Information processing device, roadside unit, traffic support system, and information acquisition method

Abstract

This information processing device comprises an acquisition unit and a control unit. The acquisition unit acquires first information from a road side machine in the vicinity. The first information makes it possible to predict the properties of the road side machine. The acquisition unit acquires second information pertaining to detection objects in the vicinity. The control unit extracts, on the basis of the first information, a latent detection object which may not have been detected by the road side machine, from among the detection objects included in the second information. The control unit generates third information pertaining to the latent detection object.

Description

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-11224 filed with the Japan Patent Office on January 27, 2022, and the entire disclosure of this prior application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a roadside unit, a traffic support system, and an information supplement method. Background Art

[0003] A roadside unit installed above a road or the like, which detects detected objects such as vehicles and pedestrians and notifies surrounding vehicles or the like of the detected detected objects, is known (see Patent Document 1). Prior Art Literature Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-242846 Summary of the Invention

[0005] An information processing device according to a first aspect includes: an acquisition unit that acquires first information with which the performance of a surrounding roadside unit can be predicted from the roadside unit, and acquires second information related to detected objects in the surrounding area; and a control unit that extracts, from among the detected objects included in the second information based on the first information, a potentially detected object that may not have been detected by the roadside unit, and generates third information related to the potentially detected object. 、 If the detected object included in the second information includes a vehicle and other objects different from the vehicle, the control unit calculates a priority of attention regarding the other objects as seen from the vehicle, based on the predicted amount of movement or change in relative positional distance of the other objects relative to the vehicle, and generates a fifth piece of information associating the priority with the other objects.

[0006] A roadside unit according to a second aspect includes: a sensor unit that detects information related to detected objects in the surrounding area; ​First information that can predict the performance of the sensor unit is transmitted, and third information regarding potential detectable objects that the sensor unit may not have detected is transmitted. , and, in cases where the second information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area includes vehicles and other objects, a fifth piece of information relating to the other objects the priority of attention to those objects as seen from the vehicle, based on the predicted amount of movement or change in the relative positional distance of those other objects relative to the vehicle. A communication unit that receives the message, Information regarding the most recently detected object by the aforementioned sensor unit 、 The aforementioned third information and the aforementioned fifth information The system includes a control unit that generates fourth information including and controls the communication unit to transmit the fourth information.

[0007] A third perspective on traffic support systems is: A roadside unit comprising: a sensor unit for detecting information about surrounding objects; a communication unit for transmitting first information that allows prediction of the performance of the sensor unit and receiving third information about potential objects that the sensor unit may not have detected; and a first control unit for generating fourth information including information about the most recently detected object by the sensor unit and the third information, and controlling the communication unit to transmit the fourth information; An acquisition unit acquires the first information from the surrounding roadside units and second information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area. Based on the first information, it extracts the potential detected objects of the roadside units from among the detected objects included in the second information and generates the third information regarding the potential detected objects. Furthermore, if the detected objects included in the second information include a vehicle and other objects different from the vehicle, a priority of attention regarding the other objects as seen from the vehicle is calculated based on the predicted amount of movement or change in the relative positional distance of the other objects relative to the vehicle, and a fifth piece of information is generated associating this priority with the other objects. The system comprises a vehicle equipped with a second control unit and an information processing device having a second control unit and an information processing device.

[0008] The fourth method of supplementing information is: First information that allows for the prediction of the performance of surrounding roadside units is obtained from the roadside unit, Secondary information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area is obtained. Based on the first information, potential detection objects that may not have been detected by the roadside unit are extracted from among the detected objects included in the second information. Generate third information regarding the aforementioned latent detection object. death, If the detected objects included in the second information include a vehicle and other objects different from the vehicle, the priority of attention to the other objects as seen from the vehicle is calculated based on the predicted amount of movement or change in relative position of the other objects relative to the vehicle. Generate fifth information relating the priority to the other objects. do. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a traffic support system including a vehicle equipped with an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the roadside device in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information processing apparatus in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a state diagram for explaining a latent detection object based on first information. [Figure 6] It is a state diagram for explaining a latent detection object outside a detectable range corresponding to the first information, based on the first information and fourth information. [Figure 7] It is a state diagram for explaining a latent detection object within a detectable range corresponding to the first information, based on the first information and the fourth information. [Figure 8] It is a ladder chart for explaining an information supplement process by a roadside device and a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing apparatus to which the present disclosure is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a traffic support system 11 including a vehicle 10 equipped with an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. The traffic support system 11 is, for example, a safe driving support communication system of an Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). The safe driving support communication system is also referred to as a safe driving support system or a safe driving support wireless system.

[0012] The traffic support system 11 is configured to include a roadside device 12 and the vehicle 10.

