Information notification device, traffic signal device and program

Abstract

To notify an automatic driving vehicle of information without being affected by a communication situation of a mobile communication network.SOLUTION: An acquisition unit 16 of an information notification device 14 acquires a traffic situation around an intersection from a sensor 110 provided around the intersection, a generation unit 18 generates notification information to an automatic driving vehicle which enters the intersection in future on the basis of the traffic situation acquired by the acquisition unit 16, and a display control unit 20 displays the notification information generated by the generation unit 18 as code information (for example, a two-dimensional code) on a display unit 12 provided around the intersection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information notification device, a traffic signal device, and an information notification program. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technology related to communication via a mobile communication network between a communication device of an autonomous driving vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving function and an information processing device. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-035198 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In a configuration where an autonomous driving vehicle performs autonomous driving using information acquired from an information processing device via a mobile communication network, depending on the communication status of the mobile communication network, information that can normally be acquired from the information processing device may not be acquired, which may lead to a decrease in the accuracy of autonomous driving.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above facts, and an object thereof is to obtain an information notification device, a traffic signal device, and an information notification program capable of notifying information to an autonomous driving vehicle without being affected by the communication status of a mobile communication network. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] An information notification device according to a first aspect includes: an acquisition unit that acquires traffic conditions around an intersection from a sensor provided around the intersection; and based on the traffic conditions around the intersection acquired by the acquisition unit, an autonomous driving vehicle that is about to enter the intersection Includes driving instruction information that instructs the vehicle to drive.The system includes a generation unit that generates notification information, and a display control unit that causes the notification information generated by the generation unit to be displayed as code information on a display unit installed around the intersection.

[0007] In the first embodiment, traffic conditions around the intersection are acquired from sensors installed around the intersection, and based on the acquired traffic conditions around the intersection, the system detects autonomous vehicles that are about to enter the intersection. Includes driving instruction information that instructs the vehicle to drive. Notification information is generated. The generated notification information is then displayed as code information on a display unit installed around the intersection. As a result, the autonomous vehicle can take a picture of the display unit showing the code information and decode the code information contained in the captured image to obtain the notification information. In this way, in the first embodiment, notification information can be sent to the autonomous vehicle without using a mobile communication network, and therefore, information can be sent to the autonomous vehicle without being affected by the communication status of the mobile communication network.

[0008] In the second embodiment, the generation unit generates information as notification information, which includes driving instruction information that instructs each of the multiple autonomous vehicles that are about to enter the intersection to drive.

[0009] In the second embodiment, the notification information includes multiple driving instruction pieces, each instructing a different autonomous vehicle that is about to enter the intersection to drive, and this notification information is displayed as code information on the display unit. This makes it possible to give individual driving instructions to multiple autonomous vehicles that are about to enter the intersection by displaying a single notification piece as code information on the display unit.

[0010] In a third embodiment, in the second embodiment, the generation unit generates the driving instruction information taking into consideration the traffic conditions in the blind spot area around the intersection that is a blind spot from the perspective of the autonomous vehicle.

[0011] In the third embodiment, when generating driving instruction information, traffic conditions in blind spots around the intersection that are out of sight of the autonomous vehicle are taken into consideration. This makes it possible to provide the autonomous vehicle with driving instructions that take into account the traffic conditions in blind spots that are out of sight of the autonomous vehicle.

[0012] In the fourth embodiment, in the first embodiment, the display control unit causes the display unit to display a two-dimensional barcode as the code information.

[0013] In the fourth embodiment, since a two-dimensional code is displayed on the display unit as code information, the amount of notification information that can be displayed on the display unit as code information can be increased compared to embodiments such as those that display a one-dimensional code as code information.

[0014] The traffic signal system according to the fifth embodiment includes an information notification device according to any of the first to fourth embodiments, and a traffic signal, and is installed at each intersection.

