry permission control device 1 satisfies the first update condition, it updates the selection sequence to a sequence in which the priority of the competing vehicle is changed to the highest (No. 1). This makes it possible to control entry into intersections more smoothly and efficiently.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the case described with reference to Figure 19, the selection sequence is updated when congestion occurs in the entry route of the highest priority vehicle (No. 1) in the selection sequence. Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating the updating of the selection sequence in that case, showing the selection sequence before the update (Figure 20(a)) and the selection sequence after the update (Figure 20(b)).

[0066] In the example in Figure 20, the exit route W for the highest-priority vehicle 10v is congested. Therefore, even if a ruling is made to allow the highest-priority vehicle 10v to enter intersection IA based on the conflict determination result ("no conflict"), in reality, the highest-priority vehicle 10v cannot move forward and cannot pass through intersection IA. As a result, the vehicle 10w, which has a lower priority than the highest-priority vehicle 10v, will have to wait until the congestion on route W is relieved and the highest-priority vehicle 10v can pass through intersection IA, which is inefficient.

[0067] Therefore, in the ruling process of this embodiment, when the entry permission control device 1 selects a selection sequence, it detects congestion in the exit route of the vehicle scheduled to enter with the highest priority. The entry permission control device 1 then determines, for example, that "congestion has been detected in the exit route" as a second update condition, and if the second update condition is met, it updates the selection sequence to lower the priority of the vehicle scheduled to enter with the highest priority.

[0068] For example, as shown in Figure 20(b), the priority order is swapped between the highest priority vehicle 10v and the second-priority vehicle 10w, and the selection order is updated. A conflict check is then performed again for each vehicle according to the priority order of the updated selection order. As a result, the conflict check result for vehicle 10w, which was initially "conflict," becomes "no conflict," and vehicle 10w is permitted to enter intersection IA. This enables smoother and more efficient entry control into the intersection.

[0069] 8. Arbitration Information Notification Control Processing In the ruling information notification control process, the entry permission control device 1 controls the target vehicle to notify it of ruling information 34 indicating the ruling result for that vehicle. As a result of this process, for vehicles 10 that have been permitted to enter intersection IA, ruling information 34 with "entry permitted" set as the ruling result is sent. For vehicles 10 that have been determined to be vehicles planning to enter and are subject to ruling processing, but have not been permitted to enter and remain awaiting a decision, ruling information 34 with the ruling result set to "awaiting decision" is sent.

[0070] [Functional Configuration] Figure 21 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the entry permission control device 1. As shown in Figure 21, the entry permission control device 1 comprises an operation input unit 110, a display unit 120, a communication unit 130, a processing unit 150, and a storage unit 170, and is configured as a type of computer system.

[0071] The operation input unit 110 is implemented by an input device such as a button switch or a touch panel, and outputs an operation signal to the processing unit 150 according to the operation input. The display unit 120 is implemented by a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or a touch panel, and displays various information according to the display signal from the processing unit 150. The communication unit 130 is implemented by a wired or wireless communication device, and communicates with a given external device.

[0072] The processing unit 150 is implemented, for example, by an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a control board including said arithmetic circuit, and controls the operation of the entry permission control device 1 by performing various arithmetic processes based on programs and data stored in the storage unit 170. In this embodiment, the processing unit 150 includes a driving information acquisition unit 151, an entry planned vehicle determination unit 153, a priority setting unit 155, a conflict determination unit 157, a ruling unit 159, a congestion detection unit 165, and a ruling information notification control unit 167. Each of these functional units may be an arithmetic processing block implemented as software by executing a program, or it may be a circuit block implemented by a signal processing circuit. In this embodiment, the processing unit 150 is described as an arithmetic processing block implemented as software by executing a predetermined program.

[0073] The driving information acquisition unit 151 acquires driving information from vehicles 10 traveling on the road network under control. Here, the driving information acquisition unit 151 receives driving information 32 from the vehicles 10 via communication through the communication unit 130. The driving information acquisition unit 151 then updates and manages the vehicle management information 173 based on the received driving information 32. For each vehicle 10, the vehicle management information 173 stores the driving position, driving speed, route, etc., obtained from the driving information 32, in association with the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10.

[0074] The incoming vehicle determination unit 153 is a functional unit that performs incoming vehicle determination processing, and for each intersection, it determines which vehicles are scheduled to enter that intersection.

[0075] The priority setting unit 155 is a functional unit that executes priority setting processing, and for each intersection, it sets a priority for each vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection as determined by the vehicle entry determination unit 153. In this embodiment, the priority setting unit 155 sets a first permutation based on the order of estimated arrival times at the intersection and a second permutation obtained by rearranging the first permutation for the leading vehicle in each entry direction among the vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection, and sets a priority for each permutation.