[0013] The roadside device 12 may observe observation targets such as vehicles, objects, and people on the road in a predetermined area. The roadside device 12 may be disposed near an intersection where a plurality of roads 13 (roadways) intersect, and may observe the road surface. The roadside device 12 may be disposed on a roadside other than an intersection. In FIG. 1, one roadside device 12 is disposed at the intersection. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a plurality of roadside devices 12 may be disposed. For example, a number of roadside devices 12 corresponding to the number of roads 13 intersecting at the intersection may be disposed, and each roadside device 12 may be disposed such that at least one road 13 pre-associated with the installer is included in a detection range thereof.

[0014] In the traffic support system 11, the roadside device 12 and the vehicle 10 traveling on the road 13 may perform wireless communication with each other. A plurality of vehicles 10 may perform wireless communication with each other.

[0015] The roadside device 12 notifies the vehicle 10 of various types of information, which will be described later. The vehicle 10 notifies the roadside device 12 of various types of information acquired by the own vehicle, which will be described later. The vehicle 10 may notify other vehicles 10 of various types of information acquired by the own vehicle, which will be described later. In the vehicle 10, at least various types of information acquired from the roadside device 12 may be used to support safe driving by the driver of the vehicle 10.

[0016] As described above, the traffic support system 11 may support safe driving by the driver of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to an automobile, and may be a motorcycle, a bus, a tram, a bicycle, or the like.

[0017] Details of the roadside device 12 and the vehicle 10 constituting the traffic support system 11 are described below.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the roadside device 12 is configured to include a sensor unit 14, a communication unit 15, and a control unit (first control unit) 16. The roadside device 12 may be fixed to a structure having a height capable of imaging a scene including the road 13 outdoors, such as a signal device, a utility pole, or a street light near an intersection where roads 13 intersect, for example.

[0019] The sensor unit 14 detects information about objects in the surrounding area. The detected objects may be vehicles 10 on the road, objects, people, or other items that should be considered when driving the vehicle 10. The information about the detected objects may include the position of the detected object, whether or not the detected object is present, the type of detected object present, its speed, and its direction of travel. The information about the detected objects detected by the sensor unit 14 may be the raw information that can generate the position of the detected object, whether or not the detected object is present, the type of detected object present, its speed, and its direction of travel. The sensor unit 14 may detect information about the detected objects at predetermined intervals.

[0020] The sensor unit 14 may include, for example, imaging devices such as a visible light camera, an FIR (Far Infrared Rays) camera, and a stereo camera, as well as distance measuring devices such as an infrared radar, a millimeter-wave radar, and a Lidar (Light detection and ranging) sensor. Based on image analysis of images detected by the imaging device, the position of the detected object, the presence or absence of the detected object, the type of the detected object, and the direction of movement can be generated. The velocity and acceleration of the detected object can be generated by image analysis of images detected continuously at different time points. Based on the distance of object points detected by the distance measuring device, the position of the detected object, the presence or absence of the detected object, and the type of detected object that exists can be generated. Based on distances detected continuously at different time points, the velocity and acceleration of the detected object can be generated.

[0021] The sensor unit 14 has a detection range centered on the detection axis. The sensor unit 14 may be installed so that a desired area on the road 13 is included in the detection range. The orientation of the sensor unit 14 in the installed state, in other words, the direction and inclination of the detection axis relative to the ground, may be measured in advance.

[0022] The communication unit 15 may be controlled by the control unit 16 to communicate wirelessly with the vehicle 10. The communication unit 15 may consist of a communication circuit and an antenna. The antenna is, for example, an omnidirectional antenna. The communication unit 15 may communicate wirelessly using, for example, the 700 MHz band allocated to ITS. Alternatively, the communication unit 15 may communicate wirelessly using, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0023] The communication unit 15 may perform various processing, such as amplification, on the signal received by the antenna and output the processed received signal to the control unit 16. The control unit 16 may perform various processing on the input received signal and obtain information contained in the received signal. The communication unit 15 may perform various processing, such as amplification, on the information obtained from the control unit 16 and wirelessly transmit the processed transmission signal from the antenna.

[0024] Specifically, the communication unit 15 transmits first information that allows for the prediction of the performance of the sensor unit 14. The performance of the sensor unit 14 is, for example, the detection range of the sensor unit 14. The first information may be, for example, the detection range, or in other words, information indicating the range in which the sensor unit 14 in the roadside unit 12 can detect objects. Alternatively, the first information may be information that allows for the estimation of the detection range. The information that allows for the estimation of the detection range may be information indicating the positions of multiple detectable objects within the detection range of the sensor unit 14. Based on the positions of the multiple detectable objects, it can be estimated that at least the area connecting the multiple positions is within the detectable range.

[0025] Furthermore, the communication unit 15 may transmit the fourth information. The fourth information includes information about detected objects in the vicinity of the roadside unit 12, as will be described later.

[0026] Furthermore, the communication unit 15 specifically receives third information. As will be described later, the third information includes information about potential detection objects that may not have been detected by the sensor unit 14, which is generated in the information processing device mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0027] Furthermore, the communication unit 15 may, specifically, receive fifth information. As will be described later, the fifth information is generated by an information processing device mounted on the vehicle 10 and indicates the priority of detection targets in the vicinity of each vehicle 10 that require attention.

