Traffic management system

Abstract

To provide an operation management system quickly and appropriately complying with a traveling vehicle.SOLUTION: An operation management system comprises: a weather information reception part WR (weather information receiver 10) for receiving weather information; an operation result storage part DSa for storing past operation results; a determination part JG for determining whether or not it is required to change an operation of a target vehicle VE, based on the weather information received at the weather information reception part WR, and the operation results stored in the operation result storage part DSa; and an operation change part OC for changing the operation of the target vehicle VE according to a determination content at the determination part JG.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation management system that manages driving routes and the like when operating an autonomous vehicle, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Known technologies relating to autonomous driving include a route selection method and a route selection device that selects a route that allows autonomous driving to continue even when the weather worsens (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Meanwhile, as a technology related to train operation management, an operation prediction system (Patent Document 2) is known that creates a predicted timetable with a range of arrival and departure times based on operation records when a train is delayed.

[0004] However, the technologies described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 do not mention a management system that enables operation management of vehicles traveling on roads to respond quickly and accurately to changes in weather, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-43058 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-98425 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and has as its object to provide an operation control system that can perform operation control for traveling vehicles in a prompt and appropriate manner.

[0007] The operation management system for achieving the above-mentioned objectives includes a weather information reception unit that receives weather information, an operation record storage unit that stores past operation records, a judgment unit that determines whether or not a change is required in the operation of the target vehicle based on the weather information received by the weather information reception unit and the operation records stored in the operation record storage unit, and an operation change unit that changes the operation of the target vehicle depending on the judgment made by the judgment unit.

[0008] The operation management system can quickly and accurately determine whether or not changes are necessary for the operation of vehicles currently in motion, and determine the manner of such changes, based on weather information and operation records.

[0009] In a specific aspect of the present invention, the determination unit determines whether or not a change in schedule and route is required for the operation of the target vehicle. In this case, the target vehicle can be caused to travel in accordance with the operation change depending on the situation.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, a diagram generation unit is provided that generates a new diagram when the determination unit determines that a change in the diagram or the travel route is required. In this case, operation management can be performed based on the newly generated diagram.

[0011] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the operation record storage unit stores operation records together with past weather information and geographical information, and the determination unit compares the weather information received from the meteorological center by the weather information reception unit with the operation records for each location to determine whether or not there is an impact on operation. In this case, appropriate decisions regarding operation management can be made based on the past operation records and in accordance with the current weather and location.

[0012] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the operation record storage unit includes details of traffic restrictions implemented for each weather information and geographical information as operation records, and the determination unit determines whether the details of the traffic restrictions are appropriate based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit. In this case, it is possible to make an appropriate determination regarding the appropriateness of traffic restrictions for operation management.

[0013] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the target vehicle is a public transportation facility operated by automatic driving, and the operation history storage unit stores operation history corresponding to the driving area of ​​the target vehicle. In this case, for example, in the operation of a bus as a public transportation facility, it is possible to appropriately change the driving route (and therefore the timetable) in response to weather conditions.

[0014] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a map data storage unit has map data including a normal driving route and a detour driving route for the target vehicle, and the operation change unit selects one of the detour driving routes from the map data storage unit in accordance with the determination made by the determination unit. In this case, it is possible to determine whether or not a driving route change is necessary based on the map data.

[0015] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a traffic management unit is provided that manages traffic based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit and the current location information of the target vehicle, and the determination unit determines whether or not a change in the operation of the target vehicle is necessary based on the current location information of the target vehicle received from the traffic management unit together with the weather information. In this case, it is possible to determine whether or not a change in operation is necessary while responding to the traffic management by the traffic management unit.

[0016] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a communication unit is provided that transmits the operation changed by the operation change unit to the target vehicle. In this case, the target vehicle can grasp the details of the change. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an operation management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a traffic management system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a determination of whether or not a change in operation is necessary based on current weather information and past operation records. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are flowcharts illustrating an example of the overall operation of the traffic management system. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of route determination in the traffic management system. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of diagram generation in the traffic management system. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of an example configuration of a traffic management system. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a management mode by a traffic management system according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An example of a traffic control system according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and other figures. As shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. 1, the traffic control system 100 according to this embodiment is a transportation system that manages traffic for autonomously driven vehicles as target vehicles VE, and includes a weather information receiving unit 10, a control unit 50, and a vehicle communication unit 70. The traffic control system 100 acquires weather information, i.e., various information related to weather conditions, from the outside via the weather information receiving unit 10, and uses the weather information as needed to manage the traffic of the target vehicles VE in a traffic area TA under its jurisdiction using the control unit 50. To this end, the traffic control system 100 transmits various information from the control unit 50 to the target vehicles VE via the vehicle communication unit 70.

