Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information processing method which can prevent contact between a vehicle and an obstacle.SOLUTION: An information processing device concerning one aspect of an embodiment comprises: an acquisition unit; a determination unit; and an instruction unit. The acquisition unit acquires vehicle information regarding a vehicle traveling on a sidewalk and state information regarding a state of an obstacle existing on the sidewalk. The determination unit determines presence / absence of possibility that the vehicle and the obstacle come into contact on the basis of the vehicle information and the state information acquired by the acquisition unit. The instruction unit outputs a display instruction for displaying predetermined notification information to a display device installed on the sidewalk when it is determined that there is possibility that the vehicle and the obstacle come into contact by the determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device. Place and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various technologies related to personal mobility, which is, for example, a compact vehicle for one person, have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). Such personal mobility has become widespread as a means of supporting the movement of users, such as the elderly and physically disabled. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-128722 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, vehicles such as personal mobility vehicles can travel on sidewalks, for example, in large commercial facilities, shopping streets, etc. On such sidewalks, there are obstacles, including pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, and depending on the congestion of the sidewalk, for example, there is a risk of the vehicle coming into contact with the obstacles.

[0005] However, the conventional technology has room for further improvement in terms of preventing the above-mentioned contact between the vehicle and the obstacle.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides an information processing device capable of preventing contact between a vehicle and an obstacle. Place The present invention aims to provide an information processing method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides an information processing device comprising an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and an instruction unit. The acquisition unit acquires vehicle information related to a vehicle traveling on a sidewalk and situation information related to the situation of an obstacle present on the sidewalk. The determination unit determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the obstacle based on the vehicle information and the situation information acquired by the acquisition unit. When the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the obstacle, the instruction unit outputs a display instruction to a display device installed on the sidewalk to display predetermined notification information. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent contact between a vehicle and an obstacle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing method by an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle information. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram (part 1) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram (part 2) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a diagram (part 3) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. [Figure 5D] FIG. 5D is a diagram (part 4) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. [Figure 5E] FIG. 5E is a diagram (part 5) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an in-vehicle device and the like. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information processing method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] <Outline of information processing method by information processing device> First, an overview of an information processing method by an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing method by an information processing device according to an embodiment.

[0012] In the following description, the vehicle V according to the embodiment is assumed to be a personal mobility or a relatively small mobility that is used by a user U, such as an elderly person or a physically disabled person, and supports the movement of the user U. The user U is an example of a passenger.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle V according to the embodiment is, for example, a one-seater electric vehicle, but may be a vehicle capable of accommodating two or more people. There are various types of vehicles V, such as a cart type as shown in the figure, a wheelchair type, and a stand-up type. Note that, in the above description, the vehicle V is an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a power source, but is not limited to this, and may be a vehicle that uses other power sources, such as an internal combustion engine.

[0014] In the following example, the vehicle V travels on a sidewalk (passageway) A in a facility such as a large commercial facility. The facility is not limited to the large commercial facility described above, and may be other facilities such as medical and nursing care facilities, public transportation facilities such as airports and stations, etc. The sidewalk A on which the vehicle V travels is not limited to the sidewalk of the facility, and may be a sidewalk in other places such as a shopping street or a park.

[0015] Meanwhile, on the sidewalk A on which the vehicle V runs, there are obstacles including pedestrians W walking along the sidewalk A. Therefore, depending on the congestion situation, such as when congestion occurs on the sidewalk A, there is a risk that the vehicle V may come into contact with the obstacles. Note that the obstacles are not limited to the pedestrians W described above, and may include, for example, objects on the sidewalk A or vehicles (personal mobility) used by other users.

[0016] The information processing device 100 according to the present embodiment is configured to be able to prevent the above-mentioned contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle.

[0017] Specifically, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 100, a vehicle V, a terminal device 50, and a display device 70. The information processing device 100 is a server capable of executing various processes such as processing information related to a facility, and is provided, for example, within the facility. Note that the information processing device 100 may be realized as a cloud server and provided, for example, outside the facility.

[0018] The vehicle V includes an in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a control unit 20 (see FIG. 6 ) described later, and can control the vehicle V, for example, by manual driving control using a driving operation by a user U, or automatic driving control that does not require a driving operation by the user U.

[0019] The terminal device 50 is a device carried and used by a user U. The terminal device 50 is communicably connected to the in-vehicle device 10 and the information processing device 100. Note that, as the terminal device 50, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal can be used, but is not limited thereto.

[0020] The display device 70 is a device that displays various types of information. The display device 70 is installed, for example, on a sidewalk A of a facility. More specifically, the display device 70 is installed in a position where it can be viewed by, for example, a passerby W.

[0021] As the display device 70, for example, a digital signage can be used. Although Fig. 1 shows a wall-mounted display device 70 installed on the wall of the walkway A as an example, the present invention is not limited to this and may be a hanging type or a free-standing type. Furthermore, the display device 70 may be either a fixed type or a mobile type.

