Traffic information provision device and traffic information provision method

Abstract

To provide a traffic information providing device and traffic information providing method that accurately predict the risk of traffic jams occurring on main roads based on changes in the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on main roads and non-main roads in a target area over a predetermined period, using location information collected from multiple vehicles. [Solution] The traffic information providing device includes a driving information acquisition unit that acquires driving information from vehicles, a map information acquisition unit that stores map information, a calendar information acquisition unit that stores calendar-related information, a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information, and an evaluation unit that calculates the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road during the forecast period in a predetermined area, compares this with the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road between the forecast period and past periods, and determines that if the weather information during the forecast period is worse than in past periods, and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with lower road levels is higher than that of roads with higher road levels, then there is a high risk of traffic jams occurring on roads with high road levels within the predetermined area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a traffic information providing device and a traffic information providing method for predicting the risk of traffic jams on arterial roads.

Background Art

[0002] As a traffic safety problem in winter, there is an event in which a large number of vehicles are stuck on the road starting from vehicles stacked on the road due to snow accumulation. Once a traffic jam occurs, the overlapping of snowfalls makes it difficult to rescue vehicles, and it may take several days to resolve the traffic jam, which has become a social problem. Therefore, technologies for determining the risk of occurrence of traffic obstacles related to weather such as snow accumulation have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for predicting the risk of occurrence of traffic obstacles on a driving route based on traffic congestion information and weather information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when vehicles are stacked and traffic jams occur on arterial roads such as highways, the vehicles are already in a state of being stuck in the road at the time when the traffic jam occurs, and the technique shown in Patent Document 1 cannot avoid traffic jams. Therefore, a technique for obtaining information for a driver to avoid in advance by predicting the risk of traffic jams is desired.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a traffic information providing device and a traffic information providing method that accurately predict the risk of traffic jams occurring on main roads based on changes in the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on main roads and non-main roads in a target area over a predetermined period, using location information collected from multiple vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A traffic information providing device according to one aspect of the present invention (for example, traffic information providing device 1 described below) is: A driving information acquisition unit (for example, a driving information acquisition unit 110, described later) acquires driving information including location information from multiple vehicles in motion (for example, vehicle 20, described later), A map information acquisition unit (for example, the map information acquisition unit 111 described later) stores road information as map information including the main road level, A calendar information acquisition unit (for example, the calendar information acquisition unit 112 described later) stores information related to the calendar, A weather information acquisition unit (for example, a weather information acquisition unit 114, described later) acquires weather information for a region that includes the map information stored in the map information acquisition unit (for example, a map information acquisition unit 111, described later), An evaluation unit (for example, evaluation unit 115 described later) calculates the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road during the forecast period of the calendar within a predetermined area of ​​the map information, compares the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road with the ratio of vehicles traveling on past roads during periods prior to the forecast period of the calendar, and determines that there is a high risk of traffic jams occurring on the roads with high trunk levels within the predetermined area if the weather information for the forecast period including the predetermined area has worsened compared to the weather information for past periods, and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with lower trunk levels has increased compared to roads with higher trunk levels. It is equipped with.

[0007] According to (1) above, it becomes possible to accurately predict the risk of getting stuck.

[0008] (2) In the traffic information provision device described in (1) above (for example, traffic information provision device 1 described later), the past period is the period including the day before the predicted period.

[0009] According to (2) above, it becomes possible to accurately predict the risk of getting stuck.

[0010] (3) In the traffic information provision device described in (1) above (for example, traffic information provision device 1 described later), the past period is the period of the same time in the past of the prediction target period.

[0011] According to (3) above, it becomes possible to accurately predict the risk of getting stuck.

[0012] (4) In the traffic information providing device described in any of (1) to (3) above (for example, the traffic information providing device 1 described later), the driving information acquisition unit (for example, the driving information acquisition unit 110 described later) includes vehicle classification information of the vehicle (for example, the vehicle 20 described later) in the driving information. The evaluation unit (for example, the evaluation unit 115 described later) excludes vehicles (for example, the vehicle 20 described later) whose vehicle classification information indicates they are large vehicles when aggregating the ratio of the number of vehicles in operation.

[0013] According to (4) above, it becomes possible to accurately predict the risk of getting stuck.

[0014] (5) In the traffic information providing device described in any of (1) to (3) above (for example, the traffic information providing device 1 described later), the evaluation unit (for example, the evaluation unit 115 described later) estimates the base location of the vehicle from the location information and the vehicle's departure point accumulation status, and then uses the vehicle whose base is in the second predetermined area including the predetermined area as the target for aggregating the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling.

