Traffic safety support system

Abstract

To provide a traffic safety support system for supporting a safe group movement of a pedestrian group and a safe movement of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A traffic safety support system supports a safe movement of a pedestrian group 3 and a vehicle V. The traffic safety support system includes: a portable information terminal 30 to move together with the pedestrian group 3; on-vehicle control means 20 to move together with the vehicle V; and a traffic control server 6 communicably connected to the portable information terminal 30 and the on-vehicle control means 20. The traffic control server 6 performs: recognizing positions of the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V based on information to be transmitted from the portable information terminal 30 and the on-vehicle control means 20; and transmitting a group existence report to the on-vehicle control means 20 when the vehicle V and the pedestrian group are moving within a common specific traffic area. The on-vehicle control means 20 includes an automatic speed control device 24 for limiting a speed of the vehicle V to be equal to or lower than a predetermined upper limit speed when the group existence report is received in the specific traffic area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to a traffic safety support system. More specifically, it relates to a traffic safety support system that supports safe group movement of a group including a plurality of children as members and safe movement of vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention related to a monitoring system for supporting safe going to and from school of children. In the monitoring system described in Patent Document 1, a child goes to and from school with a main body equipped with a position information receiver, an information processing system, a transmission unit, and a battery in a bag. Also, when the main body arrives at the destination (for example, school when going to school and home when coming home from school) safely, deviates from the commuting route, or stays in the same place for a certain period of time or more, the protector is notified by a smartphone owned by the protector, thereby supporting the safe going to and from school of the child.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] <00​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The present invention aims to provide a traffic safety support system that facilitates the safe group movement of a group consisting of multiple children (including infants) and the safe movement of vehicles within the traffic area where this group movement takes place. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The traffic safety support system according to the present invention (for example, traffic safety support system 1 described later) supports the safe group movement on foot of a group including multiple children (for example, pedestrian group 3 described later) and the safe movement of a vehicle (for example, vehicle V described later), and comprises a portable communication means (for example, portable information terminal 30 described later) that moves with the group, an in-vehicle control means (for example, in-vehicle control means 20 described later) that moves with the vehicle, and a traffic management server (for example, traffic management server 6 described later) that is communicatively connected to the portable communication means and the in-vehicle control means, wherein the traffic management server is the portable Based on information transmitted from the communication means and the in-vehicle control means, the system recognizes the location of the group and the vehicle, and if the vehicle and the group are moving within a common designated traffic area, it transmits a group presence notification to the in-vehicle control means. The in-vehicle control means is characterized by comprising: an in-vehicle communication device (for example, the in-vehicle communication device 21 described later) that receives the group presence notification; and an automatic speed control device (for example, the automatic speed control device 24 described later) that, upon receiving the group presence notification within the designated traffic area, limits the speed of the vehicle within the designated traffic area to a predetermined upper speed limit or less.

[0007] (2) In this case, if the traffic management server is located near the vehicle and ahead in the direction of travel, it transmits a notification of the presence of the group and group characteristic information relating to the characteristics of the group to the on-board control means, and it is preferable that the on-board control means comprises an ambient state information acquisition device (for example, an ambient state information acquisition device 22 described later) that acquires ambient state information relating to the state of the vehicle's surroundings, an ambient state recognition device (for example, an ambient state recognition device 23 described later) that recognizes the presence of the group based on the ambient state information and the group characteristic information, and an automatic deceleration device (for example, an automatic deceleration device 25 described later) that decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition result by the ambient state recognition device.

[0008] (3) The traffic safety support system according to the present invention (for example, traffic safety support system 1 described later) supports the safe group movement on foot of a group including multiple children (for example, pedestrian group 3 described later) and the safe movement of a vehicle (for example, vehicle V described later), and comprises a portable communication means (for example, portable information terminal 30 described later) that moves with the group, an in-vehicle control means (for example, in-vehicle control means 20 described later) that moves with the vehicle, and a traffic management server (for example, traffic management server 6 described later) that is communicatively connected to the portable communication means and the in-vehicle control means, wherein the traffic management server recognizes the location of the group and the vehicle based on information transmitted from the portable communication means and the in-vehicle control means, and the vicinity of the vehicle If the group is located ahead in the direction of travel, the vehicle transmits a group presence notification regarding the presence of the group and group characteristic information regarding the characteristics of the group to the vehicle control means, and the vehicle control means is characterized by comprising: a vehicle communication device (for example, a vehicle communication device 21 described later) that receives the group presence notification and the group characteristic information; a surrounding state information acquisition device (for example, a surrounding state information acquisition device 22 described later) that acquires surrounding state information regarding the state of the area around the vehicle; a surrounding state recognition device (for example, a surrounding state recognition device 23 described later) that recognizes the presence of the group based on the surrounding state information and the group characteristic information; and an automatic deceleration device (for example, an automatic deceleration device 25 described later) that decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition result by the surrounding state recognition device.

[0009] (4) In this case, it is preferable that the traffic management server transmits a group presence notification to the on-board control means when the vehicle and the group are moving within a common designated traffic area, and the on-board control means, upon receiving the group presence notification within the designated traffic area, includes an automatic speed control device (for example, an automatic speed control device 24 described later) that limits the speed of the vehicle within the designated traffic area to a predetermined upper speed limit or less.

[0010] (5) In this case, it is preferable that the traffic management server transmits the location of the group, the height of the members, and the number of members as group characteristic information to the in-vehicle control means.

[0011] (6) In this case, it is preferable that the in-vehicle control means includes a notification device that, upon receiving the notification of the presence of the group, notifies the driver of the vehicle of the presence of the group.

[0012] (7) In this case, when the automatic deceleration device is activated, the in-vehicle communication device transmits automatic deceleration device operation information, which includes at least the location of the automatic deceleration device's operation and the date and time of operation, to the traffic management server, and when the traffic management server receives the automatic deceleration device operation information, it is preferable to associate the automatic deceleration device operation information with the location of the group at the date and time of operation and store it in a storage medium (for example, the abnormal data storage unit 68 described later).

[0013] (8) In this case, the in-vehicle control means is equipped with a collision determination device (for example, a collision determination device 27 described later) that determines whether or not there is a collision with a pedestrian, and the in-vehicle communication device transmits collision occurrence information, including the location of the collision and the date and time of the collision, to the traffic management server when the collision determination device determines that a collision has occurred, and when the traffic management server receives the collision occurrence information, it is preferable to associate the collision occurrence information with the location of the group at the date and time of the collision and store it in a storage medium (for example, an abnormal data storage unit 68 described later).

[0014] (9) In this case, the mobile communication means is preferably a mobile information terminal (for example, the mobile information terminal 30 described later) owned by at least one of the members designated as the leader within the group.

[0015] (10) In this case, it is preferable that the mobile information terminal reads tag information or code information owned by a person other than the leader, transmits the read tag information or code information to the traffic management server, and the traffic management server recognizes the person associated with the tag information or code information transmitted from the mobile information terminal as a member.

[0016] (11) In this case, it is preferable that the mobile information terminal sends a destination arrival notification to the traffic management server when the leader arrives at the predetermined destination, and the traffic management server, after receiving the destination arrival notification, sends a group travel completion notification to the communication means owned by the guardian associated with the member.

[0017] (12) In this case, it is preferable that the mobile communication means is composed of mobile information terminals owned by at least two of the members.

[0018] (13) In this case, it is preferable that the multiple mobile information terminals transmit their respective owner information and location information to the traffic management server, and when the traffic management server determines that the multiple mobile information terminals are within a predetermined range and moving in the same direction, it recognizes the start of a group movement in which the person associated with the owner information is a member.

[0019] (14) In this case, it is preferable that the traffic management server, after determining that the member has reached a predetermined destination, sends a group travel completion notification to the communication means owned by the guardian associated with the member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] (1) In the present invention, the traffic management server is communicatively connected to a portable communication means that moves with a group including multiple children and an in-vehicle control means that moves with a vehicle. The traffic management server recognizes the location of the group and the vehicle based on the information transmitted from these portable communication means and the in-vehicle control means, and if these vehicles and the group are moving within a common designated traffic area, it transmits a group presence notification to the in-vehicle control means. Here, the designated traffic area is defined as a traffic area that requires special attention when traveling by vehicle, such as a narrow residential street or a road where there is no guardrail between the roadway and the sidewalk. Furthermore, when the automatic speed control device of the in-vehicle control means receives a group presence notification within the designated traffic area, it limits the speed of the vehicle within this designated traffic area to below the upper speed limit. Thus, according to the present invention, when a vehicle is traveling through a designated traffic area in the presence of a group of multiple children, the speed of the vehicle is limited to below the upper speed limit, thereby supporting the safe movement of the group and the vehicle.

[0021] (2) In the present invention, if a group is present near the vehicle and ahead in the direction of travel, the traffic management server transmits a notification of the presence of the group and group characteristic information relating to the characteristics of the group to the on-board control means. The on-board control means includes an ambient state information acquisition device that acquires ambient state information relating to the state of the vehicle's surroundings, an ambient state recognition device that recognizes the presence of a group based on the ambient state information and group characteristic information, and an automatic deceleration device that decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition result by the ambient state recognition device. However, children, who are members of a group, are shorter in height and smaller in build than adults. For this reason, it is more difficult to recognize the presence of children than adults based solely on ambient state information acquired by the ambient state information acquisition device mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, in the present invention, the ambient state recognition device recognizes the presence of a group based on group characteristic information transmitted from the traffic management server in addition to ambient state information, and the automatic deceleration device decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition result by the ambient state recognition device. Thus, according to the present invention, the presence of children, who are shorter in height and smaller in build than adults, can be recognized with high accuracy, and the vehicle can be decelerated at an appropriate time, thereby supporting the safe movement of the group and the vehicle.

