JP7488657B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

There is a demand for knowing in advance that a vehicle needs to change lanes when there is a lane that is blocked in the vehicle's direction of travel due to an accident, an obstacle, etc. Technology that can realize such a demand is considered to be necessary, for example, for automated driving technology of vehicles.
The technology for detecting the presence of an obstacle on a road is described in Patent Document 1. The technology described in Patent Document 1 collects trajectory information on the trajectory traveled by a vehicle, and detects the presence of an obstacle on the road when it is determined that the vehicle has changed lanes based on the trajectory information. In this case, the technology described in Patent Document 1 detects the presence of an obstacle when the ratio of the number of vehicles that have changed lanes to the number of vehicles that have passed through a specific area on the road is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The technology described in Patent Document 1 detects the average point of the first lane change and the average point of the second lane change of multiple vehicles, and detects that an obstacle exists between the two points.

JP 2006-313519 A

The technology described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 cannot detect an obstacle on the road unless a plurality of vehicles have traveled through a specific area on the road.
However, there are roads on which a relatively small number of vehicles are traveling, and roads on which a relatively small number of vehicles are traveling during certain times of the day, such as at night. The technology described in Patent Document 1 may not be able to detect obstacles on such roads on which a relatively small number of vehicles are traveling.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can detect the need to change lanes in the vehicle's travel direction.

An information processing device according to one embodiment includes an acquisition unit that acquires driving operation information of a vehicle that has traveled through a specific area, a detection unit that detects peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle that generated the driving operation information based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a notification unit that, when a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit, notifies other vehicles other than the vehicle in which the peculiarity has been detected of predetermined information.

In one aspect of the information processing device, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes at least time information of vehicles that have traveled through a specific area, and when there is a time period during which the number of vehicles that have traveled through the specific area is relatively small based on the time information, the acquisition unit may acquire driving operation information of vehicles that have traveled through the specific area during that time period.

In one aspect of the information processing device, the acquisition unit may acquire driving operation information of a vehicle that has traveled through a specific area within a predetermined time.

In one aspect of the information processing device, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes steering angle information related to the steering angle of the vehicle and angular velocity information related to the angular velocity when steering the vehicle, and the detection unit may detect, based on the steering angle information and the angular velocity information, that a steering angle and angular velocity different from a steering angle and angular velocity during normal driving that are preset, as an anomaly in the operation of the vehicle.

In one aspect of the information processing device, the detection unit may have reference information that is the range of steering angles and angular velocities that occur when the vehicle travels on a road, which serve as the basis for the steering angle and angular velocity during normal driving, and may detect the occurrence of an accident as an anomaly in the operation of the vehicle based on the reference information, the steering angle information, and the angular velocity information.

In one aspect of the information processing device, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes driving speed information regarding the vehicle's driving speed, and the detection unit may detect a deceleration stop that is different from a pre-set deceleration stop during normal driving based on the driving speed information as a peculiarity regarding the vehicle's operation.

In one aspect of the information processing device, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes hazard light illumination information related to the hazard lights of the vehicle, and the detection unit may detect illumination of the hazard lights of the vehicle as a peculiarity regarding the operation of the vehicle when it detects illumination of the hazard lights of the vehicle based on the hazard light illumination information.

In one aspect of the information processing device, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes status information regarding contact between another vehicle and the vehicle, a breakdown of the vehicle, and running out of fuel, and when an abnormality in the vehicle is detected based on the status information, the detection unit may detect this as an anomaly in the operation of the vehicle.

In one embodiment of the information processing device, the notification unit may notify, as the specified information, that there is a risk of a lane change in the direction of travel of another vehicle.

In one aspect of the information processing method, a computer executes an acquisition step of acquiring driving operation information of a vehicle that has traveled through a specific area, a detection step of detecting peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle that generated the driving operation information based on the driving operation information acquired in the acquisition step, and a notification step of notifying other vehicles other than the vehicle in which the peculiarity was detected of predetermined information when a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle is detected in the detection step.

An information processing program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to implement an acquisition function for acquiring driving operation information of a vehicle that has traveled through a specific area, a detection function for detecting peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle that generated the driving operation information based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition function, and a notification function for notifying other vehicles other than the vehicle in which the peculiarity was detected of predetermined information when a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle is detected by the detection function.

An information processing device of one embodiment acquires driving operation information of a vehicle that has traveled through a specific area, detects peculiarities in the vehicle's operation based on the driving operation information, and if peculiarities in the vehicle's operation are detected, notifies other vehicles other than the vehicle in which the peculiarity was detected of specified information, thereby making it possible to detect the need for a lane change in the vehicle's direction of travel.
Furthermore, the information processing method and the information processing program according to one aspect can achieve the same effects as the information processing device according to the above aspect.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of when a vehicle changes lanes. 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining an example when a detection unit detects a peculiar operation. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In this specification, the term "information" is used, but the term "information" may sometimes be replaced with "data," and the term "data" may sometimes be replaced with "information."

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an information processing device 30 according to an embodiment.
The information processing system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a center 20, and an information processing device 30.

The vehicle 10 generates driving operation information related to driving operations and the like, and transmits the driving operation information to the center 20. The driving operation information is, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network) information and probe information.

