In-vehicle device, traffic information creation device, notification method, traffic information creation method, notification program, and traffic information creation program

Abstract

An in-vehicle device according to the present invention includes: a first determining unit that determines whether or not a vehicle has crossed or whether or not the vehicle may cross a right-side boundary of a currently-traveling lane that is a lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling; a second determining unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed or whether or not the vehicle may cross a left-side boundary of the currently-traveling lane; an operation determining unit that determines, in a case in which determination is made that the vehicle has crossed or may cross a boundary of the currently-traveling lane, whether or not a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition; a departure determining unit that determines that the vehicle has not departed from the currently-traveling lane in a case in which determination is made that the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition; and a counting unit that counts each of a count of times in which judgment is made regarding whether the vehicle has crossed or may cross the right-side boundary of the currently-traveling lane, and determination is made that the vehicle has not departed from the currently-traveling lane, and a count of times in which judgment is made regarding whether a vehicle has crossed or may cross the left-side boundary of the currently-traveling lane, and determination is made that the vehicle has not departed from the currently-traveling lane.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device, a traffic information creation device, a notification method, a traffic information creation method, a notification program, and a traffic information creation program. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-133907, filed on August 19, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 (JP 2006-331389 A) describes a lane recognition device for accurately detecting the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. Specifically, in this lane recognition device, a main camera and a sub-camera capture a scene including a road in the vehicle's traveling direction and output a pair of analog images. An image processor calculates a parallax dp for calculating distances in real space for each 4×4 pixel block of the reference image T based on digital data of a reference image T and a comparison image, which are digital images based on the pair of analog images. A lane candidate point detection and conversion processing unit detects pixels from the reference image T that may represent lanes, i.e., lane candidate points, based on the brightness p1ij of each pixel in the reference image T and the parallax dp of each pixel of the reference image T calculated by the image processor, and performs a Hough transform on each detected lane candidate point. A lane line detection processing unit extracts multiple straight lines as lane candidate points on both the left and right sides of the host vehicle from the Hough plane obtained by the Hough transform. The lane line detection processing unit then selects lines suitable for lane detection from the extracted lines, i.e., one lane line each on the left and right, based on the position, behavior, etc. of the vehicle. The lane detection processing unit determines whether each lane candidate point is a pixel representing a right lane or a left lane, using the detected lane line as a reference, and records the lane candidate point determined to be a pixel representing a lane as a lane position. The lane detection processing unit uses the detected lane position as a reference to track relevant lane positions upward in the reference image T, detecting lanes while following straight or curved lanes. Patent Document 1 describes that the above configuration enables stable and accurate lane detection while excluding high-brightness areas such as reflected light on the road surface due to rain, etc., or markings that are not lane marks, such as markings indicating lane branching in the center of the road. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-331389 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The on-board device of the present disclosure is an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a first determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a right boundary of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle, or whether or not it is likely to cross the right boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling; a second determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a left boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of the road around the vehicle; an operation determination unit that determines whether or not a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition, when the first determination unit or the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling; The vehicle is equipped with a departure determination unit that determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling if it is determined that the operation satisfies the predetermined condition; a counting unit that counts the number of times that the first determination unit has determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit has determined that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the second determination unit has determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit has determined that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling; and a notification unit that notifies a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value of the counting unit.

[0005] The traffic information creation device of the present disclosure includes a count acquisition unit that acquires from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling has determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation of the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation of the target vehicle, based on an image of the road around the target vehicle, has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation of the target vehicle ... performed a driving operation of the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle performed a driving operation of the target vehicle

[0006] The notification method disclosed herein is a notification method for an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a step of counting at least one of the number of times it is determined, based on an image showing the road around the vehicle, that the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the right boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling because the driving operation of the vehicle performed by the driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and the number of times it is determined, based on an image showing the road around the vehicle, that the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and that the driving operation has satisfied the predetermined condition, and a step of notifying a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value in the counting step.

[0007] The traffic information creation method disclosed herein is a traffic information creation method in a traffic information creation device, and includes the steps of: acquiring from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling has determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation of the target vehicle, and the number of times that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation, and the number of times that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation, and the number of times that the target vehicle has

[0008] The notification program of the present disclosure is a notification program used in an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a computer including a first determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a right boundary of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle, or whether or not the vehicle is likely to cross the right boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of the road around the vehicle, a second determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a left boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, or whether or not the vehicle is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and an operation determination unit that determines whether or not a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition when the first determination unit or the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed the boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and a departure determination unit that determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling if it is determined that the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition by the first determination unit; a counting unit that counts the number of times that the first determination unit has determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit has determined that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the second determination unit has determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit has determined that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling; and a notification unit that notifies a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value of the counting unit.

[0009] The traffic information creation program of the present disclosure is a traffic information creation program used in a traffic information creation device, and includes a computer that includes a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a traveling lane, which is a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, and that determines, based on a captured image showing a road around the target vehicle, that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the right side of the traveling lane, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the traveling lane because a driving operation of the target vehicle performed by a driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and a determination unit that determines, based on a captured image showing the road around the target vehicle, that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the right side of the traveling lane, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the traveling lane The program functions as a count acquisition unit that acquires from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times that the target vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling because the driving operation has satisfied the specified condition; a lane acquisition unit that acquires lane information indicating the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; and a creation unit that creates traffic information including information on the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling based on the count value acquired by the count acquisition unit and the lane information acquired by the lane acquisition unit.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure may be realized not only as an on-board device including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the on-board device, or as a transportation system including the on-board device.Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure may be realized not only as a traffic information generation device including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the traffic information generation device, or as a transportation system including the traffic information generation device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a transportation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of counting the determination results by the counting unit in the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of lane determination processing by the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image captured by a camera in the transportation system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image captured by a camera in the transportation system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the lane determination process performed by the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a traffic information generating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image extracted by a lane acquisition unit in the transportation system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure performs lane determination processing. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure counts the determination results. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure transmits probe information. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the traffic information generating device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure generates traffic information. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart defining another example of an operation procedure when the traffic information generating device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure generates traffic information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique has been developed for determining the lane in which a vehicle is traveling and creating traffic information such as congestion information based on the determination result.

[0013] [Problem to be solved by this disclosure] However, if a vehicle is equipped with a lane recognition device as described above in order to determine the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the cost of the vehicle will increase. Attempts are being made to commercialize technology for identifying lanes using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). However, applying SLAM to vehicles also increases the cost of the vehicles. Furthermore, when using SLAM, errors that occur in estimating the vehicle's position can sometimes make it impossible to accurately identify the lane the vehicle is traveling in, making it impossible to create accurate traffic information. Therefore, there is a need for technology that goes beyond conventional technology and can create traffic information at low cost.

