Information processing device

Abstract

To assist in traffic control using a hand signal and reduce congestion.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit is capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles. The control unit calculates switching timing of a hand signal based on a traffic volume near an intersection, specifies a leading vehicle stopped at the intersection, and controls an on-vehicle appliance that is provided in the leading vehicle via a communication unit and can recognize its operation from outside the leading vehicle, based on the switching timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a traffic signal control device has been proposed that controls a traffic signal so that traffic congestion at an intersection is resolved by grasping the traffic congestion situation of the roads connecting to the intersection based on probe information collected from probe vehicles (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the event of a disaster such as an earthquake or lightning strike, and during a power outage when traffic signals cannot be used, and when traffic congestion occurs at an intersection without a traffic signal, a police officer, who is a traffic administrator, may conduct traffic control using hand signals. With the conventional technology, it was not possible to provide information on signal switching to the police officers conducting traffic control, so it was not possible to appropriately support the police officers. Therefore, the police officers had no choice but to rely on their intuition to conduct traffic control.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to support traffic control performed using hand signals and reduce traffic congestion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising: a communication unit capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles; and a control unit that calculates the timing for switching hand signals based on the traffic volume near an intersection, identifies the leading vehicle stopped at the intersection, and controls an in-vehicle device installed in the leading vehicle via the communication unit, which is capable of recognizing the operation from outside the leading vehicle, based on the switching timing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce congestion by assisting with traffic control performed by hand signals. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates a traffic control system including an information processing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the information processing device. [Figure 3] This block diagram shows the schematic configuration of the vehicle in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 illustrates an example of traffic control using an information processing device. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the processes executed by the control unit of an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the figures used in the following description are schematic. Dimensions and proportions shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions.

[0010] (Traffic control system) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a traffic control system 1 including the information processing device 10 of this disclosure. The traffic control system 1 includes the information processing device 10 as well as a plurality of vehicles 20 traveling on a road 40. The information processing device 10 and the vehicles 20 are configured to communicate with each other via a network 30. The network 30 includes the Internet and wireless communication networks provided by mobile communication carriers, etc.

[0011] The information processing device 10 can identify the intersection 41 where the police officer 5 will direct traffic. The intersection 41 is, for example, a crossroads where two roads 40 intersect in a cross shape. The police officer 5 uses hand signals to allow vehicles 20 on one road 40 to pass through the intersection 41, and to stop vehicles 20 on the other road 40 before the intersection 41. The police officer 5 sequentially switches between the road 40 that allows vehicles to pass through the intersection 41 and the road 40 that stops vehicles 20 before the intersection 41 using hand signals.

[0012] The information processing device 10 can collect traffic volume information in the vicinity of the intersection 41. In this application, "nearby" refers to the area in which the passage of vehicles 20 at the intersection 41 affects congestion on the road 40. "Nearby" can be set to, for example, 100m, 300m, or 1km from the intersection 41. "Nearby" can be replaced with "surroundings".

[0013] The information processing device 10 calculates the timing for switching between the road 40 on the road for traffic and the road 40 on the road for stopping, based on traffic volume information and the hand signals of the police officer 5. The information processing device 10 identifies the lead vehicle 20A that is stopped on the road 40 on the road for stopping, and transmits control information to the lead vehicle 20A when the switching timing arrives. Upon receiving the control information, the lead vehicle 20A activates an in-vehicle device 25 (see Figure 3) that can be recognized from the outside to signal to the police officer 5 that it is time to switch.

[0014] Upon receiving a signal from the lead vehicle 20A indicating the timing of the switch, police officer 5 performs a predetermined hand signal to stop vehicle 20 on the road that was previously the passing side, and to allow vehicle 20 that was stopped on the road that was previously the stopping side to pass through the intersection 41.

[0015] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 may manage not only the intersection 41 where police officers 5 direct traffic with hand signals, but also intersections with traffic lights. The information processing device 10 may transmit the calculated switching timing information to the traffic lights as control information, causing the signals to switch.

