Communication devices, communication systems, communication methods, and programs

Abstract

In order to make it possible to identify which communication scheme is supported by the vehicle types of vehicles, this communication device (1) comprises: a communication means (11) that receives vehicle-related communication information and position information from the vehicles; a video acquisition means (12) that acquires video of the vehicles; a feature information acquisition means (13) that acquires vehicle-related feature information on the basis of the video acquired by the video acquisition means (12); and a storage means (14) that stores the vehicle-related feature information acquired by the feature information acquisition means (13) and the communication information in association with each other as a support relationship on the basis of the communication information, the position information, and the video of the vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication system, a communication method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] A vehicle traveling on a road can connect to a base station provided in the vicinity and connect to a network via the base station within a cell managed by the base station. There are various types of vehicles on the road that support different communication methods, such as vehicles corresponding to Uu communication of the fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G), vehicles corresponding to V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication (PC5 communication of LTE-V2X), and vehicles that do not support any communication. As related technology, there is an invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that an information center determines the urgency of whether to immediately transmit information to an in-vehicle device and determines the communication method of data communication based on the determined urgency.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When a server or the like presents information to a vehicle by message transmission or the like, it is necessary to identify which type of vehicle each vehicle corresponds to in terms of communication method. However, since the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 determines the communication method of data communication based on the degree of urgency, even if this technology is applied, it is impossible to identify which type of vehicle each vehicle corresponds to in terms of communication method.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that makes it possible to identify which communication system each vehicle corresponds to. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A communication device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: communication means for receiving communication information and location information of a vehicle from the vehicle; video acquisition means for acquiring video of the vehicle; feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the video acquisition means; and storage means for linking the feature information of the vehicle acquired by the feature information acquisition means and the communication information for each vehicle, based on the communication information, location information, and video of the vehicle, and storing them as a correspondence.

[0008] A communication system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first communication means for receiving vehicle communication information and location information from a vehicle; a first video acquisition means for acquiring video of the vehicle; a first feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the first video acquisition means; a first storage means for linking the feature information of the vehicle acquired by the first feature information acquisition means and the communication information for each vehicle, based on the communication information, the location information, and the video of the vehicle, and storing the corresponding relationship stored in the first storage means; and the corresponding relationship transmitted via the first communication means. The system comprises: a second communication means for receiving information related to the correspondence; a second storage means for storing information related to the correspondence received by the second communication means; a second video acquisition means for acquiring video of the vehicle; a second feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the second video acquisition means; a communication information acquisition means for acquiring the communication information from the second storage means based on the feature information of the vehicle acquired by the second feature information acquisition means; and a third communication means for providing information to the vehicle based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition means.

[0009] A communication method according to one aspect of the present invention receives communication information and location information of a vehicle from the vehicle, acquires video footage of the vehicle, acquires characteristic information of the vehicle based on the acquired video footage, and stores the acquired characteristic information of the vehicle and the communication information linked together for each vehicle based on the communication information, location information, and video footage of the vehicle, as a correspondence.

[0010] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following processes: receiving vehicle communication information and location information from the vehicle; acquiring video footage of the vehicle; acquiring characteristic information of the vehicle based on the acquired video footage; and linking the acquired characteristic information of the vehicle and the communication information for each vehicle based on the communication information, location information, and video footage of the vehicle, and storing them as a correspondence. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify which communication system each vehicle corresponds to. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a communication device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the flow of a communication method for a communication device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a communication system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the correspondence between vehicle characteristic information and communication information. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the flow of a communication method for a communication system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of an area managed by a communication device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a communication system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This diagram schematically shows the state of the vehicle when it is in the second area. [Figure 9] This diagram schematically shows the state when a vehicle enters the first area. [Figure 10] This block diagram shows the configuration of a computer that functions as a communication device according to each exemplary embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] [Exemplary Embodiment 1] <Communication device 1 according to exemplary embodiment 1> A first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is the basic form of the exemplary embodiments described later. The reference numerals in the drawings appended to this summary are added for convenience to each element as an example to aid understanding, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the illustrated form. In addition, the connection lines between blocks in the drawings and other references in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows schematically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. Furthermore, the input and output connection points of each block in the figures may be configured to include ports or interfaces, but these configurations are omitted from the illustration.

[0014] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a communication device 1 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the communication device 1 according to this exemplary embodiment includes a communication means 11, an image acquisition means 12, a feature information acquisition means 13, and a storage means 14.

