System, method, and program

Abstract

To provide a system for providing information to a movable apparatus.SOLUTION: A system comprises: a first receiving unit that receives positional information of apparatuses (20, 60) from the apparatuses; a first transmitting unit that transmits support information regarding movement of the apparatuses to the apparatuses through a base station of a mobile communication based on the positional information of the apparatuses; a prediction unit that predicts, based on the positional information of the apparatuses, an apparatus which will enter a communication coverage area of a moving object having a function of communicating with the apparatuses; and a second transmitting unit that transmits information regarding the apparatus predicted to enter the communication coverage area by the prediction unit to the mobile body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that when a specific driving situation is detected while a vehicle is driving, ADAS data, location data, driving data, and driving video related to the detected specific driving situation are transmitted to a service provider server.In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable traffic participants have become more active.Toward this goal, we are focusing on research and development into preventive safety technologies to further improve traffic safety and convenience. [Prior art document] [Patent documents] Patent Document 1: JP 2021-093162 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, in this technology, it is an issue to be addressed to be able to appropriately process information regarding the movements of traffic participants. The present application aims to achieve appropriate processing of information regarding the movements of traffic participants in order to solve the above issue, and ultimately to contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system is provided. The system is a system for providing information to a mobile device. The system includes a first receiving unit that receives location information of the device from the device. The system includes a first transmitting unit that transmits support information related to the movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on the location information of the device. The system includes a prediction unit that predicts a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has the function of communicating with the device based on the location information of the device. The system includes a second transmitting unit that transmits information about the device that is predicted by the prediction unit to enter the communication area to the mobile body.

[0005] In the above system, the prediction unit may predict the device that will enter the communication area based on the planned travel information of the mobile body, the location information of the mobile body, and the location and travel direction identified from the location information of the device.

[0006] In any of the above systems, the prediction unit may predict the device that will be present in the communication area for a predetermined period of time or longer.

[0007] In any of the above systems, the second transmission unit may transmit, to the mobile object, movement history information of the device predicted by the prediction unit to enter the communication area.

[0008] Any of the above systems may include a second receiving unit that receives, from the mobile object, identification information of the device that is predicted to leave the communication area.

[0009] In any of the above systems, the second receiving unit may further receive, from the mobile object, historical information about the location within the communication area of ​​the device that is predicted to leave the communication area.

[0010] In any of the above systems, the first transmission unit may further transmit to the device that is predicted by the prediction unit to enter the communication area an instruction to switch the destination of the location information to the mobile body.

[0011] In any of the above systems, the first transmitting unit may further transmit to the device that is predicted to leave the communication area an instruction to switch the destination of the location information to the first receiving unit.

[0012] Any of the above systems may further include the mobile body.

[0013] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing information to a mobile device. The method includes a step of receiving location information of the device from the device. The method includes a step of transmitting assistance information related to the movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on the location information of the device. The method includes a step of predicting, based on the location information of the device, a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has a function of communicating with the device. The method includes a step of transmitting information about the device predicted to enter the communication area in the predicting step to the mobile body.

[0014] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a computer to function as any one of the systems described above.

[0015] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also constitute inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system 10 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 shows the functional configuration of the server 40. [Figure 3]2 shows the functional configuration of a moving body 30. [Figure 4] The flow of processing related to the methods executed by the server 40, the vehicle 60, the mobile communication terminal 20, and the moving body 30 is shown. [Figure 5] An example of a computer 2000 is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0018] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system 10 according to an embodiment. The system 10 is a system for providing information to traffic participants.

[0019] The system 10 includes a server 40, a base station 50, a mobile object 30, and a vehicle 60a, a vehicle 60b, a vehicle 60c, and a vehicle 60d. In this embodiment, the vehicles 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d may be collectively referred to as "vehicles 60." The vehicles are an example of transportation equipment and may be automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.

[0020] The base station 50 is a base station for mobile communication. The server 40 is a server communicatively connected to the base station 50. The server 40 may include an edge computing server such as a mobile edge computing (MEC) server.