[0022] The display device 70 is communicably connected to the information processing device 100, and can display information according to a display instruction output from the information processing device 100.

[0023] In detail, the information processing device 100 first acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle V from the terminal device 50 (step S1). The vehicle information includes, for example, position information of the vehicle V, vehicle control information related to control of the vehicle V (for example, steering angle, vehicle speed, etc.), and the like.

[0024] Here, as described above, the information processing device 100 acquires the vehicle information from the terminal device 50, and therefore, for example, vehicle control information related to the control of the vehicle V is acquired from the in-vehicle device 10 via the terminal device 50. Note that the method of acquiring the vehicle information is not limited to the above, and for example, the information processing device 100 may be configured to be communicably connected to the in-vehicle device 10 and acquire the vehicle control information from the in-vehicle device 10.

[0025] The vehicle information may also include, for example, destination information of the vehicle V, planned driving route information to the destination, etc. The information processing device 100 may acquire the destination information, etc., by estimating it based on, for example, facility usage history information of the user U, or may acquire it from the terminal device 50, which will be described in detail later. The vehicle information may also include some of the above-mentioned position information, vehicle control information, destination information, and planned driving route information of the vehicle V, or may include information other than the above-mentioned information.

[0026] Next, the information processing device 100 acquires situation information regarding the situation of the obstacle (step S2). The situation information includes, for example, congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion due to pedestrians W, which are obstacles, on the sidewalk A, and obstacle position information indicating the position where an obstacle (for example, pedestrians W) exists on the sidewalk A, but is not limited thereto.

[0027] The congestion information includes the current and future congestion occurrence status. For example, the information processing device 100 can estimate the current congestion occurrence status by analyzing a camera image captured by a fixed camera 60 (see FIG. 3) installed in the facility. In addition, for example, the information processing device 100 can estimate the future congestion occurrence status by simulating the flow of people on the sidewalk A based on past data including the congestion status that occurred in the facility in the past and environmental information such as the weather on the day.

[0028] Note that congestion information, which is the occurrence status of congestion, can be, for example, information on the congestion level of sidewalk A. The congestion level is an index value indicating the degree of congestion on sidewalk A, and is information indicated by several levels according to, for example, the number of pedestrians W passing by sidewalk A (people density).

[0029] Next, the information processing device 100 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with an obstacle based on the vehicle information and the situation information, etc. (Step S3). For example, when congestion occurs around the vehicle V or in a planned route to the destination of the vehicle V, the information processing device 100 determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W).

[0030] As an example, the information processing device 100 can determine whether or not there is a possibility of contact based on the congestion degree of the situation information. That is, when there is an area (point) in the vicinity of the vehicle V or the planned travel path where the congestion degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the information processing device 100 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle in the area. Note that the predetermined value is set to a value that is estimated to have the possibility of contact, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value. In addition, hereinafter, an area determined to have the possibility of contact in the vicinity of the vehicle V or the planned travel path may be referred to as a "danger area."

[0031] Next, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W), the information processing device 100 outputs a display instruction to display predetermined notification information to the display device 70 (step S4). For example, the information processing device 100 outputs a display instruction to display the predetermined notification information to the display device 70 installed in the above-mentioned dangerous area or near the dangerous area on the sidewalk A. As a result, the predetermined notification information is displayed on the display screen 701 of the display device 70.

[0032] The specified notification information is information that alerts passersby W to the movement of vehicle V, such as "A vehicle will pass shortly. Please be careful," as shown in the example of Figure 1, but this is merely an example and is not limited to this.

[0033] In this embodiment, by displaying the notification information on the display device 70 as described above, it becomes possible to make the pedestrian W aware in advance that the vehicle V will be traveling nearby. This allows the pedestrian W to pass by while paying attention to the vehicle V, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (here, the pedestrian W).

[0034] In the example of FIG. 1, the information processing device 100 is configured to alert the pedestrian W, but the present invention is not limited to this and may also alert the user U of the vehicle V. That is, for example, the information processing device 100 may output a display instruction to a display device 70 installed near the vehicle V (see FIG. 5E described later). Note that the predetermined notification information at this time is information that alerts the user U of the vehicle V to the presence of a dangerous area around the vehicle V or on the planned travel path. This makes it possible to make the user U of the vehicle V aware of the presence of a dangerous area, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (passerby W).

[0035] In this manner, in this embodiment, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle, a display instruction to display predetermined notification information is output to the display device 70 installed on the sidewalk A, making it possible to effectively notify pedestrians W and the user U of the vehicle V of the risk of contact, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and the pedestrian W (obstacle).

[0036] <Configuration of an information processing system equipped with an information processing device> Next, the configuration of an information processing system 1 including the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1.