[0015] The communication means 11 receives the communication information and position information of the vehicle from the vehicle. The communication device 1 manages a predetermined area, and the communication means 11 receives the communication information and position information from the communication devices mounted on the vehicles traveling within the predetermined area. Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with a communication device will simply be referred to as a "vehicle".

[0016] The communication information of the vehicle includes at least the communication method that the vehicle can support and address information such as the IP address of the vehicle. The communication methods include 5G Uu communication, V2X PC5 communication, V2N communication, V2I communication, V2V communication, WiFi (registered trademark), Local 5G, etc. Both LTE C-V2X (LTE V2X) and 5G C-V2X (NR V2X) include two types of communication methods: direct communication (PC5 communication) and indirect communication (Uu communication).

[0017] Uu communication is a method of communicating via a base station and is the same communication as that performed by a normal smartphone, etc. Note that Uu communication is a unicast type of communication and may also be called V2N (Vehicle to Network) communication.

[0018] PC5 communication is a method of directly communicating between vehicles or between a vehicle and a roadside unit without passing through a base station, and may also be called V2V communication or V2I communication. PC5 communication is generally a broadcast type of communication and is not suitable for high-capacity communication due to bandwidth and radio protocol specification constraints. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, when simply described as "C-V2X", it shall refer to PC5 communication.

[0019] The position information of the vehicle can be obtained, for example, by a GPS (Global Positioning System) device mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle periodically obtains the position information by the GPS device and transmits the position information of the vehicle to the communication device 1.

[0020] The video acquisition means 12 acquires video of the vehicle. The video acquisition means 12 acquires video captured by, for example, one or more cameras placed at the intersection. The one or more cameras may capture video of the entire intersection, or they may capture video of only a part of the intersection. The video acquisition means 12 may also be placed outside the intersection, or on the roadside outside the intersection.

[0021] The feature information acquisition means 13 acquires vehicle feature information based on the video acquired by the video acquisition means 12. The vehicle feature information is at least one of the following: information about the vehicle's license plate, information about the vehicle's make and model, information about the vehicle's shape, and information about the vehicle's color. The vehicle feature information is not limited to these, but is sufficient if it is information that can identify the vehicle.

[0022] The feature information acquisition means 13 identifies objects in the video by performing object recognition using deep learning, such as a convolutional neural network (CNN). For example, the feature information acquisition means 13 is configured to identify vehicles, their make and model, shape, color, etc., from the video. Alternatively, the feature information acquisition means 13 may extract images of license plates from the vehicle images and acquire the contents of the license plates by character recognition.

[0023] The storage means 14 stores the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the characteristic information acquisition means 13 and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle, based on the communication information, location information, and vehicle images. Since the vehicle from which the characteristic information was acquired can be identified from the vehicle images acquired by the image acquisition means 12 and the vehicle location information, the storage means 14 can store the vehicle characteristic information and the communication information in a linked manner.

[0024] For example, since the video acquired by the video acquisition means 12 may contain video of multiple vehicles, it is necessary to identify which vehicle is the one from which the feature information was acquired. In this case, the video acquisition means 12 can pre-associate the video region with location information, and the vehicle appearing in the region corresponding to the vehicle's location information can be identified as the vehicle from which the feature information was acquired. Therefore, the storage means 14 can store the vehicle's feature information acquired by the feature information acquisition means 13 and the communication information (received from the vehicle along with the location information) linked together for each vehicle.

[0025] Alternatively, the communication means 11 may receive vehicle communication information and characteristic information from the vehicle, and the storage means 14 may link the vehicle characteristic information and communication information for each vehicle and store them as a corresponding relationship.

[0026] <Effects of communication device 1> As described above, according to the communication device 1 of this exemplary embodiment, the storage means 14 stores vehicle characteristic information and communication information in association, so that vehicle communication information can be obtained by referring to the vehicle characteristic information, and the vehicle type that corresponds to which communication system can be identified.

[0027] <Flowchart of communication method S1 by communication device 1> The flow of the communication method performed by the communication device 1 configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the communication method. As shown in Figure 2, the communication method S1 includes steps S11 to S14.

[0028] First, the communication means 11 receives communication information and location information from the vehicle (S11). The communication device 1 manages a predetermined area, and the communication means 11 receives communication information and location information from vehicles traveling within that predetermined area.

[0029] Next, the video acquisition means 12 acquires video of the vehicle (S12). The video acquisition means 12 acquires video captured by, for example, one or more cameras placed at the intersection. One or more cameras may capture video of the entire intersection, or they may capture video of only a part of the intersection.

