JP7611049B2 - Information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

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

Various technologies related to personal mobility, which is, for example, a compact vehicle for one person, have been proposed in the past (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such personal mobility is becoming increasingly widespread as a means of supporting the mobility of users, such as the elderly and physically disabled.

JP 2005-128722 A

Vehicles such as personal mobility vehicles can travel on sidewalks, for example, in large commercial facilities or shopping districts. Such sidewalks are subject to obstacles, including pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, and depending on the congestion of the sidewalk, for example, there is a risk of the vehicle coming into contact with the obstacles.

However, the prior art left room for further improvement in terms of preventing contact between the vehicle and obstacles as described above.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide an information processing device and an information processing method that can prevent contact between a vehicle and an obstacle.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides an information processing device that includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and an instruction unit. The acquisition unit acquires vehicle information related to a vehicle traveling on a sidewalk and situation information related to the status of an obstacle present on the sidewalk. The determination unit determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the obstacle based on the vehicle information and the situation information acquired by the acquisition unit. When the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the obstacle, the instruction unit outputs a display instruction to a display device installed on the sidewalk to display predetermined notification information.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent contact between the vehicle and an obstacle.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing method by an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of vehicle information. FIG. 5A is a diagram (part 1) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. FIG. 5B is a diagram (part 2) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. FIG. 5C is a diagram (part 3) for explaining output of a display instruction and the like. FIG. 5D is a diagram (part 4) for explaining output of a display instruction, etc. FIG. 5E is a diagram (part 5) for explaining output of a display instruction, etc. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the information processing device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the information processing device, information processing system, and information processing method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

<Overview of information processing method by information processing device>
First, an overview of an information processing method by an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing method by an information processing device according to an embodiment.

In the following description, the vehicle V according to the embodiment is assumed to be a personal mobility or a relatively small mobility that is used by a user U, such as an elderly person or a physically disabled person, and assists the user U in moving around. The user U is an example of a passenger.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle V according to the embodiment is, for example, a one-seater electric vehicle, but may be a vehicle capable of accommodating two or more people. There are various types of vehicles V, such as a cart type as shown in the figure, a wheelchair type, and a stand-up type. Note that, in the above, the vehicle V is an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a power source, but is not limited to this, and may be a vehicle that uses other power sources, such as an internal combustion engine.

In the following example, the vehicle V travels on a sidewalk (passageway) A in a facility such as a large commercial facility. The facility is not limited to the large commercial facility described above, and may be other facilities such as medical and nursing care facilities, public transportation facilities such as airports and train stations, etc. The sidewalk A on which the vehicle V travels is not limited to the sidewalk of a facility, and may be a sidewalk in other locations such as a shopping district or a park.

Meanwhile, on the sidewalk A on which the vehicle V runs, there are obstacles, including pedestrians W walking along the sidewalk A. Therefore, depending on the congestion situation, for example, when the sidewalk A becomes congested, there is a risk that the vehicle V may come into contact with the obstacles. Note that the obstacles are not limited to the pedestrians W described above, but may also include, for example, objects on the sidewalk A or vehicles (personal mobility) used by other users.

The information processing device 100 according to this embodiment is configured to prevent contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle as described above.

Specifically, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 100, a vehicle V, a terminal device 50, and a display device 70. The information processing device 100 is a server capable of executing various processes such as processing information related to a facility, and is provided, for example, within the facility. Note that the information processing device 100 may be realized as a cloud server and provided, for example, outside the facility.

The vehicle V includes an in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a control unit 20 (see FIG. 6 ) described later, and can control the vehicle V, for example, by manual driving control through driving operations by the user U, or automatic driving control that does not require driving operations by the user U.

The terminal device 50 is a device that is carried and used by a user U. The terminal device 50 is communicably connected to the in-vehicle device 10 and the information processing device 100. Note that, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal can be used as the terminal device 50, but is not limited thereto.

The display device 70 is a device that displays various types of information. The display device 70 is installed, for example, on a sidewalk A of the facility. More specifically, the display device 70 is installed in a position that is visible to, for example, passersby W.

As the display device 70, for example, a digital signage can be used. Note that, although FIG. 1 shows a wall-mounted display device 70 installed on the wall of the walkway A as an example, the present invention is not limited to this and may be a hanging type or a free-standing type. Furthermore, the display device 70 may be either a fixed type or a mobile type.

The display device 70 is communicatively connected to the information processing device 100 and can display information according to a display instruction output from the information processing device 100.

In more detail, the information processing device 100 first acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle V from the terminal device 50 (step S1). The vehicle information includes, for example, position information of the vehicle V, vehicle control information related to the control of the vehicle V (for example, steering angle, vehicle speed, etc.), etc.

