Travel planning device and travel planning system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a travel planning device. The travel planning device according to the present disclosure changes a travel plan of a vehicle and comprises: a travel plan changing unit that changes the travel plan on the basis of at least one of people flow information, popular attraction information, real estate information, facility-related information, road information, and roadside unit installation information, these being information pertaining to people flow, popular attractions, real estate, facilities, roads, and installed roadside units, respectively, in a geographical area where the vehicle travels; and a travel plan output unit that outputs the changed travel plan, wherein the people flow information includes information pertaining to people flow according to the number of people using commercial facilities or tourist attractions.

Description

Travel planning device and travel planning system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving planner, and more particularly to a driving planner that can change a driving plan.

[0002] In recent years, various technologies for automatically transporting people, such as self-driving buses, have been proposed. One of these technologies is a method for automatically determining an operation plan for a self-driving vehicle. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for changing the departure time of a self-driving vehicle based on the arrival time of a train.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-331379

[0004] The method disclosed in Patent Document 1 allows for the travel plan to be changed depending on the train operation status, but does not allow for the travel plan to be changed depending on the conditions of the area in which the autonomous vehicle is operating.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a driving planner that can change a driving plan according to local conditions.

[0006] The driving planning device according to the present disclosure is a driving planning device that changes a driving plan for a vehicle, and includes: a driving plan change unit that changes the driving plan based on at least one of pedestrian flow information, which is information about pedestrian flow, popular spot information, which is information about popular spots, real estate information, which is information about real estate, facility-related information, which is information about facilities, road information, which is information about roads, and roadside unit installation information, which is information about installed roadside units, in an area in which the vehicle travels; and a driving plan output unit that outputs the changed driving plan, wherein the pedestrian flow information includes information about pedestrian flow according to the number of users of commercial facilities or tourist spots.

[0007] According to the driving planning device of the present disclosure, the driving plan is changed based on at least one of people flow information, popular spot information, real estate information, facility-related information, road information, and roadside unit installation information, so that the driving plan can be changed according to local conditions.

[0008] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a driving planning device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a driving plan. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of people flow information. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a driving plan before a change together with people flow information. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a driving plan after a change together with people flow information. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a driving plan before a change together with people flow information. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a driving plan after a change together with people flow information. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a driving plan before a change together with roadside device installation information. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a driving plan after a change together with roadside device installation information. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a driving planning system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a driving planning system according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of roadside device installation planning by a roadside device installation planning device in a driving planning system according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of roadside device installation planning by a roadside device installation planning device in a driving planning system according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a driving planner 200 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The driving planner 200 is a device that changes a driving plan used by an autonomous bus, for example, depending on the conditions of the area in which the bus operates.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1 , the driving planning device 200 is connected to externally provided input devices such as a people flow information acquisition unit 110, a popular spot information acquisition unit 120, a real estate information acquisition unit 130, a facility-related information acquisition unit 140, a road information acquisition unit 150, and a roadside unit installation information acquisition unit 160.

[0011] The people flow information acquisition unit 110 is an input device that acquires people flow information, which is information about the number of people using a commercial facility or a tourist spot. The people flow information includes, for example, the number of users calculated from images from a surveillance camera installed in the commercial facility or the tourist spot, or the number of users calculated from location information of mobile phones.

[0012] For example, the number of users can be calculated from images from a surveillance camera by recognizing people entering through an entrance from images from a surveillance camera installed at the entrance of a commercial facility or tourist spot using image processing. For example, the number of users can be calculated from mobile phone location information by partnering with a mobile phone company, obtaining mobile phone location information from the mobile phone company, and comparing the location information with map information.

[0013] The popular spot information acquisition unit 120 is an input device that acquires popular spot information, which is information about popular spots. The popular spot information includes, for example, the number of times a word related to the spot has been searched on the Internet, the number of times a word related to the spot has been posted on the Internet, and word-of-mouth information about the spot.