[0015] In the fifth embodiment, since it includes an information notification device of any of the first to fourth embodiments, information can be notified to the autonomous vehicle without being affected by the communication status of the mobile communication network, similar to the first embodiment.

[0016] The information notification program according to the sixth aspect involves a computer that acquires traffic conditions around an intersection from sensors installed around the intersection, and based on the acquired traffic conditions, it notifies the computer of autonomous vehicles that are about to enter the intersection. Includes driving instruction information that instructs the vehicle to drive. The system is configured to generate notification information and to display the generated notification information as code information on a display unit located near the intersection.

[0017] According to the sixth embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, information can be notified to the autonomous vehicle without being affected by the communication status of the mobile communication network.

[0018] Note that the above summary of the present disclosure does not list all of the necessary features of the present disclosure. Subcombinations of these feature groups may also constitute inventions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the risk prediction capability of AI for ultra-high-performance autonomous driving. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a Central Brain in ultra-high-performance autonomous driving. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining blind spots of a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a sensor installed on a traffic signal. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating Perfect Speed Control. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating Perfect Bell Curves. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of perfect cruising. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of perfect cruising. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of perfect cruising. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of perfect cruising. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of perfect cruising. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of perfect cruising. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of perfect cruising. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that functions as a Central Brain and a control device. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information notification system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a front view showing a traffic signal and a display unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a plan view showing the arrangement of the traffic signal and display unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 18] This flowchart shows an example of information notification processing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0021] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 schematically illustrates the hazard prediction capability of the AI ​​for ultra-high-performance autonomous driving according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, information from multiple types of sensors is converted into AI data and stored in the cloud. The AI ​​predicts and determines the best mix of situations every nanosecond and optimizes vehicle operation.

[0022] Figure 2 schematically shows the Central Brain in the ultra-high-performance autonomous driving according to this embodiment. The Central Brain is an example of a control device that controls a Level 6 autonomous vehicle.

[0023] Level 6 represents autonomous driving, and is a higher level than Level 5, which represents fully autonomous driving. Although Level 5 represents fully autonomous driving, it is equivalent to human driving, and there is still a probability of accidents occurring. Level 6 represents a higher level than Level 5, and is a level where the probability of accidents is lower than that of Level 5.

[0024] Examples of sensors mounted on the vehicle in this embodiment include radar, LiDAR, high-resolution, telephoto, ultra-wide-angle, 360-degree, and high-performance cameras, vision recognition, subtle sound, ultrasound, vibration, infrared, ultraviolet, electromagnetic waves, temperature, humidity, spot AI weather forecasting, high-precision multi-channel GPS, low-altitude satellite information, and long-tail incident AI data. Long-tail incident AI data refers to trip data from vehicles with Level 5 implemented.

[0025] Sensor information collected from multiple types of sensors includes weight center of gravity shift, road material detection, outside temperature detection, outside humidity detection, up-down, side-to-side, and diagonal inclination angle detection of slopes, road freezing conditions, moisture content detection, tire material, wear status, air pressure detection, road width, presence or absence of no-passing zones, oncoming vehicles, vehicle type information of vehicles in front and behind, cruising status of those vehicles, and surrounding conditions (birds, animals, soccer balls, accident vehicles, earthquakes, fires, wind, typhoons, heavy rain, light rain, blizzards, fog, etc.). In this embodiment, these detections are performed every nanosecond.

[0026] In this embodiment, Central Brain may use this information to match the weather forecast with the highest accuracy rate for the entire road plus the smallest spot determined by AI. Central Brain may also use this information to match the location information of other vehicles. Furthermore, Central Brain may use this information to match the best estimated vehicle type (matching remaining fuel and speed at nanosecond intervals for that route). Central Brain may also use this information to match the mood of the passengers, such as the music they are listening to. Finally, Central Brain may use this information to perform instantaneous condition reconfiguration based on the desired mood.

