Emergency vehicle detection device, emergency vehicle detection method, and program

Abstract

Provided are: an emergency vehicle detection device that is capable of detecting, with a high precision, an emergency vehicle traveling in response to an emergency; an emergency vehicle detection method; and a program recording medium. This emergency vehicle detection device comprises: a determination means that, on the basis of features of a vehicle traveling on a road and relative movements between said vehicle and circumjacent vehicles, makes a determination as to whether or not said vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in response to an emergency; and a transmission means that transmits a result of said determination to a prescribed management terminal.

Description

Emergency vehicle detection device, emergency vehicle detection method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to an emergency vehicle detection device, an emergency vehicle detection method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Systems are known that control traffic signals to allow emergency vehicles traveling in an emergency to arrive at the scene as quickly as possible and that instruct surrounding vehicles to give way. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an emergency vehicle priority control system that controls traffic signal displays so that emergency vehicles have priority at intersections regardless of the driving state of the emergency vehicle. This document employs a configuration in which a roadside communication device is used to perform road-to-vehicle communication with the emergency vehicle and identify the emergency vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-209680

[0004] When controlling traffic signals, there is a need to give priority to only emergency vehicles that are traveling in an emergency, but there is a problem in that it is difficult to determine whether or not an emergency situation exists. For example, a method of recognizing emergency vehicles from images taken by a camera is conceivable, but there is a problem in that it is difficult to determine whether or not an emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency from the camera image alone, as it is difficult to determine the state of the rotating light mounted on the top of the vehicle.

[0005] The same applies to Patent Document 1, which does not allow for determination of whether an emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency based solely on the identification information obtained through road-to-vehicle communication. Furthermore, the method of Patent Document 1 requires the installation of a roadside communication device.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an emergency vehicle detection device, an emergency vehicle detection method, and a recording medium that can accurately detect an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency.

[0007] According to a first aspect, an emergency vehicle detection device is provided that includes a determination means for determining whether a vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency based on the characteristics of the vehicle traveling on a road and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, and a transmission means for transmitting the result of the determination to a specified management terminal.

[0008] According to a second aspect, an emergency vehicle detection method is provided that determines whether a vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling on a road based on the characteristics of the vehicle and the relative movement of the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, and transmits the result of the determination to a specified management terminal.

[0009] According to a third aspect, a recording medium is provided that stores a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: determining whether a vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency based on the characteristics of the vehicle traveling on the road and the relative movement of the vehicle and surrounding vehicles; and transmitting the results of the determination to a specified management terminal.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, an emergency vehicle detection device, an emergency vehicle detection method, and a program recording medium are provided that can accurately detect an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is another flowchart illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device of the third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device of the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device of the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer constituting the emergency vehicle detection device of the present disclosure.

[0012] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the reference numerals in this overview are added to each element for convenience as an example to facilitate understanding, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure 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, ports or interfaces are present at the input / output connection points of each block in the drawings, but are not shown.

[0013] In one embodiment, the present disclosure can be realized in an emergency vehicle detection device 10 including a determination means 11 and a transmission means 12, as shown in FIG.

[0014] More specifically, the determining unit 11 determines whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling on a road based on the characteristics of the vehicle and the relative movement of the vehicle and surrounding vehicles. The transmitting unit 12 then transmits the result of the determination to a predetermined management terminal.

[0015] The determination means 11 may be configured to recognize the characteristics of the vehicle and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles from an image captured by a camera C capable of capturing an image of the road. The camera C capable of capturing an image may be, for example, a fixed camera installed around the road. However, the camera C is not limited to this and may be, for example, a camera mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle.

[0016] Emergency driving refers to the state in which an emergency vehicle is rushing to the scene while using sirens, flashing lights, etc. For example, Article 39 of Japan's Road Traffic Act defines emergency driving as driving for emergency purposes as prescribed by government ordinance. The Act also stipulates that emergency vehicles may travel all or part of the road to the right side of the road when necessary to overtake or for other unavoidable reasons, and that they are exempt from the obligation to stop or slow down. Emergency driving thus includes the state of driving for emergency purposes as defined by the Act.

