Road surface information reporting system

Abstract

To provide a road surface information notifying system that can appropriately notify a user of an abnormality on a road surface while reflecting user needs.SOLUTION: A road surface information notifying system for notifying an administrator of a road surface of an abnormality detected by a vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, comprises: a detection device that detects the abnormality by photographing a surrounding of the vehicle; a predetermined application 10 that allows the transmission of photographed data obtained by photographing the detection device to an administrator 2; a transmission determination unit 12 that determines whether a vehicle passenger has selected to transmit the photographed data to the administrator; and a photographed data transmission unit 13 that transmits the photographed data selected by the passenger to the administrator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a road surface information reporting system for reporting a location where the condition of the road surface on which a vehicle travels is poor.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that can autonomously improve the process of identifying road surface damage. In the device of Patent Document 1, an image captured by a photographing unit such as a camera mounted on a vehicle is input by an identifier, and road surface damage is identified based on the output of the identifier. The identifier is implemented based on configuration information for constituting a learned identifier received from a learning server. Further, the management server receives the identification result by the identifier, and it may be performed by a user (administrator) of the management server as necessary, for example, by an expert who determines road surface damage. Also, the photographing unit captures images at a predetermined time interval, and the identifying unit is configured to identify road surface damage within the predetermined time interval. Since road surface damage is recognized within the photographing interval of the photographing unit by the identifying unit, the road surface is continuously photographed without interruption by appropriately selecting the predetermined time interval according to the speed of the vehicle, and the damage is identified. As described above, in Patent Document 1, the road surface is continuously photographed, and the degree of damage of the photographed image data is identified by an identifier. Then, the identified result is transmitted to the management server, and an expert who determines road surface damage, who is a user (administrator) of the server, corrects the identification result as necessary and causes the identifier to learn, thereby improving the quality of learning data and improving the identification performance of the identifier.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a road surface information registration system aimed at appropriately registering information on road surface conditions detected by sensors according to the accuracy of the sensors. The system in Patent Document 2 comprises a first vehicle equipped with a first sensor and a second vehicle equipped with a second sensor that has higher accuracy than the first sensor. When the first sensor detects an abnormality in the road surface conditions, the location of the road surface abnormality is automatically provisionally registered in a database. The system is configured to then send the second vehicle equipped with the second sensor to the provisionally registered road surface abnormality location, and if an abnormality is detected there as well, the registration of that road surface abnormality location is confirmed. Patent Document 2 states that with this configuration, information on road surface conditions detected by each sensor can be appropriately registered according to the accuracy of the sensors. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-139316 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-144747 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In the system described in Patent Document 1, the identification performance of the classifier is improved because images of the road surface are continuously captured and used for identification. However, the number and frequency of images sent to the management server become enormous, leading to increased communication costs. In the system described in Patent Document 2, when an abnormality in the road surface is detected, information about the detected abnormality is automatically sent to the management server. Therefore, even if a driver or passenger who has driven on the abnormal road surface feels that repairs are unnecessary or not immediately required based on the degree of the abnormality, the abnormality may still be sent to the management server. In other words, since road surface abnormalities detected by the sensor are transmitted uniformly, road surface abnormalities are detected and sent to the management server regardless of user convenience. As a result, it may take time for road surface abnormalities to be repaired, potentially leading to inconveniences such as decreased user convenience.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, and aims to provide a road surface information system that can appropriately report abnormalities in the road surface while reflecting the needs of the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a road surface information notification system that notifies a manager responsible for managing the road surface of an abnormality detected by a vehicle while it is in motion, comprising: a detection device that detects the abnormality by photographing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; a predetermined application that permits the transmission of photographic data obtained by the detection device to the manager; a transmission determination unit that determines whether the vehicle's occupant has selected to transmit the photographic data to the manager; and a photographic data transmission unit that transmits the photographic data selected by the occupant to the manager. The system further comprises: a location information acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the vehicle; an anomaly detection location acquisition unit that acquires information about the location where the anomaly was detected based on the current location of the vehicle; and an anomaly detection location map generation unit that generates an anomaly detection location map by accumulating and summarizing the shooting data and the anomaly at the location where the anomaly was detected in map information based on the information about the location where the anomaly was detected. The shooting data transmission unit transmits the anomaly detection location map to the administrator along with the shooting data. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] Furthermore, in the present invention, the detection device may be capable of photographing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle by having a passenger in the vehicle perform a predetermined operation, and also capable of photographing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle without having to perform the predetermined operation.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention may further include a shooting data determination unit that determines whether the administrator can recognize the abnormality based on the shooting data selected by the passenger, and the shooting data transmission unit may stop transmitting the shooting data to the administrator if the shooting data determination unit determines that the abnormality cannot be recognized from the shooting data.