The center 20 is a device that accumulates driving operation information and provides the driving operation information to the information processing device 30 in response to a request from the information processing device 30. The center 20 has, for example, a server function, etc., and is capable of accumulating information and transmitting and receiving information. That is, the center 20 transmits and receives information between the vehicle 10 and the information processing device 30, for example, using a server communication unit (not shown) or the like. The center 20 is capable of storing the driving operation information transmitted from the vehicle 10 in a server storage unit (not shown), and providing the driving operation information stored in the server storage unit to the information processing device 30. The center 20 is capable of providing the vehicle 10 with predetermined information transmitted from the information processing device 30. The predetermined information will be described later.

The information processing device 30 detects when a lane change is required in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 (own vehicle) based on the driving operation information of the vehicle 10 (other vehicle) provided by the center 20, and transmits the necessity of lane change to the center 20 as predetermined information. The information processing device 30 may transmit to the center 20 as predetermined information that a lane change (straying into an oncoming lane) is required in a lane on a road with one lane in each direction, and that a lane change is required in the lane in which the vehicle 10 is currently traveling or in an adjacent lane on a road with multiple lanes in each direction. An example of a case where a lane change is required by the information processing device 30 is when there is some kind of obstacle on the road (for example, a fallen object, a broken-down vehicle, an accident vehicle, a construction vehicle, a vehicle with its hazard lights on, etc.). The case where a lane change is required is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and may be various situations. The information processing device 30 may receive driving operation information from the vehicle 10 without going through the center 20, and may also transmit predetermined information to the vehicle 10.

When the vehicle 10 receives specified information, it may display at least one of information that a lane change is necessary and information about the location where the lane change is necessary, together with a road map displayed on an in-vehicle display unit (not shown) based on the function of a navigation device (or an in-vehicle control unit) (not shown), for example.
Alternatively, if the vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle, when the vehicle 10 receives predetermined information, it may take evasive action, such as changing lanes, before approaching an obstacle on the road.

The information processing device 30 may not only detect the need for a lane change in one or more lanes in the direction in which the vehicle 10 (own vehicle) is currently traveling, but may also detect the possibility that an oncoming vehicle will change lanes in a lane (opposing lane) in the opposite direction to the direction in which the vehicle 10 (own vehicle) is currently traveling. When the information processing device 30 detects the possibility that an oncoming vehicle will change lanes as "a lane change is necessary" and transmits this information to the vehicle 10 (own vehicle) as specified information, the driver of the vehicle 10 (own vehicle) can know that a lane change is necessary in the oncoming lane, i.e., that there is a possibility that an oncoming vehicle will be traveling in the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, and a collision accident with an oncoming vehicle can be suppressed.

Next, the information processing device 30 will be described in detail.
The information processing device 30 includes a communication unit 35, a storage unit 36, an acquisition unit 32, a detection unit 33, and a notification unit 34. The acquisition unit 32, the detection unit 33, and the notification unit 34 may be realized as functions of a control unit 31 (arithmetic processing device) of the information processing device 30.

The communication unit 35 transmits and receives information to and from the center 20. The communication unit 35 may also transmit and receive information to and from the vehicle 10.
The storage unit 36 is, for example, a storage device that stores various information and the like.

The acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information of the vehicle 10 that has traveled through a specific area. As described above, the driving operation information is, for example, CAN information and probe information.
The acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information of another vehicle that traveled on a road (specific area) in the traveling direction of the vehicle before the vehicle. For example, when the acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information (information about the traveling position) from the vehicle 10 (the vehicle), the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of the vehicle 10 (the other vehicle) that traveled in the specific area by setting the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 as the specific area. In this case, when the acquisition unit 32 sets the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 (the vehicle) as the specific area, for example, the specific area may be 1 km, 2 km, 3 km, 5 km, 8 km, 10 km, 15 km, or 20 km away from the vehicle 10 (the vehicle), or may be further away. The range of the specific area is not limited to the above example, and is appropriately set by the information processing device 30 (or an operator operating the information processing device 30, etc.). The range of the specific area may also be set in stages. That is, the range of the specific area may be, for example, relatively short in urban areas and relatively long (longer than the distance in urban areas) in suburban areas, mountain areas, and motorways. Alternatively, the range of the specific area may be set in stages according to the traveling speed of the vehicle 10 (host vehicle), for example, and may be relatively short when the traveling speed is relatively slow and relatively long (longer than when the traveling speed is slow) when the traveling speed is relatively fast.

Alternatively, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of another vehicle 10 that has traveled through the specific area before the vehicle, by determining an area including the current position of the vehicle as a specific area based on the position information of the vehicle. The acquisition unit 32 may identify an area in which the vehicle is traveling among a plurality of areas (for example, a plurality of areas formed by dividing a road map into a mesh shape) that are set in advance as an area including the current position of the vehicle, and may set the identified area as the specific area.
Alternatively, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of another vehicle 10 that has traveled through the specific area before the vehicle, the specific area being an area centered on the current position of the vehicle and within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle, based on the position information of the vehicle. The predetermined distance is appropriately set by the information processing device 30 (or an operator or the like who operates the information processing device 30).