[0017] The emergency vehicle detection device 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 determines whether a vehicle traveling on a road is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency based on the characteristics of the vehicle and the relative movement of the vehicle and surrounding vehicles (step S01 in FIG. 2). For example, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 identifies an emergency vehicle based on the characteristics of the vehicle captured in an image captured by camera C (see emergency vehicle EmV in the lower part of FIG. 1). Furthermore, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 determines whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency based on the relative movement of the vehicle and surrounding vehicles (see the movement of vehicle SV in the lower part of FIG. 1). In the example of FIG. 1, a predetermined number or more of vehicles SV traveling in the direction of travel of the emergency vehicle EmV are moving to one side of the road to give way. In such a case, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 can determine that the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in an emergency.

[0018] If it is confirmed that the vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 transmits the determination result to a predetermined management terminal (step S02). The management terminal that receives the determination result uses the received determination result to control traffic signals or display messages on electronic bulletin boards or the like along the route of the emergency vehicle.

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates the state of a road when the emergency vehicle EmV is not traveling in an emergency. The example in FIG. 3 shows a road with two lanes in each direction. The emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in the right lane, and the other vehicles SV are traveling in the left lane. Depending on the relative speed between the emergency vehicle EmV and the other vehicles SV, the emergency vehicle EmV may overtake the vehicle SV, as in FIG. 1. However, because the emergency vehicle EmV is not traveling in an emergency, the vehicles SV on its path are not making any movement to yield to the emergency vehicle EmV. Therefore, in a situation such as the lower part of FIG. 3, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 may determine that an emergency vehicle is present but is not traveling in an emergency. In this way, by taking into account the relative speed between the emergency vehicle EmV and the other vehicles SV and the movement of the other vehicles SV to yield to the emergency vehicle EmV, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 can more accurately determine whether the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in an emergency. Therefore, by using the emergency vehicle detection device 10 of the present disclosure, it can be correctly determined that the emergency vehicle EmV is not traveling in an emergency in a situation such as that shown in FIG.

[0020] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to accurately detect an emergency vehicle EmV that is traveling in an emergency, and this detection can be used to control traffic signals and display information on electronic bulletin boards.

[0021] In the above description, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 determines whether a vehicle is an emergency vehicle based on the characteristics of the vehicle captured in the image, but this is not limited to this. For example, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 can also determine whether a vehicle is an emergency vehicle based on the characteristics of the sound emitted by the vehicle or the characteristics of the signal transmitted by the vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication.

[0022] In the above description, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 recognizes the relative movement of the vehicle and surrounding vehicles from images captured by a camera C capable of capturing images of the road, but this is not limited to this. For example, the emergency vehicle detection device 10 may recognize the relative movement of the vehicle and surrounding vehicles from information acquired by a laser, radar, LiDAR, or a detector embedded in the road surface.

[0023] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment in which the present disclosure is applied to traffic control applications will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 4, a configuration including a camera C, an emergency vehicle detection device 100, and a control center 200 is shown.

[0024] The camera C is placed in a position where it can capture an image of the road, and provides the captured image to the emergency vehicle detection device 100. Although the example in Fig. 4 shows one camera C, multiple cameras C may be placed.

[0025] For example, a controller is stationed in the control center 200. The controller changes the traffic signal ahead of the emergency vehicle to green based on the emergency vehicle detection notification received from the emergency vehicle detection device 100. The controller also displays a warning message or other message on an electronic billboard, an in-vehicle terminal, or a user's smartphone near the road ahead of the emergency vehicle, informing the driver of the approach or passage of the emergency vehicle. The warning message may notify vehicles that are not yielding to the emergency vehicle EmV to give way. The warning message may also be displayed on a signage device or an information display board installed near the road. It is not necessary for a controller to be stationed in the control center 200. In this case, the control center 200 uses a predetermined processing device (automatic control device) to operate the traffic signal lights or display a warning message or other message based on the emergency vehicle detection notification.

[0026] The emergency vehicle detection device 100 includes a determination unit 101 and a transmission unit 102. The determination unit 101 functions as a determination means for determining whether or not a vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency, based on the characteristics of the vehicle captured in an image captured by a camera C and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles.

[0027] The transmitting unit 102 functions as a transmitting means for transmitting the result of detection of an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency by the determining unit 101, that is, the result of determination, to the control center 200.