[0022] (3) In the present invention, the traffic management server is communicatively connected to a portable communication means that moves with a group including multiple children and an in-vehicle control means that moves with the vehicle. The traffic management server recognizes the position of the group and the vehicle based on the information transmitted from these portable communication means and the in-vehicle control means, and if the group is present near the vehicle and ahead in the direction of travel, it transmits a group presence notification and group characteristic information to the in-vehicle control means. On the other hand, the in-vehicle control means includes an ambient state information acquisition device that acquires ambient state information regarding the state around the vehicle, an ambient state recognition device that recognizes the presence of a group based on the ambient state information and group characteristic information, and an automatic deceleration device that decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition result by the ambient state recognition device. Therefore, according to the present invention, for the same reasons as the invention described in (2) above, the presence of children, who are shorter in height and smaller in build than adults, can be recognized with high accuracy, and the vehicle can be decelerated at an appropriate time, thereby supporting the safe movement of the group and the vehicle.

[0023] (4) In the present invention, the traffic management server recognizes the location of the group and vehicles based on the information transmitted from the mobile communication means and the in-vehicle control means, and if the vehicles and the group are moving within a common designated traffic area, it transmits a group presence notification to the in-vehicle control means. Furthermore, if the automatic speed control device of the in-vehicle control means receives a group presence notification within the designated traffic area, it limits the speed of the vehicles within that designated traffic area to below the upper speed limit. Thus, according to the present invention, for the same reasons as the invention described in (1) above, when a vehicle is passing through a designated traffic area in the presence of a group of multiple children, the speed of the vehicle is limited to below the upper speed limit, thereby supporting the safe movement of the group and the vehicles.

[0024] (5) In the present invention, the traffic management server transmits information mainly related to the appearance of the group, such as the position of the group, the height of the group members, and the number of the group members, as group feature information to the in-vehicle control means. Thereby, the surrounding state recognition device can accurately recognize the presence of the group by supplementarily using the group feature information that is difficult to be acquired by the surrounding state information acquisition device mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to support the safe movement of the group and the vehicle.

[0025] (6) In the present invention, when the notification device of the in-vehicle control means receives the group presence notification transmitted from the traffic management server, it notifies the driver of the presence of the group. Thereby, the driver who has received the notification from the notification device can move the vehicle carefully while paying attention to the presence of the group, so that it is possible to support the safe movement of the group and the vehicle.

[0026] (7) In the present invention, when the automatic deceleration device is activated, the in-vehicle communication device transmits the automatic deceleration device operation information including at least the operation location position and the operation date and time of the automatic deceleration device to the traffic management server. When the traffic management server receives the automatic deceleration device operation information, it associates the automatic deceleration device operation information with the position of the group at the operation date and time and stores it in the storage medium. Therefore, according to the present invention, when the activation of the automatic deceleration device is caused by the reckless behavior of the children constituting the group, the data stored in the storage medium can be utilized for traffic safety education for children.

[0027] (8) In the present invention, when it is determined that there has been a collision with a pedestrian, the in-vehicle communication device transmits the collision occurrence information including the collision occurrence location position and the collision occurrence date and time to the traffic management server. When the traffic management server receives the collision occurrence information, it associates this collision occurrence information with the position of the group at the collision occurrence date and time and stores it in the storage medium. Thereby, the traffic management server can determine the presence or absence of a collision between the group members and the vehicle, and can promptly provide the data related to the accident stored in the storage medium to the help network, the police, the guardians of the children, etc. as needed.

[0028] (9) In this invention, a portable information terminal owned by at least one member designated as a leader within the group is used as a portable communication means for communication between the group and the traffic management server. Therefore, according to this invention, even if not all members of the group own a portable information terminal, the safe movement of all members and vehicles in the group can be supported.

[0029] (10) In the present invention, a personal information terminal owned by the leader of the group reads tag information or code information owned by persons other than the leader, transmits the read tag information or code information to a traffic management server, and the traffic management server recognizes the person associated with the tag information or code information transmitted from the personal information terminal as a member. Therefore, according to the present invention, even if not all members of the group own personal information terminals, the presence of members of the group can be recognized, and thus the safe movement of all members and vehicles of the group can be supported.

[0030] (11) In the present invention, when the leader reaches the destination of the group, the portable information terminal sends a destination arrival notification to the traffic management server, and after receiving this destination arrival notification, the traffic management server sends a group travel completion notification to the communication means owned by the guardian associated with the member. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to support the safe movement of the group and to promptly notify the guardian that the group has safely arrived at its destination.

[0031] (12) In this invention, portable information terminals owned by at least two of the multiple members are used as portable communication means for communication between the group and the traffic management server. Therefore, according to this invention, as in the invention of (10) above, the leader does not need to read the tag information or code information of the others, and thus the burden on the leader can be reduced.

[0032] (13) In the present invention, multiple mobile information terminals constituting the mobile communication means transmit their respective owner information and location information to a traffic management server, and when the traffic management server determines that the multiple mobile information terminals are within a predetermined range and moving in the same direction, it recognizes the start of a group movement whose members are those associated with the owner information. As a result, the traffic management server can recognize the start of a group movement without requiring members to perform complex operations on their respective mobile information terminals, thereby reducing the burden on each member.

[0033] (14) In the present invention, after determining that a member has reached their destination, the traffic management server sends a group travel completion notification to the communication means owned by the guardian associated with the member. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to support the safe movement of the group and to promptly notify the guardian that the group has safely reached its destination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0034] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows a traffic safety support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention and a traffic participant moving within a traffic area under the management of this traffic safety support system. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows the configuration of a traffic management server, an in-vehicle control means connected to the traffic management server in a manner that enables communication with it, and a portable information terminal. [Figure 3] This is the main flowchart illustrating the specific procedures for support processing by the traffic safety support system. [Figure 4] The flowchart shows the specific steps involved in the group recognition process. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the specific steps involved in the location recognition process. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the first notification process. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the second notification process. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the third notification process. [Figure 9] This is a view from the vehicle's perspective of a group of pedestrians attempting to cross in front of the vehicle. [Figure 10A] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the anomaly detection process (part 1). [Figure 10B] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the anomaly detection process (part 2). [Figure 10C] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the anomaly detection process (part 3). [Figure 11] This flowchart shows the specific steps involved in the arrival determination process. [Figure 12A] This flowchart shows the specific procedure for the group recognition process (part 1) in the traffic safety support system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12B] This flowchart shows the specific steps for group recognition processing (part 2). [Figure 13] This flowchart shows the specific steps involved in the location recognition process. [Figure 14] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the first notification process. [Figure 15] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the second notification process. [Figure 16] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the third notification process. [Figure 17A] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the anomaly detection process (part 1). [Figure 17B] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the anomaly detection process (part 2). [Figure 17C] This flowchart shows the specific steps for the anomaly detection process (part 3). [Figure 18] This flowchart shows the specific steps involved in the arrival determination process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] <First Embodiment> The traffic safety support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the traffic safety support system 1 according to this embodiment, and the vehicle users 2 and pedestrian groups 3 moving as traffic participants within a traffic area under the management of this traffic safety support system 1.

[0037] In this embodiment, a traffic participant refers to a person who moves through a traffic area such as a road or sidewalk using some means of transportation, such as a vehicle or walking.

[0038] In this embodiment, vehicle user 2 refers to a traffic participant (i.e., the driver of vehicle V) who uses a vehicle V, such as a four-wheeled automobile or a motorcycle, as a means of transportation to travel along roadways 55a, 55b and intersections 56.

[0039] In this embodiment, pedestrian group 3 refers to a group of traffic participants who travel on foot using sidewalks 57, crosswalks 58, etc. More specifically, pedestrian group 3 in this embodiment refers to a group formed by multiple pedestrians, each including multiple children (including infants), who share a common main route from their respective starting points to their destinations.

[0040] Such a pedestrian group 3 is formed, for example, when children walk together from their homes to a common facility (e.g., an elementary school) during group school commutes, or when children walk together from a common facility (e.g., an elementary school) to their homes during group school dismissals, with multiple children belonging to the common facility as its members. In the following explanation, we will use a pedestrian group 3 formed with multiple children as its members during these group school commutes as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Such a pedestrian group 3 is also formed, for example, when children walk together from a common facility (e.g., a kindergarten or nursery school) to a predetermined destination (e.g., a park) during group travel (so-called walks). In this case, the pedestrian group 3 is formed with multiple infants and multiple chaperones belonging to the common facility as its members.

[0041] Furthermore, the following explanation uses as an example a traffic area where so-called left-hand traffic is stipulated (i.e., a traffic area where vehicle V must travel on the left side of the road from the center), but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the present invention is also applicable to traffic areas where so-called right-hand traffic is stipulated (i.e., a traffic area where vehicle V must travel on the right side of the road from the center).

[0042] The traffic safety support system 1 comprises an on-board control means 20 that moves with the vehicle V driven by the vehicle user 2, a portable information terminal 30 that moves with the group of pedestrians 3, and a traffic management server 6 that is wirelessly connected to the on-board control means 20 and the portable information terminal 30. The traffic safety support system 1 supports the safe group movement of the pedestrian group 3 on foot and the safe movement of the vehicle V within the traffic area through wireless communication between the on-board control means 20, the portable information terminal 30, and the traffic management server 6.

[0043] The traffic management server 6 consists of one or more computers that are connected to the in-vehicle control means 20 and portable information terminals 30 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "area terminals") that move together with the aforementioned vehicle V and pedestrian group 3 via a base station 59. More specifically, the traffic management server 6 consists of servers connected to multiple area terminals via the base station 59, network core and the internet, or edge servers connected to multiple area terminals via the base station 59 and MEC (Mulch-access Edge Computing) core.

[0044] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a traffic management server 6, an in-vehicle control means 20, and a portable information terminal 30 that are communicated with the traffic management server 6.

[0045] The in-vehicle control means 20 is composed of multiple in-vehicle devices that move with the vehicle V, such as an in-vehicle communication device 21, an ambient condition information acquisition device 22, an ambient condition recognition device 23, an automatic speed control device 24, an automatic deceleration device 25, a notification device 26, and a collision determination device 27.

[0046] The in-vehicle communication device 21 is connected to external devices such as a traffic management server 6 and an emergency call center (not shown) via a network (not shown). The in-vehicle communication device 21 sends and receives various information to and from these external devices while the vehicle V is moving.