As described above, the information processing device 100 acquires vehicle information from the terminal device 50, and therefore, for example, vehicle control information related to the control of the vehicle V is acquired from the in-vehicle device 10 via the terminal device 50. Note that the method of acquiring vehicle information is not limited to the above, and for example, the information processing device 100 may be configured to be communicably connected to the in-vehicle device 10 and acquire vehicle control information from the in-vehicle device 10.

The vehicle information may also include, for example, destination information of the vehicle V, information about the planned route to the destination, etc. The information processing device 100 may obtain the destination information, etc. by estimating it based on, for example, facility usage history information of the user U, or may obtain it from the terminal device 50, which will be described in detail later. The vehicle information may also include some of the above-mentioned position information, vehicle control information, destination information, and planned route information of the vehicle V, or may include information other than the above-mentioned information.

Next, the information processing device 100 acquires situation information related to the status of the obstacle (step S2). The situation information includes, for example, congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion on sidewalk A due to pedestrians W who are obstacles, and obstacle position information indicating the position where an obstacle (e.g., pedestrian W) is present on sidewalk A, but is not limited to this.

The congestion information includes the current and future congestion occurrence status. For example, the information processing device 100 can estimate the current congestion occurrence status by analyzing camera images captured by a fixed camera 60 (see FIG. 3) installed in the facility. Also, for example, the information processing device 100 can estimate the future congestion occurrence status by simulating the flow of people on the sidewalk A based on past data including congestion status that occurred in the facility in the past, environmental information such as the weather on the day, and the like.

Incidentally, as congestion information, which is the occurrence status of congestion, for example, information on the degree of congestion on sidewalk A can be used. The degree of congestion is an index value that indicates the degree of congestion on sidewalk A, and is information that is indicated on several levels according to, for example, the number of pedestrians W passing by sidewalk A (people density).

Next, the information processing device 100 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle based on the vehicle information and the situation information, etc. (step S3). For example, the information processing device 100 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W) when congestion occurs around the vehicle V or in the planned route to the destination of the vehicle V.

As an example, the information processing device 100 can determine whether or not there is a possibility of contact based on the congestion level of the situation information. That is, when there is an area (point) in the vicinity of the vehicle V or on the planned route where the congestion level is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the information processing device 100 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle in that area. Note that the predetermined value is set to a value that is estimated to indicate the possibility of contact, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value. In addition, hereinafter, an area determined to indicate the possibility of contact in the vicinity of the vehicle V or on the planned route may be referred to as a "danger area."

Next, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W), the information processing device 100 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 to display predetermined notification information (step S4). For example, the information processing device 100 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed in or near the above-mentioned dangerous area on the sidewalk A to display the predetermined notification information. As a result, the predetermined notification information is displayed on the display screen 701 of the display device 70.

Note that the specified notification information is information that alerts passersby W to the movement of vehicle V, such as "A vehicle will pass shortly. Please be careful," as shown in the example of Figure 1, but this is merely an example and is not limited to this.

In this embodiment, by displaying the notification information on the display device 70 as described above, it is possible to make, for example, a passerby W aware in advance that a vehicle V is traveling nearby. This allows the passerby W to pass by while paying attention to the vehicle V, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (here, the passerby W).

In the example of FIG. 1, the information processing device 100 alerts pedestrian W, but the present invention is not limited to this and may alert the user U of the vehicle V. That is, for example, the information processing device 100 may output a display instruction to a display device 70 installed near the vehicle V (see FIG. 5E described later). The specified notification information at this time is information that alerts the user U of the vehicle V to the presence of a dangerous area around the vehicle V or on the planned route. This makes it possible for the user U of the vehicle V to recognize the presence of a dangerous area, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (pedestrian W).

In this manner, in this embodiment, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle, a display instruction is output to the display device 70 installed on the sidewalk A to display predetermined notification information, so that it is possible to effectively notify passersby W and the user U of the vehicle V of the risk of contact, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and the passerby W (obstacle).

<Configuration of an information processing system including an information processing device>
Next, a configuration of an information processing system 1 including the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing system 1 includes a vehicle V equipped with an on-board device 10, a terminal device 50, a display device 70, a pedestrian terminal device 80, and an information processing device 100. In this embodiment, the terminal device 50, the display device 70, the pedestrian terminal device 80, and the information processing device 100 are communicatively connected via a communication network N such as the Internet.

As shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle device 10 may also be communicatively connected to the information processing device 100 via a communication network N. Also, in FIG. 2, for the sake of simplicity, one vehicle V, one terminal device 50, one display device 70, and one pedestrian terminal device 80 are shown, but there may be multiple of them.

