Information processing device

Abstract

To realize an automatic operation corresponding to a communication state.SOLUTION: A control server device 30 comprises: a communication section 31 for performing communication with respective wireless communication devices 10 arranged in a plurality of vehicles 3; an acquisition section 32 for acquiring communication quality data related to present and future communication qualities for each communication quality calculation area included in an operation area of the vehicles 3; a first processing section 33 for executing processing corresponding to the communication quality data acquired about the communication quality calculation areas concerning the vehicles 3 traveling or scheduled to travel in the respective communication quality calculation areas; and a second processing section 35 for executing processing related to transmission data in response to received event data and in accordance with priority of the transmission data received together with the event data when the communication section 31 receives the transmission data including an image captured by a camera 20 and the event data related to an event which has occurred in capturing the image from the respective wireless communication devices 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for realizing automatic driving of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of vehicle automatic driving technology and the spread of wireless communication technologies such as so-called 5G, the need for monitoring or controlling each vehicle has been increasing. For example, in Patent Document 1, among the captured images captured by the front camera, left side camera, right side camera, rear camera, and in-vehicle camera of a vehicle, the captured images that are highly necessary according to the vehicle situation are preferentially transmitted to a control center. For example, when the vehicle situation is "going straight", the priority of the front camera image is set to the highest priority "1", and the resolution is set to the highest resolution "4K", and so on.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a wireless communication network, due to various reasons, the local communication situation fluctuates, so there is a risk that stable monitoring or control of a vehicle cannot be ensured.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize automatic driving according to the communication situation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a communication unit that communicates with each wireless communication device of a plurality of vehicles via a wireless communication network; an acquisition unit that acquires communication quality data relating to the current and future communication quality for each communication quality calculation area included in the operating area of ​​the vehicles; and a first processing unit that performs processing according to the communication quality data acquired for each of the communication quality calculation areas for each of the vehicles that is currently traveling through or is scheduled to travel through that communication quality calculation area. The first processing unit performs processing related to the entry and exit of the vehicles into the communication quality calculation area, according to the number of wireless communication devices that can currently or will be able to wirelessly communicate at a predetermined communication quality or higher in the communication quality calculation area, and the current operating status or future operating plan of each vehicle. The present invention provides an information processing device characterized by comprising the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to realize autonomous driving in accordance with communication conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the wireless communication device 10 provided in the vehicle 3 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control server device 30 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control server device 30. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates the inclusion relationship between the communication quality calculation area and the operating area in the same embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the communication quality data stored by the control server device 30. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the operational area data stored by the control server device 30. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates vehicle operation data stored by the control server device 30. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control server device 30. [Figure 10]This diagram illustrates an example of an image displayed in the control server device 30. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates an example of an image displayed in the control server device 30. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [composition] Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 comprises a wireless communication device 10 and a camera 20 mounted on each of several vehicles 3, a control server device 30 that functions as an information processing device according to the present invention, and a communication quality calculation device 40 that calculates the communication quality in the wireless communication network 2. Multiple cameras 20, which serve as imaging devices, are mounted on each vehicle 3, for example, a front camera, a left-side camera, a right-side camera, a rear camera, and an interior camera. The wireless communication network 2 connects the wireless communication device 10, the control server device 30, and the communication quality calculation device 40 so that they can communicate with each other. The wireless communication network 2 is preferably, for example, a network compliant with a fifth-generation mobile communication system, but is not necessarily limited to this.

