JP7224958B2 - Notification device and notification method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to notification technology for vehicles.

Patent Literature 1 describes a driving support device. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200000 describes a technology related to an in-vehicle device.

JP 2014-112430 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-310189

It is desirable to improve the convenience of notification technology for vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technology capable of improving the convenience of notification technology for vehicles.

A notification device and notification method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the notification device is a notification device comprising a first imaging device . The notification device includes a first identification unit and a communication unit. The first identification unit identifies a specific event on the roadway around the first imaging device . The communication unit, when a specific event is identified, sends a first notification including a notification instructing the vehicle on the roadway to take an image. Certain events include the placement of a fallen person in the roadway as an object obstructing vehicle traffic.

Also, in one embodiment, the notification method is a notification method in a device including an imaging device . The notification method comprises the step of identifying, as a specific event on the roadway around the imaging device , that a fallen person obstructing vehicle traffic is located on the roadway . The notification method includes the step of notifying a vehicle on the roadway to take a picture when a specific event is identified.

The convenience of notification technology for vehicles is improved.

1 illustrates an example of a communication system; FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communication system; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a portable electronic device; FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of a portable electronic device. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of a roadside machine. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the electronic device mounted in a vehicle. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of a center apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation|movement of a notification apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that a pedestrian is located on a roadway. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that a pedestrian is located on a roadway. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation|movement of a notification apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation|movement of a notification apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation|movement of a notification apparatus.

<Outline of communication system>
1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of a communication system 1. FIG. The communication system 1 is, for example, a system used in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Specifically, the communication system 1 can be used as an ITS safe driving support communication system. A driving safety support communication system is called a driving safety support system or a driving safety support radio system.

As shown in FIG. 1, a communication system 1 includes a plurality of portable electronic devices 2, a plurality of roadside units 3, a plurality of vehicles 4 each equipped with a plurality of electronic devices 40, and a center device 5. Prepare. It can be said that the center device 5 is an information processing device. A plurality of portable electronic devices 2 , a plurality of roadside devices 3 , a plurality of electronic devices 40 and a center device 5 are connected to a network 6 . A plurality of portable electronic devices 2 , a plurality of roadside devices 3 , a plurality of electronic devices 40 , and the center device 5 can communicate with each other through the network 6 . The vehicle 4 is capable of communicating with other devices, such as the portable electronic device 2, by means of electronic equipment 40 mounted thereon. The network 6 includes relay devices, the Internet, and the like. Hereinafter, the portable electronic device 2 may be simply referred to as the electronic device 2 in some cases. Also, the electronic device 40 mounted on the vehicle 4 may be called an in-vehicle device 40 . The portable electronic device 2 can also be called a mobile device.

The roadside unit 3 is located, for example, near a pedestrian crossing 80 provided on the roadway 8, as shown in FIG. The roadway 8 shown in FIG. 2 is a roadway with one lane on each side, and includes a first lane 8a and a second lane 8b that is the opposing lane of the first lane 8a. The roadside unit 3 is located near the first lane 8a, for example.

Near the roadway 8, there are two sidewalks 9 attached to the roadway 8 along the roadway 8. - 特許庁The two sidewalks 9 include a sidewalk 9a along the first lane 8a and sidewalk 9b along the first lane 8a and a sidewalk 9b along the second lane 8b and sidewalk 8b.

Here, in this example, the sidewalk is a road for pedestrians to pass along the roadway. Pedestrian crossings that cross the roadway are separate from sidewalks and are included in the roadway.

Two vehicle traffic lights 10 are positioned above the roadway 8 for controlling the passage of vehicles 4 on a pedestrian crossing 80 . The two vehicular traffic signals 10 are located above the first lane 8a and are visible to the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling on the first lane 8a, and the vehicular traffic signal 10a is located above the second lane 8b, and a vehicle traffic light 10b that can be visually recognized by the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling on the second lane 8b.

Also, two pedestrian traffic lights 11 for controlling pedestrian crossings 80 are located near the roadway 8 . The two pedestrian traffic lights 11 include a pedestrian traffic light 11a positioned above the sidewalk 9a on the side of the first lane 8a and a pedestrian traffic light 11b positioned above the sidewalk 9b on the side of the second lane 8b. . A pedestrian crossing the pedestrian crossing 80 from the sidewalk 9b toward the sidewalk 9a can visually recognize the traffic light 11a for pedestrians. On the other hand, a pedestrian crossing the crosswalk 80 from the sidewalk 9a side to the sidewalk 9b side can visually recognize the pedestrian traffic light 11b.

In the communication system 1, the roadside unit 3, the vehicle 4 such as an automobile running on the roadway 8, and the electronic device 2 possessed by the user 20 walking on the sidewalk 9 can communicate with each other. The user 20 is a person and can also be said to be a pedestrian. In addition, multiple vehicles 4 can communicate with each other. The communication between the roadside device 3 and the vehicle 4, the communication between the vehicles 4, the communication between the roadside device 3 and the pedestrian's electronic device 2, and the communication between the pedestrian's electronic device 2 and the vehicle 4 are respectively , road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-foot communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. Henceforth, the user 20 may be called the pedestrian 20. FIG.

The electronic device 2 can transmit the position information of the electronic device 2 and the like to the center device 5 or the like in response to a predetermined input from the user 20 . The user 20 makes a predetermined input to the electronic device 2, for example, when trouble occurs in himself/herself. The center device 5 can perform predetermined processing when a trouble occurs in the user 20 of the electronic device 2 . The electronic device 2 carried by the pedestrian 20 is sometimes called a walking terminal.

The roadside device 3 includes a camera 320 and a display unit 340, which will be described later, as shown in FIG. The driver of the vehicle 4 traveling on the first lane 8a and the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling on the second lane 8b can see the display on the display unit 340 of the roadside unit 3 visually.

The roadside units 3 located near the crosswalk 80 include vehicle traffic signals 10a and 10b for controlling traffic of vehicles 4 on the crosswalk 80, and pedestrian traffic signals 10a and 10b for controlling traffic on the crosswalk 80. It is possible to control traffic signals 11a and 11b. It can be said that the roadside device 3 is capable of controlling the vehicle traffic lights 10a and 10b and the pedestrian traffic lights 11a and 11b located in its vicinity.

Further, the roadside device 3 can notify the vehicle 4 and the electronic device 2 of, for example, information about the lights of the traffic signal 10 for vehicles and the traffic signal for pedestrians 11 and information about road regulations. In addition, the roadside unit 3 can detect vehicles 4 and pedestrians around it. A roadside unit 3 located near the pedestrian crossing 80 can detect a pedestrian crossing the pedestrian crossing 80, for example. Then, the roadside device 3 can notify the vehicle 4 and the electronic device 2 of the detected information regarding the vehicle 4 and the pedestrian. Further, the roadside device 3 can notify other vehicles 4 and electronic devices 2 of information notified from the vehicles 4 and the electronic devices 2 .

The vehicle 4 can notify the other vehicles 4, the roadside device 3, and the electronic device 2 of its own position, speed, information about the blinker, and the like using the in-vehicle device 40 . The vehicle 4 can assist the driver in driving safely by giving various notifications such as warnings to the driver based on information notified from other devices. The vehicle 4 can make various notifications to the driver using the speaker, the display device, and the like provided in the vehicle-mounted device 40 .

In the communication system 1 of this example, one roadside device 3 and one center device 5 constitute a notification device 7 (see FIG. 1) that notifies the vehicle 4 . The notification device 7 identifies specific events on the roadway 8 around the roadside unit 3 . Then, when a specific event is specified, the notification device 7 notifies the vehicle 4 on the roadway 8 around the roadside unit 3 . The notification device 7 can also be said to be a notification system. In this example, since the communication system 1 includes a plurality of roadside devices 3 , the communication system 1 includes a plurality of notification devices 7 each including a plurality of roadside devices 3 . The operation of the notification device 7 will be described later in detail.

Thus, the communication system 1 supports the safe driving of the driver of the vehicle 4 by performing road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-walk communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication.

In the example of FIG. 2, an automobile vehicle is shown as the vehicle 4, but the vehicle 4 may be a vehicle other than an automobile. For example, the vehicle 4 may be a bus vehicle or a tram vehicle.

<Configuration example of electronic device>
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the electronic device 2. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the electronic device 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 , the electronic device 2 includes a case 21 that forms an exterior of the electronic device 2 . The case 21 has, for example, an elongated plate shape, and is shaped so that the user 20 can hold it with one hand. The electronic device 2 is, for example, a device owned by a child or an elderly person. Note that the user 20 of the electronic device 2 may be someone other than children and the elderly. Also, the shape of the case 21 is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

The electronic device 2 includes, in addition to the case 21, a control section 200, a communication section 210, an operation button 220, a satellite signal receiving section 230, and a buzzer 240, as shown in FIG. Control unit 200 , communication unit 210 , operation button 220 , satellite signal reception unit 230 and buzzer 240 are housed inside case 21 . A part of the surface of the operation button 220 is exposed from the case 21 so that the user 20 can operate the operation button 220 .

The control unit 200 can comprehensively manage the operation of the electronic device 2 by controlling other components of the electronic device 2 . The control unit 200 can also be called a control device or a control circuit. Control unit 200 includes at least one processor to provide control and processing power to perform various functions, as described in further detail below.

According to various embodiments, the at least one processor may be implemented as a single integrated circuit (IC) or as a plurality of communicatively connected integrated circuits IC and/or discrete circuits. good. The at least one processor can be implemented according to various known techniques.

In one embodiment, a processor includes one or more circuits or units configured to perform one or more data computing procedures or processes, such as by executing instructions stored in associated memory. In other embodiments, the processor may be firmware (eg, discrete logic components) configured to perform one or more data computing procedures or processes.

According to various embodiments, the processor is one or more processors, controllers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays, or any of these. Any combination of devices or configurations, or other known combinations of devices and configurations, may be included to perform the functions described below.

In this example, the control unit 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 and a storage unit 202 . The storage unit 202 includes non-temporary recording media readable by the CPU 201, such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM included in the storage unit 202 is, for example, a flash ROM (flash memory) that is nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 202 stores a control program 202a for controlling the electronic device 2 and the like. Various functions of the control unit 200 are realized by the CPU 201 executing a control program 202 a in the storage unit 202 .

Note that the configuration of the control unit 200 is not limited to the above example. For example, the control unit 200 may include multiple CPUs 201 . Also, the control unit 200 may include at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Also, all the functions of the control unit 200 or part of the functions of the control unit 200 may be implemented by hardware circuits that do not require software to implement the functions. The storage unit 202 may also include a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium other than the ROM and RAM. The storage unit 202 may include, for example, a small hard disk drive and an SSD (Solid State Drive).

The communication unit 210 is connected to the network 6 at least either wiredly or wirelessly. The communication unit 210 of the electronic device 2 can communicate with other electronic devices 2 , the roadside device 3 , the vehicle-mounted device 40 and the center device 5 through the network 6 . Also, the communication unit 210 can directly communicate wirelessly with the roadside device 3 without going through the network 6 . The communication unit 210 can perform direct wireless communication with the roadside device 3 using, for example, the 700 MHz band assigned to the ITS. Communication unit 210 outputs information received from another device to control unit 200 . Communication unit 210 transmits information from control unit 200 to other devices. The communication unit 210 can also be said to be a communication circuit. Hereinafter, simply speaking of the 700 MHz band means the 700 MHz band assigned to the ITS.