[0015] According to (5) above, it becomes possible to accurately predict the risk of getting stuck.

[0016] (6) In the traffic information providing device according to any one of (1) to (3) above (for example, the traffic information providing device 1 described later), it is determined that the deterioration of the weather information deteriorates when the snowfall amount increases.

[0017] According to (6) above, it becomes possible to accurately predict the occurrence risk of traffic jams.

[0018] (7) The traffic information providing method of the present invention is a traffic information providing method executed by a computer, a travel information acquisition step of acquiring travel information including position information from a plurality of vehicles (for example, vehicle 20 described later) during travel; a map information acquisition step of storing information on roads as map information including the trunk line level of the roads; a calendar information step in which information related to the calendar is stored; a weather information acquisition step of acquiring weather information of a region including the stored map information; In a predetermined area of the map information, calculate the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on each road during the prediction target period of the calendar, compare the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on each road with the past ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on each road during the past period of the calendar, and when the weather information during the prediction target period including the predetermined area deteriorates compared to the weather information during the past period, and the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on the road with a lower trunk line level is higher than that on the road with a higher trunk line level, determine that the risk of traffic jam occurring on the road with a higher trunk line level within the predetermined area is high. An evaluation step; It is provided with.

[0019] According to (7) above, the same effect as the traffic information providing device of (1) above is achieved.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, by using the position information collected from a plurality of vehicles, based on the change in the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on arterial roads and roads other than arterial roads in a target area during a predetermined period, the risk of traffic congestion occurring on arterial roads can be accurately predicted.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a traffic information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a traffic information providing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of travel information in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between a highway and a national highway in a predetermined area of map information in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on a highway and a national highway from January 1 to January 15 in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing traffic information providing processing in an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the traffic information providing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of a traffic information providing system 100. The traffic information providing system 100 includes a traffic information providing apparatus 1, vehicles 20, in-vehicle devices 30 mounted on the vehicles 20, user terminals 40, and a weather information providing server 50.

[0023] Vehicle 20 is, for example, a connected car based on telematics technology, and is capable of communicating with a connected system (not shown) operated by the vehicle manufacturer of the vehicle 20 via an in-vehicle device 30. The traffic information providing device 1 receives driving information, including at least location information, time information, and vehicle classification information, which is identified by the vehicle ID of each vehicle 20 that communicates with the connected system, from the in-vehicle device 30 of the vehicle 20 via a communication network such as a network (not shown).

[0024] The on-board device 30 is, for example, a computer such as the on-board ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle 20. When the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 is turned on, the on-board device 30 transmits driving information, including the location information, time information, and vehicle classification information of the vehicle 20, to the traffic information providing device 1. Subsequently, the on-board device 30 transmits driving information, including the location information, time information, and vehicle classification information of the vehicle 20, to the traffic information providing device 1, for example, periodically, until the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 is turned off. When the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 is turned off, the on-board device 30 stops transmitting the driving information of the vehicle 20 to the traffic information providing device 1.

[0025] The traffic information provider 1 acquires driving information including the location, time, and vehicle classification information of the user (vehicle 20), and also acquires weather information including map information from weather information provider servers 50 such as the Japan Meteorological Agency and private weather companies. The traffic information provider 1 calculates the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road during the forecast period of the calendar within a predetermined area of ​​the map information, and compares the calculated ratio of vehicles traveling on each road with the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road in a period prior to the forecast period. The traffic information provider 1 determines that there is a high possibility of traffic jams occurring on roads with high trunk levels within the predetermined area if the weather information for the forecast period including the predetermined area has worsened compared to the weather information for past periods, and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with low trunk levels has increased compared to roads with high trunk levels. The traffic information provider 1 outputs information regarding the possibility of traffic jams occurring to the user terminal 40.

[0026] The user terminal 40 is a PC, smartphone, or tablet belonging to the user who owns the vehicle 20. The user terminal 40 has application software pre-installed for linking with the traffic information provision device 1. The user terminal 40 of the vehicle 20 receives and displays information from the traffic information device 1 regarding the possibility of a vehicle becoming stranded. By doing so, the traffic information provider 1 can avoid traffic jams by directing the user's vehicle 20 to travel on roads other than those where traffic jams are predicted to occur. The system configuration outline in this embodiment has been described above.