[0047] More specifically, the in-vehicle communication device 21 sequentially transmits the location information of vehicle V, acquired using a GPS sensor (not shown), to the traffic management server 6 while vehicle V is moving. If the automatic deceleration device 25 is activated while vehicle V is moving, the in-vehicle communication device 21 transmits the automatic deceleration device activation information (described later) to the traffic management server 6. If the collision detection device 27 determines that a collision has occurred while vehicle V is moving, the in-vehicle communication device 21 transmits the collision occurrence information and connection status information (described later) to the traffic management server 6. The in-vehicle communication device 21 also receives various information transmitted from the traffic management server 6 while vehicle V is moving, such as the group presence notification and group characteristic information (described later).

[0048] The surrounding condition information acquisition device 22 acquires information about the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V (hereinafter referred to as "surrounding condition information") by using on-board external sensor units such as cameras and radar mounted on the vehicle V, and transmits it to the surrounding condition recognition device 23.

[0049] The surrounding state recognition device 23 performs sensor fusion processing on the surrounding state information transmitted from the surrounding state information acquisition device 22 to recognize the presence of objects around the vehicle V, the type of object, the position of the object (including the orientation and distance of the object as viewed from the vehicle V), and the relative speed of the vehicle V to the object. In particular, the surrounding state recognition device 23 can recognize the presence and position of a group of pedestrians 3, which consists of multiple children who are shorter and smaller in stature than adults, with greater accuracy than when the surrounding state information alone is used to recognize such objects.

[0050] The automatic speed control device 24 automatically limits the speed of vehicle V to a predetermined upper speed limit or lower when predetermined conditions are met while vehicle V is moving. Therefore, when the automatic speed control device 24 is in operation, vehicle V cannot move at a speed higher than the upper speed limit. For example, if the automatic speed control device 24 receives a group presence notification from the above-mentioned in-vehicle communication device 21 within a predetermined specific traffic area, it limits the speed of vehicle V to a predetermined upper speed limit or lower for each specific traffic area in order to prevent contact between the group of pedestrians 3 related to this group presence notification and vehicle V.

[0051] The automatic deceleration device 25 automatically reduces the speed of vehicle V while the vehicle V is moving, based on the recognition results from the surrounding state recognition device 23. More specifically, the automatic deceleration device 25 extracts an object located in front of the vehicle V in the direction of travel, based on the recognition results from the surrounding state recognition device 23, calculates the predicted collision time between this object and vehicle V, and if this predicted collision time falls below a predetermined threshold, it automatically reduces the speed of vehicle V to avoid contact between vehicle V and the object.

[0052] When the notification device 26 receives a notification of the presence of a group from the in-vehicle communication device 21 while the vehicle V is in motion, it notifies the vehicle user, who is the driver of the vehicle V, of the presence of this group. More specifically, when the notification device 26 receives a notification of the presence of a group, it activates an in-vehicle monitor or speaker (not shown) to notify the vehicle user of the presence of the group through images and sound.

[0053] The collision detection device 27 determines whether or not a collision occurs between the vehicle V and an object while the vehicle V is moving. By determining whether or not a collision has occurred based on the detection values ​​of an acceleration sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle V, the collision detection device 27 can distinguish between a vehicle and a pedestrian when an object collides with the vehicle V.

[0054] The personal information terminal 30 is a smartphone or wearable device (e.g., glasses type, wristwatch type, etc.) owned by at least one member designated as the leader among the multiple members constituting the pedestrian group 3. As described above, the pedestrian group 3 formed during group commutes to and from elementary school consists of multiple children of different ages who attend the same elementary school. For this reason, in the pedestrian group 3 formed during group commutes, the oldest child (i.e., the most senior) is often designated as the leader. In this embodiment, we will describe a case where all members of the pedestrian group 3, excluding the leader who owns the personal information terminal 30, possess RF tags or 2D codes associated with their respective personal information.

[0055] This portable information terminal 30 has a monitoring application software installed to ensure the safe group movement of a pedestrian group 3, with its owner acting as the leader. As shown in Figure 2, when the monitoring application software is activated, the portable information terminal 30 enables functions such as a location information acquisition unit 31, an information reading unit 32, a collision detection unit 33, a point data storage unit 34, and a communication unit 35.

[0056] The location information acquisition unit 31 acquires location information of the pedestrian group 3 (more specifically, the owners of the mobile information terminals 30 who are members of the pedestrian group 3) using GPS sensors (not shown) while the pedestrian group 3 is moving.

[0057] When a child joins a group of pedestrians 3 led by the owner of a mobile information terminal 30, the information reading unit 32 reads the tag information and code information embedded in the RF tag or 2D code owned by the new member, under the operation of the mobile information terminal 30 by the leader. Hereinafter, the tag information and code information read by the information reading unit 32 will also be referred to as ID information.

[0058] The collision determination unit 33 determines whether a collision has occurred with the mobile information terminal 30 or the lead person holding it, by using the detection value of the acceleration sensor mounted on the mobile information terminal 30. More specifically, the collision determination unit 33 determines that a collision has occurred with the lead person if the acceleration sensor detects an abnormal acceleration corresponding to the acceleration that occurs when a vehicle collides with the mobile information terminal 30 or the lead person holding it.

[0059] The point data storage unit 34 stores data on leader points that are awarded to the leader as a reward from the traffic management server 6 each time the pedestrian group 3 safely arrives at its destination. Members who own a portable information terminal 30 have a greater burden during group travel compared to other members, as they need to read RF tags and 2D codes owned by other members and, as mentioned above, lead other members to their destination safely. Therefore, the traffic safety support system 1 can improve the motivation of such child leaders by awarding them leader points each time the pedestrian group 3 safely arrives at its destination.

[0060] The communication unit 35 sends and receives various data to and from the traffic management server 6. More specifically, the communication unit 35 transmits data acquired by the mobile information terminal 30 (more specifically, location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31, ID information read by the information reading unit 32, collision occurrence information described later, and destination arrival notifications, etc.) to the traffic management server 6, and receives data transmitted from the traffic management server 6 (more specifically, lead point data described later, etc.).

[0061] The traffic management server 6 comprises a communication unit 61, a pedestrian group recognition unit 62, a location recognition unit 63, a notification unit 64, an anomaly detection unit 65, an arrival detection unit 66, a member feature database 67, and an anomaly data storage unit 68.

[0062] The communication unit 61 transmits and receives various data to and from the in-vehicle control system 20 and the mobile information terminal 30 while they are in motion. More specifically, the communication unit 61 receives data transmitted from the in-vehicle control system 20 (more specifically, location information, automatic deceleration device operation information, collision occurrence information, and connection availability information, etc.) and data transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 (more specifically, location information, ID information, collision occurrence information, and destination arrival notification, etc.). The communication unit 61 also transmits various data to the in-vehicle control system 20 (more specifically, group presence notification and group characteristic information, etc.) and various data to the mobile information terminal 30 (more specifically, lead point data, etc.). The communication unit 61 also transmits various data to the police, the emergency call center, and communication devices (e.g., smartphones) owned by the guardians and teachers of the members of the pedestrian group 3.

[0063] As will be explained later with reference to Figure 4, the pedestrian group recognition unit 62 recognizes that the pedestrian group 3 is moving as a group and identifies the members of this pedestrian group 3 based on the ID information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30.

[0064] The position recognition unit 63 recognizes the positions of the vehicle V and the pedestrian group 3 based on position information transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20 and the mobile information terminal 30, as will be explained later with reference to Figure 5.

[0065] As will be explained later with reference to Figures 6 to 8, the notification unit 64 recognizes the relative positions of the vehicle V and the pedestrian group 3 based on the recognition results from the position recognition unit 63, and if the pedestrian group 3 is present near the vehicle V, it transmits a notification of the presence of the group and group characteristic information to the on-board control means 20.

[0066] As will be explained later with reference to Figures 10A to 10C, the abnormality detection unit 65 determines whether there is an abnormality between vehicle V and pedestrian group 3 (for example, the operation of the vehicle V's automatic deceleration device 25 or contact between vehicle V and pedestrian group 3) based on information such as automatic deceleration device operation information and collision occurrence information transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20 and collision occurrence information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30. If an abnormality occurs, the unit stores the data acquired by the traffic management server 6 in the abnormality data storage unit 68. Furthermore, if the abnormality detection unit 65 determines that an abnormality has occurred between vehicle V and pedestrian group 3, it provides the data stored in the abnormality data storage unit 68 to the emergency call center or the police, or sends a message to a communication device (for example, a smartphone) owned by the guardian of a member of pedestrian group 3.

[0067] As will be explained later with reference to Figure 10, the arrival determination unit 66 determines whether or not a member of the pedestrian group 3 has arrived at the destination based on the destination arrival notification described below. If the arrival determination unit 66 determines that a member of the pedestrian group 3 has arrived at the destination, it sends a group movement completion notification to the communication device owned by the member's guardian and awards a leader point to the leader. If the arrival determination unit 66 determines that a member of the pedestrian group 3 has not arrived at the destination, it sends a non-arrival notification to the communication device (e.g., smartphone) owned by the leader's guardian, the guardian of the member who did not arrive, and the homeroom teacher, etc.

[0068] The member characteristics database 67 stores characteristic data about the physical characteristics of children who have been pre-registered as members (for example, the height of the member, the color of the hat the member wears, the color of the flag or armband owned by the leader who is also a member, etc.) and the ID information assigned to that member, in an associated manner.

[0069] The abnormal data storage unit 68 stores data related to abnormalities that occurred between the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V. The data stored in the abnormal data storage unit 68 includes, for example, automatic deceleration device operation data related to the operation of the automatic deceleration device 25 targeting the pedestrian group 3, and accident occurrence data related to an accident between the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V.

[0070] Next, the procedure for the support process that assists the safe movement of the pedestrian group 3 and vehicle V by the traffic safety support system 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 3 to 11.

[0071] Figure 3 is the main flowchart showing the specific steps of the support process performed by the traffic safety support system 1. As shown in Figure 3, the traffic safety support system 1 supports the safe movement of pedestrian group 3 and vehicle V by repeatedly executing group recognition processing (ST1), location recognition processing (ST2), first notification processing (ST3), second notification processing (ST4), third notification processing (ST5), abnormality detection processing (ST6), and arrival detection processing (ST7) at predetermined intervals. The support process shown in Figure 3 starts, for example, when a child who owns a mobile information terminal 30 starts the monitoring application software installed on the mobile information terminal 30 in order to begin group movement with other children, and the traffic management server 6 recognizes that the monitoring application software has been started on the mobile information terminal 30. The specific steps of each of these support processes, ST1 to ST7, will be explained in order below.

