Driving path guidance system and driving path guidance method

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle route guidance system that can guide a vehicle along a specified path. [Solution] The driving route guidance system includes: a guidance information notification unit that notifies the vehicle of guidance information indicating a change in the toll for at least one of the multiple roads at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads diverge; a history information receiving unit that receives from the vehicle driving history information that can identify the roads the vehicle has traveled and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads the vehicle has traveled has been notified to the vehicle; and a variable toll calculation unit that calculates the amount of change in the vehicle's toll based on the driving history information and the notification history information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a travel route guidance system and a travel route guidance method.

Background Art

[0002] On current toll roads, regardless of road conditions, a toll is charged according to the travel section (travel distance) from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate in advance. For example, at the exit toll gate, the toll for a vehicle is determined using a toll table that defines the tolls from each entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for monitoring the presence or absence of traffic congestion using roadside beacons or roadside cameras and discounting the toll for vehicles that have traveled through a congested section.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when a vehicle simply travels through a congested section, only the toll is discounted at the exit toll gate, and it is not possible to notify that the toll will change before the vehicle travels through the congested section. Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to guide a vehicle along an arbitrary route according to road conditions, such as by detouring around a congested section.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a travel route guidance system and a travel route guidance method that can guide a vehicle along an arbitrary route.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the driving route guidance system includes: a guidance information notification unit that notifies a vehicle of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads it should travel on at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads diverge; a history information receiving unit that receives from the vehicle driving history information that can identify the roads the vehicle has traveled on, and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads the vehicle has traveled on has been notified to the vehicle; and a variable toll calculation unit that calculates a variable amount of the vehicle's toll based on the driving history information and the notification history information.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the driving route guidance system includes: a guidance information notification unit that notifies a vehicle of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads it should travel on at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads diverge; a history information receiving unit that receives driving history information from the vehicle that can identify the roads the vehicle has traveled on; and a variable toll calculation unit that calculates the amount of change in the vehicle's toll based on the driving history information and the guidance information. The guidance information notification unit is an electronic display board that displays the guidance information toward the vehicle. The variable toll calculation unit identifies the guidance information notified to the vehicle based on the driving history information and a guidance information table that records the guidance information and display period displayed at each of the multiple notification points, identifies whether the vehicle traveled on a road for which a change in the toll was notified in the guidance information, and calculates the amount of change in the vehicle's toll.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a driving route guidance method includes the steps of: notifying a vehicle of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads it should travel on at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads diverge; receiving from the vehicle driving history information that can identify the roads the vehicle has traveled on, and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads the vehicle has traveled on has been notified to the vehicle; and calculating the amount of change in the vehicle's toll based on the driving history information and the notification history information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the above embodiment, the vehicle can be guided to any route depending on the road conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the driving path guidance system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the exit toll gate server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the roadside device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of the driving path guidance system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of the driving path guidance system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the driving path guidance system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of a driving path guidance system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the computer according to each embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

[0013] (Overall structure) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the driving path guidance system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the driving path guidance system 100 comprises an on-board unit 10 mounted on a vehicle V, an exit toll gate server 30, a roadside device 40, and a central server 50.

[0014] The in-vehicle device 10 performs a process of automatically paying the toll for the toll road of the vehicle V by an automatic toll collection system (also referred to as an "electronic toll collection system". In Japan, it is also referred to as an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) (registered trademark) system).

[0015] The exit tollgate server 30 is provided one by one in the tollgate offices of each tollgate of the toll road, for example. In the example of FIG. 1, the exit tollgate servers 30B, 30C,... are provided in the tollgate offices of tollgates B, C,.... The exit tollgate server 30 performs wireless communication (for example, DSRC communication) with the in-vehicle device 10 of the vehicle V via the roadside antenna 31 provided at the exit tollgate, and performs a process of collecting the toll for the vehicle V.

[0016] The roadside device 40 is provided at the notification point of the toll road. The notification point is set in front (upstream side) of a branch point where a plurality of roads branch. The roadside device 40 notifies the vehicle V passing through the notification point of guidance information via the roadside antenna 41 installed at the notification point. The roadside antenna 41 performs wireless communication (for example, DSRC communication) with the in-vehicle device 10 of the vehicle V passing through the notification point. In the present embodiment, the travel route guidance system 100 has the roadside antenna 41 as a guidance information notification unit.

[0017] The center server 50 is a server that controls a plurality of exit tollgate servers 30 and roadside devices 40. In the present embodiment, the center server 50 distributes guidance information to the roadside device 40 at the notification point.

[0018] (Example of guidance information) The guidance information is information for determining which of a plurality of roads that a user branches at a branch point to drive on. In the present embodiment, it includes information (variable toll information) indicating a change (discount or surcharge) in the toll of at least one of these roads. Further, the guidance information may include, instead of or in addition to the variable toll information, a reason for guidance. The reason for guidance includes, for example, information that prompts the vehicle V to avoid the road where a specific event described later occurs and head to another road, such as a traffic jam, a sudden event (oncoming vehicle, animal entry, falling object, etc.), or the facility being unavailable (the parking lot being full, etc.).

[0019] When a specific event occurs on a road or facility, the center server 50 generates guidance information including either or both of variable toll information and a reason for guidance regarding the road affected by the specific event according to the information input by an operator (road operator). The specific event includes various events such as traffic jams, sudden events (oncoming vehicles, animal entry, falling objects, etc.), and the facility being unavailable (the parking lot being full, etc.). The operator determines whether to change the toll of the road affected by the specific event and the amount of the change based on the information of the specific event obtained through a monitoring system, a monitoring camera installed on the road, a report, etc., and inputs it to the center server 50. Note that the center server 50 has a variable toll amount corresponding to a specific event registered in advance, and may automatically generate guidance information including either or both of variable toll information and a reason for guidance regarding the road affected by the specific event according to the information of the specific event obtained from an external system or the like. In the present embodiment, an example in which the center server 50 generates guidance information according to the input of the operator will be described.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 1, the toll road branches off from Road 1 into Roads 2A and 2B at junction N1, and merges at junction N2 to connect to Road 3. Note that the branching Roads 2A and 2B may be a straight and a detour route on the same road, or they may be different routes (different toll roads). Suppose congestion occurs on Road 2B. If the congestion on Road 2B is natural congestion, discounting the toll for Road 2B may increase the congestion. Therefore, the operator does not discount the toll for Road 2B. However, the operator may discount the toll for Road 2A in order to alleviate the natural congestion on Road 2B (reduce the traffic volume on Road 2B). Alternatively, the operator may increase the toll for Road 2B in lieu of or in addition to the discount on the toll for Road 2A.

