Information processing system and information processing device

Abstract

To provide an information processing system and an information processing device for supporting transmission of a front / rear environment of a large vehicle such as a bus to the circumference of the large vehicle such as a bus.SOLUTION: An information processing system comprises: an environment detection device for detecting objects in a predetermined range in the circumference of a position where an object vehicle stops on a road; display devices for displaying information related to the objects toward the circumference of the vehicle; and a control circuit including a determination section for determining a first object present on a front side of the vehicle among the objects based on environment information generated by the environment detection device, and an object data generation section for generating first object data related to the first object based on the determination section. The display device receives the first object data, and displays information related to the first object toward a rear side of the vehicle based on the first object data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing device capable of wireless communication with a display device. [Background technology]

[0002] A driver of a vehicle following a large vehicle (such as a bus) may find it difficult to understand the environment ahead of the large vehicle because their view is blocked by the large vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-206303 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Buses stop at every bus stop, and they stop for a relatively long time compared to simply stopping temporarily to wait for passengers to board and alight. For this reason, the driver of a following vehicle may want to overtake the stopped bus. However, because the driver of the following vehicle's view is obstructed by the bus body, it may be difficult for them to know the environment ahead of the bus (such as whether there are pedestrians or oncoming vehicles). For this reason, the driver of the following vehicle may not be able to fully check for safety and be unable to overtake the bus, which could result in a traffic jam. Alternatively, the driver of the following vehicle may overtake the bus without fully checking for safety. Furthermore, when pedestrians get off at a bus stop and try to cross in front of a bus, the bus body blocks their view, making it difficult for them to see the environment behind the bus (following vehicles, etc.). This can lead to pedestrians crossing in front of a bus without fully checking for safety.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system and an information processing device that assist in transmitting information about the environment in front of or behind a large vehicle such as a bus to those around the bus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an environment detection device, a display device, and a control circuit. The environment detection device detects objects within a predetermined range around a position on the road where the target vehicle will stop. The display device displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle. The control circuit has a judgment unit that judges a first object among the objects that is located in front of the target vehicle based on the environmental information generated by the environment detection device, and an object data generation unit that generates first object data, which is data related to the first object, based on the judgment result of the judgment unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device. The display device receives the first object data from the communication device, and displays information about the first object based on the first object data toward the rear of the target vehicle.

[0007] This allows the driver of a following vehicle to see information about objects displayed on the display device on the back of the bus, even if he or she cannot actually see the environment ahead of the bus, and know whether or not there are any objects that actually exist in the environment (pedestrians crossing the road, bicycles, oncoming vehicles, etc.).

[0008] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle detection device, an environment detection device, a display device, and a control circuit. The vehicle detection device detects a target vehicle stopped on a road. The environment detection device detects objects within a predetermined range around the target vehicle stopped on the road. The display device displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle. The control circuit has a judgment unit that judges a first object among the objects that is located in front of the target vehicle based on the vehicle detection information generated by the target vehicle detection device and the environmental information generated by the environmental detection device, and an object data generation unit that generates first object data, which is data related to the first object, based on the judgment result of the judgment unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device. The display device receives the first object data from the communication device, and displays information about the first object based on the first object data toward the rear of the target vehicle.

[0009] The determination unit may further determine, based on the environmental information, a second object that exists behind the target vehicle among the objects. In that case, for example, the object data generation unit further generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on the judgment result of the judgment unit, and the display device receives the second object data from the communication device and further displays information related to the second object toward the front of the target vehicle based on the second object data.

[0010] This allows drivers and pedestrians in front of the bus to see information about the object displayed on the display device and know whether or not the object exists, even if they cannot see the environment behind the bus in the direction of travel.

[0011] The determination unit may further determine, from among the objects, a second object that exists behind the target vehicle, based on the vehicle detection information and the environmental information. In that case, for example, the object data generation unit further generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on the judgment result of the judgment unit, and the display device receives the second object data from the communication device and further displays information related to the second object toward the front of the target vehicle based on the second object data.

[0012] The display device may include a first display unit that is provided on a rear surface of the target vehicle and that displays information about the first object toward the rear of the target vehicle.

[0013] The display device may include a second display unit that is provided on a front side of the target vehicle and displays information about the second object toward the front of the target vehicle.

[0014] The object may be a vehicle or a person.

[0015] The target vehicle may be a bus, and the predetermined range may be the area around a bus stop.

[0016] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an environment detection device, a display device, and a control circuit. The environment detection device detects objects within a predetermined range around a position on the road where the target vehicle is to stop. The display device displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle. The control circuit has a judgment unit that judges a first object among the objects that is located in front of the target vehicle based on the environmental information generated by the environment detection device, and an object data generation unit that generates first object data, which is data related to the first object, based on the judgment result of the judgment unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device.

