Travel time measurement device, travel time measurement method and program

Abstract

[Problem] To collect analysis data pertaining to the status or congestion of roads. [Solution] This trip time measurement device comprises: a detection means for detecting a vehicle traveling on a road from an image of the road, the image being captured by a camera capable of imaging the vehicle traveling on the road; an identification means for identifying attributes of the detected vehicle and applying a label thereto; a first trip time measurement means for measuring a first trip time required by a vehicle having a first label, from among identified vehicles, to travel a prescribed segment of the road; a second trip time measurement means for measuring a second trip time required for a vehicle having a second label, from among the identified vehicles, to travel the prescribed segment of the road; and an output means for outputting each of the first trip time and the second trip time.

Description

Travel time measurement device, traffic information server, travel time measurement method, and program recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a travel time measurement device, a traffic information providing server, a travel time measurement method, and a program recording medium.

[0002] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) conducts a travel time survey on major roads in the National Road and Street Traffic Survey approximately every five years. For the next Nationwide Road and Street Traffic Survey, the MLIT has announced a policy to calculate travel speeds using data obtained from ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) 2.0 in-vehicle units.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a travel time calculation system that uses a smart plate or a wireless communication terminal device attached to a vehicle to calculate the average travel time between two points on a road network.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-221237

[0005] Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "Calculation method for travel speed in the next nationwide road and street traffic situation survey," [online], [Retrieved March 18, 2022], Internet<https: / / www.mlit.go.jp / road / ir / ir-council / ict / pdf04 / 03.pdf>

[0006] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's travel time survey does not include a survey of travel times by vehicle size or type. In this regard, Patent Document 1 only states that travel times are measured excluding route buses, emergency vehicles, etc., which have different driving patterns from general vehicles (see paragraph 0096).

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a travel time measurement device, a traffic information providing server, a travel time measurement method, and a program recording medium that can measure the travel time of each vehicle that has a noteworthy attribute such as size or type among vehicles traveling on a road.

[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided a travel time measurement device comprising: a detection means for detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road taken by a camera; an identification means for identifying attributes of the detected vehicles and assigning labels according to the attributes; a first travel time measurement means for measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road; a second travel time measurement means for measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel the predetermined section; and an output means for outputting the first travel time and the second travel time, respectively.

[0009] According to a second aspect, there is provided a traffic information providing server that receives the first travel time and the second travel time from the travel time measurement device and provides the first travel time and the second travel time to a user terminal as traffic information.

[0010] According to a third aspect, there is provided a traffic information providing server that receives the first travel time and the second travel time from the travel time measurement device, calculates a route using at least one of the first travel time and the second travel time in response to a request from a user terminal, receives the first travel time and the second travel time to provide as route information to the user terminal, and provides the first travel time and the second travel time to the user terminal as traffic information.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a travel time measurement method that detects vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road taken by a camera, identifies attributes of the detected vehicles, assigns labels according to the attributes, measures a first travel time required for vehicles having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road, measures a second travel time required for vehicles having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel the predetermined section, and outputs the first travel time and the second travel time, respectively.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road captured by a camera; identifying attributes of the detected vehicles and assigning labels according to the attributes; measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road; measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel the predetermined section; and outputting the first travel time and the second travel time.

[0013] According to the present invention, a travel time measurement device, a traffic information providing server, a travel time measurement method, and a program recording medium are provided that can measure the travel time of each vehicle having a target attribute such as size or type among vehicles traveling on a road.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of a travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a measurement result of travel time by the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a time-distance diagram created by the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is another diagram for explaining the operation of the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is another diagram illustrating an example of a measurement result of travel time by the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of a time-distance diagram created by the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is another diagram for explaining the operation of the travel time measurement device of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer that can function as a travel time measurement device and a traffic information providing server of the present invention.

[0015] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the reference numerals in this overview are used for convenience to identify each element as an example to facilitate understanding, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the illustrated form. Furthermore, connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and the like referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows are used to schematically indicate the flow of main signals (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. A program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and, if necessary, a display device. Furthermore, this computer device is configured to be able to communicate with internal or external devices (including computers) via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. Furthermore, although ports or interfaces exist at the input / output connection points of each block in the drawings, they are not shown.

[0016] In one embodiment, the present invention can be realized by a travel time measurement device 10 including a detection means 11, a labeling means 12, a first travel time measurement means 13, a second travel time measurement means 14, and an output means 15, as shown in FIG.