[0072] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the specific procedures performed by the pedestrian group 3 (mobile information terminal 30) and the traffic management server 6 during the group recognition process. As described below, this group recognition process involves the traffic management server 6 recognizing the presence of the pedestrian group 3 that is moving as a group through communication between the mobile information terminal 30 and the traffic management server 6.

[0073] In the group recognition process, the processing performed by the mobile information terminal 30 consists of the processes of steps ST101 to ST104, as shown in Figure 4.

[0074] First, in step ST101, the mobile information terminal 30 determines whether it has read for the first time the ID information embedded in the RF tag or 2D code owned by a child who is a member of the pedestrian group 3. If the result of the determination in step ST101 is NO, the mobile information terminal 30 moves to step ST103; if it is YES, it moves to step ST102. In step ST102, the mobile information terminal 30 designates the child associated with the newly read ID information as the first member, and transmits the ID information of this first member along with the ID information of the owner who is the leader to the traffic management server 6.

[0075] In step ST103, the mobile information terminal 30 determines whether it has additionally read ID information embedded in RF tags or 2D codes owned by children who are members of the pedestrian group 3. If the result of the determination in step ST103 is NO, the mobile information terminal 30 starts the location recognition process shown in Figure 5; if it is YES, it moves to step ST104. In step ST104, the mobile information terminal 30 designates the children associated with the additionally read ID information as additional members and transmits the ID information of these additional members to the traffic management server 6.

[0076] As described above, the mobile information terminal 30 repeatedly performs the group recognition process shown in Figure 4, and sequentially transmits the ID information read under the operation of the leader to the traffic management server 6.

[0077] In the group recognition process, the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 consists of steps ST301 to ST304, which are executed only when ID information is transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30, as shown in Figure 4.

[0078] First, in step ST301, the traffic management server 6 receives the ID information of the first member and the leader transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30, and then proceeds to step ST302. In this way, upon receiving the ID information of the two individuals, the first member and the leader, from the mobile information terminal 30, the traffic management server 6 can recognize that a group of pedestrians 3, with the owner of the mobile information terminal 30 as the leader, has begun to move as a group.

[0079] Next, in step ST302, the traffic management server 6 recognizes that the pedestrian group 3, consisting of the leader and the first member, has begun moving as a group, and sends a group movement commencement notification to the communication devices (e.g., smartphones) owned by the respective guardians of the leader and the first member. The guardians of the leader and the first member can understand that the group movement commenced at an appropriate time by receiving the group movement commencement notification sent from the traffic management server 6.

[0080] Next, in step ST303, the traffic management server 6 receives the ID information of the additional member transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30, and proceeds to step ST304. In this way, the traffic management server 6 can recognize that an additional member has newly joined the pedestrian group 3, triggered by the receipt of the ID information of the additional member from the mobile information terminal 30.

[0081] Next, in step ST304, the traffic management server 6, upon recognizing that an additional member has newly joined the pedestrian group 3, sends a group movement commencement notification to the communication device (e.g., smartphone) owned by the guardian of the additional member. By receiving the group movement commencement notification sent from the traffic management server 6, the guardian of the additional member can understand that the group movement has started at the appropriate time.

[0082] As described above, by repeatedly executing the group recognition process shown in Figure 4, the traffic management server 6 can recognize that a group movement of pedestrian group 3, led by the owner of the mobile information terminal 30, has begun, that new members have joined this pedestrian group 3, and the number and names of the latest members of this pedestrian group 3. Furthermore, by repeatedly executing the group recognition process shown in Figure 4, the traffic management server 6 can recognize children associated with the ID information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 as members of pedestrian group 3.

[0083] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the specific steps of the process performed by the pedestrian group 3 (mobile information terminal 30), the traffic management server 6, and the vehicle V (in-vehicle control means 20) in the location recognition process. As will be explained below, this location recognition process involves the traffic management server 6 recognizing the latest locations of the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V through communication between the mobile information terminal 30 and the in-vehicle control means 20 and the traffic management server 6.

[0084] In the location recognition process, the processing performed by the mobile information terminal 30 consists of the process in step ST111, as shown in Figure 5.

[0085] First, in step ST111, the mobile information terminal 30 transmits the latest location information of the pedestrian group 3, acquired by a GPS sensor (not shown), to the traffic management server 6, and starts the first notification process shown in Figure 6. As described above, the mobile information terminal 30 repeatedly executes the location recognition process shown in Figure 5, thereby sequentially transmitting the latest location information of the pedestrian group 3, which is moving as a group, to the traffic management server 6.

[0086] In the position recognition process, the processing performed by the in-vehicle control means 20 consists of the process of step ST511, as shown in Figure 5.

[0087] First, in step ST511, the on-board control means 20 transmits the latest location information of the vehicle V, acquired by a GPS sensor (not shown), to the traffic management server 6 and starts the first notification process shown in Figure 6. As described above, the on-board control means 20 repeatedly executes the location recognition process shown in Figure 5, thereby sequentially transmitting the latest location information of the moving vehicle V to the traffic management server 6.

[0088] As shown in Figure 5, the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 in the location recognition process consists of steps ST311 to ST312, which are performed only when location information is transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 or the in-vehicle control means 20.

[0089] First, in step ST311, the traffic management server 6 receives location information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 and proceeds to step ST312. In step ST312, the traffic management server 6 receives location information transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20 and starts the first notification process shown in Figure 6. As described above, the traffic management server 6 can recognize the latest locations of the moving pedestrian group 3 and vehicle V by repeatedly executing the location recognition process shown in Figure 5.

[0090] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 and the vehicle V (onboard control means 20) in the first notification process. As will be explained below, this first notification process is the process of notifying the vehicle user 2, who is the driver of the vehicle V, of the presence of a group of pedestrians 3 in the vicinity of the vehicle V.

[0091] The processing performed by the traffic management server 6 in the first notification process consists of the processes in steps ST321 to ST322, as shown in Figure 6.

[0092] First, in step ST321, the traffic management server 6 determines whether a group of pedestrians 3 exists near vehicle V, or more specifically, whether a group of pedestrians 3 exists within a predetermined first distance range centered on vehicle V. If the result of the determination in step ST321 is NO, the traffic management server 6 starts the second notification process shown in Figure 7; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST322.

[0093] In step ST322, the traffic management server 6 sends a group presence notification to the on-board control means 20 to inform the driver of vehicle V that a group of pedestrians 3 is present in the vicinity of vehicle V, and starts the second notification process shown in Figure 7. At this time, the traffic management server 6 may also send the location information of the group of pedestrians 3 to the on-board control means 20 along with the group presence notification. As described above, the traffic management server 6 repeatedly executes the first notification process shown in Figure 6, thereby sending a group presence notification to the on-board control means 20 on the condition that a group of pedestrians 3 is present in the vicinity of vehicle V.

[0094] In the first notification process, the processing performed by the in-vehicle control means 20 consists of steps ST521 to ST522, which are performed only when a group presence notification is sent from the traffic management server 6, as shown in Figure 6.

[0095] First, in step ST521, the in-vehicle control means 20 receives a group presence notification transmitted from the traffic management server 6 and proceeds to step ST522. In step ST522, the in-vehicle control means 20 activates an in-vehicle monitor and speaker (not shown) to notify the driver of vehicle V via images and sound that a group of pedestrians 3 is present near vehicle V, and starts the second notification process shown in Figure 7. More specifically, the in-vehicle control means 20 notifies the driver via images and sound a message such as, "There is a group of children going to and from school nearby. Please be careful." At this time, if the in-vehicle control means 20 receives location information of the pedestrian group 3 transmitted from the traffic management server 6, it may also notify the location of the pedestrian group 3 along with its presence. As described above, the in-vehicle control means 20 repeatedly executes the first notification process shown in Figure 6 to notify the driver of the presence of the pedestrian group 3, conditional on receiving a group presence notification transmitted from the traffic management server 6.

[0096] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processes performed by the traffic management server 6 and the vehicle V (onboard control means 20) in the second notification process. As will be explained below, this second notification process is a process that notifies the vehicle user 2, who is the driver of vehicle V, of the presence of the pedestrian group 3 when vehicle V and the pedestrian group 3 are moving within a common specific traffic area, and also limits the speed of vehicle V.

[0097] In the second notification process, the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 consists of steps ST331 to ST333, as shown in Figure 7.

[0098] First, in step ST331, the traffic management server 6 determines whether the pedestrian group 3 is moving within a predetermined specific traffic area. If the result of the determination in step ST331 is NO, the traffic management server 6 starts the third notification process shown in Figure 7; if it is YES, it moves to step ST332. Here, the specific traffic area is defined as a traffic area that requires particular caution when traveling by vehicle V, such as a narrow residential street or a road without guardrails between the roadway and the sidewalk.

[0099] In step ST332, the traffic management server 6 determines whether vehicle V is moving within the same area as the specific traffic area where pedestrian group 3 was determined to be present in step ST331. If the result of the determination in step ST332 is NO, the traffic management server 6 starts the third notification process shown in Figure 7; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST333.

[0100] In step ST333, the traffic management server 6 sends a group presence notification to the on-board control means 20 to inform the driver of vehicle V that a group of pedestrians 3 is present within the specific traffic area in which vehicle V is currently traveling, and starts the third notification process shown in Figure 8. At this time, the traffic management server 6 may also send the location information of the group of pedestrians 3 to the on-board control means 20 along with the group presence notification. As described above, the traffic management server 6 repeatedly executes the second notification process shown in Figure 7, thereby sending a group presence notification to the on-board control means 20 on the condition that vehicle V and the group of pedestrians 3 are moving within the same specific traffic area.

[0101] In the second notification process, the processing performed by the in-vehicle control means 20 consists of steps ST531 to ST533, which are performed only when a group presence notification is sent from the traffic management server 6, as shown in Figure 7.