[0021] The mobile communication terminal 20 is, for example, a terminal carried by a person 70. The mobile communication terminal 20 is, for example, a portable terminal such as a smartphone. The mobile communication terminal 20 has a function of performing mobile communication through a base station 50. The mobile communication terminal 20 communicates with a server 40 by mobile communication through a nearby base station 50. The server 40 continuously receives location information detected by each of the mobile communication terminals 20.

[0022] The vehicle 60 has the function of performing mobile communication through the base station 50. The vehicle 60 communicates with the server 40 by mobile communication through a nearby base station 50. The server 40 continuously receives location information detected by each vehicle 60 and information detected by various sensors equipped in the vehicle 60. The vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20 are examples of "mobile equipment." The vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20 are examples of traffic participants.

[0023] The server 40 holds information received from each of the vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20. The server 40 determines a traffic risk based on the information received from each of the vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20, and provides the information related to the traffic risk to the vehicle 60. For example, when the mobile communication terminal 20 is moving toward a future position in the traveling direction of the vehicle 60, the server 40 notifies the vehicle 60 via the base station 50 that there is a traffic risk.

[0024] In addition to the mobile communication function, the vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20 have a function of performing direct communication with the mobile body 30. In addition to the function of performing mobile communication via the base station 50, the mobile body 30 has a function of performing direct communication with the mobile communication terminal 20. Examples of communication methods for direct communication between the vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20 and the mobile body 30 include Cellular V2X (C-V2X) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0025] The moving body 30 may be, for example, an autonomous vehicle that travels by autonomous driving. The moving body 30 may be, for example, a passenger transport vehicle such as a taxi or a bus, a luggage transport vehicle that transports luggage, or the like.

[0026] The mobile body 30 receives the position information of the vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20 through direct communication with the vehicle 60. When the mobile body 30 predicts that the vehicle 60 will approach the person 70 based on the position information of the vehicle 60 and the position information of the mobile communication terminal 20, the mobile body 30 notifies the vehicle 60 and / or the mobile communication terminal 20 through direct communication that a traffic risk exists.

[0027] The server 40 receives the planned driving route of the mobile body 30 from the mobile body 30. The server 40 receives the location information of the mobile body 30 from the mobile body 30. Based on the planned driving route of the mobile body 30, the location information of the mobile body 30, and the location information of the vehicle 60 and the mobile communication terminal 20, the server 40 identifies a vehicle 60a that is predicted to enter the communication area 80 from outside the communication area 80 of direct communication of the mobile body 30 within a predetermined time, a vehicle 60b and a mobile communication terminal 20 that are predicted to remain in the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30 for a predetermined time or longer, and a vehicle 60c that is predicted to leave the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30 from outside the communication area 80 within the predetermined time.

[0028] When the server 40 predicts that the vehicle 60a will enter the communication area 80 from outside the communication area 80 for direct communication of the mobile unit 30 within a predetermined time, the server 40 transmits the driving history information of the vehicle 60a to the mobile unit 30 and transmits an instruction to the vehicle 60 to start communication with the mobile unit 30 via direct communication. When the server 40 predicts that the vehicle 60c will leave the communication area 80 for direct communication of the mobile unit 30 within a predetermined time, the server 40 instructs the mobile unit 30 to transmit the driving history information of the vehicle 60c to the server 40 and transmits an instruction to the vehicle 60c to stop direct communication with the mobile unit 30 and resume communication with the server 40 via mobile communication.

[0029] As a result, a vehicle 60d that is determined not to enter the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30 exchanges information regarding traffic risks with the server 40 via mobile communication, and a vehicle 60d and a mobile communication terminal 20 that are predicted to be within the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30 for more than a predetermined time exchange information regarding traffic risks with the mobile body 30 via direct communication.

[0030] The mobile body 30 has a camera function and / or an object detection function using LIDAR. The mobile body 30 recognizes an object 90, which is an obstacle detected by the object detection function, and detects the position of the recognized object 90. The object 90 may be, for example, a utility pole or a roadside tree. The object 90 may be an object that may obstruct the movement of a traffic participant. The object 90 may be an object that causes a blind spot for a traffic participant. The mobile body 30 determines a traffic risk based on the position information of the vehicle 60, the position information of the mobile communication terminal 20, and the position of the object 90. This allows the mobile body 30 to provide information about the traffic risk, taking into consideration pedestrians who may avoid the object 90 and enter the roadway. The mobile body 30 may further transmit the position of the detected object 90 to the server 40. This allows the server 40 to provide assistance information taking into consideration the position of the object 90 outside the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30.

