Device and method

Abstract

A device comprising: a first feature amount acquisition unit that acquires a first feature amount relating to the environmental impact of a plurality of vehicles which move in a specific section; a second feature amount acquisition unit that acquires a second feature amount relating to the environmental impact of a vehicle of a user, on the basis of the state of movement of the vehicle of the user in the specific section; and a determination unit that, on the basis of the first feature amount and the second feature amount, determines whether or not the state of the environmental impact of the vehicle of the user in the specific section is an excessive impact.

Description

Apparatus and method

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method.

[0002] In the following Patent Document 1, the average speed of each section of the movement process and the CO ２ CO emissions are calculated from the emission coefficient and the travel distance for each section. ２ A technique for calculating emissions has been disclosed.

[0003] JP 2012-014215 A

[0004] Here, when a vehicle moves at a low speed, CO from the vehicle is less than when it moves at a high speed. ２ It is known that vehicles emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, including CO2, and have a large environmental impact. An example of a vehicle traveling at low speed is when the vehicle is traveling through a section where congestion may occur. For this reason, there is a need to raise users' awareness of reducing the environmental impact by determining the state of the environmental impact when the vehicle travels through a section where congestion may occur.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to appropriately evaluate the state of the environmental load of a vehicle traveling in a specific section.

[0006] The device according to the present disclosure includes a first feature acquisition unit that acquires a first feature related to the environmental load of multiple vehicles moving in a specific section, a second feature acquisition unit that acquires a second feature related to the environmental load of the user's vehicle based on the movement state of the user's vehicle in the specific section, and a determination unit that determines whether the environmental load state of the user's vehicle in the specific section is overloaded based on the first feature and the second feature.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately evaluate the state of the environmental load of a vehicle traveling in a specific section.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of processing in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing included in a method according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for acquiring a first feature amount included in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for determining the state of environmental load of a target vehicle of a target user included in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the device and method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the processing in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 is a system for evaluating the state of environmental load of a target vehicle 4 traveling through a specific section TS. In the processing in this embodiment, a device 10 included in the information processing system 1 evaluates the state of environmental load of a target vehicle 4 (an example of a user's vehicle) of a target user TU traveling through the specific section. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the device 10 evaluates the state of environmental load of the target vehicle 4 traveling through the specific section TS based on data obtained in the specific section TS and a general section US that is a section other than the specific section TS.

[0011] The specific section TS and the general section US are sections in which the vehicle 3 and the target vehicle 4 can travel, and are sections having a predetermined distance. The specific section TS and the general section US are, for example, a partial section of a road. The specific section TS is, for example, a section where traffic jams frequently occur. The specific section TS may be, for example, a partial section of a newly constructed road. The general section US is a section other than the specific section TS. The process of setting the specific section TS and the general section US will be described later.

[0012] The target vehicle 4 of the target user TU is a vehicle that can travel in the specific section TS and the general section US. The vehicles 3 of each of multiple general users GU, who are users other than the target user TU, are vehicles that can travel in the specific section TS and the general section US. The types of vehicles 3 and the target vehicle 4 are not limited. Hereinafter, the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU may be simply referred to as the target vehicle 4, and the vehicle 3 of the general user GU may be simply referred to as the vehicle 3.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , the device 10 acquires movement status information for multiple vehicles 3 in a specific section TS and a general section US from multiple terminals 13 owned by multiple general users GU via a movement status information server 11. The device 10 acquires road information related to the specific section TS and the general section US via a road information server 12. Based on the acquired information, the device 10 sets the specific section TS and determines whether the environmental load state of a target vehicle 4 traveling in the specific section TS is overloaded. Based on this determination, the device 10 outputs environmental load information, which is information related to the environmental load state, to the terminal 13 of the target user TU. In this embodiment, determining whether the environmental load state is overloaded and outputting the environmental load information may be referred to as evaluating the environmental load state.

[0014] Next, the process of evaluating the environmental load state will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the device according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing system 1 includes a device 10, a movement state information server 11, a road information server 12, a terminal 13 of a general user GU, and a terminal 14 of a target user TU. The device 10 is communicatively connected to the movement state information server 11, the road information server 12, the terminal 13 of the general user GU, and the terminal 14 of the target user TU. The device 10 includes a first movement state acquisition unit 20, a second movement state acquisition unit 30 (an example of a detection unit), a setting unit 40, a distance acquisition unit 50, a first feature amount acquisition unit 60, a second feature amount acquisition unit 70, a determination unit 80, and an output unit 90.