[0010] Furthermore, in the present invention, the predetermined application can be used by registering at least one of the vehicle identification information or the information concerning the passengers of the vehicle, and the photographic data transmission unit may transmit at least one of the aforementioned information to the administrator along with the photographic data when the passenger transmits the photographic data to the administrator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The road surface information reporting system of the present invention is configured so that when a vehicle occupant discovers an abnormality such as a hole or crack in the road surface, the occupant can arbitrarily photograph and upload the abnormality. In other words, since the user can report to the administrator the location where they are actually experiencing inconvenience, the administrator can become aware of road surface abnormalities at the location desired by the user at an early stage and repair those abnormalities promptly. Furthermore, the uploading of the photographed data can only be performed by vehicles that have a predetermined application. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the transmission of photographic data to the management server unnecessarily, or the transmission of unclear photographic data to the management server, thereby reducing the costs required for communication.

[0013] Furthermore, the road surface information reporting system is configured so that only the photographic data selected by the passenger is sent to the administrator, and only the photographic data uploaded by the passenger that the administrator deems recognizable is sent to the administrator. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the accidental uploading of photographic data by the passenger, or the repeated transmission of similar photographic data to the administrator.

[0014] Furthermore, the designated application registers at least one of either vehicle identification information or user information, and when the captured data is sent to the administrator, at least one of these pieces of information is also sent. This helps prevent or deter so-called vandalism and enhances the reliability of the information provided.

[0015] Furthermore, the road surface information reporting system generates an anomaly detection map based on transmitted photographic data and information about the locations where anomalies were detected. Therefore, for example, it can generate a map where locations where anomalies have been reported are marked, and locations that have been reported multiple times are marked with different types of marks depending on the number of reports. This allows road administrators to easily identify locations where anomalies have been reported or locations that have been reported multiple times, making it easier to plan and execute repairs. Consequently, it can lead to improved convenience for passengers, such as making it easier for road surface anomalies that passengers desire to be repaired early. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of a road surface information notification system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram illustrating the functions of the road surface information notification system. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating the control performed by the road surface information notification system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples when the present invention is embodied, and do not limit the present invention.

[0018] First, the overall configuration of the road surface information notification system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. When the vehicle Ve detects an abnormality on the road surface while traveling, the road surface information notification system 1 stores it as shooting data such as a still image or a moving image, and transmits the shooting data to the road administrator 2 who manages the road surface or a road repairer, thereby notifying the abnormality. As shown in FIG. 1, the road surface information notification system 1 is composed of an information processing device 3 (controller) mounted on the vehicle Ve, a management server 4, and a road surface management terminal 5. The information processing device 3, the management server 4, and the road surface management terminal 5 are communicably connected to each other through a communication network 6, and are configured to be able to transmit and receive data to and from each other.

