Vehicle-mounted device

Abstract

To improve a technique of guiding a vehicle on the basis of a notified congestion situation.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle device 10 includes a controller 11 for acquiring first congestion information showing a current congestion situation of a traffic lane of a road on which a vehicle 30 moves, making a first determination as to whether a congestion is happening in the traffic lane on the basis of the first congestion information, acquiring second congestion information showing a congestion situation of the traffic lane on the same day of the week and at the same time in the past when the first determination has determined that no congestions is happening, making a second determination as to whether a congestion has happened before in the traffic lane on the basis of the second congestion information, and guiding the vehicle 30 to another traffic lane different from the traffic lane when the second determination has determined that a congestion is happening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known technologies for notifying vehicle drivers of traffic congestion conditions. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a navigation device that calculates the difference between the current traffic congestion condition and past traffic congestion history, and notifies the driver whether the road is more congested or less congested than usual. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-345275 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of a system that obtains and notifies the current traffic congestion status from a server, there is a time lag due to information processing on the server before the information is distributed, so it is sometimes impossible to notify the accurate traffic congestion status. This can lead to distrust of the system, for example, if the system notifies the user that there is no traffic congestion but there is actually a traffic congestion, and the notification is delayed and the user is unable to avoid the traffic congestion in time. As such, there is room for improvement in the technology for guiding vehicles based on the notified traffic congestion status.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for guiding vehicles based on notified congestion conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle-mounted device of the present disclosure is equipped with a control unit that acquires first congestion information indicating the current congestion situation in a lane of a road on which a vehicle is traveling, makes a first determination as to whether congestion is occurring in the lane based on the first congestion information, and if it is determined in the first determination that congestion is not occurring, further acquires second congestion information indicating the congestion situation in the lane on the same day and at the same time in the past, makes a second determination as to whether congestion has occurred in the lane in the past based on the second congestion information, and if it is determined in the second determination that congestion has occurred, decides to guide the vehicle to another lane different from the lane. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the technology for guiding a vehicle based on the notified congestion situation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, an overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes an in-vehicle device 10, a communication device 20, and a vehicle 30. The devices are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 40 including, for example, the Internet.

[0010] The number of in-vehicle devices 10 included in the system 1 may be two or more. That is, when one in-vehicle device 10 is installed in one vehicle 30, the system 1 may include a plurality of vehicles 30.

[0011] The in-vehicle device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 30. The in-vehicle device 10 can guide the vehicle 30 as described below.

[0012] The communication device 20 is managed by an organization or business that distributes traffic information including congestion information, etc. The communication device 20 is one or more server devices that can communicate with each other.

[0013] The vehicle 30 may be any type of automobile, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle, an HEV, a PHEV, a BEV, or an FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for Hybrid Electric Vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for Battery Electric Vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle. The vehicle 30 may be an AV, may be driven by a driver, or may have any level of automated driving. "AV" is an abbreviation for Autonomous Vehicle. The level of automation may be, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers. The vehicle 30 may also be a dedicated MaaS vehicle. "MaaS" is an abbreviation for Mobility as a Service.

[0014] Network 40 may include the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or a combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. Network 40 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. A wireless network may be, for example, an ad-hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0015] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The on-vehicle device 10 acquires first congestion information indicating the current congestion state of the lane of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling, and performs a first determination as to whether congestion is occurring in the lane based on the first congestion information. If the on-vehicle device 10 determines in the first determination that congestion is not occurring, the on-vehicle device 10 further acquires second congestion information indicating the congestion state of the lane on the same day of the week and at the same time in the past, and performs a second determination as to whether congestion has occurred in the lane in the past based on the second congestion information. If the on-vehicle device 10 determines in the second determination that congestion has occurred, the on-vehicle device 10 decides to guide the vehicle 30 to another lane different from the lane in question.

[0016] In this disclosure, "road" includes expressways, general roads, etc. "First congestion information" includes information about congestion in the lane in which vehicle 30 is currently traveling, such as the presence or absence of congestion, the length of the congestion, and the location of the beginning and end of the congestion. If the road has multiple lanes, the first congestion information may include information about congestion for each lane on the road. "Second congestion information" includes information about congestion in the lane in question that is similar to the first congestion information for the same day and time in the past. "The same time" is not limited to being the same down to the hour and minute, but may include a time within a specified time difference from the current time. "Another lane" may be the lane next to the lane in which vehicle 30 is traveling, or may be two or more lanes away.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the system 1 according to the present embodiment. The communication device 20 acquires information indicating the speeds and other information from multiple vehicles traveling on road R, as indicated by the dashed arrows, and generates and stores information about traffic congestion based on the acquired information. The communication device 20 distributes the traffic congestion information to vehicles 30A and 30B, as indicated by the solid arrows. Road R has lanes L1, L2, and L3. Without the system 1 according to the present embodiment, it would be determined that there is no traffic congestion based solely on the current traffic congestion situation. Even if a traffic congestion does exist, a situation could arise in which the vehicle 30B in FIG. 2 is already caught in the traffic congestion and is unable to change lanes while being aware of the presence of a following vehicle. In this case, the driver of the vehicle 30 as a user would develop distrust of the system. On the other hand, in the system 1 according to the present embodiment, the on-board device 10 of the vehicle 30A determines whether or not there has been a traffic congestion in lane L1 on which the vehicle 30A is traveling, not only currently but also in the past, as described below. Based on the result of the determination, the in-vehicle device 10 guides the vehicle 30 from the lane L1 to another lane L2, thereby reliably avoiding congestion. This makes it possible to prevent the driver from distrusting the system and improve the technology for guiding the vehicle 30 based on the notified congestion situation.