[0017] More specifically, the detection means 11 detects vehicles (V1 and V2 in FIG. 1) traveling on a road from an image of the road captured by the camera 16. The camera 16 is installed, for example, in a position where it can capture an image of vehicles traveling on the road.

[0018] The labeling means 12 identifies attributes of the detected vehicles and assigns labels according to the attributes. For example, if it is decided to assign a first label to passenger cars and a second label to large vehicles, the labeling means 12 assigns a second label to vehicle V1 and a second label to vehicle V2. Note that the attributes to be labeled may include various things that can represent travel time, such as vehicle category, vehicle type, purpose, license plate color or symbol, whether or not the vehicle is a special vehicle, etc.

[0019] The first travel time measurement means 13 measures a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road, for example, from point P1 to point P2 in Figure 1. The second travel time measurement means 14 measures a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel the predetermined section P1-P2.

[0020] The output means 15 outputs the first travel time and the second travel time.

[0021] One or more cameras 16 are installed at positions where they can capture images of vehicles passing through a predetermined section. For example, the cameras 16 may be traffic flow monitoring cameras installed near intersections or roads, or various types of security cameras.

[0022] As shown in Figure 15, the travel time measurement device 10 operates as described above. First, the travel time measurement device 10 detects vehicles (V1 and V2 in Figure 1) traveling on a road (step S01). Next, the travel time measurement device 10 identifies the attributes of each of the detected vehicles and assigns a label to each vehicle (step S02). Next, the travel time measurement device 10 measures the travel time of each vehicle (step S03). Finally, the travel time measurement device 10 outputs the measured travel time to a predetermined output destination (step S04).

[0023] According to this embodiment, it is possible to measure the travel time when vehicles with different attributes travel the same section. For example, by assigning a first label to passenger cars and a second label to large vehicles and comparing their respective travel times, it is possible to evaluate the extent to which differences in vehicle size between passenger cars and large vehicles affect travel time. For example, if the travel time of a large vehicle is significantly longer than that of a passenger car, it is possible that there is an obstacle or the like that obstructs the passage of large vehicles in the corresponding road section. In this case, it is possible to take measures such as repairing the road or prohibiting large vehicles from entering.

[0024] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment of the present invention in which a travel time measurement device provides measured travel times to a user terminal will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a configuration in which a travel time measurement device 100 capable of acquiring images from a camera 16 is connected to a traffic information providing server 200 that provides data to a user terminal 300.

[0025] One or more cameras 16 are installed at positions where they can capture images of vehicles traveling in a predetermined section. Although one camera 16 is shown in the example of Fig. 2, multiple cameras 16 may be installed. For example, one or more cameras 16 may be installed at each of the start and end points of the predetermined section, and the images may be transmitted to the travel time measurement device 100.

[0026] The travel time measuring device 100 measures the travel time of vehicles traveling on roads from images of the roads taken by a camera 16 and provides the measured travel time to a traffic information providing server 200 .

[0027] The traffic information providing server 200 receives data including travel times provided from the travel time measurement device 100 and provides the data as traffic information to the user terminal 300. The user terminal 300 is assumed to be a terminal of a road management department of a national or local government, but is not limited to this. For example, the user terminal 300 may be a terminal of a road user such as a logistics company or a general user.

[0028] 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the travel time measurement device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the travel time measurement device 100 includes a detection unit 101, a label assignment unit 102, a travel time measurement unit 103, a travel time recording unit 104, a provision unit 105, a chart creation unit 106, and an evaluation unit 107.

[0029] The detection means 101 detects vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road captured by the camera 16. The labeling means 102 identifies attributes of the detected vehicles and assigns labels to them. For example, the detection of vehicles and the identification of attributes can be performed by detecting an area where a recognition target object is likely to appear from image features and identifying the recognition target object using a classification model or the like created in advance by machine learning or the like.

[0030] The travel time measurement means 103 tracks the vehicle to which the label has been assigned by the label assignment means 102, measures the travel time required for the vehicle to travel a predetermined section, and records the result in the travel time recording means 104. Therefore, the travel time measurement means 103 functions as the first and second travel time measurement means. The predetermined section may be a section set between a first position and a second position in an image captured by the camera 16. Furthermore, if there are multiple cameras 16, the predetermined section may be a section set between a first position in an image captured by the first camera and a second position in an image captured by the second camera.