[0030] Next, the feature information acquisition means 13 acquires vehicle feature information based on the video acquired by the video acquisition means 12 (S13). The vehicle feature information is at least one of the following: information about the vehicle's license plate, information about the vehicle's make and model, information about the vehicle's shape, and information about the vehicle's color.

[0031] Finally, the storage means 14 stores the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the characteristic information acquisition means 13 and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle, based on the communication information, location information, and vehicle video (S14). As described above, since the vehicle from which characteristic information was acquired can be identified from the vehicle video acquired by the video acquisition means 12 and the vehicle location information, the storage means 14 can store the vehicle characteristic information and the communication information linked together.

[0032] <Effects of communication method S1> As described above, according to the communication method S1 of the communication device 1 in this exemplary embodiment, the storage means 14 stores the vehicle's characteristic information and the communication information in association. Therefore, by referring to the vehicle's characteristic information, the vehicle's communication information can be obtained, and the vehicle type that corresponds to which communication method can be identified.

[0033] <Communication system 100 according to exemplary embodiment 1> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a communication system 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the communication system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment has a configuration in which a first communication device 1 and a second communication device 2 are connected via a DN (Data Network) 51.

[0034] Here, the specific configuration of DN51 is not limited to this exemplary embodiment, but as an example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), wired LAN, WAN (Wide Area Network), public telephone network, mobile data communication network, or a combination of these networks can be used.

[0035] The first communication device 1 includes a first communication means 11, a first image acquisition means 12, a first feature information acquisition means 13, and a first storage means 14. The second communication device 2 includes a second communication means 21, a second image acquisition means 22, a second feature information acquisition means 23, a second storage means 24, a communication information acquisition means 25, and a third communication means 26. The second communication means 21 and the third communication means 26 may be the same.

[0036] Furthermore, the functions of the first communication device 1 and the second communication device 2 may be implemented on the cloud or on MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing). For example, the first communication means 11 and the first video acquisition means 12 of the first communication device 1 may be a single device, and the first feature information acquisition means 13 and the first storage means 14 may be a single device. These may be implemented in a single device or in separate devices. For example, if they are implemented in separate devices, information from each part is transmitted and received via DN51 to proceed with processing.

[0037] The first communication means 11 receives communication information and location information from the vehicle. The first communication device 1 manages the first area, and the first communication means 11 receives communication information and location information from vehicles traveling within the first area. The vehicle's communication information includes at least the communication method the vehicle can support and the vehicle's address information. As an example, a vehicle traveling within the first area transmits communication information to the first communication means 11 in order to obtain surrounding traffic information, etc. The first communication means 11 uses the transmitted communication information to transmit surrounding traffic information, etc. to the vehicle traveling within the first area. At this time, the vehicle traveling within the first area also transmits location information to the first communication means 11.

[0038] The first video acquisition means 12 acquires video of the vehicle. The first video acquisition means 12 acquires video of the first area, for example, which is captured by one or more cameras positioned at an intersection within the first area. The one or more cameras may capture video of the entire intersection, or they may capture video of only a part of the intersection.

[0039] The first feature information acquisition means 13 acquires vehicle feature information based on the video acquired by the first video acquisition means 12. The vehicle feature information is at least one of the following: information about the vehicle's license plate, information about the vehicle's make and model, information about the vehicle's shape, and information about the vehicle's color.

[0040] The first storage means 14 stores the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the first characteristic information acquisition means 13 and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle, based on the communication information, location information, and vehicle images. Since the vehicle from which the characteristic information was acquired can be identified from the vehicle images acquired by the first image acquisition means 12 and the vehicle location information, the first storage means 14 can store the vehicle characteristic information and the communication information in association. For example, if the location information received from the vehicle matches or is similar to the location information of one or more cameras located at the intersection in the first area, the first storage means 14 recognizes the vehicle that transmitted the communication information and the vehicle captured by one or more cameras located at the intersection in the first area as the same vehicle, and stores the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the first characteristic information acquisition means 13 and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle, as a correspondence. In this case, instead of using the location information of one or more cameras located at intersections within the first area, location information of the first area where the cameras are located or location information of the area being captured by the cameras may be used.