The communication unit 210 of the electronic device 2 may be able to directly communicate with at least one of the other electronic device 2 , the vehicle-mounted device 40 and the center device 5 without going through the network 6 . In this case, the communication unit 210 may perform direct wireless communication with at least one of the other electronic device 2, the vehicle-mounted device 40, and the center device 5 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Also, the communication unit 210 may be capable of wirelessly communicating with a base station of a mobile phone system. In this case, the communication unit 210 can communicate with devices connected to the Internet (for example, mobile phones, web servers, etc.) through the base station. Also, the communication unit 210 may be capable of performing short-range wireless communication. For example, the communication unit 210 may be capable of wireless communication conforming to Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 210 may be capable of wireless communication using a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) such as WiFi. Also, the communication unit 210 may be capable of wireless communication based on another wireless communication scheme.

The operation button 220 is a button operated by the user 20 when trouble occurs in the user 20 . By operating the operation button 220 , the user 20 can notify the electronic device 2 that a trouble has occurred to the user 20 . The operation button 220 is, for example, a push button. A child or an elderly person possessing the electronic device 2 operates the operation button 220 when, for example, they are attacked by a suspicious person, suddenly become ill and cannot move, or are involved in a traffic accident. When the operation button 220 is operated, an operation signal is output from the operation button 220 to the control unit 200 . When an operation signal is input from operation button 220, control unit 200 determines that operation button 220 has been operated.

The satellite signal receiving unit 230 can receive satellite signals transmitted by positioning satellites. The satellite signal reception unit 230 can also be said to be a satellite signal reception circuit. The satellite signal reception unit 230 can acquire position information indicating the absolute position of the electronic device 2 (in other words, the position in the absolute coordinate system) based on the received satellite signal. It can be said that the satellite signal reception unit 230 is a position acquisition unit or a position acquisition circuit that acquires the position information of the electronic device 2 . The position information acquired by the satellite signal receiving unit 230 is represented by latitude, longitude and altitude, for example. Hereinafter, the satellite signal receiving section 230 may be simply referred to as the receiving section 230 in some cases.

The receiving unit 230 is, for example, a GPS receiver, and can receive radio signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning satellites. The receiving unit 230 calculates the current position of the electronic device 2 by, for example, latitude, longitude and altitude based on the received radio signal, and outputs position information including the calculated latitude, longitude and altitude to the control unit 200 . The receiving unit 230 repeatedly acquires position information. It can also be said that the position information of the electronic device 2 is position information indicating the position of the user 20 holding the electronic device 2 .

Note that the receiving unit 230 may obtain the position information of the electronic device 2 based on signals from positioning satellites of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) other than GPS. For example, the receiving unit 230 receives signals from positioning satellites such as GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System), COMPASS, Galileo, or Quasi-Zenith Satellites System (QZSS). The position information of the electronic device 2 may be obtained.

Buzzer 240 outputs sound or stops outputting sound under the control of control unit 200 .

In this example, when the operation button 220 is operated, the control unit 200 generates trouble occurrence information indicating that the user 20 has a trouble. Then, the control unit 200 causes the communication unit 210 to transmit the generated trouble occurrence information to the center device 5, for example. The trouble occurrence information includes, for example, position information acquired by the receiving unit 230 and identification information of the electronic device 2 . Further, the control unit 200 of the electronic device 2 causes the communication unit 210 to transmit the trouble occurrence information to the roadside devices 3 around the electronic device 2 . At this time, the communication unit 210 broadcasts trouble occurrence information to the surrounding roadside units 3 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Henceforth, the operation button 220 may be called the trouble button 220. FIG.

The configuration of the electronic device 2 is not limited to the above example. For example, the electronic device 2 may include at least one of a speaker and a display. Alternatively, the electronic device 2 may be a mobile phone such as a smart phone. Also, the electronic device 2 may be, for example, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, a wearable device, or the like. The wearable device employed as the electronic device 2 may be a type worn on the arm such as a wristband type or a wristwatch type, or may be a type worn on the head such as a headband type or glasses type. , a type that is worn on the body, such as a clothing type.

<Configuration example of roadside unit>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the roadside unit 3. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 , the roadside device 3 includes a control section 300 , a communication section 310 , a camera 320 , a sensor 330 and a display section 340 . The control unit 300 can centrally manage the operation of the roadside device 3 by controlling other components of the roadside device 3 . The control unit 300 can also be called a control device or a control circuit. Control unit 300 includes at least one processor to provide control and processing power to perform various functions, as described in further detail below. The above description of the processor included in the control unit 200 of the electronic device 2 can also be applied to the processor included in the control unit 300 .

In this example, the control unit 300 includes a CPU 301 and a storage unit 302 . The storage unit 302 includes a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU 301, such as ROM and RAM. The ROM included in the storage unit 302 is, for example, a flash ROM that is nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 302 stores a control program 302a for controlling the roadside device 3 and the like. Various functions of the control unit 300 are implemented by the CPU 301 executing a control program 302 a in the storage unit 302 .

Note that the configuration of the control unit 300 is not limited to the above example. For example, the control unit 300 may include multiple CPUs 301 . Also, the control unit 300 may include at least one DSP. Further, all functions of the control unit 300 or some functions of the control unit 300 may be realized by a hardware circuit that does not require software to realize the functions. The storage unit 302 may also include a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium other than the ROM and RAM.

The communication unit 310 is connected to the network 6 at least either wiredly or wirelessly. The communication unit 310 of the roadside device 3 can communicate with the other roadside device 3 , the electronic device 2 , the vehicle-mounted device 40 and the center device 5 through the network 6 . In addition, the communication unit 310 of the roadside device 3 can directly wirelessly communicate with the other roadside device 3 , the electronic device 2 and the vehicle-mounted device 40 without going through the network 6 . The communication unit 310 can perform direct wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device 40 around the roadside device 3 and the electronic device 2 around the roadside device 3 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Also, the communication unit 310 of the roadside device 3 can perform direct wireless communication with the roadside device 3 adjacent to the roadside device 3 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Communication unit 310 outputs information received from another device to control unit 300 . Communication unit 310 transmits information from control unit 300 to other devices. The communication unit 310 can also be said to be a communication circuit.

The communication unit 310 is also connected to the vehicle traffic signal 10 and the pedestrian traffic signal 11 . The control unit 300 can control the vehicle traffic signal 10 and the pedestrian traffic signal 11 via the communication unit 310 .

Note that the communication unit 210 of the roadside device 3 may be able to directly communicate with the center device 5 without going through the network 6 . In this case, the communication unit 210 may perform direct wireless communication with the center device 5 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Also, the communication unit 310 may be capable of wireless communication with a base station of a mobile phone system. Also, the communication unit 310 may be capable of performing short-range wireless communication. Also, the communication unit 310 may be capable of performing wireless communication using a wireless LAN such as WiFi. Also, the communication unit 310 may be capable of wireless communication based on another wireless communication scheme.

A camera 320 is positioned above the roadway 8 or sidewalk 9 . The camera 320 can photograph the state of the road around the roadside unit 3 . In other words, the camera 320 can photograph the road around the traffic signal 10 for vehicles and the traffic signal for pedestrians 11 . In this example, the camera 320 can photograph the state of the pedestrian crossing 80 and the state of its surroundings. The camera 320 can capture the state of the portion around the crosswalk 80 on one sidewalk 9a and the state of the portion around the crosswalk 80 on the other sidewalk 9b. An image generated by camera 320 is input to control unit 300 . The camera 320 can shoot moving images, for example.

The sensor 330 can detect road conditions around the roadside unit 3 . Sensor 330 includes, for example, a radar sensor and an infrared sensor. Sensors 330 may, for example, detect pedestrians and vehicles 4 in the vicinity of roadside units 3 . Sensor 330 outputs the detection result to control unit 300 .

The display unit 340 is controlled by the control unit 300 to display various information such as characters, symbols, and graphics. The display unit 340 is positioned above the roadway 8, as shown in FIG. Thereby, the driver of the vehicle 4 on the roadway 8 can visually recognize the information displayed on the display unit 340 . The display unit 340 includes, for example, a light emitting diode as a light emitter. Note that the display unit 340 may include a light-emitting body other than the light-emitting diode. For example, the display unit 340 may be a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

<Configuration example of in-vehicle equipment>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 40. As shown in FIG. The in-vehicle device 40 includes, for example, a car navigation device and audio equipment including a radio. The in-vehicle device 40 may include only the car navigation device or only the audio device, out of the car navigation device and the audio device. The in-vehicle device 40 may also have a vehicle control function of controlling the lights, direction indicators, etc. of the vehicle 4 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the in-vehicle device 40 includes, for example, a control unit 400, a communication unit 410, a display unit 420, a touch panel 430, a satellite signal reception unit 440, a speaker 450, a sensor 460 and a camera 470.

The control unit 400 can comprehensively manage the operation of the vehicle-mounted device 40 by controlling other components of the vehicle-mounted device 40 . The control unit 400 can also be called a control device or a control circuit. Control unit 400 includes at least one processor to provide control and processing power to perform various functions, as described in further detail below. The above description of the processor included in the control unit 200 of the electronic device 2 can also be applied to the processor included in the control unit 400 .

In this example, the control unit 400 includes a CPU 401 and a storage unit 402 . The storage unit 402 includes a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU 401, such as ROM and RAM. The ROM included in the storage unit 402 is, for example, a flash ROM that is nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 402 stores a control program 402a for controlling the in-vehicle device 40 and the like. Various functions of the control unit 400 are implemented by the CPU 401 executing a control program 402 a in the storage unit 402 .

Note that the configuration of the control unit 400 is not limited to the above example. For example, the control unit 400 may include multiple CPUs 401 . Also, the control unit 400 may include at least one DSP. Further, all functions of the control unit 400 or some functions of the control unit 400 may be realized by a hardware circuit that does not require software to realize the functions. The storage unit 402 may also include a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium other than the ROM and RAM.

The communication unit 410 is connected to the network 6 at least either wiredly or wirelessly. The communication unit 410 of the vehicle-mounted device 40 can communicate with the other vehicle-mounted device 40 , the roadside device 3 , the electronic device 2 and the center device 5 through the network 6 . Further, the communication unit 410 can directly wirelessly communicate with the roadside device 3 without going through the network 6 . The communication unit 410 can perform direct wireless communication with the roadside devices 3 around the vehicle 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Communication unit 410 outputs information received from another device to control unit 400 . Communication unit 410 transmits information from control unit 400 to other devices. The communication unit 410 can also be said to be a communication circuit.

Note that the communication unit 410 of the vehicle-mounted device 40 may be capable of directly communicating with at least one of the other vehicle-mounted device 40 , the electronic device 2 , and the center device 5 without going through the network 6 . In this case, the communication unit 410 of the vehicle-mounted device 40 may perform direct wireless communication with at least one of the other vehicle-mounted device 40, the electronic device 2, and the center device 5 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Also, the communication unit 410 may be capable of wireless communication with a base station of a mobile phone system. Also, the communication unit 410 may be capable of performing short-range wireless communication. Also, the communication unit 410 may be capable of performing wireless communication using a wireless LAN such as WiFi. Also, the communication unit 410 may be capable of wireless communication based on another wireless communication scheme.

The display unit 420 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 420 is controlled by the control unit 400 to display various information such as characters, symbols, and graphics.