[0017] An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle detection device, an environment detection device, a display device, and a control circuit. The vehicle detection device detects a target vehicle stopped on a road. The environment detection device detects objects within a predetermined range around the target vehicle stopped on the road. The display device displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle. The control circuit has a judgment unit that judges a first object among the objects that is located in front of the target vehicle based on the vehicle detection information generated by the vehicle detection device and the environmental information generated by the environmental detection device, and an object data generation unit that generates first object data, which is data related to the first object, based on the judgment result of the judgment unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to assist in transmitting the environment in front of or behind a large vehicle such as a bus to the surroundings of the large vehicle such as a bus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 shows a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an information processing device installed on a road. [Figure 3] 1 shows an operation flow of the information processing system. [Figure 4] The operational flow of the on-board device of the bus is shown below. [Figure 5] 1 shows a configuration of an information processing system according to a first modification. [Figure 6] 10 shows an operation flow of an information processing system according to a first modification. [Figure 7] 10 shows an operation flow of the on-board device of the bus according to the first modification. [Figure 8] 10 shows a configuration of an information processing system according to a second modification. [Figure 9] 10 shows an operation flow of an information processing system according to a second modification. [Figure 10] 10 shows an operation flow of the on-board device of the bus according to the second modification. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the display device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] 1. Information processing system configuration

[0022] Fig. 1 shows the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows an information processing device 10 installed on a road.

[0023] The information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 10 and a display device 24. The information processing device 10 includes an environment detection device 11, a control circuit 100, and a communication device 12. The information processing device 10 is capable of communicating with an in-vehicle device 200 on a bus 20 using the communication device 12.

[0024] The information processing system 1 is installed on the side of a road D. More specifically, the information processing system 1 is installed at a bus stop 70 where the bus 20 is expected to stop frequently.

[0025] The environment detection device 11 detects objects (pedestrians 50 ahead, pedestrians 60 behind, oncoming vehicles 40, following vehicles 30, etc.) present within a predetermined range (e.g., the periphery of the bus stop 70) around the bus 20 stopped at, for example, a bus stop 70 on the road D, and generates environment information. The environment detection device 11 periodically (e.g., every second) generates the environment information and continues to transmit it to the determination unit 111 (described later). The environment information includes position information and size information of objects present in the environment. The size information may simply be size (width, length, height), or may include type, such as pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicle. Here, the environment detection device 11 generates the environment information regardless of whether the bus 20 is actually stopped at the bus stop 70.

[0026] Here, the pedestrian in front 50 refers to a pedestrian crossing the road D in front of the bus 20, and the pedestrian behind 60 refers to a pedestrian crossing the road D behind the bus 20.

[0027] When the bus 20 stops at a stop position (bus stop 70), the environment detection device 11 detects a first object (a pedestrian 50 ahead, an oncoming vehicle 40, etc.) that is located in a position that is blocked by the body of the bus 20 and cannot be seen by the driver of the following vehicle 30 (a passenger car of a typical size). More specifically, the environment detection device 11 detects a first object that is located relatively close to the front 26 of the body of the bus 20. In other words, the environment detection device 11 detects a first object that is located in an area where the following vehicle 30 must fully confirm safety when overtaking the stopped bus 20.

[0028] When the bus 20 stops at a stop position (bus stop 70), the environment detection device 11 detects a first object (such as an oncoming vehicle 40) that is located in a position that is blocked by the body of the bus 20 and cannot be seen by the pedestrian 60 behind. More specifically, the environment detection device 11 detects a first object that is located relatively close to the front 26 of the body of the bus 20. In other words, the environment detection device 11 detects a first object that is located in an area where the pedestrian 60 behind must fully confirm safety when crossing the road D behind the stopped bus 20.

[0029] The environment detection device 11 detects an area with a radius of approximately 50 to 100 m centered at a position approximately 10 m ahead of the bus stop 70 in the direction of travel of the bus 20. For example, the detection range for pedestrians and bicycles is approximately 50 m, and the detection range for oncoming vehicles is approximately 100 m.

[0030] When the bus 20 stops at a stop position (bus stop 70), the environment detection device 11 detects a second object (a pedestrian 60 behind, a following vehicle 30, etc.) that is located in a position that cannot be seen by the driver of an oncoming vehicle 40 ahead of the bus 20 because it is blocked by the body of the bus 20. More specifically, the environment detection device 11 detects a second object that is located relatively close to the back surface 25 of the body of the bus 20. In other words, when the second object appears from behind the bus 20, the environment detection device 11 detects the second object that is located in an area where the oncoming vehicle 40 must fully confirm safety.

[0031] When the bus 20 stops at a stop position (bus stop 70), the environment detection device 11 detects a second object (such as a following vehicle 30) that is located in a position that cannot be seen by a pedestrian 50 ahead of the bus 20 because the pedestrian 50 is blocked by the body of the bus 20. More specifically, the environment detection device 11 detects a second object that is located relatively close to the rear surface 25 of the body of the bus 20. In other words, when the second object appears from behind the bus 20, the environment detection device 11 detects the second object that is located in an area where the pedestrian 50 ahead must fully confirm safety.

[0032] The environment detection device 11 detects an area with a radius of approximately 50 to 100 m centered at a position approximately 10 m behind the bus stop 70 in the direction of travel of the bus 20. For example, the detection range for pedestrians and bicycles is approximately 50 m, and the detection range for oncoming vehicles is approximately 100 m.