[0027] The Central Brain could, for example, upload AI data to the cloud when a vehicle is charging. It could also form a Data Lake, where AI analyzes the data and uploads it in a constantly updated state.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, while sensors mounted on a vehicle can detect objects such as other vehicles at long distances along a straight line in the direction of travel, there are blind spots at intersections and other locations where the sensors cannot detect objects. In the example in Figure 3, the solid rectangle enclosed by the dashed-dotted rectangle represents the vehicle on which the sensor is mounted, and the dashed-dotted arrow indicates the direction of travel of that vehicle. The shaded area represents the blind spot where the sensors mounted on that vehicle cannot detect objects.

[0029] In this case, the existence of blind spots for the vehicle increases the risk of traffic accidents.

[0030] Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, sensors 110 capable of communicating with the Central Brain of a Level 6 autonomous vehicle are installed on all traffic lights 100 in the city. Examples of sensors 110 include radar, LiDAR, and high-resolution, telephoto, ultra-wide-angle, 360-degree, high-performance digital cameras. In the example in Figure 4, the sensors 110 are installed on top of the traffic lights 100, but the installation location of the sensors 110 is not limited to the top of the traffic lights 100. The sensors 110 may be installed on the side of the traffic lights 100, or on the pole portion of the traffic lights 100.

[0031] At each traffic light 100, the sensor 110 collects information detected in areas that are blind spots for the autonomous vehicle, and transmits road condition information to the Level 6 autonomous vehicle via wireless communication.

[0032] Central Brain acquires multiple pieces of information detected by sensors 110 installed on traffic signals 100, and uses the acquired information and AI to control the vehicle.

[0033] Central Brain can utilize both software and hardware approaches to optimize vehicle traffic. On the software side, Central Brain uses AI to best mix multiple pieces of information detected by sensors 110 installed on traffic signals 100, cloud-stored information, and vehicle sensor information. The AI ​​makes decisions every nanosecond to achieve autonomous driving that meets passenger needs. On the hardware side, the vehicle micro-controls the motor's rotation output every 1 / 1 billion second (nanosecond). The vehicle is equipped with electricity and motors capable of communicating and controlling at nanosecond intervals. According to Central Brain, because the AI ​​predicts crises, perfect stops are possible without the need for brakes or spilling a cup of water. Furthermore, power consumption is low, and there is no brake friction.

[0034] Figure 5 schematically shows the Perfect Speed ​​Control realized by the Central Brain control according to this embodiment. The principle shown in Figure 5 is an indicator for calculating the braking distance of a vehicle, and it is controlled by this basic equation. In the system according to this embodiment, since there is ultra-high-performance input data, it is possible to calculate with a clean bell curve.

[0035] Figure 6 schematically shows the Perfect Bell Curves realized by control by the Central Brain according to this embodiment.

[0036] A computing speed of 1 million TOPS can be achieved when realizing ultra-high-performance autonomous driving.

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment, the Central Brain may implement Perfect Cruise Control. The Central Brain may perform control according to the wishes of the occupants riding in the vehicle. Examples of occupant wishes include "shortest time," "longest battery life," "avoid motion sickness as much as possible," "feel the most G-force (safely)," "a mix of the above to feel the scenery the most," "feel a different scenery than last time," "for example, retrace memories of a road I traveled with someone many years ago," "avoid the probability of an accident as much as possible," etc. The Central Brain consults with the passengers about various other conditions, and then performs a perfect mix with the vehicle by selecting the above conditions every nanosecond, based on the number of passengers, weight, position, weight center of gravity shift (calculated every nanosecond), detection of road material every nanosecond, detection of outside air temperature every nanosecond, detection of outside air humidity every nanosecond, and total every nanosecond.