[0021] When an operator inputs variable tolls for roads 2A and 2B, the center server 50 generates guidance information based on the input and transmits it to the roadside device 40 at notification point 1. For example, based on the information entered by the operator, the center server generates guidance information indicating "Road 2A: 100 yen discount" and "Road 2B: No discount" and transmits it to the roadside device 40 at notification point 1. The center server 50 may also omit information about road 2B, where the toll is not variable (it may not be included in the guidance information). The roadside device 40 at notification point 1 notifies each vehicle V (onboard unit 10) arriving at notification point 1 of the guidance information. Based on the guidance information, the driver of vehicle V decides whether to travel on road 2A or road 2B. As in the example above, if the toll for road 2A is discounted, the driver of vehicle V is more likely to choose road 2A over road 2B. In this way, by notifying each vehicle V of the guidance information, it becomes possible to guide the vehicle V's route as desired by the road operator.

[0022] If the congestion on Road 2B is caused by problems with road infrastructure (such as damage to roads or tunnels, or closure of toll booths), road construction or other issues on the part of the road operator, or by natural disasters or unforeseen events, the operator may discount the toll for Road 2B. Furthermore, the operator may offer additional discounts on the toll for Road 2A in order to reduce traffic volume on Road 2B.

[0023] Furthermore, the center server 50 may have pre-configured variable pricing information (whether or not there is a discount or surcharge and the amount thereof) corresponding to combinations of specific events such as the content, cause, and scale (degree of congestion, etc.), and the center server 50 may automatically generate guidance information including variable pricing by inputting combinations of this information from the operator.

[0024] Furthermore, if statistical information indicates that traffic volume on road 2B decreases (or traffic volume on road 2A increases) during a specific period (season, day of the week, time of day, etc.), the operator may set the system to discount the toll for road 2B during this specific period. In this case, the center server 50 automatically generates guidance information to discount the toll for road 2B during the specific period, based on information previously set by the operator. In this case, the center server 50 sets the notification period (notification start time and notification end time) corresponding to this specific period in the guidance information. The roadside device 40 at notification point 1 notifies vehicle V of this guidance information only during the set notification period. Thus, for roads where toll fluctuations occur repeatedly, the system may be configured to automatically notify vehicle V of guidance information without requiring the operator to input the information each time.

[0025] Furthermore, for example, the system may be configured to alternately notify each n vehicles passing through notification point 1 with guidance information indicating a discount only for road 2A and guidance information indicating a discount only for road 2B. In this way, it is possible to finely control traffic so that the traffic volume on roads 2A and 2B is roughly equal.

[0026] Alternatively, the operator may input only the reason for guidance without changing the toll fees for roads 2A and 2B. For example, the operator may input a specific event (traffic congestion) occurring on road 2B and its severity (e.g., ○km of congestion) as the reason for guidance. The center server 50 then generates guidance information including this reason. In this way, it becomes possible to guide vehicle V to avoid road 2B and head towards road 2A without changing the toll fees.

[0027] (Functional configuration of in-vehicle devices) Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a driving history recording unit 101, a notification history recording unit 102, and a history information transmission unit 103.

[0028] The driving history recording unit 101 records the driving history of vehicle V. The driving history of vehicle V includes at least information that can identify the roads that vehicle V traveled on after the junction.

[0029] For example, the driving history recording unit 101 acquires and records positioning information indicating the vehicle V's driving position from the positioning device 20 at regular intervals. The positioning device 20 is either a GNSS receiver in the on-board unit 10, or an external device connected to the on-board unit 10 (for example, a car navigation system or a smartphone with a built-in GNSS receiver). In this case, the time series of positioning information recorded during the period from when the vehicle V passes through the entrance toll gate until it arrives at the exit toll gate becomes the vehicle V's driving history information.

[0030] Furthermore, if the positioning device 20 is an external device such as a car navigation system or a smartphone, the positioning device 20 may identify which roads (sections) vehicle V traveled on among the roads (sections) demarcated by junctions (interchanges, junctions, merging points, etc.) of toll roads, based on positioning information and map data. In this case, the travel history recording unit 101 may obtain from the positioning device 20 the roads entered by vehicle V and the time of entry, instead of positioning information. In this case, the list of roads traveled by vehicle V becomes the travel history information for vehicle V. By doing so, the amount of data for travel history information can be reduced compared to when positioning information is recorded as travel history.

[0031] Furthermore, on toll roads, ITS spots may be provided on at least one of the branching roads 2A and 2B, as shown in the example in Figure 1. A roadside antenna 61 is installed at the ITS spot to communicate wirelessly (e.g., DSRC communication) with the onboard unit 10 of the passing vehicle V. The roadside antenna 61 transmits the location information of the ITS spot to the onboard unit 10 of the vehicle V. In this case, the driving history recording unit 101 may record the location information and transmission time obtained from the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot as driving history instead of the positioning device 20. In this case, the list of location information received by the vehicle V from the ITS spot becomes the driving history information of the vehicle V. In the example in Figure 1, after communicating with the roadside antenna 41 at notification point 1, if the location information of the ITS spot (information indicating road 2B) is recorded in the driving history information, it can be seen that the vehicle V traveled on road 2B, and if the location information of the ITS spot is not recorded, it can be seen that the vehicle V traveled on road 2A. In this way, the positioning device 20 is unnecessary, and the configuration of the onboard unit 10 can be simplified.

