Intersection control method and program

Abstract

To provide a technology that can quickly respond to an ever-changing condition when controlling an entry of a vehicle into an intersection.SOLUTION: An intersection control device 3 controls an entry of a vehicle 2 into an intersection 1. The intersection control device 3 comprises: an intersection environment information acquiring unit 30 that acquires plural types of intersection environment information; an information converting unit 31 that encodes the intersection environment information into a predetermined bit length for each piece of the intersection environment information; an intersection control information generating unit 32 that generates at least one piece of intersection control information by integrating the plural types of intersection environment information through bit operations; and an intersection control unit 33 that controls the entry of the vehicle 2 into the intersection 1 using the at least one piece of intersection control information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an intersection control system, an intersection control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a traffic signal control system that controls multiple traffic signal lamps installed at an intersection. Specifically, multiple vehicle detectors are installed on each of multiple roads connected to the intersection, and a control pattern suitable for controlling the multiple traffic signal lamps is selected based on detection signals output from the multiple vehicle detectors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-159152 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When controlling the entry of vehicles into an intersection, it is essential for optimal control to integrate multiple types of information in a short time. However, it is difficult to integrate multiple types of information in a short time, and it has not been possible to control according to the ever-changing situation.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that can quickly respond to ever-changing situations when controlling the entry of vehicles into an intersection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an intersection control system for controlling the entry of vehicles into an intersection, the intersection control system including an intersection environment information acquisition unit for acquiring multiple types of intersection environment information, an information conversion unit for encoding the intersection environment information into a predetermined bit length for each of the intersection environment information, an intersection control information generation unit for integrating the multiple types of intersection environment information by bit operations to generate at least one intersection control information, and an intersection control unit for controlling the entry of the vehicles into the intersection using the at least one intersection control information. With the above configuration, it is possible to quickly respond to situations that change from moment to moment when controlling the entry of vehicles into an intersection. The multiple types of intersection environment information may include at least two of intersection entry information indicating a trajectory of the vehicle attempting to enter the intersection when passing through the intersection, pedestrian crossing information indicating a pedestrian crossing road where a pedestrian is attempting to cross among multiple roads connected to the intersection, self intersection control information currently used for control at the intersection, adjacent intersection control information currently used for control at an intersection adjacent to the intersection, and congestion information indicating a congested road among multiple roads connected to the intersection. With the above configuration, intersection control information can be generated based on various environments around the intersection. The at least one intersection control information may include a plurality of intersection control information, and the intersection control unit may select an intersection control information having the highest throughput from the plurality of intersection control information, and control the entry of the vehicle into the intersection using the selected intersection control information. With the above configuration, it is possible to effectively ensure the number of vehicles that can be processed per unit time at the intersection. The predetermined bit length may be set according to the number of combinations of entrance roads to the intersection and exit roads from the intersection. According to the above configuration, the predetermined bit length is determined rationally. The intersection control unit may transmit the at least one piece of intersection control information to the vehicle that is about to enter the intersection. According to the above configuration, a signal lamp can be omitted. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an intersection control method for controlling the entry of vehicles into an intersection, which includes acquiring a plurality of types of intersection environmental information, encoding the intersection environmental information into a predetermined bit length for each of the intersection environmental information, integrating the plurality of types of intersection environmental information by bit operations to generate at least one intersection control information, and controlling the entry of the vehicles into the intersection using the at least one intersection control information. According to the above method, when controlling the entry of vehicles into an intersection, it is possible to quickly respond to situations that change from moment to moment. A program is provided that causes a computer to execute the above-described intersection control method. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, when controlling the entry of vehicles into an intersection, it is possible to quickly respond to situations that change from moment to moment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a number of vehicles approaching an intersection. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the intersection control device. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing orbit interference information. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing basic intersection control information. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a trajectory corresponding to each bit in a bit array. [Figure 7] This is a visualization of basic intersection control information No.1. [Figure 8] This is a visualization of basic intersection control information No.5. [Figure 9] This is a visualization of basic intersection control information No.9. [Figure 10] This is a visualization of basic intersection control information No. 13. [Figure 11]This is a visualization of basic intersection control information No. 15. [Figure 12] This is a visualization of basic intersection control information No. 17. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing access road congestion relief control information. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing information on clearing congestion on exit roads. [Figure 15] 2 is an operation flow of an intersection control device. [Figure 16] 2 is an operation flow of an intersection control device. [Figure 17] 2 is an operation flow of an intersection control device. [Figure 18] 2 is an operation flow of an intersection control device. [Figure 19] 2 is an operation flow of an intersection control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a plurality of vehicles 2 are traveling toward an intersection 1. That is, in FIG. 1, the plurality of vehicles 2 are approaching the intersection 1 in the vicinity of the intersection 1. In other words, the plurality of vehicles 2 are scheduled to pass through the intersection 1. The intersection 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a four-way intersection. A road that connects to the intersection 1 and extends north from the intersection 1 is referred to as road R1. A road that connects to the intersection 1 and extends east from the intersection 1 is referred to as road R2. A road that connects to the intersection 1 and extends south from the intersection 1 is referred to as road R3. A road that connects to the intersection 1 and extends west from the intersection 1 is referred to as road R4. The intersection 1 may be a three-way intersection, a five-way intersection, or a six-way intersection.