[0038] The Central Brain may consider and implement the following: "the incline of the road (up, down, sideways, and diagonally)", "matching with the most accurate weather forecast for the entire route + for each smallest spot determined by AI", "matching with the location information of other cars every nanosecond", "matching with the best estimated vehicle type (matching remaining fuel and speed every nanosecond on that route)", "matching with the mood of the passengers, such as the music they are listening to", "instantaneous readjustment of conditions when the desired mood changes", "estimation of the optimal mix of road freezing conditions, moisture content, wear of each tire material (4, 2, 8, 16, etc.), air pressure, and remaining road conditions every nanosecond", "the lane width, angle, and whether it is a no-passing lane at any given time", "vehicle types in the oncoming lane and the lanes ahead and behind, and their cruising status (every nanosecond)", and "the best mix of all other conditions".

[0039] The ideal position within each lane, rather than the center, varies depending on the speed, angle, and road conditions at the time. For example, it involves matching the best probability inferences for things like flying birds, animals, oncoming cars, flying soccer balls, children, accident vehicles, earthquakes, fires, wind, typhoons, heavy rain, light rain, blizzards, fog, and other nanosecond-by-nanosecond effects.

[0040] These are then perfectly matched using the capabilities of the current version of Central Brain and the latest updated information accumulated in the Brain Cloud up to that point.

[0041] This could be defined as perfect cruising in ultra-high-performance autonomous driving. To achieve this, ultra-high-performance autonomous driving requires 1 million TOPS of the best battery power management and AI-synchronized burst chilling temperature control at that moment.

[0042] Figures 7 to 13 are schematic diagrams of the Perfect Cruising.

[0043] As described above, according to this embodiment, sensors 110 capable of communicating with the Central Brain of a Level 6 autonomous vehicle are installed at all traffic lights 100 in the city. The Central Brain of the Level 6 autonomous vehicle can acquire information about blind spots from the sensors 110.

[0044] Therefore, it is possible to obtain information on blind spots that cannot be detected by autonomous vehicles, thereby reducing the risk of traffic accidents. Autonomous vehicles will be able to enter intersections even on red lights and operate at high speeds with precision, potentially increasing the overall traffic volume of a city tenfold or more. As a result, GDP will increase significantly.

[0045] Figure 14 schematically shows an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as a Central Brain, which is an example of a control device. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the apparatus according to this embodiment, or to cause the computer 1200 to execute operations associated with the apparatus according to this embodiment or such one or more "parts", and / or to cause the computer 1200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to this embodiment. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to execute specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0046] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive and a DVD-RAM drive, etc. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive, etc. The computer 1200 also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0047] The CPU 1212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 1230 and RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires the image data generated by the CPU 1212 and stores it in the frame buffer provided in RAM 1214 or within itself, so that the image data is displayed on the display device 1218.

[0048] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0049] The ROM 1230 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 1200, which are executed by the computer 1200 upon activation. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via USB ports, parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0050] The program is provided on a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable storage medium and installed on a storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 1200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0051] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 1214, storage device 1224, DVD-ROM, or IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area provided on the recording medium.

[0052] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as a storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), or an IC card into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

[0053] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 1212 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the specified condition for the attribute value of the first attribute, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0054] The program or software module described above may be stored on or near the computer 1200 in a computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0055] In this embodiment, blocks in the flowchart and block diagram may represent a stage in a process in which an operation is performed or a "part" of a device that has the role of performing an operation. A particular stage and "part" may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs), which include logical AND, logical OR, exclusive OR, negated AND, negated OR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements.

[0056] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by a suitable device, and as a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein will comprise a product that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0057] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0058] Computer-readable instructions may be provided to a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or a programmable circuit, either locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet, so that the computer-readable instructions may be executed by the processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, in order to generate means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, and the like.

[0059] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described. Parts identical to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0060] Figure 15 shows the information notification system 10 according to the second embodiment. The information notification system 10 includes a plurality of traffic signal devices 11 installed at each intersection of a road, and a plurality of autonomous vehicles 24 traveling on the road. The traffic signal device 11 includes the traffic signal 100 and sensor 110 described in the first embodiment, a display unit 12, and an information notification device 14. In the first embodiment, the sensor 110 was configured to communicate wirelessly with the Central Brain of the autonomous vehicle 24, but in this second embodiment, the function of communicating wirelessly with the autonomous vehicle 24 and the like may be omitted.