[0032] The notification history recording unit 102 records a notification history that allows for the identification of guidance information received by the vehicle V at a notification point. In this embodiment, the notification history recording unit 102 receives guidance information from the roadside antenna 41 at the notification point and records it as a notification history.

[0033] Furthermore, the notification history recording unit 102 notifies the driver of vehicle V of the received guidance information via the output device 21. The output device 21 is a speaker in the in-vehicle unit 10 and notifies the driver of the content of the guidance information by voice. Alternatively, the output device 21 may be a speaker or display of an external device connected to the in-vehicle unit 10 (for example, a car navigation system or a smartphone), which notifies the driver of the content of the guidance information by voice, text, etc. The driver decides which road to take after the branching point (driving route) based on the guidance information.

[0034] When vehicle V arrives at the exit toll gate, the history information transmission unit 103 transmits the vehicle V's driving history information and notification history information to the exit toll gate server 30 via the roadside antenna 31.

[0035] (Functional configuration of the exit toll gate server) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the exit toll gate server according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the exit toll gate server 30 includes a history information receiving unit 301, a variable toll calculation unit 302, and a billing processing unit 303.

[0036] The history information receiving unit 301 receives from vehicle V (onboard unit 10) driving history information that can identify the roads that vehicle V has traveled, and notification history information indicating whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads that vehicle V has traveled has been notified to vehicle V.

[0037] The variable fare calculation unit 302 calculates the variable fare to be applied to vehicle V based on the driving history information and notification history information obtained from the vehicle V's onboard unit 10.

[0038] The billing processing unit 303 calculates the toll based on the distance (section) traveled by vehicle V from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate, and the type of vehicle V. The method for calculating the toll based on distance and vehicle type is the same as in the conventional technology. The billing processing unit 303 then applies the variable toll calculated by the variable toll calculation unit 302 to the calculated toll to calculate the final toll (actual amount charged) and performs the billing process for vehicle V.

[0039] (Functional configuration of roadside equipment) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the roadside device according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the roadside device 40 includes a notification processing unit 401.

[0040] The notification processing unit 401 records the guidance information received from the center server 50. The notification processing unit 401 also notifies the onboard unit 10 of each vehicle V passing through the notification point of the recorded guidance information via the roadside antenna 41. As described above, the guidance information may have a set notification period, in which case the notification processing unit 401 notifies the onboard unit 10 of each vehicle V only during the set notification period.

[0041] (Example of processing by a driving path guidance system) Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of the driving path guidance system according to the first embodiment. The processing flow of the driving path guidance system 100 of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

[0042] When vehicle V enters a toll road, the driving history recording unit 101 of the on-board unit 10 records the driving history of vehicle V (step S101). Furthermore, when the driving history recording unit 101 of the on-board unit 10 acquires driving history (positioning information or information about the traveled road) from the positioning device 20, it executes the process in step S101 each time it acquires driving history. Also, when the driving history recording unit 101 of the on-board unit 10 records the location information of an ITS spot as part of the driving history, it executes the process in step S101 each time it receives location information from the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot.

[0043] Furthermore, the center server 50 generates guidance information based on the information entered by the operator and transmits it to the roadside device 40 at the notification point corresponding to the guidance information (step S102). Here, as shown in Figure 1, we will explain as an example the case in which congestion occurs on road 2B, one of the roads 2A and 2B downstream of notification point 1. The center server 50 generates guidance information indicating "Road 2A: 100 yen discount" and "Road 2B: No discount (no change)" according to the operator's input and transmits it to the roadside device 40 at notification point 1.

[0044] The notification processing unit 401 of the roadside device 40 at notification point 1 records the guidance information received from the center server 50 (step S103). The notification processing unit 401 of the roadside device 40 also notifies the vehicle V (onboard unit 10) passing through notification point 1 of the guidance information via the roadside antenna 41 (step S104). If a notification period for the guidance information is specified, the notification processing unit 401 of the roadside device 40 will only notify the guidance information if the current time is within the notification period (step S104).

[0045] Furthermore, when vehicle V arrives at notification point 1, the notification history recording unit 102 of the on-board unit 10 receives guidance information from the roadside device 40 (roadside antenna 41) and records it as notification history (step S105). The notification history recording unit 102 also notifies the driver of vehicle V of the received guidance information via the output device 21 (step S106). The driver decides which road to travel on after passing notification point 1 (road 2A or road 2B) based on the guidance information.

[0046] Next, when vehicle V arrives at the exit toll gate, the exit toll gate server 30 communicates wirelessly with the vehicle's onboard unit 10 via the roadside antenna 31 and performs the process of calculating the toll for vehicle V (step S107). This toll calculation process is the same as the process performed in conventional automatic toll collection systems. For example, in Japan's ETC system, the IC card (ETC card) inserted into the onboard unit 10 communicates with the roadside antenna (not shown) when passing through an entrance toll gate and records entrance information that allows for the identification of when and which entrance toll gate was passed. In addition, the vehicle type of vehicle V is pre-recorded in the onboard unit 10. The exit toll gate server 30 obtains the entrance information and vehicle type from the onboard unit 10 and calculates the toll based on the distance (section) from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate that vehicle V traveled, and the toll according to the vehicle type. At this time, the exit toll gate server 30 may calculate the toll for vehicle V using a toll table that specifies tolls according to distance and vehicle type.

[0047] Furthermore, the history information receiving unit 301 of the exit toll gate server 30 requests history information from the in-vehicle unit 10 (step S108). In response, the history information transmitting unit 103 of the in-vehicle unit 10 transmits history information, including the vehicle V's driving history information and notification history information, to the exit toll gate server 30 (step S109).

