Information processing device, vehicle, route determination method and program

Abstract

The information processing unit (2) according to the present disclosure is provided with a route search unit (23) that performs a determination process to determine whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop of the vehicle (1) due to the color of a traffic light, and a second stop, which is a stop of the vehicle (1) due to a traffic jam, occurs in a route candidate that is a candidate route from a boarding location of a user boarding the vehicle (1) to a destination, based on traffic light information indicating the timing of changing the color of a traffic light and traffic congestion information indicating the occurrence of traffic congestion, and determines a route to be traveled by the vehicle (1) from among the route candidates using a determination result from the determination process.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a vehicle, a route determination method, and a program that search for a route for a vehicle to travel. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technique for searching a route for a vehicle to a destination. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for calculating an estimated fuel consumption value based on a vehicle's travel time and an idling stop time, and searching for a route that minimizes the estimated fuel consumption value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5872229 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 is capable of searching for a route that reduces fuel consumption. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the viewpoint of preventing a user who is in a vehicle from becoming involved in a crime.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device that can reduce the possibility that a user riding in a vehicle will become involved in a crime. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the information processing device according to the present disclosure includes a route search unit that performs a determination process to determine whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to the light color of a traffic light, and a second stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to congestion, occurs in a route candidate that is a route candidate from a boarding location of a user who is boarding a vehicle to a destination, based on traffic light information indicating a timing of changing the light color of a traffic light and traffic congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion, and determines a route along which the vehicle will travel from among the route candidates using a determination result from the determination process. When a first stop occurs on a route candidate, if the occurrence of the first stop can be avoided by changing at least one of a departure time and a traveling speed of the vehicle, the route search unit changes at least one of a departure time and a traveling speed of the vehicle on the route candidate so as to avoid the occurrence of the first stop. do. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The information processing device according to the present disclosure has an effect of reducing the possibility that a user riding in a vehicle will become involved in a crime. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] A flowchart showing an example of a route determination process in an information processing unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a route determined by the route determination method according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a route determination system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a manually driven vehicle according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer system that realizes an information processing unit and an information processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing an example of a route determination process in an information processing unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing an example of a route determination process in an information processing unit according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An information processing device, a vehicle, a route determination method, and a program according to embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. The vehicle 1 of the present embodiment includes an information processing unit 2, a driving control unit 3, a driving mechanism 4, and a self-location identification unit 5. The vehicle 1 is capable of carrying a user who is a user of the vehicle 1, and is capable of transporting the user to a destination. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the vehicle 1 is an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving, but the present embodiment is not limited to autonomous vehicles, as described later, and can also be applied to manually driven vehicles operated by a driver. The present embodiment can also be applied to vehicles capable of switching between autonomous driving and manual driving.

[0011] The information processing unit 2 is an information processing device that searches for a route (a route along which the vehicle 1 travels) of the vehicle 1. The information processing unit 2 includes an information acquisition unit 21, a reception unit 22, a route search unit 23, and an information storage unit 24.

[0012] The information acquisition unit 21 acquires information by receiving information from the information providing device 6. The information acquisition unit 21 acquires, for example, from the information providing device 6, traffic light information indicating the timing of changing the light color of a traffic light (traffic light), i.e., the timing of changing the light color of the traffic light, and congestion information indicating the occurrence status of congestion, and stores the acquired traffic light information and congestion information in the information storage unit 24.

[0013] The traffic light information may be, for example, information indicating a traffic light cycle indicating the length of one cycle in which the traffic light is turned on in the order of green, yellow (or flashing green), and red, the lighting time of each lighting color, and the reference time, or information indicating the scheduled time when the traffic light changes from green to yellow, yellow to red, and red to green. The reference time is, for example, a reference time for determining the time when each color of the traffic light starts to light, and may be, for example, the start time of one of the cycles. If the start of one cycle is when the green light starts to light, the time when the green light starts to light in one of the cycles can be used as the reference time. In this case, the time when the green light starts to light the traffic light can be determined by adding an integer multiple of the traffic light cycle to the reference time. The reference time is not limited to this, and may be set so as to be able to determine the time when each color of the traffic light starts to light. The reference time may be a time in the past or a time in the future. The traffic light information may be determined by a system that manages the lighting, or may be information estimated from the results obtained by a sensor such as a camera that detects the flow of traffic. In addition, the information processing unit 2 may be equipped with an estimation unit (not shown) that estimates traffic light information, the information acquisition unit 21 may acquire sensor detection results from a sensor such as a camera that detects traffic flow, the estimation unit may estimate traffic light information using the detection results, and the estimated traffic light information may be stored in the information storage unit 24.

[0014] The information providing device 6 may be a roadside device, a management device that manages information related to traffic, or a distribution device that acquires and distributes traffic signal information and congestion information from the management device. The information processing unit 2 may acquire information transmitted from the information providing device 6 via various networks such as the Internet and a mobile phone network, or may receive the information via another device not shown. For example, the information processing unit 2 may receive information transmitted from the information providing device 6 via another vehicle 1 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Although one information providing device 6 is illustrated in FIG. 1, there may be a plurality of information providing devices 6. For example, the information providing device 6 that transmits congestion information may be different from the information providing device 6 that transmits traffic signal information. An information providing device 6 that provides traffic signal information and congestion information for each area may be provided, and the information acquiring unit 21 may acquire traffic signal information and congestion information from a plurality of information providing devices 6 that respectively correspond to a plurality of areas.

[0015] The reception unit 22 receives an input of a destination and notifies the route search unit 23 of the received destination. The reception unit 22 may receive an input of a destination from a user riding in the vehicle 1, for example, or may receive an input of a destination from a user other than the user riding in the vehicle 1. For example, if the user riding in the vehicle 1 is a minor child, the destination may be input by the parent or guardian of the user, an instructor, or the like. Furthermore, the reception unit 22 may receive a direct input by a user's operation, or may receive information indicating the destination from a terminal device such as a mobile terminal that can be operated by the user.

