Data Complementation System

Abstract

The present invention complements traffic data appropriately.　A data complementation system 10 includes: a complementation target acquisition unit 11 that acquires traffic data, which is data related to traffic for each of a plurality of positions in a traffic path and is a target of complementation; a state information acquisition unit 12 that acquires state information indicating a state of the traffic path; and a complementation unit 13 that complements the traffic data acquired by the complementation target acquisition unit 11 according to the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a data complementation system for complementing traffic data.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 shows that when there are missing values in the time-series data of the number of vehicles traveling on a road, the missing values are to be complemented. It is stated that data from another location is used for complementing the missing values.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When complementing data related to traffic such as traffic volume, simply using data from another location as shown in Patent Document 1 may not necessarily result in appropriate complementation. For example, it is not appropriate to perform the same complementation when there is an interchange, junction, parking area, or service area, etc. between the position to be complemented and the position related to the data used for complementation, and when there is no such area.

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a data complementation system capable of appropriately complementing traffic data.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, a data supplementation system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a supplementation target acquisition unit that acquires traffic data that is to be supplemented, which is traffic-related data for multiple locations on a traffic route; a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating the state of the traffic route; and a supplementation unit that supplements the traffic data acquired by the supplementation target acquisition unit according to the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit.

[0007] In the data supplementation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, traffic data is supplemented according to state information. Therefore, according to the data supplementation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, traffic data can be appropriately supplemented according to the state of the traffic route. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, traffic data can be appropriately supplemented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of a data completion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows examples of traffic data that are supplemented by the data supplementation system, as well as examples of the supplemented traffic data. [Figure 3] This figure shows traffic data (speed data) before and after interpolation, and an example of the travel time for a road section calculated using that traffic data. [Figure 4] This figure shows traffic data (speed data) before and after interpolation, and another example of the travel time for a road section calculated using that traffic data. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the process performed by the data completion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the hardware configuration of a data completion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the data completion system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] Figure 1 shows the data completion system 10 according to this embodiment. The data completion system 10 is a system (device) that completes traffic data, which is traffic-related data. The traffic data to be completed is traffic-related data for multiple locations on a traffic route. The traffic data may also be data for multiple time periods. In this embodiment, the traffic data is traffic volume or speed data for multiple locations on a traffic route. Traffic volume is, for example, the number of vehicles traveling at each time period (time) and location on the road (traffic route). Speed ​​is the speed of vehicles traveling at each time period (time) and location on the road (traffic route) (for example, average speed).

[0012] Figure 2 shows examples of the supplemented traffic data 20 (a collective term for traffic data 20a and 20b) and the supplemented traffic data 30 (a collective term for traffic data 30a and 30b). Traffic data 20a and 20b are traffic volume data. Traffic data 30a and 30b are speed data. In the graphs of traffic data 20 and 30 shown in Figure 2, the horizontal axis represents the location on the road, and the vertical axis represents the time. The traffic data 20 and 30 shown in Figure 2 are traffic data for multiple locations and times on the road.

[0013] Traffic data 20 and 30 are data for each pre-defined location where data (traffic volume, speed) is measured. Each location is represented as XKP, where X is the distance from a pre-defined reference point on the road, which is 0KP (kilometer post). Traffic data 20 and 30 are time-based data. For example, traffic data 20 and 30 represent data at pre-defined fixed intervals (e.g., every 5 minutes). Each value in traffic data 20 represents the traffic volume over a 5-minute period. Each value in traffic data 30 represents the speed (average speed) over a 5-minute period. Figure 2 shows traffic data 20 and 30, represented as a heatmap of the daily data for each location.