[0037] 2, the information processing system 1 includes a vehicle V equipped with an on-board device 10, a terminal device 50, a display device 70, a pedestrian terminal device 80, and an information processing device 100. In this embodiment, the terminal device 50, the display device 70, the pedestrian terminal device 80, and the information processing device 100 are communicatively connected via a communication network N such as the Internet.

[0038] As shown by imaginary lines in Fig. 2, the in-vehicle device 10 may also be communicably connected to the information processing device 100 via the communication network N. For the sake of simplicity, Fig. 2 shows one each of the vehicle V, the terminal device 50, the display device 70, and the pedestrian terminal device 80, but each of them may be multiple.

[0039] The in-vehicle device 10 is connected to the terminal device 50 so as to be able to communicate with them via, for example, short-distance wireless communication. As a short-distance communication method, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like can be used, but is not limited thereto. The detailed configuration of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0040] As described above, the terminal device 50 is a device held (carried) by the user U of the vehicle V. The terminal device 50 includes, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that detects position information indicating the position of the vehicle V (more precisely, the position of the terminal device 50) based on a signal from a GPS satellite. The terminal device 50 can transmit the detected position information to the information processing device 100 as vehicle information.

[0041] Furthermore, the terminal device 50 can receive vehicle control information related to the control of the vehicle V from the in-vehicle device 10 and transmit the received information to the information processing device 100 as vehicle information.

[0042] Furthermore, the terminal device 50 may transmit user information of the user U to the information processing device 100. For example, when the user U gets into the vehicle V to use a facility, the user U may input user information such as his / her name and contact information by operating the terminal device 50, and the terminal device 50 may transmit the input user information to the information processing device 100. Note that the user information may include information such as a store (location) that the user U wishes to use within the facility.

[0043] The display device 70 is installed, for example, at an appropriate position on a walkway A of the facility, and displays information (for example, notification information) according to a display instruction output from the information processing device 100. When there are multiple display devices 70, the display device 70 that displays the notification information is appropriately selected by the information processing device 100, which will be described later.

[0044] Furthermore, the display device 70 can display other information (e.g., content information such as advertisement information or news information) different from the notification information when a display instruction to display the above-mentioned notification information is not output from the information processing device 100. Note that, in the following, a case where the display device 70 displays advertisement information as the other information will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0045] The pedestrian terminal device 80 is a device held (carried) by a passerby W. Like the terminal device 50, the pedestrian terminal device 80 includes a GPS receiver and the like, and detects location information indicating the location of the passerby W (more precisely, the location of the pedestrian terminal device 80). The pedestrian terminal device 80 can transmit the detected location information to the information processing device 100. The pedestrian terminal device 80 also includes a display unit (e.g., a display) and can display notification information, which will be described later. Note that the pedestrian terminal device 80 can be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal, but is not limited to these.

[0046] <Configuration of information processing device> Next, the configuration of the information processing device 100 will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 3 etc. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 100. Note that in the block diagram of Fig. 3 etc., only components necessary for explaining the features of the present embodiment are shown as functional blocks, and descriptions of general components are omitted.

[0047] In other words, each component shown in a block diagram such as Figure 3 is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the specific form of distribution and integration of each functional block is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0048] 3, the information processing device 100 includes a communication unit 101, a control unit 110, and a storage unit 120. In addition, a fixed camera 60 is connected to the information processing device 100 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0049] A plurality of fixed cameras 60 are set on the sidewalk A of the facility, in the stores within the facility, etc. The fixed cameras 60 can capture images of the sidewalk A of the facility, etc., and transmit the captured camera images to the information processing device 100. The camera images of the fixed cameras 60 are video data, but are not limited to this and may be still image data, etc. Such camera images are acquired by the information processing device 100 as congestion information indicating the current congestion occurrence situation, which will be described later.

[0050] The fixed camera 60 may have a human body detection sensor that detects people on the sidewalk A, etc. As the human body detection sensor, for example, a pyroelectric sensor using an infrared signal can be adopted.

[0051] The communication unit 101 of the information processing device 100 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC) etc. The communication unit 101 is connected to the communication network N so as to be capable of two-way communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the terminal device 50, the display device 70, the terminal device for passersby 80, etc.

[0052] The control unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111, an estimation unit 112, a judgment unit 113, and an instruction unit 114, and includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, input / output ports, etc., and various other circuits.

[0053] The CPU of the computer functions as the acquisition unit 111, the estimation unit 112, the determination unit 113, and the instruction unit 114 of the control unit 110, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

[0054] In addition, at least some or all of the acquisition unit 111, estimation unit 112, determination unit 113 and instruction unit 114 of the control unit 110 can be configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0055] The storage unit 120 is configured with a storage device such as a non-volatile memory, a data flash, a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 120 stores facility information 121, vehicle information 122, situation information 123, various programs, etc.

[0056] The facility information 121 is information related to a facility. The facility information 121 includes map information (such as a dynamic map) indicating, for example, the location of the sidewalk A of the facility on which the vehicle V runs and the locations of the stores within the facility. The facility information 121 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 120, or may be acquired from an external server (not shown).