[0015] The road information server 12 is a server that stores road information. The road information is information about roads within a specified area. The roads in question include national highways, prefectural roads, and high-standard trunk roads. The road information is information about roads in specific sections TS and general sections US. The road information includes the location, shape, number of lanes, etc. of the road. The road information also includes the distance of a section connecting a specified position to another specified position. A specified position may be the location of a fork or an intersection, or the location of a sign such as a distance marker (kilometer post). In this embodiment, the road is composed of at least one section separated by, for example, a distance marker.

[0016] A plurality of general users GU have a plurality of terminals 13. A target user TU has at least one terminal 14. In this embodiment, the terminal 13 and the terminal 14 are the same terminal. The terminals 13 and 14 are located in a vehicle 3 and a target vehicle 4 traveling in a specific section TS and a general section US. The terminals 13 and 14 may be brought into the vehicle 3 and the target vehicle 4 by the general user GU and the target user TU.

[0017] The terminals 13 and 14 are communicatively connected to the moving state information server 11. The terminal 14 is communicatively connected to the device 10. The terminals 13 and 14 may be communicatively connected to the road information server 12. The terminals 13 and 14 are configured to be able to acquire location information of, for example, a smartphone. The terminals 13 and 14 transmit the acquired location information, the time when the location information was acquired, and a user ID that is an identifier for the terminals 13 and 14 to the moving state information server 11. The location information acquired by the terminals 13 and 14 represents the location information of the vehicle 3 and the target vehicle 4, respectively. The location information may be coordinates acquired by a GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0018] The movement state information server 11 is a server that stores movement state information of a plurality of vehicles 3 and target vehicles 4. The movement state information is information relating to the movement state of each of the vehicles 3 and target vehicles 4. The movement state information is information input to the terminals 13, 14 by the general user GU and the target user TU. The movement states of the vehicles 3 and target vehicles 4 include information on the vehicles 3 and target vehicles 4, as well as position information on the vehicles 3 and target vehicles 4, and the time when the position information was acquired.

[0019] The information on vehicle 3 and target vehicle 4 includes at least information related to vehicle type. The information related to vehicle type includes information that enables determination of drive energy, such as gasoline vehicle, hybrid vehicle (HV), electric vehicle (EV), etc. The information on vehicle 3 and target vehicle 4 in this embodiment includes, for example, greenhouse gas emissions by travel speed for each vehicle type. Greenhouse gases include, for example, carbon dioxide. The information on vehicle 3 and target vehicle 4 may also include, for example, travelable distance per unit amount of fuel (fuel efficiency). In this case, the information on vehicle 3 and target vehicle 4 may also include greenhouse gas emissions per unit amount of fuel according to the type of fuel.

[0020] Next, the functional units of the device 10 will be described. The first movement state acquisition unit 20 has a first vehicle information acquisition unit 21 and a first movement speed acquisition unit 22. The first vehicle information acquisition unit 21 acquires information about the vehicles 3 from the movement state information server 11. In this embodiment, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 21 acquires, as an example of the information about the vehicles 3, greenhouse gas emissions by movement speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4. Note that the first vehicle information acquisition unit 21 may also acquire greenhouse gas emissions by movement speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the most numerous vehicle among the multiple vehicles 3 passing through each section of the road.

[0021] The first movement speed acquisition unit 22 calculates the movement speed of each of the plurality of vehicles 3. The first movement speed acquisition unit 22 acquires, from the movement state information server 11, the position information of the vehicle 3 acquired from the terminal 13 and the time when the position information was acquired. The first movement speed acquisition unit 22 acquires, from the road information server 12, road information including information on road sections.

[0022] The first movement speed acquisition unit 22 calculates the movement speed of the vehicle 3 based on the position information of the vehicle 3 acquired from the terminal 13 and the time when the position information was acquired. Specifically, the first movement speed acquisition unit 22 calculates the movement speed of the vehicle 3 for each section of a road based on the position information of the vehicle 3 acquired from the terminal 13 and the time when the position information was acquired. Note that the movement speed for each section calculated by each of the multiple terminals 13 may be a value transmitted to the movement state information server 11. In this case, the first movement speed acquisition unit 22 may acquire the movement speed from the movement state information server 11.