[0019] In the illustrated example, a target vehicle VE, which is the subject of operation management by the traffic management system 100, travels in a traffic area TA along a normal route RO. A typical example of the target vehicle VE is a route bus BU, a public transportation system. That is, the target vehicle VE (route bus BU) sequentially departs and arrives at stops BS located on the normal route RO, and the route between stops is the normal route RO under normal circumstances. Here, the traffic management system 100 manages the route bus BU's schedule, and in this regard, it handles route changes and schedule changes for the route bus BU, particularly in response to weather conditions. That is, the route bus BU can travel along a predetermined detour route NR as needed, for example, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. Furthermore, the traffic management system 100 may create a new route as needed and travel along the created new route. When these non-normal routes are used, a new schedule is created, i.e., the schedule is reorganized.

[0020] To achieve the above-described configuration, the traffic management system 100 acquires weather information from, for example, a meteorological information center MC. Meanwhile, the traffic management system 100 communicates with the route bus BU, which is the target vehicle VE, to exchange necessary information. Here, the traffic management system 100 acquires weather information for an area that includes at least the traffic area TA under its jurisdiction, thereby being able to detect weather changes that may occur in the traffic area TA.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the route bus BU (target vehicle VE) is an autonomously driven vehicle capable of autonomous driving, and the route bus BU is equipped with equipment for determining its own position, which is necessary for autonomous driving, and various equipment (not shown), for driving according to a predetermined schedule, and the on-board autonomous driving control unit CUv operates these pieces of equipment, receives necessary information from the operation management system 100 via the communication unit TTv, and provides information necessary for operation management of the route bus BU on the operation management system 100 side.

[0022] As described above, here, the route bus BU, which is an automatically driven vehicle, is described as the target vehicle VE that is to be managed by the operation management system 100. In other words, public transportation that is operated by automatic driving is the target vehicle VE that is to be managed by the operation management system 100. However, the target vehicle VE is not limited to the route bus BU, and can be various other vehicles.

[0023] In this embodiment, the traffic management system 100 stores past operation records, and determines whether or not a change is required for the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the past operation records and weather information acquired from the weather center MC, and determines the change mode for the operation of the target vehicle depending on the determination. This allows the traffic management system 100 to quickly and accurately determine whether or not a change is required and the change mode for the operation of a vehicle (in this example, the operation of a route bus BU) that is currently running.

[0024] An example of the configuration of the traffic management system 100 will be described below with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.

[0025] As shown in the figure and as described above, the operation control system 100 includes a weather information receiving unit 10, a control unit 50, and a vehicle communication unit 70. Furthermore, the control unit 50 includes an operation information management unit 51, an operation information processing unit 52, a schedule change determination unit 53, a schedule control system 54, an operation record storage unit DSa, and an operation information storage unit DSs.

[0026] The weather information receiving unit 10 is an interface unit that receives various weather information transmitted from an external source. In other words, the weather information receiving unit 10 functions as a weather information receiving unit WR that receives weather information. In the illustrated example, the weather information receiving unit 10 receives various necessary weather information from an external weather center MC, such as a weather management system MS that manages weather-related data. The weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 broadly includes various types of weather-related information, such as information on landslides and road subsidence caused by weather changes, as well as information on road flooding, flooding, river overflows, river water levels, high tides, and tide levels. Types of weather information include forecasts, warnings, advisories, and other types. Various values ​​include observed values ​​for rain (rainfall, rainfall amount), snow (snowfall, snow accumulation), wind (wind direction, wind speed), lightning, and temperature, as well as predicted values. As described above, the traffic management system 100 treats this various information received via the weather information receiving unit 10 as weather information and as one of the data used for determining traffic management.

[0027] The control unit 50 is configured with, for example, a CPU, a storage device, or various electronic circuits, and functions as a main part that is responsible for various operational controls such as vehicle operation management.

[0028] The operation information management unit 51 of the control unit 50 is composed of, for example, a CPU or various electronic circuits, and manages operation information. For example, the operation information management unit 51 acquires timetable data and driving route data stored in the operation information storage unit DSs, and transmits various commands via the vehicle communication unit 70 to cause the target vehicle VE to drive based on the acquired data. The operation information management unit 51 also receives current location information (longitude, latitude, and time information) of the target vehicle VE from the target vehicle VE via the vehicle communication unit 70. In other words, it determines where the route bus serving as the target vehicle VE is currently traveling. In this way, the operation information management unit 51 handles various information related to the operation of the route bus BU and is responsible for overall management of operation. In other words, the operation information management unit 51 is an operation management unit that manages operation based on weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 and the current location information of the target vehicle VE.