[0027] <Traffic information providing device 1> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of the traffic information providing device 1. As shown in Figure 2, the traffic information providing device 1 is composed of a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a display unit 14, and an input unit 15.

[0028] The control unit 11 consists of a processing unit such as a microprocessor and controls each part that makes up the traffic information provision device 1. Details of the control unit 11 will be described later.

[0029] The memory unit 12 is composed of semiconductor memory and stores various programs such as control programs called firmware and operating systems, programs for acquiring driving information from each vehicle 20, estimating the home location of each vehicle 20 user, acquiring calendar information, acquiring weather information, evaluation processing, and output processing, as well as other various information such as map information, driving information of the vehicles 20, calendar information, and weather information. As shown in Figure 2, the storage unit 12 includes a map information storage unit 121, a driving information storage unit 122, calendar information 123, and weather information 124.

[0030] The map information storage unit 121 stores map information from the map information acquisition unit 111, which will be described later, including road information at the trunk road level. That is, the stored map information may include road information including at least highways, national roads, prefectural roads, and other trunk roads. In addition, the map information may also include road network data such as location information and type information of nodes (e.g., road intersections, bends, endpoints, etc.), location information and type information of links which are routes connecting each node, and link cost data related to the cost information of all links (e.g., distance, travel time, etc.). Furthermore, the trunk road level can be set based on the type of road. More specifically, for example, expressways may be set at the highest level. Then, national roads may be set at the next highest trunk road level after expressways, and the trunk road level may be lowered as the road type changes from national roads to prefectural roads and municipal roads. In addition, municipal roads may be further divided into three levels: first-class trunk municipal roads, second-class trunk municipal roads, and other municipal roads, thus classifying them into expressways, national roads, prefectural roads, first-class trunk municipal roads, second-class trunk municipal roads, and other municipal roads.

[0031] The driving information storage unit 122 stores driving information (location information, time information, vehicle classification information, etc.) received from the on-board devices 30 of each of the multiple vehicles 20, linking it to the vehicle ID. Figure 3 shows an example of driving information. As shown in Figure 3, the driving information includes storage areas for "Vehicle ID," "Vehicle Classification Information," "ON Date and Time," "OFF Date and Time," and "Travel Route Information." The "Vehicle ID" storage area within the driving information stores a vehicle ID that identifies vehicle 20. The vehicle ID may contain any combination of letters and numbers, or it may also contain the vehicle 20's license plate number or VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). The "Vehicle Classification Information" storage area within the driving information stores information about 20 vehicle classifications, such as "regular passenger car" and "large vehicle." The "ON Date and Time" storage area within the driving information stores time information indicating the date and time when the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 was turned on, as measured by the on-board device 30. The "OFF Date and Time" storage area within the driving information stores time information indicating the date and time when the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 was turned off, as measured by the on-board device 30. In the "travel route information" storage area within the driving information, position information measured by the vehicle's onboard device 30 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 3 minutes) between the date and time of the "ON date and time" storage area and the date and time of the "OFF date and time" storage area is stored as the vehicle's travel route information.

[0032] The calendar information 123 stores calendar information for the past few years, which is stored in the calendar information acquisition unit 112, described later. The calendar information 123 may also include, for example, holiday information.

[0033] Weather information 124 stores regional weather information, including map information, obtained by the weather information acquisition unit 114 (described later) from the weather information provision server 50, which is a weather database provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency or private weather companies.

[0034] The memory unit 12 has been described above, but for example, the map information stored in the map information memory unit 121, the calendar information 123, and the weather information 124 may be configured to be stored in advance, or they may be configured to be downloaded as needed from a server device (not shown) including a weather information provision server 50 connected to a communication network (not shown).

[0035] The communication unit 13 has a DSP, etc., and complies with standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and realizes wireless and wired communication between the vehicle's in-vehicle device 30, user terminal 40, weather information server 50, etc., via a communication network (not shown). The communication network (not shown) is realized by networks such as the Internet and mobile phone networks, or networks that combine these. A LAN (Local Area Network) may also be included as part of the network.

[0036] The display unit 14 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescent panel. The display unit 14 displays an image (screen) in response to instructions from the control unit 11. The input unit 15 consists of input devices such as physical switches called a numeric keypad and a touch panel (not shown) mounted on top of the display surface of the display unit 14.