[0023] The first travel speed acquisition unit 22 calculates a feature amount of the travel speeds of the multiple vehicles 3 for each time period. The feature amount may be an average value, a median value, etc. The time period may be, for example, an hourly period per day, or a period of morning, noon, evening, or night per day.

[0024] The setting unit 40 sets, as a specific section, a target road section where the variance value of the travel speed for each time period is equal to or greater than a threshold. The setting unit 40 extracts at least one target road from roads in a predetermined area stored in the road information server 12, for example. The target road is a target road having a section where a specific section TS or a general section US can be set.

[0025] The setting unit 40 calculates a variance value of the movement speeds of the plurality of vehicles 3 for each time period based on the movement speeds of the plurality of vehicles 3 acquired by the first movement speed acquisition unit 22. The setting unit 40 sets, as the specific section TS, a section (target road section) included in at least one extracted target road where the variance value of the movement speeds of the plurality of vehicles 3 for each time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

[0026] The specific section TS is composed of at least one section included in the target road. The setting unit 40 defines a plurality of adjacent sections, in which the variance value of the travel speeds of a plurality of vehicles 3 for each time period is equal to or greater than a threshold, as one specific section TS. A specific section TS of the target road in which the variance value of the travel speeds of a plurality of vehicles 3 for each time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold is estimated to be a section in which traffic congestion frequently occurs. The above-mentioned threshold can be set by at least one of the road operator, the vehicle manager, and the terminal manager.

[0027] The setting unit 40 sets, as a general section US, a section (target road section) included in at least one extracted target road, in which the variance value of the travel speeds of the multiple vehicles 3 for each time period is less than a predetermined threshold. The general section US is made up of at least one section included in the target road. The setting unit 40 sets, as a general section US, multiple sections in which the variance value of the travel speeds of the multiple vehicles 3 for each time period is less than the threshold.

[0028] The distance acquisition unit 50 acquires the distance of the specific section TS. The distance acquisition unit 50 acquires road information from the road information server 12. The distance acquisition unit 50 calculates the distance of the specific section TS set by the setting unit 40 based on the road information.

[0029] The second moving state acquisition unit 30 has a second vehicle information acquisition unit 31 and a second moving speed acquisition unit 32. The second vehicle information acquisition unit 31 acquires information on the target vehicle 4 from the moving state information server 11. The second vehicle information acquisition unit 31 of the present embodiment acquires greenhouse gas emissions by moving speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4.

[0030] The second movement speed acquisition unit 32 calculates the movement speed of the target vehicle 4 moving through or having moved through the specific section TS. The second movement speed acquisition unit 32 acquires the distance of the specific section TS set by the setting unit 40 from the distance acquisition unit 50. The second movement speed acquisition unit 32 calculates the movement speed of the target vehicle 4 through the specific section TS based on the position information of the target vehicle 4 acquired from the terminal 14, the time when the position information was acquired, and the distance of the specific section TS. The second movement speed acquisition unit 32 calculates, for example, an entry time when the target vehicle 4 enters the start point of the specific section TS and an exit time when the target vehicle 4 exits the end point of the specific section TS. The second movement speed acquisition unit 32 calculates the movement speed of the target vehicle 4 through the specific section TS by, for example, dividing the distance of the specific section TS by a value obtained by subtracting the entry time from the exit time (the passage time through the specific section TS).

[0031] The moving speed of the target vehicle 4 in the specific section TS calculated by the terminal 14 may be a value transmitted to the moving state information server 11. In this case, the second moving speed acquisition unit 32 may acquire the moving speed from the moving state information server 11.

[0032] The first feature amount acquisition unit 60 acquires first feature amounts related to the environmental loads of multiple vehicles 3 traveling in the specific section TS. The first feature amount acquisition unit 60 of this embodiment calculates the first feature amounts. The first feature amount acquisition unit 60 acquires greenhouse gas emissions by travel speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4 from the first vehicle information acquisition unit 21 as an example of information on the vehicles 3.

[0033] The first feature amount acquisition unit 60 acquires feature amounts of the movement speeds of the multiple vehicles 3 in the specific section TS from the first movement speed acquisition unit 22. The first feature amount acquisition unit 60 acquires feature amounts of the movement speeds of the multiple vehicles 3 during a time period when the target vehicle 4 is passing through or has passed through the specific section TS from the first movement speed acquisition unit 22. Note that if the specific section TS is a section that includes multiple sections of a target road in road information stored in the road information server, the first feature amount acquisition unit 60 acquires feature amounts of the movement speeds of the multiple vehicles in the multiple sections. In this case, the first feature amount acquisition unit 60 calculates the average or median of the feature amounts of the movement speeds of the multiple vehicles in the multiple sections as the feature amounts of the movement speeds of the multiple vehicles in the specific section TS.