[0029] The operation information processing unit 52 is composed of, for example, a CPU or various electronic circuits, and receives information related to operation management (operation information) and weather information from the operation information management unit 51, and refers to various information stored in the operation record storage unit DSa and the operation information storage unit DSs to determine whether it is possible to maintain operation on the current route and timetable, and performs various processes to change (or adjust or select) these as necessary.

[0030] The operation record storage unit DSa is composed of a storage device or the like, and stores past operation records. Here, in particular, the past operation records record details indicating what measures were taken when it became necessary to change the driving mode at each point in the driving range in relation to past weather information, etc. The operation information processing unit 52 compares the current location information of the target vehicle VE and weather information acquired from the weather center MC with the contents of the past operation records stored in the operation record storage unit DSa, thereby taking into account, for example, similar situations in the past and the countermeasures (records) used at that time, and thereby makes an accurate decision on whether or not to change the driving route or timetable.

[0031] The operation information storage unit DSs is composed of a storage device or the like and stores schedule data, driving route data, and the like. Typically, the operation information storage unit DSs stores data on the normal schedule and driving routes used during normal driving (ideal driving) without any weather or other issues. In addition to data related to normal driving, the operation information storage unit DSs also stores various map data GD, as shown in a separate block diagram in the figure. Specifically, the operation information storage unit DSs stores map data GD including data DD1 on the normal driving route RO (see FIG. 1) of the target vehicle VE and data DD2 on the detour driving route NR (see FIG. 1), and each of the data DD1 and DD2 is composed of the driving route data RD included in the operation information storage unit DSs. For example, the detour driving route data DD2 is stored in advance, where one or more detour driving routes have been created by appropriately combining the elements of the driving route data RD. The operation information processing unit 52 changes the detour route to a selectable route depending on the situation from among the detour routes stored in the detour route data DD2 (route selection). In other words, the operation information processing unit 52 selects one detour route from the operation information storage unit DSs, which is a map data storage unit.

[0032] Here, the map data GD stores, as driving route data RD, data on the normal driving route RO and the detour driving route NR, as well as roads (passages) surrounding these routes and facilities in the vicinity. That is, the driving route data RD includes various information on the normal driving route RO and the detour driving route NR illustrated in FIG. 1, as well as surrounding driving routes that are navigable by the route bus BU (e.g., routes that are navigable in terms of size). Examples of such information include geographical data such as information on the length of a route, such as information on latitude and longitude indicating each point on the route, and information on intersections, such as the location of the intersection, the presence or absence of traffic lights, and information on the traffic lights if traffic lights are present (intersection information). The traffic light information includes, in addition to information for identifying the traffic lights, signal information for the traffic lights through which the target vehicle VE passes (such as the duration of red and green lights and the timing of their switching). Furthermore, it also includes information on the distance between bus stops (bus stop distance information) and information on the travel time for each road section that makes up the travel route (travel time information).In addition, for example, if a road is cut off due to a landslide or earthquake, a signalized intersection close to the cut point (for example, within a 100m radius of the cut point) is likely to become a traffic bottleneck.Therefore, if there is information on landslides and earthquakes in addition to traffic signal information, it may be possible to generate or select a detour travel route NR that avoids roads that include signalized intersections that are located at or near the cut point.

[0033] As described above, the travel route data RD includes various information within the jurisdiction (traffic area TA in FIG. 1 ). In this embodiment, if a change in travel route is required due to a change in weather, a new travel route (detour travel route) is prepared in advance or prepared as needed based on the travel route data RD stored in the operation information storage unit DSs. Furthermore, if the operation information processing unit 52 cannot select an appropriate route by comparing the travel route data with the operation record storage unit DSa, i.e., with past data, it may search for a route other than the normal travel route RO or the detour travel route NR that the route bus BU can travel, in the travel route data RD, and create (or select) a new travel route based on this route route. The operation information processing unit 52 notifies the operation information management unit 51 of information about the new travel route, i.e., the changed travel route (route change information).

[0034] In addition to determining whether to use the above-mentioned detour route, the operation information processing unit 52 also determines whether a schedule change is necessary. If it determines that a schedule change is necessary, it notifies the schedule change determination unit 53, which will be described later, of this (a schedule change instruction request). However, in this example, it is assumed that the final decision on whether a schedule change is necessary is made by the schedule change determination unit 53.

