JP7680930B2 - Information provision system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information provision system that provides driving-related information from equipment (roadside) installed along a road, for example, when an autonomous vehicle is driving autonomously.

For example, there is known a technology for controlling an autonomous vehicle that determines the timing of transmissions, the stopping position, and other factors, and performs operational processing based on sensing on the autonomous vehicle side (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

However, in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, when grasping the surrounding traffic conditions, the autonomous vehicle makes decisions based on information it can obtain, so the ability to determine danger, etc. depends on the performance of the autonomous vehicle.

JP 2020-175798 A JP 2018-197964 A

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide an information provision system that can accurately provide information for safe driving from the infrastructure side.

The information provision system for achieving the above objective includes a communication unit that communicates with an autonomous vehicle to receive future position information, a monitoring unit that monitors the planned driving range of the autonomous vehicle, and a setting unit that sets the position of a virtual stop line based on the future position information received by the communication unit and the monitoring results of the monitoring unit, and the communication unit transmits the position information of the virtual stop line set by the setting unit to the autonomous vehicle.

In the above information provision system, the infrastructure sets the position of the virtual stop line based on the future position information received from the autonomous vehicle and the monitoring results on the infrastructure side, and transmits the position information of the set virtual stop line to the autonomous vehicle. This allows the infrastructure to provide accurate stopping position information when grasping traffic conditions, without relying on the performance of the autonomous vehicle.

In a specific aspect of the present invention, the communication unit continuously communicates with the autonomous vehicle, and the setting unit updates the position setting of the virtual stop line in response to newly acquired information. In this case, it becomes possible to set the optimal position of the virtual stop line in response to changes in traffic conditions.

In another aspect of the present invention, the setting unit sets the position of the virtual stop line based on a history that records the vehicle's passing route within the planned travel range monitored by the monitoring unit. In this case, it becomes possible to set the position of the virtual stop line according to the vehicle's passing situation.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a calculation unit is provided that calculates the possible departure time at which an autonomous vehicle stopped at a virtual stop line can depart based on the conditions of the planned driving range. In this case, an accurate departure timing can be indicated to an autonomous vehicle stopped at a virtual stop line.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, when it is determined that the autonomous vehicle does not need to stop based on the conditions of the planned driving range monitored by the monitoring unit, the setting unit does not set a virtual stop line, and the communication unit transmits information to the autonomous vehicle that the autonomous vehicle does not need to stop in the planned driving range. In this case, traffic conditions can be made smoother.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the monitoring unit monitors the oncoming lane of the lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling, and the setting unit sets the position of the virtual stop line in response to future position information including the autonomous vehicle crossing the oncoming lane. In this case, various information necessary for the autonomous vehicle to safely cross the oncoming lane while traveling autonomously can be provided to the autonomous vehicle.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the monitoring unit includes intersections and crosswalks at the intersections as the planned driving range. In this case, the position of the virtual stop line can be set accurately based on a judgment that takes into account the conditions of the intersections and crosswalks.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the setting unit makes a decision regarding the virtual stop line based on the light color information of the signal lights installed at the intersection. In this case, it becomes possible to set the position of the virtual stop line taking into account the switching timing of the signal lights.

1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of an operation example at an intersection where the information provision system according to the first embodiment is installed. FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information providing system. 13A and 13B are data diagrams showing an example of an outline of communication content. 13A to 13D are conceptual diagrams for explaining future position information. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a setting unit that sets a virtual stop line; 13A and 13B are conceptual diagrams for explaining the history recording of a route taken by a vehicle. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of another operation example at an intersection where an information provision system is provided. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a series of operations in the information providing system. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overview of an information providing system. 13 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of an example of operation at an intersection where an information provision system according to a second embodiment is installed. FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information providing system.

First Embodiment
An example of the information provision system according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 etc. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram for providing an overview of an intersection CS to which an information provision system 100 according to this embodiment has been introduced, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information provision system 100. Here, an example will be described in which the information provision system 100 provides information for driving assistance from the roadside to an autonomous vehicle (here, an autonomous vehicle VE) passing through the intersection CS.