[0014] Driving plans can be changed based on information about popular spots, so for example, the driving plan can be changed to pass through spots that have received a lot of word-of-mouth reviews.

[0015] Here, word of mouth refers to information that is disseminated by consumers who have used a product or service, using websites and bulletin boards on the network.

[0016] For example, natural language processing is performed to recognize words in a social networking service (SNS) using a known search algorithm for natural language text, and the number of times the words appear is obtained as popular spot information.

[0017] The word-of-mouth information about a spot can be obtained from the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the spot. For example, it can be obtained from the rating score on a gourmet website. It is also possible to obtain the word-of-mouth information by obtaining the equivalent of "customer testimonials" from the homepage of a travel agency, and then detecting words from the content of the reviews using the natural language processing described above.

[0018] The real estate information acquisition unit 130 is an input device that acquires real estate information, which is information related to real estate. The real estate information includes, for example, real estate sales information, real estate registration information, tenant information, and tenant recruitment status. The real estate information can be acquired from a real estate company in the area where the above-mentioned autonomous driving bus is operated, by partnering with the real estate company. It is common for real estate companies to form a network with other real estate companies in the area and share real estate information, and by connecting the real estate information acquisition unit 130 to this network, real estate information can be acquired.

[0019] Driving plans can be changed based on real estate information, so for example, if a medical facility becomes a tenant, the driving plan can be changed to pass through the facility.

[0020] The facility-related information acquisition unit 140 is an input device that acquires facility-related information, which is information about a facility. The facility-related information includes, for example, construction plan information for a commercial facility, demolition plan information for a commercial facility, maintenance information for a commercial facility, and renovation information for a commercial facility. The facility-related information can be acquired by accessing the website of a commercial facility and reading the latest information on the website.

[0021] Since the driving plan can be changed based on facility-related information, for example, if a facility is demolished, the driving plan can be changed so that it does not pass through the facility.

[0022] The road information acquisition unit 150 is an input device that acquires road information, which is information related to roads. The road information includes, for example, information on past traffic congestion, the difficulty of driving, and the difficulty of installing bus stops.

[0023] Since the driving plan can be changed based on road information, the driving plan can be changed to ensure smooth operation of the target vehicle, for example, by excluding areas prone to congestion from the driving route.

[0024] Past congestion information is information about past congestion, and includes, for example, the probability of congestion occurring, the time and period of congestion occurrence, the location of congestion occurrence, and the length of congestion, and can be obtained from the Japan Road Traffic Information Center (JARTIC) and NAVITIME (registered trademark), etc.

[0025] Driving difficulty is information relating to the ease of driving a vehicle, and includes, for example, the narrowness of the road, the number of blind spots, the number of required lane changes, the time required to change lanes, the number of crosswalks, the number of pedestrians crossing, the number of one-way streets, etc. Driving difficulty can be determined by obtaining map information from, for example, the website of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and recognizing the road, and the difficulty can be determined by recognizing the road width, sidewalks, sharp curves, etc. from the map information.

[0026] The bus stop installation difficulty is information about the ease of installing a bus stop, and includes, for example, the width of the road, the presence or absence of a sidewalk, etc. The bus stop installation difficulty can also be determined by obtaining map information from the website of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and recognizing the road.

[0027] When road information includes information about the three-dimensional shapes of static objects on a road, the static objects refer to objects that do not move, such as buildings and roadside trees. The three-dimensional shapes can be expressed as a three-dimensional point cloud or as voxels.

[0028] The roadside unit installation information acquisition unit 160 is an input device that acquires roadside unit installation information, which is information about installed roadside units. The roadside unit installation information includes, for example, the type of roadside unit, its installation position, and its installation orientation, and can be acquired from the roadside unit installation plan when the roadside unit is installed or information about the roadside unit installation record. The roadside unit installation information acquisition unit 160 can be acquired by connecting to a database that stores this information.

[0029] Since the driving plan can be changed based on the roadside unit installation information, for example, the driving plan can be changed so as not to pass through a route where a roadside unit that is not effective for the safe driving of the target vehicle is installed.