[0035] The schedule change determination unit 53 is composed of a CPU or various electronic circuits, and when it receives a schedule change instruction request from the operation information processing unit 52, it refers to weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 (weather information reception unit WR) as necessary, determines its validity, and then determines whether or not a schedule change is necessary. When the schedule change determination unit 53 determines that a schedule change is necessary, it commands the schedule management system 54 to create a new schedule based on the travel route selected by the operation information processing unit 52. The schedule change determination unit 53 notifies the operation information processing unit 52 of the result of its determination as to whether or not a schedule change is necessary.

[0036] The timetable management system 54 is composed of a CPU or various electronic circuits, and when it receives a command to create a timetable from the timetable change determination unit 53, it creates a new timetable in accordance with the command in the timetable generation unit 54a. The new timetable (new timetable information) created in the timetable management system 54 is provided to the timetable change determination unit 53, and the timetable change determination unit 53 notifies the operation information management unit 51 of information on timetable changes based on the provided new timetable (timetable change information).

[0037] When the operation information management unit 51 receives route change information from the operation information processing unit 52 or schedule change information from the schedule change determination unit 53, it performs various processes to manage operations based on this new information, and sends new schedule information and driving route information corresponding to this information to the target vehicle VE, which is the route bus BU, via the vehicle communication unit 70.

[0038] In the above cases, the new various information may be stored in the operation information storage unit DSs, for example. That is, when new schedule information is registered (acquired) in the operation information storage unit DSs, the current schedule data is rewritten. Furthermore, operation management in the operation information management unit 51 is also performed based on this information.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, after the operation is completed, the operation according to the new route and timetable is further accumulated (added to past results) in the operation results storage unit DSa as past results (operation results data storage).

[0040] As described above, the vehicle communication unit 70 is an interface unit for communicating with the target vehicle VE, and transmits information about schedule information and travel routes under the management of the traffic management system 100 to the target vehicle VE in accordance with instructions from the control unit 50. In particular, in this embodiment, as described above, information about changes in travel routes and schedules due to changes in weather is transmitted.

[0041] In the above, when each part constituting the control unit 50 is viewed from a different perspective, the operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53 can also be regarded as functioning as a determination unit JG that determines whether or not a change is required in the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 (weather information receiving unit WR) and the operation record stored in the operation record storage unit DSa in the operation management system 100. In the above embodiment, the determination unit JG determines whether or not a change is required in the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the current location information of the target vehicle VE received together with the weather information from the operation information management unit 51, which is the operation management unit.

[0042] In addition, the operation information processing unit 52, the schedule change determination unit 53, the operation record storage unit DSa, the operation information storage unit DSs, and further the schedule management system 54, or some of these, can be considered to function in cooperation as an operation change unit OC that changes the operation of the target vehicle VE in accordance with the determination content of the determination unit JG. In this case, the operation management system 100 also has a vehicle communication unit 70 as a communication unit that transmits the operation changed by the operation change unit OC to the target vehicle VE.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the diagram generation unit 54a of the diagram management system 54 generates a new diagram when the determination unit JG determines that a change in the diagram or the travel route is required.

[0044] On the other hand, as described above, the target vehicle VE (route bus BU) is an autonomously driven vehicle capable of autonomous driving, and is equipped with an autonomous driving control unit CUv, a communication unit TTv for acquiring information from outside, and a data storage unit DDv for storing various data. In this case, in particular, the target vehicle (autonomously driven vehicle) VE is capable of detecting its own position so that it can drive as a route bus BU, and transmits information about its own position to the traffic management system 100 via the communication unit TTv. Furthermore, as described above, the target vehicle VE receives information about changes to its travel route and schedule from the traffic management system 100 via the communication unit TTv, and stores this information, i.e., schedule data and travel route data, in the data storage unit DDv. In other words, the autonomous driving control unit CUv receives new information via the communication unit TTv and refers to the schedule data and travel route data stored in the data storage unit DDv to perform various operational controls for the autonomous driving of the target vehicle (autonomously driven vehicle) VE. In other words, it operates various components (not shown), such as the accelerator and brake, while detecting the surrounding conditions through various sensors, etc. In this way, the target vehicle VE can autonomously travel along the route. In this case, if communication becomes unavailable after the fact due to a disaster or the like, the target vehicle VE may autonomously travel based on the timetable data and travel route data that have been received and stored up to that point.

[0045] An example of determining whether or not a change in operation is necessary based on past operation records and current weather information will be described below with reference to a conceptual diagram shown in FIG.