[0010] In the vehicle control system 1, passengers use a wireless communication device (not shown), such as a smartphone, to request a ride from a pre-selected boarding point to a destination point of their choice. This boarding request is transmitted from the wireless communication device to the control server device 30 via the wireless communication network 2. Multiple vehicles 3, each equipped with a wireless communication device 10, are either driving or waiting in a distributed manner. The control server device 30 selects a vehicle 3 that matches the user's boarding request from a group of vehicles near the boarding point or a group of vehicles scheduled to drive near that boarding point. The control server device 30 identifies the route from the vehicle 3's current location to the destination point via the boarding point and notifies the selected vehicle 3's wireless communication device 10 of this route data. Furthermore, detection data detected by sensors (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 3 and image data captured by the vehicle 3's camera are constantly transmitted to the control server device 30 via the wireless communication network 2. The control server device 30 then notifies the wireless communication device 10 of the control data necessary for automated driving. Vehicle 3 will perform autonomous driving along the specified route in accordance with the data set provided above.

[0011] As described above, various data sets are transmitted and received between the wireless communication device 10 and the control server device 30. Such data sets are generally large in volume, and because local communication conditions can fluctuate in the wireless communication network 2 for various reasons, there is a risk that stable monitoring or control of vehicles cannot be guaranteed.

[0012] The communication quality calculation device 40 calculates the communication quality within each predetermined communication quality calculation area. Here, communication quality refers to predicted values ​​such as the uplink and downlink bitrates of the Ego Vehicle, uplink and downlink communication delays, uplink and downlink jitter, and their respective uncertainties (such as variance and probability distribution), as well as network-level communication capacity and the number of simultaneously connected wireless communication devices 10. Furthermore, when priority control or QoS control is performed, the number of simultaneously connected users at the network level may include not only the number of wireless communication devices 10 that can be simultaneously connected to each base station of the wireless communication network 2, but also the number of wireless communication devices 10 to which a specific priority control level or QoS control level can be applied. In addition, communication quality also includes its susceptibility to disruption. The susceptibility of communication quality to disruption, as used herein, is calculated using well-known techniques, such as whether priority control for communication is enabled in the target communication quality calculation area or its surrounding area, the level of that priority control, the remaining budget for priorityable wireless communication devices, the degree of congestion and interference of wireless communication devices in the target communication quality calculation area or its surrounding area, and the frequency and connection status (measurement report results, etc.) of wireless communication devices. The communication quality calculation device 40 further calculates not only the current communication status in each communication quality calculation area but also the future communication status in each communication quality calculation area by using statistical processing such as the variance and probability distribution of the above-mentioned parameters. Furthermore, when a redundant configuration is adopted, such as using multiple wireless communication networks 2 in combination, and the number of communication quality items that can be obtained differs for each wireless communication network, a bias may be applied to the uncertainty (variance, probability distribution, etc.) for each wireless communication network to take into account the influence of unknown communication quality. Communication quality may include anything that can be calculated using well-known techniques, in addition to the examples above.

[0013] Note that in FIG. 1, although the communication quality calculation device 40 is conceptually illustrated as one device, it may be distributed among a plurality of devices included in or connected to the wireless communication network 2, or may be integrated with the control server device 30. The control server device 30 performs processing for realizing the automatic driving of the vehicle according to the communication status calculated by the communication quality calculation device 40.

[0014] Next, the configuration of each device shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the wireless communication device 10. Physically, the wireless communication device 10 is configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, and a bus connecting these. In the following description, the term "device" can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the wireless communication device 10 may be configured to include one or more of each device shown in the figure, or may be configured without including some devices.

[0015] Each function in the wireless communication device 10 is realized by causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations by loading a predetermined software (program) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, controlling communication by the communication device 1004, and controlling at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0016] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by operating an operating system, for example. The processor 1001 may be constituted by a central processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, a register, etc. Also, for example, a baseband signal processing unit, a call processing unit, etc. may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0017] Processor 1001 reads a program (program code), software module, data, etc. from at least one of storage 1003 and communication device 1004 into memory 1002, and executes various processes according to these. As the program, a program that causes a computer to execute at least a part of the operations described later is used. The functional blocks of wireless communication device 10 may be stored in memory 1002 and realized by a control program operating in processor 1001. Various processes may be executed by one processor 1001, or may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. Processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. Note that the program may be transmitted from wireless communication network 2 to wireless communication device 10 via a telecommunication line.