[0034] The first feature amount acquisition unit 60 calculates the first feature amount of the specific section TS during the time period when the target vehicle 4 passed through the specific section TS by multiplying the greenhouse gas emission amount for each travel speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4 by the feature amount of the travel speeds of the multiple vehicles 3. In this case, the first feature amount is a feature amount related to the greenhouse gas emission amount. The first feature amount indicates the average (general) greenhouse gas emission amount of each vehicle 3 passing through the specific section TS.

[0035] The second feature amount acquisition unit 70 acquires a second feature amount related to the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU based on the movement state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU in the specific section TS. The second feature amount acquisition unit 70 of the present embodiment calculates the second feature amount. The second feature amount acquisition unit 70 acquires greenhouse gas emissions by movement speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4 from the second vehicle information acquisition unit 31.

[0036] The second feature amount acquisition unit 70 acquires the travel speed of the target vehicle 4 in the specific section TS from the second travel speed acquisition unit 32. The second feature amount acquisition unit 70 calculates the second feature amount in the specific section TS by multiplying the greenhouse gas emissions for each travel speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4 by the feature amount of the travel speed of the target vehicle 4. In this case, the second feature amount is a feature amount related to the greenhouse gas emissions. The second feature amount indicates the greenhouse gas emissions specific to the target vehicle 4 passing through the specific section TS.

[0037] The determination unit 80 determines whether the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU in the specific section TS is overloaded based on the first feature amount and the second feature amount. The determination unit 80 compares the value obtained by adding a predetermined threshold to the first feature amount with the second feature amount to determine whether the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU is overloaded. The predetermined threshold is used when determining whether the travel is an environmentally friendly, ecological vehicle. The threshold may be set by at least one of the road operator, the vehicle manager, and the terminal manager. For example, the determination unit 80 determines that the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU is overloaded when it determines that the second feature amount exceeds the value obtained by adding the predetermined threshold to the first feature amount, or when it determines that the second feature amount is equal to or greater than the value obtained by adding the first feature amount to the predetermined threshold. The environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 being overloaded refers to a state in which the travel (movement) of the target vehicle 4 is not environmentally friendly, ecological, and causes serious damage to the global environment compared to the travel (movement) of other vehicles 3.

[0038] The output unit 90 outputs the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 based on the determination by the determination unit 80. The output unit 90 outputs, for example, a notification regarding information regarding the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 to the terminal 14. In this case, the terminal 14 receives a push notification regarding the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 from the output unit 90. The terminal 14 displays the information regarding the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 in response to a user operation in response to the push notification. The information regarding the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 includes, for example, at least one piece of information: the second feature amount, the difference between the second feature amount and the value obtained by adding a predetermined threshold to the first feature amount, map information of the specific section TS, the distance of the specific section TS, and the time period during which the target vehicle 4 passed through the specific section.

[0039] Next, a method MT executed by the device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing included in the method according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the method MT includes steps S10 and S20.

[0040] First, in step S10, the device 10 acquires a first feature amount. In step S10, the device 10 sets a specific section TS and acquires the first feature amount. Details will be described later.

[0041] Subsequently, in step S20, the device 10 determines the state of environmental load of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU. In step S10, the device 10 acquires a second feature amount and determines the state of environmental load of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU. Details will be described later.

[0042] Next, the process executed as step S10 in the device 10 according to this embodiment will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for acquiring (calculating) the first feature amount included in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, first, in step S11, the first movement status acquisition unit 20 acquires the movement speeds of the multiple vehicles 3. The first movement speed acquisition unit 22 acquires the movement speeds of the multiple vehicles 3 from the movement status information server 11.

[0043] Next, in step S12, the setting unit 40 sets a specific section TS. Based on the travel speeds of the plurality of vehicles 3 acquired by the first travel speed acquisition unit 22, the setting unit 40 sets a section (target road section) in which the variance value of the travel speeds of the plurality of vehicles 3 for each time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold as the specific section TS.

[0044] Next, in step S13, the distance acquisition unit 50 acquires the distance of the specific section TS. The distance acquisition unit 50 acquires road information related to the specific section TS from the road information server 12, and calculates the distance of the specific section TS based on the road information.