[0046] First, information relating to past operation records (past information) will be described. Here, as shown in the figure, a case will be described in which the performance data AD indicating past operation records stored in the operation record storage unit DSa is created based on information composed of three layers. First, as shown in the figure, past weather information (past weather information) is used as the first layer (layer 1), past traffic regulation information (past regulation information) is used as the second layer (layer 2), and feature information is used as the third layer (layer 3).

[0047] Based on this past information, a large amount of performance data AD can be created, for example, as shown in the figure. That is, for each area (areas α, β, ...) that occupies a part of the traffic area TA of the target jurisdiction, a large amount of information is accumulated, such as weather at past dates and times (e.g., rainfall, wind speed, etc.), various conditions that occurred on the route (e.g., flooding, landslides, etc.), traffic restrictions that were implemented at the time, what kind of detours were taken, and information about features at the time (e.g., whether it was a mountainous area or an urban area). Note that the feature information may include information about the current state of the same location (e.g., whether a rural area has become an urban area) in addition to the conditions at the time of recording (past time).

[0048] Regarding feature information, even if the amount of rainfall is the same, the damage that occurs may differ depending on whether the location is a mountainous area, an urban area, or a rural area. Also, if an area that was previously near a river or the sea has since undergone bank protection construction or other work to improve safety, the operation information processing unit 52 will change its criteria for determining whether or not to make a detour. By taking such feature information into consideration, the operation information processing unit 52 and the like can make more accurate decisions.

[0049] As described above, the operation record storage unit DSa stores operation records together with past weather information (past weather information) and geographical information (land feature information), and the operation information processing unit 52 serving as the determination unit JG compares the weather information from the meteorological center MC received by the weather information receiving unit 10 with the operation records for each location to determine whether there is an impact on operation. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the operation record storage unit DSa includes, as operation records, the details of traffic restrictions implemented for each past weather information and land feature information (past restriction information), and the operation information processing unit 52 serving as the determination unit JG can determine whether the details of traffic restrictions (past restriction information) are appropriate according to the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10.

[0050] Next, as shown in the figure and as described above, the current weather information and the current location information of the target vehicle VE are handled here. That is, as the weather information, real-time weather information at the current time in the traffic area TA under jurisdiction (for example, current weather information and weather forecast information for the near future) is adopted. In addition, the current location information of the target vehicle VE transmitted from the target vehicle VE and acquired by the operation information management unit 51 is adopted. In particular, an area AR1 that is expected to affect the travel of the target vehicle VE is estimated from the current location information of the target vehicle VE, and the weather information in the estimated area AR1 information (area estimation information) is used for judgment. Note that the area estimation information is assumed to be part of the operation information notified from the operation information management unit 51 to the operation information processing unit 52. The operation information is configured like the operation data OD illustrated in the figure, i.e., the route bus BU schedule (or part thereof).

[0051] The operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53 receive the above-mentioned various information and determine whether or not a route change or schedule change should be made based on the information. For example, the above-mentioned various information is parameterized by a combination of numerical data, and the operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53 make the above-mentioned determination based on various preset threshold values.

[0052] Furthermore, in addition to the various types of information described above, if there is information (current restriction information) about current traffic regulations in the traffic area TA under jurisdiction, this information can also be taken into consideration when making various decisions.

[0053] An example of the operational procedure for route changes using the above configuration will be outlined below. First, when weather information is input from the weather information receiving unit 10, the control unit 50 determines whether the weather information exceeds a threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, the control unit 50 identifies the target area AR1 from the current location of the bus BU and uses the operation history storage unit DSa, which uses the weather information as a condition, to check past restrictions, detour routes, etc. If any exist, the control unit 50 adopts them as the route change details. On the other hand, if no matching information is found after checking the past history, the control unit 50 checks current restriction information and extracts and selects route candidates while avoiding areas with traffic obstructions. Even if there is no restriction information, if there is a risk of traffic obstructions (for example, if past history is compared and it is determined that there is a risk of restrictions being imposed), the control unit 50 may extract and select a route that avoids the risk. In addition, in accordance with the above, processing is performed to determine whether a schedule change is necessary and the specific details of the schedule change. In addition, if a major change in route occurs, it is expected that a change in the schedule will be necessary, but if, for example, only a slight detour is made without changing the bus stop, it may be determined that a change in the schedule is not necessary.

[0054] An example of the overall operation of the traffic management system 100 will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B).