[0037] Next, the details of the control unit 11 will be explained. The control unit 11 is composed of a microprocessor having a CPU, RAM, ROM, and I / O. The CPU executes each program read from the ROM or storage unit 12, and during execution, it reads information from the RAM, ROM, and storage unit 12, writes information to the RAM and storage unit 12, and exchanges signals with the communication unit 13. In this way, the processing in this embodiment is realized through the cooperation of hardware and software (programs).

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 11 includes, as functional blocks, a driving information acquisition unit 110, a map information acquisition unit 111, a calendar information acquisition unit 112, a home location estimation unit 113, a weather information acquisition unit 114, an evaluation unit 115, and an output unit 116.

[0039] The driving information acquisition unit 110 acquires driving information, including at least location information, time information, and vehicle classification information, from each vehicle 20 that communicates with the connected system, for example from an in-vehicle device 30. Specifically, the driving information acquisition unit 110 receives, for example, driving information from the vehicle's onboard device 30, including at least the vehicle's location information, time information, and vehicle classification information, along with the vehicle ID of the vehicle 20. The driving information acquisition unit 110 stores the received driving information of the vehicle 20 in the driving information storage unit 122.

[0040] The map information acquisition unit 111 acquires and stores road information, including road trunk level map information, and also stores it in the map information storage unit 121.

[0041] The calendar information acquisition unit 112 acquires and stores calendar-related information for the past several years, and also stores it in the calendar information unit 123.

[0042] The home location estimation unit 113 estimates the home location on the map information for each of the multiple vehicles 20 from the driving information storage area "ON date and time" (or storage area "OFF date and time") and the storage area "travel route information" of the driving information stored in the driving information storage unit 122. Specifically, the home location estimation unit 113 refers, for example, to the "ON date and time" storage area and the first location information in the "travel route information" storage area of ​​the driving information storage unit 122 (or the "OFF date and time" storage area and the last location information in the "travel route information" storage area). Based on statistics of the departure location where the vehicle 20's ignition switch (or power switch) was first turned on each day (or the stopping location where the ignition switch or power switch was last turned off), the home location estimation unit 113 estimates the location with the highest statistical frequency as the vehicle 20's home location. Furthermore, the home location estimation unit 113 may estimate the user's workplace or school, etc., as their home location by comparing the parking location with map information if the user frequently moves from their home to their home after staying for a long time at the same parking location where they turned off the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 on each day (especially on weekdays, etc.), and then using that parking location as the departure location where the ignition switch (or power switch) was turned on. The home location estimation unit 113 may, for example, register a location previously registered by the user terminal 40 of the vehicle 20 as the home location. The home location estimation unit 113 may store the estimated location of the vehicle 20 user's home (e.g., home, workplace, school, etc.) in the driving information storage unit 122 as a home location linked to the vehicle ID.

[0043] The weather information acquisition unit 114 acquires, for example, regional weather information including map information stored in the map information acquisition unit 111 (or map information storage unit 121) from the weather information provision server 50, which is a weather database provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency or private weather companies. The weather information acquisition unit 114 stores the acquired weather information in the weather information 124.

[0044] The evaluation unit 115 calculates the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road during the forecast period of the calendar within a predetermined area of ​​map information, compares the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road with the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road in past periods prior to the forecast period of the calendar, and determines that there is a high risk of vehicles getting stuck on roads with high trunk levels within the predetermined area if the weather information for the forecast period including the predetermined area has worsened compared to the weather information for past periods, and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with low trunk levels has increased compared to roads with high trunk levels. In the following, we will use expressways as an example of a high-level trunk road and national highways as an example of a low-level trunk road. We will also use an example where the forecast period for the calendar is the winter period from January 1st to January 15th, and the past period is the day before each day in the forecast period.

[0045] Figure 4 shows an example of the positional relationship between expressways and national roads within a predetermined area of ​​map information. As shown in Figure 4, in a given area, Expressway A runs through it, and National Highway B1 runs parallel to Expressway A. Expressway A also has four interchanges A1 to A4 within the given area. Interchange A1 connects to National Highway B3, and Interchange A2 connects to National Highways B1 and B2. Interchanges A3 and A4 of Expressway A also connect to National Highway B1. Specifically, the evaluation unit 115, for example, refers to the "travel route information" storage area of ​​the travel information storage unit 122, and calculates the number of vehicles 20 traveling between each interchange of Expressway A and the total number of vehicles 20 traveling at each interchange of National Routes B1 to B3 for each day from January 1 to January 15 in a predetermined area of ​​map information. The evaluation unit 115 calculates the ratio of traffic volume between interchanges on Expressway A and between interchanges on National Routes B1 to B3, using the calculated traffic volume between interchanges on Expressway A and between interchanges on National Routes B1 to B3 as a baseline, for example, the traffic volume at interchange A2 on National Route B1.