[0041] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between vehicle characteristic information and communication information (communication method). In Figure 4, information regarding the vehicle's license plate is listed as vehicle characteristic information, and the vehicle's communication method is listed as vehicle communication information. As shown in Figure 4, for a vehicle with characteristic information "13-51", "C-V2X" is listed as the communication method that the vehicle can support. Also, for a vehicle with characteristic information "17-73", it is listed that the vehicle does not support either "C-V2X" or "Uu communication".

[0042] The first communication means 11 reads out information related to the correspondence (vehicle characteristic information and communication information) stored in the first storage means 14 and transmits the information related to the correspondence to the second communication device 2 via DN51.

[0043] The second communication means 21 receives information related to the correspondence stored in the first storage means 14, which has been transmitted via the first communication means 11. This information related to the correspondence includes vehicle characteristic information and vehicle communication information, as shown in Figure 4.

[0044] The second storage means 24 stores information related to the correspondence received by the second communication means 21. At this time, the second storage means 24 stores the vehicle characteristic information included in the information related to the correspondence and the vehicle's communication information in association.

[0045] The second video acquisition means 22 acquires video of the vehicle. The second communication device 2 manages the second area, and the second video acquisition means 22 acquires video of the second area, for example, captured by one or more cameras placed at intersections within the second area.

[0046] The second feature information acquisition means 23 acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the second video acquisition means 22. This vehicle is one that has moved from the first area to the second area, and its feature information and communication information have already been linked and stored in the second storage means 24.

[0047] The communication information acquisition means 25 acquires communication information from the second storage means 24 based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the second characteristic information acquisition means 23. As described above, since the vehicle characteristic information and the communication information are already stored in the second storage means 24 in association with each other, the communication information acquisition means 25 can acquire the vehicle's communication information by referring to the vehicle's characteristic information.

[0048] The third communication means 26 provides information to the vehicle based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition means 25. Since the vehicle's communication information includes the vehicle's communication method and the vehicle's address information, the third communication means 26 can start providing information to the vehicle using this information immediately after the vehicle enters the second area.

[0049] <Effects of Communication System 100> As described above, according to the communication system 100 of this exemplary embodiment, the communication information acquisition means 25 acquires communication information from the second storage means 24 based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the second characteristic information acquisition means 23. Therefore, the third communication means 26 can start providing information immediately after the vehicle enters the second area.

[0050] For example, if the vehicle supports C-V2X, the third communication means 26 can provide information to the vehicle using C-V2X broadcast communication. In this case, the vehicle's address information is not required. Also, if the vehicle supports Uu communication, the third communication means 26 can provide information to the vehicle via Uu communication using the vehicle's address information.

[0051] <Flow of communication methods S1 and S2 by communication system 100> The flow of the communication method executed by the communication system 100 configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the communication method. As shown in Figure 5, communication method S1 includes steps S11 to S15, and S2 includes steps S21 to S26. S1 is mainly the processing flow by the first communication device 1, and S2 is mainly the processing flow by the second communication device 2.

[0052] First, the first communication means 11 receives communication information and location information from the vehicle (S11). The first communication device 1 manages the first area, and the first communication means 11 receives communication information and location information from vehicles traveling within the first area. The vehicle's communication information includes at least the communication method the vehicle can support and the vehicle's address information.

[0053] Next, the first video acquisition means 12 acquires video of the vehicle (S12). The first video acquisition means 12 acquires video of the first area, for example, which is captured by one or more cameras positioned at an intersection within the first area.

[0054] Next, the first feature information acquisition means 13 acquires vehicle feature information based on the video acquired by the first video acquisition means 12 (S13). The vehicle feature information is at least one of the following: information about the vehicle's license plate, information about the vehicle's make and model, information about the vehicle's shape, and information about the vehicle's color.

[0055] Next, the first storage means 14 stores the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the first characteristic information acquisition means 13 and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle, based on the communication information, location information, and vehicle images (S14).

[0056] Then, the first communication means 11 reads out the information related to the correspondence (vehicle characteristic information and communication information) stored in the first storage means 14 and transmits the information related to the correspondence to the second communication device 2 via DN51 (S15).

[0057] Meanwhile, in the second communication device 2 managing the second area, the second communication means 21 receives information related to the correspondence stored in the first storage means 14, which has been transmitted via the first communication means 11 (S21). This information related to the correspondence includes vehicle characteristic information and vehicle communication information.

[0058] Next, the second storage means 24 stores information related to the correspondence received by the second communication means 21 (S22). At this time, the second storage means 24 stores the vehicle characteristic information included in the information related to the correspondence and the vehicle's communication information in association.