The driving operation information may include, for example, steering angle information regarding the steering angle of the vehicle 10, angular velocity information regarding the angular velocity when steering the vehicle 10, driving speed information regarding the driving speed of the vehicle 10, hazard light information regarding the hazard lights of the vehicle 10, and status information regarding contact between the vehicle and another vehicle, a malfunction of the vehicle, and running out of fuel.

The steering angle information may be, for example, information that records the rotation angle of the steering wheel.
The angular velocity information may be, for example, information that records the angular velocity when the steering wheel is turned.
The traveling speed information is, for example, information that records the traveling speed of the vehicle 10. The traveling speed of the vehicle 10 may be acquired based on the rotation speed of the axles or the like of the vehicle 10, or may be acquired based on position information and time information, which will be described later.
The hazard light information may be, for example, information that records the fact that the hazard lights are turned on.
The status information is, for example, information that records contact between the vehicle and another vehicle, that the vehicle has broken down, and that the vehicle has run out of fuel, based on the detection results of various sensors (e.g., distance sensors and obstacle sensors) mounted on the vehicle 10 and the operating conditions of various devices (e.g., airbags) mounted on the vehicle 10. Note that the status information that records contact between the vehicle and another vehicle may also be generated by the vehicle 10 when the vehicle comes into contact with an object other than the vehicle 10 (e.g., an object such as a guardrail or an obstacle).

In addition to the above examples, various other information may be recorded in the driving operation information. As one example, the driving operation information may include information on measurement values measured by various sensors and devices (for example, acceleration information measured by an acceleration sensor), and information on the operating status of various devices (for example, information on braking operations and information on turn signals (directional indicators)).

The driving operation information records at least the time information of the vehicle 10 traveling in the specific area.
For example, the driving operation information generated by the vehicle 10 includes location information on the traveling position of the vehicle 10 and time information on the time when the location information was acquired. The vehicle 10 acquires the location information by using, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or the like, and also acquires time information when the location information was acquired. The vehicle 10 includes, for example, the acquired location information and time information in the driving operation information.

When there is a time period in which the number of vehicles 10 traveling in a specific area is relatively small (e.g., a time period in which the number of vehicles 10 is in a predetermined situation), the acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information of the vehicles 10 traveling in the specific area during that time period. The predetermined situation may be, for example, a situation in which the number of vehicles 10 traveling is below a threshold, or the ratio of the number of vehicles 10 traveling is below a threshold, as described below.

For example, when there is a time period in which the number of vehicles 10 that have traveled through the specific area based on the time information is equal to or less than a threshold, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of the vehicles 10 that have traveled through the specific area during that time period. The threshold is a relatively small number, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, or 10 vehicles. The threshold is not limited to the above example, and is set appropriately according to, for example, the traffic volume in the specific area. As an example, when there is a time period (e.g., 1:00 to 2:00 a.m.) in which there is only one vehicle 10 (a number equal to or less than the threshold) that has traveled through the specific area, the acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information of the single vehicle 10 that has traveled during that time period.

Alternatively, for example, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of a vehicle 10 that has traveled through a specific area in a specific time period, based on the driving operation information of the multiple vehicles 10, when the ratio of the number of vehicles 10 traveling in a specific time period to the number of vehicles 10 traveling in all time periods is equal to or less than a threshold value. The threshold value is, for example, a value that results in a relatively small number of vehicles, such as 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, or 5%. The threshold value is not limited to the above example, and is set appropriately according to, for example, the traffic volume in the specific area.

As a specific example, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire the driving operation information of the vehicle 10 as follows. That is, first, the center 20 that stores the above-mentioned multiple driving operation information may divide the number of vehicles 10 traveling in stages (for example, three stages of 0, 1 to 3, and 4 to 6) for each specific area (for example, for each road or road link), and specify a time period for each stage (for example, a time period when the number of vehicles traveling is 1 to 3 is 1:00 to 2:00 a.m.). Alternatively, the center 20 may set a time period (for example, midnight to 1:00 a.m., 1:00 to 2:00 a.m., etc.) for each specific area (for example, for each road or road link), and specify the number of vehicles 10 traveling for each time period. In this case, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire from the center 20 the driving operation information of the vehicle 10 that traveled in the specific area during a time period when the number of vehicles traveling is relatively small.

The acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of a vehicle 10 that has traveled through a specific area within a predetermined time. For example, when there is a vehicle 10 (own vehicle) that is currently in a specific area or heading toward a specific area, the acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information of a vehicle 10 (other vehicle) that has traveled through the specific area within a predetermined time from the present. The predetermined time is, for example, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours. The predetermined time is not limited to the above example, and is set appropriately according to, for example, the traffic volume in the specific area.

The detection unit 33 detects, based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32, a peculiarity (peculiar operation) in the operation of the vehicle 10 (other vehicle) that generated the driving operation information. A peculiar operation is an operation that is generally different from an operation performed when the vehicle 10 is traveling (operation during normal traveling). When a peculiar driving operation is recorded in the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32, the detection unit 33 detects it as a peculiar operation.