[0016] The information storage unit 24 stores congestion information, traffic light information, and map information. The map information is information representing a map including information about roads, and includes the position of each road, the number of lanes on each road, the driving direction of each lane, the position of traffic lights, and regulation information indicating regulations such as one-way traffic and stop signs. The map information may also include information indicating the curvature of a curve of a road, the gradient of a road, and the degree of unevenness of the road surface. The map information may also include information indicating the occurrence status of past crimes (types and frequency of crimes that have occurred) for each block on the map, such as a crime prevention map. The map information may also include information indicating the brightness for each block. The map information may also be information indicating a static map of high-precision three-dimensional map data including dynamic and semi-dynamic information, such as a dynamic map. If the dynamic map includes at least one of traffic light information and traffic light information, the information may be acquired as a dynamic map.

[0017] The route search unit 23 determines a route for the vehicle 1 to travel from the departure point (boarding point) to the destination without stopping as much as possible, i.e., the route of the vehicle 1, based on the traffic light information and traffic congestion information stored in the information storage unit 24, and notifies the travel control unit 3 of the determined route. For example, the route search unit 23 performs a determination process for determining whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop due to the color of the traffic light of the vehicle 1, and a second stop, which is a stop due to traffic congestion of the vehicle 1, occurs in a route candidate that is a route candidate from the boarding point of the user to the destination, based on the traffic light information and traffic congestion information. Then, the route search unit 23 determines a route for the vehicle 1 to travel from among the route candidates using the determination result of the determination process. Also, for example, the route search unit 23 may determine a route for the vehicle 1 from among the route candidates determined by the determination process to have at least one of the first stop and the second stop, based on at least one of the stop time and the number of stops of the vehicle 1 on the route of the vehicle 1. In detail, the route search unit 23 may determine, for example, a route candidate with the smallest number of stops as the route of the vehicle 1, or may determine a route candidate with the smallest maximum value of the stop time among the route candidates as the route of the vehicle 1. The method of determining a route in the route search unit 23 is not limited to this.

[0018] Note that, for example, the current position of the vehicle 1 indicated by position information, which will be described later, received by the route search unit 23 from the self-position identification unit 5 is set as the departure point, but this is not limiting, and the reception unit 22 may also receive an input of the departure point and notify the route search unit 23 of the departure point. Details of a method for determining a route in the route search unit 23 will be described later.

[0019] The self-location identifying unit 5 identifies the self-location of the vehicle 1, and outputs location information indicating the identified self-location to the driving control unit 3 and the route searching unit 23. The self-location identifying unit 5 identifies the self-location by performing positioning using a satellite positioning system such as a global positioning system (GPS) or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), but the method of identifying the self-location in the self-location identifying unit 5 is not limited to this. Note that when the location information is not used in the route searching unit 23, the location information does not need to be output from the self-location identifying unit 5 to the route searching unit 23.

[0020] The travel control unit 3 controls the travel mechanism 4 based on the route notified from the route search unit 23, thereby performing travel control by the automatic driving of the vehicle 1. For example, the travel control unit 3 controls the travel mechanism 4 based on information acquired by sensors (not shown), such as a camera for detecting obstacles, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), and a millimeter wave sensor, position information received from the self-location identification unit 5, and map information stored in the information storage unit 24. Note that the travel control of the automatic driving of the vehicle 1 is not limited to the above as long as it controls the vehicle to travel along the route notified from the route search unit 23, and any method may be used, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted since a general method can be used.

[0021] Furthermore, the map information for automatic driving, which is the map information used by the driving control unit 3, may be different from the map information stored in the information storage unit 24. In this case, the driving control unit 3 performs driving control based on the map information for automatic driving stored in a map information storage unit (not shown) in the vehicle 1. For example, the map information stored in the information storage unit 24 may be two-dimensional map information, and the map information for automatic driving may be a dynamic map. When a dynamic map is used as the map information for automatic driving, the information to be updated may be acquired by the information acquisition unit 21 or may be acquired by a transmission / reception unit (not shown).

[0022] The driving mechanism 4 is a mechanism for driving the vehicle 1, and includes a plurality of mechanisms for driving the vehicle 1, such as an accelerator operation device such as an accelerator pedal, a steering device, and brakes.

[0023] In this embodiment, the route search unit 23 determines the route of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 does not stop as much as possible until the destination, so that the possibility of the user riding in the vehicle 1 being involved in a crime when the vehicle 1 stops can be reduced. In particular, when the vehicle 1 is an autonomous vehicle and the user riding in the vehicle 1 is a child, measures to prevent the child from being involved in a crime are important. In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 can travel to the destination so that the vehicle 1 does not stop as much as possible, so that the possibility of the child being involved in a crime can be reduced. Note that the user riding in the vehicle 1 is not limited to a child.

[0024] In the above example, the route search unit 23 notifies the driving control unit 3 of the determined route, but the present invention is not limited to this. The route search unit 23 may store route information indicating the determined route in the information storage unit 24 or a route information storage unit (not shown) in the vehicle 1. In this case, the driving control unit 3 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 by referring to the route information stored in the information storage unit 24 or the road information storage unit.

[0025] Next, a route determination method in the information processing unit 2 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a route determination process in the information processing unit 2 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing unit 2 judges whether or not a destination has been input (step S1). In detail, the route search unit 23 judges whether or not a destination has been notified from the reception unit 22. As described above, the reception unit 22 may receive input of not only the destination but also the departure point, in which case the route search unit 23 is also notified of the departure point from the reception unit 22.

[0026] If no destination is input (step S1 No), the information processing unit 2 repeats step S1. If a destination is input (step S1 Yes), the information processing unit 2 acquires traffic light information and traffic congestion information (step S2). In detail, the information acquisition unit 21 acquires traffic light information and traffic congestion information within a range in which the vehicle 1 can travel from, for example, the information providing device 6, and stores the acquired traffic light information and traffic congestion information in the information storage unit 24. Note that, in FIG. 2, step S2 is performed after step S1, but the execution timing of step S2 is not limited to this. For example, step S2 may be performed periodically.