[0028] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device 100 of the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 first analyzes an image (first image) captured by a camera C capable of capturing images of the road (step S001) and detects nearby vehicles that are yielding to the other vehicle. If the number of detected vehicles within a certain period of time is equal to or exceeds a predetermined number (Yes in step S002), the emergency vehicle detection device 100 determines that an emergency vehicle is likely to be approaching and proceeds to step S003. If the number of vehicles yielding to the other vehicle is less than the predetermined number, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 does nothing and returns to step S001 (step S002). This prevents the emergency vehicle detection device 100 from determining that an emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency, for example, when a vehicle stops on one side of the road to park or to board or disembark passengers. The predetermined value (threshold value) to be compared with the number of detected vehicles is determined depending on the road conditions, the length of time for making the determination, and the like.

[0029] Next, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 continues analyzing the image (second image) captured by the camera thereafter (step S003). If an emergency vehicle is detected within a predetermined time, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 determines that the emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency (Yes in step S004). If an emergency vehicle is not detected within the predetermined time, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 does nothing and returns to step S001 (No in step S004). An example of a method for detecting an emergency vehicle is a method of searching for a vehicle with a warning light or a vehicle painted to indicate that it is an emergency vehicle. Specifically, a method of detecting an object (vehicle) in an image using a classifier obtained by performing machine learning or the like using previously prepared learning data can be used.

[0030] Finally, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 transmits the result of the detection of the emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency by the determination unit 101 to the control center 200 (step S005).

[0031] As described above, when the detection method of Figure 5 is adopted, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 detects a vehicle that is giving way, for example by moving out of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and determines whether a vehicle approaching from behind the detected vehicle has characteristics indicating that it is an emergency vehicle. By repeating this operation, it is possible to quickly and accurately notify the control center 200 of the arrival of an emergency vehicle that is traveling in an emergency.

[0032] In the example of Figure 5, a method is adopted in which an emergency vehicle is detected by detecting the movement of surrounding vehicles that are yielding to the other vehicle and then waiting for the arrival of the emergency vehicle, but it is also possible to adopt a method in which the movement of surrounding vehicles that are yielding to the other vehicle is detected after the emergency vehicle is detected. Below, a second method for detecting an emergency vehicle that is driving in an emergency will be explained using Figure 6.

[0033] 6 is another flowchart showing the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device 100 of the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 first analyzes an image captured by a camera C capable of capturing images of roads (step S101), and if an emergency vehicle is detected (Yes in step S102), proceeds to the next step S103. If an emergency vehicle cannot be detected, the process returns to step S101 to continue analyzing the image (No in step S102). The detection of an emergency vehicle here can be achieved by searching the camera image for a vehicle having characteristics indicative of an emergency vehicle.

[0034] The emergency vehicle detection device 100 then continues analyzing images captured by the camera (step S103) to detect surrounding vehicles that yield to the emergency vehicle. If the number of surrounding vehicles detected over a certain period of time is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 determines that the emergency vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency (Yes in step S104). Note that even if there are vehicles that yield to the emergency vehicle, if the number of such vehicles is less than the predetermined number, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 does nothing and returns to step S101 (No in step S104). This makes it possible to avoid determining that an emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency when, for example, a vehicle stops on one side of the road to park or to let passengers in or out of the road.

[0035] Finally, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 transmits the result of the detection of the emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency by the determination unit 101 to the control center 200 (step S105).

[0036] As described above, there is no problem with the method of detecting an emergency vehicle first, and it is possible to quickly and accurately notify the control center 200 of the arrival of an emergency vehicle that is traveling in an emergency. The methods of detecting an emergency vehicle that is traveling in an emergency shown in Figures 5 and 6 do not need to be used alternatively, and both may be used in parallel.

[0037] [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, the emergency vehicle detection device 100 detects emergency vehicles traveling in an emergency based on images obtained from the camera C, but the accuracy of detecting emergency vehicles traveling in an emergency can be further improved by using other information. Next, a second embodiment will be described in which the emergency vehicle detection device 100a detects emergency vehicles traveling in an emergency using the state of traffic signal lights in addition to images obtained from the camera C.

[0038] 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an emergency vehicle detection device 100a according to the second embodiment. The differences from the emergency vehicle detection device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are that a signal control information acquisition unit 103 has been added to the emergency vehicle detection device 100a, and the operation of the determination unit 101a has been modified. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences.

[0039] The signal control information acquisition unit 103 acquires signal control information from a signal control device SC that controls a traffic signal S placed on the road photographed by the camera C. The signal control information is information that indicates the state of the lights of the traffic signal S. In the example of Fig. 7, the signal control information acquisition unit 103 acquires the signal control information from the signal control device SC, but if the traffic signal S is centrally controlled by the control center 200, the signal control information acquisition unit 103 can also acquire the signal control information from a device on the control center 200 side.