The in-vehicle device 10 is connected to the terminal device 50 so as to be able to communicate with them via, for example, short-range wireless communication. As a short-range communication method, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like can be used, but is not limited to this. The detailed configuration of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

As described above, the terminal device 50 is a device that is held (carried) by the user U of the vehicle V. The terminal device 50 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that detects position information indicating the position of the vehicle V (more precisely, the position of the terminal device 50) based on signals from GPS satellites. The terminal device 50 can transmit the detected position information to the information processing device 100 as vehicle information.

The terminal device 50 can also receive vehicle control information related to the control of the vehicle V from the in-vehicle device 10 and transmit the received information to the information processing device 100 as vehicle information.

The terminal device 50 may also transmit user information of the user U to the information processing device 100. For example, when the user U gets in the vehicle V to use a facility, the user U may input user information such as his/her name and contact information by operating the terminal device 50, and the terminal device 50 may transmit the input user information to the information processing device 100. The user information may also include information such as the store (location) that the user U wishes to use within the facility.

The display device 70 is installed, for example, at an appropriate position on the walkway A of the facility, and displays information (for example, notification information) according to a display instruction output from the information processing device 100. Note that if there are multiple display devices 70, the display device 70 that displays the notification information is appropriately selected by the information processing device 100, which will be described later.

In addition, when a display instruction to display the above-mentioned notification information is not output from the information processing device 100, the display device 70 can display other information different from the notification information (e.g., content information such as advertising information or news information). Note that, in the following, an example will be described in which the display device 70 displays advertising information as the other information, but this is not limiting.

The pedestrian terminal device 80 is a device that is held (carried) by the passerby W. Like the terminal device 50, the passerby terminal device 80 includes a GPS receiver and the like, and detects location information indicating the location of the passerby W (more precisely, the location of the passerby terminal device 80). The passerby terminal device 80 can transmit the detected location information to the information processing device 100. The passerby terminal device 80 also includes a display unit (e.g., a display) and can display notification information, which will be described later. Note that the passerby terminal device 80 can be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal, but is not limited to these.

<Configuration of information processing device>
Next, the configuration of the information processing device 100 will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 3 etc. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 100. Note that in the block diagram of Fig. 3 etc., only components necessary for explaining the features of this embodiment are shown as functional blocks, and descriptions of general components are omitted.

In other words, each component shown in a block diagram such as FIG. 3 is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the specific form of distribution and integration of each functional block is not limited to that shown, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing device 100 includes a communication unit 101, a control unit 110, and a storage unit 120. In addition, a fixed camera 60 is communicatively connected to the information processing device 100.

Multiple fixed cameras 60 are set up on the sidewalk A of the facility, in the stores within the facility, etc. The fixed cameras 60 capture images of the sidewalk A of the facility, etc., and can transmit the captured camera images to the information processing device 100. Note that the camera images of the fixed cameras 60 are video data, but are not limited to this and may be still image data, etc. Such camera images are acquired by the information processing device 100 as congestion information that indicates the current congestion situation, which will be described later.

The fixed camera 60 may also have a human body detection sensor that detects people on the sidewalk A, etc. As the human body detection sensor, for example, a pyroelectric sensor using an infrared signal can be used.

The communication unit 101 of the information processing device 100 is realized, for example, by a NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like. The communication unit 101 is connected to the communication network N so as to be capable of two-way communication, and transmits and receives information between the terminal device 50, the display device 70, the passerby terminal device 80, etc.

The control unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111, an estimation unit 112, a determination unit 113, and an instruction unit 114, and includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, input/output ports, etc., and various other circuits.

The computer's CPU functions as the acquisition unit 111, estimation unit 112, determination unit 113, and instruction unit 114 of the control unit 110, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

In addition, at least some or all of the acquisition unit 111, estimation unit 112, determination unit 113, and instruction unit 114 of the control unit 110 can be configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The storage unit 120 is configured with storage devices such as non-volatile memory, data flash, and hard disk drives. The storage unit 120 stores facility information 121, vehicle information 122, status information 123, and various programs.

The facility information 121 is information about the facility. The facility information 121 includes map information (such as a dynamic map) that indicates, for example, the location of the sidewalk A of the facility on which the vehicle V runs and the locations of the stores within the facility. The facility information 121 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 120, or may be obtained from an external server (not shown).

Vehicle information 122 is information about vehicle V. Specifically, vehicle information 122 is information about vehicle V traveling on sidewalk A of the facility or vehicle V scheduled to travel, but is not limited to this.

Here, the vehicle information 122 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle information 122. As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle information 122 includes items such as "vehicle ID," "location information," "vehicle control information," "destination," and "planned driving route," and each item is associated with each other.