[0010] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the vehicle 2 traveling south on the road R1 and approaching the intersection 1 is also referred to as the vehicle 2N. Similarly, the vehicle 2 traveling east on the road R4 and approaching the intersection 1 is also referred to as the vehicle 2W. Also, for convenience of explanation, the vehicle 2N turns left at the intersection 1, and the vehicle 2W turns right at the intersection 1. All of the multiple vehicles 2 are vehicles that run under automatic driving control. However, the multiple vehicles 2 may be driven by a passenger. As shown in FIG. 1, an intersection control device 3 is provided near the intersection 1. The intersection control device 3 is a specific example of an intersection control system. The intersection control device 3 may be realized by a single device, or may be realized by distributed processing using multiple devices. The intersection control device 3 and the multiple vehicles 2 are configured to be able to communicate bidirectionally with each other by wireless communication technology such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) or via the Internet. Also, a pedestrian who is about to cross the road R3 near the intersection 1 is referred to as a pedestrian P.

[0011] FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the vehicle 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 2 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 2a, a readable and writable random access memory (RAM) 2b, and a read-only memory (ROM) 2c. The vehicle 2 further includes a global positioning system (GPS) module 2d, a touch panel 2e, and a display 2f. The touch panel 2e and the display 2f are typically stacked on top of each other to form an integrated structure. The CPU 2a reads out and executes a control program stored in the ROM 2c, causing hardware such as the CPU 2a to function as various functional units.

[0012] The various functional units include a map information memory unit 10, a destination information acquisition unit 11, a current location information acquisition unit 12, a route information generation unit 13, an autonomous driving control unit 14, a vehicle speed information acquisition unit 15, a vehicle information transmission unit 16, an intersection control information receiving unit 17, and an intersection entry feasibility determination unit 18.

[0013] The map information storage unit 10 stores map information. The map information typically includes node information that indicates characteristic points of a road, and link information that indicates the shape of a road by connecting two nodes. The characteristic points of a road include intersections.

[0014] The destination information acquisition unit 11 acquires destination information input via the touch panel 2e.

[0015] The current location information acquisition unit 12 acquires the current location information of the vehicle 2 using the GPS module 2d. The GPS module 2d is a specific example of a GNSS module (Global Navigation Satellite System). Specific examples of the GNSS module include a GLONASS module (Global Navigation Satellite System), a Galileo module, a BeiDou module, and a QZSS module (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System). The current location information acquisition unit 12 may estimate and acquire the current location information of the vehicle 2 based on the signal strength of a signal received from a wireless base station or a beacon emitted from the wireless base station.

[0016] The route information generation unit 13 refers to the map information stored in the map information storage unit 10, and generates route information from the current location to the destination based on the destination information acquired by the destination information acquisition unit 11 and the current location information acquired by the current location information acquisition unit 12.

[0017] The route information includes a plurality of pieces of trajectory information, each of which corresponds one-to-one to a plurality of intersections through which the vehicle 2 passes.

[0018] Each piece of trajectory information indicates the trajectory of the vehicle 2 when passing through the corresponding intersection. Each piece of trajectory information typically includes passing forward angle identification information indicating the direction in which the vehicle 2 will travel just before passing through the intersection, and passing backward angle identification information indicating the direction in which the vehicle 2 will travel just after passing through the intersection. For example, since the vehicle 2N shown in Fig. 1 turns left at the intersection 1, the passing forward angle identification information of the trajectory information corresponding to the intersection 1 is "south", and the passing backward angle identification information is "east".

[0019] Alternatively, each piece of track information may include pre-pass road identification information indicating the road on which the vehicle 2 will travel just before passing through the intersection 1, and post-pass road identification information indicating the road on which the vehicle 2 will travel just after passing through the intersection 1. For example, since the vehicle 2N shown in Fig. 1 turns left at the intersection 1, if the road ID of the road R1 extending north from the intersection 1 is "No. 1234" and the road ID of the road R2 extending east from the intersection 1 is "No. 2345", the pre-pass road identification information of the track information corresponding to the intersection 1 will be "1234" and the post-pass road identification information will be "2345".

[0020] The automatic driving control unit 14 controls the traveling of the vehicle 2 in accordance with the route information generated by the route information generating unit 13.

[0021] The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 15 acquires vehicle speed information of the vehicle 2 based on a detection signal from a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 2 .

[0022] The vehicle information transmission unit 16 transmits vehicle information to the intersection control device 3 at a predetermined interval. The vehicle information includes current location information acquired by the current location information acquisition unit 12 and vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 15. The predetermined interval is, for example, one second, but is not limited to this. The vehicle information further includes trajectory information indicating the trajectory at the currently approaching intersection 1.

[0023] The intersection control information receiving unit 17 receives intersection control information from the intersection control device 3. The intersection control information is information indicating the permitted trajectory of the vehicle 2 at the intersection 1, such as traffic signal lights installed at the intersection 1. Details will be described later.

[0024] The intersection entry feasibility determination unit 18 determines whether or not it is possible to enter the intersection 1, based on the intersection control information received by the intersection control information receiving unit 17. The autonomous driving control unit 14 causes the vehicle 2 to enter the intersection 1 or causes the vehicle 2 to wait in front of the intersection 1, based on the determination result by the intersection entry feasibility determination unit 18.

[0025] Fig. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the intersection control device 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the intersection control device 3 includes a CPU 3a (Central Processing Unit) as a central processing unit, a readable and writable RAM 3b (Random Access Memory), a read-only ROM 3c (Read Only Memory), and a HDD 3d (Hard Disk Drive). A camera 23 that monitors the intersection 1 and the periphery of the intersection 1 is connected to the intersection control device 3. The CPU 3a reads and executes a control program stored in the ROM 3c, so that the control program causes the hardware such as the CPU 3a to function as an intersection environment information acquisition unit 30, an information conversion unit 31, an intersection control information generation unit 32, and an intersection control unit 33.