[0027] The information processing unit 2 sets route candidates (step S3). In detail, the route search unit 23 searches for a route from the departure point to the destination using map information stored in the information storage unit 24, and sets one of the routes obtained by the search as a route candidate. In step S3, for example, the route search unit 23 may search for a route by the Dijkstra algorithm, which considers intersections as nodes and sets costs for edges connecting nodes to search for a route that minimizes the cost, the Bellman-Ford algorithm, or the like, or may search for route candidates by a full search method, or may search for a route by a metaheuristic method, or may perform route search by a method other than these. For example, the cost in the Dijkstra algorithm may be a distance or a required time, but is not limited to these.

[0028] Next, the information processing unit 2 judges whether or not there is a stop point in the set route candidate (step S4). In detail, the route search unit 23 sets a departure time for departing from the departure point, and performs a judgment process to judge whether or not at least one of the following will occur in the set route candidate: a stop of the vehicle 1 due to the light color of a traffic light (a stop of the vehicle 1 due to a red or yellow light of the traffic light) and a stop of the vehicle 1 due to a traffic jam, using the congestion information and traffic light information stored in the information storage unit 24. The departure time may be a time a certain time ahead of the current time, or may be specified by the user. Note that the route search unit 23 may treat a stop at a place where there is no traffic light and where there is a stop regulation as a stop, in addition to the stop of the vehicle 1 due to the light color of a traffic light (hereinafter, also referred to as the stop of the vehicle 1 due to a traffic light) and the stop of the vehicle 1 due to a traffic jam, and may not include the place where there is a stop regulation. Note that, when the traffic jam information is shown in a format such as a traffic jam Y km at point X, the stop of the vehicle 1 due to a traffic jam is expected to occur at the end of the traffic jam, and the end of the traffic jam may be set as the stop point. Moreover, if the congestion information includes stop locations and stop times due to congestion, it is determined whether or not there are stop locations based on this information.

[0029] Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 is stopped by a traffic light, the route search unit 23 may change at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed if changing at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed can avoid the vehicle 1 from stopping. For example, the route search unit 23 may determine a standard traveling speed for each road section as an initial value, and when there is a traffic light that turns red when traveling at the standard traveling speed but turns green (the green light is on) if the traveling speed is slightly reduced within a range set by regulations, change the traveling speed to a speed at which the traffic light passes through the traffic light when the traffic light is green.

[0030] If there is no stopping point (No in step S4), the information processing unit 2 selects the route candidate being set as the route (step S5) and ends the process. In detail, in step S5, the route search unit 23 determines the route of the vehicle 1 by selecting the route candidate being set as the route, and notifies the driving control unit 3 of the determined route. Note that, in step S4, if at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed is changed, the route search unit 23 notifies the driving control unit 3 of the changed at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed.

[0031] If there is a stop location (step S4 Yes), the information processing unit 2 stores the stop time and the number of stops (step S6). In detail, the route search unit 23 calculates the stop time and the number of stops of the vehicle 1 for each stop location in the route candidate being set, and stores the calculated stop time and the number of stops internally. Alternatively, the route search unit 23 may store the calculated stop time and the number of stops in the information storage unit 24 or a temporary storage unit not shown. When the traffic congestion information is shown in a format such as traffic congestion Y km at X point, the stop time of the vehicle 1 due to congestion may be determined by a table or the like according to the length of the traffic congestion, and Y km may be converted to the stop time using the table. In addition, when the traffic congestion information includes the time required to pass the traffic congestion, the time may be used as the stop time of the vehicle 1 due to congestion. Also, here, an example is described in which the route search unit 23 calculates the stopping time and number of stops of the vehicle 1. However, if the stopping time is not used to calculate the stopping index in step S9 described later, the stopping time does not have to be calculated in step S6, and if the number of stops is not used to calculate the stopping index in step S9 described later, the number of stops does not have to be calculated in step S6.

[0032] The information processing unit 2 determines whether there is an unset route candidate (step S7). In detail, the route search unit 23 determines whether there is a route from the departure point to the destination other than the already set route candidate. Even if there is a route that can depart from the departure point and arrive at the destination by taking a very long detour, the processing time required for the route search process and the actual travel of the vehicle 1 may take too long, so a limit may be set on at least one of the processing time and the travel distance (travel distance from the departure point to the destination). For example, if the processing time of the route search unit 23 exceeds a threshold value in searching for a route other than the already set route candidate, it may be determined in step S7 that there is no unset route candidate. Also, for example, if the information processing unit 2 performs a route search other than the already set route candidate and only solutions that are equal to or greater than the travel distance threshold value are obtained, it may be determined in step S7 that there is no unset route candidate.

[0033] If there is an unset route candidate (Yes in step S7), the information processing unit 2 sets the next route candidate (step S8) and repeats the process from step S4. In step S8, in detail, the route search unit 23 searches for a route from the departure point to the destination other than the route candidate that has already been set, and sets one of the routes obtained by the search as a route candidate.

[0034] If there is no unset route candidate (step S7 No), the information processing unit 2 calculates a stop index for each route candidate (step S9). In detail, the route search unit 23 calculates a stop index, which is an index related to the stop of the vehicle 1 on the route candidate, using at least one of the stop time and the number of stops of the vehicle 1 for each stored route candidate. The stop index is an index indicating the degree of the stop of the vehicle 1 on each route candidate. The number of stops is the sum of the first number, which is the number of times the vehicle 1 stops due to the color of the traffic light (first stop), and the second number, which is the number of times the vehicle 1 stops due to congestion (second stop), but is not limited thereto, and the route search unit 23 may count the first number and the second number separately.