[0033] The environment detection device 11 may be an image detection device such as a camera, a distance measurement detection device such as a millimeter wave detection device, or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device that combines an image detection device and a distance measurement detection device.

[0034] The control circuit 100 is communicably connected to the environment detection device 11. The control circuit 100 generates data relating to the environment in front of or behind the bus 20 based on the detection information generated by the environment detection device 11. The control circuit 100 loads an information processing program stored in a storage device such as a ROM into a RAM and executes it (not shown), thereby operating as a determination unit 111, an object data generation unit 101, and a communication control unit 102 (the operation of each unit will be described later with reference to an operation flow).

[0035] The communication device 12 can communicate with the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20 by short-range wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) or long-range wireless communication (e.g., LTE (Long Term Evolution)). The communication device 12 is controlled by the control circuit 100 and transmits data regarding the environment in front of or behind the bus 20, generated by the control circuit 100, to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20. Note that the communication device 12 may continue to transmit the data regarding the environment in front of or behind the bus 20, generated by the control circuit 100, to the vicinity of the bus stop 70 periodically (e.g., every second), regardless of whether the bus 20 is stopped at the bus stop 70 or not.

[0036] The bus 20 has an on-board device 200 having a communication device 21, a vehicle state determination unit 22, and an image processing circuit 23, and a first display device 24A and a second display device 24B (both of which may be simply referred to as display devices 24) as external devices. The first display device 24A is installed on the rear surface 25 of the body of the bus 20 in a position where it can be seen by the driver of a following vehicle 30. The second display device 24B is installed on the front surface 26 of the body of the bus 20 in a position where it can be seen by the driver of an oncoming vehicle 40 and pedestrians 50 ahead. The display device 24 is capable of displaying colorful designs and is, for example, a liquid crystal display, organic electroluminescence (EL) display, or the like.

[0037] The communication device 21 receives data relating to the front or rear of the bus 20 from the information processing device 10 via wireless communication (for example, LTE or Wi-Fi (registered trademark)). Based on the received data, the image processing circuit 23 generates an image showing the environment in front of the bus 20 and displays it on the first display device 24A. Based on the received data, the image processing circuit 23 also generates an image showing the environment behind the bus 20 and displays it on the second display device 24B.

[0038] The vehicle state determination unit 22 is provided in the target vehicle 20 and determines whether the target vehicle 20 itself has stopped. The vehicle state determination unit 22 may determine whether the target vehicle 20 has stopped based on location information such as GPS, or may determine whether the target vehicle 20 has stopped based on whether the shift lever is in park.

[0039] The vehicle state determination unit 22 also determines whether the target vehicle 20 has a display device 24. For example, if the bus 20 has only the first display device 24A, the vehicle state determination unit 22 may be controlled to display only the first object data.

[0040] 2. Operational flow of the information processing system

[0041] FIG. 3 shows the operation flow of the information processing system.

[0042] As a premise, the environment detection device 11 generates environment information periodically (for example, every second), and the determination unit 111 continues to receive the environment information.

[0043] The forward judgment unit 111A of the judgment unit 111 determines, based on the environmental information received from the environment detection device 11, whether or not a first object exists in the environment forward of the bus stop 70 (in the direction in which the target vehicle 20 is traveling), and, if a first object exists, its type (pedestrian 50 in front, oncoming vehicle 40, etc.), and the backward judgment unit 111B determines whether or not a second object exists in the environment backward of the bus stop 70 (in the opposite direction to the direction in which the target vehicle 20 is traveling), and, if a second object exists, its type (pedestrian 60 behind, following vehicle 30, etc.) (step S101).

[0044] The object data generation unit 101 generates first object data, which is data related to a first object, based on the determination result of the forward determination unit 111A. The object data generation unit 101 also generates second object data, which is data related to a second object, based on the determination result of the backward determination unit 111B. The first object data and the second object data (hereinafter also simply referred to as object data) indicate, for example, the type of object present in the environment (foreground pedestrian 50, background pedestrian 60, oncoming vehicle 40, following vehicle 30, etc.). When no object exists, the object data indicates that no object exists. The object data is data that can be transmitted to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20. The communication control unit 102 controls the communication device 12 to transmit the object data to the vicinity of the bus stop 70. The communication device 12 transmits the object data to the vicinity of the bus stop 70 (step S102).

[0045] 3. Operation flow of the bus onboard unit

[0046] Figure 4 shows the operational flow of the on-board device on the bus.

[0047] The communication device 21 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 receives object data (step S102) from the information processing device 10 (step S201, YES). The object data indicates the type of object present in the environment (a pedestrian 50 ahead, a pedestrian 60 behind, an oncoming vehicle 40, a following vehicle 30, etc.), or indicates that no object exists if no object exists.

[0048] The vehicle state determination unit 22 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 determines whether the target vehicle 20 (bus) has stopped (step S202). When the vehicle state determination unit 22 determines that the target vehicle 20 has stopped (step S202, YES), the vehicle state determination unit 22 determines whether the target vehicle 20 has a display device 24 (step S203). If it is determined that the target vehicle 20 has a display device 24 (step S203, YES), the process proceeds to the next step S204. Here, the display device 24 is not limited to having both the first display device 24A and the first display device 24B, and if either one of them is included, the determination in step S203 may be YES.