"Vehicle ID" is identification information that identifies vehicle information. "Location information" is information that indicates the location of vehicle V, and more specifically, information that indicates the current location of vehicle V within the facility. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 4, for convenience, "location information" is described abstractly, such as "location P01," but specific information is stored in "location P01." Below, other information may also be described abstractly.

"Vehicle control information" is information related to the control of the vehicle V. "Vehicle control information" includes, for example, information such as the steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle V, but is not limited to these.

"Destination" is destination information indicating the destination of vehicle V, in other words, information indicating the destination point of vehicle V. For example, "destination" includes information indicating the store, location, and direction of travel that user U of vehicle V desires (or is presumed to desire) within the facility.

The "planned route" is information indicating the route along which the vehicle V plans to travel. Specifically, the "planned route" includes information indicating the route along the facility's sidewalk A from the vehicle V's current position to its destination.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle information identified by the vehicle ID "W01" indicates that the position information is "position P01", the vehicle control information is "vehicle control Q01", the destination is "destination R01", and the planned travel path is "path T01". Note that FIG. 4 shows an example in which the vehicle information 122 includes information corresponding to one vehicle V, but if there are multiple vehicles V within the facility, for example, the vehicle information 122 will include information for multiple vehicles V.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 3, the situation information 123 is information relating to the situation of an obstacle. As described above, the situation information 123 includes, for example, congestion information indicating the current and future congestion situation on sidewalk A, and obstacle position information indicating the position where an obstacle (e.g., pedestrian W) is present on sidewalk A.

The acquisition unit 111 of the control unit 110 acquires various information via the communication unit 101. For example, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the position information of the vehicle V from the terminal device 50 and stores it in the storage unit 120 as vehicle information 122 (see FIG. 4). The acquisition unit 111 may also acquire the position information of the pedestrian W from the pedestrian terminal device 80 and output it to the instruction unit 114.

The acquisition unit 111 also acquires vehicle control information (e.g., steering angle, vehicle speed, etc.) from the in-vehicle device 10 via the terminal device 50, and stores it in the memory unit 120 as vehicle information 122 (see FIG. 4).

In addition, when user information is input to the terminal device 50 when the user U uses the facility, the acquisition unit 111 can acquire such user information. In addition, when the user U has visited the facility in the past, the acquisition unit 111 can estimate the store (location) etc. visited by the user U from the position information of the vehicle V acquired at that time, and store it in the storage unit 120 in association with the user information as the usage history information of the user U. Therefore, when the acquisition unit 111 acquires the user information input to the terminal device 50 when the user U uses the facility this time, it may read out the usage history information corresponding to the user information, estimate the store (location) desired by the user U, and register it as destination information of the vehicle information 122 in the storage unit 120. In other words, the destination information may be registered based on the user U's past behavioral tendencies within the facility.

When the user information includes information about a store that the user U wishes to use within the facility, the acquisition unit 111 may register the store as destination information. The acquisition unit 111 may also calculate the direction of movement of the vehicle V (e.g., northward or southward) based on the steering angle of the vehicle V included in the vehicle control information and the time series transition of the position information of the vehicle V, and register the direction of movement as destination information.

The acquisition unit 111 can register planned driving path information in the vehicle information 122 together with the destination information described above. For example, the acquisition unit 111 searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle V to the destination based on the position information of the vehicle V, the destination information, and the map information included in the facility information 121, and registers the searched route in the storage unit 120 as planned driving path information. Note that, for example, when a route is specified (selected) by the user U, the acquisition unit 111 may register the route as planned driving path information.

In addition, the acquisition unit 111 acquires camera images taken by the fixed camera 60, and outputs the acquired camera images to the estimation unit 112 and the instruction unit 114.

The estimation unit 112 estimates situation information related to the status of obstacles present on the sidewalk A. For example, the estimation unit 112 estimates situation information including congestion information and obstacle position information by analyzing camera images from the fixed camera 60 and simulating people flow.

For example, the estimation unit 112 may analyze a camera image to count the number of pedestrians W present in each predetermined area divided into the sidewalk A, and estimate congestion information including a congestion degree according to the counted number of people as the current congestion occurrence situation. In addition, the estimation unit 112 may analyze a camera image to estimate the position of an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W) on the sidewalk A as obstacle position information.

The estimation unit 112 may also estimate the future congestion situation based on past data including, for example, congestion situations that occurred in the facility in the past, the current congestion situation, environmental information such as the weather on the day, time zone information, day of the week information, etc. In other words, it may estimate the future pedestrian flow on the sidewalk A.