[0048] The variable toll calculation unit 302 of the exit toll gate server 30 calculates the amount of change in the toll for vehicle V based on the received history information (step S110). Specifically, the variable toll calculation unit 302 calculates the amount of change in the toll for vehicle V based on the information included in the guidance information (whether there is a discount or surcharge, and the amount thereof) when the road on which the toll change was notified in the guidance information matches the road on which vehicle V traveled, as identified from the travel history information. For example, the variable toll calculation unit 302 identifies from the travel history information (time series of positioning information, or list of roads) which of roads 2A and 2B corresponds to the guidance information of notification point 1 that vehicle V traveled on. In the example above, the amount of change when vehicle V traveled on road 2A is "-100 yen (100 yen discount)", and the amount of change when vehicle V traveled on road 2B is "±0 yen (no discount)". If multiple guidance information is notified to vehicle V, the variable fare calculation unit 302 determines the discount amount (or surcharge amount) to be applied to vehicle V for each guidance information and calculates a variable fare by summing these discount amounts (or surcharge amounts).

[0049] Next, the variable charge calculation unit 302 of the exit toll gate server 30 applies the variable charge calculated in step S110 to the toll charge calculated in step S107 to calculate the final toll charge (actual charge amount) for vehicle V (step S111).

[0050] The billing processing unit 303 of the exit toll gate server 30 performs billing processing to charge the vehicle V the toll calculated in step S111 (step S112). This billing processing is the same as that of a conventional automatic toll collection system. The billing processing unit 303 also generates billing data including the toll calculated in step S111 and identification information of the on-board unit 10, and transmits it to the center server 50 (step S113).

[0051] In this way, the driver of vehicle V can refer to the guidance information and select a route that results in lower tolls. Furthermore, the route guidance system 100 can use the guidance information to guide vehicle V along a route desired by the road operator.

[0052] Although the example described shows the in-vehicle unit 10's driving history recording unit 101 recording the entire driving history of vehicle V while it is traveling on a toll road, it is not limited to this example. When guidance information is notified, the driving history recording unit 101 may record only the information indicating which of the roads corresponding to the guidance information was traveled on as part of the driving history. In the example in Figure 1, the guidance information notified at notification point 1 corresponds to the downstream roads 2A and 2B. Therefore, when the driving history recording unit 101 receives notification of guidance information at notification point 1, it records the information indicating which of roads 2A or 2B was traveled on as part of the driving history, and even if the vehicle then travels on road 3, it does not record the information indicating that it traveled on road 3 in the driving history. This significantly reduces the amount of data for driving history information and shortens the communication time between the in-vehicle unit 10 and the exit toll gate server 30. In addition, the variable toll calculation unit 302 of the exit toll gate server 30 does not need to identify the roads traveled by vehicle V, thus shortening the processing time.

[0053] (Effects and Benefits) As described above, the driving route guidance system 100 according to this embodiment includes: a guidance information notification unit (roadside antenna 41) that notifies the vehicle V of guidance information indicating a change in the toll for at least one of the multiple roads at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads branch off; a history information receiving unit 301 that receives from the vehicle V driving history information that can identify the roads the vehicle V has traveled and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads the vehicle V has traveled has been notified to the vehicle V; and a variable toll calculation unit 302 that calculates the variable toll to be applied to the vehicle V based on the driving history information and the notification history information.

[0054] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can, for example, guide vehicle V to another road that is not congested if one of several branching roads becomes congested, by notifying vehicle V of guidance information before the branching point. In other words, the route guidance system 100 can guide vehicle V to the road (route) desired by the toll road operator, depending on road conditions, etc. Furthermore, since the driver of vehicle V can know in advance which road to take based on the guidance information, they can choose a route that is advantageous to them, such as selecting a road that is not congested.

[0055] Furthermore, the guidance information includes variable toll information indicating a change in the toll for at least one of several roads. The variable toll calculation unit 302 calculates the amount of the toll change corresponding to the vehicle V's travel on the road in question when the road for which the toll change has been notified in the guidance information matches the road traveled by vehicle V, which is identified from the travel history information.

[0056] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can apply the variable toll to vehicle V only when the vehicle V has actually been notified of the guidance information and has traveled on a road where the toll change has been notified by this guidance information. For example, if guidance information is notified to increase the toll on road 2B due to congestion, the increased toll will not be applied to vehicle V that entered road 2B before this guidance information was notified. Therefore, vehicle V that was traveling on road 2B before the start of route guidance by the guidance information will not suffer any disadvantage (increased toll). Also, if guidance information is notified to discount the toll on road 2A in order to alleviate congestion on road 2B, the benefit (toll discount) can be provided only to vehicle V that traveled on the route desired by the road operator (road 2A) in accordance with the guidance information.

[0057] Furthermore, the driving history information includes the time series of positioning information recorded by the vehicle V's onboard unit 10, or the roads that vehicle V traveled on, as identified from the time series of positioning information.

[0058] In this way, the driving route guidance system 100 can accurately determine which roads vehicle V has traveled on, based on positioning information collected by the vehicle's onboard device 10 or a list of roads traveled.

[0059] Furthermore, the driving history information includes location information of ITS spots received by the vehicle's onboard unit 10 from the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot installed on the road.

[0060] In this way, the driving path guidance system 100 can accurately determine which roads vehicle V has traveled on, based on the location information recorded each time the vehicle V's onboard device passes an ITS spot.

[0061] Furthermore, the guidance information notification unit is a roadside antenna 41 that transmits guidance information to the on-board unit 10 of the vehicle V, and the notification history information includes guidance information received by the on-board unit 10 from the roadside antenna 41.

[0062] In this way, the driving path guidance system 100 can more reliably notify the driver of the vehicle V via the in-vehicle device 10 of guidance information.

[0063] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 6. Components common to the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted. In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the exit toll gate server 30 receives history information from the on-board unit 10 of a vehicle V that has arrived at the exit toll gate and calculates the variable toll. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the center server 50 receives history information from the on-board unit 10 of a vehicle V that has arrived at an ITS spot and calculates the variable toll. That is, instead of the exit toll gate server 30, the center server 50 has a history information receiving unit 301 and a variable toll calculation unit 302.

[0064] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of the driving path guidance system according to the second embodiment. The processing flow of the driving path guidance system 100 of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Although not shown in Figure 6, the center server 50 and the roadside device 40 are assumed to be performing the same processing as in the first embodiment, which generates and notifies guidance information (steps S102 to S104 in Figure 5).