[0046] Figure 5 shows an example of the traffic volume ratio on Expressway A and National Routes B1-B3 from January 1st to January 15th. The legend in the margin shows the traffic volume ratios for Expressway A (between Interchanges A1 and A2), Expressway A (between Interchanges A2 and A3), Expressway A (between Interchanges A3 and A4), National Route B1 (Interchange A4), National Route B1 (Interchange A2), National Route B1 (Interchange A3), National Route B2 (Interchange A2), and National Route B3 (Interchange A1), respectively. Note that the traffic volume ratio is based on the traffic volume on National Route B1 (Interchange A2), so the traffic volume ratio for National Route B1 (Interchange A2) remains constant at 100%. Furthermore, due to the closure of Expressway A from January 9th to January 11th or 12th, the traffic volume ratios for Expressway A (between Interchanges A1 and A2), Expressway A (between Interchanges A2 and A3), Expressway A (between Interchanges A3 and A4), and National Route B1 (interchange A4) are missing. As a result of the closure of Expressway A, the traffic volume ratio on the detour routes, National Routes B1 to B3, increased during the period from January 9th to January 12th. As shown in Figure 5, the traffic volume ratios between interchanges A1-A2, A2-A3, and A3-A4 on Expressway A were generally higher due to the New Year's holiday period from January 1st to January 4th. However, at least until January 7th, the balance of traffic volume ratios on each road did not fundamentally change much.

[0047] The evaluation unit 115 compares the ratio of vehicles traveling on each of the following routes: Expressway A (between interchanges A1 and A2), Expressway A (between interchanges A2 and A3), Expressway A (between interchanges A3 and A4), National Route B1 (interchange A4), National Route B1 (interchange A2), National Route B1 (interchange A3), National Route B2 (interchange A2), and National Route B3 (interchange A1). For example, in the predetermined region shown in Figure 4, when the weather deteriorates, such as the snowfall gradually intensifying and the amount of snowfall increasing, from January 7 to January 9 within the forecast period from January 1 to January 15, as shown in Figure 5, the ratio of traffic on National Highway B3 (Interchange A1), which is at a lower trunk level, gradually increases compared to the ratio of traffic between interchanges on Expressway A, which is at a higher trunk level, resulting in an imbalance. Normally, users of vehicle 20 would choose to travel on Expressway A, which is managed and maintained for snow removal, but local users whose homes, workplaces, or other bases are located within the second designated area, which includes the designated area, likely chose to avoid Expressway A and take National Route B3 due to the snowfall. In other words, local users likely judged that Expressway A would become impassable and likely be closed due to the weather conditions. Therefore, the evaluation unit 115 determines that there is a high probability of traffic jams occurring on expressway A within the predetermined area if the weather information for the forecast period including the predetermined area is worse than the weather information for the past period (for example, the previous day), and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with a lower trunk level (national road B3) is higher than that of roads with a higher trunk level (expressway A). Thus, the traffic information device 1 can accurately predict the likelihood of traffic jams occurring on Expressway A within a designated area as of January 8th, the day before Expressway A is closed to traffic on January 9th.

[0048] If the evaluation unit 115 determines that there is a high probability of traffic jams occurring on highway A (main road), the output unit 116 creates information indicating the possibility of traffic jams occurring on highway A (for example, a warning image or text) and outputs it to the user's terminal 40. The configuration of the traffic information provision device 1 has been explained above.

[0049] <In-vehicle device 30> Figure 6 shows the overall configuration of the in-vehicle device 30. As shown in Figure 6, the in-vehicle device 30 is composed of a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, a sensor unit 34, a display unit 35, and an input unit 36.

[0050] The control unit 31 consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, and other arithmetic processing units, and controls each part of the in-vehicle device 30. The CPU executes a program read from the ROM or storage unit 32 and exchanges signals with, for example, the communication unit 33, the sensor unit 34, the display unit 35, and the input unit 36. In this way, the processing in this embodiment is realized through the cooperation of hardware and software (program). The in-vehicle device 30 may be composed of an in-vehicle ECU device well known to those skilled in the art.