[0031] According to the system 10, the server 40 can provide the mobile body 30 with information about the vehicle 60 entering the communication area of ​​the mobile body 30. Therefore, the mobile body 30 can receive information necessary for the mobile body 30 to determine the traffic risk, etc. of the vehicle 60 from the server 40 and take over the process of determining the traffic risk, etc.

[0032] 2 shows the functional configuration of server 40. Server 40 includes a processing unit 200, a storage unit 280, and a communication unit 270. Processing unit 200 includes a prediction unit 230 and a determination unit 240. Communication unit 270 includes a first transmission unit 210, a first reception unit 212, a second transmission unit 220, and a second reception unit 222.

[0033] The server 40 may be configured to include a computer. The processing unit 200 may be implemented by a processor such as a CPU that performs arithmetic processing. The storage unit 280 may include a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, or a volatile storage medium such as a random access memory. The mobile communication unit 270 may be implemented by a communication processor. The server 40 may perform various processes by the processing unit 200 operating in accordance with a program stored in a non-volatile storage medium included in the storage unit 280.

[0034] The first receiving unit 212 receives location information of the traffic participant from the traffic participant. In this embodiment, the traffic participants are a vehicle 60 and a mobile communication terminal 20. The first receiving unit 212 receives the location information from the traffic participant via mobile communication. The first transmitting unit 210 transmits assistance information regarding the movement of the traffic participant to the traffic participant through a mobile communication base station based on the location information of the traffic participant. The first transmitting unit 210 transmits the assistance information via mobile communication.

[0035] The determination unit 240 may determine whether there is a traffic risk for the vehicle 60 based on the location information received from the vehicle 60 and the location information received from the mobile communication terminal 20. For example, the determination unit 240 may determine that there is a traffic risk when the mobile communication terminal 20 is moving toward a future position in the traveling direction of the vehicle 60 and there is a possibility that the vehicle 60 will reach the future position of the mobile communication terminal 20 within a predetermined time. When the determination unit 240 determines that there is a traffic risk, the first transmission unit 210 may transmit information indicating that there is a traffic risk to the traffic participants as support information. The first transmission unit 210 may transmit warning information for the traffic participants as support information.

[0036] The prediction unit 230 predicts a traffic participant that will enter the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30 that has the function of communicating with the traffic participant, based on the position information of the traffic participant. The second transmission unit 220 transmits information about the traffic participant that the prediction unit 230 predicted will enter the communication area 80 to the mobile body 30. The second transmission unit 220 transmits the information about the traffic participant to the mobile body 30 by mobile communication. As an example, the second transmission unit 220 transmits movement history information about the traffic participant that the prediction unit 230 predicted will enter the communication area 80 to the mobile body 30.

[0037] The prediction unit 230 predicts traffic participants who will enter the communication area 80 based on the travel schedule information of the mobile object 30, the position information of the mobile object 30, and the positions and travel directions identified from the position information of the traffic participants.

[0038] The prediction unit 230 may predict traffic participants who will be present for a predetermined time or longer in the communication area 80. The prediction unit 230 may predict traffic participants who will be present for a predetermined time or longer in the communication area 80 based on the position and traveling speed of the vehicle 60, the position and traveling speed of the moving body 30, and travel schedule information of the moving body 30.

[0039] The second receiving unit 222 receives, from the mobile body 30, identification information of a traffic participant who is predicted to leave the communication area 80. The second receiving unit 222 receives the identification information of the traffic participant from the mobile body 30 via mobile communication. The second receiving unit 222 further receives, from the mobile body 30, location history information of the traffic participant who is predicted to leave the communication area 80 within the communication area 80.

[0040] The first transmitting unit 210 may further transmit to a traffic participant who is predicted by the predicting unit 230 to enter the communication area 80 an instruction to switch the destination of the location information to the mobile object 30. The first transmitting unit 210 may further transmit to a traffic participant who is predicted to leave the communication area 80 an instruction to switch the destination of the location information to the first receiving unit 212.