[0028] The control unit 16 includes one or more processors and memory. The processors may include general-purpose processors that load specific programs and execute specific functions, and dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. The dedicated processors may include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The processors may include programmable logic devices (PLDs). The PLDs may include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The control unit 16 may be either a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or a system-in-a-package (SiP) in which one or more processors cooperate.

[0029] The control unit 16 may process the information regarding the surrounding detected objects detected by the sensor unit 14 as necessary. The control unit 16 may add time information to the information regarding the detected objects. The time information may be obtained from a timer built into the control unit 16 or from a timer in the roadside unit 12.

[0030] For example, as described above, the control unit 16 may determine the presence or absence of a detected object in an image detected by the sensor unit 14 in a configuration including an imaging device, using a discrimination model constructed by pattern matching or machine learning. Furthermore, if a detected object is present, the control unit 16 may estimate the type of the detected object. Furthermore, if a detected object is present, the control unit 16 may calculate the position of the detected object on the ground based on the position of the detected object in the image and the orientation of the sensor unit 14. Furthermore, if a detected object is present, the control unit 16 may estimate the direction of movement of the detected object by estimating the orientation of the detected object. Furthermore, the control unit 16 may calculate the velocity of the detected object based on the difference in the position of the same detected object on the ground in temporally consecutive frames of images and the period of the frames. Furthermore, the control unit 16 may calculate the acceleration of the detected object based on the difference in velocity calculated at temporally consecutive points in time and the period of the frames. The control unit 16 may recognize the information processed as described above as information about the detected object.

[0031] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 16 may determine the presence or absence of a detected object in a given inclination direction by comparing the distances of object points in different inclination directions with respect to the detection axis detected in the sensor unit 14, which includes a distance measuring device, with the distance to the road 13. Furthermore, if a detected object exists, the control unit 16 may calculate the position of the detected object on the ground based on the distance of the detected object and the orientation of the sensor unit 14. Furthermore, if a detected object exists, the control unit 16 may estimate the type of detected object based on the size of a collection of object points corresponding to multiple inclination directions that can be considered to have the same distance. Furthermore, the control unit 16 may calculate the velocity of the detected object based on the difference in the position of the same detected object on the ground in the detection results of time-sequential distance measurement and the distance measurement period. Furthermore, the control unit 16 may calculate the acceleration of the detected object based on the difference in velocity calculated at time-sequential points and the distance measurement period. The control unit 16 may recognize the information processed as described above as information related to the detected object.

[0032] The control unit 16 generates new fourth information, which includes information about the surrounding detected object most recently detected by the sensor unit 14, third information, and fifth information. The control unit 16 controls the communication unit 15 to transmit the newly generated fourth information. The control unit 16 may also control the communication unit 15 to transmit the fourth information not only to the surrounding vehicles 10, but also to other roadside units 12 in the surrounding area that are capable of receiving the fourth information.

[0033] The control unit 16 may determine whether the potential detected object in the third information is the same as the surrounding detected object most recently detected by the sensor unit 14. The control unit 16 may determine identity based on whether the position of the potential detected object and the positional distance between the positions of the detected objects are less than or equal to a first distance threshold. The control unit 16 may correct either the position of the potential detected object or the position of the detected object based on the velocity and acceleration of the potential detected object or the detected object, taking into account the difference between the time of acquisition of the third information and the time of the latest detection by the sensor unit 14. The control unit 16 may use the positions of the potential detected object and the detected object, which have been corrected to align with the simultaneous point in time, for identity determination.

[0034] The control unit 16 may periodically generate the fourth information. The control unit 16 may use the most recent third information among multiple pieces of third information acquired from the same vehicle at different points in time to generate the fourth information. The control unit 16 may use third information acquired between the transmission of the previous fourth information and the generation of new fourth information to generate new fourth information.

[0035] In a configuration where information indicating the detection range is stored in the built-in memory, the control unit 16 may transmit the information read from the memory as first information. In a configuration where information that can estimate the detection range is stored in the built-in memory, the control unit 16 may transmit the information read from the memory together with the identification information of the roadside unit 12 as first information. Alternatively, in a configuration where information that can estimate the detection range is stored in the built-in memory, the control unit 16 may calculate the detection range based on the information read from the memory and transmit the information indicating the detection range as first information.

[0036] The control unit 16 may control the communication unit 15 to periodically transmit the first information. The control unit 16 may transmit the first information at the same frequency as the fourth information.

[0037] If the third information includes information indicating that the area where the potential detected object is located is a blind spot, the control unit 16 may notify the server device or the like that managing the roadside unit 12 of this information as necessary. The control unit 16 may also notify vehicles or the like around the roadside unit 12 of this information as necessary.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 10 is equipped with an information processing device 17. The vehicle 10 may also be equipped with a sensor unit 18 and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 19. In the configuration in which the information processing device 17 does not have a wireless communication unit, the vehicle 10 may be equipped with an on-board wireless device 20. In the following description, the information processing device 17 is configured without a wireless communication unit, but in the configuration with a wireless communication unit, it has functions similar to those of the on-board wireless device 20.