[0061] As shown in Figure 16, the display unit 12 is installed near the traffic light 100 and has a resolution capable of displaying a predetermined two-dimensional code. Although only one display unit 12 is shown in Figure 16, a display unit 12 (and traffic light 100) is provided for each road with a different direction of entry into the intersection. For example, as shown in Figure 17, in the case of an intersection where a road extending in the east-west direction intersects with a road extending in the north-south direction, a separate display unit 12 is provided for each direction of entry into the intersection: "E (east)", "W (west)", "S (south)", and "N (north)".

[0062] The information notification device 14 includes a CPU, memory such as ROM or RAM, and a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD or SSD, and the storage unit stores an information notification program. The information notification device 14 functions as an acquisition unit 16, a generation unit 18, and a display control unit 20 when the CPU executes the information notification program, and performs the information notification processing (Figure 18) described later. Note that the information notification device 14 is an example of an information notification device according to this disclosure.

[0063] The acquisition unit 16 acquires traffic conditions around the intersection from sensors 110 installed around the intersection. The generation unit 18 generates notification information for the autonomous vehicle 24 that is about to enter the intersection, based on the traffic conditions around the intersection acquired by the acquisition unit 16. The display control unit 20 then displays the notification information generated by the generation unit 18 as code information (a two-dimensional code in this second embodiment) on the display unit 12 installed around the intersection.

[0064] The autonomous vehicle 24 includes a camera 26 capable of photographing the display unit 12 and an autonomous driving control unit 28. The autonomous driving control unit 28 is realized by the Central Brain, as described in the first embodiment, executing a predetermined program. The autonomous driving control unit 28 acquires notification information by decoding the code information displayed in the area corresponding to the display unit 12 in the image captured by the camera 26. The autonomous driving control unit 28 (Central Brain) then controls the autonomous vehicle 24 to drive autonomously according to the acquired notification information (more specifically, the driving instruction information for the vehicle contained in the notification information).

[0065] Next, as an operation of the second embodiment, the information notification process, which is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals by the information notification device 14, will be described with reference to Figure 18. Note that the information notification process shown in Figure 18 is for an autonomous vehicle 24 entering an intersection from a specific entry direction (hereinafter referred to as entry direction X), and the information notification device 14 also performs the information notification process shown in Figure 18 for entry directions other than entry direction X.

[0066] In step 50 of the information notification process, the acquisition unit 16 of the information notification device 14 acquires the traffic conditions at the intersection where the traffic signal device 11 is installed (hereinafter simply referred to as the "intersection") and its surroundings from the sensor 110.

[0067] Furthermore, in step 52, the generation unit 18 identifies the autonomous vehicle 24 that will enter the intersection from the entry direction X based on the traffic conditions acquired in step 50, and identifies information for each of the identified autonomous vehicles 24 (ID, position, vehicle speed, direction of travel (straight / right turn / left turn), etc.). For the ID of the autonomous vehicle 24, for example, the string of characters written on the license plate can be applied. Also, the direction of travel of the autonomous vehicle 24 can be identified, for example, by whether or not the turn signal lamps are flashing.

[0068] In this second embodiment, the autonomous vehicle 24 is equipped with a lamp in a location that can be identified from the outside, such as on the roof, and the autonomous driving control unit 28 is configured to illuminate the lamp when autonomous driving is in operation. In step 52, the generation unit 18 identifies the autonomous vehicle 24 that is about to enter the intersection from the entry direction X by determining for each vehicle that is about to enter the intersection from the entry direction X whether or not a lamp is provided on the roof or elsewhere and whether or not this lamp is illuminated.