[0057] The vehicle information 122 is information about the vehicle V. Specifically, the vehicle information 122 is information about the vehicle V traveling on the sidewalk A of the facility or the vehicle V that is scheduled to travel, but is not limited to this.

[0058] Here, the vehicle information 122 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle information 122. As shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle information 122 includes items such as "vehicle ID", "position information", "vehicle control information", "destination", and "planned driving route", and each item is associated with each other.

[0059] "Vehicle ID" is identification information that identifies vehicle information. "Location information" is information that indicates the location of vehicle V, and more specifically, is information that indicates the current location of vehicle V within the facility. In the example shown in FIG. 4, for convenience, "location information" is described abstractly, such as "location P01," but specific information is stored in "location P01." Below, other information may also be described abstractly.

[0060] "Vehicle control information" is information related to the control of the vehicle V. "Vehicle control information" includes, for example, information such as the steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle V, but is not limited to these.

[0061] "Destination" is destination information indicating the destination of the vehicle V, in other words, information indicating the destination point of the vehicle V. For example, "destination" includes information indicating a store, location, and direction of travel that the user U of the vehicle V desires (or is presumed to desire) within the facility.

[0062] The "planned driving path" is information indicating the path along which the vehicle V is scheduled to travel. Specifically, the "planned driving path" includes information indicating the route from the current position of the vehicle V to the destination on the sidewalk A of the facility.

[0063] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle information identified by the vehicle ID "W01" indicates that the position information is "position P01", the vehicle control information is "vehicle control Q01", the destination is "destination R01", and the planned travel path is "path T01". Note that, in Fig. 4, an example is shown in which the vehicle information 122 includes information corresponding to one vehicle V, but if there are multiple vehicles V in the facility, for example, the vehicle information 122 will include information for multiple vehicles V.

[0064] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 3, the situation information 123 is information related to the situation of an obstacle. As described above, the situation information 123 includes, for example, congestion information indicating the current and future congestion occurrence situation on the sidewalk A, obstacle position information indicating the position where an obstacle (for example, a pedestrian W) exists on the sidewalk A, and the like.

[0065] The acquisition unit 111 of the control unit 110 acquires various information via the communication unit 101. For example, the acquisition unit 111 acquires position information of the vehicle V from the terminal device 50, and stores the position information in the storage unit 120 as vehicle information 122 (see FIG. 4 ). The acquisition unit 111 may acquire position information of a pedestrian W from the pedestrian terminal device 80, and output the position information to the instruction unit 114.

[0066] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 111 acquires vehicle control information (such as steering angle and vehicle speed) from the in-vehicle device 10 via the terminal device 50, and stores it in the storage unit 120 as vehicle information 122 (see FIG. 4).

[0067] Furthermore, when user information is input to the terminal device 50 when the user U uses a facility, the acquisition unit 111 can acquire such user information. Furthermore, when the user U has visited the facility in the past, the acquisition unit 111 can estimate the store (location) or the like visited by the user U from the position information of the vehicle V acquired at that time, and store the store (location) in the storage unit 120 in association with the user information as usage history information of the user U. Therefore, when the acquisition unit 111 acquires the user information input to the terminal device 50 when the user U uses the facility this time, the acquisition unit 111 can read out the usage history information corresponding to the user information, estimate the store (location) desired by the user U, and register it as destination information of the vehicle information 122 in the storage unit 120. That is, the destination information may be registered based on the past behavioral tendency of the user U in the facility.

[0068] When the user information includes information about a store that the user U desires to use within the facility, the acquisition unit 111 may register the store as destination information. The acquisition unit 111 may also calculate the moving direction of the vehicle V (for example, northward or southward) based on the steering angle of the vehicle V included in the vehicle control information and the time-series transition of the position information of the vehicle V, and register the moving direction as destination information.

[0069] The acquisition unit 111 can register planned driving path information in the vehicle information 122 together with the above-mentioned destination information. For example, the acquisition unit 111 searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle V to the destination based on the position information of the vehicle V, the destination information, and map information included in the facility information 121, and registers the searched route as planned driving path information in the storage unit 120. Note that, for example, when a route is specified (selected) by the user U, the acquisition unit 111 may register the route as planned driving path information.

[0070] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 111 acquires camera images captured by the fixed camera 60, and outputs the acquired camera images to the estimation unit 112 and the instruction unit 114.

[0071] The estimation unit 112 estimates situation information related to the situation of an obstacle present on the sidewalk A. For example, the estimation unit 112 estimates situation information including congestion information and obstacle position information by analyzing the camera image of the fixed camera 60 and simulating the flow of people.

[0072] For example, the estimation unit 112 may analyze a camera image to count the number of pedestrians W present in each predetermined area divided into the sidewalk A, and estimate congestion information including a congestion degree according to the counted number of people as the current congestion occurrence situation. In addition, the estimation unit 112 may analyze a camera image, for example, to estimate a position where an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W) is present on the sidewalk A as obstacle position information.