[0030] 1, the trip planning device 200 includes a trip plan acquisition unit 210, a trip plan modification unit 220, and a trip plan output unit 230, and is capable of acquiring, modifying, and outputting a trip plan. The trip planning device 200 is installed, for example, in a traffic management server of an operator that manages the operation of autonomous buses.

[0031] <Driving Plan Acquisition Unit> The driving plan acquisition unit 210 includes an input interface for acquiring the current driving plan of the target vehicle. The driving plan includes one of the driving route, stop positions, departure time, arrival time, and number of trips. If the target vehicle is an autonomous driving bus, the driving plan can be acquired from an operation plan created in advance by the operator.

[0032] If the target vehicle is a manually driven taxi or a personal car, the route information can be obtained from the navigation information of the target vehicle. In the case of manually driven vehicles, the route information can be obtained as a driving plan that the driver has set in advance in the navigation device before driving.

[0033] The driving route, stop locations, departure time, arrival time, and number of trips can be changed, so for example, if a commercial facility opens on a road that was not taken when the driving route was set, the driving plan can be changed to include it in the driving route.

[0034] <Driving Plan Change Unit> The driving plan change unit 220 changes the driving plan based on at least one of people flow information, popular spot information, real estate information, facility-related information, road information, and roadside unit installation information. In other words, people flow information and popular spot information change constantly, and the driving plan is changed at a predetermined frequency, such as once a month, or the difference from the previous time is checked at a predetermined frequency and changed if the difference is large. On the other hand, real estate information and facility-related information change less frequently, and therefore the driving plan is changed whenever such information changes.

[0035] When changing the travel plan based on people flow information, for example, the travel plan is changed so that the travel plan passes through locations with a large number of people.

[0036] When changing a driving plan based on information about popular spots, for example, facilities with high ratings from word-of-mouth reviews are determined to be popular spots, and the driving plan is changed to pass through those spots.

[0037] When changing a driving plan based on real estate information, for example, if tenant information indicates that a building houses medical-related tenants, it is determined that there is high demand for the target vehicle, and the driving plan is changed to pass through that building.

[0038] When changing a travel plan based on facility-related information, for example, if a facility is newly constructed or renovated, it is determined that demand for the target vehicle will increase, and the travel plan is changed so that the vehicle passes through the facility.

[0039] When changing a travel plan based on road information, the travel plan is changed so as not to pass through areas where congestion frequently occurs, for example.

[0040] When changing a driving plan based on roadside unit installation information, the driving plan is changed so that, for example, roads with many roadside sensors and few blind spots are preferentially selected.

[0041] A change to a driving plan can be made to just one element of the driving plan, or multiple elements. For example, if the target vehicle is an autonomous bus, and a location with a high volume of people is close to the existing driving route, the driving route will remain the same and only a stop location will be added. If the location is far from the existing driving route, the driving route will be changed and a stop location will be added. Furthermore, if the volume of people changes over time, the number of buses will be increased only during times when there is a high volume of people. The departure and arrival times of the driving plan can also be changed to match the opening and closing times of facilities and the departure and arrival times of other transportation services.

[0042] The travel plan can also be changed based on a combination of multiple pieces of information. For example, when changing the travel plan based on pedestrian flow information and road information, the travel plan can be changed by prioritizing the pedestrian flow information. In other words, the travel plan is changed to pass through locations with high pedestrian flow, even if traffic congestion occurs frequently.

[0043] If the target vehicle is an autonomous bus, the driving route can be planned using an optimization method, for example, so that the route passes through stops and travels shortest possible distances. In this case, an evaluation function can be set to avoid roads with frequent traffic jams or roads with many blind spots. It should be noted that the driving route can also be planned using known methods other than optimization.

[0044] The optimization methods include Dijkstra's algorithm, which is a search algorithm used in car navigation route search, and A-star (A ＊) algorithm method can be used. Also, a method for solving the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) can be used.