[0065] At an ITS spot, the roadside antenna 61 transmits location information (step S201). When vehicle V arrives at an ITS spot, the driving history recording unit 101 of the on-board unit 10 records the location information received from the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot as driving history (step S202). Also, when the history information transmission unit 103 of the on-board unit 10 receives a request from the roadside antenna 61 to transmit history information (step S203), it transmits history information, including the driving history information and notification history information of vehicle V, to the center server 50 via the roadside antenna 61 (step S204). This history information includes identification information of vehicle V (such as the identification information of the on-board unit 10). The variable toll calculation unit 302 of the center server 50 calculates the variable amount of the toll for vehicle V based on the history information received by the history information receiving unit 301 (step S205). The processing in step S205 is the same as in the first embodiment (step S110 in Figure 5). The variable toll calculation unit 302 records the identification information of the vehicle V and the calculated variable amount of the toll fee, linking them together.

[0066] Furthermore, if vehicle V passes through multiple ITS spots, the series of processes from steps S201 to S205 are executed each time, and the cumulative amount of variable charges for vehicle V is recorded in the center server 50.

[0067] Furthermore, when vehicle V arrives at the exit toll gate, the exit toll gate server 30 communicates wirelessly with the vehicle's onboard unit 10 via the roadside antenna 31 and performs the process of calculating the toll for vehicle V (step S206). The process in step S206 is the same as in the first embodiment (step S107 in Figure 5).

[0068] Furthermore, the billing processing unit 303 of the exit toll gate server 30 notifies the center server 50 of the identification information of vehicle V and inquires whether there is a variable charge (step S207). If the variable charge for the inquired vehicle V is recorded, the variable charge calculation unit 302 of the center server 50 transmits this to the exit toll gate server 30 (step S208). The billing processing unit 303 of the exit toll gate server 30 applies the variable charge received from the center server 50 to the toll calculated in step S107 to calculate the final toll charge (actual charge amount) for vehicle V (step S209). The billing processing unit 303 of the exit toll gate server 30 also performs a billing process to charge vehicle V the toll calculated in step S209 (step S210), generates billing data and transmits it to the center server 50 (step S211). The processing in steps S210 to S211 is the same as in the first embodiment (steps S112 to S113 in Figure 5).

[0069] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can collect historical information of vehicle V each time vehicle V passes through an ITS spot and calculate the variable toll to be applied to vehicle V in advance. As a result, when vehicle V arrives at an exit toll gate, the exit toll gate server 30 does not need to receive historical information and calculate the variable toll; it only needs to obtain the calculation result of the variable toll from the center server 50, thus shortening the processing time at the exit toll gate.

[0070] <Third Embodiment> The third embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Components common to the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0071] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the driving path guidance system according to the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the driving path guidance system 100 of this embodiment has an electronic display board 42 as a guidance information notification unit instead of a roadside antenna 41. The electronic display board 42 displays guidance information to the vehicle V (driver) passing through a notification point, in accordance with the control of the roadside device 40.

[0072] The notification processing unit 401 of the roadside device 40 notifies each vehicle V passing through the notification point by displaying guidance information received and recorded from the center server 50 on the electronic display board 42. The driver of vehicle V decides which road to take after the branching point (travel route) by referring to the guidance information displayed on the electronic display board 42.

[0073] Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of the driving path guidance system according to the second embodiment. The processing flow of the driving path guidance system 100 of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 8.

[0074] When vehicle V enters a toll road, the driving history recording unit 101 of the onboard unit 10 records the driving history of vehicle V (step S301). The process in step S301 is the same as in the first embodiment (step S101 in Figure 5).

[0075] Furthermore, the center server 50 generates guidance information based on the information entered by the operator and transmits it to the roadside device 40 at the notification point corresponding to the guidance information (for example, notification point 1 in Figure 7) (step S302). The notification processing unit 401 of the roadside device 40 at notification point 1 records the guidance information received from the center server 50 (step S303). The notification processing unit 401 of the roadside device 40 also displays the guidance information on the electronic display board 42 at the notification point (step S304).

[0076] Furthermore, when vehicle V arrives at notification point 1, the driver of vehicle V visually confirms the guidance information displayed on the electronic display board 42. Also, for example, a car navigation system or smartphone is connected to the vehicle's onboard unit 10 as a positioning device 20. The map data of this positioning device 20 includes location information for each notification point. In this case, if the positioning device 20 determines from the positioning information that vehicle V has passed notification point 1, it outputs information to the onboard unit 10 indicating that vehicle V has passed notification point 1. The notification history recording unit 102 of the onboard unit 10 records the notification point 1 and the time of passage as notification history based on the information acquired from the positioning device 20 (step S305).

[0077] Next, when vehicle V arrives at the exit toll gate, the exit toll gate server 30 communicates wirelessly with the vehicle's onboard unit 10 via the roadside antenna 31 and performs the process of calculating the vehicle's toll (step S306). Also, the history information receiving unit 301 of the exit toll gate server 30 requests history information from the onboard unit 10 (step S307). Then, the history information transmitting unit 103 of the onboard unit 10 transmits the vehicle V's driving history information and notification history information, including notification history information, to the exit toll gate server 30 (step S308). The processing in steps S306 to S308 is the same as in the first embodiment (steps S107 to S109 in Figure 5).

[0078] The variable toll calculation unit 302 of the exit toll gate server 30 calculates the amount of change in the toll for vehicle V based on the received history information (step S309). The variable toll calculation unit 302 queries the center server 50 for a guidance information table that records the content of the guidance information notified (displayed) at each notification point and the notification period, or obtains it from the center server 50 in advance. The variable toll calculation unit 302 also identifies the notification point 1 that vehicle V passed through and the time it passed through from the notification history information received from the on-board unit 10, and extracts the guidance information notified at notification point 1 at the time vehicle V passed through from the guidance information table. Furthermore, the variable toll calculation unit 302 identifies the road that vehicle V traveled on from the driving history information received from the on-board unit 10, and calculates the amount of change in the toll for vehicle V if it was traveling on a road where a change in the toll was notified in the guidance information.