[0031] The above-described vehicle tracking can be performed by determining whether vehicles detected at different locations or times are the same. For example, a method can be used in which the characteristics of a vehicle detected at a first location are extracted, and the characteristics of a vehicle detected at a second location are extracted, and if these characteristics match, the vehicles are determined to be the same. Furthermore, for example, if the first location and the second location are set within the same camera's shooting range, a method can be used in which the vehicle is tracked between frames based on the position, size, etc. of the vehicle in each frame of images continuously captured by the camera.

[0032] Here, the operations of the detection means 101, label assignment means 102, and travel time measurement means 103 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. In the following description, it is assumed that label C2 is assigned to emergency vehicles and label C1 is assigned to other vehicles. For example, the detection means 101 detects vehicles traveling in the two left lanes of the road shown in Figure 4 and assigns vehicle IDs V1 to V5 to each of them. Then, the label assignment means 102 identifies the attributes of each of the vehicles V1 to V5 and assigns labels C1 and C2 to each of the vehicles (see Figure 4).

[0033] The travel time measurement means 103 tracks the labeled moving objects and measures the travel time of the predetermined section SEG1 from point P1 to point P2. Fig. 5 shows a table recording the travel times of five vehicles V1 to V5 recorded in the travel time recording means 104. The average travel time of the group of vehicles labeled C1 is 3 minutes 2 seconds, and the travel time of the emergency vehicle labeled C2 is 3 minutes 5 seconds.

[0034] The chart creation means 106 uses the information recorded in the travel time recording means 104 to create a time-distance diagram (also referred to as a time-space diagram) that chronologically represents the movement status of the vehicle traveling from the first position to the second position. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a time-distance diagram created by the chart creation means 106. The vertical axis of FIG. 6 represents the distance from point P1 to point P2, and the horizontal axis represents time. In the example of FIG. 6, the time-distance lines of vehicles V1 to V5 are drawn almost parallel to each other. This time-distance diagram also shows that there is not much difference in travel time between the group of vehicles labeled C1 and the vehicle labeled C2. Therefore, it can be evaluated that the emergency vehicle travels from point P1 to point P2 at approximately the same speed as other vehicles.

[0035] The evaluation means 107 evaluates the condition of the road on which the travel time was measured, using the information recorded in the travel time recording means 104. For example, the evaluation means 107 generates an evaluation on the appropriateness of the width of the road by comparing a first travel time of a group of vehicles labeled with a label C1 with the second travel time of a group of vehicles labeled with a label C2. Furthermore, for example, the evaluation means 107 generates an evaluation on whether the road is suitable for emergency vehicles to travel on, based on the travel time of the emergency vehicle and the travel times of other vehicles, as will be described later.

[0036] The providing means 105 provides the traffic information providing server 200 with the data recorded in the travel time recording means 104 and the time-distance map. Therefore, the providing means 105 corresponds to the above-mentioned output means.

[0037] Next, a travel time measurement method used in the travel time measurement device 100 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the travel time measurement device 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 7, first, the travel time measurement device 100 detects vehicles from an image captured by the camera 16 (step S001).

[0038] Next, the travel time measurement device 100 determines the attributes of the detected vehicles and assigns labels to them (step S002).

[0039] Next, the travel time measurement device 100 tracks the vehicle to which the label has been attached, measures its travel time, and records it in the travel time recording means 104 (step S003).

[0040] 8 is another diagram for explaining the operation of the travel time measurement device of the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the movement of vehicles when an emergency vehicle C2 makes an emergency run with its siren sounded. In this case, vehicle C1 traveling in the passing lane must move to the left lane and stop, as indicated by the arrow in the diagram, so as not to obstruct the movement of emergency vehicle C2.

[0041] 9 shows the contents recorded in the travel time recording means 104 when emergency vehicle C2 makes an emergency run with its siren sounding. In the example of Fig. 9, the travel time of the group of vehicles labeled C1 increases, while the travel time of the vehicle labeled C2 decreases. This indicates that the group of vehicles labeled C1 stopped in the left lane (the right lane in Fig. 8) so as not to obstruct the travel of emergency vehicle C2, while emergency vehicle C2 traveled at high speed.

[0042] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a time-distance diagram created by the travel time measurement device 100 of this embodiment from the data of Fig. 9. The locations where the lines representing the movement of vehicles labeled C1 in Fig. 10 are horizontal indicate the positions and times at which each vehicle stopped. The locations where the lines representing the movement of vehicles labeled C1 intersect with the lines representing the movement of emergency vehicles labeled C2 indicate the locations at which the emergency vehicles overtook the vehicles labeled C1.