[0016] A more detailed explanation of the configuration and operation of each part of traffic control system 1 is provided below.

[0017] (Configuration of information processing device) The information processing device 10 is a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), workstation, server, or a dedicated computer designed for a specific purpose. As shown in Figure 2, the information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The information processing device 10 may further include an input unit for receiving information from the outside and an output unit for outputting information to the outside. The input unit includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The output unit includes a display and a printer.

[0018] The communication unit 11 includes at least one external communication interface for connecting to the network 30. The external communication interface may be either a wired communication or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the external communication interface is an interface corresponding to mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation). The communication unit 11 receives data used for the operation of the information processing device 10 and transmits the data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 10 to the outside. The communication unit 11 can communicate with the vehicle 20, acquire information from the vehicle 20 including the position information of the vehicle 20, and transmit control information for the in-vehicle device 25 of the vehicle 20.

[0019] The control unit 12 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or a GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The control unit 12 executes processes related to the operation of the information processing device 10 while controlling each part of the information processing device 10.

[0020] The storage unit 13 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory) or a ROM (read only memory). The RAM is, for example, a SRAM (static random access memory) or a DRAM (dynamic random access memory). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). The storage unit 13 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 stores programs and data used for the operation of the information processing device 10, and data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 10. The information stored in the storage unit 13 may be updated, for example, with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 11.

[0021] The storage unit 13 may store and manage data related to roads and traffic, such as road map information 14, vehicle position information 15, and traffic volume information 16.

[0022] The road map information 14 is information on the road map of the area targeted by the information processing device 10 for traffic control. The road map information 14 includes position information of the intersection 41 and information such as the position, shape, and number of lanes of the road 40 around the intersection 41. The position information of the intersection 41 and the road 40 may be stored as information on absolute positions represented by latitude and longitude, etc.

[0023] The vehicle location information 15 includes location information of vehicles 20 traveling within the area targeted for traffic control by the information processing device 10. The vehicles 20 are configured to transmit their location at each point in time to the information processing device 10 periodically or irregularly. Based on the location information of the vehicles 20 transmitted from the vehicles 20, the information processing device 10 grasps the current location of each vehicle 20 in real time and stores the latest vehicle location information 15 in the storage unit 13. The vehicle location information 15 stored in the storage unit 13 is sequentially updated based on the location information obtained from each vehicle 20.

[0024] The traffic volume information 16 is information about the traffic volume on the roads 40 surrounding the intersection 41. The traffic volume information may include at least one of the following: information about the occurrence of congestion, information about the degree of congestion, information about the average speed of the vehicles 20, and information about the time it takes to pass through the intersection 41. The information processing device 10 may acquire or generate the traffic volume information 16 in any way. For example, the information processing device 10 may use multiple vehicles 20 as probe cars and acquire position and speed information from each vehicle 20 traveling around the intersection 41. The information processing device 10 may determine the traffic volume or congestion situation around the intersection 41 from the acquired position and speed information of each vehicle 20. Another example is that the information processing device 10 may acquire traffic volume information from a server of a business operator that provides traffic information outside the traffic control system 1 via the communication unit 11.

[0025] The control unit 12 can determine the timing of switching hand signals based on traffic volume information 16 around the intersection 41 that is subject to traffic control. For example, at an intersection 41 where two roads 40 intersect, the timing of switching hand signals may be determined so that the road with the heavier traffic volume 40 is open for a longer period of time than the road with the lighter traffic volume 40. By doing so, the occurrence of congestion can be reduced.

[0026] Furthermore, the control unit 12 may determine the timing of hand signal switching to coordinate multiple intersections 41 on the same route. For example, based on traffic volume information and / or congestion information, the control unit 12 may determine the timing of hand signal switching to allow vehicles 20 traveling on a road to pass through multiple intersections 41 on a road that is congested or experiencing heavy traffic in sequence. In other words, the control unit 12 may determine the timing of hand signal switching to optimize traffic on a road that includes multiple intersections 41. In this case, the multiple intersections 41 may include a mix of intersections 41 equipped with traffic signals controllable by the information processing device 10 and intersections 41 where police officers 5 direct traffic.