[0059] Next, the second video acquisition means 22 acquires video of the vehicle (S23). The second video acquisition means 22 acquires video of the second area, for example, which is captured by one or more cameras positioned at intersections within the second area.

[0060] Next, the second feature information acquisition means 23 acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the second video acquisition means 22 (S24). This vehicle is one that has moved from the first area to the second area, and its feature information and communication information have already been linked and stored in the second storage means 24.

[0061] Next, the communication information acquisition means 25 acquires communication information from the second storage means 24 based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the second characteristic information acquisition means 23. As described above, since the vehicle characteristic information and the communication information are already stored in the second storage means 24 in association with each other, the communication information acquisition means 25 can acquire the vehicle's communication information by referring to the vehicle's characteristic information.

[0062] Finally, the third communication means 26 provides information to the vehicle based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition means 25. Since the vehicle's communication information includes the vehicle's communication method and the vehicle's address information, the third communication means 26 can start providing information using this information immediately after the vehicle enters the second area.

[0063] <Effects of communication methods S1 and S2 of communication system 100> As described above, according to the communication method of the communication system 100 in this exemplary embodiment, the communication information acquisition means 25 acquires communication information from the second storage means 24 based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the second characteristic information acquisition means 23. Therefore, the third communication means 26 can start providing information immediately after the vehicle enters the second area.

[0064] [Exemplary Embodiment 2] <Example configuration of communication system 100A according to exemplary embodiment 2> Figure 6 shows an example of an area managed by a communication device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, four traffic lights 40-1 to 40-4 are installed at the intersection. Cameras 20-1 to 20-4 are installed at each of the traffic lights 40-1 to 40-4. A base station 30 is also installed at traffic light 40-4.

[0065] For example, the communication device may acquire video from camera 20-1 and analyze only a portion of the intersection's image, or it may acquire four images from cameras 20-1 to 20-4 and analyze the image of the entire intersection.

[0066] Figure 7 shows the configuration of a communication system 100A according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The communication system 100A according to this exemplary embodiment includes a first communication device 1A, a second communication device 2A, a base station (gNB) 30, a 5GC / UPF 31, and a DN 51.

[0067] The base station 30 is compatible with, for example, a gNB in ​​5GC or 4GC. The connection between 5GC / UPF31 and the vehicle 61 is made via the base station (gNB) 30. The first communication device 1A, the second communication device 2A, and 5GC / UPF31 are connected to DN51. DN51 is a data network outside of 5GC or 4GC and includes wide-area networks such as the Internet and narrow-area networks such as LANs.

[0068] 5GC / UPF31 includes AMF (Access and Mobility Function) 311, SMF (Session Management Function) 312, and UPF (User Plane Function) 313.

[0069] AMF311 is a Network Function (NF) that provides authentication, authorization, and mobility management for the vehicle (UE) 61, and controls SMF312. SMF312 is an NF responsible for session management of the vehicle 61, IP address assignment, and selection and control of UPF313 for data transfer.

[0070] For example, if vehicle 61 establishes multiple sessions, the AMF311 can assign a different SMF312 to each session so that each session can be managed independently and each session can utilize a different function. In 5GC, for example, management related to vehicle 61 is handled by one AMF311, and traffic is handled by an SMF312 for each individual network slice.

[0071] 5GC employs an architecture that separates the processing of the C-Plane (Control Plane) for control signal communication, such as establishing communication, and the U-Plane (User Plane) for user data communication. The C-Plane includes AMF311, SMF312, etc. The U-Plane includes UPF313.

[0072] UPF313 functions as an external PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point for interconnection to DN51, and is a NF that performs packet routing, forwarding, etc.

[0073] The first communication device 1A manages the first area and includes a communication unit 11A, an image acquisition unit 12A, a feature information acquisition unit 13A, a storage unit 14A, and a communication information acquisition unit 15A. The configuration of the second communication device 2A, which manages the second area, is the same as that of the first communication device 1A.

[0074] The communication unit 11A is configured to implement communication means in this exemplary embodiment. The video acquisition unit 12A is configured to implement video acquisition means in this exemplary embodiment. The feature information acquisition unit 13A is configured to implement feature information acquisition means in this exemplary embodiment. The storage unit 14A is configured to implement storage means in this exemplary embodiment. The communication information acquisition unit 15A is configured to implement communication information acquisition means in this exemplary embodiment.

[0075] The communication unit 11A receives communication information and location information from the vehicle 61. The communication information includes the communication methods that the vehicle 61 supports. The communication information may also include the address information of the vehicle 61.