The detection unit 33 detects, for example, the following operations as the peculiar operations.
When a steering angle and an angular velocity different from a steering angle and an angular velocity during normal driving that are set in advance are recorded based on the steering angle information and the angular velocity information, the detection unit 33 may detect this as a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle 10. The detection unit 33 may have, as reference information, a range of steering angles and a range of angular velocities that occur when the vehicle 10 travels on a road, which serve as a reference for the steering angle and angular velocity during normal driving. In this case, the detection unit 33 may detect, for example, the occurrence of an accident as a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle 10 based on the reference information, the steering angle information, and the angular velocity information.

That is, for example, when avoiding an obstacle on the road, the driver may suddenly turn the steering wheel. Also, for example, when the vehicle 10 comes into contact with an obstacle on the road, the driver may suddenly turn the steering wheel to avoid the impact of the contact and further danger. In this case, the steering angle of the steering wheel is considered to be larger than when the steering wheel is not turned suddenly (steering wheel operation during normal driving). Also, the angular velocity when turning the steering wheel is considered to be relatively faster than the steering wheel operation during normal driving. For example, the detection unit 33 may store the steering angle and angular velocity in the steering wheel operation during normal driving as a reference (reference information) in advance, and detect the peculiar operation based on the steering angle information and angular velocity information included in the driving operation information, and the reference information.

The detection unit 33 may detect a deceleration stop different from the deceleration stop during normal driving based on the driving speed information as a peculiarity of the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, if there is an obstacle in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, the driver may suddenly decelerate and stop the vehicle 10 to avoid contact with the obstacle. In this case, the sudden deceleration and sudden stop of the vehicle 10 will result in a larger acceleration and the vehicle 10 will stop in a short distance (large change in driving speed in a short distance) compared to when the sudden deceleration and sudden stop is not performed (deceleration and stop during normal driving). The detection unit 33 may, for example, store the acceleration during normal driving, and the distance and speed change, etc. as a reference (reference information) in advance, and detect a peculiar operation based on the acceleration information and driving speed information included in the driving operation information, and the reference information.

When the detection unit 33 detects that the hazard lights of the vehicle 10 are on based on the hazard light information, it may detect this as a peculiar operation of the vehicle 10. For example, when the vehicle 10 has its hazard lights on, it is considered that the vehicle 10 is stopped. The detection unit 33 may detect the possibility that the vehicle 10 is stopped as a peculiar operation based on the hazard light information included in the driving operation information.

When an abnormality in the host vehicle is detected based on the status information, the detection unit 33 may detect this as a peculiar operation of the vehicle 10. For example, when the vehicle 10 (host vehicle) comes into contact with another vehicle, when an abnormality in the vehicle 10 is detected, or when the vehicle 10 runs out of fuel, it is considered that the vehicle 10 is likely to be stopped. The detection unit 33 may detect the possibility that the vehicle 10 is stopped as a peculiar operation based on the status information included in the driving operation information.

In addition to the above examples, the detection unit 33 may detect, for example, an operation of the brake or turn signal as an unusual operation of another vehicle when the operation information is recorded in the driving operation information.

Furthermore, the detection unit 33 may detect the peculiar operation by a method different from the above.
The control unit 31 may learn peculiar operations in advance to generate a learning model and store the model in the storage unit 36. That is, the control unit 31 may learn in advance, for example, a range of steering angles and a range of angular velocities outside a reference range different from that during normal driving, a sudden deceleration/sudden stop, illumination of hazard lights, and an abnormal state of the vehicle 10, to generate a learning model of a peculiar state different from that during normal driving. When the detection unit 33 acquires driving operation information by the acquisition unit 32, the detection unit 33 may detect a peculiar operation based on the driving operation information and the learning model.

The control unit 31 may also learn operations during normal driving in advance to generate a learning model and store it in the memory unit 36. That is, the control unit 31 may learn in advance, for example, the range of steering angles and range of angular velocities, deceleration/stopping, non-illumination of hazard lights, and the normal state of the vehicle 10, which are standards during normal driving, to generate a learning model for normal driving. When the detection unit 33 acquires driving operation information by the acquisition unit 32, and an operation that does not fit the learning model (an operation outside the standards that differs from normal driving) is acquired based on the driving operation information and the learning model, the detection unit 33 may detect it as an anomalous operation.

The control unit 31 may generate a learning model that learns operation conditions related to the vehicle, such as the range of steering angles and the range of angular velocities, sudden deceleration/sudden stops, illumination of hazard lights, and abnormal conditions of the vehicle 10, and information indicating whether the contents of the operation conditions are normal or abnormal (peculiar or not), as teacher data, and store the model in the memory unit 36. When the detection unit 33 acquires driving operation information by the acquisition unit 32, the detection unit 33 may detect the driving operation as an unusual operation based on the driving operation information and the learning model.

When the detection unit 33 detects an anomaly in the operation of the vehicle 10, the notification unit 34 notifies other vehicles 10 other than the vehicle 10 in which the anomaly was detected of predetermined information. The notification unit 34 may notify, as the predetermined information, that there is a possibility of a lane change in the direction of travel of the other vehicle 10. Here, "other vehicles" refers to vehicle 10 (the vehicle itself) that is currently traveling in a specific area or traveling toward a specific area.