[0026] The HDD 3d stores track interference information, basic intersection control information, approach road congestion relief control information, exit road congestion relief information, and self intersection control information.

[0027] The track interference information is information that indicates interference between tracks at an intersection 1. "Track A and track B interfere with each other" means that a vehicle 2 traveling along track A and a vehicle 2 traveling along track B may collide with each other within the intersection 1. Typically, when tracks A and B intersect at the intersection 1, and when tracks A and B merge at the intersection 1, tracks A and B may interfere with each other within the intersection 1.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the trajectory interference information in a matrix. As shown in FIG. 4, the trajectory interference information can typically be expressed as a two-dimensional bit array. In FIG. 4, "1->2" indicates "a trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R1 and exits to road R2". Similarly, "3->2" indicates "a trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R3 and exits to road R2". The trajectory shown by "1->2" and the trajectory shown by "3->2" merge at intersection 1, so they interfere with each other. In the trajectory interference information, a bit corresponding to a combination of trajectories that interfere with each other is set to "1", and a bit corresponding to a combination of trajectories that do not interfere with each other is set to "0". As shown in FIG. 4, the trajectory interference information is a symmetric matrix.

[0029] The basic intersection control information includes multiple different basic intersection control information. Each basic intersection control information is information indicating whether or not a vehicle 2 is permitted to travel for each trajectory at the intersection 1. The multiple trajectories permitted in each basic intersection control information are set so as not to interfere with each other. In other words, multiple vehicles 2 passing through the intersection 1 at the same time will not collide with each other as long as they are following the same basic intersection control information.

[0030] Fig. 5 shows basic intersection control information. That is, Fig. 5 shows a plurality of basic intersection control information identified by No. 1 to No. 17.

[0031] In this embodiment, each piece of basic intersection control information is composed of a 12-bit bit sequence. Figure 6 shows the correspondence between each bit of the bit sequence of the basic intersection control information and the trajectory. As shown in Figure 6, the first bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to the trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting from road R2. Similarly, the second bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting via road R3. Similarly, the third bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting via road R2. Similarly, the fourth bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting via road R3. Similarly, the fifth bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting via road R4. Similarly, the sixth bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting road R1. Similarly, the seventh bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting via road R4. Similarly, the eighth bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting road R1. Similarly, the 9th bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting via road R2. Similarly, the 10th bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting road R1. Similarly, the 11th bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting via road R2. Similarly, the 12th bit of the basic intersection control information corresponds to a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting via road R3.

[0032] Roads R1 to R4 connected to intersection 1 shown in FIG. 1 all have one lane in each direction, and there are three exit roads for one entrance road, making a total of four entrance roads. Therefore, the number of tracks at intersection 1 is the number of exit roads for one entrance road multiplied by the number of entrance roads. Therefore, one basic intersection control information can be expressed in a bit array of 12 bits. If intersection 1 is a three-way intersection where three roads, each with one lane in each direction, are connected, one basic intersection control information can be expressed in a bit array of 6 bits. If intersection 1 is a five-way intersection where five roads, each with one lane in each direction, are connected, one basic intersection control information can be expressed in a bit array of 20 bits.

[0033] For example, in basic intersection control information, when the value of the first bit is "1", it means that driving along the path indicated by "1->2" is permitted. On the other hand, when the value of the first bit is "0", it means that driving along the path indicated by "1->2" is prohibited.

[0034] Returning to FIG. 5, the No. 1 basic intersection control information has the 7th, 10th, 11th, and 12th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the No. 1 basic intersection control information permits "a trajectory of entering the intersection 1 from the road R3, turning left at the intersection 1, and exiting to the road R4", "a trajectory of entering the intersection 1 from the road R4, turning left at the intersection 1, and exiting to the road R1", "a trajectory of entering the intersection 1 from the road R4, going straight at the intersection 1, and exiting to the road R2", and "a trajectory of entering the intersection 1 from the road R4, turning right at the intersection 1, and exiting to the road R3". As shown in FIG. 7, the four trajectories permitted by the No. 1 basic intersection control information do not interfere with each other. Therefore, as long as vehicles travel in accordance with the No. 1 basic intersection control information, there will be no collision between vehicles when passing through the intersection 1.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 5, the basic intersection control information No. 5 has the 1st, 7th, 10th, and 12th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the basic intersection control information No. 5 permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3". As shown in FIG. 8, the four trajectories permitted by the basic intersection control information No. 5 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, as long as vehicles travel in accordance with the basic intersection control information No. 5, there will be no collision between vehicles when passing through intersection 1.

[0036] Returning to FIG. 5, the basic intersection control information No. 9 has the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 10th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the basic intersection control information No. 9 permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1". As shown in FIG. 9, the four trajectories permitted by the basic intersection control information No. 9 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, as long as vehicles travel in accordance with the basic intersection control information No. 9, there will be no collision between vehicles when passing through intersection 1.

[0037] Returning to FIG. 5, the basic intersection control information No. 13 has the 4th, 5th, 10th, and 11th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the basic intersection control information No. 13 permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2". As shown in FIG. 10, the four trajectories permitted by the basic intersection control information No. 13 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, as long as vehicles travel in accordance with the basic intersection control information No. 13, there will be no collision between vehicles when passing through intersection 1.