[0040] The determination unit 101a determines whether the vehicle of interest is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency, using signal control information. Specifically, if the emergency vehicle is entering an intersection despite the red light, the determination unit 101a determines that the emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency. In addition, if nearby vehicles around the emergency vehicle are stopped despite the green light, the determination unit 101a determines that the nearby vehicles are yielding to the emergency vehicle.

[0041] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device 100a of the second embodiment. Referring to Fig. 8, the emergency vehicle detection device 100a first analyzes an image captured by a camera C capable of capturing images of roads (step S201), and if an emergency vehicle is detected (Yes in step S202), proceeds to the next step S103. If an emergency vehicle cannot be detected, the device returns to step S101 and continues analyzing the image (No in step S202).

[0042] The emergency vehicle detection device 100a then continues to analyze images captured by the camera (step S203), and if the emergency vehicle is exhibiting driving characteristics characteristic of emergency driving, determines that the emergency vehicle is engaged in emergency driving (Yes in step S204). A typical example of this "driving characteristics characteristic of emergency driving" is when an emergency vehicle enters an intersection despite the light being red. Other examples of "driving characteristics characteristic of emergency driving" include an emergency vehicle driving near the center of the road close to the center line, driving over the center line, not stopping where a stop is required, not obeying the speed limit, etc.

[0043] Finally, the emergency vehicle detection device 100a transmits the result of the detection of the emergency vehicle traveling by the determination unit 101a to the control center 200 (step S205).

[0044] In this embodiment, an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency can also be detected using the same procedure as in Fig. 5. In this case, when detecting nearby vehicles yielding to the emergency vehicle in step S002, the emergency vehicle detection device 100a also takes into consideration cases where nearby vehicles around the emergency vehicle are stopped despite the green light. Specifically, the emergency vehicle detection device 100a counts these stopped vehicles as nearby vehicles yielding to the emergency vehicle.

[0045] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device 100a of this embodiment. The upper part (a) of FIG. 9 illustrates a case in which an emergency vehicle enters an intersection despite the red light. By using signal control information in this manner, it is possible to accurately detect an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency even when there are no vehicles nearby and their movements cannot be captured. Furthermore, there may be no traffic lights ahead of the emergency vehicle. In this case, if the behavior of an emergency vehicle entering an intersection without complying with the obligation to stop, as shown in the lower part (b) of FIG. 9 , is captured, it is possible to identify that the emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency.

[0046] In the second embodiment, the emergency vehicle detection device 100a acquires signal control information from a signal control device, but it is also possible that the emergency vehicle detection device 100a is unable to acquire signal control information. In this case, the emergency vehicle detection device 100a can determine the lighting state of the traffic signal S from the lighting state of the traffic signal S captured in the image of the camera C.

[0047] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described in which the emergency vehicle detection device 100b detects an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency by using map information in addition to an image obtained from the camera C.

[0048] 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an emergency vehicle detection device 100b according to the third embodiment. The differences from the emergency vehicle detection device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are that a map information storage unit 104 has been added to the emergency vehicle detection device 100b, and the operation of the determination unit 101b has been modified. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences.

[0049] The map information storage unit 104 stores map information including information on parking areas located on the road photographed by the camera C and information on commercial facilities adjacent to the road.

[0050] The determination unit 101b determines whether the vehicle of interest is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency, and makes this determination by referring to map information. Specifically, when determining whether vehicles surrounding the vehicle of interest are yielding to the emergency vehicle, the determination unit 101b refers to map information and confirms that the vehicles are not parking in a parking area or stopping to stop at an adjacent commercial facility. Therefore, in this embodiment, the determination unit 101b functions as an acquisition unit that acquires map information including the locations of facilities around the road.

[0051] 11 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device 100b of this embodiment. In the upper part (a) of FIG. 11, two vehicles in the direction of the emergency vehicle EmV are moving out of the lane they are traveling in. However, if there is a parking area in the corresponding location, the emergency vehicle detection device 100b determines that these behaviors are not actions to give way to the emergency vehicle EmV.