[0035] The stop index may be, for example, the number of stops (number of stop locations) of Vehicle 1 within the route candidate, or the maximum value among the stop times at each stop location within the route candidate, or the total value of the stop times within the route candidate, or a value obtained by weighted addition of a first number and a second number. Further, the stop index may be an index calculated by combining the stop time and the number of stops, or may be other than these. For example, the stop index may be the number of stop locations within the route candidate where the stop time is equal to or greater than a certain value, that is, the number of stops where the stop time is equal to or greater than a certain value. Also, for example, when the number of stops where the stop time is equal to or greater than a first time is A1, the number of stops where the stop time is equal to or greater than a second time longer than the first time is A2, the number of stops where the stop time is equal to or greater than a third time longer than the second time is A3, w1, w2, w3 are weighting factors, and the stop index is C, C may be calculated by the following formula (1). C = w1·A1+w2·A2+w3·A3···(1)

[0036] For example, by setting the above weighting factors w1, w2, w3 such that w1 < w2 < w3, even if the number of stops is the same, the larger the stop time, the larger the value of C. The stop index is not limited to the examples described above. Here, it is defined that the smaller the value of the stop index, the better the evaluation, but it is not limited to this, and the stop index may be defined such that the larger the value, the better the evaluation.

[0037] Note that the stop index may further include the number of right turns and left turns. When there are right turns and left turns, the possibility of Vehicle 1 stopping increases, so it is preferable to select a route that goes straight as much as possible. For this reason, for example, the weighted addition of the above-described number of stops and the number of right turns and left turns may be used as the stop index, or a term obtained by multiplying the number of right turns and left turns by a weighting factor may be further added to the above formula (1), and the stop index may be further determined based on the number of right turns and left turns.

[0038] In addition, when the stops of the vehicle 1 are counted separately for stops in sections assumed to be unsafe and other stops, and the stop index is calculated based on the number of stops and the stop time, the weighting coefficient for stops in sections assumed to be unsafe may be larger than that for other sections. In this case, the map information includes, for example, the number of past crime occurrences as information for identifying sections assumed to be unsafe. For example, the stop index may be a result of weighting the number of stops in sections assumed to be unsafe and the number of stops in other sections, or the stop index may be a result of weighting the maximum stop time in sections assumed to be unsafe and the maximum stop time in other sections. Furthermore, the stop index may be a result of weighting the number of stops in sections assumed to be unsafe and the number of stops in other sections, and the maximum stop time in sections assumed to be unsafe and the maximum stop time in other sections.

[0039] In addition, since there is a possibility that the vehicle 1 may stop at an intersection where a traffic light is provided, the number of intersections where a traffic light is provided may also be taken into consideration in the stop index. In other words, the stop index may be determined based on the number of intersections where a traffic light is provided.

[0040] Next, the information processing unit 2 determines a route candidate to be selected as a route based on the stop index (step S10), and ends the process. In step S10, in detail, the route search unit 23 determines a route candidate to be selected as a route using the stop index of each route candidate calculated in step S9. For example, the route search unit 23 determines a route candidate with a minimum stop index as a route to be selected. Alternatively, a route candidate to be selected as a route may be determined based on a selection criterion other than the stop index from among route candidates with a stop index equal to or smaller than a threshold value. The selection criterion may be a travel distance, a required time, or other criteria. Note that, in the case where the stop index is defined such that the larger the value is, the better the evaluation value is, the route search unit 23 determines, for example, a route candidate with a maximum stop index as a route to be selected.

[0041] As described above, the route search unit 23 may calculate the first stop count, which is the number of first stops, and the second stop count, which is the number of second stops, in a route candidate based on, for example, traffic congestion information and traffic light information, and may determine a route along which the vehicle 1 travels from among the route candidates using the first stop count and the second stop count. For example, the route search unit 23 may determine a route candidate along which the total value of the first stop count and the second stop count is the smallest, as a route along which the vehicle 1 travels. In addition, the route search unit 23 may calculate a stop time for each location where either the first stop or the second stop occurs in the route candidate based on traffic congestion information and traffic light information, and may determine a route along which the vehicle 1 travels from among the route candidates using the calculated stop time. For example, the route search unit 23 may determine a route candidate along which the maximum value of the stop time is the smallest, as a route along which the vehicle 1 travels.

[0042] In the above-described example, after the route candidates are set by the route search process, the stop index of each route candidate is calculated, and the route candidate to be selected as the route is determined using the calculated stop index. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stop index may be considered in the route search process. Alternatively, the condition to reduce the stop time may be considered in the route search process. For example, in the Dijkstra method and the Bellman-Ford method, the cost may be set so that the cost of the edge where the stop occurs is increased, or the cost may be set so that the cost of the edge increases as the stop time increases. Furthermore, the cost may be set so that the cost is increased for an edge including an intersection where a traffic light is installed, and the cost may be set so that the cost of an edge where a right turn and a left turn occurs is also increased. When the condition to reduce the stop index or the stop time is considered in the route search process, this route search process is performed instead of step S3 shown in FIG. 2, and steps S4 to S10 do not need to be performed.

[0043] The route determination process described above is merely an example, and the route search unit 23 may, for example, calculate at least one of the number of stops and the stopping time of the vehicle 1 in a candidate route based on traffic light information and congestion information, and determine a route using the calculated value, and the specific contents of the route determination method are not limited to the above-mentioned example.