[0045] Next, in step S14, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 21 acquires information on the plurality of vehicles 3 from the movement state information server 11. The first vehicle information acquisition unit 21 acquires, as an example of the information on the vehicles 3, greenhouse gas emissions by movement speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4.

[0046] Next, in step S15, the first feature amount acquisition unit 60 calculates a first feature amount. The first feature amount acquisition unit 60 calculates the first feature amount of the specific section TS in the time period when the target vehicle 4 passed through the specific section TS by multiplying the greenhouse gas emissions by travel speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4 by the feature amount of the travel speeds of the multiple vehicles 3. Step S10 ends when the first feature amount acquisition unit 60 calculates the first feature amount.

[0047] Next, the process executed as step S20 in the device 10 according to this embodiment will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for determining the state of environmental load of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU included in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 5 , first, in step S21, the determination unit 80 determines whether the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU has traveled (moved) through a specific section TS. The determination unit 80 determines whether the target user TU has moved through the specific section TS based on the location information of the terminal 14 of the target user TU. If it is determined that the location of the terminal 14 of the target user TU is located within the specific section TS, the determination unit 80 determines that the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU has moved through the specific section TS, and proceeds to step S22. If it is determined that the target vehicle 4 has not moved through the specific section TS, the determination unit 80 determines that the target user TU has not moved through the specific section TS, and ends step S20.

[0048] In step S22, the second moving state acquisition unit 30 acquires the moving state from the moving state information server 11. The second vehicle information acquisition unit 31 acquires information on the target vehicle 4 from the moving state information server 11. The second moving speed acquisition unit 32 calculates the moving speed of the target vehicle 4 in the specific section TS based on the position information of the target vehicle 4 acquired from the terminal 14, the time when the position information was acquired, and the distance of the specific section TS.

[0049] In step S23, the second feature amount acquiring unit 70 acquires the second feature amount. The second feature amount acquiring unit 70 calculates the second feature amount for the specific section TS by multiplying the greenhouse gas emissions by travel speed of the vehicle type corresponding to the target vehicle 4 by the feature amount of the travel speed of the target vehicle 4.

[0050] In step S24, the determination unit 80 determines whether the second feature amount exceeds a value obtained by adding a predetermined threshold to the first feature amount. If it is determined that the second feature amount exceeds a value obtained by adding the first feature amount to the predetermined threshold, the determination unit 80 determines that the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU is overloaded, and proceeds to step S25. If it is determined that the second feature amount does not exceed a value obtained by adding the first feature amount to the predetermined threshold, the determination unit 80 determines that the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU is not overloaded, and ends step S20.

[0051] In step S25, the output unit 90 outputs the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 based on the determination by the determination unit 80. The terminal 14 displays the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4, for example, based on the output of the output unit 90. When step S25 is completed, the processing in step S20 ends.

[0052] Next, the effects of the device 10 and method according to the present embodiment will be described in comparison with the prior art. In order to realize a sustainable society, there is a demand for ecological behavior that reduces emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

[0053] It is known that greenhouse gas emissions vary depending on the vehicle's speed, with the slower the vehicle travel, the greater the greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is important to avoid driving at low speeds in areas where congestion occurs. However, while conventional technology calculates and displays to users the greenhouse gas emission reductions associated with non-car transportation (walking, public transportation, etc.), it has not identified a method for evaluating environmentally friendly vehicle travel and displaying the results to users.

[0054] Additionally, there are efforts to calculate greenhouse gas emissions by taking into account the distance traveled, speed, gradient, etc. when a vehicle is traveling, but these efforts do not clearly show users whether the resulting greenhouse gas emissions are causing an excessive environmental load.

[0055] In the device 10 and method MT of this embodiment, it is determined whether the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU in the specific section TS is overloaded, based on the first feature amount and the second feature amount. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately evaluate the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 moving in the specific section TS and appropriately provide the target user TU with information about the environmental load state.

[0056] In the present embodiment, the device 10 may further include a second movement state acquisition unit 30 (an example of a detection unit) that detects the movement state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU in the specific section TS. In this case, whether the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 is overloaded is appropriately determined in accordance with the actual movement state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU in the specific section TS.