The "possibility of lane change" as the "predetermined information" includes the possibility that the vehicle 10 (the vehicle itself) will change lanes ahead. The possibility of lane change refers to a situation in which the vehicle 10 (the vehicle itself) must change from the lane in which the vehicle itself is traveling to another lane due to some factor. Some factor refers to a situation in which another vehicle ahead of the lane in which the vehicle itself is traveling is behaving suspiciously or has had an accident, or there is a possibility that an oncoming vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane will cross the lane and travel in the lane in which the vehicle itself is traveling.
The "predetermined information" may also include information on a position where a lane change may occur. When the driving operation information of the vehicle 10 includes position information, the detection unit 33 can specify the position where the special operation is detected based on the position information. The notification unit 34 may include peculiar operation position information on the position where the peculiar operation is detected in the predetermined information and notify the other vehicle 10 (the vehicle itself).

The notification unit 34 may notify the other vehicle 10 of the specified information via the center 20. In this case, the notification unit 34 first transmits the specified information to the center 20, for example, by the communication unit 35. Next, the center 20 transmits the specified information transmitted from the information processing device 30 to the other vehicle 10 (the vehicle itself).

When the vehicle 10 receives the predetermined information, it displays the predetermined information on a display unit (on-board display unit) (not shown) mounted on the vehicle based on the control of a control unit (on-board control unit) (not shown) mounted on the vehicle. For example, the on-board display unit displays a warning image indicating that a lane change may occur, the location where a lane change may occur, and the distance to the location where a lane change may occur. The on-board display unit is not limited to the above example, and may display various images and characters based on the predetermined information. When displaying the predetermined information on the on-board display unit, the on-board control unit may control the output of a voice or warning sound from an on-board speaker (not shown) indicating that a lane change may occur in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 (host vehicle).

In addition, in the case where the vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle, when the on-board control unit receives specified information, it may control the autonomous vehicle, for example, to change lanes before a position where a lane change is likely to occur, or to stop the vehicle temporarily before that position.
The in-vehicle control unit and the in-vehicle display unit may constitute a navigation device or the like.

In the information processing system 1 of the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the vehicle 10, the center 20, and the information processing device 30 are each configured separately, but the present invention is not limited to the above example. That is, as a first modification, in the information processing system 1, the information processing device 30 may be mounted on the vehicle 10. As an example, the information processing device 30 may be mounted on the vehicle 10 as one function of a navigation device. Also, as a second modification, in the information processing system 1, the information processing device 30 may be disposed in the center 20.

Next, a specific example of the information processing device 30 will be described.
Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of when the vehicle 10 changes lanes. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of when the detection unit 33 detects a peculiar operation.

As shown in an example in FIG. 2, when the vehicle 10 (own vehicle 10a) travels on a road, the own vehicle 10a generates driving operation information and transmits it to the center 20 (see FIG. 1). The center 20 stores the received driving operation information of the own vehicle 10a in a server storage unit (not shown) and transmits the driving operation information to the information processing device 30 (see FIG. 1).

The acquisition unit 32 sets a specific area based on the position information included in the driving operation information, and acquires driving operation information of a vehicle 10 (another vehicle 10b) that has traveled through the specific area before the vehicle 10a from the center 20 via the communication unit 35. At this time, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of the other vehicle 10b if the time period during which the vehicle 10a travels through the specific area (travels toward the specific area) is a time period during which the number of vehicles 10 that have traveled through the specific area is relatively small.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information of another vehicle 10b that stops within a specific area with its hazard lights turned on.
For example, the detection unit 33 detects that the other vehicle 10b has its hazard lights turned on based on hazard light information included in the driving operation information of the other vehicle 10b, and changes the flag from "0" to "1." Figure 3 shows an example of a table related to peculiar operations detected based on driving operation information. When changing the flag related to the hazard lights to "1," the detection unit 33 changes the flag "0" in the "Hazard Lights" item in the table shown in Figure 3 to "1."

In addition to the above, when the detection unit 33 detects any operation that is different from that during normal driving based on the steering angle information, angular velocity information, driving speed information, and status information contained in the driving operation information, the detection unit 33 changes the flag "0" shown as an example in Figure 3 for the corresponding driving operation item to "1".
When the flag of any of the driving operation items illustrated in FIG. 3 is changed to "1," the detection unit 33 detects this as a peculiar operation.
It should be noted that the table illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and the table may be appropriately set depending on the detection items of the peculiar operations.

Here, the detection unit 33 may estimate the reason why the other vehicle performed the peculiar operation based on the driving operation items, etc. corresponding to one or more flags that have been changed to "1." A specific example will be described below.
For example, if the detection unit 33 detects that the driving operation information of the other vehicle that performed the peculiar operation includes vehicle information indicating a construction vehicle, and further detects that the other vehicle has been stopped for a predetermined period of time or more based on the position information and time information, and that the other vehicle has its hazard lights on based on the hazard lamp illumination information, it may infer that the reason for the possible lane change is "construction," since the other vehicle is not a general vehicle but a dedicated vehicle 10 stopped on the road.

For example, when the detection unit 33 detects sudden deceleration/stop, a breakdown, or running out of gas based on the driving operation information, it may infer that the reason for the possible lane change is the "presence of a broken-down vehicle."