[0038] Returning to FIG. 5, the basic intersection control information No. 15 has the 3rd, 4th, 9th, and 10th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the basic intersection control information No. 15 permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1". As shown in FIG. 11, the four trajectories permitted by the basic intersection control information No. 15 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, as long as vehicles travel in accordance with the basic intersection control information No. 15, there will be no collision between vehicles when passing through intersection 1.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 5, the basic intersection control information No. 17 has the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the basic intersection control information No. 17 permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1". As shown in FIG. 12, the four trajectories permitted by the basic intersection control information No. 17 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, as long as vehicles travel in accordance with the basic intersection control information No. 17, there will be no collision between vehicles when passing through intersection 1.

[0040] The approach road congestion relief control information includes a plurality of pieces of approach road congestion relief control information. Each piece of approach road congestion relief control information indicates traffic control information for relieving congestion on a road that serves as an approach to intersection 1. FIG. 13 shows the approach road congestion relief control information. As shown in FIG. 13, each piece of approach road congestion relief control information is expressed in a 12-bit bit array, similar to the basic intersection control information. The correspondence between each bit in the bit array and the trajectory is as shown in FIG. 6.

[0041] The No.1 approach road congestion relief control information is traffic control information for resolving congestion on the approach road from road R1 to intersection 1. The No.1 approach road congestion relief control information has the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 10th bits set to "1", and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, the No.1 approach road congestion relief control information permits "a trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R1, turns left at intersection 1, and exits to road R2", "a trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R1, goes straight at intersection 1, and exits to road R3", "a trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R1, turns right at intersection 1, and exits to road R4", and "a trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R4, turns left at intersection 1, and exits to road R1". That is, the No. 1 approach road congestion relief control information actively relieves congestion on the approach road from road R1 to intersection 1 by permitting any trajectory entering intersection 1 from road R1. Note that the No. 1 approach road congestion relief control information is consistent with the No. 2 basic intersection control information shown in FIG. 5.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 13, the No. 2 approach road congestion relief control information is traffic control information for resolving congestion on the approach road entering intersection 1 from road R2. The No. 2 approach road congestion relief control information has the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th bits set to "1", and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, the No. 2 approach road congestion relief control information permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1". That is, the No. 2 approach road congestion relief control information actively relieves congestion on the approach road from road R2 to intersection 1 by permitting any trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R2. Note that the No. 2 approach road congestion relief control information is consistent with the No. 3 basic intersection control information shown in FIG. 5.

[0043] Returning to FIG. 13, the No. 3 approach road congestion relief control information is traffic control information for resolving congestion on the approach road from road R3 to intersection 1. The No. 3 approach road congestion relief control information has the 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th bits set to "1", and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, the No. 3 approach road congestion relief control information permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2". That is, the No. 3 approach road congestion relief control information actively relieves congestion on the approach road from road R3 to intersection 1 by permitting any trajectory entering intersection 1 from road R3. Note that the No. 3 approach road congestion relief control information is consistent with the No. 4 basic intersection control information shown in FIG. 5.

[0044] Returning to FIG. 13, the No. 4 approach road congestion relief control information is traffic control information for resolving congestion on the approach road from road R4 to intersection 1. The No. 4 approach road congestion relief control information has bits 7, 10, 11, and 12 set to "1," and the other bits set to "0." Therefore, the No. 4 approach road congestion relief control information permits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4," "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1," "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2," and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3." That is, the No. 4 approach road congestion relief control information actively relieves congestion on the approach road from road R4 to intersection 1 by permitting any trajectory that enters intersection 1 from road R4. Note that the No. 4 approach road congestion relief control information is consistent with the No. 1 basic intersection control information shown in FIG. 5.

[0045] The exit road congestion relief information includes a plurality of exit road congestion relief information. Each of the exit road congestion relief information indicates information for relieving congestion on a specific exit road by suppressing exit to the specific exit road. FIG. 14 shows the exit road congestion relief information. As shown in FIG. 14, each of the exit road congestion relief information is expressed in a 12-bit bit array, similar to the basic intersection control information. The correspondence between each bit in the bit array and the trajectory is as shown in FIG. 6. However, simply for the convenience of calculation, when the value of each bit is "1", traveling along the corresponding trajectory is prohibited, and when the value of each bit is "0", traveling along the corresponding trajectory is permitted.

[0046] The No.1 exit road congestion resolution information is information for resolving congestion on road R1, which is an exit road to intersection 1. The No.1 exit road congestion resolution information has the 6th, 8th, and 10th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, the No.1 exit road congestion resolution information prohibits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R1". In other words, the No.1 exit road congestion resolution information is used to actively resolve congestion on road R1, which is an exit road to intersection 1, by prohibiting all trajectories that use road R1 as an exit road.

[0047] The No. 2 exit road congestion resolution information is information for resolving congestion on road R2, which is an exit road to intersection 1. In the No. 2 exit road congestion resolution information, the 1st, 9th, and 11th bits are "1", and the other bits are "0". Therefore, the No. 2 exit road congestion resolution information prohibits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R2". In other words, the No. 2 exit road congestion resolution information is used to actively resolve congestion on road R2, which is an exit road to intersection 1, by prohibiting all trajectories that use road R2 as an exit road.

[0048] The exit road congestion resolution information No. 3 is information for resolving congestion on road R3, which is an exit road to intersection 1. The 2nd, 4th, and 12th bits of the exit road congestion resolution information No. 3 are "1", and the other bits are "0". Therefore, the exit road congestion resolution information No. 3 prohibits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R4, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R3". In other words, the exit road congestion resolution information No. 3 is used to actively resolve congestion on road R3, which is an exit road to intersection 1, by prohibiting any trajectory that uses road R3 as an exit road.