[0014] The augmented traffic data 30 may be used, for example, in AI (artificial intelligence) traffic congestion prediction technology. The number of people going to tourist spots, etc., can affect traffic conditions, such as whether or not congestion occurs and the scale of it on the way back. Therefore, it is conceivable to predict traffic conditions from real-time population data (demographic information) for each area. For example, the population of the day can be applied to a traffic condition prediction model that has learned and patterned the relationship between population and traffic conditions to predict traffic conditions during the evening commute. The traffic condition prediction model may include, for example, a traffic demand prediction model that predicts the traffic demand for each location and time on the day from the population distribution of the day, and a travel time prediction model that predicts the travel time for each section of the road for each location and time on the day from the traffic demand. The augmented traffic data 30 may be used as ground truth data for machine learning to generate the traffic condition prediction model.

[0015] Data is measured, for example, by traffic counters. Traffic counters obtain data from sensors physically installed on the road. Therefore, data loss can occur due to malfunctions or failures of the equipment. Data loss can range from large-scale to small-scale, including complete loss of data for a particular KP location, loss of data for all KP locations during a certain time period, or other gaps in the data. In addition, there may be abnormal data, such as traffic volume or speed being 0, even if the data exists. For example, the elliptical areas in the traffic data 20a and 20b to be supplemented in Figure 2 represent missing data. The values ​​in the missing parts are, for example, NaN (Not a Number).

[0016] The data completion system 10, for example, completes the missing portions of traffic data 20a and 20b where data is missing. For example, as described above, by performing machine learning for generating a traffic state prediction model using the completed traffic data 30 which has no missing data, an appropriate traffic state prediction model can be generated. The data completion system 10 may also complete portions of the traffic data other than those with missing data. An example of completing portions other than those with missing data (correction of traffic data) will be described later.

[0017] Incidentally, the traffic data to be complemented by the data complementation system 10 may be generated by other means than traffic counters, as long as it is data related to traffic at multiple positions on the traffic route. Also, the reason for the deficiency may be other than the deficiencies during data measurement as described above. Further, the formats of the traffic data 20a and 20b and the portions to be complemented in the traffic data 20a and 20b are not limited to those described here. Also, the traffic data 30 after complementation may be used for purposes other than those described above.

[0018] The data complementation system 10 is configured by a computer such as a PC (personal computer) or a server device. The data complementation system 10 may be configured by a plurality of computers. The data complementation system 10 may be able to transmit and receive information to and from other devices via a network for obtaining information necessary for realizing functions.

[0019] Subsequently, the functions of the data complementation system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the data complementation system 10 includes a complementation target acquisition unit 11, a state information acquisition unit 12, and a complementation unit 13.

[0020] The complementation target acquisition unit 11 is a functional unit that acquires traffic data that is arranged along a traffic route and is a complementation target. The complementation target acquisition unit 11 may acquire traffic data arranged in the time direction. The complementation target acquisition unit 11 may acquire traffic data that is traffic volume or speed data for each position on the traffic route.

[0021] The complementation target acquisition unit 11 acquires the above-described traffic data to be complemented, for example, by receiving an input from a user, or by receiving or reading from another system. The complementation target acquisition unit 11 may acquire the traffic data to be complemented by other methods. The complementation target acquisition unit 11 outputs the acquired traffic data to be complemented to the complementation unit 13.

[0022] The status information acquisition unit 12 is a functional unit that acquires status information indicating the state of the traffic route. The status information acquisition unit 12 may also acquire information indicating the location of facilities present on the traffic route as status information.

[0023] State information, for example, is information indicating the location of facilities present on a road that is a traffic route. Facilities can affect traffic data. For example, facilities include interchanges, junctions, parking areas, or service areas. Traffic volume or speed can vary significantly between locations on either side of these facilities. Therefore, if traffic data is supplemented without considering the presence of facilities, the corrected traffic data may be inaccurate and differ from the actual traffic volume or speed. In this embodiment, the corrected traffic data is made appropriate by supplementing the data while considering the presence of facilities.