[0019] The management server 4 is a so-called cloud server, and manages information regarding the shooting data transmitted from the information processing device 3 of the vehicle Ve. In the management server 4, the shooting data received from the information processing devices 3 of a plurality of vehicles Ve is sorted out and transmitted to a plurality of road surface management terminals 5 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0020] The road surface management terminal 5 is a conventionally known information processing terminal, and is mainly composed of, for example, a microcomputer including an arithmetic unit, a storage element, and an input / output device. The road surface management terminal 5 is, for example, a terminal owned by a road administrator 2 such as a local government or a road repairer that manages the road surface, and receives information including shooting data in which an abnormality on the road surface appears from the management server 4.

[0021] The vehicle Ve is an existing general vehicle known in the art, such as a gasoline vehicle, an electric vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, etc. Also, it is not limited to a manually driven vehicle that travels to a destination by a driver's driving operation, and may be an autonomous vehicle that travels to a destination by automatically controlling the driving operation without depending on the driver's driving operation. Further, in addition to the information processing device 3, the vehicle Ve includes an in-vehicle camera 7 and a display 8.

[0022] The in-vehicle camera 7 corresponds to the detection device in the embodiment of the present invention and captures the surrounding situation of the vehicle Ve. The in-vehicle camera 7 is a conventionally known camera, such as a monocular camera, a three-eye or four-eye stereo camera, etc. The in-vehicle camera 7 is attached to the upper part of the windshield or rear window, the upper part of the dashboard, the back side of the rearview mirror, etc. That is, the in-vehicle camera 7 is attached so that it can capture not only the road surface but also the surrounding situation of the vehicle Ve and road signs.

[0023] The in-vehicle camera 7 can execute shooting by operating a user interface that can be operated even while the driver is performing a driving operation. Examples of the user interface include a steering switch or voice recognition. By performing a predetermined operation such as the driver operating such a steering switch or instructing shooting by voice recognition, the surrounding situation of the vehicle Ve is captured. Note that the in-vehicle camera 7 always captures the surrounding situation of the vehicle Ve when the vehicle Ve is ignition ON, and when a predetermined operation described above is performed by a passenger, the surrounding situation of the vehicle Ve when the predetermined operation is executed may be generated as shooting data of separate data. Also, when detecting an abnormality on the road surface by the in-vehicle camera 7, it is mainly detected by shooting a still image, but it may be detected by a moving image for the abnormality on the road surface.

[0024] The display unit 8 displays the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 7. The display unit 8 is, for example, a monitor installed on the instrument panel of the vehicle Ve. The display unit 8 displays the image data and prompts the occupant to choose whether to send the displayed image data to the management server 4. The occupant's choice is made using the steering wheel switches or, if the display unit 8 is a touch panel, by directly pressing the options displayed on the display unit 8.

[0025] The information processing device 3 controls various devices so that the vehicle Ve reaches a desired state, based on signals received from various sensors installed on the vehicle Ve and information such as stored maps and programs. The information processing device 3 mainly consists of a conventionally known processor, main memory unit, auxiliary memory unit, and communication unit (none of which are shown). In the embodiment of the present invention, the information processing device 3 performs functions that match a predetermined purpose by having the processor load a program stored on a recording medium into the working area of ​​the main memory unit and execute it, and by performing various controls through the execution of the program.

[0026] The processor is, for example, a CPU or a DSP. This processor is configured to control the information processing device 3 and perform various information processing calculations. The main memory includes, for example, RAM and ROM. As described above, the main memory has a working area for the processor to execute programs. The auxiliary memory includes, for example, an EPROM or a hard disk drive. This auxiliary memory may also include a portable recording medium, a so-called removable media. This removable media may be, for example, a USB memory stick or a disk recording medium such as a CD or DVD. The auxiliary memory also freely stores various programs, various data, and various tables on the recording medium by reading or writing them. The auxiliary memory may also store an operating system. The communication unit is a wireless communication circuit that is connected to an external communication device for data communication using wireless communication. This wireless communication circuit communicates using, for example, cellular communication (mobile communication) such as 5G or 4G (LTE). The wireless communication circuit may also communicate using narrowband communication such as DSRC.