[0049] The exit road congestion resolution information No. 4 is information for resolving congestion on road R4, which is an exit road to intersection 1. The exit road congestion resolution information No. 4 has the 3rd, 5th, and 7th bits set to "1" and the other bits set to "0". Therefore, the exit road congestion resolution information No. 4 prohibits "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning right at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R2, going straight at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4", and "a trajectory of entering intersection 1 from road R3, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting to road R4". In other words, the exit road congestion resolution information No. 4 is used to actively resolve congestion on road R4, which is an exit road to intersection 1, by prohibiting any trajectory that uses road R4 as an exit road.

[0050] The own intersection control information is intersection control information currently being used to control the entry of the vehicle 2 into the intersection 1. In other words, the intersection control device 3 is capable of referring to the own intersection control information when determining the next intersection control information.

[0051] Returning to Fig. 3, the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 acquires multiple types of intersection environment information. The multiple types of intersection environment information include intersection entry information, pedestrian crossing information, self intersection control information, adjacent intersection control information, and congestion information. The multiple types of intersection environment information may include at least two of the intersection entry information, pedestrian crossing information, self intersection control information, adjacent intersection control information, and congestion information.

[0052] The intersection entry information is information indicating the trajectory of a vehicle 2 approaching the intersection 1 when passing through the intersection 1. The intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 receives and acquires vehicle information including trajectory information at the intersection 1 from a plurality of vehicles 2 approaching the intersection 1. However, instead of this, the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 may generate and acquire the intersection entry information based on image information acquired from the camera 23. In the example of FIG. 1, the intersection entry information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 is expressed as character data "12" indicating a trajectory of "1->2", as character data "R1R2" indicating a trajectory of "1->2", or as other data format.

[0053] The information conversion unit 31 encodes the intersection entry information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 into a predetermined bit length. That is, the information conversion unit 31 encodes the intersection entry information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 and stores it in a 12-bit bit array. The correspondence between each bit of this bit array and the trajectory is as shown in FIG. 6. Simply for the convenience of calculation, each bit of the bit array is set to "1" when a vehicle 2 that is scheduled to run along the corresponding trajectory exists, and "0" when it does not exist. In the example of FIG. 1, there are a vehicle 2 that is approaching the intersection 1, entering the intersection 1 from a road R1, turning left at the intersection 1, and exiting to a road R2, and a vehicle 2 that is approaching the intersection 1, entering the intersection 1 from a road R4, turning right at the intersection 1, and exiting to a road R3. Therefore, the information conversion unit 31 converts the intersection entry information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 into a bit array of "100 000 000 001".

[0054] The pedestrian crossing information is information indicating a pedestrian crossing road that the pedestrian P intends to cross among multiple roads connected to the intersection 1. The intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 typically generates and acquires the pedestrian crossing information based on image information acquired from the camera 23. In the example of FIG. 1, the pedestrian crossing information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 is expressed as character data "3" suggesting road R3, as character data "C" suggesting road R3, or in another data format.

[0055] The information conversion unit 31 encodes the pedestrian crossing information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 into a predetermined bit length. That is, the information conversion unit 31 encodes the pedestrian crossing information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 and stores it in a 12-bit bit array. The correspondence between each bit of this bit array and the trajectory is as shown in FIG. 6. For the sake of convenience of calculation, each bit of the bit array is set to "1" when traveling along the corresponding trajectory is prohibited, and set to "0" when traveling along the corresponding trajectory is permitted. In the example of FIG. 1, there is a pedestrian P who is about to cross the road R3. Therefore, the information conversion unit 31 converts the pedestrian crossing information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 into a bit array of "010 100 111 001".

[0056] The own intersection control information is intersection control information currently being used for control at the intersection 1. The intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 reads and acquires the own intersection control information from the HDD 3d. In this embodiment, the own intersection control information stored in the HDD 3d is expressed as a 12-bit bit array as shown in FIG. 6. However, instead of this, the intersection control information stored in the HDD 3d may be compressed data obtained by compressing the 12-bit bit array, or in other data formats.

[0057] If the own intersection control information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 is not coded into a 12-bit bit array, the information conversion unit 31 codes the own intersection control information and stores it in a 12-bit bit array. The correspondence between each bit of this bit array and the trajectory is as shown in Fig. 6. Simply for the convenience of calculation, each bit of the bit array is set to "1" when traveling along the corresponding trajectory is permitted, and "0" when traveling along the corresponding trajectory is prohibited, as in the case of the basic intersection control information.

[0058] The adjacent intersection control information is intersection control information currently being used for control at an intersection adjacent to the intersection 1. The intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 receives and acquires the adjacent intersection control information from an intersection control device installed at the adjacent intersection. In this embodiment, the adjacent intersection control information is expressed as a 12-bit bit array as shown in FIG. 6. However, instead of this, the adjacent intersection control information may be compressed data obtained by compressing the 12-bit bit array, or in other data formats.

[0059] If the adjacent intersection control information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 is not encoded into a 12-bit bit sequence, the information conversion unit 31 encodes the adjacent intersection control information and stores it in a 12-bit bit sequence.

[0060] The traffic congestion information is information indicating which roads among a plurality of roads connected to the intersection 1 are congested. The intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 can generate and acquire the traffic congestion information based on image information acquired from the camera 23. The intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 can generate and acquire the traffic congestion information based on vehicle information received from a vehicle 2 traveling near the intersection 1. The traffic congestion information is expressed as character data "3IN" indicating the entrance road side of road R3, as character data "3OUT" indicating the exit road side of road R3, or in other data formats.

[0061] If the congestion information acquired by the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 is not encoded into a 12-bit bit sequence, the information conversion unit 31 encodes the congestion information and stores it in a 12-bit bit sequence. For example, if the congestion information is character data "3OUT", the information conversion unit 31 refers to the exit road congestion relief information shown in Fig. 14 and converts the congestion information into exit prohibition information No. 3.