[0102] First, in step ST531, the in-vehicle control means 20 receives a group presence notification transmitted from the traffic management server 6 and proceeds to step ST532. In step ST532, the in-vehicle control means 20 activates an in-vehicle monitor and speaker (not shown) to notify the driver of vehicle V via images and sound that vehicle V is moving within a designated traffic area and that a group of pedestrians 3 is present within the same designated traffic area, and proceeds to step ST533. More specifically, the in-vehicle control means 20 notifies the driver via images and sound a message such as, "You are in a designated traffic area. There is a group of children going to and from school within this area. Please be careful." At this time, if the in-vehicle control means 20 receives location information of the group of pedestrians 3 transmitted from the traffic management server 6, it may also notify the driver of the location of the group of pedestrians 3 along with its presence.

[0103] Next, in step ST533, the on-board control means 20 limits the speed of the vehicle V to below the upper speed limit set for each specific traffic area in which it is currently moving, and starts the third notification process shown in Figure 8. As described above, the on-board control means 20 repeatedly executes the third notification process shown in Figure 7, and, on the condition that it receives a group presence notification transmitted from the traffic management server 6 within the specific traffic area, it notifies the driver that it is moving within a specific traffic area and that a group of pedestrians 3 is present within the common specific traffic area, and also limits the speed of the vehicle V to below the upper speed limit.

[0104] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 and the vehicle V (onboard control means 20) in the third notification process. As will be explained below, this third notification process notifies the vehicle user 2, who is the driver of the vehicle V, of the presence of a group of pedestrians 3 when such a group is present near the vehicle V and ahead in the direction of travel, and also accurately recognizes the presence of the group of pedestrians 3 in front of the vehicle V.

[0105] In the third notification process, the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 consists of steps ST341 to ST344, as shown in Figure 8.

[0106] First, in step ST341, the traffic management server 6 determines whether or not a group of pedestrians 3 exists in the vicinity of vehicle V, or more specifically, whether or not a group of pedestrians 3 exists within a second distance range centered on vehicle V. Here, the second distance is set to be shorter than the first distance in the first notification process described above. If the result of the determination in step ST341 is NO, the traffic management server 6 starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10A, and if it is YES, it moves to step ST342.

[0107] In step ST342, the traffic management server 6 determines whether or not a group of pedestrians 3 is present in the direction of travel ahead of vehicle V. If the result of the determination in step ST342 is NO, the traffic management server 6 starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10A; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST343.

[0108] In step ST343, the traffic management server 6 sends a group presence notification to the in-vehicle control means 20 to inform the driver of vehicle V that a group of pedestrians 3 is present in the vicinity of vehicle V and ahead in the direction of travel, and then proceeds to step ST344.

[0109] In step ST344, the traffic management server 6 transmits group characteristic information, which is information about the characteristics of the pedestrian group 3, to the in-vehicle control means 20 and starts the abnormality detection process shown in Figure 10A. Here, group characteristic information mainly consists of multiple pieces of information about the outward appearance characteristics of the pedestrian group 3. More specifically, the group characteristic information includes the location information of the pedestrian group 3, the number of members constituting the pedestrian group 3, the height of the leader, the height of each member other than the leader, the color of the flag or armband owned by the leader, the color of the hat worn by each member, etc. The traffic management server 6 generates the above-mentioned group characteristic information based on characteristic data obtained by searching the member characteristic database 67 based on ID information, the recognition results from the group recognition process shown in Figure 4, and the recognition results from the location recognition process shown in Figure 5, etc., and transmits it to the in-vehicle control means 20.

[0110] In the third notification process, the processing performed by the in-vehicle control means 20 consists of steps ST541 to ST545, which are performed only when a group presence notification is sent from the traffic management server 6, as shown in Figure 8.

[0111] First, in step ST541, the in-vehicle control means 20 receives a group presence notification transmitted from the traffic management server 6 and proceeds to step ST542. In step ST542, the in-vehicle control means 20 activates an in-vehicle monitor and speaker (not shown) to notify the driver of vehicle V via images and sound that a group of pedestrians 3 is present near vehicle V and ahead in the direction of travel, and then proceeds to step ST543. More specifically, the in-vehicle control means 20 notifies the driver via images and sound a message such as, "There is a group of children walking to or from school ahead. Please be careful."

[0112] In step ST543, the in-vehicle control means 20 receives group characteristic information transmitted from the traffic management server 6 and proceeds to step ST544. In step ST544, the in-vehicle control means 20 uses a combination of the group characteristic information received in step ST543 and the surrounding state information acquired by the in-vehicle external sensor unit mounted on the vehicle V to recognize the presence and location of the pedestrian group 3 in front of the vehicle V, and proceeds to step ST545.

[0113] Figure 9 shows a view from the vehicle's perspective of a group of pedestrians 3 attempting to cross in front of the vehicle. Figure 9 shows the pedestrian group 3 consisting of three members: member 3a, who is in the lead, and two younger members, 3b and 3c. As shown in Figure 9, the pedestrian group 3 often moves in a formation with the relatively tall member 3a at the front.

[0114] Based solely on ambient condition information acquired from an on-board external sensor unit mounted on the vehicle, the accuracy of recognizing the presence and location of members 3a to 3c, who are shorter and smaller in build than adults, is lower than that of adults. Therefore, the on-board control means 20 can accurately recognize the presence and location of each member 3a to 3c of the pedestrian group 3 by using a combination of ambient condition information and group characteristic information.

[0115] More specifically, for example, using only ambient state information, it may be possible to recognize only the area indicated by the dashed line 9a in Figure 9, that is, member 3a, who is relatively taller than the other three members 3a to 3c. However, even in such cases, by combining ambient state information and group characteristic information, the in-vehicle control means 20 can estimate that two shorter members 3b and 3c are located behind member 3a. In other words, it can estimate that the three members 3a to 3c are distributed across the area indicated by the dashed line 9b in Figure 9, thus enabling accurate recognition of the presence and location of all members 3a to 3b.

[0116] Returning to Figure 8, in step ST545, the on-board control means 20 transmits the recognition result from step ST544 to the automatic deceleration device 25 and starts the abnormality detection process shown in Figure 10A. As a result, the automatic deceleration device 25 can automatically decelerate the vehicle V at an appropriate timing to avoid contact with the pedestrian group 3, based on the accurately obtained recognition result of the pedestrian group 3.

[0117] Figure 10A is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processes performed by the traffic management server 6 and the vehicle V (onboard control means 20) during the abnormality detection process.

[0118] In the abnormality detection process, the processing performed by the in-vehicle control means 20 consists of the processes of steps ST551 to ST552, as shown in Figure 10A.

[0119] First, in step ST551, the on-board control means 20 determines whether the automatic deceleration device 25 has been activated for the group of pedestrians 3. More specifically, the on-board control means 20 determines whether the automatic deceleration device 25 has been activated for the group of pedestrians 3 recognized based on the group characteristic information received in step ST543 above, in order to avoid contact with this group. If the result of the determination in step ST551 is NO, the on-board control means 20 starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10B, and if it is YES, it moves to step ST552.

[0120] In step ST552, the on-board control means 20 transmits automatic deceleration device operation information regarding the operation of the automatic deceleration device 25 to the traffic management server 6 and starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10B. Here, the automatic deceleration device operation information includes at least the location of the point where the automatic deceleration device 25 was activated and the date and time of activation. As described above, the on-board control means 20 repeatedly executes the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10A, and transmits the automatic deceleration device operation information to the traffic management server 6 on the condition that the automatic deceleration device 25 is activated to avoid contact with the pedestrian group 3.

[0121] In the abnormality detection process, the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 consists of steps ST351 to ST352, which are performed only when automatic deceleration device operation information is transmitted from the on-board control means 20, as shown in Figure 10A.

[0122] In step ST351, the traffic management server 6 receives automatic deceleration device operation information transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20 and proceeds to step ST352. In step ST352, the traffic management server 6 stores the automatic deceleration device operation data generated by associating the automatic deceleration device operation information received in step ST351 with the location information of the pedestrian group 3 at the time of operation in the abnormal data storage unit 68, and starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10B. As described above, the traffic management server 6 repeatedly executes the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10A to associate the automatic deceleration device operation information with the location information of the pedestrian group 3 at the time of operation and store it in the abnormal data storage unit 68.

[0123] Figure 10B is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processes performed by the mobile information terminal 30, the traffic management server 6, and the vehicle V (in-vehicle control means 20) during the abnormality detection process.

[0124] In the abnormality detection process, the processing performed by the mobile information terminal 30 consists of the processes in steps ST161 to ST162, as shown in Figure 10B.

[0125] First, in step ST161, the mobile information terminal 30 determines whether or not it has detected abnormal acceleration, thereby determining whether or not there has been a collision between the lead vehicle and its owner. If the result of the determination in step ST161 is NO, the mobile information terminal 30 starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10C; if it is YES, it moves to step ST162. In step ST162, the mobile information terminal 30 transmits collision occurrence information, including the collision occurrence location (the location where the abnormal acceleration was detected) and the collision occurrence date and time (the date and time when the abnormal acceleration was detected), to the traffic management server 6 and starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10C.

[0126] As described above, the portable information terminal 30 repeatedly executes the abnormality detection process shown in Figure 10B, and if it determines that the lead vehicle has collided with another vehicle, it transmits collision information to the traffic management server 6.

[0127] In the abnormality detection process, the processing performed by the in-vehicle control means 20 consists of the processes of steps ST561 to ST564, as shown in Figure 10B.

[0128] In step ST561, the on-board control means 20 determines whether a collision occurred between a member of the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V. More specifically, the on-board control means 20 determines whether a collision occurred between a member of the pedestrian group 3, recognized based on the group characteristic information received in step ST543, and the vehicle V. If the result of the determination in step ST561 is NO, the on-board control means 20 starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10C; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST562.

[0129] In step ST562, the in-vehicle control means 20 transmits collision occurrence information related to the collision with the pedestrian group 3 to the traffic management server 6, and proceeds to step ST563. The collision occurrence information here includes, for example, collision location information regarding the location of the collision, collision date and time information regarding the date and time of the collision, collision speed information regarding the speed at the time of the collision, and group characteristic information acquired in step ST543.

[0130] In step ST563, the in-vehicle control means 20 initiates a connection to the emergency call center and proceeds to step ST564. If the connection to the emergency call center is successful, the in-vehicle control means 20 requests assistance from the emergency call center. In step ST565, the in-vehicle control means 20 transmits connection status information (i.e., information regarding whether the connection to the emergency call center was successful or not) to the traffic management server 6 and initiates the abnormality detection process shown in Figure 10C.