[0027] Next, the functions of the road surface information notification system 1 will be explained using Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the information processing device 3 mounted on the vehicle Ve has a location information acquisition unit 9, a road surface management application 10, a shooting data storage unit 11, a transmission determination unit 12, and a detection data transmission unit 13 in appropriate locations within the processor, main memory unit, auxiliary memory unit, and communication unit described above. The management server 4 has a shooting data determination unit 14, an anomaly detection point acquisition unit 15, a map information database 16, an anomaly detection point map generation unit 17, an incentive granting unit 18, and a communication unit 19. The road surface management terminal 5 is equipped with a road surface anomaly information receiving unit 20.

[0028] The location information acquisition unit 9 obtains information regarding the current location of the vehicle Ve from a location information service. An example of such a location information service is GPS, which is one of the GNSS satellite positioning systems that receive signals emitted from satellites to estimate or determine the current location.

[0029] The road surface management application 10 corresponds to a predetermined application in an embodiment of the present invention, and is an application that authorizes the transmission of captured images to the management server 4 and the road surface management terminal 5. The road surface management application 10 is optionally installed by the driver, passengers, or administrators of the vehicle Ve. In other words, the road surface information notification system 1 is configured so that only vehicles Ve with the road surface management application 10 can transmit captured images to the cloud. For example, it may be configured to transmit detected anomalies to the management server 4 via the road surface management application 10.

[0030] Furthermore, the road surface management application 10 requests the user to register identification information for the vehicle Ve or personal information about the user. Identification information for the vehicle Ve includes, for example, the registration identification information of the vehicle Ve or the information written on the license plate. Personal information about the user includes the user's name, date of birth, and address of residence. The road surface management application 10 is configured so that if such information that can identify the vehicle Ve or the user is not registered, it cannot send the image taken by the user to the management server 4. In addition, when the road surface management application 10 sends a still image taken by the user to the management server 4, it also sends information that can identify the vehicle Ve or the user to the management server 4.

[0031] The image data storage unit 11 temporarily stores image data obtained by a predetermined operation performed by the passenger, from among the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 7. The image data storage unit 11 stores, for example, the image data obtained by capturing images through predetermined operations, arranged in chronological order or other formats.

[0032] The transmission determination unit 12 determines that the passenger has authorized the transmission of the captured data, taken through a predetermined operation by the passenger, to the management server 4. Because the vehicle Ve is in motion, the captured data taken by the passenger may include blurry or reflective images. Since such blurry data is unnecessary for detecting abnormalities, the transmission determination unit 12 deletes the captured data that the passenger has determined not to transmit. Alternatively, if multiple captured data exist due to capturing the same abnormality multiple times, it is preferable to transmit the captured data that most clearly shows the abnormality. Therefore, the transmission determination unit 12 prompts the passenger to select the captured data to transmit from the multiple captured data using a display 8 or the like, and transmits only the selected captured data.

[0033] Furthermore, the transmission determination unit 12 may be configured to prompt the passenger to select the type of anomaly included in the selected photographic data when the passenger selects the photographic data to send to the management server 4. For example, after selecting the photographic data, the display unit 8 may display options for the type of anomaly, such as a pothole in the road surface, faint white lines, or fallen objects, and prompt the passenger to make a selection. Also, if the photographic data is a video, the passenger may be prompted to extract still images from the video, and only the extracted still images may be transmitted.

[0034] The detection data transmission unit 13 transmits the captured data and other information authorized for transmission to the management server 4 by the transmission determination unit 12 to the management server 4. Along with the captured data, the detection data transmission unit 13 transmits the abnormality detection data to the management server 4, which is linked to information about the current location of the vehicle Ve and information that can identify the vehicle Ve or user registered in the road surface management application 10. The transmission of abnormality detection data by the detection data transmission unit 13 may be done each time abnormality detection data is created, when the vehicle Ve reaches its destination, or in response to user operation.