[0051] The information transmission unit 311 transmits location information 321, time information 322, vehicle classification information 323, etc., from the storage unit 32 (described later) to the traffic information providing device 1 via wireless communication using the communication unit 33.

[0052] The storage unit 32 is composed of semiconductor memory or the like and stores various information such as firmware, a control program called an operating system, and a program that performs the function of transmitting driving information including at least location information, time information, and vehicle classification information to the traffic information providing device 1. In the figure, location information 321, time information 322, and vehicle classification information 323 are shown as information stored in the storage unit 32. Note that the storage unit 32 may also store other information (for example, vehicle ID).

[0053] The location information 321 includes the location information (latitude and longitude) of the in-vehicle device 30 (i.e., the vehicle 20) obtained by receiving GPS satellite signals from the GPS sensor included in the sensor unit 34, which will be described later. The time information 322 includes time information obtained by the GPS sensor included in the sensor unit 34, which determines the location of the in-vehicle device 30. Vehicle classification information 323 is pre-registered by the automobile manufacturer or dealership of the vehicle 20, and includes information about the classification of the vehicle 20 (for example, a regular passenger car or a large vehicle).

[0054] The communication unit 33 has a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc., and enables wireless communication with the traffic information providing device 1 via a communication network (not shown) in accordance with standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication unit 33 is used to transmit driving information, including location information 321, time information 322, and vehicle classification information 323, to the traffic information providing device 1.

[0055] The sensor unit 34 is composed of, for example, a GPS sensor. The sensor unit 34 receives GPS satellite signals using the GPS sensor, determines the position information (latitude and longitude) of the in-vehicle device 30 (vehicle 20), and acquires the time information at the time the position information was determined.

[0056] The display unit 35 is comprised of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescent panel. The input unit 36 ​​consists of input devices (not shown), such as physical switches called a numeric keypad or a touch panel superimposed on the display surface of the display unit 35, enabling selection operations by the user.

[0057] Furthermore, a user terminal 40, described later, may be used to communicate with the traffic information providing device 1. For example, when a user boards vehicle 20 with the user terminal 40 in their possession and turns on the ignition switch (or power switch) of vehicle 20, vehicle 20 and user terminal 40 may be connected (paired). The user terminal 40 may start transmitting driving information, including the measured location information, time information, and vehicle classification information set on the user terminal 40 by the user, from the user terminal 40 to the traffic information providing device 1. When the ignition switch (or power switch) of vehicle 20 is turned off, the user terminal 40 may disconnect from vehicle 20 and stop transmitting driving information to the traffic information providing device 1. The above describes the in-vehicle device 30.

[0058] <User terminal 40> The functional blocks provided by the user terminal 40 will be explained with reference to the block diagram in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, the user terminal 40 is composed of a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a communication unit 43, a sensor unit 44, a display unit 45, and an input unit 46.

[0059] The control unit 41 consists of an arithmetic processing unit such as a microprocessor and controls each part that makes up the user terminal 40. Details of the control unit 41 will be described later.

[0060] The memory unit 42 is composed of semiconductor memory and stores various information such as firmware, a control program called an operating system, and a program that receives and displays information from the traffic information provider 1 indicating the possibility of traffic jams occurring on high-altitude main roads.

[0061] The communication unit 43 has a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc., and complies with standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and realizes wireless communication with the traffic information providing device 1 via a communication network (not shown).

[0062] The sensor unit 44 is composed of, for example, a GPS sensor. The sensor unit 44 receives GPS satellite signals using the GPS sensor, determines the location information (latitude and longitude) of the user terminal 40, and acquires the time information at which the location information was determined.

[0063] The display unit 45 is comprised of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescent panel. The display unit 45 displays information received from the traffic information provision device 1 via the communication unit 43, indicating the possibility of traffic jams occurring on roads with high trunk line levels.

[0064] The input unit 46 consists of input devices such as physical switches called a numeric keypad and a touch panel mounted on top of the display surface of the display unit 45. By outputting signals to the control unit 41 based on operational input from the input unit 46, such as pressing the numeric keypad or touching the touch panel by the user, various instructions and operations can be performed on the user terminal 40.

[0065] In addition, although not shown in the diagram, the user terminal 40 may also be equipped with a speaker, microphone, etc. This would allow information to be output as voice from the speaker, or various selections and instructions from the user, input via voice input through the microphone, to the control unit 41 using voice recognition technology.