The touch panel 430 can detect an operation by an operator such as a finger on the display screen of the display unit 420 . The touch panel 430 is, for example, a projected capacitive touch panel. When the user of the in-vehicle device 40 operates the display screen of the display unit 420 with an operator such as a finger, the touch panel 430 can input an electrical signal corresponding to the operation to the control unit 400. . Based on the electrical signal from touch panel 430, control unit 400 can identify the content of the operation performed on the display screen. Then, the control unit 400 can perform processing according to the identified operation content.

The satellite signal receiver 440 can receive satellite signals transmitted by positioning satellites. The satellite signal reception unit 440 can also be said to be a satellite signal reception circuit. The satellite signal reception unit 440 can acquire position information indicating the absolute position of the vehicle 4 (in other words, the position of the absolute coordinate system) based on the received satellite signal. The satellite signal reception unit 440 can be said to be a position acquisition unit or a position acquisition circuit that acquires position information of the vehicle 4 . The position information acquired by the satellite signal receiving unit 440 is represented by latitude, longitude and altitude, for example. Hereinafter, the satellite signal receiving section 440 may be simply referred to as the receiving section 440 in some cases.

The receiving unit 440 is, for example, a GPS receiver, and is capable of receiving radio signals from GPS positioning satellites. The receiving unit 440 calculates the current position of the vehicle 4 based on the received radio signal, for example, in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude, and outputs position information including the calculated latitude, longitude and altitude to the control unit 200 . The receiving unit 440 repeatedly acquires position information.

Note that the receiving unit 440 may obtain the position information of the electronic device 2 based on signals from GNSS positioning satellites other than GPS. For example, the receiving unit 440 may obtain the position information of the vehicle 4 based on signals from positioning satellites of GLONASS, IRNSS, COMPASS, Galileo, or the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System.

Speaker 450 is, for example, a dynamic speaker. The speaker 450 can convert an electrical sound signal from the control unit 400 into sound and output the sound obtained thereby to the outside of the in-vehicle device 40 .

The sensor 460 includes, for example, multiple types of sensors. The sensor 460 includes, for example, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. The control unit 400 can identify the traveling direction of the vehicle 4, etc., based on the detection results of the acceleration sensor, geomagnetic sensor, and gyro sensor. Also, the control unit 400 can correct the position information acquired by the receiving unit 440 based on the detection results of the acceleration sensor, geomagnetic sensor, and gyro sensor. The type of sensor included in the sensor 460 is not limited to this.

Camera 470 is capable of photographing the surroundings of vehicle 4 . The camera 470 can photograph, for example, the state ahead of the vehicle 4 . The camera 470 shoots moving images, for example, under the control of the control unit 400 . Camera 470 may be a camera called a drive recorder, or may be another camera.

In the vehicle-mounted device 40 configured as described above, the communication unit 410 receives information transmitted by the communication unit 310 of the roadside device 3 . In the in-vehicle device 40 , the control section 400 generates vehicle information regarding the vehicle 4 based on various information obtained by the receiving section 440 and the sensor 460 . The in-vehicle device 40 notifies the driver of the vehicle 4 of a warning or the like based on the generated vehicle information, the information from the roadside device 3, and the like. The in-vehicle device 40 can notify the driver of the vehicle 4 of a warning or the like using the display unit 420, the speaker 450, and the like.

<Configuration example of center device>
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the center device 5. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7 , the center device 5 has a control section 500 and a communication section 510 . The control unit 500 can control the operation of the center device 5 by controlling other components of the center device 5 . The control unit 500 can also be called a control device or a control circuit. Control unit 500 includes at least one processor to provide control and processing power to perform various functions, as described in further detail below. The above description of the processor included in the control unit 200 of the electronic device 2 can also be applied to the processor included in the control unit 500 .

In this example, the control unit 500 includes a CPU 501 and a storage unit 502 . The storage unit 502 includes a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU 501, such as ROM and RAM. The ROM included in the storage unit 502 is, for example, a flash ROM that is nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 502 stores a control program 502a for controlling the center device 5 and the like. Various functions of the control unit 500 are realized by the CPU 501 executing a control program 502 a in the storage unit 502 .

Note that the configuration of the control unit 500 is not limited to the above example. For example, the control unit 500 may include multiple CPUs 501 . Also, the control unit 500 may include at least one DSP. Further, all functions of the control unit 500 or part of the functions of the control unit 500 may be implemented by hardware circuits that do not require software to implement the functions. The storage unit 502 may also include a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium other than the ROM and RAM.

The communication unit 510 is connected to the network 6 at least either wiredly or wirelessly. The communication unit 510 can communicate with the electronic device 2 , the roadside device 3 and the vehicle-mounted device 40 via the network 6 . Communication unit 510 outputs information received from another device to control unit 500 . Communication unit 510 transmits information from control unit 500 to another device. The communication unit 510 can also be said to be a communication circuit.

Note that the communication unit 510 may be capable of wireless communication with a base station of the mobile phone system. Also, the communication unit 510 may be capable of performing short-range wireless communication. Also, the communication unit 510 may be capable of performing wireless communication using a wireless LAN such as WiFi. Communication unit 510 may be capable of wireless communication based on another wireless communication scheme.

The center device 5 configured as described above executes predetermined processing upon receiving trouble occurrence information from the electronic device 2 . In the center device 5 , when the communication section 510 receives the trouble occurrence information from the electronic device 2 , the control section 500 determines that the user 20 of the electronic device 2 is in trouble. Then, the control unit 500 performs processing corresponding to the trouble that has occurred.

For example, the control unit 500 generates trouble notification information that notifies that a trouble has occurred at a position indicated by position information included in the received trouble occurrence information. Then, control unit 500 causes communication unit 510 to transmit the generated trouble notification information to a predetermined communication device. The communication unit 510 may transmit the trouble notification information to a communication device owned by, for example, a police station or a police box. At this time, the communication unit 510 may transmit the trouble notification information to the communication device at the police station or police box closest to the location of the user 20 in trouble. When the communication device provided at the police station or police box receives the trouble notification information, for example, the police rush to the place where the troubled user 20 exists. Further, the communication unit 510 may transmit trouble notification information to a communication device owned by a security company. When the communication device provided by the security company receives the trouble notification information, for example, a security guard rushes to the place where the troubled user 20 exists. Further, when a notification destination device is associated in advance with the identification information included in the received trouble occurrence information, the communication unit 510 may transmit the trouble notification information to the notification destination device. . If the user 20 is a child, the notification destination device may be, for example, the mobile phone of the user 20's parent. Also, if the user 20 is an elderly person, the mobile phone of the child of the user 20 can be considered as the notification destination device, for example.

Note that the operation of the center device 5 when the center device 5 receives trouble occurrence information is not limited to the above. Further, although the electronic device 2 transmits trouble occurrence information when the trouble button 220 is operated, the trouble occurrence information may be transmitted according to other input to the electronic device 2 . For example, consider a case where the electronic device 2 has a microphone. In this case, the electronic device 2 may transmit trouble occurrence information when a predetermined voice uttered by the user 20 is input to the microphone. As another example, consider a case where the electronic device 2 includes an acceleration sensor that detects vibration of the electronic device 2 . In this case, the electronic device 2 may transmit trouble occurrence information when the acceleration sensor detects a predetermined vibration applied to the electronic device 2 by the user 20 .

<Example of notification device operation>
In this example, the notification device 7 identifies a particular event on the roadway 8 around the roadside unit 3 . When the notification device 7 identifies a specific event, the notification device 7 notifies the vehicle 4 on the roadway 8 around the roadside unit 3 . The specific event includes, for example, the user 20 operating the trouble button 220 of the electronic device 2 being located in the roadway 8 . In other words, the specific event involves a pedestrian 20 in trouble being located on the roadway 8 . When the pedestrian 20 in trouble is located on the roadway 8 around the roadside device 3 , the notification device 7 notifies the vehicles 4 around the roadside device 3 .

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the notification device 7 when the notification device 7 notifies the vehicle 4 when the pedestrian 20 in trouble is located on the roadway 8 . In the following description of the processing of FIG. 8, the electronic device 2 for which the trouble button 220 has been operated will be referred to as the target electronic device 2 . Also, the user 20 who owns the target electronic device 2 , that is, the user 20 who has had trouble is called the target user 20 or the target pedestrian 20 . Further, the roadside device 3 that receives the trouble occurrence information from the target electronic device 2 is called the target roadside device 3 .

As shown in FIG. 8, when the communication unit 310 of the target roadside device 3 directly receives the trouble occurrence information from the target electronic device 2 in step s1, step s2 is executed. Since the communication distance of communication using the 700 MHz band is not very long, when the target roadside device 3 can directly receive the trouble occurrence information from the target electronic device 2, the target electronic device 2 is positioned close to the target roadside device 3. can be said to exist.

In step s2, the control unit 300 of the target roadside device 3 executes user identification processing to identify the target user 20 in the image obtained by the camera 320 based on the position information included in the trouble occurrence information received in step s1. do. The user identification process can also be said to be a process of determining whether or not the target user 20 is shown in the image obtained by the camera 320 . User identification processing will be described later in detail. Hereinafter, an image obtained by the camera 320 may be called a camera image. Also, a camera image that captures the target user 20 may be called a target camera image.

Next, in step s3, the control section 300 determines whether or not the target user 20 has been identified in the camera image in the user identification processing of step s2. When the target user 20 is specified in the user specifying process, in other words, when the target user 20 appears in the camera image, step s4 is executed. On the other hand, if the target user 20 is not specified in the user specifying process, in other words, if the target user 20 is not captured in the camera image, the process of FIG. 8 ends.

In step s4, the control unit 300 identifies the location where the target user 20 is located. At step s4, the control unit 300 determines whether the target user 20 is positioned on the roadway 8 or on the sidewalk 9, for example, based on the target camera image. The control unit 300 specifies, for example, the area in which the roadway 8 is captured and the area in which the sidewalk 9 is captured in the target camera image based on map information including road shape information. This map information is stored in the storage unit 302 . Then, the control unit 300 determines that the target user 20 is located on the roadway 8 when the area where the target user's 20 feet are captured exists in the area where the roadway 8 is captured in the target camera image. On the other hand, the control unit 300 determines that the target user 20 is positioned on the sidewalk 9 when the area in which the target user's 20 feet are captured exists within the area in which the sidewalk 9 is captured in the target camera image. . By performing image processing on the target camera image, the control unit 300 can specify an area in which the target user 20's feet are captured in the target camera image. The control unit 300 may use artificial intelligence (AI), for example, to specify a region in which the target user 20's feet are captured in the target camera image. For example, the control unit 300 may use a neural network to specify an area in which the target user 20's feet are captured in the target camera image.

In this example, the camera image hardly captures the portion of the roadway 8 other than the pedestrian crossing 80 . Therefore, it can be said that the process of step s4 is the process of determining whether the target user 20 is positioned on the crosswalk 80 or on the sidewalk 9 .

In step s4, the control unit 300 determines whether the target user 20 is located on the roadway 8 based on the position information of the target user 20 and the map information in the storage unit 302 without using the target camera image. It may be determined whether it is located on the sidewalk 9 .

When it is determined in step s4 that the target user 20 is located on the roadway 8, step s11 is executed. In other words, when it is determined that the target pedestrian 20 is positioned at the crosswalk 80, step s11 is executed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the target user 20 is located on the sidewalk 9, step s21 is executed.