[0035] The image data determination unit 14 determines whether the image data received from the vehicle Ve information processing device 3 is data that allows the road administrator 2 to recognize an anomaly. Even if the passenger who sent the image data can recognize it, the road administrator 2 may not be able to correctly recognize an anomaly in the road surface based solely on the information in the image data. Therefore, the image data determination unit 14 mechanically determines whether the road administrator 2 can recognize an anomaly in the road surface based on predetermined criteria such as the clarity, brightness, and degree of magnification of the part of the image data in which the anomaly is captured.

[0036] Furthermore, the image data determination unit 14 may be configured to determine the image data based on criteria that prevent image data mistakenly transmitted by the passenger from being sent to the road surface management terminal 5. In other words, the image data determination unit 14 only needs to be able to determine whether the road administrator 2 can recognize an abnormality based on criteria that prevent the image data from being unnecessarily transmitted to the road surface management terminal 5. In addition, the image data determination unit 14 will stop transmitting image data to the road surface management terminal 5 if it determines that the road administrator 2 cannot recognize the image data. At that time, the image data determination unit 14 may notify the passenger that the image data could not be accepted along with the reason, and may also delete it from the management server 4 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

[0037] The anomaly detection location acquisition unit 15 acquires data related to the location where an anomaly was detected from the anomaly detection data received from the vehicle Ve information processing device 3. The anomaly detection location acquisition unit 15 acquires information about the detailed location of the location where the anomaly was detected by querying the map information stored in the map information database 16. In addition, the anomaly detection location acquisition unit 15 may collect data only from locations where the road administrator 2 has determined that an anomaly can be correctly recognized by the photographic data determination unit 14.

[0038] The map information database 16 stores map information that primarily contains detailed information about roads. The map information database 16 classifies the map information by road administrator 2, or classifies and stores the map information according to predetermined regions or classifications.

[0039] The anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 generates an anomaly detection location map that summarizes the locations where anomalies have been detected, based on data about the locations where anomalies have been detected and map information stored in the map information database 16. The anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 generates a map in which the locations where anomalies have been detected are marked on the map information. The anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 is configured to generate anomaly detection location maps for each road administrator 2, region, or category. For example, the anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 queries newly received anomaly detection data against information already stored.

[0040] The anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 may generate an anomaly detection location map by adding the newly received anomaly detection location to the already stored information if that location is already stored. Furthermore, the anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 may generate a map with different types of markers depending on the number of times a location has been reported multiple times. In other words, if the anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 has already stored information about a newly received anomaly, it generates an anomaly detection location map so that it can determine if the location with the anomaly has been reported multiple times. In this way, when the road administrator 2 checks the anomaly detection location map, they can easily find locations that have been reported by users or locations that many users find inconvenient.

[0041] The incentive granting unit 18 grants incentives to users of vehicle Ve who have transmitted abnormality detection data to the management server 4. The incentive granting unit 18 is configured to grant incentives to vehicle Ve or users of vehicle Ve who have provided photographic data that can be used by the road administrator 2 to make decisions that will lead to immediate repairs. For example, the incentive granting unit 18 works in conjunction with the management server 4, the vendor providing the road surface management application 10, the road administrator 2, and the vehicle Ve sales company to provide users with points or discount systems that can be used for expenses related to vehicle Ve.

[0042] The communication unit 19 is constantly connected to the vehicle Ve's information processing device 3 and the road surface management terminal 5, enabling data communication via wireless communication. The communication unit 19 receives anomaly detection data from the vehicle Ve's information processing device 3, i.e., the detection data transmission unit 13. The communication unit 19 also transmits the anomaly detection data and the anomaly detection location map generated by the anomaly detection location map generation unit 17 to the road surface management terminal 5.

