Information processing device

Abstract

To detect an area where a flood disaster is occurring.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a control section configured to: acquire occurrence of an abnormal interruption of communication with a vehicle and an occurrence position of the communication abnormal interruption; detect that a flood disaster is occurring within a first area in accordance with a fact that the communication abnormal interruption occurs predetermined times or more at a position lower than a predetermined altitude within the first area; and output information related to the flood disaster upon detection of the flood disaster occurring within the first area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] When the submersion of a vehicle is detected, it is known to switch the power supply of the communication terminal of the vehicle from the in-vehicle battery to the built-in battery of the communication terminal (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] An object of this disclosure is to detect an area where flood damage has occurred.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure is to acquire the occurrence of an abnormal interruption of communication with a vehicle and the location where the abnormal interruption of communication has occurred, and in a first area, in response to the abnormal interruption of communication occurring at a position lower than a predetermined altitude a predetermined number of times or more, detect that flood damage has occurred in the first area, and in response to detecting that flood damage has occurred in the first area, output information regarding the flood damage. An information processing apparatus including a control unit configured to perform the above.

[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure is an information processing method in which a computer executes the processing in the above information processing apparatus, a program for causing the computer to execute this information processing method, and a storage medium that stores this program non-temporarily.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to detect areas where flooding is occurring. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an example of vehicle data. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of the process by which the server according to the first embodiment detects the occurrence of a flood. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the process by which the server according to the second embodiment detects the occurrence of a flood. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the process by which the server according to the third embodiment predicts the occurrence of a flood. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] There is a need to identify areas affected by flooding. Therefore, it is desirable to detect the occurrence of flooding at a central location, not just by detecting submersion in individual vehicles. This disclosure focuses on the fact that when a vehicle is submerged, abnormal communication interruptions occur with the vehicle, and uses this to identify areas affected by flooding.

[0010] The control unit acquires the occurrence of an abnormal interruption in communication with the vehicle, and the location where the abnormal interruption occurred. The vehicle transmits information about its status and communication status, for example, at predetermined intervals. This transmission occurs even when the vehicle is parked. However, if the vehicle is submerged in water, the vehicle's communication equipment malfunctions, causing communication to be interrupted. An abnormal interruption refers to a situation where communication with the vehicle was scheduled but was interrupted. Therefore, even if communication is interrupted due to some factor, if communication is resumed afterward, it cannot be said that the vehicle was submerged in water, and thus it is not included in the definition of an abnormal interruption in this disclosure. The location where an abnormal interruption occurs may be the location where communication was last performed. The location may be indicated, for example, by latitude, longitude, and altitude.

[0011] However, abnormal communication interruptions can occur for reasons other than vehicle submersion. For example, a problem with the base station involved in communication with the vehicle could cause an abnormal communication interruption. Therefore, the control unit detects that flooding has occurred in the first region when abnormal communication interruptions occur a predetermined number of times or more at a location below a predetermined altitude within the first region. The first region is, for example, an area defined by administrative districts or regional meshes. Here, the lower the altitude at which a vehicle is located, the higher the probability that the vehicle will be submerged. For example, even if flooding occurs, if a vehicle is parked at a high altitude, such as in a multi-story parking garage, it will not be submerged. Therefore, if abnormal communication interruptions occur frequently at locations below a predetermined altitude, it can be said that there is a high probability that flooding has occurred. The predetermined altitude is the altitude at which vehicle communication will not be interrupted even if flooding occurs. The predetermined number of times corresponds to the number of vehicles that are expected to be submerged if flooding occurs. The predetermined altitude and predetermined number of times may be set taking errors into consideration, or they may be set to different values ​​depending on the region.

[0012] The control unit then outputs information regarding the flood in response to detecting that the flood has occurred in the first area. This output may include a notification that the flood has occurred in the first area. The control unit may also store the information regarding the flood in a storage unit so that it can be output.

[0013] The control unit may also detect that a flood has occurred in the first region if the number of abnormal communication interruptions at locations above a predetermined altitude within the first region is less than or equal to a second predetermined number. In other words, the occurrence of a flood may be detected on the condition that there are no frequent abnormal communication interruptions at locations above a predetermined altitude. The second predetermined number is, for example, the number of abnormal interruptions that may occur even if no flood has occurred. The second predetermined number may also be 0.