[0049] The image processing circuit 23 generates an object image based on the object data. The object image is an image that indicates the type of object (pedestrian 50 in front, pedestrian 60 behind, oncoming vehicle 40, following vehicle 30, etc.) or that no object is present. Specifically, the object image is an image that includes a design that indicates the type of object (pedestrian 50 in front, pedestrian 60 behind, oncoming vehicle 40, following vehicle 30, etc.) or a design that indicates that no object is present (for example, a design that expresses safety). The object image may include text, but the text is auxiliary, and the main component that conveys meaning is the image (design). In other words, the object image is an image that can be understood at a glance by drivers who cannot read text (foreigners, etc.). The image processing circuit 23 displays a first image of the generated object images corresponding to the first object data on the first display device 24A on the back surface 25 of the body of the bus 20, and displays a second image of the generated object images corresponding to the second object data on the second display device 24B on the front surface 26 of the body of the bus 20 (step S204).

[0050] This allows the driver of the vehicle 30 following the bus 20 to see the first image of the first object displayed by the first display device 24A in the environment ahead in the direction of travel of the bus 20 (the environment of the area that would normally be blocked by the body of the bus 20 and cannot be seen), and to know whether or not the first object exists. This allows the driver of the following vehicle 30 to know about safety, such as whether or not there is a possibility of a vehicle suddenly jumping out into the road.

[0051] The driver of the oncoming vehicle 40 in front of the bus 20 and the pedestrian 50 in front can see the second image of the second object displayed by the second display device 24B and know whether or not the second object exists, even if they cannot see the environment behind the bus 20. This allows the driver of the oncoming vehicle 40 and the pedestrian 50 in front to know about safety, such as whether or not there is a possibility of a following vehicle 30 overtaking or suddenly jumping out into the road.

[0052] Furthermore, when the driver of the following vehicle 30 decides whether to overtake the bus 20, the driver can clearly confirm whether or not the first object is present simply by looking at the display of the bus 20 in front of the driver.

[0053] Furthermore, the oncoming vehicle 40 and the pedestrian 50 crossing in front of the bus 20 can know from the first display device 24B whether there is an object behind the bus 20, and can therefore drive or walk while paying sufficient attention to the following vehicle 30.

[0054] When the vehicle state determination unit 22 determines that the stopped bus 20 resumes traveling (YES in step S205), the image processing circuit 23 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 stops generating the object image and stops displaying it on the display device 24 (step S206).

[0055] 4. Variation 1

[0056] 5 shows the configuration of an information processing system according to Modification 1 of the present invention. Description of the same configuration as in the above embodiment may be omitted or simplified. Differences from the above embodiment include that in Modification 1, the information processing device 10A has a vehicle detection device 13 (described later), and that in Modification 1, the vehicle-mounted device 200 of the bus 20 does not have a vehicle state determination unit 22.

[0057] The information processing system 1A includes an information processing device 10A and a display device . The information processing device 10A includes a vehicle detection device 13, an environment detection device 11, a control circuit 100A, and a communication device 12. The information processing device 10A can communicate with an in-vehicle device 200 on the bus 20 using the communication device 12.

[0058] The information processing system 1A is installed on the side of a road D, and is installed at a bus stop 70 where the bus 20 is expected to stop frequently, similar to the above embodiment.

[0059] The vehicle detection device 13 detects target vehicles such as buses 20 stopped on roads D and generates vehicle detection information. The vehicle detection information includes vehicle position information and size information. The size information may simply be the size (width, length, height) or may include the vehicle type such as a large vehicle, a standard vehicle, or a motorcycle. The vehicle detection information may also include information indicating whether the bus 20 has a display device 24 (described below).

[0060] The vehicle detection device 13 periodically (for example, every second) generates vehicle detection information and continues to transmit it to the control circuit 100. The vehicle detection device 13 is, for example, an optical vehicle sensor (so-called optical beacon) that detects vehicles by emitting near-infrared light. Alternatively, the vehicle detection device 13 may be an image detection device such as a camera, a distance measurement detection device such as a millimeter wave detection device, or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) that combines an image detection device and a distance measurement detection device. Alternatively, the vehicle detection device 13 may detect vehicles by receiving GPS information transmitted from vehicles such as the bus 20 via a base station (not shown).

[0061] The control circuit 100A is communicably connected to the vehicle detection device 13 and the above-described environment detection device 11. The control circuit 100A generates data relating to the environment in front of or behind the bus 20 based on the detection information generated by the vehicle detection device 13 and the environment detection device 11. The control circuit 100A loads an information processing program stored in a storage device such as a ROM into a RAM and executes it (not shown), thereby operating as a vehicle determination unit 131, a determination unit 111, an object data generation unit 101, and a communication control unit 102 (the operation of each unit will be described later with reference to an operation flow).

[0062] The communication device 12 can communicate with the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20 by short-range wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) or long-range wireless communication (e.g., LTE (Long Term Evolution)). The communication device 12 is controlled by the control circuit 100A, and transmits data relating to the environment in front of or behind the bus 20, generated by the control circuit 100A, to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20.