[0062] The intersection control information generating unit 32 integrates a plurality of types of intersection environmental information by bit operations to generate at least one intersection control information.

[0063] The intersection control unit 33 controls the entry of the vehicles 2 into the intersection 1 by using at least one intersection control information generated by the intersection control information generation unit 32. Specifically, when the intersection control information generation unit 32 generates a plurality of intersection control information, the intersection control unit 33 selects the intersection control information having the highest throughput from the plurality of intersection control information, and distributes the selected intersection control information to the plurality of vehicles 2 that are scheduled to pass through the intersection 1. When the intersection control information generation unit 32 generates only one intersection control information, the intersection control unit 33 distributes the intersection control information to the plurality of vehicles 2 that are scheduled to pass through the intersection 1. The plurality of vehicles 2 that are scheduled to pass through the intersection 1 pass through the intersection 1 or wait in front of the intersection 1 based on the intersection control information received from the intersection control unit 33.

[0064] Next, the operation of the intersection control device 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0065] Fig. 15 shows an outline of the operation flow of the intersection control device 3. As shown in Fig. 15, the intersection control method by the intersection control device 3 includes an intersection environment information acquisition step (S100), an information conversion step (S110), an intersection control information generation step (S120), and an intersection control step (S130). The intersection control device 3 typically executes the intersection environment information acquisition step (S100), the information conversion step (S110), the intersection control information generation step (S120), and the intersection control step (S130) every 5 seconds in the order listed.

[0066] The intersection control device 3 gradually changes the intersection control information currently used for intersection control at the intersection 1 in response to the ever-changing situation. That is, the intersection control device 3 gradually changes the intersection control information currently used for intersection control at the intersection 1 in response to the ever-changing situation, by prohibiting a part of the multiple trajectories permitted in the intersection control information currently used for intersection control at the intersection 1, or permitting a part of the multiple trajectories prohibited in the intersection control information currently used for intersection control at the intersection 1. Prohibiting a part of the multiple permitted trajectories will make it possible to permit a part of the multiple prohibited trajectories instead.

[0067] In the intersection environment information acquisition step (S100), the intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 acquires a plurality of types of intersection environment information.

[0068] In the information conversion step (S110), the information conversion unit 31 encodes a plurality of types of intersection environment information into a predetermined bit length.

[0069] In the intersection control information generating step (S120), the intersection control information generating unit 32 integrates a plurality of types of intersection environmental information by bit operations to generate at least one piece of intersection control information.

[0070] In the intersection control step (S130), the intersection control unit 33 controls the entry of the vehicle 2 into the intersection 1 using at least one piece of intersection control information.

[0071] Hereinafter, the intersection control information generating step (S120) will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0072] In FIG. 16, it is assumed that the intersection approach information, self-intersection control information, exit road congestion relief information, and pedestrian crossing information have already been coded by the information conversion unit 31 to a predetermined bit length, that is, 12 bits.

[0073] First, the intersection control information generating unit 32 generates temporary traffic stop trajectory information based on the intersection entry information and the self intersection control information. Specifically, the process is as follows.

[0074] A mismatch occurs over time between the multiple trajectories permitted in the self intersection control information and the multiple trajectories that are actually scheduled to pass in the intersection entry information. That is, after some time has passed since the self intersection control information began to be used for intersection control, among the multiple trajectories permitted in the self intersection control information, trajectories that are not scheduled for passing by vehicles will appear. By excluding such trajectories from the multiple permitted trajectories, a room is created for permitting other prohibited trajectories. Therefore, the intersection control information generation unit 32 first performs an EXOR operation on the intersection entry information and the self intersection control information, and then performs an AND operation on the result of the operation and the self intersection control information to generate temporary traffic stop trajectory information.

[0075] As a specific example, if the self intersection control information is "100 111 000 000" and the intersection entry information is "000 111 000 010", the result of the EXOR operation of the two is "100 000 000 010". If this operation result is ANDed with the self intersection control information "100 111 000 000", the temporary traffic stop trajectory information resulting from this operation is "100 000 000 000". This temporary traffic stop trajectory information proposes that the route of entering intersection 1 from road R1, turning left at intersection 1, and exiting road R2 is currently permitted but is not expected to be used in the future, so it should be switched to prohibition.

[0076] FIG. 17 shows a flow for continuously holding temporary stop trajectory information for a predetermined period of time.

[0077] That is, the intersection control information generating unit 32 has a temporary traffic stop trajectory timer. When generating the temporary traffic stop trajectory information, the intersection control information generating unit 32 first determines whether the temporary traffic stop trajectory timer is valid (S400). If the temporary traffic stop trajectory timer is not valid (S400: NO), the intersection control information generating unit 32 activates the temporary traffic stop trajectory timer (S410), generates the temporary traffic stop trajectory information (S420), and stores the temporary traffic stop trajectory information in the RAM 3b (S430). On the other hand, if the temporary traffic stop trajectory timer is valid in S400 (S400: YES), the intersection control information generating unit 32 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the temporary traffic stop trajectory timer was activated (S440). If the predetermined time has not elapsed (S440: NO), the intersection control information generating unit 32 reads the temporary traffic stop trajectory information from the RAM 3b instead of generating the temporary traffic stop trajectory information (S450). On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed in S440 (S440: YES), the intersection control information generating unit 32 disables the temporary traffic stop trajectory timer (S460) and clears the temporary traffic stop trajectory information, i.e., sets all bits to "0" (S470).