[0044] In the above example, the process illustrated in FIG. 2 is performed regardless of the user's age, but the present invention is not limited to this. The route search unit 23 may determine whether to determine the route by the process illustrated in FIG. 2 or by a normal method depending on the user's age. For example, when the user's age is less than a threshold, the route may be determined by the process illustrated in FIG. 2, and when the user's age is equal to or greater than the threshold, the route may be determined by a normal method. Information indicating the user's age may be input by the reception unit 22, for example, or may be estimated by the route search unit 23. Information indicating the user's age may be the age itself, or may be information indicating whether the user is a child or an adult. For example, the user may be photographed by a camera (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1, and the route search unit 23 may estimate the user's age by analyzing the photographed image.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a route determined by the route determination method of the present embodiment. Here, as an example, the number of stops is used as a route index. In the example shown in FIG. 3, traffic lights 51-1 to 51-7 exist around the starting point and the destination, and congestion occurs at two congestion points 54-1 and 54-2. Assuming that the starting point is departed at departure time T0, and if the vehicle travels at a standard travel speed, the expected arrival time at traffic light 51-2 is T1. At T1, traffic light 51-2 is green (green light is on). Similarly, since traffic light 51-2 is green at T1, the vehicle 1 can go straight, turn right, or turn left at the intersection where traffic light 51-2 is provided. In the example shown in FIG. 3, if the vehicle travels straight through traffic light 51-2, congestion occurs at congestion point 54-1. Furthermore, when vehicle 1 turns right at traffic light 51-2, traffic light 51-1 is red at estimated arrival time T2 of vehicle 1 at traffic light 51-1, and when vehicle 1 turns left at traffic light 51-2, traffic light 51-3 is green at estimated arrival time T3 of vehicle 1 at traffic light 51-1. In this case, turning right at traffic light 51-2 will cause vehicle 1 to stop at traffic light 51-1.

[0046] On the other hand, since the traffic light 51-3 is green at the estimated arrival time T3, the vehicle 1 does not need to stop. Therefore, the route going straight through the traffic light 51-2 and the route turning right at the traffic light 51-2 have a larger route index than the route turning left at the traffic light 51-2. Also, the traffic lights 51-4, 51-5, and 51-6 are green at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 1 at each of them, and the traffic light 51-7 is red at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 1 at the traffic light 51-7. The route turning right at the traffic light 51-3 has a congestion at the congestion point 54-2, and the route turning right at the intersection between the traffic lights 51-4 and 51-5 has a stop at the traffic light 51-7, which causes the vehicle 1 to stop. Also, the route turning right at the traffic light 51-4 has a stop sign 53 at the intersection 52 without a traffic light, so the vehicle 1 has to stop for a temporary stop. Therefore, if a temporary stop is also considered as a stop, a stop will also occur on the route making a right turn at traffic light 51-4. From the above, in the example shown in Fig. 3, for example, route 60 shown by a dashed line is determined as the route for vehicle 1. Note that, if a stop due to a temporary stop is not considered as a stop, a route making a right turn at traffic light 51-4 may be determined as the route for vehicle 1. Fig. 3 shows the concept of a route determination method, and the situation on each route and the route determination result are not limited to the example shown in Fig. 3.

[0047] In addition, in FIG. 1, an example is described in which the vehicle 1 performs the route determination process of this embodiment, but the route determination process may be performed by a device separate from the vehicle. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a route determination system of this embodiment. The route determination system of this embodiment includes a vehicle 1a and an information processing device 7, and the route determination process is performed by the information processing device 7. Components having the same functions as those in the example shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0048] 1. The information processing device 7 shown in FIG. 4 has a route transmission unit 25 added to the information processing unit 2 shown in FIG. 1, and the vehicle 1a shown in FIG. 4 has the information processing unit 2 removed from the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 and has a transmission / reception unit 8 and a map information storage unit 9 added. In the route determination system shown in FIG. 4, the self-location identification unit 5 outputs location information indicating the location of the vehicle 1a to the driving control unit 3 and the transmission / reception unit 8. The transmission / reception unit 8 transmits the location information to the information processing device 7. Note that when location information is not used in the route search unit 23, the self-location identification unit 5 does not need to output location information to the transmission / reception unit 8.

[0049] The route search unit 23 in the information processing device 7 shown in Fig. 4 performs a route determination process in the same manner as the route search unit 23 of the information processing unit 2 shown in Fig. 1, and outputs route information indicating the determined route to the route transmission unit 25. The route transmission unit 25 transmits the route information to the vehicle 1a.

[0050] The transmitting / receiving unit 8 of the vehicle 1a receives route information from the information processing device 7 and outputs the received route information to the driving control unit 3. The driving control unit 3 controls the driving of the vehicle 1a by controlling the driving mechanism 4 based on the route indicated by the route information received from the transmitting / receiving unit 8. For example, similar to the driving control unit 3 shown in FIG. 1, the driving control unit 3 controls the driving mechanism 4 based on information acquired by a sensor (not shown), position information, and map information stored in the map information storage unit 9. The map information stored in the information storage unit 24 of the information processing device 7 and the map information stored in the map information storage unit 9 may be the same or different.

[0051] The division of functions between the vehicle and the information processing device is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 4. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 4, the reception unit 22 is provided in the information processing device 7, but the reception unit 22 may be provided in the vehicle 1a. In this case, the destination received by the reception unit 22 is transmitted to the information processing device 7 by the transmission / reception unit 8. The destination is received by a receiving unit (not shown) in the information processing device 7, and is output to the route search unit 23 by the receiving unit. When the reception unit 22 receives an input of a departure point, the departure point is also transmitted to the information processing device 7.

[0052] In addition, in the examples shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the vehicles 1 and 1a are autonomous vehicles, but this embodiment can also be applied to manually driven vehicles. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a manually driven vehicle of this embodiment. Vehicle 1b shown in Fig. 5 is a vehicle driven by a driver. As shown in Fig. 5, vehicle 1b is a vehicle 1 with the driving control unit 3 removed, and includes an information processing unit 2b instead of the information processing unit 2. Components having the same functions as those in the example shown in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0053] The information processing unit 2b is the same as the information processing unit 2 shown in FIG. 1 except that a route display unit 26 is added to the information processing unit 2 shown in FIG. 1. The route search unit 23 of the information processing unit 2b performs a route determination process in the same manner as the route search unit 23 of the information processing unit 2 shown in FIG. 1, and outputs route information indicating the determined route to the route display unit 26. The route display unit 26 displays the route indicated by the route information. The route display unit 26 may display the route on a map. In this case, the route search unit 23 may read the map information from the information storage unit 24 and pass it to the route display unit 26, or the route display unit 26 may read the map information from the information storage unit 24 and display it as a map.