[0052] 11(b), a vehicle in the direction of travel of the emergency vehicle EmV is moving out of the lane that the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in. However, if there is no parking area or adjacent commercial facility in the corresponding location, the emergency vehicle detection device 100b determines that this behavior is an action to give way to the emergency vehicle EmV.

[0053] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to more accurately determine whether the movement of vehicles around the vehicle of interest is an operation to give way to an emergency vehicle EmV. Therefore, even if there are few vehicles around the vehicle of interest, it is possible to accurately determine whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency.

[0054] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described in which the emergency vehicle detection device 100c detects an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency using sounds emitted from the vehicle in addition to images obtained from the camera C.

[0055] 12 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an emergency vehicle detection device 100c according to the fourth embodiment. The differences from the emergency vehicle detection device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are that a microphone M is connected to the emergency vehicle detection device 100c and that the operation of the determination unit 101c has been modified. The remaining configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences.

[0056] The microphone M is placed on the road that the camera C is photographing.

[0057] The determination unit 101c determines whether the focused vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency, and makes the determination by also using audio information obtained from the microphone M. Specifically, when determining whether the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in an emergency, the determination unit 101c checks whether a siren sound is being output or an audio announcement is being made from the emergency vehicle EmV. If the result of the check shows that a siren sound is being output or an audio announcement is being made, the determination unit 101c determines that the focused emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in an emergency.

[0058] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the emergency vehicle detection device 100c according to this embodiment. In the example of FIG. 13, an emergency vehicle EmV outputs a voice announcement saying "Ambulance passing" while heading toward an intersection. In this case, the emergency vehicle detection device 100c determines that the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in an emergency because the emergency vehicle EmV is emitting sound from a loudspeaker.

[0059] As described above, according to this embodiment, even if there are no other vehicles around the vehicle of interest, it is possible to accurately determine whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle that is traveling in an emergency. Note that in the above example, whether the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in an emergency is determined based on whether the emergency vehicle EmV is outputting a voice announcement, but the emergency vehicle EmV can also be determined to be traveling in an emergency if it is sounding a siren or the like.

[0060] [Fifth Embodiment] The first to fourth embodiments described above can also be implemented in combination. For example, as shown in Figure 14, the second embodiment including the signal control information acquisition unit 103 and the third embodiment including the map information storage unit 104 can be combined to configure an emergency vehicle detection device 100d.

[0061] According to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain the effects of both the second and third embodiments. Similarly, the other embodiments can be implemented in combination with one or more of the embodiments.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure 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 disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representation formats shown in the drawings are examples intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0063] (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, for example, by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program as shown in FIG. 15 . FIG. 15 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 to a 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

[0064] 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. 15 executes a judgment program and a judgment result transmission program, and performs an update process for each calculation parameter stored in the RAM 903, the storage device 905, etc. 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 advance on the recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0065] 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 of each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. That is, each unit (processing means, function) of the communication terminal shown in the first to fifth embodiments can be realized by a computer program that causes a processor installed in the device to execute each of the above-mentioned processes using its hardware.

[0066] 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.

[0067] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and programs.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] For example, in the first to fifth embodiments described above, camera C is described as being positioned in a position where it can photograph the road, but this camera C may also be an on-board camera mounted on another vehicle.