[0014] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an in-vehicle device, a traffic information creation device, a notification method, a traffic information creation method, a notification program, and a traffic information creation program that are capable of creating traffic information at low cost.

[0015] [Effects of this disclosure] According to the present disclosure, traffic information can be generated at low cost.

[0016] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0017] (1) An on-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an on-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a first determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a right boundary of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle, and whether or not the vehicle is likely to cross the right boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of the road around the vehicle, a second determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a left boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and an operation determination unit that determines whether or not a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition when the first determination unit or the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed the boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and a departure determination unit that determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling if it is determined that the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition, a counting unit that counts the number of times that the first determination unit has determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the right side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit has determined that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the second determination unit has determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the left side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit has determined that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and a notification unit that notifies a processing device outside the vehicle of the count values of the counting unit.

[0018] In this way, the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has not deviated from its lane while traveling because the driver's driving operation has satisfied a predetermined condition when the vehicle has crossed or is in danger of crossing the right boundary of the lane while traveling, and the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has not deviated from its lane while traveling because the driver's driving operation has satisfied a predetermined condition when the vehicle has crossed or is in danger of crossing the left boundary of the lane while traveling, and the count values are notified to the processing device.This configuration makes it possible to more accurately count lane changes, for example, at the driver's discretion, using existing technology for determining whether the vehicle has deviated from its lane while traveling, and notify the processing device that creates the traffic information of the lane change count value, thereby enabling the processing device to create traffic information that reflects the lane the vehicle is traveling in.As a result, traffic information can be created at low cost.

[0019] (2) In (1) above, the operation determination unit may be configured to determine whether the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition by determining whether at least one of the following conditions is met: a sudden steering operation by the driver, a sudden braking operation by the driver, a sudden accelerator operation by the driver, and operation of a turn signal by the driver.

[0020] This configuration makes it possible to distinguish between lane departure and lane change caused by the driver's intention.

[0021] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the notification unit may be configured to further notify the processing device of probe information indicating a detection result of the vehicle's position and a time when the position was detected.

[0022] With this configuration, the processing device can use the probe information and the count value to create traffic information for the road the vehicle has traveled on. Also, by notifying the processing device of the count value together with the probe information, for example, the processing device can be notified more efficiently than in a configuration in which the count value and the probe information are notified to the processing device separately.

[0023] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the on-board device may further include a lane determination unit that determines the lane in which the vehicle is traveling when a merging point with another road is detected on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the notification unit may be configured to further notify the processing device of the determination result made by the lane determination unit.

[0024] With this configuration, it is possible to identify the lane in which the vehicle is traveling at the time when the counting unit performs counting, taking into account the lane in which the vehicle is traveling at the junction with another road.

[0025] (5) In any of (1) to (3) above, the on-board device may further include a lane determination unit that determines the lane on which the vehicle is traveling and stores the determination result in a memory unit. When the lane determination unit detects a change in the number of lanes at a junction with another road on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the lane determination unit may erase the previous determination result in the memory unit, determine the lane on which the vehicle is traveling, and store the determination result in the memory unit. When the lane determination unit detects a change in the number of lanes, the counting unit may reset the count value. The notification unit may be configured to further notify the processing device of the determination result made by the lane determination unit.

[0026] With this configuration, when the number of lanes changes at a junction with another road, it is possible to identify the lane in which the vehicle is traveling at the time the counting unit performs the counting, taking into account the lane in which the vehicle will be traveling after the change in the number of lanes.

[0027] (6) In the above (4) or (5), the lane determination unit may be configured to determine the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on an image captured by an imaging unit mounted on the vehicle.

[0028] This configuration allows for greater freedom in determining the timing and location of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling.

[0029] (7) In any of (4) to (6) above, the lane determination unit may be configured to determine the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on the current position of the vehicle and map information.

[0030] With this configuration, for example, the lane in which a vehicle that has merged into a main lane at a merging point will travel can be easily determined and notified to the processing device.

[0031] (8) In the above (4), the lane determining unit may be configured to determine the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on the image every time the vehicle enters an intersection.

[0032] With this configuration, it is possible to determine the lane in which the vehicle is traveling at each intersection and notify the processing device of this.

[0033] (9) A traffic information creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a count acquisition unit that acquires from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling has determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver has performed a driving operation of the target vehicle that satisfies a predetermined condition, and the number of times a determination that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver has performed a driving operation that satisfies the predetermined condition; a lane acquisition unit that acquires lane information indicating the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; and a creation unit that creates traffic information including information about the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on the count value acquired by the count acquisition unit and the lane information acquired by the lane acquisition unit.

[0034] In this way, the traffic information is generated based on a count value based on at least one of the number of times that the target vehicle is determined not to have deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation of the target vehicle satisfied a predetermined condition when the target vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the right boundary of the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the target vehicle is determined not to have deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation satisfied the predetermined condition when the target vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling, and the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling.This configuration makes it possible to generate traffic information using a more accurate count value of lane changes initiated by the driver, for example, and therefore to generate traffic information that reflects the lane in which the vehicle is traveling.As a result, traffic information can be generated at low cost.

[0035] (10) In the above (9), the count acquisition unit may further acquire identification information of the target vehicle, and the traffic information creation device may further include an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the vehicle captured by a roadside device, and the lane acquisition unit may create the lane information based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit and the identification information acquired by the count acquisition unit, and the creation unit may create the traffic information based on the count value and the lane information created by the lane acquisition unit.

[0036] With this configuration, the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling can be determined based on the image captured by the roadside device, and traffic information can be created. Therefore, even if information indicating the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling cannot be obtained from the target vehicle, traffic information can be created taking into account the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling.

[0037] (11) A notification method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a notification method in an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a step of counting at least one of the number of times it is determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the vehicle, and that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling because the driving operation of the vehicle performed by the driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and the number of times it is determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the road around the vehicle, and that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling because the driving operation has satisfied the predetermined condition, and a step of notifying a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value in the counting step.