[0066] Next, the details of the control unit 41 will be described. The control unit 41 is composed of a microprocessor having a CPU, RAM, ROM, and I / O. The CPU executes a program read from the ROM or storage unit 42 and exchanges signals with, for example, the communication unit 43, sensor unit 44, display unit 45, and input unit 46. Thus, the processing in this embodiment is realized through the cooperation of hardware and software (program).

[0067] The result receiving unit 411 receives information generated by the traffic information providing device 1, which indicates the possibility of traffic jams occurring on roads with a high trunk level, via the communication unit 43. The result receiving unit 411 displays the received information indicating the possibility of traffic jams occurring on roads with a high trunk level on the display unit 45. By doing so, users can receive information in advance about the possibility of vehicle 20 becoming stranded on the main road it is traveling on, and by changing the vehicle's route from the main road to a road at a lower level, they can avoid becoming stranded.

[0068] The user terminal 40 is described as a PC, smartphone, or tablet, but is not limited to these; it may also be a navigation system installed in the vehicle 20. The configuration of user terminal 40 has been described above.

[0069] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the traffic information provision process by the traffic information provision device 1. Specifically, it illustrates a processing flow in which the traffic information provision device 1 acquires driving information from the user's vehicle 20 and weather information from the weather information provision server 50, and determines whether or not a traffic jam will occur on a main road based on the change in the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on main roads and roads other than main roads during the forecast period in a predetermined area.

[0070] In step S10, when the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 is turned on, the traffic information providing device 1 (driving information acquisition unit 110) begins receiving driving information, including the location information, time information, and vehicle classification information of the vehicle 20, from the vehicle's onboard device 30. The traffic information providing device 1 (driving information acquisition unit 110) periodically receives driving information, including the location information, time information, and vehicle classification information of the vehicle 20, until the ignition switch (or power switch) of the vehicle 20 is turned off. The traffic information providing device 1 (driving information acquisition unit 110) stores the received driving information in the driving information storage unit 122 of the storage unit 12, linking it to the vehicle ID of the vehicle 20.

[0071] In step S11, the traffic information providing device 1 (home location estimation unit 113) estimates the location of each of the multiple vehicles 20 on the map information, such as their home or workplace, based on the information in the storage area "ON date and time" (or storage area "OFF date and time") and the storage area "travel route information" in the driving information stored in the driving information storage unit 122.

[0072] In step S12, the traffic information providing device 1 (weather information acquisition unit 114) acquires weather information, including map information stored in the map information acquisition unit 111 (or map information storage unit 121), from the weather information providing server 50. The weather information acquisition unit 114 stores the acquired weather information in the weather information 124.

[0073] In step S13, the traffic information providing device 1 (evaluation unit 115) calculates the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on each road for each day of the prediction period of the calendar in a predetermined area, based on the driving information acquired in step S10.

[0074] In step S14, the traffic information provider 1 (evaluation unit 115) compares the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road each day during the forecast period calculated in step S13 with the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road during past periods (for example, the previous day) to determine whether or not there is a possibility of traffic jams occurring on roads with a high trunk level. Specifically, the traffic information provider 1 (evaluation unit 115) determines that there is a high possibility of traffic jams occurring on roads with a high trunk level within the predetermined area if the weather information for the forecast period including the predetermined area has worsened compared to the weather information for the previous day, and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with a lower trunk level has increased compared to roads with a higher trunk level.

[0075] In step S15, if the traffic information providing device 1 (output unit 116) determines in step S14 that there is a high probability of traffic jams occurring on roads with a high trunk level, it creates information regarding the probability of such traffic jams occurring.

[0076] In step S16, the traffic information providing device 1 (output unit 116) outputs the information regarding the possibility of traffic jams, which was created in step S15, to the user terminal 40.

[0077] As described above, the traffic information providing device 1 according to one embodiment can accurately predict the possibility of traffic jams occurring on main roads based on changes in the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling on main roads and roads other than main roads in a target area over a predetermined period, using location information collected from multiple vehicles. By doing so, users can receive information in advance about the possibility of vehicle 20 becoming stranded on the main road it is traveling on, and by changing the vehicle's route from the main road to a road at a lower level, they can avoid becoming stranded.

[0078] Each of the devices can be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the navigation method performed by the cooperation of each device included in the above-described navigation system can also be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Here, implementation by software means implementation by a computer loading and executing a program.

[0079] Programs can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (random access memory)). Programs may also be supplied to a computer using various types of transient computer-readable media. Examples of transient computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer-readable media can be supplied to a computer via wired communication channels such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication channels.