[0041] 3 shows the functional configuration of the moving object 30. The moving object 30 includes a processing unit 300, a storage unit 380, a first communication unit 371, a second communication unit 372, a camera 390, and a LIDAR 392. The processing unit 300 includes a prediction unit 330 and a determination unit 340.

[0042] The mobile object 30 may be configured to include a computer. The processing unit 300 may be implemented by a processor such as a CPU that performs arithmetic processing. The storage unit 380 may include a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, or a volatile storage medium such as a random access memory. The first communication unit 371 and the second communication unit 372 may be implemented by a communication processor. The mobile object 30 may perform various processes by the processing unit 300 operating in accordance with a program stored in a non-volatile storage medium included in the storage unit 380.

[0043] The camera 390 captures an image of the outside of the moving body 30 and outputs image information. The camera 390 may output information indicating the distance to a subject using a phase difference detection method. The LIDAR 392 is an example of an optical distance measuring device that uses light to detect the distance to an object. The light used by the LIDAR 392 may be laser light, infrared light, or the like.

[0044] The first communication unit 371 is responsible for mobile communication with the server 40. The second communication unit 372 is responsible for direct communication. The communication method for direct communication is, for example, C-V2X, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or the like.

[0045] The first communication unit 371 transmits the current position information of the moving object 30 and the information recognized by the camera 390 and the LIDAR 392 to the server 40.

[0046] The first communication unit 371 receives, via mobile communication, from the server 40, movement history information of a traffic participant predicted by the prediction unit 230 of the server 40 to enter the communication area 80 and identification information of the traffic participant. The second communication unit 372 receives location information of the traffic participant from the traffic participant within the communication area 80 via direct communication. The determination unit 340 determines whether there is a traffic risk for the traffic participant based on the movement history information of the traffic participant received from the server 40 and the location information received by the second communication unit 372 from the traffic participant. For example, the determination unit 340 may determine that there is a traffic risk when the mobile communication terminal 20 is moving toward a future position in the traveling direction of the vehicle 60 and there is a possibility that the vehicle 60 will reach the future position of the mobile communication terminal 20 within a predetermined time. When the determination unit 340 determines that there is a traffic risk, the second communication unit 372 may transmit information indicating the presence of a traffic risk to the traffic participant as support information. The second communication unit 372 may transmit warning information for the traffic participant as support information.

[0047] The prediction unit 330 predicts traffic participants who will move out of the communication area 80 of the mobile object 30 based on the position information of the traffic participants. The prediction unit 330 predicts traffic participants who will move out of the communication area 80 from within the communication area 80 based on the travel schedule information of the mobile object 30, the position information of the mobile object 30, and the position and traveling direction identified from the position information of the traffic participants. The prediction unit 330 may predict traffic participants who will move out of the communication area 80 from within the communication area 80 within a predetermined time period.

[0048] When the prediction unit 330 predicts that a traffic participant will move from within the communication area 80 to outside the communication area 80, the second communication unit 372 transmits an instruction to the traffic participant predicted to move outside the communication area 80 to switch the destination of the location information to the server 40. When the prediction unit 330 predicts that a traffic participant will move from within the communication area 80 to outside the communication area 80, the first communication unit 371 transmits to the server 40 the identification information of the traffic participant and historical information about the traffic participant's location within the communication area 80. When the prediction unit 330 predicts that a traffic participant will move from within the communication area 80 to outside the communication area 80, the first communication unit 371 may notify the server 40 to transmit an instruction to the traffic participant via the server 40 to switch the destination of the location information of the traffic participant to the server 40.

[0049] Fig. 4 shows the flow of processing related to the method executed by the server 40, the vehicle 60, the mobile communication terminal 20, and the moving body 30. Specifically, Fig. 4 shows the flow of processing when the server 40 and the moving body 30 transmit assistance information to the vehicle 60 in a situation where the vehicle 60, which is located outside the communication area 80, enters the communication area 80 and then moves out of the communication area 80.