[0039] The sensor unit 18 may include a variety of sensors. These various sensors may include sensors that detect the conditions around the vehicle 10, sensors that detect the state of the vehicle 10, and so on. The sensors that detect the conditions around the vehicle 10 may include sensors that detect information about detected objects around the vehicle. The information about detected objects may be similar to the information about detected objects detected by the sensor unit 14 of the roadside unit 12. In other words, the information about detected objects may include the position of the detected object, whether or not the detected object exists, the type of detected object present, its speed, and its direction of travel. The sensors that detect the state of the vehicle 10 may include a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle, and a positioning device such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) that detects the spatial position of the vehicle in real space.

[0040] The ECU 19 may assist in the operation of the vehicle 10 based on the information detected by the sensor unit 18 and the information obtained from the information processing device 17, which will be described later. In configurations where the vehicle 10 can be operated by a driver, the ECU 19 may inform the driver of the information it has obtained or information processed from such information. In configurations where the vehicle 10 is operated automatically or semi-automatically, such as acceleration, deceleration, and steering, the ECU 19 may use the information it has obtained to make decisions regarding such operation.

[0041] The on-board wireless device 20 may communicate wirelessly with surrounding roadside units 12 and other vehicles 10. The on-board wireless device 20 may consist of a communication circuit and an antenna. The antenna is, for example, an omnidirectional antenna. The on-board wireless device 20 may communicate wirelessly using, for example, the 700 MHz band allocated to ITS. Alternatively, the on-board wireless device 20 may communicate wirelessly using, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The on-board wireless device 20 may output information acquired from surrounding roadside units 12 and vehicles 10 to the information processing device 17. The on-board wireless device 20 may output information acquired from the information processing device 17 to external devices such as roadside units 12 and vehicles 10.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the information processing device 17 is configured to include an acquisition unit 21 and a control unit (second control unit) 22.

[0043] The acquisition unit 21 is an information interface with electronic devices other than the information processing device 17.

[0044] The acquisition unit 21 acquires first information about the roadside unit 12 from the surrounding roadside unit 12. In a configuration where an in-vehicle wireless device 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10 separately from the information processing device 17, the acquisition unit 21 acquires first information from the surrounding roadside unit 12 via the in-vehicle wireless device 20.

[0045] The acquisition unit 21 may be capable of acquiring fourth information from surrounding roadside units 12 along with the first information. Similar to the first information, the acquisition unit 21 may be capable of acquiring fourth information from surrounding roadside units 12 via the on-board wireless device 20, in a configuration in which an on-board wireless device 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10 separately from the information processing device 17.

[0046] The acquisition unit 21 acquires second information regarding detected objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 10 on which it is mounted. The second information regarding detected objects may be similar to the information regarding detected objects detected by the sensor unit 14 of the roadside unit 12. In other words, the second information regarding detected objects may include the position of the detected object, whether or not the detected object exists, the type of detected object present, its speed, and its direction of travel. The acquisition unit 21 may acquire the second information from the sensor unit 18. The acquisition unit 21 may acquire the second information from surrounding vehicles 10 other than the vehicle 10 on which the information processing device 17 is mounted. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 on which the information processing device 17 is mounted may transmit the second information acquired by the vehicle 10 to surrounding vehicles 10 other than the vehicle 10 or to surrounding roadside units 12.

[0047] The acquisition unit 21 may also have a function to output information to an external device. In the following description, the acquisition unit 21 will be assumed to have a function to output information to an external device. The acquisition unit 21 may output the third information and the fifth information generated by the control unit 22 to the in-vehicle wireless device 20, as will be described later. The acquisition unit 21 may output information regarding detected objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 10 on which the information processing device 17 is mounted to the ECU 19.

[0048] The control unit 22 includes one or more processors and memory. The processors may include general-purpose processors that load specific programs and execute specific functions, and dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. Dedicated processors may include application-specific ICs. The processors may include programmable logic devices. The PLD may include FPGAs. The control unit 22 may be either an SoC in which one or more processors cooperate, or a SiP.

[0049] The control unit 22 may process the information regarding the surrounding detected objects detected by the sensor unit 18 as needed. The control unit 22 may add time information to the information regarding the detected objects. The time information may be obtained from a timer built into the control unit 22 or from a timer in the information processing device 17.

[0050] Based on the first information, the control unit 22 extracts, as potential detection objects, detection objects from among the detection objects included in the second information that may not have been detected by the roadside unit 12 that notified the first information.