[0043] In this way, the travel time measurement device 100 of this embodiment makes it easy to understand the movements of the vehicles labeled C1 and C2.

[0044] On the other hand, there may be cases where a vehicle labeled C1 cannot yield to an emergency vehicle due to reasons such as a narrow road, a parked bus, or the presence of parked vehicles. FIG. 11 shows an example of a time-distance diagram created by the travel time measurement device 100 in such a case. In the example of FIG. 11 , the slope of the line representing the movement of the emergency vehicle labeled C2 is smaller than that of FIG. 10 . This indicates that a situation has arisen that hinders the movement of the emergency vehicle, such as an inability to maintain a safe distance from parked vehicles. Accordingly, the stopping time of the vehicle labeled C1 also increases. By providing such a time-distance diagram, the travel time measurement device 100 of this embodiment can enable road administrators and the like to understand, for example, insufficient road width, the need for a bus evacuation area, or on-street parking issues. Furthermore, based on the above analysis results, the travel time measurement device 100 creates an evaluation of road conditions, such as insufficient road width, the need for a bus evacuation area, or on-street parking issues, and provides the evaluation to the traffic information providing server 200.

[0045] As described above, the travel time measurement device 100 of this embodiment can measure the travel time for each attribute of various vehicles traveling on a road, and can obtain various insights from the analysis results.

[0046] In the above example, the label C2 is assigned to emergency vehicles and the label C1 is assigned to other vehicles, but the rules for assigning labels are not limited to this. For example, the label C1 can be assigned to compact passenger cars, and the label C2 can be assigned to vehicles wider than the vehicle (for example, standard passenger cars).

[0047] For example, as shown in Figure 12, a road may have one lane in each direction, and a bicycle B1 traveling on the side of the road. In this case, depending on the relationship between the road width and the vehicle width, a compact passenger car may be able to overtake the bicycle while maintaining a safe distance from the bicycle, but a standard passenger car, which is wider than a compact passenger car, may have difficulty overtaking. The travel time measurement device 100 of this embodiment can measure the travel time of both a compact passenger car and a standard passenger car, making it possible to determine whether the road width or the presence of a bicycle or other obstacles is affecting the passage of a particular vehicle type.

[0048] In addition to the above, two-wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles can be labeled C3 and used to measure travel time. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , a single-lane road may have a compact passenger car labeled C1, a motorcycle labeled C3, and a standard passenger car labeled C2 traveling in this order. In this case, the motorcycle may pass by slipping past the right side of the compact passenger car labeled C1. On the other hand, due to the width of the road, it is difficult for the standard passenger car labeled C2 to overtake the compact passenger car without crossing into the right lane. The travel time measurement device 100 of this embodiment can measure the travel times of the compact passenger car, motorcycle, and standard passenger car, respectively, making it possible to separately determine the travel time when using a four-wheeled vehicle such as a compact passenger car or a standard passenger car, and the travel time when using a motorcycle. By providing such travel times by vehicle type from the traffic information providing server, users can select the optimal route based on their means of transportation and destination.

[0049] It is also preferable that the travel time measurement device 100 assigns multiple labels based on different perspectives to a single vehicle. For example, by defining multiple labeling rules based on the vehicle category, model, purpose, license plate color or symbol, whether it is a special vehicle, etc., and combining these labeling rules, it becomes possible to perform a comprehensive analysis of travel times. For example, by combining the above-mentioned label indicating whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle with a label indicating whether it is a four-wheeled vehicle or a two-wheeled vehicle, it becomes possible to compare the estimated time for a police vehicle traveling to a scene in an emergency if it is traveling by four-wheeled vehicle with the estimated time for a police motorcycle or other two-wheeled vehicle.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the travel time measurement device 100 is described as including the evaluation means 107, but it is also possible to omit the evaluation means 107. In this case, a user who receives data from the traffic information providing server 200 can evaluate roads instead of the evaluation means 107 by referring to the travel time values ​​for each label and the time-distance diagram.

[0051] Second Embodiment In the above embodiment, the traffic information providing server 200 provides the user terminal 300 with the travel time measured by the travel time measurement device 100, the time-distance map, or the analysis results thereof, but the travel time can also be used for route calculation. A second embodiment will be described below in which the traffic information providing server 200 uses the travel time for route calculation for vehicles.