[0024] Information indicating the location of a facility corresponds to its location on the traffic route related to the traffic data. For example, as mentioned above, if the location related to the traffic data is expressed by the distance from a reference point in units such as KP, then the information indicating the location of a facility is the location of the facility expressed by the distance from the same reference point. Furthermore, information indicating the location of a facility on a traffic route as status information may be other types of information. Also, status information may be other than information indicating the location of a facility, as long as it indicates the state of the traffic route that may affect the traffic data.

[0025] The status information acquisition unit 12 acquires status information, for example, by receiving input from a user or by receiving or reading it from another system. The status information acquisition unit 12 may acquire status information by other means. The status information acquisition unit 12 outputs the acquired status information to the interpolation unit 13.

[0026] The interpolation unit 13 is a functional unit that interpolates traffic data acquired by the interpolation target acquisition unit 11 according to the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 12. Depending on the state information, the interpolation unit 13 may determine which direction of traffic route data to use for interpolation, based on the position of the data to be interpolated in the traffic data. Depending on the state information, the interpolation unit 13 may determine whether to interpolate the traffic data in the direction of the traffic route or in the time direction.

[0027] The interpolation unit 13 interpolates the traffic data to be interpolated, for example, as follows: The interpolation unit 13 receives the traffic data to be interpolated from the interpolation target acquisition unit 11. The interpolation unit 13 receives status information from the status information acquisition unit 12. The interpolation by the interpolation unit 13 is performed according to the type of traffic data and at predetermined intervals, that is, for each predetermined unit of traffic data. For example, interpolation by the interpolation unit 13 is performed for both the traffic volume data and the speed data on a daily basis. The interpolation of individual traffic data (both traffic volume data and speed data) can be performed in the same manner.

[0028] For small gaps in traffic data, it is considered that the actual traffic volume or speed will not deviate significantly even if data is filled in using values ​​from preceding and succeeding times or locations. Therefore, the interpolation unit 13 performs interpolation for small gaps. The definition of a small gap is predetermined. For example, if data is missing for 30 minutes or more and for 3 KP or more consecutively, it is not considered a small gap, and the interpolation unit 13 does not perform interpolation. The range of a small gap may be any range other than those described above. Furthermore, the interpolation unit 13 performs interpolation considering the location of facilities indicated by status information, as follows.

[0029] The interpolation unit 13 adds missing (NaN) data to locations in the input traffic data that match pre-set conditions. For example, if the traffic data does not include data for all time points at a location where traffic data should be acquired (a location where a traffic counter sensor is installed), all time points for that location are set to NaN to indicate missing data. Similarly, if the traffic data does not include data for all locations at a time when traffic data should be acquired, all time points for those locations are set to NaN to indicate missing data. This is because if no data exists for a particular location throughout the day, or if no data exists for any location at a particular time, it will not be treated as missing data in subsequent processing.

[0030] Furthermore, the interpolation unit 13 treats the value of 0 as missing (NaN) if both the traffic volume and speed values ​​are 0 at the same location and time in the traffic data. This is because, as mentioned above, such data is considered abnormal data. Note that the processing of adding or changing missing (NaN) data is not necessarily required.

[0031] Next, the interpolation unit 13 detects locations (location and time) in the traffic data where the same location has been NaN for 30 minutes or more consecutively, and sets a flag indicating a missing data for 30 minutes or more consecutively at that location. Next, the interpolation unit 13 detects locations (location and time) in the traffic data where the same time has been NaN for 3KP or more consecutively at that location, and sets a flag indicating a missing data for 3KP or more consecutively at that location. Next, the interpolation unit 13 detects locations (locations) in the traffic data where the NaN is adjacent to the location of a facility indicated by the status information, and sets a flag indicating that the location is adjacent to a facility. Note that a location adjacent to a facility is, for example, the location in the traffic data on a road that is closest to the facility location in each direction on either side of the road. Alternatively, it may be a location within a certain range in each direction on either side of the road from the facility location. Furthermore, a location adjacent to a facility may be any other adjacent location.