[0045] A method other than optimization is a rule-based method. For example, a method can be considered in which the basic driving route or the change rules for adding or deleting each point, i.e., the change rules for where the basic driving route branches and where it rejoins, are defined in advance, and the driving route is determined by condition judgment. More specifically, a method can be considered in which a route to be used for traveling from town A to town B is set in advance, and when traveling from town A to town B is required, that route is applied.

[0046] The driving plan change unit 220 can be configured using a computer and is realized by the computer executing a program. That is, the driving plan change unit 220 is realized, for example, by a processing circuit. The processing circuit uses a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and the functions of each unit are realized by executing a program stored in a storage device.

[0047] The processing circuit may be a dedicated hardware, such as a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0048] The functions of the driving plan change unit 220 may be realized by individual processing circuits, or the functions may be realized together by a single processing circuit.

[0049] <Driving plan output unit> The driving plan output unit 230 includes an output interface that outputs the driving plan changed by the driving plan change unit 220 to the outside. The output destination is the automated driving operations manager or a driving management device. The output to the driving management manager is notified by a pop-up display on the display used by the driving management manager for driving management, or by email, etc. Outputting to the driving management manager allows for semi-automation of driving plan maintenance. Furthermore, outputting to the driving management device allows for automation of driving plan maintenance.

[0050] <Change of Driving Plan by Driving Planner> Change of a driving plan by the driving planner will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 9. Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a driving plan.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, the trip plan includes information on the travel route DR indicated by the arrows in the figure and the stop locations SP indicated by the squares in the figure. If the moving body for which the trip plan is to be changed is an autonomous bus, it can also include other information such as departure time, arrival time, and number of trips. The trip plan shown in Figure 2 is a plan to travel around four stop locations SP in a clockwise direction.

[0052] <Changing a Travel Plan Based on People Flow Information> Figure 3 is a diagram that schematically illustrates an example of people flow information. The people flow information includes information on the locations of commercial facilities and tourist spots and the number of users. In Figure 3, the people flow information PF is represented by circles, with the location of the circles indicating the locations of commercial facilities and tourist spots and the size of the circles indicating the number of users, with larger circles indicating a larger number of users. In addition, the shade of hatching on the circles can also be used to indicate whether the location is a commercial facility or a tourist spot.

[0053] The number of users is the number of users per unit time, and the unit time can be set to one day, one week, one month, etc.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows an example in which crowds are concentrated at stopping positions SP1, SP3, and SP4.

[0055] 4 and 5 are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of changing a travel plan based on people flow information. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the travel plan before the change together with the people flow information, and Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the travel plan after the change together with the people flow information.

[0056] In Figure 4, there is a place where people are flowing between stop positions SP1 and SP2, but there are no stops nearby, so the driving plan indicates that the bus will pass through. If the people flow information acquired when changing the driving plan is as shown in Figure 4, the driving plan change unit 220 changes the driving plan to add a stop position to accommodate this people flow information. That is, as shown in Figure 5, stop position SP5 is added near the place where people are flowing between stop positions SP1 and SP2. This increases the convenience of the autonomous driving bus.

[0057] The travel plan change unit 220 determines whether to add a stop position, for example, when the number of users is equal to or greater than a predetermined number and there is no stop position within a predetermined range from the location of the people flow. As shown in Figure 5, when the location of the people flow is within a predetermined range from the existing travel route DR, the travel route is not changed and a stop position SP5 is added to the existing travel route DR. Furthermore, the number of users used as the criterion for determination can be the total number of users at multiple commercial facilities and tourist spots nearby, rather than the number of users at a single commercial facility or tourist spot.

[0058] 6 and 7 are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of changing a travel plan based on people flow information. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the travel plan before the change together with the people flow information, and Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the travel plan after the change together with the people flow information.