[0052] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 14, a configuration is shown in which a travel time measurement device 100 capable of acquiring images from a camera 16 is connected to a traffic information providing server 200a that responds to a route calculation request from a vehicle V2. The configuration and operation of the travel time measurement device 100 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] When the traffic information providing server 200a receives a route calculation request from the on-board terminal mounted on vehicle V2, it calculates a route using travel time information of vehicles with attributes similar to those of vehicle V2. Of course, for sections without measurement data, the route can be calculated using a method similar to that used for general route calculation. When the calculation is complete, the traffic information providing server 200a transmits the route calculation result (route information) to the on-board terminal mounted on vehicle V2.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a highly accurate route calculation service. The reason for this is that the traffic information providing server 200a is configured to calculate a route using travel times measured by the travel time measurement device 100. In the example of FIG. 14 , the traffic information providing server 200a performs route calculation, but route calculation may also be performed on the in-vehicle terminal side. In this case, the travel time measurement device 100 or the traffic information providing server 200a may provide the in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle V2 with travel times measured for road sections around the vehicle V2. In this case, the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle V2 uses the provided travel times as link weight information for route calculation to calculate the shortest route.

[0055] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of the present invention. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representation formats shown in the drawings are examples intended to aid in understanding the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0056] For example, in the drawings of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the specified section is described as being a straight section, but the specified section does not have to be a straight section, and may be several kilometers or more apart in distance.

[0057] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of the present disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of each device are realized by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in FIG. 16 . FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 - Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 - Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 - Drive device 907 that reads and writes from / to a program recording medium 906 - Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 - Input / output interface 910 that inputs and outputs data - Bus 911 that connects each component

[0058] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes the function. That is, the CPU 901 in FIG. 16 executes a program for detecting a vehicle and identifying vehicle attributes, and a program for measuring travel time, and performs processing for updating each calculation parameter stored in a program recording medium such as the RAM 903 or the storage device 905. The program 904 that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 905 or the ROM 902 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via the communication network 909, or may be stored in the program recording medium 906 in advance, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0059] Furthermore, this program 904 can display the processing results, including intermediate states, at each stage as necessary on a display device, or can communicate with the outside via a communication interface. Furthermore, this program 904 can be recorded in a computer-readable (non-transitive) storage medium.

[0060] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device may be realized by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components included in each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. That is, the communication terminals and network control devices shown in the first to third embodiments, and processors installed in these devices, may be realized by computer programs that cause the above-described processes to be executed using the hardware.

[0061] In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0062] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and programs.

[0063] When some or all of the components of each device are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each device is connected via a communication network.

[0064] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the above-described embodiments. In other words, those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the above-described embodiments to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0065] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0066] [Supplementary Note 1] A travel time measurement device comprising: a detection means for detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road taken by a camera, a label assignment means for identifying attributes of the detected vehicles and assigning labels according to the attributes, a first travel time measurement means for measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road, a second travel time measurement means for measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel the predetermined section, and an output means for outputting the first travel time and the second travel time. [Supplementary Note 2] The travel time measurement device may further comprise an evaluation means for evaluating road conditions, wherein the label assignment means assigns the second label to vehicles wider than a vehicle to which the first label is assigned, and the evaluation means generates an evaluation of the appropriateness of the width of the road by comparing the first travel time with the second travel time. [Supplementary Note 3] The label assignment means of the above-mentioned travel time measurement device may be configured to assign the first label to a compact passenger vehicle and the second label to a standard passenger vehicle. [Supplementary Note 4] The above-mentioned travel time measurement device may further include an evaluation means for evaluating road conditions, wherein the label assignment means assigns the second label to an emergency vehicle and the first label to vehicles other than emergency vehicles, and the evaluation means generates an evaluation of whether the road is suitable for travel by the emergency vehicle based on the first travel time and the second travel time. [Supplementary Note 5] The label assignment means of the above-mentioned travel time measurement device may be configured to assign the first label to a two-wheeled vehicle and the second label to a four-wheeled vehicle. [Supplementary Note 6] In the above-mentioned travel time measurement device, the predetermined section may be a section set between a first position and a second position in an image captured by the camera. [Supplementary Note 7] The travel time measuring device described above may further include a providing means for providing the first travel time and the second travel time to a predetermined traffic information providing server.[Supplementary Note 8] The above-mentioned travel time measurement device can be configured to include a chart creation means for creating a time-distance chart that chronologically represents the movement status of a vehicle heading from a first position to a second position. [Supplementary Note 9] A traffic information providing server that receives the first travel time and the second travel time from the above-mentioned travel time measurement device and provides the first travel time and the second travel time to a user terminal as traffic information. [Supplementary Note 10] A traffic information providing server that receives the first travel time and the second travel time from the above-mentioned travel time measurement device, calculates a route using at least one of the first travel time and the second travel time in response to a request from the user terminal, and provides the route information to the user terminal. [Supplementary Note 11] A travel time measurement method comprising: detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road taken by a camera; identifying attributes of the detected vehicles and assigning labels according to the attributes; measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road; measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel the predetermined section; and outputting the first travel time and the second travel time. [Supplementary Note 12] A program recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road taken by a camera; a process of identifying attributes of the detected vehicles and assigning labels according to the attributes; a process of measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road; a process of measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel the predetermined section; and a process of outputting the first travel time and the second travel time.