[0050] In S462, the first communication unit 371 of the mobile object 30 transmits mobile object information to the server 40 via mobile object communication. The mobile object information includes, for example, travel schedule information of the mobile object 30 and information indicating the size of the communication area 80 of the mobile object 30. The travel schedule information is, for example, travel route information of the mobile object 30. The mobile object 30 may transmit the mobile object information to the server 40 when starting travel. The mobile object 30 may transmit the mobile object information to the server 40 when changing the planned travel route. The mobile object information of the mobile object 30 may be registered in advance in the server 40. If the mobile object 30 is public transportation such as a bus, information indicating the travel route of the mobile object 30 and the size of the communication area 80 of the mobile object 30 may be registered in advance in the server 40.

[0051] In S464, the first communication unit 371 of the mobile body 30 starts periodic transmission of the position information of the mobile body 30 and the position information of the object 90 recognized by the mobile body 30. In S464, the mobile body 30 periodically calculates latitude and longitude information of the current position of the mobile body 30 based on GNSS signals received from positioning satellites that make up the GNSS, and periodically transmits the calculated latitude and longitude information from the first communication unit 371 to the server 40 via mobile communication.

[0052] In S422, the vehicle 60, which is located outside the communication area 80 of the moving body 30, transmits location information to the server 40 via mobile communication. The vehicle 60 periodically calculates latitude and longitude information of the current location of the vehicle 60 based on signals received from positioning satellites that make up the GNSS, and periodically transmits the calculated latitude and longitude information to the server 40. The first receiving unit 212 of the server 40 receives the location information transmitted from the vehicle 60 via mobile communication.

[0053] Among the mobile communication terminals 20, those located within the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30 transmit their location information to the mobile body 30 (S442), and those located outside the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30 transmit their location information to the server 40 (S444). The mobile communication terminals 20 periodically calculate latitude and longitude information of the current location of the mobile communication terminal 20 based on signals received from positioning satellites that make up the GNSS, and periodically transmit the calculated latitude and longitude information to the server 40 or the mobile body 30.

[0054] In S402, the determination unit 240 of the server 40 determines whether or not there is a traffic risk for the vehicle 60, based on the location information received from the vehicle 60 and the location information received from the mobile communication terminal 20. For example, the determination unit 240 determines that there is a traffic risk when there is a possibility that the vehicle 60 will reach the future location of the mobile communication terminal 20 within a predetermined time. If it is determined that there is a traffic risk for the vehicle 60, in S404 the first transmission unit 210 of the server 40 transmits support information related to the traffic risk to the vehicle 60 by mobile communication.

[0055] For example, the determination unit 240 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle 60 will reach the future position of the mobile communication terminal 20 within a predetermined time based on the history of the position information of the mobile communication terminal 20 and the history of the position information of the vehicle 60. If it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle 60 will reach the future position of the mobile communication terminal 20 within the predetermined time, the first transmission unit 210 transmits warning information to the vehicle 60.

[0056] In S424, the vehicle 60 performs control based on the assistance information received from the server 40. For example, the vehicle 60 outputs an alarm when it receives alarm information from the server 40. As an example, the vehicle 60 may output an alarm sound in response to receiving the alarm information. This allows the passengers of the vehicle 60 to be notified of a traffic risk.

[0057] In S406, the prediction unit 230 of the server 40 predicts the vehicle 60 that will enter the communication area 80 of the mobile object 30 from outside the communication area 80. For example, the prediction unit 230 predicts the vehicle 60 that will enter the communication area 80 of the mobile object 30 within a predetermined time based on information indicating the planned travel route of the mobile object 30 and the size of the communication area 80 included in the mobile object information, the current position of the mobile object 30, the current position of the vehicle 60, and the traveling speed of the vehicle 60 calculated from the history of the current position of the vehicle 60.

[0058] If the prediction unit 230 predicts that the vehicle 60 will enter the communication area 80 of the mobile object 30, in S408 the second transmission unit 220 transmits movement information of the vehicle 60 to the mobile object 30 via mobile communication. The movement information may include identification information and movement history information of the vehicle 60 entering the communication area 80. The movement history information may be a history of location information of the vehicle 60 over a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be, for example, the most recent predetermined period. The predetermined period may be a period of the most recent one minute, the most recent five minutes, or the like. The predetermined period may be determined depending on the type of service provided to the vehicle 60. When a service is provided that requires information immediately before the vehicle 60 enters the communication area 80 to determine the traffic risk of the vehicle 60, the predetermined period may be a period of about the most recent one minute.