[0038] In this way, by counting the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has not deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation has satisfied a predetermined condition when the vehicle has crossed or is in danger of crossing the right boundary of the lane while traveling, and the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has not deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation has satisfied a predetermined condition when the vehicle has crossed or is in danger of crossing the left boundary of the lane while traveling, and notifying the processing device of the count values, it is possible to more accurately count lane changes, for example, at the driver's discretion, using existing technology for determining whether the vehicle has deviated from its lane while traveling, and notify the processing device that creates the traffic information of the count value of lane changes, thereby enabling the processing device to create traffic information that reflects the lane the vehicle is in. Therefore, traffic information can be created at low cost.

[0039] (12) A traffic information creation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a traffic information creation method in a traffic information creation device, and includes the steps of: acquiring from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, has determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation of the target vehicle, and the number of times that a determination that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the driver performed a driving operation, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle; acquiring lane information that indicates the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; and creating traffic information that includes information about the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on the acquired count value and the acquired lane information.

[0040] In this way, by using a method for generating traffic information based on a count value based on at least one of the number of times that the target vehicle is determined not to have deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation of the target vehicle has satisfied a predetermined condition when the target vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the right boundary of the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the target vehicle is determined not to have deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation has satisfied the predetermined condition when the target vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling, and the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, it is possible to generate traffic information using a more accurate count value of lane changes initiated by the driver, for example, and thereby generate traffic information that reflects the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. Therefore, traffic information can be generated at low cost.

[0041] (13) A notification program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a notification program used in an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a computer including: a first determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a right boundary of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle; a second determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed a left boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle; an operation determination unit that determines whether or not a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition, when the first determination unit or the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the boundary of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling; The program functions as a deviation judgment unit that judges that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling when the operation judgment unit judges that the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition; a counting unit that counts the number of times that the first judgment unit judges that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane while traveling and the deviation judgment unit judges that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the second judgment unit judges that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling and the deviation judgment unit judges that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling; and a notification unit that notifies a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value of the counting unit.

[0042] In this way, the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has not deviated from its lane while traveling because the driver's driving operation has satisfied a predetermined condition when the vehicle has crossed or is in danger of crossing the right boundary of the lane while traveling, and the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has not deviated from its lane while traveling because the driver's driving operation has satisfied a predetermined condition when the vehicle has crossed or is in danger of crossing the left boundary of the lane while traveling, and the count values are notified to the processing device.This configuration makes it possible to more accurately count lane changes, for example, at the driver's discretion, using existing technology for determining whether the vehicle has deviated from its lane while traveling, and notify the processing device that creates the traffic information of the lane change count value, thereby enabling the processing device to create traffic information that reflects the lane the vehicle is traveling in.As a result, traffic information can be created at low cost.

[0043] (14) A traffic information generation program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a traffic information generation program used in a traffic information generation device, and includes a computer, a determination unit for determining whether a target vehicle has deviated from a traveling lane, which is a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, and a determination unit for determining, based on a captured image showing a road around the target vehicle, that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the right side of the traveling lane, and the number of times that the target vehicle has been determined not to have deviated from the traveling lane because a driving operation of the target vehicle performed by a driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and a determination unit for determining, based on a captured image showing the road around the target vehicle, that the target vehicle has deviated from the traveling lane. a count acquisition unit that acquires from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times it is determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling and the number of times it is determined that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling because the driving operation has satisfied the specified condition; a lane acquisition unit that acquires lane information that indicates the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; and a creation unit that creates traffic information including information on the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on the count value acquired by the count acquisition unit and the lane information acquired by the lane acquisition unit.

[0044] In this way, the traffic information is generated based on a count value based on at least one of the number of times that the target vehicle is determined not to have deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation of the target vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition when the target vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the right boundary of the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the target vehicle is determined not to have deviated from its lane because the driver's driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition when the target vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane while traveling, and the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling. This configuration makes it possible to generate traffic information using a more accurate count value of lane changes initiated by the driver, for example, and therefore to generate traffic information that reflects the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. Therefore, traffic information can be generated at low cost.

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0046] [Configuration and basic operation] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a transportation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, a transportation system 301 includes a traffic information generation device 201, an in-vehicle device 101, a camera 111, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 121. The in-vehicle device 101, the camera 111, and the GPS receiver 121 are mounted on a vehicle 1.

[0047] The camera 111 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is traveling and while the vehicle 1 is stopped. The camera 111 transmits, for example, periodically, captured images of the roads around the vehicle 1 and image information indicating the time of capture to the in-vehicle device 101. The camera 111 is an example of an imaging unit. The captured images are an example of captured images.

[0048] The GPS receiver 121 receives GPS signals from one or more satellites and, based on the received GPS signals, detects the position of the vehicle 1. The GPS receiver 121 periodically creates position information indicating the detection result of the position of the vehicle 1 based on the GPS signals and the detection time, and transmits the created position information to the in-vehicle device 101, for example.

[0049] The on-vehicle device 101 is, for example, a communication device used in telematics, and performs communication via 5G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), or wireless LAN. The on-vehicle device 101 transmits probe information indicating the detection result of the position of the vehicle 1 and the detection time to the traffic information generation device 201.

[0050] The traffic information creation device 201 is an example of a processing device outside the vehicle 1. The traffic information creation device 201 is, for example, a cloud server. The traffic information creation device 201 receives probe information from a plurality of on-board devices 101 each mounted on a different vehicle 1, and creates traffic information such as congestion information based on each piece of received probe information.

[0051] <In-vehicle equipment> 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, the in-vehicle device 101 includes a determination unit 11, a count unit 12, a lane determination unit 13, a position information acquisition unit 14, a notification unit 15, and a storage unit 16. The determination unit 11 is an example of a first determination unit, an example of a second determination unit, an example of an operation determination unit, and an example of a departure determination unit. The determination unit 11, the count unit 12, the lane determination unit 13, the position information acquisition unit 14, and the notification unit 15 are implemented by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), for example.

[0052] The storage unit 16 is, for example, a non-volatile memory, and stores a vehicle ID, which is identification information of the vehicle 1, and map information.

[0053] The location information acquisition unit 14 receives location information from the GPS receiver 121 and stores the received location information in the storage unit 16 .

[0054] (Determination process) The determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 1 has deviated from a lane. For example, the determination unit 11 receives image information from the camera 111 and performs a determination process to determine whether the vehicle 1 has deviated from the lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling (hereinafter also referred to as the traveling lane DL) by analyzing the captured image indicated by the received image information. The determination unit 11 issues an alarm notification to the driver of the vehicle 1 by voice or display according to the result of the determination process.