[0055] 4(A) is a flowchart showing an outline of the overall operation related to the generation of a schedule by the traffic control system 100. First, in the traffic control system 100, the weather information receiving unit 10 acquires, for example, rain information and wind speed information as weather information from the weather control system MS of the weather center MC (step S101), and then, for example, the traffic information management unit 51 of the control unit 50 checks whether the values ​​of rainfall and wind speed (air volume) included in the acquired rain information and wind speed information are equal to or greater than predetermined reference values ​​(step S102).

[0056] In step S102, if the value is less than the reference value (step S102: No), the operation continues from step S101.

[0057] On the other hand, in step S102, if (for example, one of the rainfall and wind speed) is equal to or greater than the reference value (step S102: Yes), the control unit 50 compares past information with current information in the operation information processing unit 52, and, if necessary, changes the route or timetable, or issues a notification for the change work (step S103).

[0058] In response to the notification in step S103, the timetable change determination unit 53 and the timetable management system 54 perform various processes to generate a new timetable, or a new driving route is set in the operation information processing unit 52 (step S104), and then the control unit 50 performs various processes in the operation information management unit 51 to send information regarding the new timetable and driving route to the target vehicle VE (step S105).

[0059] Regarding the transmission and reception of weather information that triggers the above operation, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 4(B), first, weather information including rain information and wind speed information is transmitted from the weather management system MS of the weather center MC to the weather information receiving unit 10 of the operation management system 100 (step S201), and this information is then received by the weather information receiving unit 10 (step S202).

[0060] Next, an example of route determination in the traffic management system 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 5. That is, an example of the selection determination of a detour route, including whether or not to use the detour route, in the traffic information processing unit 52 will be described. Note that, in this example, it is assumed that the situation is that of step S103 in Fig. 4(A).

[0061] In this case, the operation information processing unit 52 first acquires information on the area AR1 estimated corresponding to the current location of the target vehicle VE in order to compare the current information with past information (step S301), and reads out the corresponding history data AD stored in the operation history storage unit DSa (step S302). Furthermore, the operation information processing unit 52 reads out various data in the map data GD that affect the area AR1 (step S303). That is, the operation information processing unit 52 extracts various data for calculating information on bus stops, various detour routes connecting the stops, and the degree of delay that will occur if a detour route is selected.

[0062] Next, based on the various data prepared above, the operation information processing unit 52 checks from the current weather information (which may include the near future) whether there are any significant weather-related delays or other impacts at stops or on routes (step S304).

[0063] In step S304, if it is determined that there is no effect (step S304: No), the operation ends without any particular processing thereafter.

[0064] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S304 that an impact exists (step S304: Yes), that is, if it is determined that a detour is necessary to avoid a large delay or the like, the operation information processing unit 52 queries the operation information management unit 51 for various information such as the required travel time under the current travel conditions (step S305), and extracts candidate detour routes that can be selected for travel in area AR1. That is, from the multiple prepared detour routes, one or more routes that correspond to the situation that has occurred are extracted as candidates to become new routes (alternative travel route candidates) (step S306).

[0065] Next, the operation information processing unit 52 checks whether any of the candidates extracted in step S306 can continue running without excluding (skipping) each stop (step S307), and if such a candidate is found (step S307: Yes), it further checks whether there are multiple candidates (two or more) of such candidates (step S308).

[0066] If it is determined in step S308 that multiple candidates exist (step S308: Yes), the operation information processing unit 52 compares the multiple candidates and checks whether there is a route among the candidates that is within a predetermined time difference (delay within an acceptable range) (step S309).

[0067] In step S309, if there is a route with a difference within the predetermined time (step S309: Yes), among the (single or multiple) candidates that satisfy the conditions, the one with the shortest time difference compared to the ideal case (no schedule disruption) is selected as a new detour route (step S310).

[0068] On the other hand, in step S309, if there is no route within the predetermined time difference (step S309: No), the operation information processing unit 52 acquires intersection information (stored as driving route data RD) on the multiple candidate detour routes (step S311), compares the number of intersections with traffic lights among the multiple detour routes, and selects the one with the smallest number as the new detour route (step S312).

[0069] If it is determined in step S308 that there are not multiple candidates (step S308: No), that is, if there is only one candidate, that candidate is selected as a new detour route (step S313).

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S307 that there is no detour route that allows the vehicle to continue traveling without excluding (skipping) each stop (step S307: No), it is checked whether there is a detour route that allows the vehicle to travel to all stops except for the stops that are impassable (step S314), and if such a detour route exists (step S314: Yes), the detour route is selected as a new detour route (step S315).