At step s<b>11 , the control unit 300 generates first notification information that notifies that the pedestrian in trouble is located on the roadway 8 . It can be said that the first notification information is information that notifies a specific event on the roadway 8 . The control unit 300 causes the display unit 340 to display the first notification information. The first notification information is displayed using at least one of characters, symbols, and graphics. For example, the display unit 340 displays, as the first notification information, a character string such as "a pedestrian on the road is in trouble" and a figure calling attention.

Thus, in this example, when a specific event on the roadway 8 is identified, the target roadside device 3 of the notification device 7 displays information for notifying the specific event. Thereby, the notification device 7 can notify people around the target roadside unit 3 of the specific event on the roadway 8 . Therefore, people around the target roadside device 3 can easily recognize the content of the specific event on the roadway 8 . For example, the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling around the target roadside unit 3 and the pedestrians around the target roadside unit 3 can easily recognize the content of a specific event on the roadway 8 . In the example of FIG. 8, the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling around the target roadside unit 3 and the pedestrians around the target roadside unit 3 easily recognize that the pedestrian in trouble is present on the roadway 8. becomes possible. Therefore, a person present around the target roadside unit 3 can appropriately respond to the pedestrian in trouble.

After step s11, in step s12, the target roadside device 3 transmits the second notification information for notifying the vehicles 4 in the vicinity to the vehicles 4 in the vicinity. The second notification information includes the first notification information generated in step s11 described above. Further, the second notification information includes third notification information for performing a photographing save notification instructing the vehicle 4 to photograph and save the obtained photographed image. In step s12, in the target roadside device 3, the control section 300 causes the communication section 310 to transmit the second notification information to the vehicles 4 in the vicinity. As a result, the vehicle 4 is notified that the troubled pedestrian is present on the roadway 8, and a notification of image storage is provided. By notifying the vehicle 4 of the existence of the troubled pedestrian on the roadway 8, the driver of the vehicle 4 is notified that the troubled pedestrian exists on the surrounding roadway 8. It becomes possible to recognize easily. In step s12, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the second notification information to the surrounding vehicles 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the vehicle 4 , the communication unit 410 of the in-vehicle device 40 receives the second notification information from the target roadside device 3 . Based on the first notification information included in the second notification information received by the communication unit 410, the control unit 400 of the in-vehicle device 40 notifies the presence of the troubled pedestrian on the surrounding roadway 8 through the speaker 450. and at least one of the display unit 420 is used to notify the driver. Furthermore, the control unit 400 performs processing in response to the shooting save notification by the third notification information included in the second notification information. If the camera 470 is not shooting when the shooting save notification is received, the control unit 400 causes the camera 470 to start movie shooting. Then, when camera 470 shoots a moving image for a predetermined time (for example, several seconds to several tens of seconds), control unit 400 saves the captured image obtained by camera 470 in storage unit 402 as an image at the time of trouble occurrence. Control unit 400 stores the trouble occurrence image in the non-volatile memory of storage unit 402 . The image at the time of trouble occurrence is a moving image captured by the camera 470 for a predetermined period of time. For example, when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel 430 , the control unit 400 causes the display unit 420 to display the image at the time of trouble occurrence in the storage unit 402 . For example, the trouble occurrence image is not automatically deleted from the storage unit 402 by the in-vehicle device 40, but is deleted from the storage unit 402 when the user of the in-vehicle device 40 instructs to delete the image.

On the other hand, if the camera 470 is shooting when the communication unit 410 receives the shooting save notification, the control unit 400 controls the control unit 400 to display the captured image obtained by the camera 470 during the specific period determined based on the timing of receiving the shooting save notification. is stored in the storage unit 402 as an image different from the captured image obtained by the camera 470 outside the specific period. In other words, the control unit 400 saves the captured image obtained by the camera 470 during the specific period in the storage unit 402 as an image file different from the captured image obtained by the camera 470 outside the specific period. Furthermore, in other words, the control unit 400 stores the moving image captured by the camera 470 during the specific period in the storage unit 402 as a different moving image from the moving images captured by the camera 470 outside the specific period. Control unit 400 stores moving images captured by camera 470 in a specific period in the non-volatile memory of storage unit 402 . Control unit 400 may also store moving images captured by camera 470 outside the specific period in the non-volatile memory of storage unit 402 .

Here, the timing before the first predetermined time from the timing at which the vehicle 4 receives the photographing save notification (in other words, the timing at which the in-vehicle device 40 receives the second notification information) is defined as the first timing. Also, the second timing is the timing after the second predetermined time from the timing when the vehicle 4 receives the shooting save notification. As the specific period, for example, a period from the first timing to the second timing is adopted. Each of the first and second predetermined times is set, for example, from several seconds to several tens of seconds. The first predetermined time and the second predetermined time may be the same or different. Also, as the specific period, a period from the timing when the vehicle 4 receives the photographing save notification to the second timing may be adopted. Hereinafter, images captured by the camera 470 during a specific period (in other words, moving images captured by the camera 470 during the specific period) may be referred to as specific period images. Also, an image captured by the camera 470 outside the specific period may be referred to as an image outside the specific period.

For example, when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel 430 , the control unit 400 causes the display unit 420 to display the specific period image in the storage unit 402 . The specific period image is not automatically deleted from the storage unit 402 by the in-vehicle device 40, but is deleted from the storage unit 402 when the user of the in-vehicle device 40 instructs to delete the image. Note that, for example, when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel 430 , the control unit 400 may cause the display unit 420 to display the image outside the specific period in the storage unit 402 .

When storing the specific period image, the control unit 400 may store identification information for identifying the specific period image and the specific period image in association with each other in the storage unit 402 . Also, the control unit 400 may store the specific period image and the non-specific period image in separate storage areas. In this case, the storage unit 402 has a first storage area for storing specific period images and a second storage area for storing non-specific period images. In the in-vehicle device 40, when a plurality of specific period images are obtained, the plurality of specific period images are stored in the first storage area.

Thus, in this example, when the notification device 7 provided with the roadside device 3 identifies a specific event on the roadway 8 around the roadside device 3 , Notify shooting save. Accordingly, by confirming the photographed image photographed by the camera 470 of the vehicle 4, it is possible to confirm the state of the roadway 8 when a specific event on the roadway 8 is identified. In the example of FIG. 8, by checking the image captured by the vehicle 4, it is possible to check the state of the pedestrian on the roadway 8 where the trouble occurred. Therefore, the convenience of the notification technology for the vehicle 4 by the notification device 7 is improved.

After step s12, in step s13, the control unit 300 causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the first notification information generated in step s11 to the peripheral electronic devices 2. FIG. As a result, the target roadside device 3 notifies the surrounding electronic devices 2 that the pedestrian in trouble is present on the roadway 8 . As a result, the user 20 of the electronic device 2 can easily recognize that a troubled pedestrian is present on the surrounding roadway 8 . In step s13, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the first notification information to the peripheral electronic devices 2 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the electronic device 2 , when the communication unit 210 receives the first notification information, the control unit 200 sounds the buzzer 240 to notify the user 20 that the pedestrian in trouble is present on the surrounding roadway 8 . If the electronic device 2 includes a speaker, the control unit 200 may output a sound from the speaker to notify the user 20 that the pedestrian in trouble is present on the surrounding roadway 8. . Moreover, when the electronic device 2 includes a display unit, the control unit 200 may display the first notification information on the display unit.

Thus, in this example, when a specific event on the roadway 8 around the roadside unit 3 is identified, the notification device 7 sends a notification to the electronic devices 2 located around the roadside unit 3. conduct. This allows the user 20 of the electronic device 2 to easily know a specific event on the surrounding roadway 8 . In the example of FIG. 8, the user 20 of the electronic device 2 can easily know that there is a pedestrian in trouble on the surrounding roadway 8 . The user 20 who recognizes that there is a pedestrian in trouble on the surrounding roadway 8 can take appropriate measures against the pedestrian. Therefore, the convenience of the notification device 7 is improved.

After step s13, in step s14, the control unit 300 of the target roadside device 3 causes the camera 320 to take an image. The camera 320 shoots moving images for several seconds to several tens of seconds, for example. Accordingly, by confirming the photographed image photographed by the camera 320 of the target roadside unit 3, it is possible to confirm the state of the roadway 8 when a specific event on the roadway 8 is identified. . In the example of FIG. 8 , it is possible to check the state of the pedestrian in trouble on the roadway 8 by checking the image captured by the target roadside unit 3 . Therefore, the convenience of the notification device 7 is improved.

After step s14, in step s15, the control unit 300 of the target roadside device 3 determines the roadside device 3 to be notified of the presence of the troubled pedestrian on the roadway 8. FIG. In other words, the control unit 300 determines the roadside device 3 to be notified of a specific event on the roadway 8 . At step s15, the control unit 300 first identifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location where the target user 20 is located on the roadway 8. FIG. In this example, the control unit 300 identifies whether the target user 20 is located in the first lane 8a or the second lane 8b. When the target user 20 is located in the first lane 8a, the control unit 300 sets the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the first lane 8a as the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location where the target user 20 is located. On the other hand, when the target user 20 is located in the second lane 8b, the control unit 300 changes the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the second lane 8b to the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location where the target user 20 is located. and The storage unit 302 stores information indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 on the first lane 8a and information indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 on the second lane 8b. Henceforth, the advancing direction of the vehicle 4 in the place where the target user 20 is located specified by the control part 300 may be called a specific advancing direction.

The control unit 300 specifies whether the target user 20 is located in the first lane 8a or the second lane 8b based on the target camera image in which the target user 20 is captured and the map information in the storage unit 302. can do. Based on the map information, the control unit 300 specifies the area in which the first lane 8a is captured and the area in which the second lane 8b is captured in the target camera image. Then, in the target camera image, the control unit 300 determines that the target user 20 is located in the first lane 8a when the area in which the feet of the target user 20 are captured exists within the area in which the first lane 8a is captured. I judge. On the other hand, in the target camera image, if the area where the target user's 20 feet are captured exists within the area where the second lane 8b is captured, the control unit 300 determines that the target user 20 is located on the second lane 8b. determine that there is

When the control unit 300 specifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the place where the target user 20 is located, the control unit 300 selects the roadside device 3 located on the side opposite to the specified traveling direction from the target roadside device 3 as the roadside device of the notification destination. Decide as machine 3. For example, the control unit 300 selects the roadside device 3 adjacent to the target roadside device 3 and located on the opposite side of the target roadside device 3 to the specific traveling direction as the roadside device 3 of the notification destination. Determined as Hereinafter, the roadside device 3 adjacent to the target roadside device 3 and located on the opposite side of the target roadside device 3 to the specific traveling direction may be referred to as the immediately preceding roadside device 3. be. Also, the roadside device 3 adjacent to the target roadside device 3 and positioned on the side of the specific traveling direction from the target roadside device 3 may be referred to as the roadside device 3 immediately ahead.

After step s15, in step s16, the target roadside device 3 notifies the roadside device 3 immediately before that the pedestrian in trouble is present on the roadway 8. FIG. In other words, the target roadside device 3 notifies the preceding roadside device 3 of a specific event on the roadway 8 . After execution of step s16, the process of FIG. 8 ends.

In step s16, the control unit 300 sends the communication unit 310 the first notification information generated in step s11 and the identification information of the immediately preceding roadside device 3 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. broadcast to The storage unit 302 of the target roadside device 3 stores the identification information of the roadside device 3 immediately before and the identification information of the roadside device 3 immediately ahead.