[0073] In addition, the estimation unit 112 may estimate the future congestion occurrence situation based on, for example, past data including congestion situations that occurred in the facility in the past, the current congestion situation, environmental information such as the weather on the day, time zone information, day of the week information, etc., in other words, it may estimate the future pedestrian flow on the sidewalk A.

[0074] As an example, the estimation unit 112 estimates the pedestrian flow by utilizing an estimation model generated in advance using an arbitrary algorithm. The estimation model is a prediction model that estimates and outputs the pedestrian flow on the sidewalk A by inputting various static and dynamic information, such as the current congestion occurrence situation, environmental information, time period information, and day of the week information. The estimation model is generated in advance based on pedestrian flow data and environmental information obtained as measurement results in the facility in the past, and is stored in the storage unit 120. The above-mentioned estimation method of pedestrian flow (future congestion occurrence situation) is merely an example and is not limited to the above.

[0075] The estimation unit 112 stores congestion information indicating the current and future congestion occurrence status and obstacle position information in the storage unit 120 as situation information 123. Then, the acquisition unit 111 reads and acquires the vehicle information and situation information stored in the storage unit 120, and outputs the acquired information to the determination unit 113.

[0076] The determination unit 113 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with an obstacle, based on the vehicle information and the situation information. For example, when congestion occurs around the vehicle V or on a planned route to the destination of the vehicle V on the sidewalk A of the facility, the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W).

[0077] As an example, when there is an area around the vehicle V or the planned travel path where the congestion level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with an obstacle in that area, in other words, determines that that area is a dangerous area. Conversely, when the congestion level in the planned travel path of the vehicle V is less than a predetermined level, the determination unit 113 determines that there is no possibility of contact (or that the possibility is relatively low).

[0078] Instructing unit 114 outputs a display instruction to display predetermined notification information to display device 70 according to the determination result by determining unit 113. Here, the output of the display instruction by instruction unit 114 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 5A to 5E.

[0079] Figures 5A to 5E are diagrams for explaining output of a display instruction, etc. In Figures 5A to 5E, for ease of understanding, a danger area C on a sidewalk A is shown surrounded by a two-dot chain line.

[0080] 5A, for example, when the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W), the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed on the sidewalk A to display predetermined notification information. Then, when the display instruction is received, the display device 70 displays the predetermined notification information. Note that the notification information is, for example, information that calls the attention of the pedestrian W about the traveling of the vehicle V.

[0081] As a result, in this embodiment, for example, it is possible to effectively inform a pedestrian W of the risk of contact and to make the pedestrian W aware in advance that a vehicle V will be traveling nearby. Therefore, the pedestrian W can pass by while being careful of vehicles V traveling nearby in the future, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (here, the pedestrian W).

[0082] Furthermore, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the display device 70 set in the danger area C of the sidewalk A. This makes it possible to more effectively notify the pedestrian W in the danger area C of the risk of contact, and as a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent contact between the vehicle V and the obstacle (pedestrian W).

[0083] Furthermore, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the display device 70 installed at a position visible to the pedestrian W. This allows the pedestrian W to visually recognize the notification information and effectively recognize that the vehicle V is traveling nearby.

[0084] Next, Fig. 5B will be described. As shown in Fig. 5B, a plurality of display devices 70 (two in this case) may be installed in a dangerous area C of a sidewalk A. In this case, for example, it is assumed that there are a relatively large number of pedestrians W near one display device 70a, and there are fewer pedestrians W near the other display device 70b than near the display device 70a.

[0085] In such a case, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the display device 70a having a larger number of passersby W among the multiple display devices 70a, 70b. Conversely, the instruction unit 114 may not output a display instruction to the display device 70b having a smaller number of passersby W among the multiple display devices 70a, 70b. Note that in this case, the display device 70b continues to display, for example, advertisement information. Also, when the direction in which the passersby W are facing is biased, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction only to the display device 70 facing the direction in which the majority of passersby are facing.

[0086] This allows, for example, the display device 70b to display advertising information and maintain its advertising function, while also more effectively alerting the relatively large number of pedestrians W present in the vicinity of the display device 70a to the risk of contact, thereby better preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (pedestrian W).

[0087] Next, Fig. 5C will be described. As shown in Fig. 5C, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in preference to the display device 70. In detail, for example, when a relatively large number of pedestrians W among pedestrians W present in the danger area C of the sidewalk A are carrying the pedestrian terminal device 80, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in preference to the display device 70.

[0088] As an example, the instruction unit 114 calculates the ratio of pedestrians W carrying the pedestrian terminal device 80 to all pedestrians W present in the danger area C, based on the position information and situation information of the pedestrians W acquired from the pedestrian terminal device 80. Then, when the calculated ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio, the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in preference to the display device 70.