[0076] The conflict determination unit 157 is a functional unit that executes conflict determination processing, and for each permutation set by the priority setting unit 155, it performs conflict determination for each vehicle scheduled to enter using that priority.

[0077] The ruling unit 159 is a functional unit that performs ruling processing, and for each intersection, it makes a ruling on whether to allow each vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection to enter, based on the result of a conflict determination related to the selected sequence that satisfies the high-efficiency sequence condition. This ruling unit 159 comprises a selection unit 161 that selects a sequence and an update unit 163 that updates the selected sequence.

[0078] In this embodiment, the selection unit 161 selects the permutation with the largest number of possible entry points from among all permutations (first permutation and second permutation) set by the priority setting unit 155 as the selected permutation. The update unit 163 updates the selected permutation when the first update condition is met and when the second update condition is met.

[0079] The congestion detection unit 165 detects congestion on the exit route for the highest priority vehicle scheduled to enter in the selection sequence selected by the selection unit 161.

[0080] The ruling information notification control unit 167 is a functional unit that executes ruling information notification control processing, and controls the notification of ruling information 34, which contains the ruling result set by the ruling unit 159, to the target vehicle.

[0081] The storage unit 170 is implemented using a storage medium such as an IC memory or a hard disk. The storage unit 170 pre-stores programs for operating the entry permission control device 1 and realizing the various functions of the entry permission control device 1, as well as data used during the execution of said programs, or temporarily stores them each time processing is performed. In this embodiment, the storage unit 170 stores inter-route conflict data 171 (see Figures 2 and 7), vehicle management information 173, and a list of vehicles scheduled to enter 175 (see Figure 12(b)). As described above, the inter-route conflict data 171 and the list of vehicles scheduled to enter 175 are prepared for each intersection.

[0082] [Process flow] Figures 22 and 23 are flowcharts showing the processing flow performed by the entry / exclusion control device 1. Note that Figures 22 and 23 show the processing flow performed in one control cycle, focusing on one intersection. In actual processing, the processing shown in Figure 22 is performed for all intersections related to the controlled object in each control cycle.

[0083] First, the incoming vehicle determination unit 153 determines which vehicles are scheduled to enter the target intersection (step S1). Here, the incoming vehicle determination unit 153 refers to the vehicle management information 173, which is updated and managed based on the driving information 32 from each vehicle 10, and determines that the vehicles 10 located on the approaching road of their own route within the target area of ​​the target intersection are scheduled to enter. If any new vehicles 10 are determined to be scheduled to enter, they are registered in the incoming vehicle list 175 for the target intersection.

[0084] Next, the priority setting unit 155 calculates the estimated arrival time at the target intersection for the vehicles that were newly determined to be scheduled to enter in step S1, based on their driving position and speed (step S3). Then, the priority setting unit 155 sets a first permutation and a second permutation for the leading vehicle among the scheduled vehicles, for each entry direction (step S5). Here, the priority setting unit 155 sets the first permutation based on the order of estimated arrival times, and also rearranges the vehicles among the scheduled vehicles in the first permutation whose ruling result is "awaiting judgment" to set the second permutation. Then, the priority setting unit 155 sets a priority for each scheduled vehicle according to the permutation set in step S5 (step S7).

[0085] Subsequently, all permutations set in step S5 (the first permutation and the second permutation) are sequentially treated as targets for processing, and the processing of loop L is executed (steps S9 to S21). Then, in loop L, all incoming vehicles in the permutations to be processed are sequentially treated as target vehicles, and the processing of loop M is executed (steps S11 to S17).

[0086] In other words, in loop M, the conflict determination unit 157 performs a conflict determination on the target vehicle. Specifically, the conflict determination unit 157 first reads data from the inter-path conflict data 171 to determine whether the paths related to each combination of paths between the target vehicle and each incoming vehicle that has a higher priority than the target vehicle in the permutation of the vehicles to be processed are in conflict (step S13).

[0087] Then, the conflict determination unit 157 determines, based on the data read in step S13, whether or not there is a conflict in the paths between the target vehicle and the higher-ranking vehicle scheduled to enter (step S15). Here, the conflict determination unit 157 determines "no conflict" if the logical AND of the data read in step S13 (a 1-bit value representing whether or not there is a conflict between the paths of each combination) is "1". If the calculated logical AND is "0", it determines "there is a conflict".