[0054] Note that, even when a manually driven vehicle is used, the information processing device 7 may perform the route determination process in the same manner as in the example shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the vehicle is equipped with a route display unit 26 instead of the driving control unit 3 of the vehicle 1a shown in Fig. 4, route information indicating the route determined by the information processing device 7 is received by the transceiver unit 8, and the route indicated by the route information is displayed by the route display unit 26.

[0055] Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing units 2, 2b and the information processing device 7 of this embodiment will be described. In each of the information processing units 2, 2b and the information processing device 7 of this embodiment, a computer program that describes the processing in the information processing units 2, 2b is executed on a computer system, so that the computer system functions as the information processing units 2, 2b and the information processing device 7, respectively. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes the information processing units 2, 2b and the information processing device 7 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, this computer system includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a storage unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107.

[0056] In FIG. 6, the control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes a program in which the processing in the information processing units 2 and 2b of the present embodiment is described. The input unit 102 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a button, a mouse, and the like, and is used by a user of the computer system to input various information. The storage unit 103 includes various memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device such as a hard disk, and stores the program to be executed by the control unit 101, necessary data obtained in the process of processing, and the like. The storage unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for the program. The control unit 101 and the storage unit 103 constitute, for example, a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be one circuit or multiple circuits. The display unit 104 is composed of a display, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display Panel), and the like, and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. A touch panel in which the input unit 102 and the display unit 104 are integrated may be used. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and a transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a speaker, etc. Note that Fig. 6 is just an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example of Fig. 6. For example, the output unit 106 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0057] Here, an example of the operation of the computer system until the program of this embodiment is in an executable state will be described. In the computer system having the above-mentioned configuration, for example, a program is installed in the storage unit 103 from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM set in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). Then, when the program is executed, the program read from the storage unit 103 is stored in the main storage area of ​​the storage unit 103. In this state, the control unit 101 executes the processes as the information processing units 2, 2b and the information processing device 7 of this embodiment according to the program stored in the storage unit 103.

[0058] In the above description, a program describing the processing in the information processing units 2, 2b is provided using a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM as a recording medium. However, this is not limiting, and depending on the configuration of the computer system, the capacity of the program to be provided, etc., it is also possible to use a program provided over a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105.

[0059] The program of this embodiment, for example, causes a computer system that determines a route for vehicle 1 to execute a judgment process that determines whether or not at least one of a first stop, in which vehicle 1 stops due to the color of a traffic light, and a second stop, in which vehicle 1 stops due to congestion, will occur in a route candidate that is a candidate route from the boarding location of a user boarding vehicle 1 to the destination, based on traffic light information and traffic congestion information, and a step of determining a route for vehicle 1 to travel from among the route candidates using the judgment result of the judgment process.

[0060] The route search unit 23 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 is realized by executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 6 by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 6. The storage unit 103 is also used to realize the route search unit 23 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5. The information acquisition unit 21 shown in FIG. 1 is realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 6. The information storage unit 24 is a part of the storage unit 103. The reception unit 22 is realized by at least one of the input unit 102 and the communication unit 105. The route display unit 26 shown in FIG. 5 is realized by the display unit 104 shown in FIG. 6. The control unit 101 may be used to control the reception unit 22, the route display unit 26, and the information acquisition unit 21. The information processing units 2, 2b, and the information processing device 7 may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. Also, for example, the information processing device 7 may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0061] The driving control unit 3 shown in FIG. 1, the driving control unit 3 shown in FIG. 4, and the map information storage unit 9 are also realized by a computer system. The driving control unit 3 shown in FIG. 1, the driving control unit 3 shown in FIG. 4, and the map information storage unit 9 are realized by a processing circuit configured with a control unit 101 and a storage unit 103 exemplified in FIG. 7, for example. The driving control unit 3 and the information processing unit 2 shown in FIG. 1 may be realized by one computer system. Furthermore, when the self-location determination unit 5 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 acquires position information by GNSS positioning, the self-location determination unit 5 includes a GNSS antenna, and the position information is calculated by the above-mentioned control circuit using a signal received by the GNSS antenna.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, the information processing units 2, 2b and the information processing device 7 determine the route of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 does not stop until the destination as much as possible, and therefore, when the vehicle 1 stops, the possibility of the user in the vehicle 1 being involved in a crime can be reduced. In particular, when the vehicle 1 is an autonomous vehicle and the user in the vehicle 1 is a child, crime prevention measures for children are important, and the route determination method of this embodiment can reduce the possibility of the child being involved in a crime.

[0063] Embodiment 2 Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a route determination process in the information processing unit 2 of the second embodiment. The configuration of the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Components having the same functions as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment in the vehicle 1 having the configuration example shown in Fig. 1 of the first embodiment will be described as an example, but the operation of the present embodiment can also be applied to the configuration examples shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the first embodiment in the same manner.

[0064] Steps S1 to S3 shown in FIG. 7 are the same as the example shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment. After step S3, the information processing unit 2 judges whether or not the vehicle 1 will arrive at the destination before the set time (step S11). In detail, the route search unit 23 judges whether or not the vehicle 1 will arrive at the destination before the set time when the vehicle 1 travels along the route candidate being set. The set time is a limit time that can be tolerated as a deviation from the target arrival time, and is, for example, a time when a set time has elapsed from the target arrival time (first set time), that is, a time obtained by adding a set time to the target arrival time, but is not limited thereto. At least one of the target arrival time and the set time may be specified by the user. For example, at least one of the target arrival time and the set time may be set by the receiving unit 22 receiving an input from the user. Alternatively, the target arrival time may be determined according to the straight-line distance from the departure point to the destination.

[0065] If the arrival time is within the set time (Yes in step S11), the process proceeds to step S4 and onward. If the arrival time is not within the set time (No in step S11), the process proceeds to step S8 and onward. Steps S4 to S10 are the same as those in the example shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment.