[0027] The control unit 12 can recognize the leading vehicle 20A from among the vehicles 20 that are lined up and stopped before the intersection 41 that is subject to traffic control. For example, the control unit 12 may determine the leading vehicle 20A based on road map information 14 and vehicle position information 15. Alternatively, for example, as will be described later, a vehicle 20 may have a function to determine whether or not it is the leading vehicle 20A, and the control unit 12 may obtain information about the leading vehicle 20A from the vehicle 20. Based on the timing of hand signal switching, the control unit 12 can transmit control information to the leading vehicle 20A to control the on-board equipment 25.

[0028] (Vehicle configuration) In this application, the vehicle 20 includes, but is not limited to, passenger cars, trucks, buses, large and small special vehicles, etc. The vehicle 20 includes various types of vehicles 20 that may be realized in the future. As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 20 includes a vehicle communication unit 21, a vehicle control unit 22, a vehicle storage unit 23, a location information acquisition unit 24, and an in-vehicle device 25.

[0029] The vehicle communication unit 21 includes an external communication interface that transmits and receives information with systems outside the vehicle 20 using wireless communication. The vehicle communication unit 21 may communicate using one or more of the following: 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). The vehicle communication unit 21 is configured to transmit and receive information with the communication unit 11 of the information processing device 10.

[0030] The vehicle control unit 22, like the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10, includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The vehicle control unit 22 periodically or irregularly transmits the current location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 24 to the information processing device 10. The vehicle control unit 22 may also determine, by any means, whether its own vehicle is at the front of the waiting vehicles 20 when waiting for a hand signal change on the road 40 on the vehicle 20's stopping side. For example, each vehicle 20 may be equipped with a sensor to detect vehicles 20 ahead and determine whether there are other vehicles 20 ahead when the vehicle is stopped before the intersection 41. Sensors for detecting vehicles 20 ahead include, for example, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras. When the vehicle is stopped before the intersection 41 and no other vehicles are detected ahead within a short-range range, such as within 5 meters, the vehicle control unit 22 can recognize its own vehicle as the leading vehicle 20A. The vehicle control unit 22 of the leading vehicle 20A may notify the information processing device 10 via the vehicle communication unit 21 that it is the leading vehicle 20A. As mentioned above, the identification of the leading vehicle 20A may be performed by the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 22 can receive control information from the information processing device 10 via the vehicle communication unit 21 and control the in-vehicle equipment 25 based on that control information.

[0031] The vehicle memory unit 23, like the memory unit 13 of the information processing device 10, includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The vehicle memory unit 23 stores programs executed by the vehicle control unit 22, data used for the operation of the vehicle control unit 22, and data obtained by the operation of the vehicle control unit 22. The vehicle memory unit 23 may also store map information of the road 40 on which the vehicle 20 travels. Furthermore, the vehicle memory unit 23 may store control patterns for the in-vehicle equipment 25 according to the type of in-vehicle equipment 25 used when signaling the police officer 5 to switch hand signals.

[0032] The location information acquisition unit 24 is configured to acquire information on the current location of the vehicle 20 from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver mounted on the vehicle 20. The location information acquisition unit 24 passes the acquired current location information to the vehicle control unit 22. The GNSS receiver is a receiver compatible with the Global Positioning System, which uses artificial satellites. GNSS includes systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), Galileo, and BeiDou. The current location information of the vehicle 20 acquired by the location information acquisition unit 24 may be absolute location information expressed by latitude and longitude, etc.

[0033] The on-board equipment 25 is a device installed in the vehicle 20 whose operation can be recognized from the outside. The on-board equipment 25 is used to send a signal from the lead vehicle 20A to the police officer 5 to inform them of the timing for switching hand signals. The on-board equipment 25 may include, for example, at least one of the following: headlights 26, wipers 27, and a horn 28. The headlights 26 can signal the timing for switching by, for example, flashing. The wipers 27 can signal the timing for switching by, for example, moving rapidly from side to side on the front windshield. The horn 28 can signal the timing for switching by, for example, intermittently emitting a horn sound. Each on-board equipment 25 may include an electronic control unit (ECU) for the on-board equipment 25. The on-board equipment 25 may be operated by the vehicle control unit 22 based on control information transmitted from the information processing device 10 to the lead vehicle 20A.