[0076] The video acquisition unit 12A acquires video of the vehicle 61. The feature information acquisition unit 13A acquires feature information of the vehicle 61 based on the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 12A. The storage unit 14A stores the feature information of the vehicle 61 acquired by the feature information acquisition unit 13A and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle, based on the communication information, location information, and the video of the vehicle 61, and stores them as a correspondence. The feature information of the vehicle 61 is at least one piece of information from among the information related to the license plate of the vehicle 61, the vehicle type of the vehicle 61, the shape of the vehicle 61, and the color of the vehicle 61.

[0077] The first communication device 1A manages the first area, and the communication unit 11A receives information related to the correspondence from the second communication device 2A, which manages the second area, and stores it in the storage unit 14A. The first communication device 1A also transmits the information related to the correspondence that it has acquired to the second communication device 2A.

[0078] The communication information acquisition unit 15A acquires communication information from the storage unit 14A based on the characteristic information of the vehicle 61 acquired by the characteristic information acquisition unit 13A. The communication information acquisition unit 15A may acquire communication information from the storage unit 14A using information related to the correspondence relationship acquired by the first communication device 1A itself, or it may acquire communication information from the storage unit 14A using information related to the correspondence relationship received from the second communication device 2A and stored in the storage unit 14A.

[0079] The communication unit 11A provides information to the vehicle 61 based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 15A. Since the communication information of the vehicle 61 includes the communication method of the vehicle 61 and the address information of the vehicle 61, the communication unit 11A can start providing information using this information immediately after the vehicle 61 enters the first area from the second area.

[0080] If vehicle 61 is compatible with C-V2X but C-V2X is unavailable in that area, other means of notification may be used in that area, such as using an electronic display board to notify vehicle 61.

[0081] Furthermore, the first communication device 1A can communicate with vehicle 61 even if it does not know the vehicle's communication method, as long as it knows the IP address. However, by knowing the vehicle's communication method, the first communication device 1A can avoid, for example, attempting to communicate with vehicle 61 that does not support C-V2X using the C-V2X method, thereby reducing wasted resources.

[0082] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the state when vehicle 61 is in the second area. When vehicle 61 is in the second area, the second communication device 2A acquires information related to the correspondence of vehicle 61 (characteristic information of vehicle 61 and communication information of vehicle 61) and transmits it to the first communication device 1A.

[0083] The first communication device 1A receives information related to the correspondence of the vehicles 61 (characteristic information of the vehicles 61 and communication information of the vehicles 61) from the second communication device 2A, and stores the characteristic information of the vehicles 61 and the communication information of the vehicles 61 linked together in the storage unit 14A.

[0084] Figure 9 schematically shows the state when vehicle 61 enters the first area. When vehicle 61 enters the first area, the feature information acquisition unit 13A of the first communication device 1A acquires feature information of vehicle 61 based on the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 12A.

[0085] The communication information acquisition unit 15A acquires communication information from the storage unit 14A based on the characteristic information of the vehicle 61 acquired by the characteristic information acquisition unit 13A. As a result, the communication unit 11A can provide information to the vehicle 61 based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 15A.

[0086] <Effects of the first communication device 1A> As described above, according to the first communication device 1A of this exemplary embodiment, the communication unit 11A receives information related to the correspondence from the second communication device 2A which manages the second area and stores it in the storage unit 14A. Therefore, the first communication device 1A can share information related to the correspondence with the second communication device 2A which manages the second area.

[0087] Furthermore, the communication information acquisition unit 15A acquires communication information from the storage unit 14A based on the characteristic information of the vehicle 61 acquired by the characteristic information acquisition unit 13A. Therefore, the communication information acquisition unit 15A can acquire communication information of the vehicle 61 that has moved from the second area to the first area simply by referring to the storage unit 14A.

[0088] Furthermore, the communication unit 11A provides information to the vehicle 61 based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 15A. Therefore, the communication unit 11A can provide information in a communication method that the vehicle 61 can support.

[0089] [Examples of implementation using software] Some or all of the functions of the first communication devices 1, 1A, the second communication devices 2, 2A, and the communication systems 100, 100A may be implemented by hardware such as integrated circuits (IC chips) or by software.