[0071] In step S314, if there is no detour route (step S314: No), the operation information processing unit 52 searches the travel route data RD for a route other than the normal travel route RO or the detour travel route NR that can be traveled by the route bus BU (step S316), and treats this as a new detour route (step S317).

[0072] After the detour route is selected in step S310, step S312, step S313, step S315 or step S317, the operation information processing unit 52 requests the timetable change determination unit 53 to issue a timetable change instruction (step S318), and notifies the operation information management unit 51 of the route change information (step S319), thereby completing the series of processes related to the selection of the detour route.

[0073] An example of diagram generation in the traffic management system 100 will be described below with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0074] First, the timetable change determination unit 53 checks whether or not it has received a timetable change instruction request notification (corresponding to step S318 in Figure 5) from the operation information processing unit 52 (step S401), and if it has not received a timetable change instruction request notification (step S401: No), it terminates operation without performing any further special processing.

[0075] On the other hand, in step S401, if a request for a schedule change instruction has been received (step S401: Yes), the schedule change determination unit 53 queries the operation information management unit 51 for current schedule information, such as operation data OD (see Figure 3) (step S402), and, if necessary, checks current weather information, etc. (step S403), and determines whether a schedule change is necessary (step S404).

[0076] In step S404, if it is determined that a schedule change is not necessary (step S404: No), the schedule change determination unit 53 applies the current schedule (step S405) and checks whether a delay will occur thereafter (step S406).

[0077] If it is determined in step S406 that no delay has occurred (step S406: No), the operation is terminated without any further processing. Note that such a case may occur, for example, when the detour route selected by the operation information processing unit 52 hardly increases the delay and the operation data OD is originally configured to have ample time (e.g., some delay is originally taken into account).

[0078] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S406 that a delay has occurred (step S406: Yes), the schedule change determination unit 53 repeats the operations from step S402 again. In this case, it is also possible to change the determination criteria in step S404.

[0079] If it is determined in step S404 that a schedule change is necessary (step S404: Yes), the schedule change determination unit 53 requests the schedule management system 54 to create (generate) a schedule for a new travel route along the detour route selected by the operation information processing unit 52 (step S407). In response to the request in step S407, the schedule generation unit 54a of the schedule management system 54 recalculates departure and arrival times, and a new schedule is automatically generated, for example (step S408). At this time, adjustments are made to the travel times between stops and between multiple traveling vehicles, to the extent possible.

[0080] In step S408, the recalculated new timetable information is provided to the timetable change determination unit 53, and after the timetable change determination unit 53 confirms the consistency of the new timetable (step S409), the new timetable information (timetable change information) is output to the operation information management unit 51 (step S410), and the timetable change determination unit 53 completes a series of processes related to timetable generation.

[0081] As a result of the processing described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 above, when the operation information management unit 51 receives route change information from the operation information processing unit 52 or schedule change information from the schedule change determination unit 53, the operation information management unit 51 links these together and transmits (notifies) them to the route bus BU that is to be managed.

[0082] An overview of an example configuration of the traffic management system 100 will be described below with reference to the conceptual diagram shown in FIG. 7. As shown in the figure and as described above, the traffic management system 100 according to this embodiment includes a weather information receiving unit WR (weather information receiving unit 10) that receives weather information, a traffic record storage unit DSa that stores past traffic records, a determination unit JG that determines whether or not a change is necessary in the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit WR and the traffic record stored in the traffic record storage unit DSa, and a traffic change unit OC that changes the operation of the target vehicle VE in accordance with the determination made by the determination unit JG. In particular, the determination unit JG determines whether or not a change in the timetable and route is necessary for the operation of the target vehicle VE. As a result, the traffic management system 100 can quickly and accurately determine whether or not a change is necessary and how to change the operation of a vehicle that targets, for example, the target vehicle VE currently in operation, based on the weather information and the traffic record. It can also cause the target vehicle VE, which is the subject of management, to reflexively drive in accordance with a traffic change appropriate to the situation.

[0083] Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the management mode of a modified operation control system 100. In the above example, the acquisition range of regional weather information was set to a range that included at least the traffic area TA under jurisdiction, but in the example shown in Fig. 8, for example, management is performed collectively for multiple traffic areas TA1, TA2, TA3, ... corresponding to multiple different routes. In such a case, for example, a mode may be adopted in which weather information is acquired in a range RR that includes all of these traffic areas TA1, TA2, TA3, ..., and operation control may be performed for target vehicles VE traveling in each traffic area TA1, ... while acquiring weather information in the range required for each route, i.e., for each traffic area TA1, ...