[0131] In the abnormality detection process, the processing performed by the traffic management server 6 consists of steps ST361 to ST364, which are performed only when collision occurrence information is transmitted from at least the in-vehicle control means 20 among the mobile information terminal 30 and the in-vehicle control means 20, as shown in Figure 10B.

[0132] In step ST361, the traffic management server 6 receives collision occurrence information transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20 and proceeds to step ST362. In step ST362, the traffic management server 6 receives collision occurrence information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 and proceeds to step ST363.

[0133] In step ST363, the traffic management server 6 stores the accident data generated by associating the collision occurrence information received from the in-vehicle control means 20 in step ST361 with the position of the pedestrian group 3 at the date and time of the collision identified by this collision occurrence information in the abnormal data storage unit 68, and then proceeds to step ST364. Here, if the traffic management server 6 receives collision occurrence information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 in step ST362, it generates accident data by associating the collision occurrence information transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20 with the position of the pedestrian group 3 and the collision occurrence information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30.

[0134] In step ST364, the traffic management server 6 receives connection availability information transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20 and starts the abnormality determination process shown in Figure 10C.

[0135] Figure 10C is a flowchart showing the specific steps of the process performed by the traffic management server 6 during the abnormality detection process.

[0136] As shown in Figure 10C, the processes executed by the traffic management server 6 in the abnormality detection process consist of steps ST371 to ST375, which are executed only when connection availability information is transmitted from the in-vehicle control means 20.

[0137] First, in step ST371, the traffic management server 6 determines whether the connection between the in-vehicle control means 20 and the emergency call center was successful, based on the connection availability information received in step ST364. If the result of the determination in step ST371 is YES, the traffic management server 6 proceeds to step ST372; otherwise, it proceeds to step ST373.

[0138] In step ST372, the traffic management server 6 transmits the accident data stored in the abnormal data storage unit 68 to the emergency call center in order to share information with the emergency call center, and then proceeds to step ST374. Since information is shared between the emergency call center and the police, in step ST372, the traffic management server 6 does not need to transmit the accident data to the police.

[0139] In step ST373, the traffic management server 6 transmits the accident data stored in the abnormal data storage unit 68 to the police in order to share information with them, and then proceeds to step ST374.

[0140] In step ST374, the traffic management server 6 determines whether or not a request has been received from the police or emergency call center to contact the guardians of the members of pedestrian group 3. If the result of the determination in step ST374 is NO, the traffic management server 6 starts the arrival determination process shown in Figure 11; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST375.

[0141] In step ST375, the traffic management server 6 sends a message from the police or emergency call center to the communication device (e.g., smartphone) owned by the requesting guardian, and starts the arrival determination process shown in Figure 11.

[0142] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the specific steps of the process performed by the mobile information terminal 30 and the traffic management server 6 during the arrival determination process.

[0143] The process performed by the mobile information terminal 30 in the arrival determination process consists of steps ST181 to ST185, as shown in Figure 11.

[0144] First, in step ST181, the mobile information terminal 30 determines whether the leader, who is its owner, has arrived at the destination. If the result of the determination in step ST181 is NO, the mobile information terminal 30 returns to the group recognition process shown in Figure 4; if it is YES, it moves to step ST182.

[0145] In step ST182, the mobile information terminal 30 sends a destination arrival notification to the traffic management server 6 indicating that the lead person has arrived at the destination, and proceeds to step ST183. In step ST183, the mobile information terminal 30 receives data regarding lead person points transmitted from the traffic management server 6, as will be explained later, and proceeds to step ST184. In step ST184, the mobile information terminal 30 stores the received data regarding lead person points in the point data storage unit 34, and proceeds to step ST185. In step ST185, the mobile information terminal 30 displays the cumulative value of lead person points stored in the point data storage unit 34 on the display unit and terminates the monitoring application software.

[0146] As shown in Figure 11, the processes executed by the traffic management server 6 in the arrival determination process consist of steps ST381 to ST388, which are executed only when a destination arrival notification is sent from the mobile information terminal 30.

[0147] In step ST381, the traffic management server 6 receives a destination arrival notification transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 and proceeds to step ST382. This allows the traffic management server 6 to recognize that the leader of the pedestrian group 3 has arrived at the destination.

[0148] In step ST382, the traffic management server 6 receives destination arrival notifications from each member of the pedestrian group 3 related to the destination arrival notifications received in step ST381, and then proceeds to step ST383. Here, destination arrival notifications from members who do not own a mobile information terminal 30 are transmitted from a communication means present at the destination using the following procedure. For example, if the destination of the group movement of the pedestrian group 3 is a school (i.e., during group commuting to school), a communication means owned by a teacher at the school (e.g., a smartphone) reads the ID information embedded in an RF tag or 2D code owned by a member who has arrived at the destination, and then sends the destination arrival notification of the member associated with this ID information to the traffic management server 6. Furthermore, if the destination of the group movement of pedestrian group 3 is their home (i.e., when they are leaving school together), a communication device installed at the home (such as a security camera or intercom with communication and reading functions) reads the ID information embedded in an RF tag or 2D code owned by a member who has arrived at their destination. Upon reading this ID information, the device sends a notification of the member's arrival at their destination to the traffic management server 6. This allows the traffic management server 6 to recognize that a member of pedestrian group 3 has arrived at their destination.

[0149] In step ST383, the traffic management server 6 sends a group travel completion notification to the communication device (e.g., smartphone) owned by the guardian of the member to whom the destination arrival notification was received in ST382, indicating that the member has safely arrived at the destination, and then proceeds to step ST384.

[0150] In step ST384, the traffic management server 6 determines whether all members of pedestrian group 3 have arrived at their destination. If the result of the determination in step ST384 is NO, the traffic management server 6 proceeds to step ST385; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST387.

[0151] In step ST385, the traffic management server 6 determines whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since it first received the destination arrival notification in step ST381. If the result of the determination in step ST385 is NO, the traffic management server 6 returns to step ST382; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST386. In step ST386, the traffic management server 6 sends a non-arrival notification to the communication devices (e.g., smartphones) owned by the leader's guardian, the guardian of the member who has not arrived, and the teacher, and returns to the group recognition process shown in Figure 4.

[0152] In step ST387, the traffic management server 6 sends a group travel completion notification to the communication device (e.g., smartphone) owned by the leader's guardian, indicating that the leader and all other members have safely arrived at the destination, and then proceeds to step ST388.

[0153] In step ST388, the traffic management server 6 sends data regarding the leader points to the mobile information terminal 30 as a reward to the leader for all members of the pedestrian group 3 safely arriving at their destination, and then returns to the group recognition process shown in Figure 4.

[0154] The traffic safety support system 1 according to this embodiment provides the following effects. (1) The traffic management server 6 is communicatively connected to a portable information terminal 30 that moves with a group of pedestrians 3 including multiple children, and an in-vehicle control means 20 that moves with a vehicle V. The traffic management server 6 recognizes the positions of the group of pedestrians 3 and the vehicle V based on the information transmitted from the portable information terminal 30 and the in-vehicle control means 20, and if the vehicle V and the group of pedestrians 3 are moving within a common designated traffic area, it sends a group presence notification to the in-vehicle control means 20 regarding the presence of the group of pedestrians 3. Furthermore, if the automatic speed control device 24 of the in-vehicle control means 20 receives a group presence notification within the designated traffic area, it limits the speed of the vehicle V within that designated traffic area to below the upper speed limit.Therefore, according to the traffic safety support system 1, when the vehicle V is passing through a designated traffic area in the presence of a group of pedestrians 3 including multiple children, the speed of the vehicle V is limited to below the upper speed limit, thus supporting the safe movement of the group of pedestrians 3 and the vehicle V.

[0155] (2) When a group of pedestrians 3 is present near the vehicle V and ahead in the direction of travel, the traffic management server 6 transmits a notification of the presence of the group and group characteristic information regarding the characteristics of the pedestrian group 3 to the on-board control means 20. Meanwhile, the on-board control means 20 includes an ambient state information acquisition device 22 that acquires ambient state information regarding the state of the area around the vehicle V, an ambient state recognition device 23 that recognizes the presence of the group based on the ambient state information and group characteristic information, and an automatic deceleration device 25 that automatically decelerates the vehicle V based on the recognition result by the ambient state recognition device 23. The ambient state recognition device 23 recognizes the presence of the pedestrian group 3 based on the ambient state information as well as the group characteristic information transmitted from the traffic management server 6, and the automatic deceleration device 25 decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition result by the ambient state recognition device 23.

[0156] (3) The traffic management server 6 is communicatively connected to a portable information terminal 30 that moves with a group of pedestrians 3 including multiple children, and to an in-vehicle control means 20 that moves with the vehicle V. The traffic management server 6 recognizes the positions of the group of pedestrians 3 and the vehicle V based on the information transmitted from the portable information terminal 30 and the in-vehicle control means 20, and if the group of pedestrians 3 is near the vehicle V and ahead in the direction of travel, it transmits a group presence notification regarding the presence of the group of pedestrians 3 and group characteristic information regarding the characteristics of the group of pedestrians 3 to the in-vehicle control means 20. On the other hand, the in-vehicle control means 20 includes an ambient state information acquisition device 22 that acquires ambient state information regarding the state around the vehicle V, an ambient state recognition device 23 that recognizes the presence of the group of pedestrians 3 based on the ambient state information and group characteristic information, and an automatic deceleration device 25 that decelerates the vehicle V based on the recognition result by the ambient state recognition device 23. Therefore, according to the traffic safety support system 1, for the same reasons as in (2) above, it can accurately recognize the presence of children who are shorter and smaller in stature than adults, and can slow down vehicle V at the appropriate time, thereby supporting the safe movement of pedestrian group 3 and vehicle V.