[0051] The control unit 22 may predict the performance of the roadside unit 12 based on the first information in order to extract potential detectable objects. For example, the control unit 22 may recognize the detectable range as the performance of the roadside unit 12 based on the first information. If the first information is information that indicates the detectable range itself, the control unit 22 may recognize the said detectable range as the detectable range of the roadside unit 12. If the first information is information that allows the detection range to be estimated, the control unit 22 may recognize the range calculated based on the said first information as the detectable range. When the control unit 22 acquires first information from multiple roadside units 12, it may recognize the first information for each roadside unit 12 based on identification information acquired together with the first information and calculate the detectable range of each roadside unit 12.

[0052] Based on the first information, and more specifically based on the detectable range corresponding to the first information, the control unit 22 extracts as potential detectable objects from among the detectable objects included in the second information that may not have been detected by the roadside unit 12 that notified the first information. As shown in Figure 5, for example, among the detectable objects do2 included in the second information, the control unit 22 extracts as potential detectable objects hdo that are located outside the detectable range rd.

[0053] As shown in Figure 6, when the control unit 22 acquires the fourth information along with the first information, it may extract as a potential detected object hdo any detected object do2 included in the second information that is located outside the detectable range rd and is not included in the fourth information. In other words, the control unit 22 does not have to recognize a detected object do4 included in the fourth information as a potential detected object hdo, even if it is located outside the detectable range rd among the detected objects do2 included in the second information. The control unit 22 may determine whether or not a detected object do2 included in the second information is a detected object not included in the fourth information by comparing it with the fourth information, which is in the same category as the second information, for example, by comparing the position of the detected object in the second information with the position of the detected object in the fourth information.

[0054] As shown in Figure 7, when the control unit 22 acquires the fourth information along with the first information, it may extract as a potential detected object hdo any detected object do2 included in the second information that is located within the detectable range rd and is not included in the fourth information. In other words, the control unit 22 does not have to recognize a detected object do4 included in the fourth information as a potential detected object hdo, even if it is located within the detectable range rd of the detected object do2 included in the second information. The control unit 22 may determine whether or not a detected object do2 included in the second information is a detected object not included in the fourth information by comparing it with the fourth information, which is in the same category as the second information.

[0055] The control unit 22 generates third information which includes at least the information about the potential detected object hdo extracted as described above. The information about the potential detected object hdo may be similar to the information about the detected object detected by the sensor unit 18 of the vehicle 10. In other words, the information about the potential detected object hdo may include the position of the potential detected object hdo, whether or not the potential detected object hdo is present, the type of potential detected object hdo present, its speed, and its direction of travel.

[0056] When the control unit 22 extracts a detected object hdo from the detected object do2 included in the second information that is not included in the fourth information, it may specify the range in which the potential detected object hdo is located. The range in which the potential detected object hdo is located may be not only the position of the potential detected object hdo itself, but also a range having a predetermined width with the position of the potential detected object hdo as the center or other reference. The control unit 22 may include in the third information information an indication that the specified range is a blind spot for the roadside unit 12 that notified the fourth information.

[0057] When acquiring fourth information along with first information, the control unit 22 may predict the state of the detected object (first detected object) do2 included in the second information at a third time point after the first time point, based on the first time point included in the second information, in other words, the time corresponding to the time information attached to the second information, in order to extract a potential detected object hdo. Similarly, the control unit 22 may predict the state of the detected object (second detected object) do4 included in the fourth information at a third time point after the second time point, based on the second time point included in the fourth information, in other words, the time attached to the fourth information. For example, if the second information includes velocity and acceleration along with position, the control unit 22 predicts the position of the detected object do2 in the second information at the third time point. Also, for example, if the fourth information includes velocity and acceleration along with position, the control unit 22 predicts the position of the detected object do4 in the fourth information at the third time point.

[0058] Furthermore, the control unit 22 may determine whether the state of detected object do2 included in the second information and the state of detected object do4 included in the fourth information are the same as the prediction result, or in other words, the same as the third time point. If the control unit 22 determines that the states are the same, it may exclude information regarding either detected object do2 included in the second information or detected object do4 included in the fourth information from the generation of the third information.

[0059] The control unit 22 may determine whether the detected object do2 included in the second information includes the vehicle 10. If the detected object do2 includes the vehicle 10, the control unit 22 may calculate the priority of other detected objects from the perspective of the vehicle 10. Other detected objects may include the vehicle 10 equipped with the information processing device 17. The control unit 22 may generate fifth information associating the calculated priority with the other detected objects.

[0060] For example, the control unit 22 calculates the velocity vector of another detected object as seen from the vehicle 10, which is the detected object do2 included in the second information. The control unit 22 also calculates a predetermined area centered on the vehicle 10. The predetermined area is a circle with a radius that is considered safe to use, centered on the vehicle 10, for example, an area with a radius of 100m. The control unit 22 calculates a priority based on the velocity vector and the area. Specifically, the control unit 22 determines whether the position obtained by moving the other detected object by a distance obtained by multiplying the velocity vector of the detected object by a predetermined time is included in the area. The control unit 22 may calculate the priority so that it is higher when the moved position is included in the area compared to when it is outside the area. Alternatively, the control unit 22 may calculate the priority so that it is higher as the distance between the moved position and the position of the vehicle 10 decreases.