[0078] In this way, the intersection control information generation unit 32 continues to hold the temporary road stop trajectory information for a predetermined period of time in order to ensure that a vehicle 2 left behind on a trajectory that is proposed to be switched from a permitted state to a prohibited state by the temporary road stop trajectory information has an opportunity to exit the intersection 1 without any problems.

[0079] 16, the intersection control information generating unit 32 generates prohibited trajectory information based on the temporary traffic stop trajectory information and the trajectory interference information. The prohibited trajectory information is used to prohibit the trajectory and any trajectories interfering with the trajectory in question from passing, so that the vehicle 2 left behind on the trajectory proposed to be switched from a permitted state to a prohibited state by the temporary traffic stop trajectory information can exit the intersection 1 without any problems.

[0080] For example, when the temporary traffic stop trajectory information is "100 001 000 000", the trajectory of "1->2" and the trajectory of "2->1" are subject to the temporary traffic stop. The intersection control information generating unit 32 refers to the trajectory interference information shown in FIG. 4 and acquires a bit sequence of "000 000 001 010" as the trajectory interference information corresponding to the former trajectory. Similarly, the intersection control information generating unit 32 acquires a bit sequence of "011 000 011 110" as the trajectory interference information corresponding to the latter trajectory. Then, the intersection control information generating unit 32 performs an OR operation on the bit sequence corresponding to the former and the bit sequence corresponding to the latter, and sets the bit sequence of "011 000 011 110", which is the result of the operation, as the traffic prohibition trajectory information. By reflecting this traffic prohibition trajectory information in the next intersection control information, it is possible to ensure that the vehicle 2 left behind at the intersection 1 can exit without any problems. In this bit array, a track corresponding to a bit whose value is "1" is none other than a track that is subject to a traffic ban.

[0081] In addition, the intersection control information generating unit 32 generates addable trajectory information based on the current intersection control information and the trajectory interference information. The addable trajectory information is information indicating a trajectory that does not interfere with the trajectory permitted by the current intersection control information.

[0082] For example, when the self intersection control information is "000 110 000 000", the trajectory of "2->3" and the trajectory of "2->4" are permitted trajectories. The intersection control information generating unit 32 refers to the trajectory interference information shown in FIG. 4 and acquires a bit sequence of "010 000 000 001" as the trajectory interference information corresponding to the former trajectory. Similarly, the intersection control information generating unit 32 acquires a bit sequence of "011 000 111 001" as the trajectory interference information corresponding to the latter trajectory. The intersection control information generating unit 32 performs an OR operation on the bit sequence corresponding to the former and the bit sequence corresponding to the latter, and sets the bit sequence of "011 000 111 001", which is the result of the operation, as the addable trajectory information. In these bit sequences, the trajectories corresponding to bits with a value of "1" suggest trajectories that cannot be added to the self intersection control information.

[0083] Then, the intersection control information generating unit 32 performs an AND operation on the 17 basic intersection control information and the result of NOT operation on the intersection entry information (a bit corresponding to the trajectory on which the vehicle 2 is scheduled to pass becomes "1"), the result of NOT operation on the prohibited trajectory information (a bit corresponding to the trajectory subject to the prohibited trajectory becomes "1"), the result of NOT operation on the addable trajectory information (a bit corresponding to the trajectory that cannot be added becomes "1"), the result of NOT operation on the exit road congestion relief information (a bit corresponding to the trajectory that cannot be permitted becomes "1"), and the result of NOT operation on the pedestrian crossing information (a bit corresponding to the trajectory that cannot be permitted becomes "1"), thereby generating 17 candidates for the next intersection control information. In this way, by using the basic intersection control information as a base when generating candidates for the next intersection control information, it is possible to reliably prevent a collision between the vehicles 2 in the intersection 1. However, it is also possible to perform the AND operation without taking the basic intersection control information into consideration.

[0084] Next, referring to Fig. 18, the intersection control information generating unit 32 provisionally determines the next intersection control information based on the intersection entry information, the candidate for the next intersection control information, and the approach road congestion relief control information. Based on the congestion information acquired by the intersection environment information acquiring unit 30 and the adjacent intersection control information acquired by the intersection environment information acquiring unit 30, the intersection control information generating unit 32 determines or predicts the presence or absence of congestion on the approach road to the intersection 1, and if it is determined that congestion exists or there is an approach road where congestion is expected to occur, it acquires approach road congestion relief control information for resolving the congestion on the approach road with reference to Fig. 13. For example, if it is determined that congestion exists on the approach road belonging to the road R3, the intersection control information generating unit 32 acquires the approach road congestion relief control information of No. 3 with reference to Fig. 13.

[0085] 19, the intersection control information generating unit 32 calculates the throughput for each of 18 candidates, including 17 candidates for the next intersection control information and the approach road congestion relief control information, based on the intersection entry information (S500), and provisionally determines the information with the highest throughput as the next intersection control information (S510). The throughput typically means the number of vehicles that can be processed per unit time at the intersection 1.

[0086] The intersection control information generating unit 32 has an all-red timer. When the intersection control information generating unit 32 provisionally determines the approach road congestion relief control information as the next intersection control information in S510 (S520: YES), the intersection control information generating unit 32 judges whether the all-red timer is valid (S530). When the all-red timer is not valid (S530: NO), the intersection control information generating unit 32 activates the all-red timer (S540) and determines the next intersection control information to be the all-red control information (S550). The all-red control information is intersection control information that prohibits all trajectories at the intersection 1, and is composed of a bit sequence of "000 000 000 000".