[0059] In S410, the first transmission unit 210 transmits a communication destination switch instruction to the vehicle 60 by mobile communication to switch the communication destination for location information to the mobile body 30. When the vehicle 60 receives the communication destination switch instruction from the server 40, in S426, the vehicle 60 starts regular transmission of the vehicle 60's location information to the mobile body 30. In S426, the vehicle 60 transmits the location information to the mobile body 30 by direct communication.

[0060] In S466, the determination unit 340 of the mobile object 30 determines whether or not there is a traffic risk for the vehicle 60 based on the history of the location information of the vehicle 60 included in the movement information received in S408, the location information received from the vehicle 60 within the communication area 80, and the location information received from the mobile communication terminal 20 within the communication area 80. If it is determined that there is a traffic risk for the vehicle 60, in S468 the second communication unit 372 transmits support information regarding the traffic risk to the vehicle 60 by direct communication.

[0061] For example, in S466, the determination unit 340 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle 60 will reach the future position of the mobile communication terminal 20 within a predetermined time. If it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle 60 will reach the future position of the mobile communication terminal 20 within the predetermined time, the second communication unit 372 transmits warning information to the vehicle 60 by direct communication.

[0062] In S428, the vehicle 60 performs control based on the assistance information received from the moving object 30 through direct communication. For example, the vehicle 60 outputs an alarm when receiving alarm information from the moving object 30. As an example, the vehicle 60 may output an alarm sound in response to receiving the alarm information.

[0063] In S470, the prediction unit 330 of the moving body 30 predicts the vehicle 60 that will move from inside the communication area 80 of the moving body 30 to outside the communication area 80. For example, the prediction unit 330 predicts the vehicle 60 that will move outside the communication area 80 of the moving body 30 within a predetermined time based on information indicating the planned driving route of the moving body 30 and the size of the communication area 80, the current position of the moving body 30, the current position of the vehicle 60, and the traveling speed of the vehicle 60 calculated from the history of the current position of the vehicle 60.

[0064] If the prediction unit 330 predicts that the vehicle 60 will enter the communication area 80 of the mobile object 30, in S472 the first communication unit 371 transmits movement information of the vehicle 60 to the server 40 via mobile communication. The movement information may include identification information and movement history information of the vehicle 60 leaving the communication area 80. The movement history information may be a history of location information of the vehicle 60 over a predetermined period. As described in relation to S408, the predetermined period may be, for example, the most recent predetermined period. For example, the predetermined period may be the most recent one minute, the most recent five minutes, etc.

[0065] At S474, the second communication unit 372 transmits a communication destination switch instruction to the vehicle 60 by direct communication to switch the communication destination for the location information to the server 40. Upon receiving the communication destination switch instruction from the mobile object 30, the vehicle 60 starts, at S430, regular transmission of the vehicle 60's location information to the mobile object 30. At S430, the vehicle 60 transmits the location information to the server 40 by mobile communication.

[0066] As described above, according to the system 10 of this embodiment, the server 40 provides assistance to traffic participants located outside the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30, and the mobile body 30 provides assistance to traffic participants located within the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30. This allows the processing load of the server 40 to be distributed. When a traffic participant enters the communication area 80 of the mobile body 30, the server 40 transmits past history information of that traffic participant to the mobile body 30, so that the mobile body 30 can continue to provide assistance to the traffic participant by using the history information received from the server 40. Therefore, the mobile body 30 can seamlessly take over the process of providing assistance to the traffic participant from the server 40.

[0067] When a traffic participant is located within the communication area 80 of the mobile unit 30, the traffic participant exchanges information about traffic assistance via direct communication with the mobile unit 30, rather than via base station communication with the server 40. This reduces the power required for communication compared to when information is exchanged via both base station communication and direct communication.