[0069] In step 54, the generation unit 18 identifies the traffic conditions in a blind spot area (for example, the area shown by diagonal lines in Figure 3) that is a blind spot for vehicles entering the intersection from the entry direction X, based on the traffic conditions acquired in step 50. The traffic conditions in this blind spot area include information such as the presence or number of traffic participants such as vehicles and pedestrians in the blind spot area, their location, direction of travel, and speed of movement.

[0070] In step 56, the generation unit 18 generates driving instruction information for each autonomous vehicle 24 based on information about the autonomous vehicle 24 that will enter the intersection from the entry direction X identified in step 52 and the traffic conditions in the blind spot area identified in step 54.

[0071] As an example, the generation unit 18 determines whether an autonomous vehicle 24 whose direction of travel is "straight ahead" among the individual autonomous vehicles 24 that are about to enter the intersection from the entry direction X can pass through the intersection within the period when the intersection light is green, if it continues to travel at its current speed. The generation unit 18 then generates driving notification information for the first autonomous vehicle 24 that it determines can pass through the intersection within the period when the intersection light is green, instructing it to "continue driving while maintaining the current speed." For the second autonomous vehicle 24 that it determines cannot pass through the intersection within the period when the intersection light is green, it generates driving notification information instructing it to "deceler down and stop before the intersection." The driving notification information for each autonomous vehicle 24 includes the ID of the corresponding autonomous vehicle 24 as information.

[0072] As another example, the generation unit 18 determines whether or not an autonomous vehicle 24 whose direction of travel is to "turn right" or "turn left" will interfere with pedestrians or other objects in the blind spot area when turning right or left, among the individual autonomous vehicles 24 that are about to enter the intersection from the entry direction X. The generation unit 18 then generates driving notification information for the third autonomous vehicle 24 that it has determined will not interfere with pedestrians or other objects in the blind spot area when turning right or left, instructing it to "proceed slowly through the pedestrian crossing when turning right or left," and generates driving notification information for the fourth autonomous vehicle 24 that it has determined will interfere with pedestrians or other objects in the blind spot area when turning right or left, instructing it to "stop temporarily before the pedestrian crossing when turning right or left."

[0073] In step 58, the display control unit 20 generates a two-dimensional code that encodes notification information, including driving instruction information for each autonomous vehicle 24 entering the intersection from the entry direction X, which was generated in step 56. Then, in step 60, the display control unit 20 displays the two-dimensional code generated in step 58 on the display unit 12 for the autonomous vehicles 24 entering the intersection from the entry direction X, and terminates the information notification process.

[0074] In the information notification process described above, when the code information is displayed on the display unit 12 and notified to the autonomous vehicle 24, the code information is changed to match the color of the traffic light 100 when the color of the traffic light 100 changes from blue to yellow and then to red. The timing of changing the code information displayed on the display unit 12 may be simultaneous with the change in the color of the traffic light 100, or it may be at a predetermined time before the change in the color of the traffic light 100.

[0075] Meanwhile, in an autonomous vehicle 24 about to enter an intersection, the autonomous driving control unit 28 acquires notification information by decoding the code information displayed in the area corresponding to the display unit 12 of the image captured by the camera 26. The autonomous driving control unit 28 then extracts driving instruction information for its own vehicle from the ID contained in the acquired notification information and controls the autonomous vehicle 24 to drive autonomously according to the extracted driving instruction information.

[0076] As a result, for example, the first autonomous vehicle 24 described above is controlled to "maintain the current speed" in accordance with the driving instruction information directed to its own vehicle, and the second autonomous vehicle 24 described above is controlled to "decelerate and stop before the intersection" in accordance with the driving instruction information directed to its own vehicle. Furthermore, for example, the third autonomous vehicle 24 described above is controlled to "proceed slowly through pedestrian crossings when turning right or left" in accordance with the driving instruction information directed to its own vehicle, and the fourth autonomous vehicle 24 described above is controlled to "come to a complete stop before pedestrian crossings when turning right or left" in accordance with the driving instruction information directed to its own vehicle.