[0043] The road surface abnormality information receiving unit 20 receives abnormality detection data transmitted from the vehicle Ve's information processing device 3 and an abnormality detection location map generated by the management server 4. In this embodiment, the system is configured to receive the abnormality detection data and abnormality detection location map collectively from the management server 4, but it may also be configured to receive the abnormality detection data directly from the vehicle Ve's information processing device 3.

[0044] Next, the control performed by the road surface information notification system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 3. The flowchart shown in Figure 3 is executed when a road surface abnormality is detected while a vehicle Ve equipped with the information processing device 3 described above is in motion, and the occupant notifies the road administrator 2 via the management server 4.

[0045] In step S1, it is determined that the ignition switch of vehicle Ve is ON. This determination is based on factors such as whether the ignition switch, which is located on the instrument panel of vehicle Ve, is energized. If the ignition switch is OFF and the result in step S1 is NO, this flowchart is terminated without executing any further control steps.

[0046] If the ignition switch is ON and the result in step S1 is determined to be YES, the process proceeds to step S2, where it is determined that the road surface management application 10 is running. In step S2, for example, the road surface management application 10 displayed on the display unit 8 is started by operating the steering wheel switches, etc., so that if the occupant of vehicle Ve detects an abnormality in the road surface, the abnormality can be captured by the on-board camera 7. Specifically, when the road surface management application 10 is started, a predetermined switch on the steering wheel switches is pressed, which activates the function of the on-board camera 7 to capture images of the area around vehicle Ve. If the road surface management application 10 is not running and the result in step S2 is determined to be NO, this flowchart is terminated without executing any further controls.

[0047] Conversely, if the road surface management application 10 is running and the result in step S2 is determined to be YES, the process proceeds to step S3, where it is determined that a predetermined operation has been performed by the occupant of vehicle Ve. In step S3, it is determined that the occupant has performed a predetermined operation to take pictures with the in-vehicle camera 7, such as using the steering wheel switches or voice commands. If the result in step S3 is determined to be NO because such a predetermined operation has not been performed, then this flowchart is terminated without executing any further controls. Note that if the result in step S3 is determined to be NO, the process may wait until the predetermined operation is performed.

[0048] If the passenger performs the prescribed operation and the result in a YES in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4, where the onboard camera 7 takes pictures of the area around the vehicle Ve. The data captured by the onboard camera 7 is mainly a single still image, but since the image may be unclear due to the vehicle Ve being in motion, it may also be a series of still images or a short video. In addition, the onboard camera 7 mainly takes pictures of the area in front of the vehicle Ve, but since the vehicle Ve may pass over a point with an abnormal road surface, it may also take pictures of the area behind and to the sides of the vehicle Ve.

[0049] After the in-vehicle camera 7 has finished capturing images, the process proceeds to step S5, where information about the captured location is acquired. In step S5, location information and date and time of capture are acquired. In the flowchart shown in Figure 3, the process in step S5 is executed after step S4, but it may be configured to be executed simultaneously with step S4. In other words, it may be configured to record information about the location where an anomaly was detected at the same time as a predetermined operation is performed by the occupant.

[0050] After obtaining information about the location where the image was taken, the process proceeds to step S6, where it is determined whether or not to send the captured image data to the management server 4. In step S6, the captured image data is displayed on the display unit 8, and the passenger is prompted to make a selection. For example, in step S6, the display unit 8 displays the image and also shows the option of whether or not to upload it to the management server 4. The passenger then selects one of these options by operating the steering wheel switches or the like, and the determination in step S6 is executed. In step S6, when uploading the captured image data, the system may be configured to prompt the passenger to select the type of anomaly they found, such as road surface damage or the presence of fallen objects. If the passenger chooses not to send the captured image data, and the determination in step S6 is NO, this flowchart is terminated without executing any further controls.

[0051] Conversely, if the passenger chooses to send the captured data and the result is determined to be YES in step S6, the process proceeds to step S7, and the upload of data including the captured data begins. In step S7, the selected captured data is sent to the management server 4 along with anomaly detection data, which includes information about the location where the captured data was taken, and information about the vehicle Ve or the user.