[0068] The mobile object 30 recognizes objects that may cause pedestrians to jump out into the road, such as the end position of the sidewalk or obstacles on the sidewalk, and transmits the location information of the recognized objects to the server 40. The server 40 can then use the object location information received from the mobile object 30 to assist traffic participants. This allows the server 40 to support traffic participants by following changes in the sidewalk situation, such as when a new object that may obstruct pedestrians is installed on the sidewalk. In this way, the system 10 can support traffic participants with greater accuracy by using location information of obstacles and the like that cannot be determined from map information.

[0069] 5 shows an example of a computer 2000 in which multiple embodiments of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 2000 may cause the computer 2000 to function as a system or each part of a system, such as the server 40, or an apparatus or each part of an apparatus, such as the mobile object 30, according to an embodiment, to perform operations associated with the system or each part of the system or the apparatus, and / or to perform a process or steps of the process according to an embodiment. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 2012 to cause the computer 2000 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the processing procedures and blocks of the block diagrams described herein.

[0070] The computer 2000 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2012 and a RAM 2014, which are interconnected by a host controller 2010. The computer 2000 also includes a ROM 2026, a flash memory 2024, a communication interface 2022, and an input / output chip 2040. The ROM 2026, the flash memory 2024, the communication interface 2022, and the input / output chip 2040 are connected to the host controller 2010 via the input / output controller 2020.

[0071] The CPU 2012 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2026 and RAM 2014, thereby controlling each unit.

[0072] The communication interface 2022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The flash memory 2024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2012 in the computer 2000. The ROM 2026 stores a boot program and the like executed by the computer 2000 upon activation, and / or programs dependent on the hardware of the computer 2000. The input / output chip 2040 may also connect various input / output units such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to the input / output controller 2020 via input / output ports such as a serial port, a parallel port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, a monitor port, a USB port, an HDMI (registered trademark) port, etc.

[0073] The programs are provided via a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a memory card, or via a network. The RAM 2014, the ROM 2026, or the flash memory 2024 are examples of computer-readable storage media. The programs are installed in the flash memory 2024, the RAM 2014, or the ROM 2026 and executed by the CPU 2012. Information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2000, and causes cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or a method may be configured by implementing operations or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 2000.

[0074] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2000 and an external device, the CPU 2012 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 2014 and instruct the communication interface 2022 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 2012, the communication interface 2022 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 2014 or flash memory 2024, transmits the read transmission data to a network, and writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0075] The CPU 2012 may also cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored on a recording medium such as the flash memory 2024 to be read into the RAM 2014, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2014. The CPU 2012 then writes the processed data back to the recording medium.

[0076] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 2012 may perform various types of processing on data read from the RAM 2014, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described herein and specified by the instruction sequences of the programs, and write the results back to the RAM 2014. The CPU 2012 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. on the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored on the recording medium, the CPU 2012 may search for an entry that matches a condition specified by the attribute value of the first attribute from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0077] The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 2000. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as the computer-readable storage medium. The programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium may be provided to the computer 2000 via a network.

[0078] A program installed on computer 2000 and causing computer 2000 to function as server 40 may act on CPU 2012 or the like to cause computer 2000 to function as each unit of server 40. When the information processing described in these programs is read into computer 2000, it functions as each unit of server 40, which is a specific means formed by software and the various hardware resources described above working together. These specific means then perform calculations or processing of information according to the intended use of computer 2000 in this embodiment, thereby constructing a specific server 40 according to the intended use.

[0079] Various embodiments have been described with reference to block diagrams. In the block diagrams, each block may represent (1) a stage of a process where an operation is performed or (2) a portion of an apparatus responsible for performing the operation. Particular stages and portions may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. Dedicated circuitry may include digital and / or analog hardware circuitry, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuitry including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logic operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), and the like.

[0080] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by an appropriate device, such that the computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon constitutes at least a portion of an article of manufacture containing instructions that can be executed to provide means for performing the operations specified in a process or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0081] The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.