[0089] At this time, for example, advertising information is continuously displayed on the display device 70. The above-mentioned predetermined ratio is set to a value that is estimated to be able to effectively notify the pedestrian W in the danger area C of the risk of contact, but is not limited thereto and can be set to any value.

[0090] This allows, for example, the display device 70 to display advertising information and maintain its advertising function, while also more effectively notifying the relatively large number of passers-by W who carry the pedestrian terminal device 80 of the risk of contact, thereby better preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (passers-by W).

[0091] In the above description, the condition is that the ratio of pedestrians W carrying the pedestrian terminal device 80 is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio, but this is merely an example and is not limiting. In other words, the display instruction may be output to the pedestrian terminal device 80 when other conditions are met, such as when the number of pedestrians W carrying the pedestrian terminal device 80 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

[0092] In addition, in the above, the instruction unit 114 is configured to output a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in priority to the display device 70, but this is not limited to this, and the instruction may be output to both the display device 70 and the pedestrian terminal device 80.

[0093] Next, Fig. 5D will be described. As shown in Fig. 5D, for example, advertising information is displayed on the display device 70, and there are cases where the passerby W is looking at the advertising information. In such a case, if a display instruction is output to the display device 70 and the display on the display device 70 is switched from the advertising information to the notification information, the passerby W will not be able to see the advertising information, and this may result in a decrease in the satisfaction of the passerby W with the advertising service of the display device 70.

[0094] 5D, the instruction unit 114 is configured to limit the output of a display instruction to the display device 70 when the display device 70 is being gazed at by a passerby W. Here, limiting the output of a display instruction means, for example, outputting a display instruction to display notification information on a part of the display screen 701 (see FIG. 1) of the display device 70, but this is merely an example and is not limiting.

[0095] As an example, the instruction unit 114 detects the facial and eye directions of a passerby W near the display device 70 by analyzing a camera image captured by the fixed camera 60 (see FIG. 3), and estimates the gaze direction Wa of the passerby W. If the display device 70 is in the estimated gaze direction Wa of the passerby W, the instruction unit 114 determines that the passerby W is gazing at the display device 70, and restricts output of a display instruction to the display device 70. At this time, the display device 70 displays notification information on a part of the display screen 701 while, for example, advertising information continues to be displayed.

[0096] This allows the display device 70 to display advertising information and maintain its advertising function, for example, thereby preventing a decrease in the satisfaction of passersby W with the advertising service of the display device 70. In addition, since the display device 70 displays notification information, it can also notify passersby W near the display device 70 of the risk of contact, thereby making it possible to further prevent contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (passersby W).

[0097] In the above description, the output of a display instruction to display the notification information on a part of the display screen 701 of the display device 70 is restricted, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a restriction may be imposed to prohibit the display of the notification information on the display device 70. When a restriction is imposed to prohibit the display of the notification information, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the passerby terminal device 80 (see FIG. 5C).

[0098] Next, Fig. 5E will be described. In the above, the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed at a position visible to the passerby W, but this is not limited thereto, and as shown in Fig. 5E, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the display device 70 installed at a position visible to the user U of the vehicle V. Furthermore, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the terminal device 50 instead of or in addition to the display instruction to the display device 70.

[0099] The alarm information here is information that alerts the user U to the presence of a danger area C around the vehicle V or the planned passageway, for example, “Congestion is predicted in the passageway ahead. Please drive with extreme caution.”

[0100] 5E, for example, it is possible to make the user U aware in advance that the vehicle V will be traveling through the danger area C. This allows the user U of the vehicle V to pass through the danger area C while being careful, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (here, a pedestrian W).

[0101] 5A to 5E show an example in which the display device 70 is installed on a wall along the sidewalk A, but the installation position of the display device 70 is not limited to this. That is, for example, there may be an intersection on the sidewalk A, and the display device 70 may be installed at each of the four corners of the intersection (for example, on a wall continuing from the corner), or there may be a pillar in the center of a square, passage, or intersection that functions as the sidewalk A, and the display device 70 may be installed on the side of the pillar. In other words, the display device 70 may be installed in a position where the viewing direction is somewhat limited.

[0102] In the display device 70 installed in this manner, when the number of pedestrians W is unevenly distributed among the connected passages at an intersection, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction only to the display device 70 of the passage with a large number of pedestrians W. Also, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction only to the display device 70 installed on the planned passage of the vehicle V at an intersection. Also, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction only to the display device 70 installed in the direction visible from the user U of the vehicle V, for example, on the planned passage of the vehicle V. Also, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction only to the display device 70 installed at the corner where the vehicle V will exit, for example, when the planned passage of the vehicle V is a route in which the vehicle V will exit from a corner of the intersection. In this way, even when the display device 70 is installed at a corner or a pillar of the intersection, by configuring as described above, it is possible to prevent the vehicle V from contacting an obstacle (here, the pedestrian W) in the same manner as in the examples of Figs. 5A to 5E.