In FIG. 1, the autonomous vehicle VE that is the target of support by the information provision system 100 is shown hatched, and an example of the operation is shown in which the autonomous vehicle VE is about to turn right at an intersection CS within the planned driving range, i.e., the range that is the destination, as shown by the arrow AA1. In contrast, in the example in FIG. 1, an oncoming vehicle GM is heading toward the same intersection CS from the oncoming lane of the lane in which the autonomous vehicle VE is driving, as shown by the white arrow BB1. In this case, if the oncoming vehicle GM plans to continue straight, the autonomous vehicle VE needs to stop (make a temporary stop) at the intersection CS. At this time, the autonomous vehicle VE receives position information of the virtual stop line VL, i.e., information about where the autonomous vehicle VE should stop, from the information provision system 100.

The virtual stop line VL is a line that indicates a position set by the infrastructure side, which is the information provider, but is not actually drawn on the road surface; it is position data. The position data (position information) of the virtual stop line VL is provided to the autonomous vehicle VE from the roadside as necessary. In particular, in this embodiment, the infrastructure side sets the position of the virtual stop line VL as necessary, and then transmits the position information of the set virtual stop line VL to the autonomous vehicle VE. As described above, in the information provision system 100, when the autonomous vehicle VE needs to stop (past a stop) when making a right turn, information on the virtual stop line VL is provided to allow the autonomous vehicle VE to stop safely within the intersection CS.

As a premise for providing the above-mentioned information in the information provision system 100, in this example, first, when the autonomous vehicle VE passes through an intersection CS, it transmits information about itself to the driving assistance device SS, which is a roadside device constituting the information provision system 100. Below, a case will be described in which future position information indicating the planned driving route of the autonomous vehicle VE is used as such transmitted information. An example will be described later in detail regarding the future position information. Here, the first transmission of future position information from the autonomous vehicle VE to the driving assistance device SS starts communication between the autonomous vehicle VE and the driving assistance device SS, and this is used as a trigger for the information provision system 100 to grasp the autonomous vehicle VE that is to be the target of support. After the first transmission of future position information, communication between the autonomous vehicle VE and the driving assistance device SS continues until the autonomous vehicle VE completes passing through the intersection CS.

As described above, the information provision system 100 is mainly composed of the driving assistance device SS, which is a roadside device installed at or near the intersection CS to monitor the intersection CS. More specifically, the driving assistance device SS monitors the detection area DD that includes the intersection CS or its surroundings, and as a result, the planned driving range of the autonomous vehicle VE, and communicates with the autonomous vehicle VE to obtain information about the autonomous vehicle VE from the autonomous vehicle VE itself. In this way, the driving assistance device SS functions as a determination device JD that makes various determinations such as whether or not to proceed at the intersection CS. As described above, the functions of the information provision system 100 are established by the cooperation of each part centered around the driving assistance device SS. However, in the above configuration, the information provision system 100 can also be considered to be only the driving assistance device SS that processes various information.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the information provision system 100, the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) is equipped with, for example, a sensor unit 10, a communication unit 30, and a main control unit 50 in order to achieve the above-mentioned aspect. In other words, the driving assistance device SS monitors the detection area DD with the sensor unit 10, communicates with the autonomous vehicle VE via the communication unit 30, processes the various pieces of information acquired with the main control unit 50, and makes various determinations as the determination device JD. In addition, the determination results are transmitted to the autonomous vehicle VE via the communication unit 30.

Below, a more detailed example of the above aspect is described with reference to the block diagram shown in Figure 2.