Here, the communication distance of communication using the 700 MHz band is not very long, and although the information broadcast by the roadside device 3 using the 700 MHz band reaches the roadside device 3 adjacent to the roadside device 3, It does not reach roadside unit 3. The identification information and the first notification information broadcast by the communication unit 310 of the target roadside device 3 are received by the roadside device 3 immediately before and the roadside device 3 immediately ahead. The roadside device 3 that has received the identification information and the first notification information compares the received identification information with its own identification information in the storage unit 302 . This comparison is performed by the control unit 300 . If both pieces of identification information match as a result of the comparison, control unit 300 determines that the received first notification information is information addressed to itself, and stores the first notification information in storage unit 302 . On the other hand, if both pieces of identification information do not match, the control unit 300 determines that the received first notification information is not addressed to itself and discards the first notification information. In this example, the roadside device 3 immediately before stores the received first notification information in the storage unit 302 assuming that the first notification information is addressed to itself. As a result, the presence of the troubled pedestrian on the roadway 8 is notified to the roadside device 3 one ahead of the target roadside device 3 . On the other hand, the roadside device 3 one ahead discards the received first notification information as not being addressed to itself. As a result, the presence of the troubled pedestrian on the roadway 8 is not notified to the roadside device 3 one ahead.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, consider a case where a troubled target user 20A is present in the first lane 8a around the target roadside device 3A. In the case of FIG. 9, the roadside device 3B is the roadside device 3 immediately before, and the roadside device 3C is the roadside device 3 immediately ahead. Therefore, the target roadside device 3A notifies the roadside device 3B that the pedestrian 20A having the trouble is present on the roadway 8. FIG. On the other hand, the presence of the troubled pedestrian 20A on the roadway 8 is not notified to the roadside device 3C.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 10, consider the case where the target user 20A exists in the second lane 8b around the target roadside device 3A. In the case of FIG. 10, the roadside device 3C is the roadside device 3 immediately before, and the roadside device 3B is the roadside device 3 immediately ahead. Therefore, the subject roadside device 3A notifies the roadside device 3C that the pedestrian 20A having the trouble is present on the roadway 8. FIG. On the other hand, the presence of the troubled pedestrian 20A on the roadway 8 is not notified to the roadside device 3B.

The control unit 300 of the roadside device 3 immediately before causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the first notification information in the storage unit 302 to the surrounding vehicles 4 . At this time, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the first notification information to the surrounding vehicles 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the vehicle 4, the communication unit 410 of the in-vehicle device 40 receives the first notification information from the roadside device 3 one ahead. Based on the first notification information received by the communication unit 410, the control unit 400 of the in-vehicle device 40 uses at least one of the speaker 450 and the display unit 420 to transmit a specific event on the roadway 8 in front of the vehicle 4. and notify the driver. This allows the driver of the vehicle 4 to be aware of specific events on the roadway 8 ahead. In the example of FIG. 8, the control unit 400 uses at least one of the speaker 450 and the display unit 420 to notify the driver that a pedestrian in trouble is present on the roadway 8 in front of the vehicle 4. do. As a result, the driver of the vehicle 4 can easily recognize that there is a pedestrian on the roadway 8 in front who is in trouble. Therefore, the driver can take appropriate measures for the troubled pedestrian.

Based on the first notification information stored in the storage unit 302, the control unit 300 of the roadside device 3 immediately before that has transmitted the first notification information to the vehicle 4 determines whether there is trouble ahead of the roadside device 3 immediately before. The display unit 340 is caused to display information notifying that a pedestrian exists on the roadway 8 . As a result, a person present in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 one ahead can easily recognize that there is a pedestrian in trouble ahead. In other words, a person present around the roadside device 3 one ahead can easily know a specific event on the roadway 8 ahead. For example, the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling around the roadside device 3 immediately before and the pedestrians around the roadside device 3 immediately before are aware that there is a pedestrian on the roadway 8 in front of whom trouble has occurred. easily recognizable. Therefore, a person present in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 immediately before can appropriately respond to the pedestrian in trouble.

In step s21, the control unit 300 of the target roadside unit 3 generates fourth notification information that notifies that the pedestrian in trouble is present on the sidewalk 9. FIG. Then, the control unit 300 causes the display unit 340 to display the fourth notification information. The fourth notification information is displayed using at least one of characters, symbols and graphics. For example, the display unit 340 displays, as the fourth notification information, a character string such as "a pedestrian on the sidewalk is in trouble" and a figure calling attention. As a result, people present around the target roadside unit 3 can easily recognize that the pedestrian in trouble is located on the sidewalk 9 . For example, the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling around the target roadside unit 3 and the pedestrians around the target roadside unit 3 can easily recognize that the pedestrian in trouble is located on the sidewalk 9. becomes. Therefore, a person present around the target roadside unit 3 can appropriately respond to the pedestrian in trouble.

After step s21, in step s22, the target roadside device 3 transmits fifth notification information for notifying the vehicles 4 in the vicinity to the vehicles 4 in the vicinity. The fifth notification information includes the fourth notification information generated in step s21 described above. Furthermore, the fifth notification information includes the above-described third notification information for notifying the vehicle 4 of image storage. In step s22, in the target roadside device 3, the control section 300 causes the communication section 310 to transmit the fifth notification information to the vehicles 4 in the vicinity. As a result, the vehicle 4 is notified of the presence of the troubled pedestrian on the sidewalk 9, and is also notified of the image storage. By notifying the vehicle 4 of the existence of the troubled pedestrian on the sidewalk 9, the driver of the vehicle 4 is notified that the troubled pedestrian exists on the surrounding sidewalk 9. It becomes possible to recognize easily. In step s22, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the fifth notification information to the surrounding vehicles 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the vehicle 4 , the communication unit 410 of the in-vehicle device 40 receives the fifth notification information from the target roadside device 3 . Based on the fourth notification information included in the fifth notification information received by the communication unit 410, the control unit 400 of the in-vehicle device 40 notifies the presence of the troubled pedestrian on the nearby sidewalk 9 through the speaker 450. and at least one of the display unit 420 is used to notify the driver. Furthermore, the control unit 400 performs processing in response to the shooting save notification by the third notification information included in the fifth notification information. This process is the same as the above process when the control unit 400 receives the second notification information.

Thus, in this example, when the notification device 7 having the roadside unit 3 determines that the pedestrian in trouble is located on the sidewalk 9 around the roadside unit 3, the vehicle around the roadside unit 3 4 is notified of photographed storage. As a result, by checking the captured image captured by the camera 470 of the vehicle 4, it is possible to check the state of the pedestrian in trouble. Therefore, the convenience of the notification device 7 is improved.

After step s22, in step s23, the control unit 300 causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the fourth notification information generated in step s21 to the peripheral electronic devices 2. FIG. As a result, the target roadside device 3 notifies the surrounding electronic devices 2 that the pedestrian in trouble is on the sidewalk 9 . As a result, the user 20 of the electronic device 2 can easily recognize that a troubled pedestrian is present on the sidewalk 9 in the vicinity. In step s23, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the fourth notification information to the peripheral electronic devices 2 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the electronic device 2 , when the communication unit 210 receives the fourth notification information, the control unit 200 sounds the buzzer 240 to notify the user 20 that the troubled pedestrian is present on the sidewalk 9 in the vicinity. If the electronic device 2 has a speaker, the control unit 200 may output a sound from the speaker to notify the user 20 that the pedestrian in trouble is present on the sidewalk 9 in the vicinity. . Moreover, when the electronic device 2 includes a display unit, the control unit 200 may cause the display unit to display the fourth notification information.

Thus, in this example, when the notification device 7 having the roadside unit 3 determines that the pedestrian in trouble is located on the sidewalk 9 around the roadside unit 3, The notification is sent to the electronic device 2 to be used. As a result, the user 20 of the electronic device 2 can easily recognize that there is a pedestrian in trouble on the sidewalk 9 in the vicinity. The user 20 who recognizes that there is a pedestrian in trouble on the surrounding sidewalk 9 can take appropriate measures against the pedestrian.

After step s23, in step s24, the control unit 300 of the target roadside device 3 causes the camera 320 to take an image. The camera 320 shoots moving images for several seconds to several tens of seconds, for example. As a result, by checking the captured image captured by the camera 320 of the target roadside device 3, it is possible to check the state of the pedestrian in trouble. Therefore, the convenience of the notification device 7 is improved. After execution of step s24, the process of FIG. 8 ends.

Note that at least one of steps s11 to s14 may not be executed. Also, the processes of steps s15 and s16 may not be executed. Also, at least one of steps s21 to s24 may not be executed.

Further, the roadside device 3 immediately before may transmit the first notification information in the storage unit 302 to the peripheral electronic device 2 . In this case, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the first notification information to the peripheral electronic devices 2 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. The electronic device 2 that has received the first notification information notifies the user 20 of the presence of the troubled pedestrian on the roadway 8 by, for example, sounding the buzzer 240 .

11 and 12 are flow charts showing an example of details of the above-described user identification process (step s2 in FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 11, in step s41, the control unit 300 of the target roadside device 3 executes person identification processing for identifying a person in the camera image. The person identification process can also be said to be a process of determining whether or not a person is captured in the camera image. In step s41, the control unit 300 can identify a person in the camera image by performing image processing on the camera image. The control unit 300 may identify a person in the camera image, for example, using artificial intelligence such as machine learning using a neural network.

After the person identifying process is executed, in step s42, the control section 300 determines whether or not the person has been identified in the camera image in the person identifying process. If the person cannot be identified in the camera image, in other words, if the person is not captured in the camera image, the control unit 300 terminates the user identification process. In this case, in step s3 of FIG. 8 described above, it is determined that the target user 20 could not be specified in the camera image.

On the other hand, when the control unit 300 determines in step s42 that the person has been identified in the camera image, in other words, when the person appears in the camera image, step s43 is executed. In step s43, the control unit 300 determines whether or not the person specified in the person specifying process (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a specified person) is one person. In other words, the control unit 300 determines whether or not there is only one person in the camera image.

If it is determined in step s43 that the specific person is alone, in step s44 the control unit 300 acquires position information indicating the absolute position of the specific person based on the camera image of the specific person. This position information is represented by, for example, latitude, longitude, and altitude, like the position information acquired by the receiver 230 of the electronic device 2 . The control unit 300 identifies an area in which the specific person's feet are captured in the camera image in which the specific person is captured. Then, the control unit 300 acquires the position information indicating the absolute position of the place appearing in the specified area as the position information of the specific person. Since the angle of view, installation height, and installation angle of the camera 320 of the roadside unit 3 (in other words, the orientation of the camera 320) are constant, the control unit 300 determines the absolute position (latitude, longitude and altitude) can be obtained.

After step s44, in step s45, the control unit 300 determines whether the position of the target user 20 and the position of the specific person are close. In step s45, the control unit 300 determines the distance between the position indicated by the position information of the target user 20 included in the trouble occurrence information received in step s1 and the position indicated by the position information of the specific person acquired in step s44. Ask for And the control part 300 determines with the position of the target user 20 and the position of a specific person being near, when the calculated|required distance is less than a threshold value. On the other hand, when the calculated distance is equal to or greater than the threshold, the control unit 300 determines that the position of the target user 20 and the position of the specific person are not close.