[0032] Next, the interpolation unit 13 interpolates the missing (NaN) locations in the traffic data using values ​​from other times at the same location. That is, the interpolation unit 13 interpolates the missing locations in the traffic data in the time direction. The interpolation is performed using a pre-set method, for example, linear interpolation using values ​​from locations before and after the location to be interpolated in the time direction. Alternatively, the interpolation may be performed using any method, including existing methods other than linear interpolation. If there are no other time values ​​necessary for interpolation in the time direction, the interpolation unit 13 does not perform interpolation in the time direction. Subsequently, the interpolation unit 13 changes the values ​​of locations that have been interpolated and are flagged as missing for 30 minutes or more consecutively back to missing (NaN).

[0033] Next, the interpolation unit 13 interpolates the missing (NaN) locations in the interpolated traffic data using values ​​from other locations at the same time. That is, the interpolation unit 13 interpolates the missing locations in the traffic data in the direction of the road (location direction). The interpolation is performed using a pre-set method, for example, linear interpolation using values ​​from locations before and after the location to be interpolated in the direction of the road. Alternatively, the interpolation may be performed using any method, including existing methods other than linear interpolation. If there are no other location values ​​necessary for interpolating the direction of the road, the interpolation unit 13 will not interpolate the direction of the road. Next, the interpolation unit 13 changes the values ​​of the locations flagged as adjacent to a facility back to missing (NaN). The interpolation unit 13 may also change the values ​​of the locations flagged as missing for 3KP or more consecutive times back to missing (NaN).

[0034] The interpolation unit 13 interpolates locations that are flagged as adjacent to a facility but are missing (NaN) values ​​using the values ​​of other locations closest to the location in question, located in the opposite direction from the adjacent facility as viewed from the location in question at the same time. The interpolation is performed using a pre-configured method, for example, by simply copying the values ​​of the other locations mentioned above. In this case, since the interpolation can only use values ​​of other locations in one direction from the location to be interpolated, the interpolation may be performed using a method different from the interpolation method used when interpolating simply by the direction of time or the direction of roads. If there are no values ​​of other locations necessary for the above interpolation, the interpolation unit 13 will not perform the above interpolation.

[0035] The interpolation unit 13 changes the values ​​of the interpolated locations where both the flag for missing data for 30 minutes or more and the flag for missing data for 3KP or more are set back to missing data (NaN). The interpolation unit 13 then uses the completed traffic data as the interpolated traffic data.

[0036] In the above interpolation, locations that were flagged as adjacent to a facility and were missing (NaN) were interpolated using values ​​from other locations located in the opposite direction from the facility. However, locations that were flagged as adjacent to a facility may be left missing in the interpolated traffic data without interpolation. For example, after interpolating the direction of the road after interpolating the direction of time as described above, the interpolation unit 13 may change the values ​​of locations that were flagged as missing for 30 minutes or more consecutively and also flagged as missing for 3KP or more consecutively or flagged as adjacent to a facility back to missing (NaN) to obtain the interpolated traffic data.

[0037] Furthermore, in the above interpolation, the interpolation of the time direction was performed first, followed by the interpolation of the road direction. However, the interpolation unit 13 may perform the interpolation of the road direction first. In this case, the interpolation unit 13 may perform the interpolation of the time direction without performing the interpolation of the road direction (interpolation using the value of another location located in the opposite direction from the facility) for locations where the facility-adjacent flag is set. In other words, the interpolation unit 13 may decide whether to interpolate the traffic data in the direction of the traffic route or the direction of time, depending on the state information.

[0038] The interpolation unit 13 outputs the interpolated traffic data. For example, the interpolation unit 13 outputs the interpolated traffic data to another system, such as a system that performs machine learning to generate a traffic state prediction model. The interpolation unit 13 may also output the interpolated traffic data by a method other than those described above. If the interpolated traffic data contains missing data (NaN), for example, the interpolated traffic data may not be used in the machine learning process described above. That is, only the interpolated traffic data that does not contain missing data may be used in the machine learning process described above.