[0018] Memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be constituted by at least one of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Memory 1002 may be called a register, cache, main memory (main storage device), etc. Memory 1002 can store a program (program code), software module, etc. executable for implementing the method according to this embodiment.

[0019] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be constituted by at least one of, for example, an optical disk such as CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (for example, a compact disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc), a smart card, a flash memory (for example, a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may be called an auxiliary storage device.

[0020] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting / receiving device) for communicating between computers via the wireless communication network 2, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may include a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmitting and receiving antenna, amplifier section, transmitting and receiving section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmitting and receiving section may be implemented in a physically or logically separated manner, with a transmitting section and a receiving section.

[0021] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a key, microphone, switch, button, sensor, GPS unit, input interface, etc.). Image data captured by the camera 20 is input to the input device 1005. The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touchscreen).

[0022] Each device, such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, is connected by a bus for communicating information. The bus may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be used for each device.

[0023] Furthermore, the wireless communication device 10 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by this hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0024] Figure 3 shows the hardware configuration of the control server device 30. The hardware configuration of the control server device 30 may include one or more of the devices shown in Figure 3, or it may be configured without some of the devices. Alternatively, multiple devices with different enclosures may be connected via communication to configure the control server device 30 as a control system.

[0025] Physically, the control server device 30 is configured as a computer device including a processor 3001, memory 3002, storage 3003, communication device 3004, input device 3005, output device 3006, and a bus connecting these. Each function of the control server device 30 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 3001 and memory 3002, which causes the processor 3001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 3004, and control at least one of the reading and writing of data in the memory 3002 and storage 3003. The processor 3001, memory 3002, storage 3003, communication device 3004, input device 3005, output device 3006, and the bus connecting them are hardware-similar to the processor 1001, memory 1002, storage 1003, communication device 1004, input device 1005, output device 1006, and the bus connecting them described for the wireless communication device 10, so a detailed description of them is omitted.

[0026] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control server device 30. As shown in Figure 4, the control server device 30 implements the following functions: a communication unit 31, an acquisition unit 32, a first processing unit 33, a storage unit 34, and a second processing unit 35.

[0027] The communication unit 31 communicates with each wireless communication device 10 via the wireless communication network 2. The communication unit 31 receives transmission data, including image data captured by the camera 20 installed in each vehicle 3, and event data related to events that occurred at the time of imaging, from each wireless communication device 10 installed in each vehicle 3 via the wireless communication network 2. Events here refer to various events related to the control of vehicle 3, such as vehicle 3 approaching a boarding point, passengers boarding vehicle 3, passengers alighting from vehicle 3, vehicle 3 entering a specific area such as an intersection, the presence of an obstacle on the road surface corresponding to the vehicle 3's route, or an accident or traffic restriction occurring on the vehicle 3's route. These event data are determined and generated by the wireless communication device 10 of each vehicle 3 based on image data captured by the camera 20 installed in each vehicle 3 and detection results from various sensors.

[0028] The acquisition unit 32 acquires communication quality data relating to current and future communication quality from the communication quality calculation device 40 for each communication quality calculation area included in the vehicle's operating area.

[0029] Here, Figure 5 illustrates the inclusion relationship between the communication quality calculation area and the operation area. As shown in Figure 5, the operation area ca, which is the unit of control for the operation of vehicle 3, contains multiple communication quality calculation areas qa, which are the units for calculating communication quality. In other words, the operation area ca is larger than the communication quality calculation area qa. Note that the shape and size ratio of the operation area ca and communication quality calculation area qa shown in Figure 5 are merely illustrative and are not necessarily limited to the example in Figure 5.

[0030] Figure 6 is an example of communication quality data acquired by the acquisition unit 32. As shown in the figure, the communication quality data includes a communication quality calculation area ID for identifying each communication quality calculation area, location information indicating the location of that area, and the communication quality level (for example, minimum level 1 and maximum level 10) for the current time t0 and future times t1, t2, t3, etc. in that area. This communication quality data is stored in the storage unit 34.