If the determination in step s45 is NO, the user identification process ends. In this case, NO is determined in step s3. On the other hand, if it is determined as YES in step s45, in step s46, the control unit 300 determines that the specific person is the target user 20, and terminates the user identification process. When step s46 is executed, it is determined in step s3 of FIG. 8 that the target user 20 has been identified in the camera image.

If NO is determined in step s43, that is, if a plurality of persons are identified in the person identification process, step s51 is executed as shown in FIG. In step s51, the control section 300 acquires the position information of each of the plurality of specific persons based on the camera image in which the plurality of specific persons are captured, in the same manner as in step s44 described above.

Next, in step s52, the control section 300 determines whether or not there is a specific person whose position is close to the position of the target user among the plurality of specific persons. In step s52, the control section 300 determines whether or not the position of the specific person is close to the position of the target user 20 for each of the plurality of specific persons in the same manner as in step s45 described above.

If NO is determined in step s52, the user identification process ends. In this case, in step s3 of FIG. 8, it is determined that the target user 20 could not be specified in the camera image. On the other hand, if YES is determined in step s52, step s53 is executed. In step s53, the control unit 300 determines whether or not there is only one specific person among the plurality of specific persons whose position is close to the position of the target user.

If YES is determined in step s53, step s46 is executed again. In this step s46, it is determined that the target user 20 is a specific person whose position is close to the position of the target user and which is included in the plurality of specific people.

On the other hand, if NO is determined in step s53, step s54 is executed. In step s54, the control unit 300 determines whether or not step s53 has been performed a prescribed number of times. The specified number of times is set to, for example, 2 or more.

If determined as YES in step s54, the user identification process ends without identifying the target user 20. FIG. On the other hand, if it is determined as NO in step s54, the control unit 300 executes time elapsing processing in step s55. In other words, the control unit 300 waits for the lapse of a certain period of time. After a certain period of time has elapsed, step s56 is executed. In step s<b>56 , the control unit 300 causes the communication unit 310 to transmit request information requesting the latest location information of the target user 20 to the target electronic device 2 .

In the target electronic device 2 , when the communication section 210 receives the request information, the control section 200 acquires the latest position information from the reception section 230 . Then, the control unit 200 causes the communication unit 210 to transmit the latest position information to the target roadside device 3 .

After step s56, the communication unit 310 of the target roadside device 3 receives the latest location information of the target user 20 from the target electronic device 2 in step s57. After step s57, step s41 is executed again. At step s41, the control unit 300 executes person identification processing for identifying a person in the latest camera image obtained by the camera 320. FIG. After that, the target roadside unit 3 operates similarly. The latest location information of the target user 20 is used in steps s45 and s52 from the second time onward.

As described above, in the user identification process of this example, the control unit 300 acquires the position information of the person captured in the camera image based on the camera image. Then, the control unit 300 determines whether or not the person is the target user 20 based on the comparison result between the position information of the person captured in the camera image and the position information of the target user 20 . This makes it possible to easily identify the target user 20 in the camera image using the position information.

<Another operation example of the notification device>
The particular event on the roadway 8 identified by the notification device 7 may include the presence of an object on the roadway 8 that obstructs the traffic of the vehicle 4 . In this case, when the notification device 7 identifies that an object obstructing traffic of the vehicle 4 is located on the roadway 8 around the roadside unit 3, the notification device 7 notifies the vehicle 4 around the roadside unit 3. . Henceforth, the object which obstructs the traffic of the vehicle 4 may be called a traffic obstruction object.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the notification device 7 when the notification device 7 notifies the vehicle 4 when a traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 . The processing shown in FIG. 13 is repeatedly executed regularly or irregularly. In the following description of the processing of FIG. 13 , the roadside device 3 to be described is called the target roadside device 3 .

As shown in FIG. 13 , in step s61, the notification device 7 performs traffic obstruction determination processing to determine whether or not a traffic obstruction object is positioned on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3 . For example, the center device 5 of the notification device 7 performs traffic obstruction determination processing based on the camera image obtained by the target roadside device 3 . Traffic-obstructing objects include, for example, people who are lying down, people who are crouching, and large objects other than people. Traffic obstacles are not limited to this. The traffic obstruction determination process in step s61 will be described later in detail.

When it is determined in step s61 that no traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3, the process of FIG. 13 ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step s61 that a traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3, in other words, it means that the traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3. is identified, step s62 is executed.

At step s<b>62 , the control unit 300 of the target roadside unit 3 generates sixth notification information that notifies that a traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 . It can be said that the sixth notification information is information for notifying a specific event on the roadway 8, similar to the first notification information. The control unit 300 causes the display unit 340 to display the sixth notification information. The sixth notification information is displayed using at least one of characters, symbols and graphics. For example, the display unit 340 displays, as the sixth notification information, a character string such as "There is an object on the roadway that will hinder traffic" and a figure calling attention. As a result, a person present around the target roadside unit 3 can easily recognize that there is a traffic obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8 . Therefore, a person present around the target roadside unit 3 can take appropriate measures.

After step s62, in step s63, the target roadside device 3 transmits the seventh notification information for notifying the vehicles 4 in the vicinity to the vehicles 4 in the vicinity. The seventh notification information includes the sixth notification information generated in step s62 described above. Further, the seventh notification information includes the above-described third notification information for performing a photographing save notification instructing the vehicle 4 to photograph and save the obtained photographed image. In step s63, in the target roadside device 3, the control section 300 causes the communication section 310 to transmit the seventh notification information to the vehicles 4 in the vicinity. As a result, the vehicle 4 is notified that there is an object obstructing traffic on the surrounding roadway 8, and is also notified of image storage. By notifying the vehicle 4 of the presence of the traffic-obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8, the driver of the vehicle 4 can easily recognize the presence of the traffic-obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8. It becomes possible to recognize. In step s63, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the seventh notification information to the surrounding vehicles 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the vehicle 4 , the communication unit 410 of the in-vehicle device 40 receives the seventh notification information from the target roadside device 3 . Based on the sixth notification information included in the seventh notification information received by the communication unit 410, the control unit 400 of the in-vehicle device 40 notifies the presence of the traffic obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8 through the speaker 450 and the display. At least one of the units 420 is used to notify the driver. Furthermore, the control unit 400 performs processing in response to the shooting save notification by the third notification information included in the seventh notification information. This process is the same as the above process when the control unit 400 receives the second notification information.

After step s63, in step s64, the control unit 300 causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the sixth notification information generated in step s62 to the peripheral electronic devices 2. FIG. As a result, the target roadside device 3 notifies the surrounding electronic devices 2 that there is a traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 . As a result, the user 20 of the electronic device 2 can easily recognize that there is a traffic obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8 . In step s64, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the sixth notification information to the peripheral electronic devices 2 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the electronic device 2 , when the communication section 210 receives the sixth notification information, the control section 200 sounds the buzzer 240 to notify the user 20 that there is a traffic obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8 . If the electronic device 2 is equipped with a speaker, the control unit 200 may output sound from the speaker to notify the user 20 of the presence of a traffic obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8 . Moreover, when the electronic device 2 includes a display unit, the control unit 200 may cause the display unit to display the sixth notification information.

Thus, in this example, when the notification device 7 having the roadside unit 3 identifies that a traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8 around the roadside unit 3, the notification device 7 is positioned around the roadside unit 3. Notification is made to the electronic device 2 . As a result, the user 20 of the electronic device 2 can easily recognize that there is a traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 around it. Therefore, the user 20 can take appropriate measures. As a result, the convenience of the notification device 7 is improved.

After step s64, in step s65, the control unit 300 of the target roadside device 3 causes the camera 320 to take an image. The camera 320 shoots moving images for several seconds to several tens of seconds, for example. As a result, by checking the captured image captured by the camera 320 of the target roadside unit 3, it is possible to check the state of the traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8. FIG. Therefore, the convenience of the notification device 7 is improved.

After step s65, in step s66, the control unit 300 of the target roadside unit 3 determines the roadside unit 3 to be notified of the existence of the traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8. FIG. At step s65, the control unit 300 first identifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location where the traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8. FIG. In this example, the control unit 300 identifies whether the traffic obstructing object is located in the first lane 8a or the second lane 8b. When the traffic obstructing object is located in the first lane 8a, the control unit 300 sets the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the first lane 8a as the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the place where the traffic obstructing object is located. On the other hand, when the traffic obstructing object is located in the second lane 8b, the control unit 300 changes the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the second lane 8b to the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the place where the traffic obstructing object is located. and Hereinafter, the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location where the traffic obstacle is located, which is specified by the control unit 300, may be referred to as a second specified traveling direction.

The control unit 300 determines that the traffic obstructing object is located in the first lane 8a based on the position information of the traffic obstructing object included in the determination result information (to be described later) from the center device 5 and the map information in the storage unit 302. , or the second lane 8b. The determination result information is information indicating the result of the traffic obstruction determination process.

When the control unit 300 identifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location where the traffic obstructing object is located, the control unit 300 selects the roadside unit 3 located on the side opposite to the second specific traveling direction from the target roadside unit 3 as the notification destination. roadside unit 3. For example, the control unit 300 selects the roadside device 3 adjacent to the target roadside device 3 and located on the side opposite to the second specific traveling direction from the target roadside device 3 as the roadside device of the notification destination. Decide as machine 3. Hereinafter, the roadside unit 3 adjacent to the target roadside unit 3 and located on the side opposite to the second specific traveling direction with respect to the target roadside unit 3 is referred to as the second roadside unit immediately before the target roadside unit 3. It is sometimes called 3. In addition, the roadside device 3 adjacent to the target roadside device 3 and positioned on the second specific traveling direction side of the target roadside device 3 may be referred to as the second roadside device 3 one ahead. be.

After step s66, in step s67, the target roadside device 3 notifies the second preceding roadside device 3 that a traffic obstructing object exists on the roadway 8. FIG. In step s67, the control unit 300 sends the communication unit 310 the sixth notification information generated in step s62 and the identification information of the roadside device 3 immediately before the second by using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Broadcast to the roadside device 3. The identification information and the sixth notification information broadcast by the communication unit 310 of the target roadside device 3 are received by the roadside device 3 immediately before the second and the roadside device 3 immediately after the second.

The roadside device 3 that has received the identification information and the sixth notification information compares the received identification information with its own identification information in the storage unit 302 . This comparison is performed by the control unit 300 . If both pieces of identification information match as a result of the comparison, control unit 300 determines that the received sixth notification information is information addressed to itself, and stores the sixth notification information in storage unit 302 . On the other hand, if both pieces of identification information do not match, the control unit 300 determines that the received sixth notification information is not addressed to itself and discards the sixth notification information. In this example, the roadside device 3 immediately before the second roadside device 3 stores the sixth notification information in the storage unit 302 assuming that the received sixth notification information is addressed to itself. As a result, the presence of the traffic-obstructing object on the roadway 8 is notified to the roadside device 3 located immediately before the second roadside device 3 . On the other hand, the second roadside device 3 one ahead discards the received sixth notification information as it is not addressed to itself. Therefore, the second roadside unit 3 one ahead is not notified of the presence of the traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 .

The control unit 300 of the roadside device 3 immediately before the second causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the sixth notification information in the storage unit 302 to the surrounding vehicles 4 . At this time, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the sixth notification information to the surrounding vehicles 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the vehicle 4, the communication unit 410 of the in-vehicle device 40 receives the sixth notification information from the roadside device 3 one ahead of the second. Based on the sixth notification information received by the communication unit 410, the control unit 400 of the in-vehicle device 40 notifies the presence of the traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 in front of the vehicle 4 through at least the speaker 450 and the display unit 420. Use one to notify the driver. As a result, the driver of the vehicle 4 can easily recognize that a traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8 ahead. Therefore, the driver can take appropriate measures.