[0055] More specifically, the determination unit 11 issues an alarm notification when it determines whether the vehicle 1 has deviated from the lane or there is a possibility that the vehicle 1 will deviate from the lane based on the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the boundary of the traveling lane DL. The determination unit 11 may be configured to issue different alarm notifications depending on whether it determines that the vehicle 1 has deviated from the lane or there is a possibility that the vehicle 1 will deviate from the lane.

[0056] Here, "vehicle 1 deviates from the lane" means that vehicle 1 crosses the boundary of the traveling lane DL regardless of the intention of the driver of vehicle 1. Furthermore, vehicle 1 crossing the boundary of the traveling lane DL means that at least a part of vehicle 1 travels on a dividing line BL that divides the traveling lane DL in a plan view.

[0057] That is, when the vehicle 1 crosses the boundary of the lane DL while traveling due to the driver's intention, the determination unit 11 does not determine that the vehicle has deviated from the lane. Specifically, when the vehicle 1 crosses the boundary of the lane DL while traveling due to the driver performing a driving operation to change lanes, the determination unit 11 does not determine that the vehicle has deviated from the lane and does not issue an alarm notification.

[0058] More specifically, the determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 1 has crossed the right boundary of the traveling lane DL or whether it will be able to cross it, based on the captured image indicated by the image information received from the camera 111. The determination unit 11 also determines whether the vehicle 1 has crossed the left boundary of the traveling lane DL or whether it will be able to cross it, based on the captured image indicated by the image information received from the camera 111. That is, the determination unit 11 determines whether the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL satisfies a determination condition C1R for whether the vehicle 1 has crossed the right boundary of the traveling lane DL or whether it will be able to cross it, and whether it satisfies a determination condition C1L for whether the vehicle 1 has crossed the left boundary of the traveling lane DL or whether it will be able to cross it.

[0059] When the determination unit 11 determines that the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL satisfies the determination condition C1R or C1L, the determination unit 11 determines whether the driving operation of the vehicle 1 performed by the driver satisfies a predetermined operation condition C2. For example, the determination unit 11 determines whether the driving operation satisfies the operation condition C2 by determining whether at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: a sudden steering operation by the driver, a sudden braking operation by the driver, a sudden accelerator operation by the driver, and a turn signal operation by the driver. Here, a sudden steering operation refers to a steering operation in which the steering angle per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. A sudden braking operation refers to a braking operation in which the acceleration decrease amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. A sudden accelerator operation refers to an accelerator operation in which the acceleration increase amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0060] If the determination unit 11 determines that the driving operation satisfies the operation condition C2, it determines that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane DL while traveling and does not issue an alarm notification. On the other hand, if the determination unit 11 determines that the driving operation does not satisfy the operation condition C2, it determines that the vehicle 1 has deviated from the lane DL while traveling and issues an alarm notification.

[0061] If the determination unit 11 determines that the driving operation satisfies the operation condition C2, it notifies the counting unit 12 of the determination result R1 indicating that the vehicle 1 has not departed from the lane and the determination time Rt. On the other hand, if the determination unit 11 determines that the driving operation does not satisfy the operation condition C2, it does not notify the counting unit 12 of the determination result R1 and the determination time Rt.

[0062] For example, when the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL in which the vehicle is traveling satisfies the judgment condition C1R and the driving operation satisfies the operation condition C2, the judgment unit 11 notifies the counting unit 12 of the judgment result R1, which indicates that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane. Also, when the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL in which the vehicle is traveling satisfies the judgment condition C1L and the driving operation satisfies the operation condition C2, the judgment unit 11 notifies the counting unit 12 of the judgment result R1, which indicates that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane.

[0063] (Count of judgement results) The counting unit 12 counts the number of times that the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the traveling lane DL and that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the traveling lane DL, and the number of times that the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the traveling lane DL and that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the traveling lane DL. In detail, the counting unit 12 counts the occurrence of a determination result R1 by the determination unit 11 that indicates that the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL satisfies a determination condition C1 and that the driving operation satisfies an operation condition C2, and therefore the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the traveling lane DL.

[0064] More specifically, when the counting unit 12 receives a notification of the determination result R1 from the determining unit 11, the counting unit 12 registers the count value Cnt obtained by counting the occurrence of the determination result R1 in the ring buffer in the storage unit 16.

[0065] As described above, the judgment unit 11 may notify the count unit 12 of the judgment result R1R as the judgment result R1, or may notify the count unit 12 of the judgment result R1L. The count unit 12 can determine whether the judgment result R1 received from the judgment unit 11 is the judgment result R1R or the judgment result R1L. For example, when the count unit 12 receives notification of the judgment result R1R from the judgment unit 11, it increments the count value Cnt, and when the count unit 12 receives notification of the judgment result R1L from the judgment unit 11, it decrements the count value Cnt.

[0066] 3 is a diagram showing an example of counting of determination results by a counting unit in an on-board device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 shows a state in which a vehicle 1 is traveling on a three-lane road consisting of lanes L1, L2, and L3 from the left side in the direction of travel. Lane L1 is defined by an outer lane BL1 and a lane boundary line BL2. Lane L2 is defined by a lane boundary line BL2 and a lane boundary line BL3. Lane L3 is defined by a lane boundary line BL3 and a centerline BL4. The outer lane BL1, lane boundaries BL2 and BL3, and centerline BL4 are examples of dividing lines BL.

[0067] 3, vehicle 1 is traveling on lane L1 at time t1. It is assumed that the latest count value Cnt registered in storage unit 16 at time t1 is zero.

[0068] If, at time t2, the vehicle 1 is traveling appropriately in the current lane DL and the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the current lane DL does not satisfy the judgment condition C1, the judgment unit 11 judges that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane.

[0069] Furthermore, if at time t3 the driver performs a driving operation to change lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 and the vehicle 1 crosses lane boundary line BL2, the judgment unit 11 determines that the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL in which the vehicle is traveling satisfies judgment condition C1R and the driving operation satisfies operation condition C2, and therefore the judgment unit 11 notifies the counting unit 12 of the judgment result R1R and the judgment time Rt, which is time t3.

[0070] Then, upon receiving notification of the determination result R1R and the determination time Rt from the determination unit 11, the count unit 12 increments the latest count value Cnt in the storage unit 16 to obtain a new count value Cnt, and registers the new count value Cnt in association with the determination time Rt.

[0071] Furthermore, if at time t4 the driver performs a driving operation to change lanes from lane L2 to lane L3 and the vehicle 1 crosses lane boundary line BL3, the judgment unit 11 determines that the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL in which the vehicle is traveling satisfies judgment condition C1R and the driving operation satisfies operation condition C2, and therefore the judgment unit 11 notifies the counting unit 12 of the judgment result R1R and the judgment time Rt, which is time t4.