[0059] In Figure 6, there is no pedestrian flow near stop position SP2, but there is a pedestrian flow midway between stop positions SP1 and SP3. However, the existing driving route DR does not pass through that location and is instead scheduled to pass through stop position SP2. When the pedestrian flow information acquired when changing the driving plan is as shown in Figure 6, the driving plan change unit 220 changes the driving plan to delete and add stops and change the driving route to accommodate this pedestrian flow information. That is, as shown in Figure 7, stop position SP5 is added between stop positions SP1 and SP3, and stop position SP2 is deleted. Furthermore, the driving route from stop position SP1 to stop position SP2 via stop position SP3 is deleted, and the driving route DR is changed so that the bus passes from stop position SP1 to stop position SP5 via stop position SP3. This increases the convenience of the autonomous driving bus.

[0060] The driving plan change unit 220 determines whether to delete a stop location, for example, when the total number of users within a predetermined range from the stop location is equal to or less than a predetermined number.

[0061] The driving plan change unit 220 determines whether to add a stop position, for example, when the number of users is equal to or greater than a predetermined number and there is no stop position within a predetermined range from the position of the people flow.

[0062] 6, if the location of the pedestrian flow is outside a predetermined range from the existing travel route DR, the travel route DR is changed to include the added stop position SP5. The location where the stop position is added is determined based on the difficulty of installing a bus stop, etc. The travel route is changed to shorten the travel route or based on the difficulty of travel.

[0063] <Changing a driving plan based on roadside unit installation information> Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams schematically showing an example of changing a driving plan based on roadside unit installation information. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the driving plan before the change together with the roadside unit installation information, and Figure 9 is a diagram showing the driving plan after the change together with the roadside unit installation information.

[0064] 8 , the driving route DR runs from stop position SP1 to stop position SP2 via intersections IS1 and IS3, and does not pass through intersection IS2 where a new roadside unit RE has been added. When the roadside unit installation information acquired when changing the driving plan indicates that a new roadside unit RE has been added at intersection IS2 as shown in FIG. 8 , the driving plan change unit 220 estimates the detection range SR of the roadside unit RE based on the type, installation position, and installation orientation of the added roadside unit RE and information about the three-dimensional shapes of static objects on the road included in the road information. The driving plan change unit 220 then compares the risk of turning left at intersections IS1 and IS3 with the risk of going straight through intersection IS1, turning left at intersection IS2, and going straight through intersection IS3. If it determines that the latter risk is lower, it changes the driving route to pass through intersection IS2. That is, as shown in Figure 9, the travel route DR in Figure 8 is deleted and changed to a travel route DR that goes straight from the stopping position SP1 through the intersection IS1, turns left at the intersection IS2, goes straight through the intersection IS3, and arrives at the stopping position SP2. Although this increases the travel distance, it reduces the number of left turns at intersections, improving safety.

[0065] An example of the risk determination in the driving plan change unit 220 is a method using the following determination indicators (a) to (d).

[0066] (a) Road width recognized from map information (b) How much of the intersection is covered by the roadside unit's detection range (c) Intersection angle (d) Presence and type of traffic light Indicators (a) to (d) are each quantified and weighted, and the sum is used to determine the risk. Since the smaller the indicator (b), the greater the risk, the reciprocal is multiplied by a weighting coefficient. Indicator (d) is a discrete value; for example, if there is no traffic light, the risk is high, and if there is a dedicated traffic light for turning right or left, the risk is low.

[0067] In addition, when determining whether to change the route, the distance traveled can also be taken into consideration, and the decision can be made by weighting whether risk or distance traveled is more important.

[0068] 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a driving plan system 1000 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10 , the driving plan system 1000 is a system including a driving planner 200 and an operation management device 300 that exchanges information with the driving planner 200.

[0069] The operation management device 300 is a device that manages vehicle operations, and is installed in, for example, an operation management server, but can also be installed in a server separate from the driving planner device 200.

[0070] When the moving body for which the driving plan is to be changed in the driving planner 200 is a bus, the driving management device 300 gives driving instructions to the autonomously driving bus, grasps the driving status, and manages it.