[0031] The memory unit 34 also stores the operation area data illustrated in Figure 7 and the vehicle data illustrated in Figure 8. The operation area data includes an operation area ID for identifying each operation area and location information indicating the location of that area. The vehicle data includes a vehicle ID for identifying each vehicle 3, location information indicating the location of that vehicle 3, and route data determined for that vehicle 3.

[0032] Furthermore, the memory unit 34 also stores map data and traffic data for all traffic service areas. The map data includes information on the location of each road within all operating areas, the directions in which vehicles can travel and the number of lanes on each road, and information on traffic signals, etc., on each road. The traffic data includes information on congestion, accidents, etc., on each road within all operating areas. In addition, the traffic data may include information on traffic volume sensed by a predetermined sensing device in each region, and statistical information from a macro perspective on how groups of vehicles 3 move on the roads depending on conditions such as the date and time. This map data and traffic data are used to determine the route of vehicle 3 and the time it takes for the vehicle to travel along that route.

[0033] Returning to the explanation of Figure 4, the first processing unit 33 performs processing for each vehicle 3 that is currently traveling through or is scheduled to travel through that communication quality calculation area, in accordance with the communication quality data acquired for that communication quality calculation area. For example, the first processing unit 33 performs processing related to the entry and exit of vehicles into the communication quality calculation area, according to the number of wireless communication devices that can wirelessly communicate at a predetermined communication quality or higher in the communication quality calculation area now or in the future, and the current operating status or future operating plan of each vehicle.

[0034] The processing performed by the first processing unit 33 includes various controls on the operation of vehicle 3, such as determining and changing the vehicle's route, changing the vehicle's destination, changing the vehicle's speed (including stopping), suspending vehicle dispatch requests, charging / refueling vehicle 3, and returning vehicle 3 to the waiting area. It also includes various controls on the communication of the wireless communication device 10 installed in vehicle 3, such as restricting communication using the communication line to the wireless communication device 10 and enabling a backup communication line to the wireless communication device 10. Through the processing of the first processing unit 33, vehicle 3 can take measures such as slowing down, making a safe stop, or moving to an area with better communication quality in areas where communication quality is poor. Furthermore, in areas where communication quality is poor, vehicle 3 can take measures such as restricting communication using the communication line to the wireless communication device 10 or enabling a backup communication line to the wireless communication device 10.

[0035] In this case, the first processing unit 33 may calculate a predicted communication capacity from the communication quality data for each vehicle 3 and for the current time and future time, and perform processing to update the route data of each vehicle 3 within the operating area so that the wireless communication device 10 of each vehicle 3 can travel while communicating at a rate that does not exceed the predicted communication capacity. For example, if a decrease in communication quality is predicted in a specific communication quality calculation area at a future time t2 based on the communication quality data in Figure 6, the route data within the operating area is updated at the current time t0 to perform control so that operational errors due to the decrease in communication quality do not occur. This makes it possible to perform control that takes into account the future position of the vehicles, and various errors (such as pickup errors and unintended stops during passenger transport) that occur when communication quality is a bottleneck can be avoided. When performing the processing of the first processing unit 33, it is also possible to minimize the impact on service and operating costs by considering the demand for vehicles 3, charging prices, dispatch status, and communication costs that depend on the priority control level and QoS control level.

[0036] As described above, the communication unit 31 receives transmission data including image data captured by the camera 20 and event data relating to events that occurred during the capture from each wireless communication device 10. In this case, the second processing unit 35 determines the priority of the transmission data received together with the event data according to the received event data, and performs processing related to the transmission of each transmission data according to the determined priority. The processing related to the transmission of transmission data here includes, for example, whether or not to display the transmission data on the control server device 30 side, displaying the transmission data in high resolution / low resolution, setting the upper limit bitrate of the transmission data, selecting the transmission data, changing the transmission frequency of the transmission data, changing the data size of the transmission data, etc. With respect to each vehicle 3 traveling in each communication quality calculation area, the second processing unit 35 performs processing according to priority under the communication quality limitations indicated by the communication quality data acquired for that area.