First, the sensor unit 10 of the information provision system 100 is composed of a camera unit 11 and a distance measurement unit 12, and is a monitoring unit that detects a moving object MB (for example, the oncoming vehicle GM in FIG. 1) and obstacles that exist in a detection area DD as a predetermined range to be monitored. As shown in the example in FIG. 1, when an autonomous vehicle VE is about to turn right at an intersection CS, the sensor unit 10 as a monitoring unit monitors the oncoming lane of the driving lane of the autonomous vehicle VE. Here, the moving object MB is assumed to be a vehicle such as the oncoming vehicle GM described above, as well as a bicycle or a pedestrian, and includes the autonomous vehicle VE that is the target of support. The camera unit (infrastructure camera) 11 captures an image to generate image data in order to monitor the intersection CS (see FIG. 1). In addition, the distance measurement unit 12 may be, for example, a LiDAR, a millimeter wave sensor, or a radar, and by performing distance measurement and generating distance measurement data, the position of the moving object MB can be obtained. Although only one sensor unit 10 is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, multiple cameras, etc. can be installed in the area to monitor the entire intersection CS. In addition, if the range to be monitored in the detection area DD changes depending on the direction of travel of the autonomous vehicle VE, it is possible to appropriately select the camera, etc. to be used accordingly. Here, the detection results obtained by the sensor unit 10 and various information such as image data and distance measurement data regarding the moving object MB present in the detection area DD are referred to as target information. In other words, the target information includes information on the operating status of pedestrians and various vehicles present in the detection area DD, the presence of obstacles, etc.

Of the information providing system 100, the communication unit 30 is a wireless unit for wireless communication with the autonomous vehicle VE. Here, the autonomous vehicle VE, which is the communication partner, transmits future position information indicating its own future position to the driving assistance device SS, which is the judgment device JD, as data for making a judgment. To explain more specifically, first, the autonomous vehicle VE has an autonomous driving control unit AO composed of various circuit mechanisms, etc., to perform various controls for autonomous driving, and in particular, the autonomous driving control unit AO has a future position information generation unit FG. The future position information generation unit FG generates future position information about the autonomous vehicle VE itself. The future position information is composed of information on the current position and the future course plan based on the current position. This future position information includes the current position (position at the current time) of the autonomous vehicle VE, a future position (including the predicted arrival time) created based on this, as well as information such as the speed and direction (azimuth angle) at each of these times (scheduled times). In other words, the future position information includes the predicted arrival time of the autonomous vehicle VE at the intersection CS (e.g., a representative point indicating the center position of the intersection CS), the time required to pass through the intersection CS, etc., and the communication unit 30 receives the future position information from the autonomous vehicle VE via the communication unit (wireless unit) TT of the autonomous vehicle VE.

As described above, when the information on the predicted arrival time is generated in the future position information generating unit FG of the autonomous vehicle VE, the predicted arrival time of the autonomous vehicle VE at the intersection CS is calculated indirectly based on individual characteristic information that includes information on the driving performance specific to the autonomous vehicle VE.

Of the information provision system 100, the main control unit 50 is composed of, for example, various circuit mechanisms, and in the illustrated example, has or functions as a sensor control unit 51 and a judgment unit 52.

The sensor control unit 51 controls the operation of each component of the sensor unit 10, which is the monitoring unit, and outputs target information acquired by the sensor unit 10 to the judgment unit 52.

The judgment unit 52 includes a collision prediction section (prediction section) 52a that predicts whether there is a risk of collision with another vehicle, etc., and therefore whether a virtual stop line VL is required, and a calculation section 52b that calculates the time to depart from the virtual stop line VL. In particular, in this embodiment, the judgment unit 52 includes a virtual stop line setting section (setting section) LS that sets the position of the virtual stop line VL.

The collision prediction unit (prediction unit) 52a predicts a collision based on the predicted arrival time of the autonomous vehicle VE at the intersection CS received by the communication unit 30 and target information as a result of detection by the sensor unit 10. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, when the autonomous vehicle VE is about to turn right at the intersection CS, a collision prediction between the autonomous vehicle VE and other objects is performed based on information on the driving situation of the oncoming vehicle (general vehicle) GM as target information and information on pedestrians present at the crosswalk, etc. As a result of the collision prediction, if it is determined that there is a risk of collision, a prediction result is determined to generate a signal recommending or instructing the vehicle to stop (temporarily stop) at the virtual stop line VL. Note that the result of the collision prediction may change from moment to moment depending on the situation. For example, when the oncoming vehicle GM does not communicate with the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) and there is no future position information of the oncoming vehicle GM, the movement of the oncoming vehicle GM is predicted based on the detection result by the sensor unit 10. The situation shown in the figure shows a case where the oncoming vehicle GM is judged to be going straight through the intersection based on its speed, etc., and therefore a collision is judged to be possible. However, if the oncoming vehicle GM subsequently changes course, decelerates, or stops contrary to predictions, the judgment may be changed.