[0080] While the embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made to implement the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0081] <Example 1> In the above-described embodiment, the traffic information provision device 1 is implemented using a single server device, but it may also be implemented as a distributed processing system, where each function of the traffic information provision device 1 is distributed among multiple server devices as appropriate. Alternatively, each function of the traffic information provision device 1 may be implemented using virtual server functions on the cloud.

[0082] <Modification 2> Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the traffic information providing device 1 calculated the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road without distinguishing between ordinary passenger cars and large vehicles, but it is not limited to this. For example, when aggregating the number of vehicles traveling, the traffic information providing device 1 may exclude vehicles 20 whose vehicle classification information in the travel information storage unit 122 indicates a large vehicle. By doing so, large vehicles are unlikely to be able to detour, and by excluding large vehicles from the moving platform, the traffic information device 1 can compare the ratio of moving vehicles more clearly, making it possible to predict the risk of traffic jams with greater accuracy.

[0083] <Variation 3> Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the traffic information providing device 1 used the day before each day of the prediction period as the past period, but is not limited to this. For example, the past period may be a few days before each day of the prediction period, or it may be a period of the same time in the past, such as one year ago. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Traffic information providing device 11 Control Unit 110 Driving Information Acquisition Unit 111 Map Information Acquisition Unit 112 Calendar Information Acquisition Unit 113 Home Location Estimation Unit 114 Weather Information Acquisition Department 115 Evaluation Department 116 Output section 12 Storage section 121 Map Information Storage Unit 122 Driving Information Storage Unit 123 Calendar Information 124 Weather Information 13 Communications Department 14 Display section 15 Input section 20 vehicles 30 Onboard equipment 31 Control Unit 311 Information Transmission Department 32 Storage section 321 Location information 322 Time information 323 Vehicle Classification Information 33 Communications Department 34 Sensor section 35 Display section 36 Input section 40 User terminals 41 Control Unit 411 Result Receiving Unit 42 Storage section 43 Communications Department 44. Detector Unit 45 Display section 46 Input section 50 Weather Information Server 100 Traffic Information Provision System

Claims

1. A driving information acquisition unit that acquires driving information including location information from multiple vehicles in motion, A map information acquisition unit that stores road information, including road trunk level map information, A calendar information acquisition unit that stores information related to the calendar, A weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information for a region including the map information stored in the map information acquisition unit, An evaluation unit calculates the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road during the forecast period of the calendar within a predetermined area of ​​the map information, compares the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road in the past for periods prior to the forecast period of the calendar, and determines that there is a high risk of traffic jams occurring on the roads with high trunk levels within the predetermined area if the weather information for the forecast period including the predetermined area has worsened compared to the weather information for past periods, and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with lower trunk levels has increased compared to roads with higher trunk levels. A traffic information providing device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The traffic information providing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned past period includes the day before the aforementioned prediction period.

3. The traffic information providing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned past period is a period of the same time period in the past of the aforementioned prediction target period.

4. The aforementioned driving information acquisition unit includes vehicle classification information of the vehicle in the driving information, The traffic information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the evaluation unit excludes vehicles whose vehicle classification information indicates a large vehicle when aggregating the ratio of the number of vehicles in operation.

5. The traffic information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the evaluation unit estimates the base location of the vehicle from the location information and the accumulated status of the vehicle's starting point, and then uses the vehicle whose base is in a second predetermined area including the predetermined area as the target for aggregating the ratio of the number of vehicles traveling.

6. The traffic information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the deterioration of the weather information is determined to have worsened when the amount of snowfall increases.

7. A method for providing traffic information performed by a computer, A driving information acquisition step that acquires driving information including location information from multiple vehicles in motion, A map information acquisition step that stores road information, including road trunk level map information, A calendar information step in which calendar-related information is stored, A weather information acquisition step involves acquiring weather information for a region that includes the stored map information, An evaluation step in which, within a predetermined area of ​​the map information, the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road during the forecast period of the calendar is calculated, and the ratio of vehicles traveling is compared with the ratio of vehicles traveling on each road in past periods prior to the forecast period of the calendar, and if the weather information for the forecast period including the predetermined area has worsened compared to the weather information for past periods, and the ratio of vehicles traveling on roads with lower trunk levels has increased compared to roads with higher trunk levels, then it is determined that there is a high risk of traffic jams occurring on roads with high trunk levels within the predetermined area; A method for providing traffic information, characterized by comprising the following features.

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