[0061] Alternatively, for example, the control unit 22 calculates the positional distance between the vehicle 10, which is the detected object do2 included in the second information, and other detected objects. The control unit 22 calculates a priority based on the time change between the previously calculated positional distance between the same vehicle 10 and other detected objects and the newly calculated positional distance. Specifically, the control unit 22 may calculate the priority so that it becomes higher as the time change of the positional distance becomes shorter. Furthermore, the control unit 22 may weight the priority based on the type of detected object. For example, the weighting may be increased as the size of the detected object increases, or as the movement speed of the detected object increases.

[0062] The control unit 22 may control the acquisition unit 21 to output the generated third information and fifth information to the in-vehicle wireless device 20. The control unit 22 may control the acquisition unit 21 to output the second information and fourth information to the ECU 19.

[0063] Next, the information acquisition by the vehicle 10 and the roadside unit 12 in this embodiment will be explained using the ladder chart in Figure 8. Information processing in each vehicle 10 is performed periodically while the information processing device 17 in the vehicle 10 is in operation, and if other roadside units 12 and other vehicles 10 are located within the communication range, the communication results with the roadside units 12 and other vehicles 10 are used for information processing in the vehicle 10. Information processing in the roadside unit 12 is performed periodically, and if a vehicle 10 is located within the communication range, the communication results with the vehicle 10 are used for information processing in the roadside unit 12. Therefore, although the information processing by the vehicle 10 and the roadside unit 12 at any given time will be explained below as an example, the order of information processing in each vehicle 10 and roadside unit 12 is not limited to the example below.

[0064] In step S100, the roadside unit 12 detects information about the detected object in the sensor unit 14. The roadside unit 12 generates fourth information using the information about the detected object. If the roadside unit 12 has previously obtained at least one of the third information and the fifth information, as will be described later, it may also use that one to generate the fourth information. The roadside unit 12 transmits the first information and the generated fourth information to the surrounding vehicles 10.

[0065] In step S101, the first vehicle 10a, which is any vehicle 10, detects information about the detected object in the sensor unit 18. The first vehicle 10a generates second information using the information about the detected object. The first vehicle 10a transmits the generated second information to surrounding vehicles 10, including the second vehicle 10b other than the first vehicle 10a.

[0066] In step S102, the second vehicle 10b detects information about the detected object in the sensor unit 18. The second vehicle 10b generates second information using the information about the detected object. The second vehicle 10b transmits the generated second information to surrounding vehicles 10, including the first vehicle 10a other than the second vehicle 10b.

[0067] In step S103, the first vehicle 10a predicts the state of each detected object at the same time point, the third time point, for each of the second information detected by the first vehicle 10a, the second information obtained from the second vehicle 10b, and the fourth information obtained from the roadside unit 12.

[0068] In step S104, the first vehicle 10a extracts a potential detected object hdo based on a comparison of the state of the detected object predicted in step S103 and at least one of the first information obtained from the roadside unit 12.

[0069] In step S105, the first vehicle 10a calculates the priority of other detected objects relative to each detected object, based on the second information detected by the first vehicle 10a, the second information obtained from the second vehicle 10b, and the fourth information obtained from the roadside unit 12, and generates fifth information. The first vehicle 10a transmits the fifth information, along with the third information generated in step S104, to the roadside unit 12.

[0070] In steps S106 to S108, the second vehicle 10b performs a process similar to that in steps S103 to S105 in the first vehicle 10a and transmits the third and fifth information to the roadside unit 12.

[0071] Thereafter, the processes in steps S100 to S109 are repeated between the roadside machine 12 and the vehicle 10.

[0072] The information processing device 17 of this embodiment, configured as described above, includes an acquisition unit 21 that acquires first information from the surrounding roadside unit 12 that can predict the performance of the roadside unit 12, and second information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area; and a control unit 22 that extracts potential detected objects hdo from the detected objects do2 included in the second information based on the first information, and generates third information regarding potential detected objects hdo. With this configuration, the information processing device 17 can generate information regarding detected objects other than those actually detected by the roadside unit 12 (potential detected objects hdo). Therefore, the information processing device 17 can generate information that supplements the information detected by the roadside unit 12.

[0073] Furthermore, in the information processing device 17, the acquisition unit 21 can acquire fourth information regarding the detected objects detected by the roadside machine 12, and the control unit 22 extracts as potential detected objects hdo any detected objects do2 included in the second information that are located outside the detectable range rd corresponding to the first information and are not included in the fourth information. Detected objects located outside the detectable range rd are highly likely not to be detected by the roadside machine 12. Therefore, in the above configuration, the extraction process can be sped up by the information processing device 17 extracting detected objects located outside the detectable range rd as the first condition. In addition, information about detected objects may be detected by the roadside machine 12 even if they are located outside the detectable range rd. In response to such events, the information processing device 17 can further improve the extraction accuracy of potential detected objects hdo by extracting information about detected objects that were not detected by the roadside machine 12.