For example, when the detection unit 33 detects sudden deceleration/stop, a steering angle different from that during normal driving, and a malfunction based on the driving operation information, it may infer that the possible reason for a lane change is the "presence of a vehicle involved in a single-vehicle accident" such as falling rocks or a collision with a median strip.

For example, when the detection unit 33 detects sudden deceleration/stop, a steering angle different from that during normal driving, contact with another vehicle, or a malfunction based on the driving operation information, the detection unit 33 may infer "the presence of a vehicle involved in an accident involving multiple vehicles" as a possible reason for a lane change.

The notification unit 34 transmits to the vehicle, as predetermined information, information regarding the possibility of a lane change, the reason for the lane change, and the location where the lane change will occur. In other words, the notification unit 34 notifies the vehicle that caution is required for passage at least several tens of meters before and after the location where the lane change will occur, or that there is a possibility of a road closure.

Next, an information processing method according to an embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an embodiment.

In step ST101, the acquisition unit 32 acquires driving operation information of the vehicle 10 (other vehicle) that has traveled through the specific area. That is, the acquisition unit 32 identifies the specific area based on the current position of the vehicle 10 (own vehicle), and acquires from the center 20 the driving operation information of the vehicle 10 (other vehicle) that has traveled through the specific area within a predetermined time from the current time. In this case, the acquisition unit 32 may identify driving operation information only for the specific area based on the position information included in the driving operation information, and acquire the driving operation information.

In step ST102, the detection unit 33 determines whether there is a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle 10 (other vehicle) that generated the driving operation information based on the driving operation information acquired in step ST101. The detection unit 33 determines that there is a peculiarity, for example, in the case of an abnormal steering angle, an abnormal angular velocity, sudden deceleration/sudden stop, illumination of the hazard lights, contact of the vehicle 10, a malfunction of the vehicle 10, or running out of fuel of the vehicle 10. If there is a peculiarity (Yes), the process proceeds to step ST103. If there is no peculiarity (No), the detection unit 33 performs the process of step ST102 again.

In step ST103, if it is determined in step ST102 that there is a peculiar operation, the detection unit 33 detects it as a peculiar operation. In this case, the detection unit 33 acquires peculiar operation position information regarding the position where the peculiar operation was performed based on the driving operation information, and may also estimate the reason for the peculiar operation (the reason why the vehicle 10 may change lanes).

In step ST104, the notification unit 34 notifies the vehicle 10 (host vehicle) of the possibility of a lane change in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 as predetermined information. The predetermined information may include peculiar operation position information and information regarding the reason for the peculiar operation.

When the vehicle 10 (own vehicle) receives the predetermined information, it displays characters or images related to the predetermined information on an in-vehicle display unit (not shown) and outputs a warning sound or voice from an in-vehicle speaker (not shown), thereby allowing the driver of the own vehicle to know in advance that there is a possibility of a lane change.
Furthermore, if the vehicle 10 (host vehicle) is an autonomous vehicle, when the vehicle 10 receives predetermined information, it performs avoidance operations such as changing lanes to avoid obstacles on the road.
In the information processing method, the processing may be terminated when the traveling of the vehicle 10 (host vehicle) ends (for example, when the engine is stopped or the vehicle arrives at the destination).

Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.
The information processing device 30 includes an acquisition unit 32 that acquires driving operation information of a vehicle 10 (other vehicle) that has traveled through a specific area, a detection unit 33 that detects peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle 10 that generated the driving operation information based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32, and a notification unit 34 that, when peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle 10 are detected by the detection unit 33, notifies predetermined information to another vehicle 10 (own vehicle) different from the vehicle 10 (other vehicle) in which the peculiarity has been detected.
As a result, the information processing device 30 can notify the vehicle of the possibility of lane change before the vehicle travels through the position where the peculiarity is detected (before the driver sees an obstacle, etc.), and can urge the driver to drive carefully. That is, the information processing device 30 can suppress the occurrence of an accident, etc.
In addition, even if the information processing device 30 detects at least one peculiarity in the driving operation information generated by other vehicles, it notifies the vehicle of the possibility of a lane change, so that the information processing device 30 can detect peculiarities even if the traffic volume in a specific area is relatively low.

In the information processing device 30, at least time information of the vehicles 10 that have traveled through the specific area may be recorded in the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32. In this case, when there is a time period during which the number of vehicles 10 that have traveled through the specific area is relatively small based on the time information, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of the vehicles 10 that have traveled through the specific area during that time period.
This allows the information processing device 30 to detect peculiarities even when the traffic volume in a specific area is relatively low.

In the information processing device 30, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire driving operation information of the vehicle 10 that has traveled through a specific area within a predetermined time.
As a result, the information processing device 30 obtains driving operation information of other vehicles that have traveled through the specific area at a time close to the current time when the vehicle is traveling through the specific area, thereby enabling detection of peculiarities that better reflect the road conditions.