[0067] The forms of Supplementary Notes 11 and 12 can be expanded to the forms of Supplementary Notes 2 to 8, similarly to Supplementary Note 1.

[0068] The disclosures of the above-cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference and may be used as the basis or part of the present invention, as necessary. Modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible within the scope of the entire disclosure of the present invention (including the claims), and further based on the basic technical concepts thereof. Furthermore, various combinations and selections (including partial deletions) of the various disclosed elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the scope of the disclosure of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure and technical concepts, including the claims. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described herein, any numerical value or subrange within that range should be construed as specifically described, even if not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited documents, when used in part or in whole in combination with the disclosures herein as part of the disclosure of the present invention, in accordance with the spirit of the present invention, are also deemed to be included in the disclosures of this application.

[0069] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10, 100 Travel time measurement device 11, 101 Detection means 12, 102 Labeling means 13 First travel time measurement means 14 Second travel time measurement means 15 Output means 16 Camera 103 Travel time measurement means 104 Travel time recording means 105 Provision means 106 Chart creation means 107 Evaluation means 200, 200a Traffic information providing server 300 User terminal 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Program recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus V1, V2 Vehicle

Claims

1. A detection means for detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road captured by a camera; a labeling means for identifying an attribute of the detected vehicle and assigning a label according to the attribute; a first travel time measurement means for measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road; a second travel time measurement means for measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel through the predetermined section; an output means for outputting the first travel time and the second travel time; A travel time measuring device comprising:

2. Further, an evaluation means for evaluating a road condition is provided, the labeling means applies the second label to a vehicle having a width wider than that of a vehicle to which the first label is applied; 2. The travel time measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation means generates an evaluation of the appropriateness of the width of said road by comparing said first travel time with said second travel time.

3. 2. The travel time measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the labeling means assigns the first label to a small passenger car and the second label to a normal passenger car.

4. Further, an evaluation means for evaluating a road condition is provided, the labeling means assigns the second label to an emergency vehicle and the first label to a vehicle other than an emergency vehicle; 2. The travel time measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation means generates an evaluation as to whether or not the road is suitable for the emergency vehicle to travel on the basis of the first travel time and the second travel time.

5. 2. The travel time measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the labeling means assigns the first label to a two-wheeled vehicle and the second label to a four-wheeled vehicle.

6. 2. The travel time measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined section is a section set between a first position and a second position in the image captured by the camera.

7. 2. The travel time measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising: providing means for providing said first travel time and said second travel time to a predetermined traffic information providing server.

8. moreover, 2. A travel time measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a chart creating means for creating a time-distance chart showing the movement status of a vehicle traveling from a first location to a second location in time series.

9. Detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road captured by a camera; Identifying attributes of the detected vehicle and assigning a label according to the attributes; measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road; measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel through the predetermined section; outputting the first travel time and the second travel time, How to measure travel time.

10. A process of detecting vehicles traveling on a road from an image of the road captured by a camera; Identifying attributes of the detected vehicle and assigning a label according to the attributes; measuring a first travel time required for a vehicle having a first label among the identified vehicles to travel a predetermined section of the road; measuring a second travel time required for a vehicle having a second label among the identified vehicles to travel through the predetermined section; a process of outputting the first travel time and the second travel time; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.