[0057] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the movement state of the target vehicle 4 may include information about the target vehicle 4 and the movement speed of the target vehicle 4. In this case, the second movement state acquisition unit 30 acquires information about the target vehicle 4, such as the model of the target vehicle 4, and the movement speed of the target vehicle 4, thereby making it possible to appropriately acquire the actual movement state of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU. The movement state of the vehicle 3 may include information about the vehicle 3 and the movement speed of the vehicle 3. In this case, the first movement state acquisition unit 20 acquires information about the vehicle 3, such as the model of the vehicle 3, and the movement speed of the vehicle 3, thereby making it possible to appropriately acquire the actual movement state of the vehicle 3 of the general user GU.

[0058] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the moving speed of the target vehicle 4 may be derived based on the position information of the terminal 14 placed on the target vehicle 4. In this case, the second moving status acquisition unit 30 can acquire the position information of the target vehicle 4 from the position information of the terminal 14. Therefore, the information necessary for calculating the moving speed of the target vehicle 4 can be easily acquired using the terminal 14. In the present embodiment, the moving speed of the vehicle 3 may be derived based on the position information of the terminal 13 placed on the vehicle 3. In this case, the first moving status acquisition unit 20 can acquire the position information of the vehicle 3 from the position information of the terminal 13. Therefore, the information necessary for calculating the moving speed of the vehicle 3 can be easily acquired using the terminal 13.

[0059] In this embodiment, the device 10 may further include a first travel speed acquisition unit 22 (speed acquisition unit) that acquires travel speeds for each time period of a plurality of vehicles 3 traveling on a target road section, and a setting unit 40 that sets a target road section where the variance value of the travel speeds for each time period is equal to or greater than a threshold value as a specific section TS. In this case, the device 10 can appropriately evaluate the state of the environmental load of the target vehicles 4 on a section where traffic congestion is frequent or occurs, the target vehicles 4 travel at low speeds, and greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be high.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the device 10 may further include a distance acquisition unit 50 that acquires the distance of the specific section TS, and the second feature amount acquisition unit 70 may calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of the target vehicle 4 of the target user TU as the second feature amount based on the movement state and the distance of the specific section TS. In this case, the device 10 can appropriately evaluate the state of the environmental load of the target vehicle 4 based on the actual movement state of the target vehicle 4 in a section where greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be high.

[0061] In the present embodiment, the first feature amount and the second feature amount may be feature amounts related to greenhouse gas emissions. Note that the first feature amount and the second feature amount may be feature amounts related to the movement speeds of the plurality of vehicles 3 and the movement speed of the target vehicle 4.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, the device 10 may further include an output unit 90 that outputs the second feature to the terminal 14 placed in the target vehicle 4. The device 10 may further include an output unit 90 that outputs information regarding the determination result of the environmental load state by the determination unit 80 to the terminal 14 placed in the target vehicle 4. In this case, if the determination unit 80 determines that the environmental load state of the target vehicle 4 is overloaded, information regarding the environmental load state (the second feature, information regarding the determination result) is output to the terminal 14 of the target user TU. The device 10 can clearly present to the target user TU that the environmental load state is overloaded when traveling in a specific section TS. Furthermore, the device 10 can provide the target user TU with information about the importance of avoiding low-speed driving in a specific section TS, such as a section where congestion occurs, for example.

[0063] [About the Present Disclosure] The apparatus 10 and method MT of the present disclosure have the following configuration.

[0064] [1] A device comprising: a first feature acquisition unit that acquires a first feature related to the environmental load of a plurality of vehicles moving in a specific section; a second feature acquisition unit that acquires a second feature related to the environmental load of the user's vehicle based on the movement state of the user's vehicle in the specific section; and a determination unit that determines whether the environmental load state of the user's vehicle in the specific section is overloaded based on the first feature and the second feature.

[0065] [2] The device according to [1], further comprising a detection unit that detects a movement state of the user's vehicle in the specific section.

[0066] [3] The device according to [1] or [2], wherein the movement state includes information about the vehicle and a movement speed of the vehicle.

[0067] [4] The device according to [3], wherein the moving speed of the vehicle is derived based on position information of a terminal placed in the vehicle.

[0068] [5] The device described in any one of [1] to [4], further comprising: a speed acquisition unit that acquires the travel speeds for each time period of the plurality of vehicles traveling on a target road section; and a setting unit that sets the target road section where the variance value of the travel speeds for each time period is equal to or greater than a threshold value as the specific section.

[0069] [6] The device according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising a distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance of the specific section, wherein the second feature acquisition unit calculates the greenhouse gas emissions of the vehicle of the user as the second feature based on the movement state and the distance of the specific section.