[0014] Further, the control unit may output by associating the first area where the flood has been detected with a map. For example, the first area where the flood has occurred may be indicated on the map. In this way, information regarding the area where the flood is occurring can be output in near real-time.

[0015] Further, the control unit may predict a second area where the flood will occur in the future based on the time transition of the plurality of first areas where the flood has been detected. When floods are occurring in a plurality of first areas, since the expansion direction of the first areas can be detected, it is possible to predict that floods will occur in the future in the areas located in the expansion direction.

[0016] Further, the control unit may notify a vehicle existing in the first area where the flood has been detected or the terminal of the owner of the vehicle existing in the first area of the occurrence of the flood. In this way, since the user in the area where the flood is occurring can be notified, the movement of the vehicle can be promoted.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Further, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0018] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system 1 according to the first embodiment. The system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle 10 and a server 30. The vehicle 10 is a connected car having a communication function with an external network. The vehicle 10 includes an in-vehicle device 100. The in-vehicle device 100 may be, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module) and the like. There are a plurality of vehicles 10.

[0019] The in-vehicle device 100 is a device that performs wireless communication with an external network. The in-vehicle device 100 is configured to be communicable via a cellular communication network. The cellular communication network is a communication network that uses a cellular network. When the in-vehicle device 100 detects an available cellular communication network, it attaches to the cellular communication network.

[0020] The server 30 communicates with the in-vehicle device 100 to collect various information from the vehicle 10. The information collected from the vehicle 10 includes, for example, position information, information regarding the operating state of the vehicle 10, and information regarding the communication state. The information regarding the operating state of the vehicle 10 is information indicating whether the vehicle 10 is in a powered-on state (which may also be referred to as IG-ON) or a powered-off state (which may also be referred to as IG-OFF). Power-on and power-off are switched each time the user presses the power switch. Also, the detection values of various sensors provided in the vehicle 10 are transmitted from the in-vehicle device 100 to the server 30. Note that even when the vehicle 10 is in a powered-off state, the vehicle 10 and the server 30 communicate periodically. The information regarding the communication state includes information regarding communication quality and radio wave intensity.

[0021] The in-vehicle device 100 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, a wireless communication unit 104, and a position information acquisition unit 105. The control unit 101 is an arithmetic unit that realizes various functions of the in-vehicle device 100 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 101 may be realized by, for example, a CPU or the like.

[0022] The control unit 101 transmits vehicle data to the server 30 at a predetermined timing. Figure 2 shows an example of vehicle data. As shown, the vehicle data includes the fields for vehicle ID, date and time information, location information, and status. However, it is not limited to these; for example, information regarding communication quality may also be included in the vehicle data. The vehicle ID field stores an identifier that uniquely identifies the vehicle. The date and time information field stores the date and time when the vehicle data was generated. The location information field stores location information (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) acquired by the location information acquisition unit 105. The status field stores data related to the operating state of the vehicle. The operating state of the vehicle is represented, for example, as powered on or powered off. In this embodiment, vehicle data is transmitted to the server 30 regardless of whether the vehicle is powered on or powered off. However, the frequency of transmitting vehicle data may be changed depending on whether the vehicle is powered on or powered off. For example, the frequency of transmitting vehicle data may be lower when the vehicle is powered off than when it is powered on. Also, the frequency of transmitting vehicle data may be changed depending on the duration of the powered-off state. For example, the longer the vehicle remains powered off, the less frequently vehicle data may be transmitted. Also, if the vehicle remains powered off for a certain period, vehicle data transmission may be stopped to prevent a decrease in battery charge.

[0023] The memory unit 102 is a means for storing information and is composed of storage media such as RAM, magnetic disks, and flash memory. The memory unit 102 stores various programs executed by the control unit 101, data used by those programs, etc. The communication unit 103 is an in-vehicle unit. This is a communication interface that connects device 100 to the bus of the in-vehicle network.

[0024] The wireless communication unit 104 includes an antenna and a communication module for wireless communication. The antenna is an antenna element that inputs and outputs wireless signals. In this embodiment, the antenna is compatible with mobile communication (e.g., 3G, LTE, 5G, 6G, etc.). The communication module is a module for performing mobile communication.

[0025] The location information acquisition unit 105 includes a GPS antenna and a positioning module for determining location information. The GPS antenna is an antenna that receives positioning signals transmitted from positioning satellites (also called GNSS satellites). The positioning module is a module that calculates location information based on the signals received by the GPS antenna.