As described above, the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS sets the position of the virtual stop line VL to be transmitted to the autonomous vehicle VE when the collision prediction unit (prediction unit) 52a determines that there is a risk of collision. Here, the autonomous vehicle VE turns right, that is, the future position information includes information that the autonomous vehicle VE will cross the oncoming lane, and the position of the virtual stop line VL is set in response to such future position information. More specifically, for example, as shown by the dashed line in the figure, the expected passing area IL is set as the driving range of the oncoming vehicle (general vehicle) GM in the oncoming lane, and the virtual stop line VL is set at a position just before the expected passing area IL. Note that a detailed example of the configuration of the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS for setting the expected passing area IL and the setting method of the expected passing area IL will be described later with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In the above cases, the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS sets the position of the virtual stop line VL in accordance with the future position information received by the communication unit 30 and the use of the monitoring results of the sensor unit 10, which is a monitoring unit, in the collision prediction unit (prediction unit) 52a. In addition, the communication unit 30 transmits the position information of the virtual stop line VL set by the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS to the autonomously driven vehicle VE as described above.

The calculation unit 52b calculates the possible departure time at which the autonomous vehicle VE stopped at the virtual stop line VL can depart from the virtual stop line VL. As with the collision prediction by the collision prediction unit (prediction unit) 52a described above, the possible departure time is typically calculated by taking into account information on the driving conditions of oncoming vehicles when turning right at the intersection CS and the spatial range (including clearance) occupied by pedestrians, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to take into account information on the switching timing of the signal lamp SG. In this case, by using future position information such as the predicted arrival time calculated on the autonomous vehicle VE side, the driving support device SS (determination device JD) indirectly determines whether the autonomous vehicle VE can depart by taking into account the time from the position of the virtual stop line VL to the time when the autonomous vehicle VE passes (exits) the intersection CS, with a margin added, according to the performance of the autonomous vehicle VE (including the weather of the day, the load, etc.) and in accordance with the standard unified on the infrastructure side. The possible departure time (possible departure time) may be shown, for example, as a set time (from what time the vehicle can depart) or as a length of time (from what time the vehicle can depart starting from the present).

The communication unit 30 transmits information on the possible departure time calculated by the calculation unit 52b to the autonomous vehicle VE in the manner described above. At this time, the communication unit 30 can also transmit information on the driving status of oncoming vehicles as target information based on the detection results by the sensor unit 10 to the autonomous vehicle VE in addition to the possible departure time information. Note that the information provision system 100 continues the communication operation as described above until the autonomous vehicle VE has passed through the intersection CS.

Figures 3(A) and 3(B) are data diagrams showing an example of the outline of the communication contents between the vehicle side and the road side in the above-mentioned embodiment, where Figure 3(A) shows information transmitted from the vehicle side to the road side, and Figure 3(B) shows information transmitted from the road side to the vehicle side, and is identified by an ID. In other words, a judgment unit ID is defined for the road side, and a vehicle ID is adopted for the vehicle side to identify the autonomous vehicle VE.