[0157] (4) The traffic management server 6 recognizes the positions of the pedestrian group 3 and vehicle V based on the information transmitted from the mobile information terminals 30 and the in-vehicle control means 20, and if vehicle V and pedestrian group 3 are moving within a common designated traffic area, it sends a group presence notification to the in-vehicle control means 20. In addition, if the automatic speed control device 24 of the in-vehicle control means 20 receives a group presence notification within the designated traffic area, it limits the speed of vehicle V within that designated traffic area to below the upper speed limit. Therefore, according to the traffic safety support system 1, for the same reasons as in (1) above, when vehicle V is passing through a designated traffic area in the presence of a pedestrian group 3 consisting of multiple children, the speed of vehicle V is limited to below the upper speed limit, thus supporting the safe movement of pedestrian group 3 and vehicle V.

[0158] (5) The traffic management server 6 transmits information mainly about the appearance of the pedestrian group 3, such as the location of the pedestrian group 3, the height of its members, and the number of members, to the in-vehicle control means 20 as group characteristic information. As a result, the surrounding state recognition device 23 can accurately recognize the presence of the pedestrian group 3 by using the group characteristic information, which is difficult to acquire by the surrounding state information acquisition device 22 mounted on the vehicle V, as an auxiliary tool. Thus, the traffic safety support system 1 can support the safe movement of the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V.

[0159] (6) When the notification device 26 of the in-vehicle control means 20 receives a group presence notification transmitted from the traffic management server 6, it notifies the driver of the presence of the pedestrian group 3. As a result, the driver who receives the notification from the notification device 26 can move the vehicle V carefully while paying attention to the presence of the pedestrian group 3, thereby supporting the safe movement of the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V.

[0160] (7) When the automatic deceleration device 25 is activated, the in-vehicle communication device 21 transmits automatic deceleration device operation information, which includes at least the location and date and time of activation of the automatic deceleration device 25, to the traffic management server 6. When the traffic management server 6 receives the automatic deceleration device operation information, it associates the automatic deceleration device operation information with the location of the pedestrian group 3 at the date and time of activation and stores it in the abnormal data storage unit 68. Therefore, according to the traffic safety support system 1, if the activation of the automatic deceleration device 25 is caused by the sudden actions of the children constituting the pedestrian group 3, the data stored in the abnormal data storage unit 68 can be used for traffic safety education for the children.

[0161] (8) In the present invention, if the in-vehicle communication device determines that a collision with a pedestrian has occurred, it transmits collision information, including the location of the collision and the date and time of the collision, to the traffic management server. When the traffic management server receives the collision information, it associates this collision information with the location of the group at the date and time of the collision and stores it in the storage medium. This allows the traffic management server to determine whether or not there was a collision between a member of the group and a vehicle, and to promptly provide the accident data stored in the storage medium to HelpNet, the police, and the guardians of children as needed.

[0162] (9) In the traffic safety support system 1, a portable information terminal 30 owned by at least one member designated as the leader in the pedestrian group 3 is used as a portable communication means for communication between the pedestrian group 3 and the traffic management server 6. Therefore, according to the traffic safety support system 1, even if not all members of the pedestrian group 3 own a portable information terminal 30, the safe movement of all members of the pedestrian group 3 and the vehicle V can be supported.

[0163] (10) In the traffic safety support system 1, the portable information terminal 30 owned by the leader of the pedestrian group 3 reads the ID information embedded in RF tags or 2D codes owned by persons other than the leader, and transmits this read ID information to the traffic management server 6. The traffic management server 6 recognizes the person associated with the ID information transmitted from the portable information terminal 30 as a member. Therefore, according to the traffic safety support system 1, even if not all members of the pedestrian group 3 own a portable information terminal 30, the presence of members of the pedestrian group 3 can be recognized, and the safe movement of all members of the pedestrian group 3 and vehicle V can be supported.

[0164] (11) In the traffic safety support system 1, when the leader reaches the destination of the group movement, the portable information terminal 30 sends a destination arrival notification to the traffic management server 6, and after receiving this destination arrival notification, the traffic management server 6 sends a group movement completion notification to the communication device owned by the guardian associated with the member. Thus, the traffic safety support system 1 can support the safe movement of the pedestrian group 3 and promptly notify the guardian that the pedestrian group 3 has safely arrived at its destination.

[0165] <Second Embodiment> The traffic safety support system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The traffic safety support system according to this embodiment differs from the traffic safety support system 1 according to the first embodiment mainly in the configuration of the portable communication means that moves together with the pedestrian group. The following describes the differences in the configuration of the traffic safety support system according to this embodiment from the first embodiment.

[0166] More specifically, in the traffic safety support system 1 according to the first embodiment, a portable information terminal owned by a designated leader within the pedestrian group was used as a means of mobile communication while moving with the pedestrian group. In contrast, the traffic safety support system according to this embodiment differs from the traffic safety support system 1 according to the first embodiment in that, as a means of mobile communication while moving with the pedestrian group, at least two members of the pedestrian group each own a portable information terminal.

[0167] Furthermore, in the traffic safety support system 1 according to the first embodiment, as explained with reference to Figure 2, a portable information terminal 30 equipped with multiple functions such as a location information acquisition unit 31, an information reading unit 32, a collision determination unit 33, a point data storage unit 34, and a communication unit 35 was used. In contrast, the multiple portable information terminals used as a means of mobile communication in the traffic safety support system according to this embodiment only need to have at least two functions: a location information acquisition function that acquires location information using a GPS sensor, and a communication function that transmits the acquired location information along with ID information assigned to each owner to a traffic management server. They do not need to be as multi-functional as the portable information terminal 30 according to the first embodiment. In the following, a case in which multiple portable information terminals are used that have a collision determination function the same as the collision determination unit 33 in addition to a location information acquisition function and a communication function will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0168] In the following, the procedure for the support process that assists the safe movement of pedestrian groups and vehicles using the traffic safety support system according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 12A to 14. Note that the main flowchart of this support process is the same as the support process in the traffic safety support system 1 according to the first embodiment, which was explained with reference to Figure 3, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0169] Figures 12A and 12B are flowcharts illustrating the specific procedures for the group recognition process performed by a group of pedestrians (N mobile information terminals owned by each member, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2) and the traffic management server. As described below, this group recognition process involves the traffic management server recognizing the existence of a group of pedestrians moving together through communication between the N mobile information terminals and the traffic management server.

[0170] In the group recognition process, the processing performed by N mobile information terminals consists of the process in step ST201, as shown in Figure 12A.

[0171] First, in step ST201, the N mobile information terminals transmit the latest location information of each member, acquired by their respective GPS sensors, along with their ID information, to the traffic management server, and begin the first notification process shown in Figure 14. In this manner, the N mobile information terminals repeatedly execute the group recognition process shown in Figure 12A, sequentially transmitting the latest location information of each of the N children to the traffic management server.

[0172] In the group recognition process, the processing performed by the traffic management server consists of steps ST401 to ST409, which are executed only when location information and ID information are transmitted from each mobile device, as shown in Figures 12A and 12B.

[0173] First, in step ST401, the traffic management server receives ID information and location information transmitted from each mobile device, and then proceeds to step ST402. In this way, the traffic management server receives location information transmitted from each mobile device along with ID information, allowing it to determine the latest location of N children who own mobile devices.

[0174] In step ST402, the traffic management server determines whether it has detected any of the N children who own a mobile device who have left their designated starting point (their home if they are going to school in a group, or the school if they are going home in a group). If the result of the determination in step ST402 is NO, the traffic management server proceeds to step ST404; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST403. In step ST403, the traffic management server sends a departure notification to the communication device (e.g., a smartphone) owned by the guardian of the child who has been detected to have left the starting point, indicating that the child has started moving from the starting point towards the destination, and then proceeds to step ST404.

[0175] In step ST404, the traffic management server determines whether a group of pedestrians consisting of at least two of the N children has already been detected. If the result of the determination in step ST404 is NO, the traffic management server proceeds to step ST405; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST408 (see Figure 12B).

[0176] In step ST405, the traffic management server determines whether a group of pedestrians consisting of at least two children who have moved away from the starting point has been formed. If the traffic management server detects at least two children who are within a predetermined range and moving in the same direction, it can determine that a group of pedestrians consisting of these children has been formed. If the result of the determination in step ST405 is NO, the traffic management server returns to step ST401; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST406.

[0177] In step ST406, the traffic management server sends a group movement commencement notification to the communication devices owned by the guardians of each member forming the pedestrian group, and then proceeds to step ST407. In step ST407, the traffic management server designates one person as a representative from among the multiple members forming the pedestrian group, and then proceeds to step ST408 (see Figure 12B). In the following processes, the location of the representative designated in step ST407 will be considered the location of the pedestrian group.

[0178] In step ST408, the traffic management server determines whether a child has newly joined the pedestrian group as a member. The traffic management server can determine that a child has newly joined the pedestrian group if it determines that the new child is, for example, within a predetermined range centered on a representative and is moving in the same direction as this representative. If the result of the determination in step ST408 is NO, the traffic management server starts the location recognition process shown in Figure 13; if it is YES, it moves to step ST409. In step ST409, the traffic management server sends a group movement commencement notification to the communication device owned by the guardian of the newly joined child and starts the location recognition process shown in Figure 13.

[0179] As described above, by repeatedly executing the group recognition process shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the traffic management server can recognize that a group of pedestrians consisting of children who own personal information terminals has begun to move, that new members have joined this pedestrian group, and the number and names of the latest members of this pedestrian group. Furthermore, by repeatedly executing the group recognition process shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the traffic management server can recognize children associated with ID information transmitted from personal information terminals as members of the pedestrian group. However, in reality, some members of a pedestrian group do not own personal information terminals, and the traffic management server cannot recognize such children as members.

[0180] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the specific steps of the processing performed by the traffic management server and the vehicle (on-board control means) in the location recognition process.

[0181] In the position recognition process shown in Figure 13, the processes shown in steps ST412 and ST611 are the same as the processes shown in steps ST312 and ST511 in the position recognition process explained with reference to Figure 5, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Also, as mentioned above, the traffic management server can recognize the position of a designated representative within a group of pedestrians as the position of the group of pedestrians.

[0182] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processes performed by the traffic management server and the vehicle (on-board control means) in the first notification process.

[0183] In the first notification process shown in Figure 14, the processes shown in steps ST421-ST422 and ST621-ST622 are the same as the processes shown in steps ST321-ST322 and ST521-ST522 in the first notification process explained with reference to Figure 6, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0184] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processes performed by the traffic management server and the vehicle (on-board control means) in the second notification process.