[0103] Furthermore, when the vehicle V travels through the danger area C, the instruction unit 114 may perform vehicle control on the vehicle V. For example, when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with an obstacle (more specifically, when the vehicle V is scheduled to travel through the danger area C), the instruction unit 114 may output a vehicle control instruction to the vehicle V to control the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with the obstacle.

[0104] In detail, the instruction unit 114 outputs a vehicle control instruction to control the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle (pedestrian W) when the vehicle V enters and travels in the danger area C. The above-mentioned vehicle control instruction includes, for example, an instruction to reduce (limit) the speed of the vehicle V, an instruction to control the steering angle of the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0105] In this way, the instruction unit 114 outputs vehicle control instructions to the vehicle V, which enables the vehicle V to travel safely while avoiding contact with an obstacle (a pedestrian W) in the danger area C. Note that the instruction unit 114 may stop outputting the vehicle control instructions when the vehicle V has passed through the danger area C.

[0106] Furthermore, the frequency of communication between the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 50 may be changed depending on whether the vehicle V is traveling through the danger area C or not. For example, the frequency of communication may be set to be higher when the vehicle V is traveling through the danger area C than the frequency of communication when the vehicle V is not traveling through the danger area C. Conversely, the frequency of communication when the vehicle V is not traveling through the danger area C may be set to be lower than the frequency of communication when the vehicle V is traveling through the danger area C.

[0107] Note that communication between the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 50 may be, for example, communication in which the acquisition unit 111 (see FIG. 6) of the information processing device 100 acquires location information, vehicle control information, and the like from the terminal device 50, but is not limited to this.

[0108] When the vehicle V passes through the danger area C, the surrounding environment of the vehicle V (for example, the relative positional relationship and the distance between the vehicle V and the pedestrian W) is likely to change, so by increasing the frequency of communication, for example, the information processing device 100 can accurately detect the current position of the vehicle V, and as a result, it becomes possible to output appropriate vehicle control instructions to the vehicle V. On the other hand, when the vehicle V is not traveling through the danger area C, by decreasing the frequency of communication, it becomes possible to reduce the processing load on the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 50.

[0109] <Configuration of the in-vehicle device> Next, the in-vehicle device 10 and the like will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10 and the like.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 6, in the in-vehicle device 10, a vehicle mechanism 41, an in-vehicle sensor unit 42, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface) unit 43 are communicatively connected via a CAN or the like.

[0111] The vehicle mechanism 41 is various mechanisms constituting the driving system, power system, etc. of the vehicle V. The on-vehicle sensor unit 42 is a group of sensors mounted on the vehicle V and outputting information indicating various conditions of the vehicle V. The on-vehicle sensor unit 42 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a gyro sensor, a seating sensor, etc., but these are merely examples and are not limited to the present invention.

[0112] The HMI unit 43 is a variety of interface components for exchanging information between the user U and the vehicle V, and includes hardware components such as the accelerator, brake, steering wheel, display, speaker, and microphone, as well as software components that are displayed on the display.

[0113] The in-vehicle device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 20, and a storage unit 30. The communication unit 11 is realized by a NIC or the like. The communication unit 11 is connected to a terminal device 50 of a user U by a short-range wireless communication method, and transmits and receives various information to and from the information processing device 100 and the like via the terminal device 50.

[0114] The control unit 20 includes an acquisition unit 21, a vehicle control unit 22, and a processing unit 23, and includes, for example, a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, a hard disk drive, input / output ports, and various other circuits.

[0115] The CPU of the computer functions as the acquisition unit 21, the vehicle control unit 22, and the processing unit 23 of the control unit 20, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM. In addition, at least some or all of the acquisition unit 21, the vehicle control unit 22, and the processing unit 23 of the control unit 20 can be configured with hardware such as ASIC or FPGA.

[0116] The storage unit 30 is configured with a storage device such as a non-volatile memory, a data flash, a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 30 stores vehicle control information 31, various programs, and the like.

[0117] The vehicle control information 31 is information related to the control of the vehicle V. For example, the vehicle control information 31 includes information such as the current steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle V, but is not limited to these.

[0118] The acquisition unit 21 of the control unit 20 acquires information indicating various conditions of the vehicle V (for example, information such as the current steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle V) from the in-vehicle sensor unit 42, and outputs the information to the vehicle control unit 22. In addition, the acquisition unit 21 stores the information such as the steering angle and vehicle speed in the storage unit 30 as vehicle control information 31.

[0119] The vehicle control unit 22 controls the vehicle V. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 controls the vehicle V by performing manual driving control through the driving operation of the user U based on the driving operation of the user U input via the HMI unit 43 and information from the in-vehicle sensor unit 42.