[0071] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0072] [Supplementary Note 1] An emergency vehicle detection device comprising: a determination means for determining whether a vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling on a road based on the characteristics of the vehicle and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles; and a transmission means for transmitting the result of the determination to a predetermined management terminal. [Supplementary Note 2] The determination means of the emergency vehicle detection device described above may be configured to recognize the characteristics of the vehicle and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles from an image captured by a camera capable of capturing images of the road. [Supplementary Note 3] The determination means of the emergency vehicle detection device described above may be configured to determine that the vehicle is traveling on an emergency if surrounding vehicles in the vehicle's direction of travel are making a yielding motion. [Supplementary Note 4] The determination means of the emergency vehicle detection device described above may be configured to determine that the vehicle is traveling on an emergency if a predetermined number or more of surrounding vehicles in the vehicle's direction of travel are making a yielding motion. [Supplementary Note 5] The determination means of the above-mentioned emergency vehicle detection device can be configured to recognize from a first image captured by the camera that the surrounding vehicle is making a move to give way, recognize features of a vehicle approaching from behind the surrounding vehicle from a second image captured by the camera after the first image, and determine that the vehicle is an emergency vehicle if the recognized features of the vehicle indicate that it is an emergency vehicle. [Supplementary Note 6] The determination means of the above-mentioned emergency vehicle detection device can be configured to determine that the vehicle is making an emergency move if the vehicle is behaving in a manner permitted for emergency vehicles under traffic laws. [Supplementary Note 7] The determination means of the above-mentioned emergency vehicle detection device can be configured to determine that the surrounding vehicle is making a move to give way if the surrounding vehicle is stopped despite the green light. [Supplementary Note 8] The emergency vehicle detection device described above may further include an acquisition means for acquiring map information including the location of facilities around the road, and the determination means may further determine, based on the map information, whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle traveling in an emergency.[Supplementary Note 9] The emergency vehicle detection device described above may be configured such that the determination means determines that the emergency vehicle is traveling in an emergency if the emergency vehicle is emitting a sound using a siren or a loudspeaker. [Supplementary Note 10] An emergency vehicle detection method comprising: determining whether the vehicle is traveling in an emergency based on the characteristics of the vehicle traveling on the road and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles; and transmitting the determination result to a predetermined management terminal. [Supplementary Note 11] A recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: determining whether the vehicle is traveling in an emergency based on the characteristics of the vehicle traveling on the road and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles; and transmitting the determination result to a predetermined management terminal. Note that the embodiments described in each of the above supplementary notes can be combined with each other after making necessary modifications. For example, a configuration that combines the contents of Supplementary Note 2 and Supplementary Note 3 is also within the scope of the present specification. The forms of Supplementary Notes 10 and 11 can be expanded to the forms of Supplementary Notes 2 to 9, similarly to Supplementary Note 1.

[0073] The disclosures of the above-cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure, as necessary. Modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible within the scope of this disclosure (including the claims), and further based on its basic technical concept. Furthermore, various combinations and selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including elements of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the scope of this disclosure. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical concept. 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 this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, are also deemed to be included in the disclosures of this application.

[0074] 10, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d Emergency vehicle detection device 11 Determination means 12 Transmission means 101 Determination unit 102 Transmission unit 103 Signal control information acquisition unit 104 Map information storage unit 200 Control center 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 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus C Camera EmV Emergency vehicle M Microphone S Traffic signal SC Signal control device SV Nearby vehicles

Claims

1. Determination means for determining whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle in emergency driving based on the characteristics of a vehicle traveling on a road and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, Transmission means for transmitting the result of the determination to a predetermined management terminal, An emergency vehicle detection device comprising:

2. The determination means recognizes the characteristics of the vehicle and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles from an image captured by a camera capable of photographing the road. The emergency vehicle detection device according to Claim 1.

3. The determination means determines that the vehicle is in emergency driving when surrounding vehicles in the travel direction of the vehicle are making movements to yield the right of way. The emergency vehicle detection device according to Claim 1.

4. The determination means determines that the vehicle is in emergency driving when a predetermined number or more of the surrounding vehicles in the traveling direction of the vehicle are making movements to yield the right of way. The emergency vehicle detection device according to Claim 3.

5. The determination means recognizes from a first image captured by the camera that surrounding vehicles are making movements to yield the right of way, and recognizes the characteristics of the vehicle traveling from behind the surrounding vehicles from a second image captured by the camera after the first image. When the recognized characteristics of the vehicle have characteristics indicating that the vehicle is an emergency vehicle, it is determined that the vehicle is an emergency vehicle in emergency driving. The emergency vehicle detection device according to Claim 2.

6. The determination means determines that the vehicle is in emergency driving when the vehicle is making a behavior recognized as an emergency vehicle under traffic regulations. The emergency vehicle detection device according to Claim 1.

7. The determination means determines that the surrounding vehicles are making movements to yield the right of way when the surrounding vehicles are stopped despite being green. The emergency vehicle detection device according to Claim 1.

8. Furthermore, acquisition means for acquiring map information including the arrangement of facilities around the road is provided, The determination means further determines whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle in emergency driving based on the map information. The emergency vehicle detection device according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.

9. Based on the characteristics of a vehicle traveling on a road and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, it is determined whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle in emergency driving, The result of the determination is transmitted to a predetermined management terminal. An emergency vehicle detection method comprising:

10. Based on the characteristics of a vehicle traveling on a road and the relative movement between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, a process for determining whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle during emergency driving, a process for transmitting the result of the determination to a predetermined management terminal, A program for causing a computer to execute.