[0034] The vehicle control unit 22 may operate the on-board equipment 25 according to a unique operation pattern for notifying the timing of hand signal switching, which is stored in the vehicle memory unit 23. The unique operation pattern includes operation patterns that the driver would not normally perform or could not perform manually. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 can operate the on-board equipment 25 at a speed faster than manual operation. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 can make the headlights 26 flash faster than they can be manually operated. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 22 may make the left and right headlights 26 flash alternately. The control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can transmit control information to the vehicle control unit 22 to operate the on-board equipment 25 in a manner that is not possible with manual operation. Note that the unique operation pattern for notifying the timing of hand signal switching may be stored in the memory unit 13 of the information processing device 10, rather than in the vehicle memory unit 23 of the vehicle 20. In this case, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 transmits the unique operation pattern to the vehicle 20 when operating the on-board equipment 25. Upon receiving this, the vehicle control unit 22 of the vehicle 20 may operate the in-vehicle equipment 25 according to the unique operation pattern it has received.

[0035] (Scenario for using traffic control systems) Figure 4 shows an example of a usage scenario for the traffic control system 1. In this example, a police officer 5 is directing traffic at intersection 41, a crossroads where the first road 40A and the second road 40B intersect. In the situation shown in Figure 4, the police officer 5 is directing vehicles 20 on the first road 40A to pass through intersection 41 and stopping vehicles 20 on the second road 40B before reaching intersection 41. The police officer 5 signals the vehicles 20 on the second road 40B that are stopping by extending their arms while facing either the front or back.

[0036] The control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can identify the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for a hand signal change on the second road 40B. The control unit 12 may identify the leading vehicle 20A by receiving notification from the leading vehicle 20A that it is the leading vehicle 20A. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may identify the leading vehicle 20A from the line of vehicles 20 waiting for a hand signal change based on detailed current location information obtained from each vehicle 20 and road map information 14.

[0037] When the switching timing determined based on the traffic volume on the road 40 near the intersection is reached, the information processing device 10 transmits control information to the leading vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting at the traffic light on the second road 40B on the stopping side. Upon receiving the control information, the leading vehicle 20A has the vehicle control unit 22 activate the onboard equipment 25 and send a signal to the police officer 5 to switch the hand signals.

[0038] Police officer 5 can recognize that it is time to change the hand signal when the lead vehicle 20A among the vehicles 20 waiting for the hand signal change on the second road 40B gives the signal to change the hand signal. Upon receiving the signal to change the hand signal, police officer 5 follows a predetermined procedure to stop the vehicles 20 on the first road 40A from entering the intersection 41. Once the vehicles 20 on the first road 40A have stopped, police officer 5 allows the vehicles 20 that were waiting before the intersection 41 on the second road 40B to proceed to the intersection 41. In this way, the road 40 on which the vehicles 20 are traveling and the road 40 on which they are stopping can be switched.

[0039] As described above, traffic at intersection 41 is controlled by sequentially switching between the road on which vehicles 20 are allowed to pass and the road on which they are stopped, between the first road 40A and the second road 40B. The information processing device 10 controls the time interval for switching hand signals based on the traffic volume on the first road 40A and the second road 40B. For example, when the traffic volume on the first road 40A is twice that of the second road 40B, the information processing device 10 may determine the timing for switching hand signals so that vehicles 20 on the first road 40A are allowed to pass for 2 minutes, and then vehicles 20 on the second road 40B are allowed to pass for 1 minute. Also, for example, when the first road 40A is congested with heavy traffic in an area that includes multiple adjacent intersections 41, the information processing device 10 may determine the switching timing so that the multiple adjacent intersections 41 become passable sequentially along with the passage of vehicles 20. In this way, the information processing device 10 can alleviate congestion on the first road 40A.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, if the intersection 41 is a four-way intersection, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10 can identify the leading vehicles 20A on both sides of the intersection 41. The control unit 12 may control the on-board equipment 25 of the identified leading vehicles 20A for each lane based on the same switching timing. In other words, the control unit 12 can operate the on-board equipment 25 of the two leading vehicles 20A on either side of the intersection 41 almost simultaneously based on the same switching timing. In this way, the police officer 5 can reliably recognize the signal indicating the switching timing of the hand signal, regardless of which side of the stopped vehicle 20 he is facing.