[0120] Furthermore, when a vehicle control instruction for controlling the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle is input from the information processing device 100, the vehicle control unit 22 controls the vehicle V based on the vehicle control instruction. Note that when a vehicle control instruction is input, the vehicle control unit 22 may control the vehicle V by automatic driving control. As described above, this enables the vehicle V to travel safely while avoiding contact in the danger area C.

[0121] The processing unit 23 performs various processes such as transmitting and receiving various information to and from the information processing device 100 and the like via the communication unit 11 and the terminal device 50. For example, the processing unit 23 reads out the vehicle control information 31 from the storage unit 30 at a predetermined communication timing, and transmits the read out information (such as the current steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle V) to the terminal device 50 via the communication unit 11. The terminal device 50 transmits the received vehicle control information to the information processing device 100 as vehicle information.

[0122] <Control process of information processing device> Next, a specific processing procedure in the information processing device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the information processing device 100.

[0123] 7, the control unit 110 of the information processing device 100 acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle V from the terminal device 50 or the like (step S10). Next, the control unit 110 acquires situation information related to the situation of an obstacle (step S11). The situation information includes information such as congestion information and obstacle position information as described above.

[0124] Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle based on the vehicle information, the situation information, etc. (Step S12). If it is determined that there is no possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (Step S12, No), the control unit 110 skips the subsequent processing.

[0125] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (step S12, Yes), the control unit 110 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 set on the sidewalk A to display specified alarm information (step S13).

[0126] Furthermore, the control unit 110 outputs a vehicle control instruction to the vehicle V to control the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle (step S14). Note that the control unit 110 may be configured not to control the vehicle V, and in such a case, the process of step S14 is omitted.

[0127] As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment includes the acquisition unit 111, the determination unit 113, and the instruction unit 114. The acquisition unit 111 acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle V traveling on the sidewalk A and situation information related to the situation of an obstacle present on the sidewalk A. The determination unit 113 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with the obstacle based on the vehicle information and situation information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. When the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle V will come into contact with the obstacle, the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed on the sidewalk A to display predetermined notification information. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle V from coming into contact with the obstacle.

[0128] In the above description, the information processing device 100 performs various processes such as a process for determining whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle and a process for outputting a display instruction to the display device 70, but the device that performs the various processes is not limited to the information processing device 100. In other words, a part or all of the processes performed by the information processing device 100 may be performed by another device such as the in-vehicle device 10.

[0129] That is, for example, the in-vehicle device 10 may acquire vehicle information and situation information, and based on the acquired vehicle information and situation information, determine whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, output a display instruction to a display device to display specified notification information.

[0130] In the above description, various processes such as transmitting location information are performed using the terminal device 50 carried by the user U, but this is not limited to the above. That is, for example, if the vehicle V is equipped with a terminal device such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone, some or all of the processes performed by the terminal device 50 may be performed by the terminal device of the vehicle V.

[0131] In addition to pedestrians W, the above-mentioned obstacles may include, for example, vehicles that can travel on the sidewalk A similar to the vehicle (vehicle V). In this case, for example, when calculating the congestion degree (in other words, the possibility of contact between the vehicle V and the obstacle), the information processing device 100 may calculate the vehicles as being more likely to be congested (i.e., more likely to be contacted) than the pedestrians W who are people. For example, in the coefficient for calculating the congestion degree, a coefficient may be set so that the congestion degree of the vehicles is greater even if the number of people and vehicles is the same.

[0132] Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1. Information Processing Systems 10 Onboard equipment 70 Display device 100 Information processing device 111 Acquisition Department 113 Judgment section 114 Instruction section

Claims

1. a control unit that, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information regarding the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information regarding the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, outputs a display instruction to display notification information to a display device installed on the sidewalk. Equipped with When the control unit outputs the display instruction in a danger area of ​​the sidewalk where a plurality of the display devices are provided, the control unit outputs the display instruction to a display device having a larger number of pedestrians nearby than the other display devices among the plurality of display devices provided in the same danger area. An information processing device comprising:

2. The danger area in which the plurality of display devices are provided is an intersection, and the display devices are provided in a passageway leading to the intersection.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

3. a control unit that, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information regarding the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information regarding the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, outputs a display instruction to display notification information to a display device installed on the sidewalk. Equipped with The control unit limits output of the display instruction to the display device when the display device is being gazed at by the passerby. An information processing device comprising:

4. The notification information is information that alerts a pedestrian to a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1,

5. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information regarding the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information regarding the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, a display instruction is output to a display device installed on the sidewalk to display notification information; When the display instruction is output in a danger area of ​​the sidewalk where a plurality of the display devices are provided, the display instruction is output to a display device having a larger number of nearby pedestrians than the other display devices among the plurality of display devices provided in the same danger area. An information processing method comprising:

6. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information regarding the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information regarding the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, a display instruction is output to a display device installed on the sidewalk to display notification information; When the display device is being watched by the passerby, output of the display instruction to the display device is restricted. An information processing method comprising:

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