[0018] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1 again. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an input unit 14, and an output unit 15.

[0019] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or ASIC. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 11 controls each part of the in-vehicle device 10 and executes processing related to the operation of the in-vehicle device 10.

[0020] The memory unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The memory unit 12 functions as, for example, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 12 stores information used in the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the memory unit 12 may store system programs, application programs, databases, map information, etc. The information stored in the memory unit 12 may be updated with information obtained from the network 40 via the communication unit 13.

[0021] The communication unit 13 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface includes, for example, an interface compatible with DSRC, ETC2.0, or optical beacon. "DSRC" is an abbreviation for Dedicated Short Range Communications. "ETC" is an abbreviation for Electronic Toll Collection System. The communication interface may also include an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, the 4G standard, or the 5G standard. For example, an in-vehicle communication device such as a DCM (Data Communication Module) may function as the communication unit 13. The communication unit 13 receives information used for the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 10.

[0022] The input unit 14 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone. The input unit 14 accepts an operation to input data used for the operation of the in-vehicle device 10. The input unit 14 may be connected to the in-vehicle device 10 as an external input device instead of being provided in the in-vehicle device 10. Any connection method may be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). "USB" is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. "HDMI (registered trademark)" is an abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

[0023] The output unit 15 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. "LCD" is an abbreviation for liquid crystal display. "EL" is an abbreviation for electroluminescence. The output unit 15 outputs data obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 10. The output unit 15 may be connected to the in-vehicle device 10 as an external output device instead of being provided in the in-vehicle device 10. Any connection method can be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0024] The functions of the in-vehicle device 10 are realized by executing a control program according to this embodiment on a processor corresponding to the control unit 11. That is, the functions of the in-vehicle device 10 are realized by software. The control program causes a computer to execute the operations of the in-vehicle device 10, thereby causing the computer to function as the in-vehicle device 10. That is, the computer functions as the in-vehicle device 10 by executing the operations of the in-vehicle device 10 in accordance with the control program.

[0025] The program can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include a magnetic recording device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a ROM. The program can be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as a DVD or CD-ROM on which the program is stored. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program can also be distributed by storing it in the storage of a server and transferring it from the server to another computer. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0026] A computer temporarily stores a program stored on a portable medium or transferred from a server in its main storage device. The computer then reads the program stored in the main storage device using a processor and executes processing in accordance with the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from a portable medium and execute processing in accordance with the program. The computer may also execute processing in accordance with the received program each time a program is transferred from a server to the computer. Processing may also be executed through a so-called ASP-type service that achieves its function simply by issuing an execution command and obtaining the results, without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. Programs include information used for processing by a computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that does not directly instruct a computer but has properties that define computer processing falls under the category of "equivalent to a program."

[0027] Some or all of the functions of the in-vehicle device 10 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 11. In other words, some or all of the functions of the in-vehicle device 10 may be realized by hardware.

[0028] The communication device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The hardware configurations of the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 of the communication device 20 may be similar to the hardware configurations of the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13 of the in-vehicle device 10, respectively. A description thereof will be omitted here.

[0029] The vehicle 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, an input unit 34, an output unit 35, and a positioning unit 36. The components of the vehicle 30 are communicably connected to one another via, for example, a dedicated line. The hardware configurations of the control unit 31, the storage unit 32, the communication unit 33, the input unit 34, and the output unit 35 of the vehicle 30 may be similar to the hardware configurations of the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, the communication unit 13, the input unit 14, and the output unit 15 of the in-vehicle device 10, respectively. A description thereof will be omitted here.

[0030] The positioning unit 36 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the vehicle 30. Specifically, the positioning unit 36 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited to this and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system. The positioning unit 36 outputs position information indicating the position of the vehicle 30 to the control unit 31.

[0031] The operation of the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the following, the in-vehicle device 10 transmits and receives information to and from each device via the communication unit 13 and the network 40. The process shown in Fig. 3 is repeatedly executed while the vehicle 30 is traveling.