[0041] Furthermore, in Figure 4, the first road 40A and the second road 40B are shown as roads with one lane in each direction, but at least one of the first road 40A and the second road 40B may be a road with two or more lanes in each direction. In such a case, the control unit 12 may identify the leading vehicle 20A for each lane and control the on-board equipment 25 of the leading vehicle 20A identified for each lane based on the same switching timing. Also, at least one of the first road 40A and the second road 40B may be a road with dedicated lanes for right turns and / or left turns before the intersection 41. In this case as well, the control unit 12 may control the leading vehicle 20A identified for each lane based on the same timing. By doing so, the police officer 5 can recognize the hand signal switching timing more clearly.

[0042] Police officer 5 may carry a portable terminal. In addition to the hand signal timing signal from the lead vehicle 20A as described above, the information processing device 10 may also notify the portable terminal carried by police officer 5 of the switching timing via wireless communication. The portable terminal may be equipped with a display, speaker and / or vibrator, and may notify police officer 5 of the switching timing by displaying an image, sound and / or vibration.

[0043] (Processing of the control unit of the information processing device) Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure executed by the control unit 12 of the information processing device 10. The functions of the information processing device 10 are realized by executing a program that performs the processing shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 on a processor corresponding to the control unit 12. In other words, the functions of the information processing device 10 are realized by software. The program causes the computer to perform the operations of the information processing device 10, thereby causing the computer to function as the information processing device 10. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 10 by performing the operations of the information processing device 10 according to the program.

[0044] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes non-temporary computer-readable media, such as magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or semiconductor memory. The program can be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable recording media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs) or CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) on which the program is recorded. Alternatively, the program may be distributed by storing it on the storage of an external server and transmitting it from the external server to other computers. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0045] In Figure 5, first, the control unit 12 identifies the intersection 41 that the police officer 5 will be responsible for (S1). The intersection 41 to be responsible for traffic control is an intersection where traffic signals are unusable due to a power outage or disaster, or an intersection without traffic signals where congestion is occurring due to heavy traffic. The police officer may input the intersection 41 to be responsible for traffic control into the information processing unit 10. Alternatively, information identifying the intersection 41 to be responsible for traffic control may be transmitted from an information device within the police force to an external information processing unit 10.

[0046] The control unit 12 acquires or calculates the traffic volume of the road 40 near the intersection 41 that is subject to traffic control (S2). The acquired or calculated traffic volume information is stored in the storage unit 13 as traffic volume information 16. The traffic volume can be, for example, the number of vehicles 20 that pass through a specific location on the road 40 within a unit of time. The traffic volume may also include, for example, the degree of congestion on the road 40 determined from the speed of the vehicles 20 traveling on the road 40. The definition of traffic volume is not limited to these.

[0047] The control unit 12 calculates the timing for switching hand signals based on the traffic volume information 16 for each lane of each road 40 intersecting at the intersection 41 (S3). The switching timing is determined to reduce congestion or traffic jams on the road 40. The switching timing may be specified as the time of switching or the interval between switching. In one embodiment, the timing for switching hand signals within one cycle may be calculated as the switching timing. Here, one cycle means, for example, the period from the moment the hand signal on the first road 40A becomes passable, through the stop period, until the first road 40A becomes passable again.