Based on the sixth notification information in the storage unit 302, the control unit 300 of the roadside device 3 immediately before the second roadside device 3 that has transmitted the sixth notification information to the vehicle 4 The display unit 340 displays information notifying that a traffic obstructing object exists on the roadway 8 ahead of the vehicle. As a result, a person present in the vicinity of the second roadside unit 3 immediately before can easily recognize that there is a traffic obstructing object in front. For example, the driver of the vehicle 4 traveling around the roadside unit 3 one ahead and the pedestrians around the roadside unit 3 one ahead easily recognize that there is a traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 ahead. can do. Therefore, a person present in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 one before the second can take appropriate measures.

After step s67, in step s68, the center device 5 determines whether or not a traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3 based on the camera image in the same manner as in step s61. Perform traffic obstruction determination processing. If it is determined in step s68 that a traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3, step s68 is executed again. That is, if the traffic obstructing object continues to be positioned on the roadway 8, step s68 is executed again. The notification device 7 then operates in the same way. On the other hand, if it is determined that no traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3, step s69 is executed. In other words, when there is no more traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8, step s69 is executed.

At step s<b>69 , the control unit 300 of the target roadside unit 3 generates eighth notification information that notifies that the traffic obstructing object is no longer present on the roadway 8 . Then, the control unit 300 causes the display unit 340 to display the eighth notification information. The eighth notification information is displayed using at least one of characters, symbols and graphics. For example, the display unit 340 displays a character string such as "There is no longer an object obstructing traffic" as the eighth notification information. As a result, a person present around the target roadside unit 3 can easily recognize that the traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 no longer exists.

After step s69, in step s70, the control unit 300 causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the eighth notification information generated in step s69 to the surrounding vehicles 4. FIG. As a result, the vehicle 4 is notified from the surrounding roadway 8 that the object obstructing traffic is no longer present. Therefore, the driver of the vehicle 4 can easily recognize from the surrounding roadway 8 that the object obstructing traffic is no longer present. In step s70, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the eighth notification information to the surrounding vehicles 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the vehicle 4 , the communication unit 410 of the in-vehicle device 40 receives the eighth notification information from the target roadside device 3 . When the communication unit 410 has received the seventh notification information from the target roadside device 3 in the past, the control unit 400 of the vehicle-mounted device 40 executes processing based on the eighth notification information received by the communication unit 410. do. Specifically, the control unit 400 uses at least one of the speaker 450 and the display unit 420 to notify the driver that there is no more traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 around the vehicle 4 . On the other hand, if the communication unit 410 has not received the seventh notification information from the target roadside device 3 in the past, the control unit 400 does not execute the processing based on the eighth notification information received by the communication unit 410. .

After step s70, in step s71, the control unit 300 causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the eighth notification information generated in step s69 to the peripheral electronic devices 2. FIG. As a result, the target roadside device 3 notifies the surrounding electronic devices 2 that the traffic obstructing object no longer exists on the roadway 8 . As a result, the user 20 of the electronic device 2 can easily recognize from the surrounding roadway 8 that the object obstructing traffic is no longer present. In step s71, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the eighth notification information to the peripheral electronic devices 2 using, for example, the 700 MHz band.

In the electronic device 2, when the communication unit 210 receives the eighth notification information, the control unit 200 sounds the buzzer 240 if the communication unit 210 has received the sixth notification information from the target roadside device 3 in the past. Then, the user 20 is notified that there is no more traffic-obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8 . On the other hand, the control unit 200 does not sound the buzzer 240 when the communication unit 210 has not received the sixth notification information from the target roadside device 3 in the past. Note that if the electronic device 2 includes a speaker, the control unit 200 may output a sound from the speaker to notify the user 20 that the object obstructing traffic is no longer present on the roadway 8 . Moreover, when the electronic device 2 includes a display unit, the control unit 200 may cause the display unit to display the eighth notification information.

After step s71, in step s72, the control unit 300 transmits the eighth notification information generated in step s69 and the identification information of the roadside device 3 immediately before the second to the communication unit 310, for example, in the 700 MHz band. Broadcast to the surrounding roadside units 3 by using. The identification information and the eighth notification information broadcast by the communication unit 310 of the target roadside device 3 are received by the roadside device 3 immediately before the second and the roadside device 3 immediately after the second. After execution of step s72, the process of FIG. 13 ends.

The roadside device 3 immediately before the second one stores the received eighth notification information in the storage unit 302, assuming that the eighth notification information is addressed to itself. As a result, the roadside device 3 located immediately before the second roadside device 3 is notified from the roadway 8 that the traffic obstructing object no longer exists. On the other hand, the second roadside device 3 one ahead discards the received eighth notification information because it is not addressed to itself. Therefore, the second roadside unit 3, which is one ahead, is not notified from the roadway 8 that the traffic obstructing object is no longer present.

If the communication unit 310 has received the sixth notification information from the target roadside device 3 in the past, the control unit 300 of the roadside device 3 immediately before the second one stores the eighth notification information in the storage unit 302. Perform processing based on Specifically, the control unit 300 of the roadside device 3 immediately before the second causes the communication unit 310 to transmit the eighth notification information in the storage unit 302 to the surrounding vehicles 4 . At this time, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the eighth notification information to the surrounding vehicles 4 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. Furthermore, the control unit 300 causes the display unit 340 to display information notifying that the traffic obstructing object is no longer present on the roadway 8 ahead of the roadside unit 3 one ahead of the second roadside unit 3 . As a result, a person present in the vicinity of the second roadside unit 3 one ahead can easily recognize from the roadway 8 in front that there is no more traffic obstructing object.

On the other hand, if the communication unit 310 has not received the sixth notification information from the target roadside device 3 in the past, the roadside device 3 immediately before the second does not execute the process based on the eighth notification information.

In the vehicle 4, the communication unit 410 of the in-vehicle device 40 receives the eighth notification information from the roadside device 3 one ahead of the second. When the communication unit 410 has received the sixth notification information from the roadside device 3 immediately before the second roadside device 3 in the past, the control unit 400 of the in-vehicle device 40 performs processing based on the received eighth notification information. to run. Specifically, the control unit 400 uses at least one of the speaker 450 and the display unit 420 to notify the driver that there is no more traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 ahead of the vehicle 4 . As a result, the driver of the vehicle 4 can easily recognize from the roadway 8 in front that the object obstructing traffic is no longer present. On the other hand, if the communication unit 410 has not received the sixth notification information from the roadside device 3 immediately before the second roadside device 3 in the past, the control unit 400 performs processing based on the received eighth notification information. don't run

If the camera 470 is not photographing when the seventh notification information is received, the vehicle 4 that has received the seventh notification information sends the eighth notification that the traffic obstructing object is no longer present on the roadway 8. The camera 470 may take pictures until the information is received. Further, if the vehicle 4 that has received the seventh notification information is being photographed by the camera 470 when the seventh notification information is received, the vehicle 4 detects that the traffic obstructing object is no longer present on the roadway 8 from the first timing. A period until the timing of receiving the eighth notification information to be notified may be set as the specific period. Further, the vehicle 4 may set the period from the timing of receiving the seventh notification information to the timing of receiving the eighth notification information as the specific period.

Further, the roadside device 3 immediately before the second may transmit the sixth notification information in the storage unit 302 to the peripheral electronic devices 2 . In this case, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the sixth notification information to the peripheral electronic devices 2 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. The electronic device 2 that has received the sixth notification information notifies the user 20 of the existence of the traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 by, for example, sounding the buzzer 240 .

Further, when the roadside device 3 immediately before the second has received the eighth notification information, when the communication unit 310 has received the sixth notification information in the past, the roadside device 3 receives the eighth notification information in the vicinity. may be transmitted to the electronic device 2 of the In this case, the communication unit 310 broadcasts the eighth notification information to the peripheral electronic devices 2 using, for example, the 700 MHz band. When the electronic device 2 that has received the eighth notification information has received the sixth notification information in the past, the electronic device 2 sounds the buzzer 240, for example, to inform the user that there is no more traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8. 20.

Next, the traffic obstruction determination processing in steps s61 and s68 will be described. In steps s61 and s68 , first, the control section 300 of the target roadside device 3 causes the communication section 310 to transmit the latest camera image to the center device 5 . In the center device 5 that has received the camera image at the communication unit 510, the control unit 500 performs traffic obstruction determination processing based on the camera image. For example, when a camera image shows a person squatting on the roadway 8 , the control unit 500 determines that a traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3 . Further, when the camera image shows a person lying down on the roadway 8 , the control unit 500 determines that a traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3 .

In the traffic obstruction determination process, the control unit 500 executes, for example, the same process as the above-described person identification process (step s41 in FIG. 11) to identify the person in the camera image. Then, the control unit 500 determines whether or not the specific person is positioned on the roadway 8 in the same manner as in step s4 described above. In other words, the control unit 500 determines whether or not the specific person is positioned on the pedestrian crossing 80 . When determining that the specific person is on the roadway 8, the control unit 500 determines whether the specific person is lying down or squatting. For example, the control unit 500 identifies the height of the specific person's head (more specifically, the height of the specific person's head from the ground) by performing image processing on the camera image. The control unit 500 may specify the height of a specific person's head, for example, using artificial intelligence such as machine learning using a neural network. The control unit 500 determines that the specific person has fallen when the specified height is less than the first threshold. In other words, when the height of the specific person's head is very low, the control unit 500 determines that the person lying down on the roadway 8 is captured in the camera image. In other words, the control unit 500 determines that a person lying down on the crosswalk 80 is captured in the camera image when the height of the specific person's head is very low. If the control unit 500 determines that a person lying down on the roadway 8 is captured in the camera image, the control unit 500 determines that a traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3 . Further, when the identified height is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold (second threshold > first threshold), control unit 500 is squatting. That is, the control unit 500 determines that a person crouching on the roadway 8 is captured in the camera image when the height of the specific person's head is low. If the control unit 500 determines that a person squatting on the roadway 8 is captured in the camera image, the control unit 500 determines that a traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8 around the target roadside unit 3 .

When the camera image shows a large object other than a person on the roadway 8 and an object that should not exist on the roadway 8, the control unit 500 may It is determined that a traffic obstructing object is located on the roadway 8 of . Examples of such objects include large fallen objects (such as pipes and cardboard) from trucks and the like and large objects blown by the wind (such as cardboard and signboards). The storage unit 502 of the center device 5 stores a camera image showing the imaging range of the camera 320 when the target roadside unit 3 is installed as a background image. In the traffic obstruction determination, the control unit 500 compares the camera image obtained from the target roadside unit 3 with the background image in the storage unit 502, and detects objects other than people in the camera image that are not captured in the background image. Identify. Henceforth, the said object may be called a specific object. Next, the control unit 500 determines whether the specific object is large. The control unit 500 determines that the specific object is large when the area of the region in which the specific object is captured in the camera image is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Then, the control unit 500 determines whether a large specific object is positioned on the roadway 8 or not. When the control unit 500 determines that a large specific object is located on the roadway 8, the camera image detects a large object other than a person on the roadway 8 that should not exist on the roadway 8. is determined to be in the image.