[0079] Next, the variable charge calculation unit 302 of the exit toll gate server 30 applies the variable charge calculated in step S309 to the toll charge calculated in step S306 to calculate the final toll charge (actual charge amount) for vehicle V (step S310). The billing processing unit 303 of the exit toll gate server 30 performs billing processing to charge vehicle V the toll charge calculated in step S310 (step S311), generates billing data and sends it to the center server 50 (step S312). The processing in steps S310 to S312 is the same as in the first embodiment (steps S111 to S113 in Figure 5).

[0080] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can guide vehicle V along a route desired by the road operator by notifying guidance information on the electronic display board 42. In addition, the driver of vehicle V can refer to the guidance information displayed on the electronic display board 42 and select a route that results in lower tolls.

[0081] Figure 8 illustrates an example in which, in step S305, when the positioning device 20 determines that the vehicle has passed a notification point, the notification history recording unit 102 of the in-vehicle unit 10 records the notification point and the time of passage as notification history. However, the system is not limited to this example. In other embodiments, instead of the in-vehicle unit 10 (the in-vehicle unit 10 and the positioning device 20) determining whether or not the vehicle has passed a notification point, the exit toll gate server 30 may determine whether or not the vehicle V has passed a point. In this case, the in-vehicle unit 10 records only the driving history and does not record the notification history (step S305 is omitted). Also, in step S308, the history information transmission unit 103 of the in-vehicle unit 10 transmits only the driving history information to the exit toll gate server 30. In step S309, the variable toll calculation unit 302 of the exit toll gate server 30 identifies when and which notification point the vehicle V passed based on the driving history information received from the in-vehicle unit 10 and map data including the location of the notification point. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing in step S309 described above. That is, the variable toll calculation unit 302 extracts guidance information notified at the notification point at the time the vehicle V passed through from the guidance information table. The variable toll calculation unit 302 also identifies the road that the vehicle V traveled on from the travel history information received from the in-vehicle device 10, and calculates the amount of the change in the vehicle V's toll if the vehicle V was traveling on a road where a change in the toll was notified in the guidance information.

[0082] Furthermore, although an example of modifying part of the processing of the first embodiment is shown in Figure 8, the system is not limited to this, and similar to the second embodiment, the center server 50 may acquire vehicle history information via the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot and calculate the variable charge. In other words, steps S206 to S211 of the second embodiment (Figure 6) may be executed instead of steps S306 to S312 in Figure 8.

[0083] As described above, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to this embodiment, the guidance information notification unit is an electronic display board 42 that displays guidance information toward the vehicle V, the notification history information includes information indicating the notification points and times that the vehicle V has passed, and the variable fare calculation unit 302 identifies the guidance information notified to the vehicle V based on the notification history information and a guidance information table that records the guidance information and display period displayed at each of the multiple notification points.

[0084] In this way, the driving route guidance system 100 can simultaneously notify multiple vehicles V of guidance information via the electronic display board 42 instead of the roadside antenna 41.

[0085] Alternatively, the in-vehicle unit 10 may record only the driving history information and transmit it to the exit toll gate server 30. In this case, the variable toll calculation unit 302 of the exit toll gate server 30 identifies the guidance information notified to the vehicle V based on the driving history information and a guidance information table that records the guidance information and display period displayed at each of the multiple notification points, and determines whether the vehicle V drove on a road where a change in tolls was notified in the guidance information.

[0086] This eliminates the need for the in-vehicle unit 10 (in-vehicle unit 10 and positioning device 20) to determine whether or not a notification point has been passed, thus simplifying the configuration of the in-vehicle unit 10. Furthermore, when the location of a notification point is added or changed, only the map data of the exit toll gate server 30 needs to be updated, and even if the map data of the positioning device 20 remains outdated, it will not be affected by misjudging whether or not a notification point has been passed.

[0087] <Computer Configuration> Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer according to each embodiment. Computer 900 comprises a processor 901, main memory 902, auxiliary memory 903, and interface 904. The above-mentioned in-vehicle unit 10, exit toll booth server 30, roadside unit 40, and center server 50 are each implemented in different computers 900. The operation of each of the above-mentioned processing units is stored in the auxiliary memory 903 in the form of a program. The processor 901 reads the program from the auxiliary memory 903, expands it into the main memory 902, and executes the above processing according to the program. The processor 901 also allocates memory area in the main memory 902 to be used for the above processing according to the program.

[0088] The program may be for implementing a part of the functions to be performed by the computer 900. For example, the program may perform functions in combination with other programs already stored in the auxiliary storage device 903, or in combination with other programs implemented in other devices. In other embodiments, the computer may be equipped with a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to, or in place of, the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. In this case, some or all of the functions implemented by the processor may be implemented by the integrated circuit.

[0089] Examples of auxiliary storage devices 903 include HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROMs (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), and semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage device 903 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the computer 900, or it may be an external medium (external storage device 910) connected to the computer 900 via an interface 904 or a communication line. Furthermore, if this program is distributed to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900 that receives the distribution may expand the program into the main memory 902 and execute the above processing. In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 903 is a tangible storage medium that is not temporary.

[0090] <Other Embodiments> Although one embodiment has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design changes are possible. In other embodiments, the order of the above-described processes may be changed as appropriate. Also, some processes may be executed in parallel.

[0091] <Note> The above-described embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0092] (1) According to the first embodiment, the driving route guidance system 100 includes: guidance information notification units 41, 42 that notify the vehicle V of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads the vehicle should drive on at a notification point before a branching point where the roads branch off; a history information receiving unit 301 that receives from the vehicle V driving history information that can identify the roads the vehicle V has traveled on, and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads the vehicle V has traveled on has been notified to the vehicle; and a variable toll calculation unit 302 that calculates a variable amount of the vehicle V's toll based on the driving history information and the notification history information.