[0072] Then, upon receiving notification of the determination result R1R and the determination time Rt from the determination unit 11, the count unit 12 increments the latest count value Cnt in the storage unit 16 to obtain a new count value Cnt, and registers the new count value Cnt in association with the determination time Rt.

[0073] Furthermore, if at time t5 the driver performs a driving operation to change lanes from lane L3 to lane L2 and the vehicle 1 crosses lane boundary line BL3, the judgment unit 11 determines that the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL in which the vehicle is traveling satisfies judgment condition C1L and the driving operation satisfies operation condition C2, and therefore the judgment unit 11 notifies the counting unit 12 of the judgment result R1L and the judgment time Rt, which is time t5.

[0074] Then, upon receiving notification of the determination result R1L from the determination unit 11, the count unit 12 decrements the latest count value Cnt in the storage unit 16 to obtain a new count value Cnt, and registers the new count value Cnt in association with the determination time Rt.

[0075] (Lane determination processing) The lane determination unit 13 performs lane determination processing to determine the traveling lane DL when it detects a merging point with another road on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. For example, when it detects a merging point, the lane determination unit 13 further determines the number of lanes on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling (hereinafter also referred to as the number of lanes LN).

[0076] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of lane determination processing by an on-board device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4, lane determination unit 13 detects intersection 151 as a merging point of the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling with another road. More specifically, when lane determination unit 13 determines that vehicle 1 has entered intersection 151 based on map information and position information stored in memory unit 16, it performs lane determination processing.

[0077] For example, the lane determination unit 13 determines the current lane DL and the number of lanes LN based on a captured image captured by the camera 111. As an example, every time the vehicle 1 enters the intersection 151, the lane determination unit 13 determines the current lane DL and the number of lanes LN based on the captured image.

[0078] 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating examples of images captured by a camera in a transportation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 illustrates an image S21 captured by camera 111 of an area ahead of vehicle 1 when vehicle 1 is traveling in the leftmost lane of a two-lane road. Fig. 6 illustrates an image S32 captured by camera 111 of an area ahead of vehicle 1 when vehicle 1 is traveling in the rightmost lane of a two-lane road.

[0079] 5 and 6, the lane determining unit 13 analyzes the captured images S21 and S32 to determine the current lane DL and the number of lanes LN based on the patterns of the lane markings BL in the captured images S21 and S32.

[0080] Although the lane determination unit 13 is configured to detect intersections as points where the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling merges with other roads, the present invention is not limited to this. The lane determination unit 13 may also be configured to detect points where the vehicle 1 is traveling and merges with other roads other than intersections.

[0081] 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of lane determination processing by an on-board device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, the lane determination unit 13 determines the traveling lane DL and the number of lanes LN based on the current position of the vehicle 1 and map information. More specifically, the lane determination unit 13 detects, based on the map information and position information stored in the storage unit 16, a merging point 161 on a highway as a merging point with another road on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0082] When the lane determining unit 13 determines based on the map information and the position information that the vehicle 1 has entered the merging point 161, it performs lane determination processing.

[0083] More specifically, the map information stored in the memory unit 16 includes information indicating whether the merging point 161 on the expressway is a merging point 161 of the type where a vehicle merges into a main lane from the right or a merging point 161 of the type where a vehicle merges into a main lane from the left, and information indicating the number of lanes on the expressway.

[0084] When the lane determination unit 13 determines, based on the map information and position information stored in the memory unit 16, that the vehicle 1 has entered a merging point 161 of the type that merges into a main lane from the left, the lane determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the leftmost lane. On the other hand, when the lane determination unit 13 determines, based on the map information and position information stored in the memory unit 16, that the vehicle 1 has entered a merging point 161 of the type that merges into a main lane from the right, the lane determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the rightmost lane.

[0085] For example, the lane determination unit 13 performs lane determination processing based on captured images while the vehicle 1 is traveling on a public road, and performs lane determination processing based on map information and location information while the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway. The lane determination unit 13 may be configured not to perform either the lane determination processing based on captured images or the lane determination processing based on map information and location information. Furthermore, when the lane determination unit 13 detects a merging point 161 on a public road based on the map information and location information stored in the memory unit 16 while the vehicle 1 is traveling on a public road, the lane determination unit 13 may determine the current lane DL and the number of lanes LN based on the type of the merging point 161 indicated in the map information. Furthermore, when the lane determination unit 13 detects a merging point with another road, such as the merging point 161, based on the map information and location information stored in the memory unit 16 while traveling on a highway, the lane determination unit 13 may determine the current lane DL and the number of lanes LN based on the captured images captured by the camera 111.

[0086] When the lane determination unit 13 determines the current lane DL and the number of lanes LN by performing the lane determination process, it stores the lane determination time Jt, which is the time when the lane determination process was performed, and lane information indicating the current lane DL and the number of lanes LN, in the storage unit 16. For example, when the lane determination unit 13 performs the lane determination process, it erases the past determination results of the current lane DL from the storage unit 16. In other words, the lane determination unit 13 resets the past current lane DL indicated by the lane information in the storage unit 16.

[0087] Although the lane determination unit 13 has been configured to perform lane determination processing when it detects a merging point with another road on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, the present invention is not limited to this. The lane determination unit 13 may be configured to perform lane determination processing and store the lane information in the storage unit 16 when it detects a merging point and detects a change in the number of lanes LN at the merging point, i.e., an increase or decrease in the number of lanes LN. Even in this case, after performing the lane determination processing, the lane determination unit 13 resets the past traveling lane DL indicated by the lane information in the storage unit 16.

[0088] For example, the counting unit 12 resets the count value Cnt when a change in the number of lanes LN is detected by the lane determination unit 13. More specifically, when the lane determination unit 13 performs lane determination processing in response to a change in the number of lanes LN and the lane information is stored in the storage unit 16, the counting unit 12 resets the count value Cnt in the storage unit 16 to zero.

[0089] (Sending probe information) The notification unit 15 acquires the vehicle ID and the latest location information from the memory unit 16, for example, at a transmission timing according to a predetermined transmission period Cy, creates probe information including the acquired vehicle ID and location information, and transmits the created probe information to the traffic information creation device 201.

[0090] The notification unit 15 notifies the traffic information creation device 201 of the count value Cnt of the count unit 12. For example, the notification unit 15 notifies the traffic information creation device 201 of the count value Cnt at a timing that conforms to the timing of notifying the probe information to the traffic information creation device 201. As an example, the notification unit 15 notifies the traffic information creation device 201 of the count value Cnt together with the probe information.