[0052] When anomaly detection data is sent to the management server 4, the process proceeds to step S8, where it is determined that the road administrator 2 can recognize the photographic data in the transmitted anomaly detection data. In step S8, the road administrator 2 is mechanically determined to recognize an anomaly in the road surface based on predetermined criteria such as clarity, brightness, and degree of magnification of the photographic data. Note that the determination in step S8 may be a process that determines whether the photographic data is clearly unclear or whether there are many identical photographic data. In other words, the determination should be based on criteria that prevent the unnecessary transmission of photographic data to the road surface management terminal 5.

[0053] If the result in step S8 is NO because the captured data is unclear and the road administrator 2 is unable to recognize the abnormality in the road surface, the process proceeds to step S12, and the user of vehicle Ve is notified accordingly. In step S12, the user of vehicle Ve is notified that the road administrator 2 is unable to recognize the transmitted captured data, for example, because the captured data is unclear or the abnormality in the road surface is too small in the captured data.

[0054] On the other hand, if the predetermined criteria are met and the result is determined to be YES in step S8, the process proceeds to step S9, where an anomaly detection location map is generated. In step S9, an anomaly detection location map is generated by incorporating the received anomaly information detection data into the map information. The anomaly detection location map includes locations where anomalies have been previously detected and is divided by road administrators2 such as local governments and repair companies. For example, the anomaly detection location map is configured so that locations where anomalies have been detected on the map are marked to increase visibility, and by selecting a mark, data such as the captured image data and the date and time of capture are displayed. Also, in step S9, if newly received information about an anomaly is already stored, the anomaly detection location map is generated in a way that allows for the determination that the location where the anomaly occurred has been reported multiple times.

[0055] After the creation of the anomaly detection location map is complete, the process proceeds to step S10, where the generated anomaly detection location map is sent to the road surface management terminal 5. In step S10, the anomaly detection location map is sent to each road administrator 2. The transmission of the anomaly detection location map may be done at predetermined intervals, or it may be configured to be sent in response to inquiries from road administrators 2.

[0056] After transmitting the anomaly detection location map to the road surface management terminal 5, the process proceeds to step S11, where an incentive is given to the passenger or vehicle Ve who transmitted the anomaly detection location data. In step S11, if the uploaded photographic data contains new information, a higher incentive is given, or the type of incentive given is changed in response to a request from the user via the road surface management application 10. Incentives are given to the vehicle Ve or user based on predetermined criteria. Note that the provision of incentives is not limited to being performed immediately after the transmission of the anomaly detection location map, but may be performed at a predetermined timing.

[0057] In the road surface information reporting system 1 configured in this way, if a passenger in a vehicle Ve discovers an abnormality such as a hole or crack in the road surface, the passenger can optionally photograph the abnormality and upload it. In other words, the user can report the location where they are actually experiencing inconvenience to the road administrator 2, so that the road administrator 2 can learn about road surface abnormalities at the location desired by the user at an early stage and repair those abnormalities promptly. Furthermore, only vehicles Ve that have the road surface management application 10, in which the vehicle Ve's identification information and user information are registered, can upload the photographed data, and the user can decide whether or not to send the photographed data to the management server 4. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the sending of photographed data to the management server 4 unnecessarily, or the sending of unclear photographed data to the management server 4, thereby reducing the cost of communication. The photographed data is sent to the management server 4 after being confirmed by the driver, passenger, or the administrator of the vehicle Ve. Then, information that can identify the vehicle and user is sent along with the photographed data, so it is possible to prevent or suppress so-called vandalism and increase the reliability of the information provided.