[0066] In the first embodiment, the route of the vehicle 1 is determined so that the vehicle 1 does not stop until the destination as much as possible, but this may result in the selection of a route that takes a long time to reach the destination. In the present embodiment, the information processing unit 2 excludes route candidates that cause the vehicle 1 to arrive at the destination after the set time from the route candidates to be selected. That is, the information processing unit 2 determines a route so that the arrival time of the vehicle 1 at the destination is before the set time. Therefore, it is possible to determine a route so that the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination before the set time. In addition, since the set time is set based on the target arrival time specified by the user, the arrival time of the vehicle 1 at the destination can be brought closer to the target arrival time desired by the user.

[0067] Also, a time (second set time) before the target arrival time by a set time, that is, a time obtained by subtracting a set time from the target arrival time, may be set as the set time. In this case, in step S11, it is determined whether the vehicle 1 will arrive at the destination at or after the second set time. That is, the information processing unit 2 determines a route for the vehicle 1 to travel so that the arrival time of the vehicle 1 at the destination is before the second set time. This makes it possible to prevent the user who gets in the vehicle 1 from arriving too early, and to prevent the user from becoming involved in a crime while waiting. Also, a first set time before the target arrival time by a set time and a second set time after the target arrival time by a set time may be set as the set time, and in step S11, it is determined whether the vehicle 1 will arrive at the destination at or after the first set time and before the second set time.

[0068] The processing procedure shown in FIG. 7 is an example, and is not limited thereto. The condition of arriving before a set time may be reflected in the route search process. For example, the cost may be set very high when arriving after the set time, so that the route is less likely to be searched for as a route in the route search process. That is, the route search unit 23 may determine a route such that the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination before the set time and the vehicle 1 does not stop until the destination, and any specific process may be performed. The operation of this embodiment other than that described above is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0069] Embodiment 3 Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a route determination process in the information processing unit 2 of the third embodiment. The configuration of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Components having the same functions as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. The operation of this embodiment in the vehicle 1 having the configuration example shown in Fig. 1 of the first embodiment will be described below as an example, but the operation of this embodiment can also be applied to the configuration examples shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the first embodiment in the same manner.

[0070] Steps S1 to S3 shown in Fig. 8 are the same as the example shown in Fig. 2 of the first embodiment. After step S3, the information processing unit 2 determines whether or not there is a section with a bad driving environment (step S12). In detail, the route search unit 23 uses the map information stored in the information storage unit 24 to determine whether or not there is a section with a bad driving environment in the route candidate being set. The section with a bad driving environment is, for example, at least one of a section assumed to be prone to car sickness, a section assumed to be unsafe, a dark section, and the like, but is not limited to these.

[0071] The section where car sickness is likely to occur is at least one of a section with many curves, a section with sharp curves (curves with small curvature), a section with a steep road gradient, a section with large road irregularities, and the like. In this embodiment, information indicating these is included in the map information, and the route search unit 23 can determine that a section where the information indicating these exceeds a threshold value is a section where car sickness is likely to occur. The section where security is likely to be bad is at least one of a section where a large number of crimes have occurred in the past, a section identified as requiring caution in a crime prevention map, and the like. In this embodiment, the map information also includes the crime occurrence situation, various information in the crime prevention map, and the route search unit 23 determines whether or not the section is a section where security is likely to be bad based on the map information. Similarly, information indicating the brightness of the surroundings is also included in the map information, and the route search unit 23 determines whether or not the section is a dark section based on the map information.

[0072] If there is no section with a bad driving environment (step S12: No), the process from step S4 onwards is carried out. If there is a section with a bad driving environment (step S12: Yes), the process from step S8 onwards is carried out. Steps S4 to S10 are similar to the example shown in FIG. 2 in the first embodiment. Also, as described in the first embodiment, the route search unit 23 may determine whether to carry out the process shown in FIG. 8 or normal processing depending on the age of the user.

[0073] In this embodiment, the route is determined by avoiding sections with poor driving conditions. For example, the route search unit 23 determines the route along which the vehicle 1 will travel based on at least one of the curvature of the curve of the road, the number of curves in a certain range, and the gradient of the road. This makes it possible to avoid sections where it is assumed that car sickness is likely to occur, and the user is less likely to get car sick while riding in the vehicle 1 and can spend the ride more comfortably than when a route is set without considering sections where it is assumed that car sickness is likely to occur. In particular, if the user riding in the vehicle 1 is a child, the child may be prone to car sickness, and by determining a route that avoids sections where it is assumed that car sickness is likely to occur, it is possible to suppress the child from getting car sick.

[0074] Furthermore, driving control may also be performed to suppress the occurrence of car sickness in children. For example, the driving control unit 3 may perform driving control such as avoiding sudden acceleration / deceleration, setting a speed limit, and avoiding sudden steering. For example, driving control may be performed by setting a limit so that at least one of the absolute value of acceleration, the speed, and the amount of change in steering operation is equal to or less than a threshold value. Also, with regard to driving control, it may be determined whether or not to set a limit on the driving control depending on the age of the user.

[0075] In addition, the route search unit 23 may determine the route along which the vehicle 1 will travel based on the crime occurrence status, and by avoiding sections where security is expected to be poor, the possibility of the user becoming involved in a crime can be reduced more than in embodiment 1.

[0076] The processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 is an example, and is not limited thereto. A condition of avoiding sections with poor driving environments may be reflected in the route search process. For example, the cost of a section with a poor driving environment may be made very large, so that the section is substantially less likely to be searched for as a route in the route search process. That is, the route search unit 23 may determine a route that avoids sections with poor driving environments and that avoids stopping the vehicle 1 as much as possible until the destination, and any specific processing may be performed. The operation of this embodiment other than that described above is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0077] It should be noted that the present embodiment may be combined with the second embodiment. For example, step S12 may be added after step S11 shown in FIG.