[0087] If the all-red timer is valid in S530 (S530: YES), the intersection control information generation unit 32 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the all-red timer was enabled (S560). If it determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (S560: NO), the intersection control information generation unit 32 determines that the next intersection control information will be all-red control information (S550). On the other hand, if it determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (S560: YES), the intersection control information generation unit 32 determines that the next intersection control information will be approach road congestion relief control information (S570).

[0088] On the other hand, if the intersection control information generation unit 32 does not provisionally determine the approach road congestion relief control information as the next intersection control information in S510 (S520: NO), the intersection control information generation unit 32 determines the provisionally determined next intersection control information as the next intersection control information (S580) and stores the determined next intersection control information as the own intersection control information in the HDD 3d shown in Figure 3.

[0089] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the above embodiments have the following features.

[0090] An intersection control device 3 (intersection control system) controls the entry of a vehicle 2 into an intersection 1. The intersection control device 3 includes an intersection environment information acquisition unit 30 that acquires multiple types of intersection environment information, an information conversion unit 31 that encodes the intersection environment information into a predetermined bit length for each intersection environment information, an intersection control information generation unit 32 that integrates the multiple types of intersection environment information by bit operations to generate at least one intersection control information, and an intersection control unit 33 that controls the entry of the vehicle 2 into the intersection 1 using the at least one intersection control information. With the above configuration, when controlling the entry of the vehicle 2 into the intersection 1, it is possible to quickly respond to situations that change from moment to moment.

[0091] The multiple types of intersection environment information include at least two of intersection entry information indicating the trajectory of vehicle 2 entering intersection 1 when passing through the intersection, pedestrian crossing information indicating a pedestrian crossing road that pedestrian P is attempting to cross among multiple roads connected to intersection 1, self intersection control information currently being used for control at intersection 1, adjacent intersection control information currently being used for control at an intersection adjacent to intersection 1, and congestion information indicating a congested road among multiple roads connected to intersection 1. With the above configuration, intersection control information can be generated based on various environments around intersection 1.

[0092] Furthermore, at least one intersection control information includes a plurality of intersection control information. The intersection control unit 33 may select the intersection control information with the highest throughput from the plurality of intersection control information, and control the entry of the vehicle 2 into the intersection 1 using the selected intersection control information. With the above configuration, the number of vehicles that can be processed per unit time at the intersection 1 can be effectively ensured.

[0093] Furthermore, the predetermined bit length may be set according to the number of combinations of entrance roads to the intersection 1 and exit roads from the intersection 1. According to the above configuration, the predetermined bit length is determined rationally.

[0094] Furthermore, the intersection control unit 33 may transmit at least one piece of intersection control information to the vehicle 2 that is about to enter the intersection 1. According to the above configuration, a signal lamp can be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 Intersection 2 Vehicles 3 Intersection control device 10 Map information storage unit 11 Destination information acquisition section 12 Current location information acquisition section 13 Route information generation unit 14 Automatic driving control unit 15 Vehicle speed information acquisition section 16 Vehicle information transmission unit 17 Intersection control information receiving unit 18 Intersection entry permission determination unit 23 Camera 30 Intersection environment information acquisition unit 31 Information Conversion Department 32 Intersection control information generation unit 33 Intersection Control Department P Pedestrian R1 Road R2 road R3 road R4 road

Claims

1. A computer comprising: An intersection environment information acquisition step (S100) of acquiring a plurality of types of intersection environment information; An information conversion step (S110) of encoding the intersection environment information into a predetermined bit length for each intersection environment information; an intersection control information generating step (S120) of generating a plurality of intersection control information by integrating the plurality of types of intersection environment information by bit operations; an intersection control step (S130) of selecting an intersection control information with the highest throughput from the plurality of intersection control information and controlling the entry of vehicles into the intersection using the selected intersection control information; Repeat the steps in the order listed. An intersection control method comprising: The plurality of types of intersection environment information include Intersection entry information indicating a trajectory of the vehicle that is about to enter the intersection when passing through the intersection; The self intersection control information currently being used for control at the intersection; Including, In the intersection control information generating step (S120), generating temporary traffic stop trajectory information indicating a trajectory to be temporarily stopped among the multiple trajectories permitted in the self-intersection control information based on a mismatch between a plurality of trajectories to be actually passed in the intersection approach information and a plurality of trajectories permitted in the self-intersection control information; Based on the temporary traffic stop trajectory information and trajectory interference information indicating interference between trajectories at the intersection, generate traffic prohibition trajectory information used to prohibit the vehicle left on the trajectory proposed to be switched from a permitted state to a prohibited state by the temporary traffic stop trajectory information, as well as trajectories interfering with the trajectory, so that the vehicle can exit the intersection without any problems; generating addable trajectory information indicating a trajectory that can be added to the self-intersection control information so as not to interfere with a trajectory permitted by the self-intersection control information, based on the self-intersection control information and the trajectory interference information; Generate the plurality of intersection control information as candidates for next intersection control information based on the intersection entry information, the no-traffic trajectory information, the addable trajectory information, and a plurality of basic intersection control information; The plurality of basic intersection control information are information indicating whether or not the vehicle is permitted to travel for each trajectory at the intersection, the plurality of trajectories permitted by each basic intersection control information are different from each other among the plurality of basic intersection control information, and the plurality of trajectories permitted in each basic intersection control information are set so as not to interfere with each other. Intersection control methods.

2. In the intersection control information generating step (S120), After the temporary traffic stop trajectory information is continuously held for a predetermined period of time, the temporary traffic stop trajectory information is cleared. The intersection control method according to claim 1.

3. A program for causing a computer to execute the intersection control method according to claim 1 or 2.

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