[0037] Regarding the determination of priority, the second processing unit 35 may analyze the received event data and determine the priority, including the importance and urgency of the event. Specifically, the second processing unit 35 may consider events such as vehicle 3 approaching a boarding point, passengers boarding vehicle 3, passengers alighting from vehicle 3, vehicle 3 entering a specific area such as an intersection, an obstacle existing on the road surface corresponding to the vehicle 3's route, or an accident or traffic restriction occurring on the vehicle 3's route to be of high importance and urgency, and as a result determine that the priority is high. In this case, the second processing unit 35 may perform processing according to both importance and urgency, for example, prioritizing the transmission of image data from the vehicle 3's front camera when vehicle 3 approaches a boarding point, prioritizing the transmission of image data from the vehicle 3's interior camera when passengers board or alight from vehicle 3, or prioritizing the transmission of image data from the front camera when an obstacle exists on the road surface corresponding to the vehicle 3's route. In other words, if the vehicle 3 is equipped with multiple cameras 20, the second processing unit 35 determines the priority of the transmitted data received along with the event data, according to the received event data, for each camera 20 that captured the image included in the transmitted data.

[0038] [Operation] Next, the operation of the control server device 30 will be described. The procedures for each process shown in Figure 9 are described in the program stored in the control server device 30. In Figure 9, first, the acquisition unit 32 acquires via the wireless communication network 2 (step S11).

[0039] Next, the first processing unit 33 processes each vehicle 3 that is currently traveling through or is scheduled to travel through a communication quality calculation area, according to the communication quality data acquired for that communication quality calculation area. At the same time, when the communication unit 31 receives transmission data including images captured by the camera 20 and event data relating to events that occurred at the time of imaging from each wireless communication device 10, the second processing unit 35 processes the received event data according to the priority of the transmission data received together with the event data (step S12).

[0040] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate images displayed in the control server device 30. Normally, the output device 3006 (display device) of the control server device 30 displays images for each vehicle, as illustrated in Figure 10, based on the transmitted data (image data) received from the wireless communication device 10 of each vehicle 3. The operator monitors the automated driving status of each vehicle 3 while viewing these images.

[0041] Here, if, based on future communication quality data, it is determined that, for example, vehicle "1" will pass through a communication quality calculation area with poor communication quality on its route, a message to that effect will be displayed, as illustrated in Figure 11, along with a message asking whether or not to change the route. In this case, the operator will, for example, perform an operation to change the route, and accordingly, the first processing unit 33 will perform the route change process for vehicle "1".

[0042] According to the embodiments described above, it becomes possible to realize autonomous driving in accordance with communication conditions. In particular, by using two types of areas, an operating area and a communication quality calculation area, and by dividing the operating area into multiple communication quality calculation areas, it becomes possible to control the vehicle based on highly accurate predictions of communication quality, for example, taking into account the impact of the communication capacity of the base station.

[0043] [Differentiation] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The embodiments described above may be modified as follows. Furthermore, two or more of the following modifications may be combined and implemented.

[0044] In the embodiment described above, the control server device 30 determined the priority, but the wireless communication device 10 of the vehicle 3 may determine at least part of the priority. That is, the wireless communication device 10 of the vehicle 3 determines the priority of the transmission data, including the image captured by the camera 20, according to the event data relating to the event that occurred when the camera 20 of each vehicle 3 was capturing an image, and transmits the transmission data and event data together to the control server device 30. In the control server device 30, the communication unit 31 receives the transmission data and event data along with the priority of the transmission data from the wireless communication devices 10 of the multiple vehicles 3 via the wireless communication network 2. The second processing unit 35 processes the transmission data according to the received event data and according to the priority of the transmission data received together with the event data.