[0078] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or the embodiments may be combined with each other. Also, parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1, 1a, 1b vehicle, 2, 2b information processing unit, 3 driving control unit, 4 driving mechanism, 5 self-location determination unit, 6 information providing device, 7 information processing device, 8 transmission / reception unit, 9 map information storage unit, 21 information acquisition unit, 22 reception unit, 23 route search unit, 24 information storage unit, 25 route transmission unit, 26 route display unit.

Claims

1. a route search unit that performs a determination process to determine whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to the light color of a traffic light, and a second stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to congestion, will occur in a route candidate that is a route candidate from a boarding location of a user who is boarding a vehicle to a destination, based on traffic light information that indicates the timing of changing the light color of the traffic light and traffic congestion information that indicates the occurrence of congestion, and determines a route for the vehicle to travel from among the route candidates using a determination result from the determination process; Equipped with The information processing device is characterized in that, when a first stop occurs on the route candidate, if the occurrence of the first stop can be avoided by changing at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle, the route search unit changes at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle on the route candidate so as to avoid the occurrence of the first stop.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the route search unit calculates a first number of stops, which is the number of the first stop, and a second number of stops, which is the number of the second stop, in the route candidate based on the congestion information and the traffic light information, and determines a route for the vehicle to travel from among the route candidates using the first number of stops and the second number of stops.

3. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the route candidate for which the total value of the first number of stops and the second number of stops is the smallest is determined as the route along which the vehicle will travel.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the route search unit calculates a stop time for each location in the route candidate where either the first stop or the second stop occurs based on the congestion information and the traffic light information, and determines a route for the vehicle to travel from among the route candidates using the calculated stop time.

5. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the route candidate with the smallest maximum value of the stop time among the route candidates is determined as the route along which the vehicle will travel.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a route for the vehicle to travel using a set time that is the earliest allowable arrival time of the vehicle to the destination or the latest allowable arrival time of the vehicle to the destination.

7. the set time is a first set time that is a predetermined time after a target arrival time designated by the user, 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the route along which the vehicle travels is determined so that the arrival time of the vehicle at the destination is before the first set time.

8. the set time is a second set time that is a predetermined time before the target arrival time designated by the user, 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the route along which the vehicle travels is determined so that the arrival time of the vehicle at the destination is after the second set time.

9. 6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the route search unit further determines a route for the vehicle to travel based on at least one of a curvature of a curve on a road, a number of curves within a certain range, and a gradient of a road.

10. 6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the route search unit further determines a route along which the vehicle will travel, based on a crime occurrence status.

11. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the route search unit determines that the second stop will occur due to congestion when a distance of the congestion indicated by the congestion information is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

12. A route search unit which performs a judgment process to judge whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to the color of the traffic lights, and a second stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to congestion, will occur in a route candidate which is a candidate route from a boarding location of a user boarding a vehicle to a destination, based on traffic light information indicating the timing of changing the color of traffic lights and traffic congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion, and which uses the judgment result from the judgment process to determine a route for the vehicle to travel from among the route candidates; Equipped with The information processing device is characterized in that, when determining the route of the vehicle, the route search unit performs a route determination process to determine the route to be traveled by the vehicle from among the route candidates using the judgment result from the judgment process if the user riding in the vehicle is a child, and determines the route to be traveled by the vehicle using a method different from the route determination process if the user is an adult.

13. a route search unit that calculates stop information, which is at least one of a stop time and a stop number of stops, in a route candidate from a boarding point of a user who is boarding a vehicle to a destination based on traffic light information indicating the timing of changing the light color of a traffic light and congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion, and determines a route along which the vehicle will travel using the calculated stop information; Equipped with The information processing device is characterized in that, when the vehicle will stop on the candidate route due to the color of the traffic light, if the stop can be avoided by changing at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle, the route search unit changes at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle on the candidate route so as to avoid the stop.

14. A vehicle in which a user can ride, a route search unit that performs a determination process to determine whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to the light color of the traffic light, and a second stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to congestion, will occur in a route candidate that is a route candidate from a boarding location of the user who boards the vehicle to a destination, based on traffic light information that indicates the timing of changing the light color of the traffic light and congestion information that indicates the occurrence of congestion, and determines a route along which the vehicle will travel from among the route candidates using a determination result from the determination process; Equipped with The vehicle is characterized in that, when a first stop occurs on the route candidate, if the first stop can be avoided by changing at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle, the route search unit changes at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle on the route candidate so as to avoid the occurrence of the first stop.

15. A driving control unit that performs driving control by automatic driving of the vehicle based on the route determined by the route search unit; 15. The vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising:

16. A route determination method in an information processing device that determines a route for a vehicle, comprising: a determination step of performing a determination process to determine whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to the light color of the traffic light, and a second stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to congestion, will occur on a route candidate that is a route candidate from a boarding location of the user who is boarding the vehicle to a destination, based on traffic light information indicating the timing of changing the light color of the traffic light and congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion; a determining step of determining a route along which the vehicle will travel from among the route candidates using a result of the determining process; Including, A route determination method characterized in that, in the determination step, when a first stop occurs on the route candidate, if the occurrence of the first stop can be avoided by changing at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle, at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle on the route candidate is changed so as to avoid the occurrence of the first stop.

17. A computer system that determines vehicle routes. a determination step of performing a determination process to determine whether or not at least one of a first stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to the light color of the traffic light, and a second stop, which is a stop of the vehicle due to congestion, will occur on a route candidate that is a route candidate from a boarding location of the user who is boarding the vehicle to a destination, based on traffic light information indicating the timing of changing the light color of the traffic light and congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion; a determining step of determining a route along which the vehicle will travel from among the route candidates using a result of the determining process; Run the command, In the determination step, when a first stop occurs on the route candidate, if the occurrence of the first stop can be avoided by changing at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle, at least one of the departure time and the traveling speed of the vehicle on the route candidate is changed so as to avoid the occurrence of the first stop.

Images