[0077] As described above, in the second embodiment, the acquisition unit 16 of the information notification device 14 acquires traffic conditions around the intersection from sensors 110 installed around the intersection. The generation unit 18 generates notification information for autonomous vehicles that are about to enter the intersection, based on the traffic conditions around the intersection acquired by the acquisition unit 16. The display control unit 20 displays the notification information generated by the generation unit 18 as code information on the display unit 12 installed around the intersection. As a result, notification information can be sent to the autonomous vehicle 24 without using a mobile communication network, and information can be sent to the autonomous vehicle 24 without being affected by the communication conditions of the mobile communication network.

[0078] In the second embodiment, the generation unit 18 generates information as notification information, which includes driving instruction information that instructs each of the multiple autonomous vehicles 24 that are about to enter the intersection to drive. As a result, by displaying a single notification information as code information on the display unit 12, driving instructions can be given to each of the multiple autonomous vehicles 24 that are about to enter the intersection.

[0079] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the generation unit 18 generates driving instruction information considering the traffic conditions in the blind spot area around the intersection that is out of sight of the autonomous vehicle 24. This makes it possible to provide the autonomous vehicle 24 with driving instructions that take into account the traffic conditions in the blind spot area that is out of sight of the autonomous vehicle 24.

[0080] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the display control unit 20 displays a two-dimensional barcode as code information on the display unit 12. This increases the amount of notification information that can be displayed as code information on the display unit 12 compared to embodiments such as displaying a one-dimensional code as code information.

[0081] In the second embodiment described above, a method for generating driving instruction information that takes into account traffic conditions in blind spots was explained. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and information indicating the conditions in blind spots may be included in the notification information as blind spot information. Furthermore, the above-mentioned blind spot information may be included in the notification information only for intersections where visibility is poor and blind spots occur with on-board sensors.

[0082] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, a manner in which notification information is displayed on the display unit 12 as a two-dimensional code, which is an example of code information in this disclosure, was described. However, the code information in this disclosure may be other than a two-dimensional code, such as a one-dimensional barcode.

[0083] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the information notification device 14 according to this disclosure is installed alongside the traffic signal 100 and constitutes part of the traffic signal system 11. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the information notification device 14 according to this disclosure can also be installed together with the sensor 110 at intersections where traffic signals 100 are not installed, or at merging points where multiple roads merge and traffic signals 100 are not installed.

[0084] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0085] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before" or "prior to," and that these can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," and "next," for convenience, this does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 10 Information notification system, 11 Traffic signal device, 12 Display unit, 16 Acquisition unit, 18 Generation unit, 20 Display control unit, 24 Autonomous driving vehicle, 100 Traffic signal, 110 Sensor

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires traffic conditions around the intersection from sensors installed around the intersection, Based on the traffic conditions acquired by the acquisition unit, a generation unit generates notification information including driving instruction information that instructs an autonomous vehicle entering the intersection to proceed, A display control unit that displays the notification information generated by the generation unit as code information on a display unit installed around the intersection, An information notification device that includes [this].

2. The information notification device according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit generates information including a plurality of driving instruction pieces of information that instruct each of the plurality of autonomous vehicles that are about to enter the intersection to drive, as the notification information.

3. The information notification device according to claim 2, wherein the generation unit generates the driving instruction information taking into consideration the traffic conditions in the blind spot area around the intersection that is a blind spot from the autonomous vehicle.

4. The information notification device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display a two-dimensional code as the code information.

5. An information notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Traffic lights and, A traffic signal system that includes traffic signals and is installed at each intersection.

6. On the computer, The system acquires traffic conditions around the intersection from sensors installed around the intersection. Based on the acquired traffic conditions, notification information is generated that includes driving instruction information instructing the autonomous vehicle to proceed as it enters the intersection. The generated notification information is displayed as code information on a display unit installed around the intersection. An information notification program that causes the execution of a process that includes the following.

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