[0063] The bus 20 has an in-vehicle device 200 having a communication device 21 and an image processing circuit 23, and a first display device 24A and a second display device 24B (both of which may be simply referred to as display devices 24) as external devices. The communication device 21 receives data related to the area ahead or behind the bus 20 from the information processing device 10 via wireless communication (e.g., LTE or Wi-Fi (registered trademark)). The image processing circuit 23 generates an image showing the environment ahead of the bus 20 based on the received data and displays it on the first display device 24A. The image processing circuit 23 also generates an image showing the environment behind the bus 20 based on the received data and displays it on the second display device 24B.

[0064] 5. Operational flow of the information processing system

[0065] FIG. 6 shows an operation flow of the information processing system in the first modification.

[0066] As a premise, the vehicle detection device 13 continues to generate and transmit vehicle detection information periodically (for example, every second), and the vehicle judgment unit 131 continues to receive the vehicle detection information. The environment detection device 11 continues to generate and transmit environmental information periodically (for example, every second), and the judgment unit 111 continues to receive the environmental information.

[0067] The vehicle determination unit 131 receives vehicle detection information from the vehicle detection device 13. Based on size information (indicating size or vehicle type) included in the vehicle detection information, the vehicle determination unit 131 determines whether a vehicle on road D is a bus 20 (step S101A). Furthermore, the vehicle determination unit 131 may determine whether the bus 20 has a display device 24 based on the vehicle detection information. Note that the following operation may be executed whenever the presence of the bus 20 is determined (regardless of whether the display device 24 is present), or, if the presence or absence of the display device 24 can be accurately determined, may be executed only when the presence of a bus 20 with a display device 24 is determined.

[0068] When the vehicle determination unit 131 determines that the vehicle on road D is a bus 20 (step S101A, YES), it determines whether the bus 20 has stopped based on the difference between the position information included in the vehicle detection information and the immediately previous position information (step S102A).

[0069] When the bus stops (step S102A, YES), based on the vehicle detection information received from the vehicle detection device 13 and the environmental information received from the environmental detection device 11, the forward judgment unit 111A determines whether or not a first object exists in the environment ahead of the stopped bus 20 in the direction of travel, and if a first object exists, its type (pedestrian 50 ahead, oncoming vehicle 40, etc.), and the rearward judgment unit 111B determines whether or not a second object exists in the environment behind the stopped bus 20 in the direction of travel, and if a second object exists, its type (pedestrian 60 behind, following vehicle 30, etc.) (step S103A).

[0070] The object data generation unit 101 generates first object data, which is data related to a first object, based on the determination result of the forward determination unit 111A. The object data generation unit 101 also generates second object data, which is data related to a second object, based on the determination result of the backward determination unit 111B. The first object data and the second object data (hereinafter also simply referred to as object data) indicate, for example, the type of object present in the environment (foreground pedestrian 50, background pedestrian 60, oncoming vehicle 40, following vehicle 30, etc.). When no object exists, the object data indicates that no object exists. The object data is data that can be transmitted to the on-board device 200 of the bus 20. The communication control unit 102 controls the communication device 12 to transmit the object data to the on-board device 200 of the bus 20. The communication device 12 transmits the object data to the on-board device 200 of the bus 20 (step S104A).

[0071] The vehicle determination unit 131 continues to receive vehicle detection information from the vehicle detection device 13 periodically (for example, every second). The vehicle determination unit 131 determines that the stopped bus 20 has resumed traveling based on the difference between the position information included in the vehicle detection information and the immediately preceding position information (step S102A, NO). When the bus 20 resumes traveling, the determination unit 111 stops determining the object, and the communication control unit 102 stops transmitting the object data (step S105A, YES) (step S106A). The communication control unit 102 may simply stop the transmission, or may transmit a stop notification indicating that transmission will be stopped to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20. Furthermore, as long as the bus 20 is stopped (step S102A, YES), the determination unit 111 continues to determine the object, and the communication control unit 102 continues to transmit the object data.

[0072] 6. Operational flow of the bus onboard unit

[0073] FIG. 7 shows the operation flow of the on-board device of the bus in the first modification.

[0074] The communication device 21 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 receives object data (step S104A) from the information processing device 10 (step S201A, YES). The object data indicates the type of object present in the environment (foreground pedestrian 50, background pedestrian 60, oncoming vehicle 40, following vehicle 30, etc.), or indicates that no object exists if no object exists.

[0075] Image processing circuit 23 generates an object image based on the object data. The object image is an image indicating the type of object (pedestrian 50 in front, pedestrian 60 behind, oncoming vehicle 40, following vehicle 30, etc.) or the absence of an object. Image processing circuit 23 displays a first image of the generated object images that corresponds to the first object data on first display device 24A on rear surface 25 of body of bus 20, and displays a second image of the generated object images that corresponds to the second object data on second display device 24B on front surface 26 of body of bus 20 (step S202A).

[0076] This allows the driver of the vehicle 30 following the bus 20 to see the first image of the first object displayed by the first display device 24A in the environment ahead in the direction of travel of the bus 20 (the environment of the area that would normally be blocked by the body of the bus 20 and cannot be seen), and to know whether or not the first object exists. This allows the driver of the following vehicle 30 to know about safety, such as whether or not there is a possibility of a vehicle suddenly jumping out into the road.