In the information processing device 30, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32 may include steering angle information related to the steering angle of the vehicle 10 and angular velocity information related to the angular velocity when steering the vehicle 10. In this case, when a steering angle and an angular velocity different from a steering angle and an angular velocity during normal driving that are set in advance are recorded based on the steering angle information and the angular velocity information, the detection unit 33 may detect this as an anomaly in the operation of the vehicle 10.
This enables the information processing device 30 to detect peculiarities based on, for example, steering operations to avoid obstacles on the road, and steering operations after the vehicle 10 comes into contact with an obstacle, etc.

In the information processing device 30, the detection unit 33 may have, as reference information, a range of steering angles and a range of angular velocities that occur when the vehicle 10 travels on a road, which serve as references for the steering angle and angular velocity during normal traveling. In this case, the detection unit 33 may detect the occurrence of an accident as a peculiarity of the operation of the vehicle 10, based on the reference information, the steering angle information, and the angular velocity information.
As a result, by having the ranges of steering angle and angular velocity during normal driving as reference information, the information processing device 30 can detect anomalies (for example, the occurrence of an accident) by comparing the contents of the steering angle information and angular velocity information with those of the reference information.

In the information processing device 30, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32 may include driving speed information regarding the driving speed of the vehicle 10. In this case, when a deceleration stop that is different from a pre-set deceleration stop during normal driving is detected based on the driving speed information, the detection unit 33 may detect this as a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle 10.
Thereby, the information processing device 30 can detect, for example, the stopping of another vehicle and the sudden deceleration or stopping of another vehicle as an anomaly based on the traveling speed information.

In the information processing device 30, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32 may include hazard light illumination information related to the hazard lights of the vehicle 10. In this case, when illumination of the hazard lights of the vehicle 10 is detected based on the hazard light illumination information, the detection unit 33 may detect this as a peculiarity regarding the operation of the vehicle 10.
Thereby, the information processing device 30 can detect, for example, the stopping of another vehicle, the deceleration of another vehicle, etc. as an anomaly based on the hazard light information.

In the information processing device 30, the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 32 may include status information related to contact between the vehicle and another vehicle, a breakdown of the vehicle, and running out of fuel. In this case, when an abnormality in the vehicle is detected based on the status information, the detection unit 33 may detect it as a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle 10.
This enables the information processing device 30 to detect, for example, a malfunction or the like of the other vehicle as an anomaly based on the status information.

In the information processing device 30, the notification unit 34 may notify, as the predetermined information, that there is a possibility that a lane change will occur in the traveling direction of the other vehicle 10 (host vehicle).
As a result, the information processing device 30 can urge the driver of the vehicle to drive carefully, thereby making it possible to prevent accidents and the like from occurring.

In the information processing method, a computer executes an acquisition step of acquiring driving operation information of a vehicle 10 that has traveled through a specific area, a detection step of detecting peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle 10 that generated the driving operation information based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition step, and a notification step of notifying other vehicles 10 other than the vehicle 10 in which the peculiarity was detected of specified information if peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle 10 are detected by the detection step.
As a result, the information processing method can notify the vehicle of the possibility of lane change before the vehicle travels through the position where the peculiarity is detected (before the driver sees an obstacle, etc.), and can urge the driver to drive carefully. That is, the information processing device 30 can suppress the occurrence of an accident, etc.
In addition, the information processing method notifies the vehicle of the possibility of a lane change even if at least one peculiarity is detected in the driving operation information generated by other vehicles, so that peculiarities can be detected even when traffic volume in a specific area is relatively low.

The information processing program enables the computer to realize an acquisition function for acquiring driving operation information of a vehicle 10 that has traveled through a specific area, a detection function for detecting peculiarities in the operation of the vehicle 10 that generated the driving operation information based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition function, and a notification function for, when a peculiarity in the operation of the vehicle 10 is detected by the detection function, notifying other vehicles 10 other than the vehicle 10 in which the peculiarity was detected of specified information.
As a result, the information processing program can notify the vehicle of the possibility of lane change before the vehicle passes the position where the peculiarity is detected (before the driver sees an obstacle, etc.), and can urge the driver to drive carefully. That is, the information processing device 30 can suppress the occurrence of an accident, etc.
In addition, even if at least one peculiarity is detected in the driving operation information generated by other vehicles, the information processing program notifies the vehicle of the possibility of a lane change, so that peculiarities can be detected even when traffic volume in a specific area is relatively low.

Each unit of the information processing device 30 described above may be realized as a function of a processing unit of a computer, etc. That is, the acquisition unit 32, the detection unit 33, and the notification unit 34 of the information processing device 30 may be realized as an acquisition function, a detection function, and a notification function, respectively, by the processing unit of a computer, etc.
The information processing program can cause a computer to realize each of the above-mentioned functions. The information processing program may be recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, such as an external memory or an optical disk.
As described above, each unit of the information processing device 30 may be realized by an arithmetic processing device of a computer or the like. The arithmetic processing device or the like is configured by, for example, an integrated circuit or the like. Therefore, each unit of the information processing device 30 may be realized as a circuit that constitutes the arithmetic processing device or the like. In other words, the acquisition unit 32, the detection unit 33, and the notification unit 34 of the information processing device 30 may be realized as an acquisition circuit, a detection circuit, and a notification circuit that constitute the arithmetic processing device of a computer or the like.
The communication unit 35 and the storage unit 36 of the information processing device 30 may be realized as a communication function and a storage function including the functions of an arithmetic processing device, for example. The communication unit 35 and the storage unit 36 of the information processing device 30 may be realized as a communication circuit and a storage circuit by being configured, for example, by an integrated circuit, for example. The communication unit 35 and the storage unit 36 of the information processing device 30 may be configured as a communication device and a storage device by being configured, for example, by being configured by a plurality of devices.