As an example, the estimation unit 112 estimates people flow using an estimation model that has been generated in advance using an arbitrary algorithm. The estimation model is a prediction model that estimates and outputs people flow on sidewalk A by inputting various static and dynamic information, such as the current congestion occurrence situation, environmental information, time period information, and day of the week information. Note that the estimation model is generated in advance based on people flow data and environmental information that have been obtained as measurement results in the facility in the past, and is stored in the storage unit 120. Note that the above-mentioned estimation method for people flow (future congestion occurrence situation) is merely an example and is not limited to the above.

The estimation unit 112 stores congestion information and obstacle position information indicating the current and future congestion occurrence status in the memory unit 120 as situation information 123. The acquisition unit 111 then reads and acquires the vehicle information and situation information stored in the memory unit 120, and outputs the acquired information to the determination unit 113.

The determination unit 113 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle based on the vehicle information and the situation information. For example, the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W) when congestion occurs around the vehicle V or on the planned route to the vehicle V's destination on the sidewalk A of the facility.

As an example, when there is an area around the vehicle V or the planned route where the congestion level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle in that area, in other words, determines that the area is a dangerous area. Conversely, when the congestion level in the planned route where the vehicle V is to travel is less than a predetermined level, the determination unit 113 determines that there is no possibility of contact (or that the possibility is relatively low).

The instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to display predetermined notification information to the display device 70 according to the determination result by the determination unit 113. Here, the output of the display instruction by the instruction unit 114 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5A to 5E.

Figures 5A to 5E are diagrams for explaining the output of display instructions, etc. Note that in Figures 5A to 5E, for ease of understanding, a dangerous area C on sidewalk A is shown surrounded by a two-dot chain line.

As shown in FIG. 5A, for example, when the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian W), the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed on the sidewalk A to display predetermined notification information. Then, when the display instruction is received, the display device 70 displays the predetermined notification information. Note that the notification information is, for example, information that alerts the pedestrian W about the movement of the vehicle V.

In this embodiment, this makes it possible to effectively warn, for example, pedestrian W of the risk of contact and to make him/her aware in advance that a vehicle V will be traveling nearby. Therefore, the pedestrian W can pass by while being careful of vehicles V traveling nearby in the future, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (here, the pedestrian W).

The instruction unit 114 may also output a display instruction to a display device 70 that is set in the danger area C of the sidewalk A. This makes it possible to more effectively notify pedestrians W in the danger area C of the risk of contact, and as a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent contact between the vehicle V and the obstacle (pedestrian W).

The instruction unit 114 may also output a display instruction to a display device 70 installed in a position visible to passersby W. This allows passersby W to visually recognize the notification information and effectively recognize that a vehicle V is traveling nearby.

Next, FIG. 5B will be described. As shown in FIG. 5B, multiple display devices 70 (two in this case) may be installed in danger area C of sidewalk A. In this case, for example, there may be a relatively large number of pedestrians W near one display device 70a, and there may be fewer pedestrians W near the other display device 70b than near display device 70a.

In such a case, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the display device 70a that has the largest number of passersby W among the multiple display devices 70a, 70b. Conversely, the instruction unit 114 may not output a display instruction to the display device 70b that has the smallest number of passersby W among the multiple display devices 70a, 70b. Note that in this case, advertising information, for example, continues to be displayed on the display device 70b. Furthermore, when the direction in which the passersby W are facing is biased, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction only to the display device 70 that is facing the direction in which the largest number of passersby are facing.

This allows, for example, the display device 70b to display advertising information and maintain its advertising function, while more effectively informing the relatively large number of pedestrians W present near the display device 70a of the risk of contact, thereby better preventing contact between the vehicle V and obstacles (pedestrians W).

Next, FIG. 5C will be described. As shown in FIG. 5C, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in preference to the display device 70. In detail, for example, when a relatively large number of pedestrians W present in the danger area C of the sidewalk A are carrying pedestrian terminal devices 80, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in preference to the display device 70.

As an example, the instruction unit 114 calculates the ratio of pedestrians W carrying a pedestrian terminal device 80 to all pedestrians W present in the danger area C based on the position information and situation information of the pedestrians W acquired from the pedestrian terminal device 80. Then, if the calculated ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio, the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in priority to the display device 70.

At this time, the display device 70 continues to display, for example, advertising information. The above-mentioned predetermined ratio is set to a value that is estimated to be able to effectively notify passersby W in the danger area C of the risk of contact, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value.

This allows, for example, the display device 70 to display advertising information and maintain its advertising function, while more effectively informing the relatively large number of passersby W carrying passerby terminal devices 80 of the risk of contact, thereby better preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (passersby W).