[0091] More specifically, at the transmission timing according to the transmission cycle Cy, the notification unit 15 refers to the memory unit 16, and if a count value Cnt that has not been notified to the traffic information creation device 201 is stored in the memory unit 16, the notification unit 15 acquires the count value Cnt and the corresponding judgment time Rt, creates probe information that further includes relative position information indicating the acquired count value Cnt and the judgment time Rt, and transmits the created probe information to the traffic information creation device 201.

[0092] For example, the notification unit 15 further notifies the traffic information creation device 201 of the determination result by the lane determination unit 13. More specifically, at the transmission timing according to the transmission cycle Cy, the notification unit 15 refers to the storage unit 16, and if lane information that has not yet been notified to the traffic information creation device 201 is stored in the storage unit 16, the notification unit 15 acquires the lane information, creates probe information that further includes the acquired lane information, and transmits the created probe information to the traffic information creation device 201.

[0093] <Traffic information generating device> 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a traffic information creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 8, traffic information creation device 201 includes receiving unit 21, count acquisition unit 22, lane acquisition unit 23, image acquisition unit 24, creation unit 25, and storage unit 26. Receiving unit 21, count acquisition unit 22, lane acquisition unit 23, image acquisition unit 24, and creation unit 25 are realized by a processor such as a CPU and a DSP.

[0094] The storage unit 26 is, for example, a non-volatile memory. The storage unit 26 stores a correspondence table showing the correspondence between the vehicle ID and the serial designated number of the license plate of the vehicle 1.

[0095] The receiving unit 21 receives probe information from the in-vehicle device 101 in the vehicle 1. The receiving unit 21 acquires a vehicle ID and location information from the received probe information, and stores the acquired location information in the storage unit 26 in association with the vehicle ID.

[0096] The count acquisition unit 22 acquires a count value Cnt based on at least one of the number of times the determination unit 11 in a target vehicle 1K, which is a certain vehicle 1, determines that the target vehicle 1K has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane and that the target vehicle 1K has not deviated from the lane because the driving operation of the target vehicle 1K performed by the driver satisfies the operation condition C2, and the number of times the determination unit 11 determines that the target vehicle 1K has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane and that the target vehicle 1K has not deviated from the lane because the driving operation satisfies the operation condition C2. For example, the count acquisition unit 22 acquires the count value Cnt and a vehicle ID from the target vehicle 1K. More specifically, the receiving unit 21 acquires the vehicle ID and relative position information from the probe information and outputs the acquired vehicle ID and relative position information to the count acquisition unit 22. The count acquisition unit 22 stores the relative position information received from the receiving unit 21 in the storage unit 26 in association with the vehicle ID. If the target vehicle 1K changes lanes to the right lane but does not change lanes to the left lane in a certain transmission cycle Cy, the count acquisition unit 22 acquires the count value Cnt based only on the determination result R1R from the target vehicle 1K. Also, if the target vehicle 1K changes lanes to the left lane but does not change lanes to the right lane in a certain transmission cycle Cy, the count acquisition unit 22 acquires the count value Cnt based only on the determination result R1L from the target vehicle 1K.

[0097] The lane acquisition unit 23 acquires lane information indicating the lane in which the target vehicle 1K is traveling. More specifically, the receiving unit 21 acquires the vehicle ID and lane information from the probe information, and outputs the acquired vehicle ID and lane information to the lane acquisition unit 23. The lane acquisition unit 23 stores the lane information received from the receiving unit 21 in the storage unit 26 in association with the vehicle ID.

[0098] The creation unit 25 creates traffic information including information about the lane in which the target vehicle 1K travels, based on the count value Cnt acquired by the count acquisition unit 22 and the lane information acquired by the lane acquisition unit 23.

[0099] More specifically, the creation unit 25 determines the traveling lane DL of the target vehicle 1K at one or more determination times Rt based on the count value Cnt at the determination time Rt indicated by the relative position information of the target vehicle 1K, using the traveling lane DL at the lane determination time Jt indicated by the lane information of the target vehicle 1K as a reference. Then, the creation unit 25 calculates the traffic volume of each lane for a predetermined period based on the determination result, and creates traffic information based on the calculation result.

[0100] For example, the creation unit 25 transmits the created traffic information to one or more vehicles 1.

[0101] (Another example of creating traffic information) 4 again, the roadside device 211 installed on the road captures an image of the vicinity of the intersection 151. The roadside device 211 can communicate with the traffic information generation device 201 via a wireless base station, for example, using an ITS (Intelligent Transport System) wireless communication. The roadside device 211 transmits, for example, periodically to the traffic information generation device 201, infrastructure image information including a captured image that is an image captured of the vicinity of the intersection 151, the time of capture, and a roadside device ID that is identification information of the roadside device 211.

[0102] 8 again, the image acquisition unit 24 acquires a captured image of the vehicle 1 captured by the roadside device 211. More specifically, the receiving unit 21 receives infrastructure image information from one or more roadside devices 211. The receiving unit 21 acquires the captured image, the capture time, and the roadside device ID from the received infrastructure image information, and outputs them to the image acquisition unit 24. The image acquisition unit 24 stores the captured image and the capture time received from the receiving unit 21 in the storage unit 26 in association with the roadside device ID.

[0103] The lane acquisition unit 23 creates lane information based on the captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit 24 and the vehicle ID acquired by the count acquisition unit 22.

[0104] More specifically, the storage unit 26 stores installation information indicating the installation locations of the plurality of roadside devices 211.

[0105] The lane acquisition unit 23 refers to the storage unit 26 and identifies the roadside units 211 installed along the road on which the target vehicle 1K has traveled, based on the location information and installation information corresponding to the vehicle ID of the target vehicle 1K. For example, the lane acquisition unit 23 identifies the roadside units 211 installed along the road on which the target vehicle 1K has traveled, based further on the traveling direction of the target vehicle 1K, the traveling speed of the target vehicle 1K, and the positional relationship between multiple adjacent roadside units 211. Then, the lane acquisition unit 23 acquires from the storage unit 26 multiple captured images corresponding to the roadside unit ID of the identified roadside unit 211.

[0106] Furthermore, the lane acquisition unit 23 acquires a serial designation number corresponding to the vehicle ID of the target vehicle 1K from the correspondence table stored in the storage unit 26. As an example, the lane acquisition unit 23 acquires "1234" as the serial designation number corresponding to the vehicle ID of the target vehicle 1K.