[0071] The operation management device 300 can determine whether to adopt the changed trip plan in the trip planning device 200, and outputs the result of adoption to the trip planning device 200, and if the trip plan is to be rejected, the reason for rejection to the trip planning device 200. Reasons for rejection include "rejected from the perspective of risk" when the trip plan is changed by setting an evaluation function using an optimization method. Note that, in addition to risk, reasons for rejection can also include cost or profitability.

[0072] When a driving plan is rejected by the traffic management device 300, the driving plan modification unit 220 of the driving planner 200 can modify the planning policy to make the plan less likely to be rejected. For example, when a driving plan is modified using an optimization technique based on people flow information and road information, if a driving plan is modified to pass through a location with a high pedestrian flow even though traffic congestion occurs frequently, and the plan is rejected due to the frequency of traffic congestion, the weights or constraints are adjusted to create a driving plan with a low frequency of traffic congestion, and the driving plan is created again. This improves the probability of the driving plan being adopted.

[0073] Even if the operation manager decides whether to adopt or reject the plan instead of the operation management device 300, the plan policy can be changed based on the operation manager's reasons for rejection.

[0074] If a commercial facility opens on a road that was not taken when the route was set, the system can suggest to the operations manager that it be included in the route. Conversely, if a commercial facility closes and there is no longer a need to go through it, the system can suggest to the operations manager that it be removed from the route. In this way, the operation plan can be changed according to local conditions.

[0075] The operation management device outputs to the driving planning device the reason why the driving plan after the change was rejected by the driving planning device, and by changing the planning policy so that the plan is less likely to be rejected, the probability of the driving plan being adopted can be increased.

[0076] The driving planning system 1000 is provided as a system for a bus company if the vehicle to be managed by the operation management device 300 is a bus, as a system for a taxi company if the vehicle to be managed is a taxi, or as a system for a logistics company if the vehicle to be managed is a logistics vehicle, but the users of the system are not limited to those mentioned above.

[0077] Furthermore, the vehicles managed by the operation management device 300 are not limited to autonomous vehicles but may also be manually driven vehicles. In the case of manual driving, the operation planner 200 changes the driving route that the driver set in advance on the navigation device before driving, and if the operation management device 300 determines that the changed route can be adopted, the operation planner 200 presents the changed route to the driver via the display of the navigation device.

[0078] In addition, a driving plan that takes car-sharing vehicles to major tourist spots can be set up and presented to the driver.

[0079] The traffic management device 300 can be configured using a computer and is realized by the computer executing a program. That is, the traffic management device 300 is realized, for example, by a processing circuit. A processor such as a CPU or DSP is applied to the processing circuit, and the functions of each part are realized by executing a program stored in a storage device.

[0080] The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, and when the processing circuit is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0081] The functions of the traffic management device 300 may be realized by individual processing circuits, or the functions may be realized collectively by a single processing circuit.

[0082] 11 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a driving planning system 1000A according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 11 , the driving planning system 1000A is a system including a driving planner 200, an operation management device 300, and a roadside unit installation planning device 400.

[0083] The roadside unit installation planning device 400 receives information from the driving planner 200 and also exchanges information with the traffic management device 300 .

[0084] As shown in FIG. 11 , the roadside unit installation planning device 400 includes a roadside unit installation planning unit 410 and an installation plan output unit 420. The roadside unit installation planning unit 410 creates a roadside unit installation plan and the installation plan output unit 420 outputs the created installation plan. The roadside unit installation planning device 400 is installed in, for example, the traffic management server, but can also be installed in a server separate from the driving planner 200 and the traffic management device 300.

[0085] <Roadside unit installation planning unit> The roadside unit installation planning unit 410 acquires road information and roadside unit installation information from the driving planner 200, and the changed driving plan output from the driving plan output unit 230, and creates a roadside unit installation plan based on these.