[0045] While a control server device 30 is given as an example of an information processing device according to the present invention, the present invention can be applied to any computer that implements the functional blocks illustrated in Figure 5.

[0046] The block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may also be realized by combining the above one device or the above multiple devices with software.

[0047] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, judgment, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0048] Information notification is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, information notification may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling, broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block))), other signals, or combinations thereof. RRC signaling may also be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0049] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to at least one of the following systems: LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and other appropriate systems, as well as next-generation systems extended based thereon. Furthermore, multiple systems may be applied in combination (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0050] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0051] Information can be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). Input and output may also occur via multiple network nodes.

[0052] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0053] The determination may be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0054] Each aspect / embodiment described herein may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification). Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0055] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name. Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0056] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof. In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0057] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0058] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index. The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0059] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably. A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0060] The wireless communication device 10 may also be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc.

[0061] The terms "determining" and "decision" can encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "decision" can include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiry (e.g., searching in tables, databases, or other data structures), and ascertaining. Furthermore, "determining" and "decision" can also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, and accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0062] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0063] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0064] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0065] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0066] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0067] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1...Vehicle control system, 2...Wireless communication network, 3...Vehicle, 10...Wireless communication device, 1001...Processor, 1002...Memory, 1003...Storage, 1004...Communication device, 1005...Input device, 1006...Output device, 20...Camera, 30...Management server device, 31...Communication unit, 32...Acquisition unit, 33...First processing unit, 34...Storage unit, 35...Second processing unit, 3001...Processor, 3002...Memory, 3003...Storage, 3004...Communication device.

Claims

1. A communication unit that communicates with each wireless communication device installed in multiple vehicles via a wireless communication network, An acquisition unit that acquires communication quality data regarding current and future communication quality for each communication quality calculation area included in the operating area of ​​the aforementioned vehicle, A first processing unit that performs processing in accordance with communication quality data acquired for each of the aforementioned communication quality calculation areas, with respect to each of the aforementioned vehicles that are currently traveling through or are scheduled to travel through said communication quality calculation area, and which performs processing related to the entry and exit of the aforementioned vehicles to said communication quality calculation area according to the number of aforementioned wireless communication devices that are currently or will be able to wirelessly communicate at a predetermined communication quality or higher in said communication quality calculation area, and the current operating status or future operating plan of each of the aforementioned vehicles. An information processing device characterized by comprising:

2. The communication unit receives transmission data, including images captured by the imaging device of each of the vehicles, and event data relating to events that occurred at the time of said imaging, from each wireless communication device of the multiple vehicles via the wireless communication network. The system includes a second processing unit that determines the priority of the transmitted data received together with the received event data, and performs processing on each of the transmitted data according to the determined priority. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a product of the present invention.

3. The communication unit receives, via the wireless communication network, transmission data including images captured by the imaging device of each of the vehicles, and event data relating to events that occurred at the time of said imaging, along with the priority of the transmission data, from each wireless communication device of the multiple vehicles. The system includes a second processing unit that processes the transmitted data according to the priority of the transmitted data received together with the event data, based on the received event data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a product of the present invention.

4. The second processing unit analyzes the received event data to determine the priority of the event, including its importance and urgency, and performs the processing according to both its importance and urgency. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it is a product of the present invention.

5. The second processing unit performs processing according to the priority for each vehicle traveling through each of the communication quality calculation areas, under the communication quality limitations indicated by the communication quality data acquired for that area. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it is a product of the present invention.

6. The second processing unit performs processing related to the display of images contained in the transmitted data, according to the priority determined for the transmitted data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it is a product of the present invention.

7. When the vehicle is equipped with multiple imaging devices, The second processing unit determines, in accordance with the received event data, the priority of the transmitted data received together with the event data for each imaging device that captured the image contained in the transmitted data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it is a product of the present invention.

Images