[0090] In the latter case, the first communication devices 1, 1A, the second communication devices 2, 2A, and the communication systems 100, 100A are realized, for example, by a computer that executes instructions for a program, which is software that implements each function. An example of such a computer (hereinafter referred to as computer C) is shown in Figure 10. Computer C comprises at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. Memory C2 stores a program P that causes computer C to operate as the first communication devices 1, 1A, the second communication devices 2, 2A, and the communication systems 100, 100A. In computer C, the processor C1 reads and executes the program P from memory C2, thereby realizing the functions of the first communication devices 1, 1A, the second communication devices 2, 2A, and the communication systems 100, 100A.

[0091] Processor C1 can include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPU (Floating Point Number Processing Unit), PPU (Physics Processing Unit), microcontroller, or a combination thereof. Memory C2 can include, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof.

[0092] Computer C may also be equipped with RAM for loading program P at runtime and for temporarily storing various data. Furthermore, computer C may be equipped with communication interfaces for sending and receiving data with other devices. Additionally, computer C may be equipped with input / output interfaces for connecting input / output devices such as keyboards, mice, displays, and printers.

[0093] Furthermore, program P can be recorded on a non-temporary, tangible recording medium M that is readable by computer C. Such a recording medium M could be, for example, tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, or programmable logic circuitry. Computer C can acquire program P via such a recording medium M. Program P can also be transmitted via a transmission medium. Such a transmission medium could be, for example, a communication network or broadcast waves. Computer C can also acquire program P via such a transmission medium.

[0094] [Additional Note 1] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the embodiments described above are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0095] [Additional Note 2] Some or all of the embodiments described above may also be described as follows. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0096] (Note 1) A communication means for receiving vehicle communication information and location information from the vehicle, A video acquisition means for acquiring video of the aforementioned vehicle, A feature information acquisition means that acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the video acquisition means, A storage means that stores the characteristic information of the vehicle acquired by the characteristic information acquisition means and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle and stored as a corresponding relationship, based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and video of the vehicle. A communication device equipped with the following features.

[0097] According to the above configuration, vehicle communication information can be obtained by referring to the vehicle's characteristic information, and the vehicle type that supports which communication method can be identified.

[0098] (Note 2) The aforementioned communication information includes a communication method that the vehicle can support. The communication device described in Appendix 1.

[0099] (Note 3) The aforementioned communication information includes the vehicle's address information. Communication device as described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0100] (Note 4) The aforementioned vehicle characteristic information is at least one of the following: information regarding the vehicle's license plate, information regarding the vehicle's make and model, information regarding the vehicle's shape, and information regarding the vehicle's color. A communication device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0101] (Note 5) The communication device manages the first area, The communication means receives information related to the correspondence from a communication device other than the communication device that manages the second area, and stores it in the storage means. A communication device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0102] According to the above configuration, the communication device can share information related to correspondence with another communication device that manages the second area.

[0103] (Note 6) The system further comprises a communication information acquisition means that acquires the communication information from the storage means based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the characteristic information acquisition means, The communication means provides information to the vehicle based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition means. A communication device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0104] According to the above configuration, the communication information acquisition means can acquire communication information of a vehicle that has moved from the second area to the first area simply by referring to the storage means. Furthermore, the communication means can provide information in a communication method that the vehicle is compatible with.

[0105] (Note 7) A first communication means that receives vehicle communication information and location information from the vehicle, A first video acquisition means for acquiring video of the vehicle, A first feature information acquisition means that acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the first video acquisition means, Based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle images, a first storage means stores the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the first characteristic information acquisition means and the communication information linked together for each vehicle, as a corresponding relationship. A second communication means for receiving information related to the correspondence stored in the first storage means, transmitted via the first communication means, A second storage means for storing information related to the correspondence received by the second communication means, A second video acquisition means for acquiring video of the vehicle, A second feature information acquisition means acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the second video acquisition means, A communication information acquisition means that acquires the communication information from the second storage means based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the second characteristic information acquisition means, A third communication means that provides information to the vehicle based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition means, A communication system equipped with [the following features].

[0106] According to the above configuration, vehicle communication information can be obtained by referring to the vehicle's characteristic information, and the vehicle type that supports which communication method can be identified.

[0107] (Note 8) The system receives communication information and location information from the vehicle. Acquire video footage of the aforementioned vehicle, Based on the acquired video footage, characteristic information of the vehicle is obtained. Based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle images, the acquired vehicle characteristic information and the communication information are linked for each vehicle and stored as a correspondence. Communication method.

[0108] According to the above configuration, vehicle communication information can be obtained by referring to the vehicle's characteristic information, and the vehicle type that supports which communication method can be identified.