[0039] The time it takes to travel through a certain section of a road can be calculated from traffic data obtained by a traffic counter, or from traffic data obtained by predictions based on data from a traffic counter. The sum of tracking times is often used to calculate the travel time. Specifically, the time to arrive at the next location, YKP (point Y), is calculated assuming the vehicle travels at the speed at point X. Next, the time to arrive at the next location, ZKP (point Z), is calculated assuming the vehicle travels at the speed at point Y to the next location, ZKP (point Z). This calculation is repeated to calculate the total travel time from the starting point to the destination.

[0040] However, it is assumed that the actual speed does not change abruptly at the location related to the traffic data (for example, at the breaks in KP such as point X and point Y mentioned above), but rather changes gradually. Therefore, if the travel time is calculated while the speed changes at the location related to the traffic data, there is a concern that the calculated value will differ significantly from the actual travel time because the temporary speed change will continue until the next location. To address this, a virtual location may be placed between the locations where data is actually measured by the traffic counter, and the travel time may be calculated using the speed calculated (supplemented) using the context as described above for this virtual location by the data supplementation system 10 according to this embodiment. In other words, the data supplementation system 10 may correct the traffic data obtained by the traffic counter. This makes it possible to calculate a travel time that is closer to reality.

[0041] The calculation of travel time will be explained using the traffic data table 40a in Figure 3. In the example of the traffic data table 40a in Figure 3, the locations where data is measured by the traffic counter, i.e., the locations related to the traffic data for calculating travel time, are in 1KP increments. In the traffic data table 40a, the vertical axis represents the distance in the direction of travel, and the horizontal axis represents the time (travel time starting from 0:00). The values ​​in the traffic data table 40a represent the speed for each time period and location in 5-minute increments. For example, the speed at location 0KP from 0:00 to 0:05 is 23 [km / h].

[0042] As shown by the line in the table of traffic data 40a, the vehicle starts at position 0KP at 0:00 and travels to position 1KP at the speed of 23 [km / h], which is the speed at position 0KP at that time. From position 1KP to position 2KP, the vehicle travels at 7 [km / h], which is the speed at position 1KP when it reached position 1KP. Calculating the time required from position 0KP to position 3KP in this manner, the result is 26.2 minutes.

[0043] As mentioned above, actual speed does not change abruptly at the location related to traffic data, but rather gradually. However, if the intervals between locations where data is measured by traffic counters (locations where traffic counters are installed) are wide, a slow speed at a particular location can have a significant impact. In some cases, the travel time of a vehicle that departed later may be shorter than that of a vehicle that departed earlier (the vehicle that departed later may overtake the vehicle that departed earlier), that is, a reversal of travel times may occur.

[0044] Therefore, as shown in the traffic data 40b table in Figure 3, for example, a virtual location may be set, and the data completion system 10 may be used to complete the values ​​for that virtual location and calculate the required time. In the traffic data 40b table in Figure 3, the values ​​in the hatched areas are the completed values. In this example, the virtual location is an intermediate location between adjacent locations related to the original traffic data (locations every 1KP). As shown in the traffic data 40b table in Figure 3, the virtual locations are the 0.5KP location, the 1.5KP location, the 2.5KP location, etc. In other words, the virtual location is a location where the locations related to the completed traffic data are every 500m.

[0045] Interpolation of virtual locations can be achieved by the interpolation described above. For example, all time values ​​for a pre-defined virtual location can be set to missing (NaN) and then interpolated in the same way as described above. In this example, the value interpolated for a virtual location is the average of the values ​​for the same time (time period) at the original traffic data locations before and after the virtual location (for example, for the 0.5KP location, the values ​​for the 0KP and 1KP locations). Note that in the traffic data 40b table in Figure 3, it is assumed that the speed at the 3KP location is the same as the speed at the 2KP location (values ​​in parentheses in the traffic data 40b table in Figure 3). In the example shown in Figure 3, the travel time from the 0KP location to the 3KP location calculated using the interpolated traffic data (speed data) is 9.0 minutes.