[0026] The server 30 is comprised of a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. The control unit 31 is a computing device that manages the control performed by the server 30. The control unit 31 can be implemented by a computing device such as a CPU. The control unit 31 collects vehicle data from multiple vehicles 10 (in-vehicle devices 100) and stores it as vehicle data 321 in the storage unit 32, which will be described later.

[0027] The storage unit 32 comprises a main memory and an auxiliary storage device. The main memory is the memory where programs executed by the control unit 31 and data used by said control programs are stored. The auxiliary storage device is the device where programs executed by the control unit 31 and data used by said control programs are stored.

[0028] Furthermore, the storage unit 32 stores vehicle data 321 and map data 322. Vehicle data 321 is a collection of multiple vehicle data transmitted from the in-vehicle device 100. The vehicle data 321 stores multiple vehicle data as described in Figure 2. Map data 322 is a database that stores data related to topographic maps and road networks. Map data 322 may also store data related to features. In addition, map data 322 may include information on hazard maps that show areas at risk of flooding. Note that map data 322 may be provided from an external server.

[0029] The communication unit 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to a network. The communication unit 33 is comprised of, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication interface for wireless communication.

[0030] Note that the configuration shown in Figure 1 is just one example, and all or part of the illustrated functions may be performed using specially designed circuits. Furthermore, program storage and execution may be performed using combinations of main memory and auxiliary memory other than those shown.

[0031] The control unit 31 determines that an abnormal interruption has occurred if periodic communication with the vehicle 10 is interrupted. This abnormal interruption may be determined by analyzing the communication log, or by the fact that the vehicle data 321 is not updated. When an abnormal interruption of communication occurs, the control unit 31 identifies the location where the abnormal interruption occurred. The control unit 31 extracts the last stored location information from the vehicle data 321 and identifies the location included in this location information as the location where the abnormal interruption of communication occurred. Furthermore, the control unit 31 determines whether the location where the abnormal interruption of communication occurred is below a predetermined altitude. The predetermined altitude is, for example, the lower limit of the altitude at which the vehicle 10 will not be submerged even if a flood occurs.

[0032] The control unit 31 then determines if the number of times communication interruptions have occurred at a location below a predetermined altitude within the same area exceeds a predetermined number, and if flooding has occurred in that area. The system detects that this has occurred. The number of vehicles 10 that experience abnormal communication interruptions at a position below a predetermined altitude may be the number within a predetermined time period. The predetermined time period is, for example, the time required for abnormal communication interruptions to occur a predetermined number of times or more in the event of a flood in the same area, i.e., the time required for a predetermined number or more vehicles 10 to be submerged. The same area referred to here corresponds to, for example, the same municipality divided by administrative divisions, or the same area divided by a mesh. As another example, the same area may be defined as the area within a predetermined radius centered on one vehicle 10 that experiences abnormal communication interruptions at a position below a predetermined altitude.

[0033] When the control unit 31 detects that a flood has occurred, it notifies an external party, for example. For example, the control unit 31 may notify vehicles 10 or user terminals located in the area where the flood has been detected that a flood has occurred. At this time, the control unit 31 may transmit the area where the flood has been detected in association with a map. For example, the control unit 31 may color-code the area where the flood has occurred on the map or draw a line around it so that the area where the flood has occurred can be identified. Another example is that the control unit 31 may notify the name of the city or town in the area where the flood has occurred.

[0034] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the process by which the server 30 according to the first embodiment detects the occurrence of flooding. The process shown in Figure 3 is executed by the server 30 at predetermined intervals for each vehicle.

[0035] In step S101, the control unit 31 acquires information regarding the communication status. For example, the control unit 31 acquires the communication log stored in the memory unit 32. As another example, the control unit 31 may acquire vehicle data 321. In step S102, the control unit 31 determines whether or not an abnormal interruption has occurred. The control unit 31 determines that an abnormal interruption has occurred if vehicle data has not been transmitted from vehicle 10 for a predetermined time. The control unit 31 determines whether or not an abnormal interruption has occurred by referring to the communication log or vehicle data 321 and determining whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the date and time of the last communication. The predetermined time is longer than the time interval at which vehicle 10 transmits vehicle data 321. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S102, the process proceeds to step S103; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, this routine terminates.