[0077] The driver of the oncoming vehicle 40 in front of the bus 20 and the pedestrian 50 in front can see the second image of the second object displayed by the second display device 24B and know whether or not the second object exists, even if they cannot see the environment behind the bus 20. This allows the driver of the oncoming vehicle 40 and the pedestrian 50 in front to know about safety, such as whether or not there is a possibility of a following vehicle 30 overtaking or suddenly jumping out into the road.

[0078] Furthermore, when the driver of the following vehicle 30 decides whether to overtake the bus 20, the driver can clearly confirm whether or not the first object is present simply by looking at the display of the bus 20 in front of the driver.

[0079] Furthermore, the oncoming vehicle 40 and the pedestrian 50 crossing in front of the bus 20 can know from the first display device 24B whether there is an object behind the bus 20, and can therefore drive or walk while paying sufficient attention to the following vehicle 30.

[0080] When the stopped bus 20 resumes traveling (step S102A, NO), the communication device 21 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 stops receiving the object data that it had been continuously receiving from the information processing device 10 (step S203A, YES). Furthermore, if the information processing device 10 transmits a stop notification, the communication device 21 receives the stop notification. Then, the image processing circuit 23 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 stops generating the object image and stops displaying it on the display device (step S204A).

[0081] 7. Variation 2

[0082] 8 shows the configuration of an information processing system 1B according to Modification 2 of the present invention. Note that explanations of configurations and flows similar to those of the above-described embodiments may be simplified or omitted. A difference between Modification 1 and Modification 2 is that Modification 2 includes a light color detection device 14 (described below).

[0083] When a traffic light is present ahead of the bus stop 70 where the bus 20 is expected to stop, the information processing system 1B may control the display information of the first display device 24A based on the light color of the traffic light. In this case, the information processing device 10B further includes a light color detection device 14, and the control circuit 100B of the information processing device 10B further includes the functions of a light color determination unit 141 and a light color data generation unit 103.

[0084] The light color detection device 14 detects the light color (green, yellow, red) of a traffic light present ahead of a position where the bus 20 is expected to stop (for example, a bus stop 70) in the traveling direction, and generates light color detection information. The light color detection information indicates the light color (green, yellow, red) of the traffic light. The light color detection device 14 continues to generate and transmit the light color detection information to the information processing device 10B periodically (for example, every second).

[0085] Typically, this traffic light is located in a position where it cannot be seen by the driver of a following vehicle 30 (a typical-sized passenger car) when the bus 20 stops at a stop position (bus stop 70) because it is blocked by the body of the bus 20. The light color detection device 14 detects the light color of the traffic light without using a camera. That is, the light color detection device 14 does not detect the light color of the traffic light based on an image of the traffic light captured by a camera. This is because camera images are subject to environmental influences such as afternoon sun, which can result in inaccurate detection results. As an alternative to using a camera, for example, the light color detection device 14 can communicate via wired or wireless communication with a traffic light control device (not shown) that periodically controls the light color of the traffic light, and the light color can be detected based on communication with the traffic light control device. Because this method is not affected by afternoon sun, the light color detection device 14 can generate more accurate light color detection information.

[0086] The control circuit 100B is communicably connected to the vehicle detection device 13 and the environment detection device 11 described in the above embodiment, as well as the light color detection device 14. The control circuit 100B generates data relating to the environment ahead of the bus 20 based on the detection information generated by the vehicle detection device 13 and the environment detection device 11, as well as the detection information generated by the light color detection device 14. The control circuit 100B further operates as a light color determination unit 141 and a light color data generation unit 103 by loading an information processing program stored in a storage device such as a ROM into RAM and executing it (not shown) (the operation of each unit will be described later with reference to the operation flow).

[0087] 8. Operation flow of information processing system in modification example 2

[0088] FIG. 9 shows an operation flow of the information processing system in the modified example.

[0089] As a premise, in addition to the vehicle detection device 13 and the environment detection device 11 mentioned in the above embodiment, the light color detection device 14 continues to generate and transmit light color detection information periodically (for example, every second), and the light color judgment unit 141 continues to receive the light color detection information.

[0090] The vehicle determination unit 131 receives vehicle detection information from the vehicle detection device 13. Based on size information (indicating size or vehicle type) included in the vehicle detection information, the vehicle determination unit 131 determines whether a vehicle on the road is a bus 20 (step S101B). Furthermore, the vehicle determination unit 131 may determine whether the bus 20 has a display device 24 based on the vehicle detection information. Note that the following operation may be executed whenever the presence of the bus 20 is determined (regardless of whether the display device 24 is present), or, if the presence or absence of the display device 24 can be accurately determined, may be executed only when the presence of a bus 20 with a display device 24 is determined.

[0091] When the vehicle determination unit 131 determines that the vehicle on road D is a bus 20 (step S101B, YES), it determines whether the bus 20 has stopped based on the difference between the position information included in the vehicle detection information and the immediately preceding position information (step S102B).