In the above, the condition is stated as being that the percentage of pedestrians W carrying pedestrian terminal devices 80 is equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage, but this is merely an example and is not limiting. In other words, a display instruction may be output to the pedestrian terminal device 80 when other conditions are met, such as when the number of pedestrians W carrying pedestrian terminal devices 80 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

In the above description, the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the pedestrian terminal device 80 in priority to the display device 70, but this is not limited thereto, and the instruction may be output to both the display device 70 and the pedestrian terminal device 80.

Next, FIG. 5D will be described. As shown in FIG. 5D, for example, advertising information is displayed on the display device 70, and passerby W may be viewing this advertising information. In such a case, if a display instruction is output to the display device 70 and the display on the display device 70 switches from advertising information to notification information, passerby W will no longer be able to view the advertising information, which may decrease passerby W's satisfaction with the advertising service of the display device 70.

In the example shown in FIG. 5D, the instruction unit 114 is configured to limit the output of a display instruction to the display device 70 when the display device 70 is being gazed at by a passerby W. Here, limiting the output of a display instruction means, for example, outputting a display instruction to display notification information on a part of the display screen 701 (see FIG. 1) of the display device 70, but this is merely an example and is not limiting.

As an example, the instruction unit 114 detects the facial and eye directions of a passerby W near the display device 70 by analyzing a camera image captured by the fixed camera 60 (see FIG. 3), and estimates the gaze direction Wa of the passerby W. If the display device 70 is in the estimated gaze direction Wa of the passerby W, the instruction unit 114 determines that the passerby W is gazing at the display device 70, and restricts the output of a display instruction to the display device 70. At this time, the display device 70 will continue to display, for example, advertising information, while displaying notification information on a part of the display screen 701.

This allows the display device 70 to display advertising information and maintain its advertising function, for example, and thus prevents a decrease in the satisfaction of passersby W with the advertising services of the display device 70. In addition, because the display device 70 displays notification information, it can also notify passersby W near the display device 70 of the risk of contact, thereby further preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (passersby W).

In the above, the output of a display instruction to display the notification information on a part of the display screen 701 of the display device 70 is restricted, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a restriction to prohibit the display of the notification information on the display device 70 may be imposed. When a restriction to prohibit the display of the notification information is imposed, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the passerby terminal device 80 (see FIG. 5C).

Next, FIG. 5E will be described. In the above, the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed in a position visible to the passerby W, but this is not limited thereto, and as shown in FIG. 5E, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the display device 70 installed in a position visible to the user U of the vehicle V. Furthermore, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction to the terminal device 50 instead of or in addition to the display instruction to the display device 70.

The notification information here is information that alerts the user U to the presence of a danger area C around the vehicle V or the planned route, such as, for example, "Congestion is predicted in the route ahead. Please drive with extreme caution."

In the example of FIG. 5E, for example, it is possible to let the user U know in advance that the vehicle V will be traveling through the danger area C. This allows the user U of the vehicle V to pass through the danger area C with caution, thereby preventing contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (here, a pedestrian W).

Note that although Figs. 5A to 5E show an example in which the display device 70 is installed on a wall along sidewalk A, the installation position of the display device 70 is not limited to this. That is, for example, there may be an intersection on sidewalk A, and the display device 70 may be installed at each of the four corners of the intersection (for example, on a wall continuing from the corner), or there may be a pillar in the center of a square, passageway, or intersection that functions as sidewalk A, and the display device 70 may be installed on the side of the pillar. In other words, the display device 70 may be installed in a position where the viewing direction is somewhat limited.

In the display device 70 installed in this manner, the instruction unit 114 may output a display instruction only to the display device 70 of the passageway with a large number of pedestrians W, for example, when the number of pedestrians W is unevenly distributed among the connected passageways at an intersection. The instruction unit 114 may also output a display instruction only to the display device 70 installed on the passageway where the vehicle V is scheduled to travel, for example, at an intersection. The instruction unit 114 may also output a display instruction only to the display device 70 installed in the direction visible to the user U of the vehicle V, for example, on the passageway where the vehicle V is scheduled to travel. The instruction unit 114 may also output a display instruction only to the display device 70 installed at the corner where the vehicle V will emerge, for example, when the passageway where the vehicle V is scheduled to travel is a route where the vehicle V will emerge from a corner of an intersection. In this way, even when the display device 70 is installed at a corner or a pillar of an intersection, by configuring as described above, it is possible to prevent contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (here, a pedestrian W) in the same way as in the examples of Figures 5A to 5E.

The instruction unit 114 may also perform vehicle control on the vehicle V when the vehicle V travels through the danger area C. For example, when it is determined that the vehicle V may come into contact with an obstacle (more specifically, when the vehicle V is scheduled to travel through the danger area C), the instruction unit 114 may output a vehicle control instruction to the vehicle V to control the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with the obstacle.