[0074] Furthermore, in the information processing device 17, the acquisition unit 21 can acquire fourth information regarding the detected object detected by the roadside device 12, and the control unit 22 extracts as potential detected object hdo any detected object do2 included in the second information that is located within the detectable range rd corresponding to the first information and is not included in the fourth information. It is possible that a detected object may be located within the detectable range rd of the roadside device 12, but is in a blind spot from the roadside device 12 due to the presence of an obstacle. In response to such events, the information processing device 17 having the above configuration can improve the accuracy of extracting potential detected object hdo.

[0075] Furthermore, the information processing device 17 includes the area where the potential detected object hdo is located as third information, indicating that it is a blind spot for the roadside unit 12. With this configuration, the information processing device 17 can acquire even more useful information for the roadside unit 12.

[0076] Furthermore, the information processing device 17 predicts the state of the first detected object included in the second information and the second detected object included in the fourth information at the third time point, based on the first time point included in the second information and the second time point included in the fourth information. With this configuration, even if the information about the same detected object differs due to a difference in detection time, the information processing device 17 corrects for the differences in the information and compares them, thereby improving the accuracy of determining whether or not the information pertains to the same detected object. Moreover, if the information processing device 17 determines, based on the prediction result, that the first detected object and the second detected object are the same, it excludes either the second information concerning the first detected object or the fourth information concerning the second detected object from the generation of the third information. With this configuration, the information processing device 17 can prevent multiple pieces of information about the same detected object, but with different detection times, from being included in the third information. Therefore, the information processing device 17 can reduce the processing burden on the roadside machine 12 that acquires the third information.

[0077] Furthermore, if the detected object do2 included in the second information includes a vehicle 10, the information processing device 17 calculates the priority of the detected object from the perspective of the vehicle 10 and generates fifth information associated with the detected object. With this configuration, the information processing device 17 can generate useful information for other vehicles 10 that acquire the fifth information via the roadside unit 12. By generating such useful information on behalf of the roadside unit 12, the information processing device 17 can reduce the processing load on the roadside unit 12.

[0078] The roadside unit 12 having the above configuration includes a sensor unit 14 that detects information about detected objects in the surrounding area, a communication unit 15 that transmits first information that allows prediction of the performance of the sensor unit 14 and receives third information about potential detected objects hdo that the sensor unit 14 may not have detected, and a control unit 16 that generates fourth information including information about the most recently detected object by the sensor unit 14 and the third information, and controls the communication unit 15 to transmit the fourth information. With this configuration, the roadside unit 12 generates fourth information including third information that the roadside unit 12 is highly likely to have failed to detect, and can therefore provide more useful information to the vehicle 10.

[0079] While embodiments of the information processing device 17 and the roadside unit 12 have been described above, embodiments of the present disclosure may also include not only methods or programs for implementing the device, but also a storage medium on which a program is recorded (for example, an optical disc, magneto-optical disc, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, hard disk, or memory card).

[0080] Furthermore, the implementation form of the program is not limited to application programs such as object code compiled by a compiler or program code executed by an interpreter, but may also be in the form of a program module embedded in an operating system. In addition, the program may or may not be configured so that all processing is performed only on the CPU on the control board. The program may also be configured so that some or all of its processing is performed by another processing unit implemented on an expansion board or expansion unit attached to the board, as needed.

[0081] The diagrams illustrating the embodiments described herein are schematic. Dimensions and proportions shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions.

[0082] While embodiments relating to this disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications or alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions and other elements included in each component can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components can be combined into one or separated.

[0083] For example, in the embodiments relating to this disclosure, the information processing device 17 is described as a different component from the ECU 19 in the vehicle 10. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the information processing device 17 may include the ECU 19 and perform not only the processing as the information processing device 17 described above, but also the processing performed by the ECU 19 described above.

[0084] All of the constituent elements described in this disclosure, and / or all of the disclosed methods or steps of processing, can be combined in any combination except for any combination in which these features are mutually exclusive. Furthermore, each of the features described in this disclosure can be replaced by an alternative feature that works for the same, equivalent, or similar purposes, unless expressly disregarded. Thus, unless expressly disregarded, each of the disclosed features is merely an example of a comprehensive set of identical or equivalent features.

[0085] Furthermore, the embodiments relating to this disclosure are not limited to any specific configuration of the embodiments described above. The embodiments relating to this disclosure can be extended to all novel features or combinations thereof described herein, or all novel methods or processing steps or combinations thereof described herein.