[0107] 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image extracted by a lane acquisition unit in a transportation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9, the lane acquisition unit 23 extracts a captured image S31 including a target vehicle 1K having a license plate bearing the acquired serial designated number “1234” from among the multiple captured images acquired from the storage unit 26.

[0108] The lane acquisition unit 23 analyzes the extracted captured image S31 to determine the lane DL in which the target vehicle 1K is traveling and the number of lanes LN based on the pattern of the lane markings BL in the captured image S31, etc. Specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 9, the lane acquisition unit 23 determines that the lane DL in which the target vehicle 1K is traveling is the leftmost lane and that the number of lanes LN is "2."

[0109] The lane acquisition unit 23 creates lane information indicating the capture time of the captured image S31, the traveling lane DL, and the number of lanes LN, and stores the created lane information in the storage unit 26.

[0110] The creating unit 25 creates traffic information based on the count value Cnt and the lane information created by the lane acquisition unit 23.

[0111] More specifically, the creation unit 25 determines the traveling lane DL of the target vehicle 1K at one or more determination times Rt based on the count value Cnt at the determination time Rt indicated by the relative position information of the target vehicle 1K, using the traveling lane DL at the image capture time indicated by the lane information of the target vehicle 1K as a reference. Then, the creation unit 25 calculates the traffic volume of each lane for a predetermined period based on the determination result, and creates traffic information based on the calculation result.

[0112] [Operation flow] Each device in a transportation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer including a memory, and a processing unit such as a CPU in the computer reads from the memory and executes a program including some or all of the steps in the following flowcharts and sequences. The programs for each of these devices can be installed externally. The programs for each of these devices are distributed in a state stored on a recording medium or via a communication line.

[0113] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure performs lane determination processing.

[0114] Referring to FIG. 10, first, the in-vehicle device 101 waits for a merging point with another road on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling (NO in step S102), and when the merging point is detected (YES in step S102), it performs lane determination processing (step S104).

[0115] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 generates lane information indicating the lane determination time Jt, the traveling lane DL, and the number of lanes LN, and stores the information in the storage unit 16 (step S106).

[0116] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 waits for a new merging point on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling (NO in step S102).

[0117] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure counts the determination results.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 11, first, the in-vehicle device 101 waits for the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL in which the vehicle is traveling to satisfy the judgment condition C1 (NO in step S202), and if the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL in which the vehicle is traveling satisfies the judgment condition C1 and the driving operation of the vehicle 1 performed by the driver does not satisfy the operation condition C2 (YES in step S202 and YES in step S204), it determines that the vehicle 1 has departed from the lane and issues an alarm notification (step S204).

[0119] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 waits until the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL newly satisfies the determination condition C1 (NO in step S202).

[0120] On the other hand, if the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL satisfies the judgment condition C1R as the judgment condition C1, and the driving operation of the vehicle 1 performed by the driver satisfies the operation condition C2 (YES in step S202, NO in step S204, and YES in step S208), the in-vehicle device 101 judges that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane. Then, the in-vehicle device 101 counts the judgment result R1R, which indicates that the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL satisfies the judgment condition C1R and that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane. More specifically, the in-vehicle device 101 increments the latest count value Cnt in the storage unit 16 to obtain a new count value Cnt, and registers the new count value Cnt in association with the judgment time Rt (step S210).

[0121] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 waits until the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL newly satisfies the determination condition C1 (NO in step S202).

[0122] On the other hand, if the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL currently being traveled satisfies the judgment condition C1L as the judgment condition C1, and the driving operation satisfies the operation condition C2 (YES in step S202, NO in step S204, and NO in step S208), the in-vehicle device 101 judges that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane. Then, the in-vehicle device 101 counts the judgment result R1L indicating that the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the lane DL currently being traveled satisfies the judgment condition C1L and that the vehicle 1 has not deviated from the lane. More specifically, the in-vehicle device 101 registers a new count value Cnt obtained by decrementing the latest count value Cnt in the storage unit 16 in association with the judgment time Rt (step S212).

[0123] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 waits until the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the traveling lane DL newly satisfies the determination condition C1 (NO in step S202).

[0124] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure transmits probe information.

[0125] 12, first, the on-vehicle device 101 waits for a transmission timing according to the transmission cycle Cy (NO in step S302), and when the transmission timing arrives (YES in step S302), it transmits probe information. More specifically, the on-vehicle device 101 transmits the probe information including the relative position information and lane information to the traffic information generating device 201 (step S304).

[0126] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the traffic information generating device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure generates traffic information.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 13, first, the traffic information generating device 201 receives the probe information from the on-vehicle device 101 (step S402).

[0128] Next, the traffic information generating device 201 acquires relative position information and lane information from the received probe information (step S404).

[0129] Next, the traffic information generating device 201 generates traffic information based on the acquired relative position information and lane information (step S406).

[0130] FIG. 14 is a flowchart defining another example of an operation procedure when the traffic information generating device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure generates traffic information.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 14, first, the traffic information generating device 201 receives the probe information from the vehicle-mounted device 101 and receives the infrastructure image information from the roadside device 211 (step S502).

[0132] Next, the traffic information generating device 201 acquires relative position information from the received probe information (step S504).

[0133] Next, the traffic information generation device 201 acquires the captured image from the received infrastructure image information (step S506).

[0134] Next, the traffic information creation device 201 acquires a serial designation number corresponding to the vehicle ID of the target vehicle 1K from the correspondence table stored in the memory unit 26, and extracts, from the acquired multiple captured images, a captured image S31 including the target vehicle 1K having a license plate bearing the acquired serial designation number (step S508).

[0135] Next, the traffic information creation device 201 analyzes the extracted captured image S31 to determine the lane in which the target vehicle 1K is traveling and creates lane information (step S510).

[0136] Next, the traffic information generating device 201 generates traffic information based on the acquired relative position information and the generated lane information (step S512).

[0137] In the in-vehicle device 101 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the notification unit 15 is configured to create probe information including relative position information and transmit the created probe information to the traffic information creation device 201, but this is not limiting. The notification unit 15 may also be configured to transmit the relative position information to the traffic information creation device 201 separately from the probe information.

[0138] Furthermore, although the in-vehicle device 101 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to include the lane determination unit 13, this is not limitative. The in-vehicle device 101 may be configured not to include the lane determination unit 13.

[0139] Furthermore, although the traffic information creation device 201 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described as including the image acquisition unit 24, this is not limitative. The traffic information creation device 201 may not include the image acquisition unit 24.