[0046] Figure 4 shows examples of heatmaps for the speed data 50a before interpolation and for the speed data 50b after interpolation. The vertical and horizontal directions of the heatmaps for each speed data 50a and 50b are the same as those in the table for the traffic data 40a and 40b in Figure 3. The lines in the heatmaps for each speed data 50a and 50b represent the travel time.

[0047] By using traffic data supplemented by the data supplementation system 10, the aforementioned effects on calculating travel time can be mitigated. The data supplementation system 10 may also calculate the travel time for a section of road as described above from the traffic data supplemented by the supplementation unit 13. The above describes the functions of the data supplementation system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0048] Next, the processes performed by the data completion system 10 according to this embodiment (the operation methods performed by the data completion system 10) will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 5. In this process, the completion target acquisition unit 11 acquires the traffic data to be completed (S01). In addition, the status information acquisition unit 12 acquires status information (S02). Note that the acquisition of traffic data by the completion target acquisition unit 11 (S01) and the acquisition of status information by the status information acquisition unit 12 (S02) can be performed independently of each other, so they do not necessarily have to be performed in the order described above.

[0049] Next, the traffic data acquired by the data acquisition target acquisition unit 11 is supplemented by the data supplementation unit 13 according to the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit 12 (S03). Subsequently, the supplementation unit 13 outputs the supplemented traffic data (S04). The above is the processing performed by the data supplementation system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0050] In this embodiment, traffic data is supplemented according to state information. Therefore, according to this embodiment, traffic data can be appropriately supplemented according to the state of the traffic route. Simply supplementing values ​​without considering the state of the traffic route may reduce the usefulness of the traffic data, but by performing supplementation that takes the state of the traffic route into consideration, as in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the usefulness of the traffic data or to improve its usefulness.

[0051] This embodiment is a technique for analyzing traffic data, which is one type of observational data obtained by observing real-world observed events. According to this embodiment, for example, it is possible to provide traffic data that has been appropriately interpolated from big data such as traffic data. Specifically, as described above, if data loss occurs due to malfunctions during data measurement, it is possible to generate traffic data with the missing data appropriately interpolated. Alternatively, if a reversal of travel time may occur due to the data measurement interval, this problem can be avoided by interpolated traffic data.

[0052] As in this embodiment, the status information may be information indicating the location of facilities present on the traffic route (for example, interchanges, junctions, parking areas, or service areas as described above). This configuration allows for appropriate supplementation that takes into account the location of facilities that may affect traffic data. However, as described above, the status information may be information other than information indicating the location of facilities, as long as it indicates the state of the traffic route that may affect traffic data.

[0053] As in this embodiment, the interpolation unit 13 may determine, based on the state information, which direction of traffic route data to use for interpolation, based on the location of the data to be interpolated in the traffic data. Alternatively, as in this embodiment, the traffic data may be traffic data for multiple time intervals, and the interpolation unit 13 may determine, based on the state information, whether to interpolate the traffic data in the direction of the traffic route or the direction of time. With these configurations, traffic data can be interpolated appropriately and reliably. However, the interpolation of traffic data by the interpolation unit 13 only needs to be performed according to the state information and may be performed by methods other than those described above. Also, the traffic data does not necessarily need to be data for multiple time intervals, but may be data relating to traffic at multiple locations along the traffic route.

[0054] As in this embodiment, the traffic data may be traffic volume or speed data for multiple locations along a traffic route. This configuration allows for appropriate supplementation of traffic volume or speed data. However, the traffic data does not necessarily have to be the above; any data related to traffic is acceptable.

[0055] The block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may also be realized by combining the above one device or the above multiple devices with software.

[0056] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, determination, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In all cases, as mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0057] For example, the data completion system 10 in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs information processing according to the present disclosure. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the data completion system 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The data completion system 10 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, memory 1002, storage 1003, communication device 1004, input device 1005, output device 1006, bus 1007, etc.