[0086] In this disclosure, the designations "First," "Second," etc., are identifiers used to distinguish the configurations. Configurations distinguished by the designations "First," "Second," etc., in this disclosure may have their numbers swapped. For example, the first information may have its identifiers "First" and "Second" swapped with the second information. The swapping of identifiers occurs simultaneously. The configurations remain distinguishable even after the swapping of identifiers. Identifiers may be deleted. Configurations from which identifiers have been deleted are distinguished by codes. The designations "First," "Second," etc., in this disclosure should not be used alone to interpret the order of the configurations or to justify the existence of smaller numbered identifiers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 10 vehicles 10a First vehicle 10b Second vehicle 11. Traffic support systems 12 Roadside unit 13 Road 14 Sensor section 15 Communications Department 16 Control Unit 17 Information Processing Devices 18 Sensor section 19 ECU(Electronic Control Unit) 20 In-vehicle wireless equipment 21 Acquisition Department 22 Control Unit do2 Detected objects included in the second information do4 Detected objects included in the fourth piece of information hdo latent detection object rd detectable range

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires first information from the roadside unit that allows for prediction of the performance of the surrounding roadside unit, and second information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area, The system includes a control unit that, based on the first information, extracts potential detection objects from among the detected objects included in the second information that may not have been detected by the roadside unit, and generates third information relating to the potential detection objects, If the detected objects included in the second information include a vehicle and other objects different from the vehicle, the control unit calculates a priority of attention regarding the other objects as seen from the vehicle, based on the predicted amount of movement or change in the relative positional distance of the other objects relative to the vehicle, and generates a fifth piece of information associating the priority with the other objects. Information processing device.

2. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit calculates the priority based on the velocity vector of the other object as seen from the vehicle and a predetermined area centered on the vehicle. Information processing device.

3. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit calculates the priority based on the time change in the distance between the vehicle and the other object. Information processing device.

4. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The first information is information indicating the range in which the roadside unit can detect an object, or information indicating the location of an object detected by the roadside unit. Information processing device.

5. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The acquisition unit is capable of acquiring fourth information relating to the detected object detected by the roadside unit, The control unit extracts, as potential detectable objects, any detectable objects included in the second information that are located outside the detectable range corresponding to the first information and are not included in the fourth information. Information processing device.

6. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The acquisition unit is capable of acquiring fourth information relating to the detected object detected by the roadside unit, The control unit extracts, as potential detectable objects, any detectable objects included in the second information that are located within the detectable range corresponding to the first information and are not included in the fourth information. Information processing device.

7. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 5, The control unit, Based on the first time point included in the second information and the second time point included in the fourth information, the state of the first detected object included in the second information and the second detected object included in the fourth information at the third time point is predicted. If, based on the prediction results, it is determined that the first detected object and the second detected object are the same, then either the second information relating to the first detected object or the fourth information relating to the second detected object is excluded from the generation of the third information. Information processing device.

8. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit includes the range in which the potential detected object is located in the third information as information indicating that it is a blind spot for the roadside unit. Information processing device.

9. A sensor unit that detects information about the surrounding objects, A communication unit that transmits first information that allows prediction of the performance of the sensor unit, and receives third information regarding potential detectable objects that the sensor unit may not have detected, and, in cases where the second information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area includes a vehicle and other objects, a fifth information that associates the priority of attention to the other objects as seen from the vehicle with respect to the other objects, based on the predicted amount of movement or change in the relative positional distance of the other objects relative to the vehicle. The system includes a control unit that generates fourth information including information about the most recently detected object by the sensor unit, the third information and the fifth information, and controls the communication unit to transmit the fourth information. Roadside machine.

10. A roadside unit comprising: a sensor unit for detecting information about surrounding objects; a communication unit for transmitting first information that can predict the performance of the sensor unit and for receiving third information about potential objects that may not have been detected by the sensor unit; and a first control unit for generating fourth information including information about the most recently detected object by the sensor unit and the third information, and controlling the communication unit to transmit the fourth information. A vehicle equipped with an information processing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires the first information from the surrounding roadside devices and acquires the second information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area; and a second control unit that, based on the first information, extracts the potential detected objects of the roadside devices from among the detected objects included in the second information, generates the third information regarding the potential detected objects, and, if the detected objects included in the second information include a vehicle and other objects different from the vehicle, calculates a priority that requires attention regarding the other objects as seen from the vehicle based on the predicted amount of movement or change in the relative positional distance of the other objects relative to the vehicle, and generates a fifth information that associates the priority with the other objects. Traffic support system.

11. First information that allows for the prediction of the performance of surrounding roadside units is obtained from the roadside unit, Second information regarding detected objects in the surrounding area is obtained. Based on the first information, potential detection objects that may not have been detected by the roadside unit are extracted from the detected objects included in the second information. A third piece of information relating to the aforementioned latent detection object is generated, If the detected objects included in the second information include a vehicle and other objects different from the vehicle, the priority of attention to the other objects as seen from the vehicle is calculated based on the predicted amount of movement or change in the relative position of the other objects relative to the vehicle. A fifth piece of information is generated that associates the priority with the other objects. How to supplement information.

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