First, as shown in FIG. 3(A) and as described above, the vehicle transmits the location information (current location) and future location information of the autonomous vehicle VE to the roadside in addition to various IDs and the creation date and time. In the illustrated example, the location information (current location) includes the latitude and longitude indicating the location where the autonomous vehicle VE is located at the present time (time of transmission), as well as information on the speed (traveling speed) and direction (azimuth angle) of the autonomous vehicle VE. In contrast, the future location information includes the same information as the location information (current location), and further includes information on the offset (distance) from the location information (current location). The future location information includes multiple (n) predicted values for every certain time elapsed (for example, every second elapsed) from the current time. In other words, the roadside equipment can grasp the planned route of the autonomous vehicle VE up to, for example, n seconds from now.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B and as described above, the road side, i.e., the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) transmits to the vehicle side various IDs, creation dates and times, information on the virtual stop line VL, information on the possible departure time, and information on the cause of a collision in the event of a collision (collision cause information). For the virtual stop line VL, information on the coordinates (latitude, longitude) of the start and end points indicating the positions of both ends is provided to show its position as a line (line segment). For the possible departure time, it is possible to literally provide time information, but for example, a mode of transmitting a notice when departure is possible, that is, a mode of transmitting a possible departure signal to the autonomous vehicle VE, can also be considered as providing information equivalent to the possible departure time. For the collision cause information, it is assumed that the number and positions of general vehicles GM and pedestrians PE with which there is a possibility of collision are information, etc.

The provision of information by the driving assistance device SS to the autonomous vehicle VE as described above can be considered to be solely for the purpose of providing driving assistance to the autonomous vehicle VE. In other words, the information provided from the roadside is not necessarily compulsory for the autonomous vehicle VE, and the final decision on how to drive can be left to the autonomous vehicle VE itself.

The future position information and its transition will be conceptually explained below with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4(A) to FIG. 4(D) conceptually show the future position information transmitted from the autonomous vehicle VE to the driving assistance device SS using points FP and lines LL. Specifically, the position where the autonomous vehicle VE is drawn indicates the current position, and the multiple points FP indicate the future positions of the autonomous vehicle VE at regular intervals. Furthermore, line LL connects the current position to each point FP, and indicates the planned driving route of the autonomous vehicle VE. Furthermore, in this case, the length of the portion of line LL between each point FP indicates the speed of the autonomous vehicle VE.

Of Figures 4(A) to 4(D), Figure 4(A) shows the first future position information to be transmitted to the driving assistance device SS. When information on the virtual stop line VL is provided as a response from the driving assistance device SS (setting unit LS) to the transmitted first future position information, as shown in Figure 4(B), the autonomous vehicle VE creates new future position information so as to stop at the position of the virtual stop line VL, as shown in Figure 4(C), and transmits it to the driving assistance device SS. However, in this embodiment, as described later, the position of the virtual stop line VL is set each time as necessary, that is, the position of the virtual stop line VL can be changed. Therefore, when the virtual stop line VL is provided, it is changed as necessary, and the autonomous vehicle VE will ultimately stop at the position of the determined virtual stop line VL. Finally, the autonomous vehicle VE stops at the virtual stop line VL and waits for information about the possible departure time from the driving assistance device SS. By acquiring this information, the autonomous vehicle VE creates new future position information indicating the content to be transmitted from the virtual stop line VL, as shown in FIG. 4(D), and transmits this information to the driving assistance device SS.

As described above, in this embodiment, the position of the virtual stop line VL shown in FIG. 4(C), for example, is updated each time in response to changes in traffic conditions, etc. Accordingly, the future position information created is also updated each time. In other words, the position of the virtual stop line VL changes dynamically in some cases, and the final stopping position of the autonomous vehicle VE is determined.

Here, various factors can be considered for setting the position of the virtual stop line VL by the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS. One example is a case where the situation of the oncoming vehicle GM changes as a result of monitoring by the sensor unit 10, which is the monitoring unit, and the collision prediction is changed. In addition, there are also cases where the traffic conditions leading up to the intersection CS change, or the situation at the intersection CS changes. In addition to these, in this embodiment, one example of a case where the position of the virtual stop line VL changes dynamically is considered, in which learning is performed in the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS and the results of that learning are reflected.

There are various possible modes for learning, but in this example, we will explain a case where the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS records the route taken by the vehicle passing through the intersection CS, and sets the position of the virtual stop line VL based on the recorded history.