[0082] The computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor or programmable circuitry of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, either locally or over a wide-area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, etc., and executed to provide means for performing the operations specified in the process steps or block diagrams described. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0083] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0084] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a subsequent process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 Systems 20 Mobile communication terminal 30 Mobile 40 servers 50 base stations 60 vehicles 70 people 80 communication areas 90 Object 200 Processing section 210 First Transmission Unit 212 First receiving unit 220 Second Transmission Unit 222 Second receiving unit 230 Prediction Department 240 Judgment section 270 Communications Department 280 Storage section 300 Processing section 330 Prediction Department 340 Judgment section 371 First Communications Department 372 Second Communications Department 380 Storage section 390 Camera 392 LIDAR 2000 Computer 2010 Host Controller 2012 CPU 2014 RAM 2020 Input / Output Controller 2022 Communication Interface 2024 flash memory 2026 ROM 2040 Input / Output Chip

Claims

1. 1. A system for providing information to a mobile device, comprising: a first receiving unit that receives location information of the device from the device; a first transmission unit that transmits support information regarding movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on the location information of the device; a prediction unit that predicts, based on the location information of the device, a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has a function of communicating with the device; a second transmission unit that transmits, to the mobile object, movement history information of the device that is predicted by the prediction unit to enter the communication area; A system comprising:

2. The prediction unit predicts the device that will enter the communication area based on travel schedule information of the mobile object, position information of the mobile object, and a position and travel direction identified from position information of the device. The system of claim 1 .

3. The prediction unit predicts the device that will be present in the communication area for a predetermined period of time or more.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A system for providing information to a mobile device, comprising: a first receiving unit that receives location information of the device from the device; a first transmission unit that transmits support information regarding movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on the location information of the device; a prediction unit that predicts, based on the location information of the device, a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has a function of communicating with the device; a second transmission unit that transmits, to the mobile object, information about the device that is predicted by the prediction unit to enter the communication area; a second receiving unit that receives, from the mobile object, identification information of the device that is predicted to leave the communication area; A system comprising:

5. The second receiving unit further receives, from the mobile object, location history information of the device within the communication area that is predicted to leave the communication area. The system of claim 4.

6. The first transmission unit further transmits, to the device predicted by the prediction unit to enter the communication area, an instruction to switch a transmission destination of location information to the mobile unit.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A system for providing information to a mobile device, comprising: a first receiving unit that receives location information of the device from the device; a first transmission unit that transmits support information regarding movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on the location information of the device; a prediction unit that predicts, based on the location information of the device, a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has a function of communicating with the device; a second transmission unit that transmits, to the mobile object, information about the device that is predicted by the prediction unit to enter the communication area; Equipped with The first transmitting unit further transmits an instruction to the device that is predicted to leave the communication area to switch the transmission destination of the location information to the first receiving unit. system.

8. The moving body The system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

9. 1. A method for providing information to a mobile device, comprising: a step in which a first receiving unit included in the system receives location information of the device from the device; a step in which a first transmission unit included in the system transmits support information regarding movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on location information of the device; a prediction unit included in the system predicting, based on location information of the device, a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has a function of communicating with the device; a step in which a second transmission unit included in the system transmits, to the mobile object, movement history information of the device predicted to enter the communication area in the prediction step; A method for providing the above.

10. A method for providing information to a mobile device, comprising: a step in which a first receiving unit included in the system receives location information of the device from the device; a step in which a first transmission unit included in the system transmits support information regarding movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on location information of the device; a prediction unit included in the system predicting, based on location information of the device, a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has a function of communicating with the device; a step of transmitting, by a second transmission unit included in the system, information about the device predicted to enter the communication area in the prediction step to the mobile object; a step in which a second receiving unit included in the system receives, from the mobile object, identification information of the device that is predicted to leave the communication area; A method for providing the above.

11. A method for providing information to a mobile device, comprising: a step in which a first receiving unit included in the system receives location information of the device from the device; a step in which a first transmission unit included in the system transmits support information regarding movement of the device to the device through a mobile communication base station based on location information of the device; a prediction unit included in the system predicting, based on location information of the device, a device that will enter a communication area of ​​a mobile body that has a function of communicating with the device; a step of transmitting, by a second transmission unit included in the system, information about the device predicted to enter the communication area in the prediction step to the mobile object; a step in which the first transmission unit transmits an instruction to the device that is predicted to leave the communication area to switch a transmission destination of location information to the first reception unit; A method for providing the above.

12. A program for causing a computer to function as the system according to claim 1 or 2.

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