In steps s61 and s68, the control unit 500 causes the communication unit 510 to transmit determination result information indicating the result of the traffic obstruction determination processing to the target roadside unit 3. FIG. As a result, the target roadside unit 3 can know whether or not there is a traffic obstructing object on the surrounding roadway 8 . When the control unit 500 identifies that a traffic obstructing object is positioned on the roadway 8, the control unit 500 performs image processing on the camera image to acquire position information indicating the absolute position of the traffic obstructing object. Then, the control unit 500 causes the communication unit 510 to transmit determination result information including the position information of the traffic obstructing object to the target roadside device 3 .

Note that when the center device 5 identifies that a traffic obstacle is positioned on the roadway 8 around the target roadside device 3 , the center device 5 may notify a predetermined communication device other than the target roadside device 3 . For example, when the center device 5 identifies that a person who is crouching or lying down is located on the roadway 8, the center device 5 notifies the communication device of the fire department to inform the fire department of You may request an ambulance to come to the location where the At this time, the center device 5 may notify the communication device of the fire department closest to the position of the target electronic device 2 . In addition, when the center device 5 identifies an object that should not exist on the roadway 8 and a large object other than a person is located on the roadway 8, the center device 5 notifies the company to remove the object. A notice may be sent to the device requesting the company to remove the object.

At least one process of steps s62 to s65 in FIG. 13 may not be executed. Also, the processes of steps s66 and s67 may not be executed. Also, at least one process of steps s69 to s72 may not be executed.

Also, part of the processing performed by the target roadside device 3 in the processing of FIG. 8 may be performed by the center device 5 . Also, part of the processing performed by the target roadside device 3 in the processing of FIG. 13 may be performed by the center device 5 .

For example, the center device 5 may execute step s12 in FIG. In this case, the vehicle 4 repeatedly transmits its position information to the center device 5 . Also, the target roadside device 3 transmits the position information and the second notification information to the center device 5 . The control unit 500 of the center device 5 identifies the vehicles 4 around the target roadside device 3 based on the positional information of the target roadside device 3 and the positional information of each vehicle 4 . Then, the communication unit 510 of the center device 5 transmits the second notification information to the specified peripheral vehicle 4 . The center device 5 may similarly execute the process of step s22. The center device 5 may similarly execute the process of step s63 in FIG. The center device 5 may similarly execute the process of step s70 in FIG.

Also, the center device 5 may execute step s13 in FIG. In this case, the electronic device 2 repeatedly transmits its position information to the center device 5 . Also, the target roadside device 3 transmits the position information and the first notification information to the center device 5 . The control unit 500 of the center device 5 identifies the electronic devices 2 around the target roadside device 3 based on the positional information of the target roadside device 3 and the positional information of each electronic device 2 . Then, the communication unit 510 of the center device 5 transmits the first notification information to the identified peripheral electronic device 2 . The center device 5 may similarly execute the process of step s23. The center device 5 may similarly execute the process of step s64 in FIG. The center device 5 may similarly execute the process of step s71 in FIG.

Also, the center device 5 may execute steps s15 and s16 in FIG. In this case, the target roadside device 3 transmits the position information, the target camera image in which the target user 20 is captured, the target user 20 position information, and the first notification information to the center device 5 . The center device 5 also stores the position information of each roadside unit 3, the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the first lane 8a, and the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the second lane 8b. At step s<b>15 , the control unit 500 of the center device 5 identifies the target user 20 in the target camera image based on the position information of the target user 20 . Next, based on the target camera image and the map information in the storage unit 502, the control unit 500 determines whether the target user 20 is located in the first lane 8a or the second lane 8b. Then, the control unit 500 identifies the roadside device 3 immediately before on the basis of the determination result. The control unit 500 sets the identified roadside device 3 immediately before as the roadside device 3 to be notified. After that, in step s16, the communication unit 510 of the center device 5 transmits the first notification information to the roadside device 3 one ahead. When the center device 5 executes step s15, the control unit 500 functions as a specifying unit that specifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location of the troubled user 20 .

Similarly, the center device 5 may execute steps s66 and s67 in FIG. In this case, the target roadside device 3 transmits its position information and the sixth notification information to the center device 5 . The center device 5 also stores the position information of each roadside unit 3, the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the first lane 8a, and the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 in the second lane 8b. In step s66, the control unit 500 of the center device 5 determines that the traffic obstructing object is located in the first lane 8a based on the position information of the traffic obstructing object acquired in steps s61 and s68 and the map information in the storage unit 502. It is determined whether the vehicle is on the second lane 8b. Then, the control unit 500 identifies the second roadside device 3 immediately before, based on the determination result. The control unit 500 determines whether the traffic obstructing object is located in the first lane 8a or the second lane 8b, based on the camera image of the traffic obstructing object obtained in steps s61 and s68. may In this case, the control unit 500 identifies a region of the traffic obstructing object in contact with the ground in the camera image showing the traffic obstructing object. Further, based on the map information in storage unit 502, control unit 500 specifies the area in which first lane 8a is captured and the area in which second lane 8b is captured in the camera image. Then, in the camera image, when the area of the traffic obstructing object contacting the ground exists within the area in which the first lane 8a is captured, the control unit 500 determines that the traffic obstructing object is located in the first lane 8a. judge. On the other hand, control unit 500 determines that the traffic obstructing object is located in second lane 8b when the area of the traffic obstructing object in contact with the ground exists within the area in which second lane 8b is captured in the camera image. I judge.

The control unit 500 sets the identified second immediately preceding roadside device 3 as the roadside device 3 to be notified. After that, in step s66, the communication unit 510 of the center device 5 transmits the sixth notification information to the roadside device 3 immediately before the second. When the center device 5 executes step s66, the control unit 500 functions as a specifying unit that specifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the location where the traffic obstructing object is located.

The center device 5 may execute step s72 when specifying the second roadside device 3 immediately before as described above. In this case, the target roadside device 3 transmits the eighth notification information to the center device 5 . In step s72, the communication unit 510 of the center device 5 transmits the eighth notification information to the roadside device 3 immediately before the second.

Also, the center device 5 may execute step s4 in FIG. In this case, the target roadside device 3 transmits the target camera image and the position information of the target user 20 to the center device 5 . The control unit 500 of the center device 5 identifies the target user 20 in the target camera image based on the position information of the target user 20 . Then, the control unit 500 determines whether the target user 20 is located on the roadway 8 or on the sidewalk 9 based on the target camera image and the map information in the storage unit 502 . When the center device 5 executes step s4, the control unit 500 functions as a specifying unit that specifies that the troubled user 20 is located on the roadway 8. FIG.

Also, the center device 5 may execute step s2 in FIG. In this case, the target roadside device 3 transmits the target camera image and the position information of the target user 20 to the center device 5 . The center device 5 executes the processes of FIGS. 11 and 12 based on the target camera image and the target user 20 position information. Also, the center device 5 may execute the process of step s3.

In the above example, the notification device 7 includes the roadside device 3 and the center device 5, but the notification device 7 may be composed of the roadside device 3 only. For example, in the process shown in FIG. 13, the traffic obstruction determination process in steps s61 and s68 is executed by the center device 5. In the process shown in FIG. When the notification device 7 is composed of only the roadside device 3, the target roadside device 3 does not transmit the camera image to the center device 5 in steps s61 and s68. Then, in steps s61 and s68, the control unit 300 of the target roadside unit 3 executes the traffic obstruction determination process based on the camera image in the same manner as the traffic obstruction determination process performed by the center device 5. In this case, the background image described above is stored in the storage unit 302 of the target roadside device 3 . When the notification device 7 is composed only of the roadside unit 3 , the control unit 300 functions as an identification unit that identifies the position of the traffic obstructing object on the roadway 8 . When executing the traffic obstruction determination process, in step s66, the control unit 300 determines whether the traffic obstructing object is located in the first lane 8a or not in the second lane 8b based on the camera image showing the traffic obstructing object. It may be determined whether it is located at

Although the communication system 1 has been described in detail as above, the above description is illustrative in all aspects, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Moreover, the various modifications described above can be applied in combination as long as they do not contradict each other. And it is understood that numerous variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

2 portable electronic device 3 roadside device 4 vehicle 5 center device 7 notification device 300, 500 control unit 310, 510 communication unit

Claims (16)

A notification device comprising a first imaging device ,
a first identifying unit that identifies a specific event on the roadway around the first imaging device ;
a communication unit that, when the specific event is identified, sends a first notification including a notification instructing the vehicle on the roadway to take a photograph ;
The notification device , wherein the specific event includes the position of a fallen person on the roadway as an object obstructing vehicle traffic . A notification device according to claim 1,
The notification device, wherein the first specifying unit determines that the person has fallen when the height of the person's head from the ground is less than a first threshold. The notification device according to claim 2,
the specific event includes a squatting person as the object being positioned on the roadway ;
The first specifying unit determines that the person is squatting when the height of the person's head from the ground is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and is less than the second threshold value. Device. The notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The notification device, wherein the first imaging device displays first notification information for notifying the specific event when the specific event is identified. The notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The notification device, wherein, when the specific event is identified, the communication unit performs a second notification to a portable device positioned around the first imaging device . The notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The first imaging device is a notification device that takes an image when the specific event is identified. The notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
An electronic device possessed by a person makes a third notification to the notification device in response to an input made by the person to the electronic device when a trouble occurs in the person,
The notification device, wherein the specific event includes the person having the trouble being located on the roadway. A notification device according to claim 7 ,
When the first identification unit identifies that the person having the trouble is located on the roadway, the first identifying unit identifies the first traveling direction of the vehicle at the location where the person having the trouble is located on the roadway. further comprising a second specifying unit for
The notification device, wherein the communication unit performs a fourth notification to a second imaging device located closer to the first imaging device than the first imaging device in the first traveling direction. The notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
Further comprising a third specifying unit that specifies a second traveling direction of the vehicle at a location where the object is located on the roadway when the first specifying unit specifies that the object is located on the roadway,
The notification device, wherein the communication unit performs a fifth notification to a third imaging device closer to the second traveling direction than the first imaging device . A notification device according to claim 7 ,
The first identification unit determines, in response to the third notification, whether the person having the trouble is located on the roadway or on a sidewalk located around the first imaging device. , notification device. A notification device according to claim 10 ,
When it is determined that the person having the trouble is located on the sidewalk, the first imaging device displays second notification information notifying that the person having the trouble is located on the sidewalk. Notification device. The notification device according to any one of claims 10 and 11 ,
The notification device, wherein the communication unit performs a sixth notification to the vehicle on the roadway when it is determined that the person with the trouble is located on the sidewalk. A notification device according to claim 12 ,
The notification device, wherein the sixth notification includes a notification instructing a vehicle on the roadway to take an image . The notification device according to any one of claims 10 to 13 ,
The notification device, wherein the communication unit performs a seventh notification to a portable device positioned around the first imaging device when it is determined that the person having the trouble is positioned on the sidewalk. The notification device according to any one of claims 10 to 14 ,
The first imaging device is a notification device that takes an image when it is determined that the troubled person is positioned on the sidewalk. A notification method in a device including an imaging device ,
a step of identifying, as a specific event on the roadway around the imaging device , that a fallen person is located on the roadway, and which hinders vehicle traffic ;
and a step of notifying a vehicle on the roadway of an instruction to take a photograph when the specific event is identified.

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