[0092] When the bus 20 stops (step S102B, YES), the light color determination unit 141 determines the light color (green, yellow, red) of the traffic light ahead of the stopped bus 20 in the direction of travel based on the light color detection information received from the light color detection device 14 (step S103B, YES) (step S104B).

[0093] The light color data generation unit 103 generates light color data that indicates the light color (green, yellow, red) of a traffic light. The light color data is data that can be transmitted to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20. The communication control unit 102 controls the communication device 12 to transmit the light color data to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20. The communication device 12 transmits the light color data to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20 (step S105B).

[0094] Based on the environmental information received from the environment detection device 11, the judgment unit 111 determines whether or not there is an object in the environment in front of or behind the stopped bus 20 in the direction of travel, and if there is an object, its type (pedestrian, bicycle, vehicle, etc.) (step S106B).

[0095] The object data generation unit 101 generates object data, which is data related to an object. The object data is data that can be transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 200 on the bus 20. The communication control unit 102 controls the communication device 12 to transmit the object data to the vehicle-mounted device 200 on the bus 20. The communication device 12 transmits the object data to the vehicle-mounted device 200 on the bus 20 (step S107B).

[0096] Also, as in the above-described first modification, when the vehicle determination unit 131 determines that the stopped bus 20 has resumed traveling (step S102B, NO), the light color determination unit 113 stops determining the light color, the determination unit 111 stops determining the object, and the communication control unit 102 stops transmitting the light color data and object data (step S108B, YES) (step S109B). The communication control unit 102 may simply stop the transmission, or may send a stop notification indicating that the transmission will be stopped to the in-vehicle device 200 of the bus 20. Conversely, as long as the bus 20 is stopped (step S102B, YES), the light color determination unit 141 continues to determine the light color.

[0097] 9. Operation flow of the on-board device of the bus in Modification 2

[0098] FIG. 10 shows the operation flow of the on-board device of the bus in the modified example.

[0099] The communication device 21 of the in-vehicle device 200 of the stopped bus 20 receives traffic light color data (step S105B) from the information processing device 10 (step S201B, YES). The traffic light color data indicates the traffic light color (green, yellow, red) of a traffic light ahead of the stopped bus 20 in the direction of travel. The image processing circuit 23 generates a traffic light color image based on the traffic light color data. The traffic light color image is an image having colors indicating the traffic light colors (green, yellow, red). For example, the traffic light color image is an image in which a design representing a traffic light is colored with one traffic light color (the light color that is lit in the actual traffic light). The traffic light color image may include text, but the text is auxiliary, and the main component that conveys meaning is the colored image (design). In other words, the traffic light color image is an image that can be understood at a glance by drivers who cannot read text (such as foreigners). The image processing circuit 23 displays the generated light color image on the first display device 24A on the back surface 25 of the body of the bus 20 (step S202B).

[0100] This allows the driver of a vehicle following the bus 20 to know the color of the light of a traffic light (which would normally be blocked by the body of the bus 20 and cannot be seen) located ahead of the bus 20 when it is stopped at a bus stop.

[0101] The communication device 21 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 receives object data (step S108B) from the information processing device 10B (step S203B, YES). The object data indicates the type of object present in the environment (pedestrian, bicycle, vehicle, etc.), or indicates that no object is present if no object is present. The image processing circuit 23 generates an object image based on the object data. The image processing circuit 23 displays the generated object image on the display device 23 on the back surface 24 of the body of the bus 20 (step S204).

[0102] This allows the driver of a vehicle following the bus 20 to know the environment ahead of the bus 20 while it is stopped at the bus stop (the environment of an area that would normally be blocked by the body of the bus 20 and therefore cannot be seen).

[0103] When the stopped bus 20 resumes traveling (step S102B, NO), the communication device 21 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 stops receiving the light color data and object data that it had been receiving from the information processing device 10B (step S205B, YES). Furthermore, if the information processing device 10B transmits a stop notification, the communication device 21 receives the stop notification. Then, the image processing circuit 23 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 stops generating the light color image and the object image and stops displaying them on the display device 24 (step S206B).

[0104] The driver of the vehicle 30 following the bus 20 can also know the color of the lights ahead of the bus 20 in the direction of travel while the bus is stopped at the bus stop. This allows the driver of the following vehicle 30 to know about safety, such as whether there is a possibility of a vehicle suddenly jumping out into the road.

[0105] 10. Other Modifications

[0106] In the above description, the display device is attached to the bus 20, but this is not limited to this. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of the display device. As shown in Fig. 11, a display device 24C may be installed at the bus stop 70, or a display device 24D may be installed on the roadside across from the bus stop 70.

[0107] This allows the environment around the bus 20 to be transmitted to the surroundings of the bus 20 from various angles.

[0108] In addition, in this embodiment, only one environment detection device 11 is used to detect the environment around the bus 20, but this is not limiting, and multiple environment detection devices 11 may be used. This allows the environment around the bus 20 to be grasped more accurately.

[0109] In the above description, the bus 20 may be an autonomous bus. By accumulating data on the behavior of objects (following vehicle 30, oncoming vehicle 40, pedestrian in front 50, pedestrian in back 60, etc.), the autonomous bus can, for example, predict the movement of the following vehicle 30 when the stopped bus 20 starts moving, and determine whether to start moving.