[0088] Once the processing of loop M has been performed on all the vehicles scheduled to enter in the permutation to be processed, the conflict determination unit 157 counts the number of vehicles scheduled to enter that were determined to have "no conflict" as the number of vehicles that can enter (step S19), and terminates the processing of loop L for the permutation to be processed.

[0089] Then, after performing the loop L process for all permutations set in step S5, the selection unit 161 selects a permutation that satisfies the high-efficiency permutation condition as the selected permutation (step S23). For example, the selection unit 161 selects the permutation with the largest number of possible entry points counted in step S19 and sets it as the selected permutation.

[0090] Next, the update unit 163 determines, based on the results of the competition determination related to the selection sequence selected in step S23, that there are competing vehicles that are determined to be in competition with the highest priority vehicle (step S25: YES), and determines the first update condition described above. Then, if the first update condition is met (step S27: YES), the update unit 163 changes the priority of the competing vehicle to the highest (No. 1) and updates the selection sequence (step S29).

[0091] Furthermore, the congestion detection unit 165 detects congestion in the exit route of the highest priority vehicle, according to the result of the competition determination related to the selection sequence selected in step S23 (step S31). Then, the update unit 163 determines that the second update condition is met if congestion is detected in step S31 (step S33: YES), and updates the selection sequence to lower the priority of the highest priority vehicle (step S35).

[0092] Then, the ruling unit 159 makes a ruling on whether to allow each incoming vehicle to enter based on the results of the conflict determination related to the selection sequence selected in step S23 and updated as appropriate in steps S29 and S35 (step S37). Here, the ruling unit 159 makes a ruling to allow entry for incoming vehicles that are determined to have "no conflict" as a result of the conflict determination related to the selected and updated selection sequence. The ruling unit 159 also leaves incoming vehicles that are determined to have "conflict" awaiting a decision.

[0093] Then, the ruling information notification control unit 167 controls the target vehicle to notify it of ruling information 34 indicating the ruling result made in step S37 (step S39).

[0094] As explained above, according to this embodiment, for each intersection, route conflict data 171 is set for all combinations of routes passing through the intersection, determining whether or not those routes conflict with each other. Then, for the leading vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection via each route, a first permutation based on the order of estimated arrival times at the intersection and a second permutation obtained by rearranging the first permutation are set, and priority can be set for the vehicles scheduled to enter for each permutation. Then, for each permutation, a conflict determination is made based on the route conflict data 171 to determine whether or not each vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection will have a route conflict with a vehicle with a higher priority. Based on the results of the conflict determination for the selected permutation selected based on the results of the conflict determination, a decision can be made on whether or not each vehicle scheduled to enter the intersection is permitted to enter. The vehicle 10 can then control its entry into the intersection according to the decision result, which is notified as decision information 34 at any time. This makes it possible to control entry into intersections in a smoother and more efficient manner.

[0095] It should be noted that the applicable embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and components can be added, omitted, or modified as appropriate.

[0096] [Example 1] For example, the second permutation may be set by rearranging the vehicle with the highest priority in the first permutation with the other vehicles scheduled to enter. Figure 24 is a diagram illustrating this modified example, showing the conflict determination result for the first permutation of vehicles 10x to 10A (Figure 24(a)) and the conflict determination result for the second permutation obtained by rearranging the first permutation (Figure 24(b)).

[0097] As shown in Figure 24, in the first permutation, where the vehicle 10z, which has the earliest estimated arrival time, is given the highest priority, the number of vehicles that are deemed to have "no competition" (number of vehicles that can enter) is 1. In contrast, in the second permutation, the first permutation is rearranged to lower the priority of vehicle 10z. As a result, in addition to vehicle 10z, vehicle 10A also receives a "no competition" result, and the number of vehicles that can enter is 1 more than in the first permutation. This allows for rulings to permit more vehicles to enter, enabling smoother and more efficient entry control into the intersection.