[0048] The control unit 12 recognizes the lead vehicle 20A that is stopped at intersection 41 (S4). The control unit 12 may identify the lead vehicle 20A based on the road map information 14 in the storage unit 13 and the detailed vehicle position information 15 of each vehicle 20 which is updated sequentially. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may recognize the lead vehicle 20A by receiving a notification from the lead vehicle 20A that recognizes itself as the lead vehicle 20A among the multiple vehicles 20.

[0049] The control unit 12 waits until the hand signal switching timing calculated in step S3 (S5), and after the switching timing has elapsed, transmits control information for the on-board equipment 25 to the leading vehicle 20A recognized in S4 (S6). Upon receiving the control information, the leading vehicle 20A uses the on-board equipment 25 to signal the police officer 5 directing traffic to switch hand signals. The signal to switch hand signals may include at least one of the following: flashing of the headlights 26, operation of the wipers 27, and honking of the horn 28. Upon receiving this signal, the police officer 5 switches between the road to travel and the road to stop between the first road 40A and the second road 40B that intersect at intersection 41.

[0050] Unless instructed to terminate traffic control (S7: No), the control unit 12 repeats steps S2 through S7 for the intersection 41 after the roads 40 on the roads 40 for traffic and the roads 40 on

[0051] If the information processing device 10 receives an instruction from an external source to terminate traffic control (S7: Yes), the control unit 12 terminates the processing of the flowchart in Figure 5 that supports traffic control at intersection 41. Such an instruction may be directly input into the information processing device 10 by a police officer, or transmitted to the information processing device 10 via communication from an information device within the police force.

[0052] As described above, according to the information processing device 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 12 calculates the timing for switching hand signals based on the traffic volume near the intersection 41 and controls the on-board equipment 25 installed in the lead vehicle 20A. As a result, the information processing device 10 can support traffic control performed by hand signals and reduce congestion compared to traffic control performed by relying on the intuition of the police officer 5.

[0053] Furthermore, by adopting the traffic control system 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the costs associated with equipment and installation work compared to replacing traffic signals with a system that controls traffic volume, and installing new traffic signals.

[0054] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and numerous modifications or alterations are possible. For example, the functions included in each means, step, etc., can be rearranged in a way that is not logically contradictory, and multiple means or steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided.

[0055] In the above embodiment, traffic control was assumed to be performed by a police officer, but traffic control does not necessarily have to be performed by a police officer. Traffic control may be performed by an employee of a traffic management authority other than the police. In the above embodiment, the case of traffic control at a four-way intersection was described. However, the intersection where traffic control is performed is not limited to four-way intersections, but may also be a three-way intersection, a five-way intersection, etc. Also, in the above embodiment, headlights, wipers, and a horn were given as examples of in-vehicle equipment. However, in-vehicle equipment is not limited to these. In-vehicle equipment may be, for example, hazard lights. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Traffic control system 5 Police Officer 10 Information Processing Devices 11 Communications Department 12 Control Unit 13 Storage section 14 Intersection Location Information 15. Vehicle location information 16 Traffic information 20 vehicles 20A Leading car 21 Vehicle Communications Department 22 Vehicle Control Unit 23 Vehicle memory unit 24 Location information acquisition unit 25 In-vehicle equipment 26 Headlights 27 Wiper 28 Horn 30 Networks 40 road 40A First Road 40B Second Road 41 Intersection

Claims

1. A communication unit capable of communicating with multiple vehicles, A control unit calculates the timing for switching hand signals based on the traffic volume near the intersection, identifies the lead vehicle stopped at the intersection, and controls an in-vehicle device installed on the lead vehicle via the communication unit, which can be recognized from outside the lead vehicle, based on the switching timing. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle equipment includes at least one of a headlight, wipers, and a horn.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit operates the in-vehicle equipment in a manner that cannot be operated manually.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the intersection has multiple lanes on one side, the control unit identifies the leading vehicle for each lane and controls the on-board equipment of the leading vehicle identified for each lane based on the same switching timing.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the intersection is a crossroads, the control unit identifies the leading vehicles of both opposing lanes on either side of the intersection, and controls the on-board equipment of the leading vehicles identified for each lane based on the same switching timing.

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