[0086] One method for creating an installation plan is to estimate the detection range of existing roadside units from the three-dimensional shape of the static target and the type, installation position, and installation orientation of the existing roadside units, and if it is determined that there is a blind spot on the driving route, to plan for adding roadside units to eliminate the blind spot.

[0087] In this case, the environmental resistance of each sensor can be taken into consideration and a plan can be made to be robust to the environment. For example, if a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is already installed as a roadside unit, a plan can be made to additionally install a millimeter-wave radar that is resistant to rain.

[0088] The roadside unit installation planning unit 410 can take into account the price of the sensors and plan the installation so that the price will be low.

[0089] When a driving plan is changed, a new roadside unit may be required. Therefore, by proposing to the driving manager a roadside unit installation plan that corresponds to the change in the driving plan, it becomes easier for the driving manager to change the driving plan.

[0090] Roadside unit installation plans can be simulated using a digital twin, which represents what actually exists in physical space in a virtual space. In addition, roadside unit installation plans can be made even if the driving plan has not changed.

[0091] <Installation plan output unit> The installation plan output unit 420 outputs the roadside unit installation plan created by the roadside unit installation planning unit 410. The output destination is the traffic management device 300, but it can also be output to an autonomous driving traffic manager.

[0092] By outputting the information to the traffic management device 300, the installation of the roadside units can be automated. The output to the traffic manager is notified by a pop-up display on the display used by the traffic manager for traffic management, or by email. By outputting the information to the traffic manager, the installation of the roadside units can be semi-automated.

[0093] When the output destination of the driving plan output unit 230 of the driving plan device 200 and the installation plan output unit 420 of the roadside unit installation planning device 400 is the traffic management device 300, the traffic management device 300 can decide whether to adopt a change to the driving plan by the driving plan device 200 and whether to adopt a roadside unit installation plan by the roadside unit installation planning device 400, and outputs the result of adoption or rejection to the driving plan device 200 and the roadside unit installation planning device 400, and, if the plan is rejected, the reason for rejection.

[0094] The operation management device 300 outputs to the driving planner 200 the reason why the changed driving plan was rejected, and outputs to the roadside unit installation planning device 400 the reason why the roadside unit installation plan planned by the roadside unit installation planning device 400 was rejected. Therefore, by changing the planning policy so that the changed driving plan and roadside unit installation plan are less likely to be rejected, the probability of adopting the driving plan and roadside unit installation plan can be increased.

[0095] If a roadside unit installation plan is rejected, the roadside unit installation planning device 400 can change the planning policy to make it less likely to be rejected. For example, if a roadside unit installation plan is rejected due to high cost, the planning policy can be changed to make it easier to select a lower-priced sensor.

[0096] When a roadside unit installation plan is adopted, the traffic management device 300 manages the installation of new roadside units based on the roadside unit installation plan. The traffic management device 300 can automate all or part of the procedures required for installing roadside units.

[0097] The traffic management device 300 may determine whether to change the travel plan or whether to adopt the roadside unit installation plan.

[0098] The roadside unit installation planning unit 410 can be configured using a computer and is realized by the computer executing a program. That is, the roadside unit installation planning unit 410 is realized, for example, by a processing circuit. A processor such as a CPU or DSP is applied to the processing circuit, and the functions of each unit are realized by executing a program stored in a storage device.

[0099] The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, and when the processing circuit is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0100] The functions of the roadside unit installation planning unit 410 may be realized by individual processing circuits, or the functions may be realized collectively by a single processing circuit.

[0101] 12 and 13 are diagrams showing an example of a roadside unit installation plan made by the roadside unit installation planning device 400 in the driving planning system 1000A. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the installation position and installation attitude of the existing roadside unit RE1, the estimated detection range SR1, and the driving route DR, while Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the installation position and installation attitude of the roadside unit RE2 to be added, and the estimated detection range SR2.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 12, a roadside unit RE1 is installed at the corner of an intersection of intersecting roads RO. However, static targets SO1 and SO2 are located on opposite sides of the intersection, and a blind spot BS occurs within the detection range SR1 of the roadside unit RE1.