[0098] [Differentiation 2] Furthermore, the above embodiment describes an example in which entry control to an intersection is performed for each intersection in the road network on which the autonomous vehicle 10 is traveling. That is, the autonomous vehicle is notified of ruling information 34 (ruling result), and the vehicle's entry control device (driving control device 14) uses the ruling information 34 to perform entry control to the intersection. In contrast, this can also be applied when a driver-driven vehicle is performing notification control regarding entry to an intersection for each intersection in the road network on which it is traveling, and is notified of entry to the intersection. In that case, the configuration of the entry permission control device 1 can be realized with the same configuration as in the above embodiment. On the other hand, the vehicle's entry control device (driving control device 14) performs so-called navigation with the destination and planned route set in advance by the occupants, and generates its own driving information 32 as needed and transmits it to the entry permission control device 1. Then, based on the ruling information 34 received from the entry permission control device 1, it performs notification control regarding entry to the intersection through display or audio output. For example, if the vehicle's entry control device (driving control device 14) receives a ruling that "entry permitted," it will display a message on the display device instructing the vehicle to proceed straight into the next intersection and take the exit route. If the ruling is "awaiting judgment," it will display a message on the display device instructing the vehicle to stop without entering the intersection. This makes it possible to notify the vehicle whether or not entry into an intersection is permitted, allowing for smoother and more efficient passage through the intersection. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] 1...Entry permission control device 150... Processing Unit 151... Driving information acquisition unit 153... Vehicle entry determination unit 155...Priority setting section 157...Conflict determination section 159...Adjudication Department 161...Selection Department 163…Update section 167...Traffic congestion detection unit 169... Arbitration Information Notification Control Unit 170...Storage section 171…Data on competition between career paths 173…Car management information 175... List of vehicles scheduled to enter the area 10…Automobiles 12…Communication control device 14… Driving control device 3… Wireless base station 32…Driving Information 34…Arbitration information

Claims

1. An entry / exclusion control device that controls whether or not a vehicle is allowed to enter a designated intersection, The aforementioned automobile is equipped with a communication control device that communicates with the entry permission / denial control device, and an entry control device that performs entry control or notification control related to entry into the intersection based on given ruling information received from the entry permission / denial control device. A route conflict data storage means stores route conflict data that determines whether or not routes, which are combinations of routes entering and exiting the aforementioned intersection, conflict with each other. A means for acquiring driving information from the aforementioned vehicle, which includes the location information of the vehicle and information indicating the vehicle's path. Priority setting means that sets a plurality of permutations for the leading vehicle for each entry route that is scheduled to enter the intersection based on the aforementioned driving information, including a first permutation based on the order of estimated arrival times at the intersection, and a second permutation obtained by rearranging part or all of the first permutation, and sets a priority order for the scheduled vehicles for each permutation, For each of the aforementioned permutations, a conflict determination means performs a conflict determination based on the inter-path conflict data to determine whether the paths of each of the aforementioned scheduled vehicles entering in that permutation conflict whether their paths conflict with those of other scheduled vehicles entering that have a higher priority. When a provisional decision is made on whether each of the planned vehicles to enter the intersection is permitted to do so based on the results of the aforementioned conflict determination, a ruling means is provided to select a selection sequence from among the plurality of sequences that satisfies predetermined high-efficiency sequence conditions, and to determine whether each of the planned vehicles to enter the intersection is permitted to do so based on the results of the aforementioned conflict determination relating to the selected sequence. A ruling information notification control means that controls the notification of the ruling information indicating the ruling result of the ruling means to the vehicle scheduled to enter, An entry permission / denial control device equipped with the following:

2. The arbitration means selects the selected permutation using the high-efficiency permutation condition as the condition for selecting the permutation with the largest number of incoming vehicles that are determined not to be in conflict with the other permutations in the competition determination. The entry permit / denial control device according to claim 1.

3. The system includes a detection means for detecting congestion in the entry route of the highest-priority vehicle, which has the highest priority in the selection sequence, based on the information indicating the route of the aforementioned driving information. The arbitration means updates the selection sequence to lower the priority of the vehicle scheduled to enter the road if congestion is detected in the entry route by the detection means. The entry permit / denial control device according to claim 1.

4. The arbitration means, when there is a competing vehicle determined to be in conflict with the highest priority vehicle in the selection sequence, and the number of vehicles determined not to be in conflict with each of the vehicles, assuming that no such competing vehicle exists, increases from the selection sequence, updates the selection sequence to a sequence in which the priority of the competing vehicle is changed to the highest. The entry permit / denial control device according to claim 1.

5. The priority setting means sets the second permutation by rearranging the vehicle scheduled to enter with the highest priority in the first permutation with the other vehicles scheduled to enter. The entry permit / denial control device according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned path-to-path conflict data is data in which the presence or absence of conflict is represented by 1 bit for each combination of paths. The conflict determination means determines whether the paths of the target vehicle to the intersection conflict by performing a logical operation on the 1-bit value for each of the paths of the other vehicles that have a higher priority than the target vehicle, with respect to the path of the target vehicle among the vehicles scheduled to enter the intersection. The entry permit / denial control device according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned route conflict data storage means stores the route conflict data for each intersection for multiple intersections. The priority setting means sets the multiple permutations and the priority of vehicles scheduled to enter each permutation for each intersection. The aforementioned competition determination means performs the aforementioned competition determination for each permutation at each intersection, relating to the vehicle scheduled to enter. An entry permit / denial control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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