[0036] In step S103, the control unit 31 refers to the vehicle data 321 and obtains the last location information from the record corresponding to the vehicle 10. This location information includes information on latitude, longitude, and altitude. In step S104, the control unit 31 identifies the region where the vehicle 10 is located based on the location information obtained in step S103. For example, the control unit 31 may identify the city or town where the vehicle 10 is located based on the location information.

[0037] In step S105, the control unit 31 determines whether the altitude obtained in step S103 is below a predetermined altitude. Therefore, in step S105, the control unit 31 determines whether the vehicle 10 is located at an altitude that would cause it to be submerged in the event of a flood. If the altitude of the vehicle 10 is above the predetermined altitude, it can be determined that the vehicle 10 will not be submerged. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S105, the process proceeds to step S106; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, this routine terminates.

[0038] In step S106, the control unit 31 counts the number of abnormal interruptions that occurred within the region identified in step S105. For example, the control unit 31 counts the number of times an abnormal interruption occurred within the same region within a predetermined time period, and the altitude was below a predetermined altitude.

[0039] In step S107, the control unit 31 determines whether the number of abnormal interruptions counted in step S106 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The predetermined number is equal to the number of times when floods occur. This is the number of times it is considered to be possible. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S107, the process proceeds to step S108; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, this routine terminates.

[0040] In step S108, the control unit 31 detects the occurrence of flooding. In step S109, the control unit 31 identifies vehicles 10 located within the area identified in step S105. The control unit 31 identifies all vehicles 10 located within the area identified in step S105 by referring to the location information of the vehicle data 321. Then, in step S110, the control unit 31 notifies the vehicles 10 identified in step S109 of the occurrence of flooding. This notification may include a command to display an image notifying the occurrence of flooding on the display of the vehicle 10. This image may include a map showing the area where the flooding occurred. As another example, the control unit 31 may also notify the user's terminal of the occurrence of flooding. The user's terminal may be pre-registered and linked to the vehicle 10. Furthermore, as yet another example, the control unit 31 may also notify a terminal managed by a public institution that it has detected the occurrence of flooding. As another example, the control unit 31 may notify vehicles 10 located in areas adjacent to the flood-affected area that flooding has occurred in the adjacent area. Furthermore, information regarding the flood-affected area may be stored in the storage unit 32 and sold to companies or other organizations.

[0041] As described above, according to this embodiment, the occurrence of flooding can be detected based on the communication status with the vehicle 10.

[0042] <Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, communication is maintained with the vehicle 10 located at a high altitude, and if multiple abnormal communication interruptions occur with the vehicle 10 located at a low altitude, the control unit 31 detects that flooding has occurred. High altitude refers to a location at an altitude above the predetermined altitude explained in step S105, and low altitude refers to a location below the predetermined altitude. Here, even if flooding occurs, if the vehicle 10 is parked at a high altitude such as a multi-story parking garage, it will be spared from being submerged. On the other hand, if abnormal communication interruptions occur despite the vehicle 10 being located at a high altitude, it is considered that the vehicle 10 has not been submerged, but rather that the interruptions are caused by, for example, a communication failure. Therefore, the control unit 31 detects that flooding has occurred when the number of abnormal communication interruptions at high altitudes is small or zero, and the number of abnormal communication interruptions at low altitudes is large.

[0043] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the process by which the server 30 according to the second embodiment detects the occurrence of flooding. The process shown in Figure 4 is executed by the server 30 at predetermined intervals for each vehicle. In Figure 4, steps that perform the same process as the routine shown in Figure 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanation is omitted. In the routine shown in Figure 4, if the control unit 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S105, the process proceeds to step S201; if it makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0044] In step S201, the control unit 31 counts the number of abnormal communication interruptions at low altitudes. Once the processing in step S201 is complete, the process proceeds to step S203. Meanwhile, in step S202, the control unit 31 counts the number of abnormal communication interruptions at high altitudes. Once the processing in step S202 is complete, this routine terminates. In step S203, the control unit 31 determines whether, within a predetermined time, the number of abnormal interruptions at low altitudes counted in step S201 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and the number of abnormal interruptions at high altitudes counted in step S202 is equal to or less than a second predetermined number. The predetermined number here is the same as the predetermined number in step S107. The second predetermined number is the number of abnormal interruptions that may occur even if, for example, no flood has occurred. The second predetermined number may be 0. Thus, in step S203, the control unit 31 However, the system determines whether or not frequent communication interruptions are occurring at low altitudes and at high altitudes. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S203, the process proceeds to step S108; if it makes a negative determination, the routine terminates.