[0103] The roadside unit installation planning unit 410 creates a roadside unit installation plan to eliminate this blind spot BS, and an additional roadside unit RE2 is installed at the corner of the intersection on the opposite side of the roadside unit RE1, as shown in Fig. 13. The blind spot at the intersection is eliminated by the detection range SR1 of the roadside unit RE1 and the detection range SR2 of the roadside unit RE2. This improves the safety of autonomous driving.

[0104] If the vehicles to be managed by the traffic management device 300 are buses, the driving planning system 1000A is provided as a system for a bus company, and the bus company or a company commissioned by the bus company installs the roadside unit installation plan based on the roadside unit installation plan. In this case, the bus company may prepare the roadside unit installation plan, or the bus company and a taxi company may cooperate to prepare the roadside unit installation plan. Furthermore, if the vehicles to be managed are logistics vehicles, the driving planning system 1000A is provided as a system for a logistics company, and the logistics company prepares the roadside unit installation plan based on the roadside unit installation plan, but the users of the system are not limited to those described above.

[0105] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all respects and does not limit the present disclosure to the above. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0106] It should be noted that, within the scope of the present disclosure, the embodiments can be freely combined, modified, or omitted as appropriate.

Claims

1. A driving planning device that changes a vehicle's driving plan, comprising: a driving plan change unit that changes the driving plan based on at least one of pedestrian flow information, which is information about pedestrian flow, popular spot information, which is information about popular spots, real estate information, which is information about real estate, facility-related information, which is information about facilities, road information, which is information about roads, and roadside unit installation information, which is information about installed roadside units, in an area in which the vehicle travels; and a driving plan output unit that outputs the changed driving plan, wherein the pedestrian flow information includes information about pedestrian flow based on the number of people using commercial facilities or tourist spots.

2. The travel planning device according to claim 1, wherein the travel plan includes at least one of a travel route, a stop position, a departure time, an arrival time, and a number of flights.

3. A driving planning device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the popular spot information includes at least one of the number of times a word related to the spot has been searched on the Internet, the number of times the word related to the spot has been posted on the Internet, and word-of-mouth information about the spot.

4. A driving planning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the real estate information includes at least one of real estate buying and selling information, real estate registration information, tenant information, and tenant recruitment status.

5. A travel planning device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the facility-related information includes at least one of construction plan information for the facility, demolition plan information for the facility, maintenance information for the facility, and renovation information for the facility.

6. A travel planning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the road information includes any one of past congestion information, driving difficulty, and stop installation difficulty.

7. A driving planning device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the roadside unit installation information includes a type of the roadside unit, an attachment position of the roadside unit, and an attachment attitude of the roadside unit, and the road information includes information regarding a three-dimensional shape of a static object on the road.

8. A driving planning system comprising: a driving planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and an operation management device which receives the modified driving plan, determines whether to adopt the modified driving plan, and, if the modified driving plan is adopted, manages the operation of the vehicle based on the modified driving plan.

9. The driving planning system according to claim 8, wherein, when the changed driving plan is rejected, the operation management device outputs a reason for the rejection to the driving plan device.

10. A driving planning system comprising: a driving planning device according to claim 7; a roadside device installation planning device having a roadside device installation planning unit that performs a roadside device installation plan based on the road information, the roadside device installation information, and the changed driving plan, and an installation plan output unit that outputs the roadside device installation plan; and a driving management device that receives the changed driving plan and the roadside device installation plan, determines whether to adopt the changed driving plan and the roadside device installation plan, and manages the operation of the vehicle based on the changed driving plan if the changed driving plan is adopted, and manages the installation of a new roadside device based on the roadside device installation plan if the roadside device installation plan is adopted.

11. The driving planning system according to claim 10, wherein the operation management device, if the changed driving plan is rejected, outputs a reason for rejection to the driving planning device, and, if the roadside unit installation plan is rejected, outputs a reason for rejection to the roadside unit installation planning unit.

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