[0058] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be replaced with "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware configuration of the data completion system 10 may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured to omit some of the devices.

[0059] Each function in the data completion system 10 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0060] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running the operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control units, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, each function in the data completion system 10 described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0061] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, data, etc., from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiment. For example, each function in the data completion system 10 may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001. Although the above processes have been described as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line.

[0062] Memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Memory 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. Memory 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for carrying out information processing according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0063] The storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disc, a digital multipurpose disc, a Blu-ray® disc), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The storage 1003 may also be called an auxiliary storage device. The storage medium provided by the data completion system 10 may be, for example, a database, server, or other suitable medium including at least one of the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0064] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transceiver / receiver device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc.

[0065] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0066] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be configured for each device.

[0067] Furthermore, the data completion system 10 may include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0068] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0069] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0070] The determination may be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0071] Each aspect / embodiment described herein may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0072] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0073] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0074] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0075] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0076] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or corresponding other information.

[0077] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiry (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), and ascertaining. “Determining” may also include, for example, receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, and accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0078] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0079] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0080] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0081] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0082] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0083] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0084] The data supplementation system disclosed herein has the following configuration. [1] A supplementary data acquisition unit that acquires traffic data that is related to traffic at multiple locations along a traffic route and is also to be supplemented, A status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the state of the traffic road, A supplementation unit that supplements traffic data acquired by the supplementation target acquisition unit according to the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit, A data completion system equipped with the following features. [2] The data supplementation system according to [1], wherein the status information acquisition unit acquires information indicating the location of facilities present in the traffic route as the status information. [3] The data completion system according to [1] or [2], wherein the completion unit determines, in accordance with the state information, which direction of the traffic route data to be used for completion, based on the position of the data to be completed in the traffic data. [4] The supplemental target acquisition unit acquires the traffic data for multiple time intervals, The data supplementation system according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the supplementation unit determines whether to supplement the traffic data in the direction of the traffic route or in the direction of time, according to the state information. [5] The data supplementation system according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the supplementation target acquisition unit acquires the traffic data, which is traffic volume or speed data for each of multiple locations on a traffic route. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10...Data completion system, 11...Completion target acquisition unit, 12...Status information acquisition unit, 13...Completion unit, 1001...Processor, 1002...Memory, 1003...Storage, 1004...Communication device, 1005...Input device, 1006...Output device, 1007...Bus.

Claims

1. A supplementary data acquisition unit acquires traffic data that is related to traffic at multiple locations along a traffic route, as well as traffic data that is to be supplemented. A status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the state of the traffic road, A supplementation unit that supplements traffic data acquired by the supplementation target acquisition unit according to the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit, Equipped with, The status information acquisition unit is a data supplementation system that acquires information indicating the location of facilities present in the traffic route as status information.

2. A supplementary data acquisition unit acquires traffic data that is related to traffic at multiple locations along a traffic route, as well as traffic data that is to be supplemented. A status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the state of the traffic road, A supplementation unit that supplements traffic data acquired by the supplementation target acquisition unit according to the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned interpolation unit is a data interpolation system that, in accordance with the state information, determines which direction of data of the traffic route to use for interpolation, based on the position of the object to be interpolated in the traffic data.

3. A supplementary data acquisition unit acquires traffic data that is related to traffic at multiple locations along a traffic route, as well as traffic data that is to be supplemented. A status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the state of the traffic road, A supplementation unit that supplements traffic data acquired by the supplementation target acquisition unit according to the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned supplementary target acquisition unit acquires the traffic data for multiple time intervals, The aforementioned supplementation unit is a data supplementation system that determines, according to the status information, whether to supplement the traffic data in the direction of the traffic route or in the direction of time.

4. The data supplementation system according to claim 1, wherein the supplementation target acquisition unit acquires the traffic data, which is traffic volume or speed data for each of multiple locations on a traffic route.

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