[0070] [7] The device according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the first feature amount and the second feature amount are feature amounts related to greenhouse gas emissions.

[0071] [8] The device according to any one of [1] to [7], further comprising an output unit that outputs the second feature amount to a terminal arranged in the vehicle.

[0072] [9] The device according to any one of [1] to [8], further comprising an output unit that outputs information relating to the determination result of the environmental load state by the determination unit to a terminal arranged in the vehicle.

[0073]

[10] A method comprising: a step of acquiring a first characteristic amount related to the environmental load of a plurality of vehicles moving in a specific section; a step of acquiring a second characteristic amount related to the environmental load of the user's vehicle based on the movement state of the user's vehicle in the specific section; and a step of determining the state of the environmental load of the user's vehicle in the specific section based on the first characteristic amount and the second characteristic amount.

[0074] [Definition of Terms, etc.] The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are connected directly or indirectly (e.g., via wire, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining the single device or multiple devices with software.

[0075] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, assessment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0076] For example, the device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing to determine whether or not there has been a change in hobbies and preferences according to the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 10 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like.

[0077] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of apparatus 10 may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0078] Each function of the device 10 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication via the communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0079] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the first feature amount acquisition unit 60, the second feature amount acquisition unit 70, and the determination unit 80 described above may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0080] The processor 1001 also loads programs (program code), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with the programs. The programs used may be programs that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the first feature acquisition unit 60, the second feature acquisition unit 70, the determination unit 80, etc. may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be used for other functional blocks. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by a single processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0081] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by, for example, at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of, for example, an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0083] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the first feature acquisition unit 60 and the second feature acquisition unit 70 described above may be realized by the communication device 1004. The communication device 1004 may be implemented with a transmitter and a receiver that are physically or logically separated from each other.

[0084] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0085] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0086] The device 10 may also be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0087] The notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI) and Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB) and System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0088] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0089] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be sent to another device.

[0090] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0091] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0092] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0093] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0094] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0095] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0096] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0097] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, may be expressed using relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or may be expressed using other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0098] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0099] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0100] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0101] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0102] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0103] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0104] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0105] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0106] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0107] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0108] 3...vehicle, 4...target vehicle (an example of a user's vehicle), 10...device, 13, 14...terminal, 20...first movement state acquisition unit, 30...second movement state acquisition unit (an example of a detection unit), 32...second movement speed acquisition unit (an example of a speed acquisition unit), 40...setting unit, 50...distance acquisition unit, 60...first feature acquisition unit, 70...second feature acquisition unit, 80...determination unit, 90...output unit, 1001...processor, 1002...memory, 1003...storage, 1004...communication device, 1005...input device, 1006...output device, 1007...bus, MT...method, TS...specific section, TU...target user (an example of a user), US...general section.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: a first feature acquisition unit that acquires a first feature related to the environmental load of multiple vehicles moving in a specific section; a second feature acquisition unit that acquires a second feature related to the environmental load of the user's vehicle based on the movement state of the user's vehicle in the specific section; and a judgment unit that judges whether the environmental load state of the user's vehicle in the specific section is overloaded based on the first feature and the second feature.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit that detects the movement state of the user's vehicle in the specific section.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the movement state includes information about the vehicle and a movement speed of the vehicle.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the moving speed of the vehicle is derived based on location information of a terminal placed in the vehicle.

5. The device described in claim 1, further comprising: a speed acquisition unit that acquires the travel speeds for each time period of the plurality of vehicles traveling on the target road section; and a setting unit that sets the target road section where the variance value of the travel speeds for each time period is equal to or greater than a threshold as the specific section.

6. The device described in claim 1, further comprising a distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance of the specific section, wherein the second feature acquisition unit calculates the greenhouse gas emissions of the user's vehicle as the second feature based on the travel state and the distance of the specific section.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first feature amount and the second feature amount are feature amounts related to greenhouse gas emissions.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs the second feature amount to a terminal disposed in the vehicle.

9. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs information relating to the determination result of the environmental load state by the determination unit to a terminal disposed in the vehicle.

10. A method comprising: a step of acquiring a first characteristic amount related to the environmental load of a plurality of vehicles moving in a specific section; a step of acquiring a second characteristic amount related to the environmental load of the user's vehicle based on the movement state of the user's vehicle in the specific section; and a step of determining the state of the environmental load of the user's vehicle in the specific section based on the first characteristic amount and the second characteristic amount.

Images