[0084] 〔others〕 The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0085] First, in the above description, the past information for referring to past operation records is configured from three layers, but this is not limiting, and past data can take various forms.

[0086] In addition, in the above, the operation information processing unit 52 and the timetable change determination unit 53 are considered to constitute the determination unit JG, but this is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration and various other configurations are possible. For example, it is possible for one CPU to perform the functions of both the operation information processing unit 52 and the timetable change determination unit 53. It is also possible to configure the part that has the function of the determination unit JG and the part that has the function of the operation change unit OC to be provided separately and independently.

[0087] Furthermore, various thresholds and the like for making the judgment may be used, and for example, each value may be weighted, and judgment criteria may be created by a complex combination.

[0088] Furthermore, the selection of a detour route is not limited to the above example, and various other aspects are contemplated. For example, in the above example, when there are multiple candidates, the selection criteria are based on time, distance, or the number of traffic lights. However, other criteria may also be used. For example, if the likelihood of a route being flooded is known, a detour route may be prioritized based on this. In addition to the above, a detour may be required if, in response to earthquake information, a crack in the ground occurs, creating a step on the road that makes it impassable. In such a case, for example, data indicating the extent of road damage (cracks) by an official or other investigator conducting an earthquake investigation is input as input information from the meteorological center MC, and the analysis results may be stored in the operation information storage unit DSs of the traffic management system 100.

[0089] Furthermore, operation management may be performed taking into account earthquake information and tsunami information in addition to meteorological information. For example, if the seismic intensity of the earthquake is below a predetermined threshold, the bus will slow down, but if it is above the threshold, the bus may stop at a nearby bus stop, change its destination (route) to an evacuation shelter, or suspend operation, depending on the seismic intensity, location, and other conditions.

[0090] In addition, by utilizing past information accumulated in the performance data AD, it is also possible to start a detour in advance, for example, even if the current rainfall amount is below a standard value that requires a detour, in anticipation of the possibility that the standard value may be exceeded in the future. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10...weather information receiving unit, 50...control unit, 51...operation information management unit, 52...operation information processing unit, 53...diagram change determination unit, 54...diagram management system, 54a...diagram generation unit, 70...vehicle communication unit, 100...operation management system, AD...performance data, AR1...area, BS...stop, BU...routed bus, CUv...automatic driving control unit, DD1, DD2...data, DDv...data storage unit, DSa...operation performance storage unit, DSs...operation information storage unit, GD...map data, JG...determination unit, MC...weather center, MS...weather management system, NR...detour driving route, OC...operation change unit, OD...operation data, RD...driving route data, RO...normal driving route, RR...range, TA...traffic area, TA1, TA2, TA3...traffic area, TTv...communication unit, VE...target vehicle (automatic driving vehicle), WR...weather information receiving unit

Claims

1. a weather information receiving unit that receives weather information; an operation record storage unit that stores past operation records together with past weather information and geographical information; a determination unit that determines whether or not a change is required for the operation of a target vehicle based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit and the operation record stored in the operation record storage unit; an operation change unit that changes the operation of the target vehicle according to the determination content of the determination unit; An operation management system equipped with:

2. The traffic management system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines whether or not a change in a timetable and a change in a travel route are required for the operation of the target vehicle.

3. The traffic management system according to claim 2 , further comprising a timetable generation unit that generates a new timetable when the determination unit determines that a change in the timetable or a change in the travel route is required.

4. An operation management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination unit compares the weather information received by the weather information reception unit from the meteorological center with the operation records for each location to determine whether or not there is any impact on operations.

5. The operation record storage unit includes, as the operation record, details of traffic regulations implemented for each of the weather information and geographical information, The traffic management system according to claim 4 , wherein the determining unit determines whether the content of the traffic regulation is appropriate or not, based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit.

6. The target vehicle is a public transportation facility operated by autonomous driving, The operation management system according to claim 1 , wherein the operation record storage unit stores the operation record corresponding to a travel area of ​​the target vehicle.

7. a map data storage unit having map data including a normal driving route and a detour driving route of the target vehicle; The traffic management system according to claim 1 , wherein the traffic change unit selects one detour route from the map data storage unit in accordance with the determination made by the determination unit.

8. an operation management unit that manages operation based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit and current location information of the target vehicle; The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not a change is necessary in the operation of the target vehicle based on current location information of the target vehicle received from the operation management unit together with the weather information.

9. The operation control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a communication unit that transmits the operation changed by the operation change unit to the target vehicle.

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