[0140] The above-described embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0141] The above description includes the following additional features. [Appendix 1] An in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, a first determination unit that determines whether the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross a boundary on the right side of a lane while traveling, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle; a second determination unit that determines whether the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane on the basis of a captured image of a road around the vehicle; an operation determination unit that determines whether a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition when the first determination unit or the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary of the lane while traveling; a deviation determination unit that determines that the vehicle is not deviating from the lane while traveling when the operation determination unit determines that the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition; a counting unit that counts the number of times that the first determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the right side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the left side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling; a notification unit that notifies a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value of the count unit, The in-vehicle device further a lane determination unit that, when detecting a merging point between the road on which the vehicle is traveling and another road, determines the lane on which the vehicle is traveling and the number of lanes on the road on which the vehicle is traveling; The in-vehicle device, wherein the notification unit further notifies the processing unit of a determination result made by the lane determination unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 1 vehicle 1K eligible vehicle 11 Judgment section 12 Counting section 13 Lane Judgment Section 14 Location information acquisition section 15 Notification Department 16 Memory section 21 Receiving unit 22 Count acquisition section 23 Lane Acquisition Section 24 Image acquisition unit 25 Creation Department 26 Memory section 101 In-vehicle equipment 111 Camera 121 GPS receiver 151 Intersection 161 Confluence 201 Traffic information generating device 211 Roadside machine 301 Transportation Systems L1, L2, L3 lanes BL Lane BL1 Outside lane BL2,BL3 lane boundary lines BL4 Center line of road S21, S32, S31 images

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, a first determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross a boundary on the right side of a lane currently being traveled, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle; a second determination unit that determines whether the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane on the basis of a captured image of a road around the vehicle; an operation determination unit that determines whether a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition when the first determination unit or the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary of the lane while traveling; a deviation determination unit that determines that the vehicle is not deviating from the lane while traveling when the operation determination unit determines that the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition; a counting unit that counts the number of times that the first determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the right side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the left side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling; a notification unit that notifies a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value of the count unit.

2. 2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the operation determination unit determines whether the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition by determining whether at least one of a sudden steering operation by the driver, a sudden braking operation by the driver, a sudden accelerator operation by the driver, and operation of a turn signal by the driver is satisfied.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit further notifies the processing device of probe information indicating a result of detection of the position of the vehicle and a time when the position was detected.

4. The in-vehicle device further comprises: a lane determination unit that determines a lane in which the vehicle is traveling when a merging point with another road is detected on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit further notifies the processing device of a result of the determination made by the lane determination unit.

5. The in-vehicle device further comprises: a lane determination unit that determines the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and stores the determination result in a storage unit; when the lane determination unit detects a change in the number of lanes at a junction of the road on which the vehicle is traveling with another road, it erases the past determination results stored in the storage unit, determines the lane on which the vehicle is traveling, and stores the determination results in the storage unit; the counting unit resets the count value when the lane determination unit detects a change in the number of lanes; The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit further notifies the processing device of the determination result made by the lane determination unit.

6. The in-vehicle device according to claim 4 , wherein the lane determining unit determines the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on an image captured by an imaging unit mounted on the vehicle.

7. The in-vehicle device according to claim 4 , wherein the lane determining unit determines the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on a current position of the vehicle and map information.

8. The in-vehicle device according to claim 4 , wherein the lane determination unit determines the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on an image captured by an imaging unit mounted on the vehicle each time the vehicle enters an intersection.

9. a count acquisition unit that acquires from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times that a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling has determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling because a driving operation of the target vehicle performed by a driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and the number of times that a determination that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling because the driving operation has satisfied the predetermined condition; and a lane acquisition unit that acquires lane information indicating a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; a creation unit that creates traffic information including information about the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling based on the count value acquired by the count acquisition unit and the lane information acquired by the lane acquisition unit.

10. The count acquisition unit further acquires identification information of the target vehicle, The traffic information generating device further comprises: an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of a vehicle captured by a roadside device; the lane acquisition unit creates the lane information based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit and the identification information acquired by the count acquisition unit; The traffic information generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the generating unit generates the traffic information based on the count value and the lane information generated by the lane acquisition unit.

11. A notification method for an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, comprising: counting at least one of the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary of the right side of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of the road around the vehicle, and that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling because the driving operation of the vehicle performed by the driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and the number of times that it is determined that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary of the left side of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on a captured image of the road around the vehicle, and that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling because the driving operation has satisfied the predetermined condition; and notifying a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value in the counting step.

12. A traffic information creation method in a traffic information creation device, a step of acquiring from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times that a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling has determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling because a driving operation of the target vehicle performed by a driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and the number of times that a determination that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling because the driving operation has satisfied the predetermined condition; acquiring lane information indicating a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; and generating traffic information including information on the lane in which the target vehicle traveled based on the acquired count value and the acquired lane information.

13. A notification program used in an in-vehicle device mounted in a vehicle, Computer, a first determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross a boundary on the right side of a lane currently being traveled, based on a captured image of a road around the vehicle; a second determination unit that determines whether the vehicle has crossed or is likely to cross the left boundary of the lane on the basis of a captured image of a road around the vehicle; an operation determination unit that determines whether a driving operation of the vehicle performed by a driver satisfies a predetermined condition when the first determination unit or the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary of the lane while traveling; a deviation determination unit that determines that the vehicle is not deviating from the lane while traveling when the operation determination unit determines that the driving operation satisfies the predetermined condition; a counting unit that counts the number of times that the first determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the right side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling, and the number of times that the second determination unit determines that the vehicle has crossed or may cross the boundary on the left side of the lane while traveling and the departure determination unit determines that the vehicle has not deviated from the lane while traveling; a notification unit that notifies a processing device outside the vehicle of the count value of the count unit; A notification program to act as a

14. A traffic information creation program used in a traffic information creation device, Computer, a count acquisition unit that acquires from the target vehicle a count value based on at least one of the number of times that a determination unit that determines whether a target vehicle has deviated from a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling has determined that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the right boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling because a driving operation of the target vehicle performed by a driver has satisfied a predetermined condition, and the number of times that a determination that the target vehicle has crossed or may cross the left boundary of the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling, based on an image of a road around the target vehicle, and that the target vehicle has not deviated from the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling because the driving operation has satisfied the predetermined condition; and a lane acquisition unit that acquires lane information indicating a lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; a generation unit that generates traffic information including information about the lane in which the target vehicle traveled, based on the count value acquired by the count acquisition unit and the lane information acquired by the lane acquisition unit; A traffic information creation program to function as a

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