Reference Signs List 1 Information processing system 10 Vehicle 10a Own vehicle 10b Other vehicle 20 Center 30 Information processing device 31 Control unit 32 Acquisition unit 33 Detection unit 34 Notification unit 35 Communication unit 36 Storage unit

Claims (11)

an acquisition unit that acquires driving operation information including position information of a second vehicle that has traveled in a specific area having a longer range of roads in a traveling direction of the first vehicle when the traveling speed of the first vehicle is relatively fast compared to when the traveling speed of the first vehicle is relatively slow;
a detection unit that detects peculiarities in the operation of the second vehicle that generated the driving operation information based on a learning model that has learned whether the driving operation of the vehicle to be learned and whether the driving operation of the vehicle to be learned is peculiar or not, and based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit , and identifies the position where the peculiarity is detected based on the position information ;
a notification unit that, when the detection unit detects a peculiarity in the operation of the second vehicle , notifies the first vehicle , which is different from the second vehicle for which the peculiarity has been detected , of a possibility of a lane change and a location where the lane change is likely to occur as predetermined information , thereby causing a driver-driven vehicle and an autonomous vehicle as the first vehicle to avoid an obstacle ;
An information processing device comprising: The driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes at least time information of the second vehicle traveling in the specific area,
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires driving operation information of the second vehicle that has traveled through the specific area during a time period in which the number of the second vehicle that has traveled through the specific area is relatively small based on time information. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires driving operation information of the second vehicle that has traveled through the specific area within a predetermined time period. The driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes steering angle information regarding a steering angle of the second vehicle and angular velocity information regarding an angular velocity when steering the second vehicle ,
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit detects, based on steering angle information and angular velocity information, that a steering angle and angular velocity different from a steering angle and angular velocity during normal driving that are preset, as a peculiarity regarding the operation of the second vehicle . The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the detection unit detects occurrence of an accident as the peculiarity regarding the operation of the second vehicle . The driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes travel speed information regarding a travel speed of the second vehicle ,
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detection unit detects a deceleration stop that is different from a pre-set deceleration stop during normal driving based on driving speed information as a peculiarity regarding the operation of the second vehicle . The driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes hazard light illumination information regarding hazard lamps of the second vehicle ,
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the detection unit detects illumination of hazard lights of the second vehicle based on hazard illumination information as a peculiarity regarding the operation of the second vehicle . The driving operation information acquired by the acquisition unit includes status information regarding contact between another vehicle and the second vehicle as the host vehicle, a malfunction of the second vehicle as the host vehicle, and running out of fuel of the second vehicle as the host vehicle,
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the detection unit detects an abnormality in the second vehicle (the host vehicle) based on status information as a peculiarity in the operation of the second vehicle . The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the notification unit notifies, as the predetermined information, that there is a possibility of a lane change occurring in the traveling direction of the first vehicle . The computer
an acquisition step of acquiring driving operation information including position information of a second vehicle that has traveled in a specific area having a longer range of roads in a traveling direction of the first vehicle when the traveling speed of the first vehicle is relatively fast compared to when the traveling speed of the first vehicle is relatively slow;
a detection step of detecting peculiarities in the operation of the second vehicle that generated the driving operation information based on a learning model that has learned whether the driving operation of the vehicle to be learned and whether the driving operation of the vehicle to be learned is peculiar or not, and based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition step , and identifying the position where the peculiarity is detected based on the position information ;
a notification step of notifying a first vehicle other than the second vehicle in which the peculiarity has been detected of a possibility of a lane change and a location where the lane change may occur as predetermined information, when the peculiarity of the operation of the second vehicle is detected by the detection step , to allow the driver-driven vehicle and the autonomous vehicle as the first vehicle to avoid an obstacle ;
An information processing method for performing the above. On the computer,
an acquisition function for acquiring driving operation information including position information of a second vehicle that has traveled in a specific area having a longer range of roads in the traveling direction of the first vehicle when the traveling speed of the first vehicle is relatively fast compared to when the traveling speed of the first vehicle is relatively slow;
a detection function that detects peculiarities in the operation of the second vehicle that generated the driving operation information based on a learning model that has learned whether the driving operation of the vehicle to be learned and whether the driving operation of the vehicle to be learned is peculiar or not, and based on the driving operation information acquired by the acquisition function , and identifies the location where the peculiarity is detected based on the position information ;
a notification function that, when the detection function detects an anomaly in the operation of the second vehicle , notifies the first vehicle , which is different from the second vehicle in which the anomaly has been detected , of a possibility of a lane change and a location where the lane change may occur as predetermined information , thereby allowing the driver-driven vehicle and the autonomous vehicle as the first vehicle to avoid obstacles ;
An information processing program that realizes this.

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