[0110] Although the embodiments and modified examples of the present technology have been described above, the present technology is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present technology. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1. Information processing system 10...Information processing device 11...Environmental detection device 12...Communication equipment 13...Vehicle detection device 14...Light color detection device 20...Bus 21...Communication equipment 22...Vehicle condition determination unit 23...Image processing circuit 24A...First display device 24B...Second display device 25...Back 26...Front 100...Control circuit 101...Object data generation unit 102...Communication control unit 103... Light color data generation unit / determination unit 111…Judgment department 131...Vehicle Judgment Department 111A...Forward judgment section 111B…Backward judgment section 131...Light color judgment section 200...Onboard equipment

Claims

1. an environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around a position on a road where a target vehicle will stop; a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to the display device by wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a first object that exists in front of the target vehicle among the objects based on the environment information generated by the environment detection device; an object data generating unit that generates first object data that is data related to the first object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device; a control circuit having Equipped with The display device receives the first object data from the communication device, and displays information about the first object based on the first object data toward the rear of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

2. a vehicle detection device for detecting a target vehicle stopped on a road; an environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around the target vehicle stopped on the road; a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to the display device by wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a first object present in front of the target vehicle among the objects based on vehicle detection information generated by the vehicle detection device and environmental information generated by the environmental detection device; an object data generating unit that generates first object data that is data related to the first object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device; a control circuit having Equipped with The display device receives the first object data from the communication device, and displays information about the first object based on the first object data toward the rear of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

3. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, the determination unit further determines, based on the environmental information, a second object present behind the target vehicle among the objects; the object data generation unit further generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on the determination result of the determination unit; The display device receives the second object data from the communication device, and further displays information about the second object based on the second object data toward the front of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

4. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, the determination unit further determines a second object present behind the target vehicle among the objects based on the vehicle detection information and the environmental information; the object data generation unit further generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on the determination result of the determination unit; The display device receives the second object data from the communication device, and further displays information about the second object based on the second object data toward the front of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

5. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The display device has a first display unit that is provided on the rear surface of the target vehicle and displays information about the first object toward the rear of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

6. 5. The information processing system according to claim 3, The display device has a second display unit that is provided on the front side of the target vehicle and displays information about the second object toward the front of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

7. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The object is a vehicle or a person. Information processing system.

8. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the target vehicle is a bus, The predetermined range is the area around the bus stop. Information processing system.

9. an environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around a position on a road where a target vehicle will stop; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle via wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a first object that exists in front of the target vehicle among the objects based on the environment information generated by the environment detection device; an object data generating unit that generates first object data that is data related to the first object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device; a control circuit having An information processing device comprising:

10. a vehicle detection device for detecting a target vehicle stopped on a road; an environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around the target vehicle stopped on the road; a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to the display device by wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a first object present in front of the target vehicle among the objects based on vehicle detection information generated by the vehicle detection device and environmental information generated by the environmental detection device; an object data generating unit that generates first object data that is data related to the first object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the first object data to the communication device; a control circuit having An information processing device comprising:

11. An environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around a position on a road where a target vehicle stops; a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to the display device by wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a second object that exists behind the target vehicle among the objects based on the environment information generated by the environment detection device; an object data generating unit that generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the second object data to the communication device; a control circuit having Equipped with The display device receives the second object data from the communication device, and displays information about the second object based on the second object data toward a front of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

12. A vehicle detection device for detecting a target vehicle stopped on a road; an environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around the target vehicle stopped on the road; a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to the display device by wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a second object present behind the target vehicle among the objects based on vehicle detection information generated by the vehicle detection device and environmental information generated by the environmental detection device; an object data generating unit that generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the second object data to the communication device; a control circuit having Equipped with The display device receives the second object data from the communication device, and displays information about the second object based on the second object data toward a front of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

13. The information processing system according to claim 11 or 12, The display device has a second display unit that is provided on the front side of the target vehicle and displays information about the second object toward the front of the target vehicle. Information processing system.

14. An information processing system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, The object is a vehicle or a person. Information processing system.

15. An information processing system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, the target vehicle is a bus, The predetermined range is the area around the bus stop. Information processing system.

16. An environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around a position on a road where a target vehicle stops; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle via wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a second object that exists behind the target vehicle among the objects based on the environment information generated by the environment detection device; an object data generating unit that generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the second object data to the communication device; a control circuit having An information processing device comprising:

17. A vehicle detection device for detecting a target vehicle stopped on a road; an environment detection device that detects objects within a predetermined range around the target vehicle stopped on the road; a display device that displays information about the object toward the periphery of the target vehicle; a communication device that transmits data related to the object to the display device by wireless communication; a determination unit that determines a second object present behind the target vehicle among the objects based on vehicle detection information generated by the vehicle detection device and environmental information generated by the environmental detection device; an object data generating unit that generates second object data that is data related to the second object based on a determination result of the determining unit and transmits the second object data to the communication device; a control circuit having An information processing device comprising:

Images