[0109] (Note 9) On the computer, The process of receiving communication information and location information from the vehicle, The process of acquiring video footage of the aforementioned vehicle, Based on the acquired video footage, a process is performed to acquire characteristic information of the vehicle, Based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle images, the process involves linking the acquired vehicle characteristic information and the communication information for each vehicle and storing them as a correspondence. A program that executes the command.

[0110] According to the above configuration, vehicle communication information can be obtained by referring to the vehicle's characteristic information, and the vehicle type that supports which communication method can be identified.

[0111] (Note 10) It comprises at least one processor, the processor being, The process of receiving communication information and location information from the vehicle, The process of acquiring video footage of the aforementioned vehicle, Based on the acquired video footage, a process is performed to acquire characteristic information of the vehicle, Based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle images, the process involves linking the acquired vehicle characteristic information and the communication information for each vehicle and storing them as a correspondence. A communication device that performs [this action].

[0112] Furthermore, this communication device may also be equipped with memory, and this memory may store a program that causes the processor to execute the receiving process, the video acquisition process, the feature information acquisition process, and the storage process. This program may also be recorded on a computer-readable, non-temporary, tangible recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1.1A Communication device (First communication device) 2,2A Second communication device 11. Means of communication (first means of communication) 11A Communication Department 12. Video acquisition means (first video acquisition means) 12A Video Acquisition Unit 13. Means for acquiring feature information (first means for acquiring feature information) 13A Feature Information Acquisition Unit 14. Memory means (first memory means) 14A Storage section 15A Communication Information Acquisition Unit 20 cameras 21. Second means of communication 22 Second means of acquiring video 23. Second means for acquiring characteristic information 24. Second memory means 25 Means for acquiring communication information 26. Third means of communication 30 base station (gNB) 31 5GC / UPF 40 Traffic lights 51 DN 61 vehicles 100,100A communication system 311 AMF 312 SMF 313 UPF

Claims

1. A communication means for receiving vehicle communication information and location information from the vehicle, A video acquisition means for acquiring video of the aforementioned vehicle, A feature information acquisition means that acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the video acquisition means, A storage means that stores the vehicle's characteristic information acquired by the characteristic information acquisition means and the communication information, linked together for each vehicle, based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle image, as a corresponding relationship. A communication device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned communication information includes a communication method that the vehicle can support. The communication device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned communication information includes the vehicle's address information. The communication device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned vehicle characteristic information is at least one of the following: information regarding the vehicle's license plate, information regarding the vehicle's make and model, information regarding the vehicle's shape, and information regarding the vehicle's color. The communication device according to claim 1.

5. The communication device manages the first area, The communication means receives information related to the correspondence from a communication device other than the communication device that manages the second area, and stores it in the storage means. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The system further comprises a communication information acquisition means that acquires the communication information from the storage means based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the characteristic information acquisition means, The communication means provides information to the vehicle based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition means. The communication device according to claim 5.

7. A first communication means that receives vehicle communication information and location information from the vehicle, A first video acquisition means for acquiring video of the vehicle, A first feature information acquisition means that acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the first video acquisition means, Based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle images, a first storage means stores the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the first characteristic information acquisition means and the communication information linked together for each vehicle, as a corresponding relationship. A second communication means for receiving information related to the correspondence stored in the first storage means, which is transmitted via the first communication means, A second storage means for storing information related to the correspondence received by the second communication means, A second video acquisition means for acquiring video of the vehicle, A second feature information acquisition means acquires feature information of the vehicle based on the video acquired by the second video acquisition means, A communication information acquisition means that acquires the communication information from the second storage means based on the vehicle characteristic information acquired by the second characteristic information acquisition means, A third communication means provides information to the vehicle based on the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition means, A communication system equipped with [the following features].

8. The system receives communication information and location information from the vehicle. Acquire video footage of the aforementioned vehicle, Based on the acquired video footage, characteristic information of the vehicle is obtained. Based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle images, the acquired vehicle characteristic information and the communication information are linked for each vehicle and stored as a correspondence. Communication method.

9. On the computer, The process of receiving communication information and location information from the vehicle, The process of acquiring video footage of the aforementioned vehicle, Based on the acquired video footage, a process is performed to acquire characteristic information of the vehicle, Based on the aforementioned communication information, location information, and vehicle images, the process involves linking the acquired vehicle characteristic information and the communication information for each vehicle and storing them as a correspondence. A program that executes the command.

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