[0045] As explained above, according to this embodiment, when there are no frequent abnormal communication interruptions at high altitudes and there are frequent abnormal communication interruptions at low altitudes, it is possible to distinguish between abnormal communication interruptions caused by communication failures and abnormal communication interruptions caused by flooding. Therefore, the accuracy of detecting the occurrence of flooding can be improved.

[0046] <Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment, areas where future flooding is predicted are estimated based on the current state of flooding. As the area affected by flooding expands, flooding is detected in multiple areas. In this case, it is considered that the flooding is spreading according to the order in which the multiple areas are detected. Therefore, the control unit 31 estimates that the flooding will spread further in the direction in which it is currently spreading. For example, the control unit 31 may connect the center points (which may be the centroid) of the areas affected by flooding in order, and predict that the areas on the extension of this line are areas where future flooding will occur. As another example, the control unit 31 may use a hazard map to predict areas where future flooding will occur. For example, the control unit 31 may predict that flooding will occur in areas within a predetermined distance from the area affected by flooding, and in areas indicated on the hazard map as having a high probability of flooding.

[0047] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the process by which the server 30 predicts the occurrence of flooding according to the third embodiment. The process shown in Figure 5 is executed by the server 30 at predetermined intervals.

[0048] In step S301, the control unit 31 determines whether or not it has detected the occurrence of flooding. The control unit 31 determines whether or not it has detected the occurrence of flooding in step S108 of the routine shown in Figure 3 within a predetermined time. The predetermined time here is set to the time required for the area affected by flooding to expand. For example, even if an area that experienced flooding a few days ago was detected, it is unlikely that the flooding will spread now. Flooding that is unrelated to the flooding currently occurring is ignored. On the other hand, if it is determined that the detected flooding is still continuing within the time frame, there is a risk that the flooding will spread to other areas. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S301, the process proceeds to step S302; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the routine terminates.

[0049] In step S302, the control unit 31 predicts the areas where flooding will occur. For example, if flooding occurs in multiple areas, it is assumed that the water is flowing from the earlier areas where flooding was detected to the later areas. Therefore, it may be predicted that water will flow to areas along that extension and cause flooding. In other words, the areas where flooding will occur may be predicted according to the time progression of the areas where flooding was detected. Alternatively, it may be predicted that flooding will occur in areas around the areas where flooding has occurred, which are indicated on the hazard map as having a potential for flooding.

[0050] In step S303, the control unit 31 identifies vehicles 10 located within the area where flooding is predicted to occur in step S302. The control unit 31 identifies all vehicles 10 located within the area predicted in step S302 by referring to the location information of the vehicle data 321. Then, in step S304, the control unit 31 notifies the vehicles 10 identified in step S303 that there is a possibility of flooding. This notification may include a command to display an image notifying of the possibility of flooding on the display of the vehicle 10. As another example, the control unit 31 may also control the user of the vehicle 10. The possibility of flooding may be notified at the end of the day. Alternatively, as another example, the control unit 31 may notify terminals managed by public institutions of the possibility of flooding.

[0051] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to predict areas where floods will occur.

[0052] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. The processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. Furthermore, processes described as being performed by one device may be divided and performed by multiple devices. Alternatively, processes described as being performed by different devices may be performed by a single device.

[0053] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-temporary computer-readable storage mediums include, for example, any type of disk such as magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1 System 10 vehicles 30 servers 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communications Department

Claims

1. To obtain the occurrence of an abnormal interruption in communication with the vehicle, and the location where the abnormal interruption of communication occurred, In the first region, if the aforementioned abnormal communication interruptions occur at a location below a predetermined altitude and a predetermined number of times or more, it is detected that flooding is occurring in the first region. In response to detecting that the flood has occurred in the aforementioned first area, the system outputs information regarding the flood. An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to perform the following:

2. The control unit detects that a flood is occurring in the first region, depending on whether the number of abnormal communication interruptions at locations above a predetermined altitude within the first region is less than or equal to a second predetermined number. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control unit outputs the first area where the flood has occurred, associating it with a map. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, configured to further perform the following.

4. The control unit predicts a second area where flooding will occur in the future, based on the time progression of multiple first areas where flooding has been detected. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, configured to further perform the following.

5. The control unit notifies the vehicle located in the first area that has detected the occurrence of the flood, or the terminal of the owner of the vehicle located in the first area, of the occurrence of the flood. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, configured to further perform the following.

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