[0032] In step S1, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 10 acquires first congestion information indicating the current congestion status of the lanes of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling. Any method may be used for the acquisition. For example, when the vehicle 30 is traveling within an area where traffic information is distributed by a traffic control center that manages the communication device 20, the first congestion information may be transmitted from the communication device 20, and the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 10 may receive the first congestion information, thereby acquiring the first congestion information. The lanes of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling may be identified based on the position information output by the positioning unit 36 of the vehicle 30.

[0033] In step S2, the control unit 11 makes a first determination as to whether or not congestion has occurred in the lane in which the vehicle 30 is traveling, based on the acquired first congestion information. Any method may be used for the determination. For example, the control unit 11 may determine that congestion has occurred in the lane in which the vehicle 30 is traveling, based on the position information of the vehicle 30 output by the positioning unit 36 of the vehicle 30, if the end of the congestion is within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle 30. If it is determined that congestion has occurred, the processing of the control unit 11 proceeds to step S3. If it is determined that congestion has not occurred, the processing of the control unit 11 proceeds to step S4.

[0034] First, a case will be described where the processing of the control unit 11 proceeds from step S2 to step S3. In step S3, the control unit 11 determines to guide the vehicle 30 to another lane, and guides the vehicle 30 to the other lane.

[0035] Any method may be adopted for guiding the vehicle 30 to another lane. For example, the control unit 11 may generate notification information suggesting that the vehicle 30 move to another lane and notify the suggestion via the output unit 15 in the form of text, voice, or the like, thereby guiding the vehicle 30. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may output a signal to the control unit 31 of the vehicle 30 to instruct guidance control. The control unit 31 may acquire the signal and control each unit of the vehicle 30 to move the vehicle 30 to another lane. The control unit 11 may determine the other lane to which the vehicle 30 is to be guided using any method. For example, the control unit 11 may identify another lane that is less congested than the lane in which the vehicle 30 is currently moving, based on the first congestion information, and determine to guide the vehicle 30 to the other lane. Then, the processing of the control unit 11 ends.

[0036] Next, a case where the processing of the control unit 11 proceeds from step S2 to step S4 will be described. In step S4, the control unit 11 further acquires second congestion information indicating the past congestion situation of the lane on the same day of the week and at the same time. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 acquires the second congestion information by receiving it from the communication device 20. However, the method of acquiring the second congestion information is not limited to this, and any method may be adopted.

[0037] In step S5, the control unit 11 makes a second determination based on the acquired second congestion information as to whether or not congestion has occurred in the past in the lane on which the vehicle 30 is traveling. Any method may be used for the determination. For example, the control unit 11 may determine that congestion has occurred if, based on the position information of the vehicle 30, the tail end of a congestion in the lane on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is located within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle 30. If it is determined that congestion has occurred, the processing of the control unit 11 proceeds to step S6. If it is determined that congestion has not occurred, the operation of the control unit 11 ends.

[0038] In step S6, the control unit 11 determines to guide the vehicle 30 to another lane, and guides the vehicle 30 to the other lane. The guidance method may be the same as in step S3. Thereafter, the operation of the control unit 11 ends.

[0039] According to this embodiment, even if the in-vehicle device 10 determines that there is no congestion based on the current congestion situation, if it determines that there was congestion in the same lane on the same day and at the same time based on past congestion situations, a lane change is suggested. This reduces the possibility of a situation in which a delay in the delivery of congestion information from an external device causes a discrepancy between the actual congestion situation and the congestion avoidance action being taken in time. The second congestion information in this embodiment is for the same day and at the same time, and is more accurate past congestion information that tracks changes due to external factors such as changes in road shape, a decrease in congestion frequency due to an increase in highway tolls, and changes in congestion occurrence times due to the spread of remote work or staggered work hours. This improves the accuracy of determining whether or not there is congestion, making it possible to guide the vehicle 30 to reliably avoid congestion, and ultimately preventing users from distrusting the system. This makes it possible to improve the technology for guiding vehicles based on the notified congestion situation.

[0040] Although the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component or step may be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components or steps may be combined or divided into one. For example, at least some of the processing operations performed by the in-vehicle device 10 may be performed by the communication device 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 System 10 Onboard equipment 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 14 Input section 15 Output section 20. Communication Equipment 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 30 vehicles 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communications Department 34 Input section 35 Output section 36 Positioning unit 40 Network

Claims

[Claim 1] acquiring first congestion information indicating a current congestion state of a lane of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and making a first determination as to whether or not congestion is occurring in the lane based on the first congestion information; If it is determined in the first determination that no congestion has occurred, second congestion information indicating a past congestion state of the lane on the same day of the week and at the same time is further acquired, and a second determination is made as to whether or not congestion has occurred in the lane in the past based on the second congestion information; an on-board device comprising: a control unit that, when it is determined in the second determination that congestion has occurred, determines to guide the vehicle to another lane different from the lane;

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