[0093] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can, for example, guide vehicle V to another road that is not congested if one of several branching roads becomes congested, by notifying vehicle V of guidance information before the branching point. In other words, the route guidance system 100 can guide vehicle V to the road (route) desired by the toll road operator, depending on road conditions, etc. Furthermore, since the driver of vehicle V can know in advance which road to take based on the guidance information, they can choose a route that is advantageous to them, such as selecting a road that is not congested.

[0094] (2) According to the second embodiment, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to the first embodiment, the guidance information includes variable toll information indicating a change in the toll for at least one of the multiple roads, and the variable toll calculation unit 302 calculates the amount of the change in the toll corresponding to the vehicle V's travel on the road when the road on which the change in the toll has been notified in the guidance information matches the road on which the vehicle V, identified from the driving history information, traveled.

[0095] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can apply the variable toll to vehicle V only when the vehicle V has actually been notified of the guidance information and has traveled on a road where the toll change has been notified by this guidance information. For example, if guidance information is notified to increase the toll on road 2B due to congestion, the increased toll will not be applied to vehicle V that entered road 2B before this guidance information was notified. Therefore, vehicle V that was traveling on road 2B before the start of route guidance by the guidance information will not suffer any disadvantage (increased toll). Also, if guidance information is notified to discount the toll on road 2A in order to alleviate congestion on road 2B, the benefit (toll discount) can be provided only to vehicle V that traveled on the route desired by the road operator (road 2A) in accordance with the guidance information.

[0096] (3) According to the third embodiment, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to the first or second embodiment, the driving history information includes a time series of positioning information recorded by the onboard unit 10 of the vehicle V, or the roads that the vehicle V has traveled on, as identified from the time series of positioning information.

[0097] In this way, the driving route guidance system 100 can accurately determine which roads vehicle V has traveled on, based on positioning information collected by the vehicle's onboard device 10 or a list of roads traveled.

[0098] (4) According to the fourth embodiment, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to the first or second embodiment, the driving history information includes the location information of the ITS spot received by the on-board unit 10 of the vehicle V from the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot installed on the road.

[0099] In this way, the driving path guidance system 100 can accurately determine which roads vehicle V has traveled on, based on the location information recorded each time the vehicle V's onboard device passes an ITS spot.

[0100] (5) According to the fifth embodiment, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, the history information receiving unit 301 and the variable fare calculation unit 302 are provided in the exit toll gate server 30 of the exit toll gate.

[0101] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can determine the amount to be charged at the exit toll gate by applying a variable toll to the vehicle V to the toll fee, which is determined according to the road traveled by the vehicle V.

[0102] (6) According to the sixth embodiment, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, the history information receiving unit 301 and the variable toll calculation unit 302 are provided in the center server 50, and the history information receiving unit 301 of the center server 50 receives driving history information and notification history information from the vehicle via the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot when the vehicle V passes through the ITS spot provided on the road, and the variable toll calculation unit 302 of the center server 50 calculates the variable amount of the toll for the vehicle V when it receives driving history information and notification history information from the vehicle V.

[0103] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can collect historical information of vehicle V each time vehicle V passes through an ITS spot and calculate the variable toll to be applied to vehicle V in advance. As a result, when vehicle V arrives at an exit toll gate, the exit toll gate server 30 does not need to receive historical information and calculate the variable toll; it only needs to obtain the calculation result of the variable toll from the center server 50, thus shortening the processing time at the exit toll gate.

[0104] (7) According to the seventh aspect, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the guidance information notification unit is a roadside antenna 41 that transmits guidance information to the on-board unit 10 of the vehicle V, and the notification history information includes guidance information received by the on-board unit 10 from the roadside antenna 41.

[0105] As in the third embodiment, if guidance information is notified via the electronic display board 42, the driver of vehicle V may overlook this guidance information. In contrast, by notifying the on-board unit 10 of the guidance information via the roadside antenna 41 as described above, the guidance information can be more reliably notified to the driver of vehicle V via the on-board unit 10.

[0106] (8) According to the eighth aspect, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the guidance information notification unit is an electronic display board 42 that displays guidance information toward the vehicle V, the notification history information includes information indicating the notification points and times that the vehicle V has passed, and the variable fare calculation unit 302 identifies the guidance information notified to the vehicle V based on the notification history information and a guidance information table that records the guidance information and display period displayed at each of the multiple notification points.

[0107] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can guide vehicle V along a route desired by the road operator by notifying guidance information on the electronic display board 42. In addition, the driver of vehicle V can refer to the guidance information displayed on the electronic display board 42 and select a route that results in lower tolls.

[0108] (9) According to the ninth aspect, the driving route guidance system 100 includes a guidance information notification unit that notifies the vehicle of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads it should travel on at a notification point before a branching point where the roads branch off, a history information receiving unit 301 that receives driving history information from the vehicle V that allows the vehicle to identify the roads it has traveled on, and a variable toll calculation unit 302 that calculates the amount of change in the vehicle's toll based on the driving history information and guidance information. The guidance information notification unit is an electronic display board 42 that displays the guidance information toward the vehicle V, and the variable toll calculation unit 302 identifies the guidance information notified to the vehicle based on the driving history information and a guidance information table that records the guidance information and display period displayed at each of the multiple notification points, identifies whether the vehicle V traveled on a road for which a change in the toll was notified in the guidance information, and calculates the amount of change in the vehicle's toll.

[0109] In this way, the driving route guidance system 100 can guide the vehicle V along the route desired by the road operator by notifying guidance information on the electronic display board 42. Furthermore, since it is no longer necessary for the on-board unit 10 (on-board unit 10 and positioning device 20) to determine whether or not a notification point has been passed, the configuration of the on-board unit 10 can be simplified. Moreover, even when the location of a notification point is added or changed, only the map data of the exit toll gate server 30 needs to be updated, and even if the map data of the positioning device 20 remains outdated, it will not be affected by misjudging whether or not a notification point has been passed.