In detail, the instruction unit 114 outputs a vehicle control instruction to control the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle (pedestrian W) when the vehicle V enters and travels in the danger area C. The above-mentioned vehicle control instruction includes, for example, an instruction to reduce (limit) the speed of the vehicle V, an instruction to control the steering angle of the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

In this way, the instruction unit 114 outputs vehicle control instructions to the vehicle V, which enables the vehicle V to travel safely through the danger area C while avoiding contact with an obstacle (a pedestrian W). Note that the instruction unit 114 may stop outputting the vehicle control instructions when the vehicle V has passed through the danger area C.

The frequency of communication between the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 50 may be changed depending on whether the vehicle V is traveling through the danger area C or not. For example, the frequency of communication when the vehicle V is traveling through the danger area C may be set to be higher than the frequency of communication when the vehicle V is not traveling through the danger area C. Conversely, the frequency of communication when the vehicle V is not traveling through the danger area C may be set to be lower than the frequency of communication when the vehicle V is traveling through the danger area C.

Note that the communication between the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 50 may be, for example, communication in which the acquisition unit 111 (see FIG. 6) of the information processing device 100 acquires position information, vehicle control information, and the like from the terminal device 50, but is not limited to this.

When the vehicle V passes through the danger area C, the surrounding environment of the vehicle V (e.g., the relative positional relationship and distance from pedestrians W) is likely to change, so by increasing the communication frequency, for example, the information processing device 100 can accurately detect the current position of the vehicle V, and as a result, it becomes possible to output appropriate vehicle control instructions to the vehicle V. On the other hand, when the vehicle V is not traveling through the danger area C, by decreasing the communication frequency, it becomes possible to reduce the processing load on the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 50.

<Configuration of the in-vehicle device>
Next, the in-vehicle device 10 and the like will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10 and the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle mechanism 41, the vehicle sensor unit 42, and the HMI (Human Machine Interface) unit 43 are connected to the vehicle-mounted device 10 so as to be able to communicate with each other via a CAN or the like.

The vehicle mechanism 41 is various mechanisms that constitute the driving system, power system, etc. of the vehicle V. The on-board sensor unit 42 is a group of sensors that are mounted on the vehicle V and output information indicating various conditions of the vehicle V. The on-board sensor unit 42 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a gyro sensor, a seating sensor, etc., but these are examples and are not limited to these.

The HMI unit 43 is a variety of interface components that allow the user U and the vehicle V to exchange information, and includes hardware components such as the accelerator, brake, steering wheel, display, speaker, and microphone, as well as software components that are displayed on the display.

The in-vehicle device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 20, and a storage unit 30. The communication unit 11 is realized by a NIC or the like. The communication unit 11 is connected to a terminal device 50 of a user U by a short-range wireless communication method, and transmits and receives various information between the information processing device 100 and the like via the terminal device 50.

The control unit 20 includes an acquisition unit 21, a vehicle control unit 22, and a processing unit 23, and includes, for example, a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, a hard disk drive, input/output ports, etc., and various circuits.

The computer's CPU functions as the acquisition unit 21, vehicle control unit 22, and processing unit 23 of the control unit 20, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM. In addition, at least some or all of the acquisition unit 21, vehicle control unit 22, and processing unit 23 of the control unit 20 can be configured with hardware such as an ASIC or FPGA.

The storage unit 30 is a storage unit configured with storage devices such as non-volatile memory, data flash, and a hard disk drive. The storage unit 30 stores vehicle control information 31 and various programs.

Vehicle control information 31 is information related to the control of vehicle V. For example, vehicle control information 31 includes information such as the current steering angle and vehicle speed of vehicle V, but is not limited to these.

The acquisition unit 21 of the control unit 20 acquires information indicating various conditions of the vehicle V (e.g., information such as the current steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle V) from the on-board sensor unit 42, and outputs the information to the vehicle control unit 22. The acquisition unit 21 also stores the information such as the steering angle and vehicle speed in the storage unit 30 as vehicle control information 31.

The vehicle control unit 22 controls the vehicle V. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 controls the vehicle V by performing manual driving control through the driving operation of the user U based on the driving operation of the user U input via the HMI unit 43 and information from the in-vehicle sensor unit 42.

When a vehicle control instruction to control the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle is input from the information processing device 100, the vehicle control unit 22 controls the vehicle V based on the vehicle control instruction. When a vehicle control instruction is input, the vehicle control unit 22 may control the vehicle V by automatic driving control. As already mentioned, this enables the vehicle V to travel safely while avoiding contact in the danger area C.