[0185] In the second notification process shown in Figure 15, the processes shown in steps ST431-ST433 and ST631-ST633 are the same as the processes shown in steps ST331-ST333 and ST531-ST533 in the second notification process explained with reference to Figure 7, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0186] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the specific procedures for the processes performed by the traffic management server and the vehicle (on-board control means) in the third notification process.

[0187] In the third notification process shown in Figure 16, the processes shown in steps ST441-ST444 and ST641-ST645 are the same as the processes shown in steps ST341-ST344 and ST541-ST545 in the third notification process explained with reference to Figure 8, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0188] Figures 17A, 17B, and 17C are flowcharts showing the specific procedures for the processes performed by the pedestrian group (N mobile information terminals), the traffic management server, and the vehicle (in-vehicle control means) in the abnormality detection process.

[0189] In the abnormality detection process shown in Figures 17A to 17C, the processes shown in steps ST451 to ST452, ST651 to ST652, ST261 to ST262, ST461 to ST464, ST661 to ST664, and ST471 to ST475 are the same as the processes shown in steps ST351 to ST352, ST551 to ST552, ST161 to ST162, ST361 to ST364, ST561 to ST564, and ST371 to ST375 in the abnormality detection process explained with reference to Figures 9A to 9C, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0190] Figure 18 is a flowchart showing the specific steps of the process performed by the traffic management server during the arrival determination process.

[0191] The processes executed by the traffic management server during the arrival determination process consist of steps ST481 to ST486, as shown in Figure 18.

[0192] First, in step ST481, the traffic management server determines whether it has detected any children among the currently recognized pedestrian group members who have arrived at their designated destination (school if it is a group commute to school, or their respective homes if it is a group dismissal). If the result of step ST481 is NO, the traffic management server returns to the group recognition process shown in Figure 12A; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST482.

[0193] In step ST482, the traffic management server removes members who have been determined to have arrived at their destination from the pedestrian group and proceeds to step ST483. In step ST483, the traffic management server sends a group movement completion notification to the communication device owned by the guardian of the child who has arrived at the destination and proceeds to step ST484.

[0194] In step ST484, the traffic management server determines whether all members of the currently recognized pedestrian group have arrived at their destination. If the result of step ST484 is YES, the traffic management server terminates the support process; otherwise, it proceeds to step ST485.

[0195] In step ST485, the traffic management server determines whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the first departure notification was sent in step ST403. If the result of the determination in step ST485 is NO, the traffic management server returns to the group recognition process in Figure 12A; if it is YES, it proceeds to step ST486. In step ST486, the traffic management server sends a non-arrival notification to the communication means owned by the guardian and teacher of the member who has not arrived, and then terminates the support process.

[0196] In addition to the effects shown in (1) to (8), the traffic safety support system according to this embodiment provides the following effects. (12) In the traffic safety support system according to this embodiment, at least two of the members use their own portable information terminals as portable communication means for communication between the pedestrian group and the traffic management server. Therefore, with the traffic safety support system, unlike the traffic safety support system 1 according to the first embodiment, the leader does not need to read the tag information or code information of the others, thus reducing the burden on the leader.

[0197] (13) Multiple mobile information terminals constituting the mobile communication means transmit their respective ID information and location information to the traffic management server. When the traffic management server determines that multiple mobile information terminals are within a predetermined range and moving in the same direction, it recognizes the start of a group movement whose members are those associated with the ID information. This allows the traffic management server to recognize the start of a group movement without requiring complex operations on each member's mobile information terminal, thereby reducing the burden on each member.

[0198] (14) After the traffic management server determines that a member has reached their destination, it sends a group movement completion notification to the communication device owned by the guardian associated with the member. Thus, the traffic safety support system can support the safe movement of pedestrian groups and promptly notify guardians that the pedestrian group has safely reached their destination.

[0199] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, the details of the configuration may be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0200] 1…Traffic safety support system 2…Vehicle users V...vehicle 20...In-vehicle control means 21…In-vehicle communication device 22... Surrounding Condition Information Acquisition Device 23... Surrounding Condition Recognition Device 24... Automatic speed control system 25…Automatic reduction gear 26… Notification device 27…Collision determination device 3…Pedestrian group 30… Mobile information terminal (mobile communication device) 31...Location information acquisition unit 32…Information Reading Unit 33...Collision detection unit 34...Point data storage unit 35... Communications Department 6…Traffic management server 61…Communication unit 62…Pedestrian group recognition unit 63…Position recognition unit 64… Hochi Unit 65... Anomaly detection unit 66... ​​Arrival Determination Unit 67…Member Characteristics Database 68…Abnormal Data Storage Unit (Storage Medium)

Claims

1. A traffic safety support system that assists the safe group movement of a group of children, including multiple children, to a destination on foot, and the safe movement of vehicles, A portable communication device that moves together with the aforementioned group, An on-board control means that moves together with the vehicle, The system comprises a mobile communication means and a traffic management server that is communicatively connected to the in-vehicle control means, The aforementioned mobile communication means is a mobile information terminal owned by at least one of the members designated as the leader within the group, and when the leader reaches the destination, it sends a destination arrival notification to the traffic management server. The traffic management server recognizes the location of the group and the vehicles based on the information transmitted from the mobile communication means and the in-vehicle control means, and if the vehicles and the group are moving within a common specific traffic area, it performs a notification process to send a group presence notification to the in-vehicle control means from the time it recognizes that the group movement has started until it receives a destination arrival notification. The in-vehicle control means is An in-vehicle communication device that receives the aforementioned group presence notification, A traffic safety support system characterized by comprising: an automatic speed control device that, when it receives a notification of the presence of a group within the specified traffic area, limits the speed of the vehicle within the specified traffic area to a predetermined upper speed limit or less.

2. If the traffic management server detects that the group is located near the vehicle and ahead in the direction of travel, it transmits a notification of the presence of the group and group characteristic information relating to the characteristics of the group to the on-board control means. The in-vehicle control means is An ambient condition information acquisition device that acquires ambient condition information regarding the conditions around the vehicle, A surrounding state recognition device that recognizes the presence of the group based on the surrounding state information and the group characteristic information, The traffic safety support system according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic deceleration device that decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition results from the surrounding condition recognition device.

3. A traffic safety support system that assists the safe group movement of a group of children, including multiple children, to a destination on foot, and the safe movement of vehicles, A portable communication device that moves together with the aforementioned group, An on-board control means that moves together with the vehicle, The system comprises a mobile communication means and a traffic management server that is communicatively connected to the in-vehicle control means, The aforementioned mobile communication means is a mobile information terminal owned by at least one of the members designated as the leader within the group, and when the leader reaches the destination, it sends a destination arrival notification to the traffic management server. The traffic management server recognizes the location of the group and the vehicle based on the information transmitted from the mobile communication means and the in-vehicle control means, and if the group is located near the vehicle and ahead in the direction of travel, it performs a notification process to transmit a group presence notification and group characteristic information to the in-vehicle control means from the time it recognizes that the group movement has started until it receives a destination arrival notification. The in-vehicle control means is An in-vehicle communication device that receives the group presence notification and the group characteristic information, An ambient condition information acquisition device that acquires ambient condition information regarding the conditions around the vehicle, A surrounding state recognition device that recognizes the presence of the group based on the surrounding state information and the group characteristic information, A traffic safety support system characterized by comprising an automatic deceleration device that decelerates the vehicle based on the recognition results from the surrounding condition recognition device.

4. The traffic management server transmits a notification of the presence of the group to the in-vehicle control means when the vehicle and the group are moving within a common designated traffic area. The in-vehicle control means is The traffic safety support system according to claim 3, further comprising an automatic speed control device that, when it receives a notification of the presence of a group within the designated traffic area, limits the speed of the vehicle within the designated traffic area to a predetermined upper speed limit or less.

5. The traffic safety support system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the traffic management server transmits the location of the group, the height of the members, and the number of members as group characteristic information to the in-vehicle control means.

6. The traffic safety support system according to claim 5, characterized in that the in-vehicle control means includes a notification device that, upon receiving the notification of the presence of a group, notifies the driver of the vehicle of the presence of the group.

7. When the automatic deceleration device is activated, the in-vehicle communication device transmits automatic deceleration device operation information, which includes at least the location and date and time of activation of the automatic deceleration device, to the traffic management server. The traffic safety support system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that when the traffic management server receives the automatic deceleration device operation information, it associates the automatic deceleration device operation information with the position of the group at the date and time of operation and stores it in a storage medium.

8. The in-vehicle control means includes a collision determination device that determines whether or not there is a collision with a pedestrian. When the collision detection device determines that a collision has occurred, the in-vehicle communication device transmits collision information, including the location of the collision and the date and time of the collision, to the traffic management server. The traffic safety support system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that when the traffic management server receives the collision occurrence information, it associates the collision occurrence information with the position of the group at the date and time of the collision occurrence and stores it in a storage medium.

9. The traffic safety support system according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the aforementioned designated traffic area includes residential roads and roads where no guardrails are provided between the roadway and the sidewalk.

10. The aforementioned mobile information terminal reads tag information or code information owned by a person other than the leader, and transmits the read tag information or code information to the traffic management server. The traffic safety support system according to claim 9, characterized in that the traffic management server recognizes a person associated with tag information or code information transmitted from the mobile information terminal as a member of the system.

11. The traffic safety support system according to claim 10, characterized in that the traffic management server, after receiving the destination arrival notification, sends a group travel completion notification to a communication means owned by the guardian associated with the member.

12. The traffic safety support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mobile communication means is comprised of mobile information terminals owned by at least two of the multiple members.

13. Multiple of the aforementioned mobile information terminals transmit their respective owner information and location information to the traffic management server. The traffic safety support system according to claim 12, characterized in that when the traffic management server determines that multiple mobile information terminals are within a predetermined range and moving in the same direction, it recognizes the start of a group movement in which the person associated with the owner information is a member.

14. The traffic safety support system according to claim 13, characterized in that the traffic management server, after determining that the member has reached the destination, sends a group travel completion notification to a communication means owned by the guardian associated with the member.

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