[0110] (10) According to the tenth embodiment, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to the ninth embodiment, the history information receiving unit 301 and the variable fare calculation unit 302 are provided in the exit toll gate server 30 of the exit toll gate.

[0111] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can determine the amount to be charged at the exit toll gate by applying a variable toll to the vehicle V to the toll fee, which is determined according to the road traveled by the vehicle V.

[0112] (11) According to the 11th embodiment, in the driving route guidance system 100 according to the 9th embodiment, the history information receiving unit 301 and the variable toll calculation unit 302 are provided in the center server 50, and the history information receiving unit 301 of the center server 50 receives driving history information from the vehicle via the roadside antenna 61 of the ITS spot when the vehicle V passes through the ITS spot provided on the road, and the variable toll calculation unit 302 of the center server 50 calculates the variable amount of the toll for the vehicle V when it receives driving history information from the vehicle V.

[0113] In this way, the route guidance system 100 can collect historical information of vehicle V each time vehicle V passes through an ITS spot and calculate the variable toll to be applied to vehicle V in advance. As a result, when vehicle V arrives at an exit toll gate, the exit toll gate server 30 does not need to receive historical information and calculate the variable toll; it only needs to obtain the calculation result of the variable toll from the center server 50, thus shortening the processing time at the exit toll gate.

[0114] (12) According to the 12th embodiment, the driving route guidance method includes the steps of: notifying vehicle V of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads should be driven on at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads branch off; receiving from vehicle V driving history information that can identify the roads driven by vehicle V and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads driven by vehicle V was notified to vehicle V; and calculating the amount of change in vehicle V's toll based on the driving history information and notification history information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 100 Driving Path Guidance System 10 Onboard equipment 101 Driving History Recording Section 102 Notification History Recording Section 103 History Information Transmission Unit 20 Positioning device 21 Output device 30 Exit toll gate server 301 History Information Receiving Unit 302 Variable Rate Calculation Section 303 Billing Processing Unit 31 Roadside antenna 40 Roadside equipment 401 Notification Processing Unit 41. Roadside antenna (guidance information notification unit) 42. Electronic display board (guidance information notification section) 50 Center Servers 61 Roadside antenna V Vehicle

Claims

1. A guidance information notification unit that notifies the vehicle of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads to travel on at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads diverge, A history information receiving unit receives from the vehicle driving history information that can identify the roads the vehicle has traveled, and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads the vehicle has traveled has been notified to the vehicle. A variable toll calculation unit calculates the variable amount of the toll for the vehicle based on the aforementioned driving history information and notification history information, A driving path guidance system equipped with the following features.

2. The guidance information includes variable toll information indicating changes in the toll for at least one of the multiple roads, The variable toll calculation unit calculates the amount of the toll change corresponding to the vehicle's travel on the road when the road on which the toll change has been notified by the guidance information matches the road on which the vehicle traveled, as identified from the travel history information. The travel path guidance system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned driving history information includes a time series of positioning information recorded by the vehicle's onboard device, or roads traveled by the vehicle as identified from the time series of positioning information. The travel path guidance system according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned driving history information includes location information of the ITS spot received by the vehicle's onboard unit from the roadside antenna of the ITS spot installed on the road. The travel path guidance system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned history information receiving unit and the aforementioned variable charge calculation unit are installed in the exit toll gate server of the exit toll gate. A driving path guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The aforementioned history information receiving unit and the aforementioned variable charge calculation unit are provided in the central server. The history information receiving unit of the central server receives the driving history information and notification history information from the vehicle via the roadside antenna of the ITS spot when the vehicle passes through the ITS spot provided on the road. The variable toll calculation unit of the central server calculates the variable amount of the toll for the vehicle when it receives the driving history information and the notification history information from the vehicle. A driving path guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The guidance information notification unit is a roadside antenna that transmits the guidance information to the vehicle's onboard device. The notification history information includes guidance information received by the in-vehicle unit from the roadside antenna. A driving path guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The guidance information notification unit is an electronic display board that displays the guidance information toward the vehicle, The notification history information includes information indicating the notification location and time of passage of the vehicle. The variable fare calculation unit identifies the guidance information notified to the vehicle based on the notification history information and a guidance information table that records the guidance information and display period displayed at each of the multiple notification locations. A driving path guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A guidance information notification unit that notifies the vehicle of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads to travel on at a notification point before a branching point where multiple roads diverge, A history information receiving unit receives driving history information from the vehicle that can identify the roads the vehicle has traveled on, A variable toll calculation unit calculates the variable amount of the toll for the vehicle based on the aforementioned driving history information and guidance information, Equipped with, The guidance information notification unit is an electronic display board that displays the guidance information toward the vehicle, The variable toll calculation unit identifies the guidance information notified to the vehicle based on the driving history information and a guidance information table that records the guidance information and display period displayed at each of the multiple notification points, determines whether the vehicle traveled on a road where a change in tolls was notified by the guidance information, and calculates the amount of the change in the vehicle's toll. A driving path guidance system.

10. The aforementioned history information receiving unit and the aforementioned variable charge calculation unit are installed in the exit toll gate server of the exit toll gate. The travel path guidance system according to claim 9.

11. The aforementioned history information receiving unit and the aforementioned variable charge calculation unit are provided in the central server. The history information receiving unit of the center server receives the driving history information from the vehicle via the roadside antenna of the ITS spot when the vehicle passes through the ITS spot provided on the road. The variable toll calculation unit of the central server calculates the variable amount of the toll for the vehicle when it receives the driving history information from the vehicle. The travel path guidance system according to claim 9.

12. The steps include: notifying the vehicle of guidance information indicating which of the multiple roads it should travel on at a notification point before a branching point where the roads diverge; The steps include receiving from the vehicle driving history information that can identify the roads the vehicle traveled, and notification history information that can identify whether or not guidance information corresponding to the roads the vehicle traveled was notified to the vehicle, A step of calculating the amount of change in the toll fee for the vehicle based on the aforementioned driving history information and the aforementioned notification history information, A method for guiding a travel route, comprising the following:

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