The processing unit 23 performs various processes such as transmitting and receiving various information to and from the information processing device 100 and the like via the communication unit 11 and the terminal device 50. For example, the processing unit 23 reads out vehicle control information 31 from the storage unit 30 at a predetermined communication timing, and transmits the read out information (e.g., information such as the current steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle V) to the terminal device 50 via the communication unit 11. The terminal device 50 transmits the received vehicle control information to the information processing device 100 as vehicle information.

<Control process of information processing device>
Next, a specific processing procedure in the information processing device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the information processing device 100.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 110 of the information processing device 100 acquires vehicle information about the vehicle V from the terminal device 50 or the like (step S10). Next, the control unit 110 acquires situation information about the status of obstacles (step S11). The situation information includes information such as congestion information and obstacle position information as described above.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle based on the vehicle information, the situation information, etc. (step S12). If the control unit 110 determines that there is no possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (step S12, No), it skips the subsequent processing.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle (step S12, Yes), the control unit 110 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed on the sidewalk A to display predetermined notification information (step S13).

The control unit 110 also outputs a vehicle control instruction to the vehicle V to control the vehicle V so as to avoid contact with an obstacle (step S14). Note that the control unit 110 may be configured not to control the vehicle V, and in such a case, the process of step S14 is omitted.

As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 111, a determination unit 113, and an instruction unit 114. The acquisition unit 111 acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle V traveling on the sidewalk A and situation information related to the situation of an obstacle present on the sidewalk A. The determination unit 113 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and the obstacle based on the vehicle information and situation information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. When the determination unit 113 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and the obstacle, the instruction unit 114 outputs a display instruction to the display device 70 installed on the sidewalk A to display predetermined notification information. This makes it possible to prevent contact between the vehicle V and the obstacle.

In the above description, the information processing device 100 performs various processes such as determining whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle V and an obstacle and outputting a display instruction to the display device 70, but the device on which the various processes are performed is not limited to the information processing device 100. In other words, some or all of the processes performed by the information processing device 100 may be performed by another device such as the in-vehicle device 10.

That is, for example, the in-vehicle device 10 may acquire vehicle information and situation information, and determine whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle based on the acquired vehicle information and situation information, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, output a display instruction to the display device to display predetermined notification information.

In the above description, various processes such as transmitting location information are performed using the terminal device 50 carried by the user U, but this is not limited to the above. That is, for example, if the vehicle V is equipped with a terminal device such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone, some or all of the processes performed by the terminal device 50 may be performed by the terminal device of the vehicle V.

The obstacles described above may include, in addition to pedestrians W, vehicles that can travel on the sidewalk A in the same way as the vehicle (vehicle V). In this case, for example, when calculating the congestion degree (in other words, the possibility of contact between vehicle V and an obstacle), the information processing device 100 may calculate vehicles as being more likely to be congested (i.e., more likely to come into contact) than pedestrians W who are people. For example, the coefficient for calculating the congestion degree may be set so that even if there are the same number of people and vehicles, the congestion degree of vehicles is greater.

Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing system 10 In-vehicle device 70 Display device 100 Information processing device 111 Acquisition unit 113 Determination unit 114 Instruction unit

Claims (6)

a control unit that, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information related to the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information related to the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, outputs a display instruction to display notification information to a display device installed on the sidewalk,
The information processing device is characterized in that, when outputting the display instruction in a danger area of the sidewalk where a plurality of the display devices are installed, the control unit outputs the display instruction to a display device among the plurality of display devices installed in the same danger area that has a larger number of pedestrians nearby compared to the other display devices . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the danger area in which the plurality of display devices are provided is an intersection, and the display devices are provided in a passageway leading to the intersection. a control unit that, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information related to the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information related to the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, outputs a display instruction to display notification information to a display device installed on the sidewalk,
The information processing device, wherein the control unit limits output of the display instruction to the display device when the display device is being gazed at by the passerby. 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the notification information is information that alerts a pedestrian to a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising:
when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information regarding the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information regarding the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, a display instruction is output to a display device installed on the sidewalk to display notification information;
When the display instruction is output in a danger area of the sidewalk where a plurality of display devices are installed, the display instruction is output to a display device among the plurality of display devices installed in the same danger area that has a greater number of pedestrians nearby compared to the other display devices . 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising:
when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian on the sidewalk based on vehicle information regarding the vehicle traveling on the sidewalk and situation information regarding the situation of the pedestrian on the sidewalk, a display instruction is output to a display device installed on the sidewalk to display notification information;
The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: restricting output of the display instruction to the display device when the display device is being gazed at by the passerby.

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