[0058] Furthermore, the road surface information reporting system 1 generates an anomaly detection location map based on the anomaly detection data, including the transmitted photographic data. The anomaly detection location map is generated with, for example, marks placed on locations where anomalies have been reported, and different types of marks are placed on locations where anomalies have been reported multiple times, depending on the number of reports. Therefore, by referring to the anomaly detection location map, the road administrator 2 can easily find out about reported locations and locations where anomalies have been reported multiple times, making it easier to plan and execute repair processes. The road surface information reporting system 1 also provides incentives to vehicles Ve or users of vehicles Ve who upload anomaly detection data. Therefore, it is possible to increase the motivation of users of vehicles Ve to upload anomaly detection data.

[0059] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the examples described above, and may be modified as appropriate to achieve the objectives of the present invention. For example, the system may be configured to immediately transmit the image data captured by the passenger to the management server 4. In that case, it is preferable to raise the criteria for determining the image data in the image data determination unit 14. Such a configuration can reduce the inconvenience of the passenger having to operate steering wheel switches or the like to transmit the image data. Conversely, the system may be configured to automatically capture images of the road surface when an abnormality is detected, and for the user to confirm and transmit the captured image data. Even with such a configuration, the inconvenience of the passenger having to capture images of road surface abnormalities can be reduced.

[0060] Furthermore, although the image data determination unit 14 is described as a function of the management server 4, it may also be a function of the vehicle Ve information processing device 3. In addition, although this embodiment describes the case of detecting abnormalities in the road surface, it may be configured to report traffic inconveniences around the vehicle, not limited to abnormalities in the road surface. For example, it may be configured to report to the road administrator that road signs are unclear or that curbs, guardrails, etc., are damaged. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 1. Road surface information notification system 2 Road administrator (administrator) 7. On-board camera (detection device) 9 Location information acquisition section 10. Road surface management applications (specified applications) 12 Transmission determination unit 13. Detection data transmission unit (imaging data transmission unit) 14. Image Data Determination Unit 15 Anomaly detection location acquisition unit 17 Anomaly detection location map generation unit Vehicle

Claims

1. A road surface information notification system that, when a vehicle detects an abnormality in the road surface while it is in motion, notifies the administrator responsible for managing the road surface of the abnormality, A detection device that detects the abnormality by photographing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, A predetermined application that permits the transmission of imaging data obtained by the detection device to the administrator, A transmission determination unit that determines whether the passenger of the vehicle has chosen to transmit the aforementioned photographic data to the administrator, The system includes a shooting data transmission unit that transmits the shooting data selected by the passenger to the administrator, A location information acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, An anomaly detection location acquisition unit acquires information about the location where the anomaly was detected based on the current position of the vehicle. The system further includes an anomaly detection location map generation unit that generates an anomaly detection location map by accumulating and summarizing the shooting data and the anomalies at the locations where the anomalies were detected in map information, based on information regarding the locations where the anomalies were detected. When the aforementioned shooting data transmission unit transmits the shooting data to the administrator, it also transmits the anomaly detection location map to the administrator. A road surface information reporting system characterized by the following features.

2. A road surface information notification system according to claim 1, The detection device is capable of photographing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle by having a passenger in the vehicle perform a predetermined operation, and also by photographing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle without the passenger performing the predetermined operation. A road surface information reporting system characterized by the following features.

3. A road surface information notification system according to claim 1 or 2, The system further includes a shooting data determination unit that determines whether the administrator can recognize the abnormality based on the shooting data selected by the passenger, The aforementioned shooting data transmission unit shall stop transmitting the shooting data to the administrator if the shooting data determination unit determines that it cannot recognize the abnormality from the shooting data. A road surface information reporting system characterized by the following features.

4. A road surface information notification system according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned predetermined application can be used by registering at least one of the following: the vehicle's identification information or the information concerning the vehicle's occupants. The aforementioned shooting data transmission unit transmits the shooting data to the administrator along with at least one of the aforementioned pieces of information when the passenger transmits the shooting data to the administrator. A road surface information reporting system characterized by the following features.

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