Below, a detailed example of the configuration of the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS and the method for setting the expected passing area IL will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS that sets a virtual stop line VL. Also, Figures 6 (A) and 6 (B) are conceptual diagrams for explaining the recording of the history of the vehicle's route, and here, in accordance with the aspect of Figure 1, an example is shown in which the history of the vehicle's route is recorded in advance for a specified range of the oncoming lane that the autonomous vehicle VE crosses when turning right, and this is used.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS is composed of various circuit boards and the like, and has a learning unit ST and a data update unit DR for performing calculation processing. The virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS also stores topography data GD consisting of data relating to the topography of the intersection CS and its surroundings, learning data SD consisting of data that serves as material for learning, and virtual stop line position data PD that stores the position data of the virtual stop line calculated as a result of the learning.

The learning unit ST sets the position of the virtual stop line based on the topographical data GD and the learning data SD. In this example, as a history of the vehicle's passing route, the sensor unit 10, which is a monitoring unit, is used to acquire an exposure image of the intersection CS and its surrounding roads for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes), and the acquired image data is used as the learning data SD. In this case, it is assumed that the situation will change from that shown in FIG. 6(A) to that shown in FIG. 6(B). To explain in detail, first, FIG. 6(A) shows the state of the traveling route in the above-mentioned exposure image with arrows CC1 when an oncoming vehicle GM passing through (going straight) in the oncoming lane runs when the road surface, etc. is in a normal state. In other words, the multiple arrows CC1 indicate the passing trajectories of the multiple oncoming vehicles GM, and the aggregate of these arrows indicates the passing range of the oncoming vehicle GM as a whole. In response to this, the learning unit ST sets an expected passing area IL1 as an example of an expected passing area IL, which includes the range where the autonomous vehicle VE (see FIG. 1, etc.) crosses the arrow CC1 when turning right at the intersection CS, i.e., the range that can be a crossing point, and further takes a margin into account. Furthermore, the learning unit ST sets a virtual stop line VL1 as an example of a virtual stop line VL based on the expected passing area IL1. The set virtual stop line VL1 is stored as virtual stop line position data PD.

In contrast to the above, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(B), when some obstacle OB (such as a puddle caused by rain) is present on the road surface in the oncoming lane, it is considered that the driving range of the oncoming vehicle GM will be changed overall toward the center of the road as shown in order to avoid the obstacle. In other words, the range of the driving path indicated by the arrow CC1 changes. Accordingly, in the learning unit ST, a new assumed passing area IL2 is set as an example of the assumed passing area IL, and a new virtual stop line VL2 is set as an example of the virtual stop line VL based on the assumed passing area IL2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the new virtual stop line VL2 is closer to the center of the intersection CS than the position of the dashed virtual stop line VL1.

Returning to FIG. 5, the data update unit DR updates the learning data SD as the learning material as described above each time. That is, based on various data from the sensor unit 10, which is the monitoring unit, the learning data SD is updated by creating the above-mentioned exposure image or new data equivalent thereto every time a certain period of time passes. The learning unit ST can perform the above learning each time the data is updated in the data update unit DR. In other words, the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS updates the position setting of the virtual stop line VL according to newly acquired information.

The above configuration makes it possible to dynamically change the setting of the virtual stop line VL, for example. Note that the configuration of the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS using the learning unit ST or the like described above is just one example, and it is also possible to apply various learning methods that utilize artificial intelligence or other techniques.

Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of another example of operation at an intersection CS where the information provision system 100 is installed, and corresponds to Figure 1. In the example shown in Figure 1, an example of operation is shown when an autonomous vehicle VE is about to turn right at an intersection CS, whereas in the example shown in Figure 7, an example is shown when an autonomous vehicle VE is about to turn left. In this case, the position of the virtual stop line VL and the position of the corresponding assumed passing area IL are different from those in Figure 1. Specifically, in the case of a left turn, for example, a pedestrian PE walking on a crosswalk at the left turn destination becomes a moving object MB to be monitored by the sensor unit 10 as a monitoring unit, and the range including the crosswalk becomes the assumed passing area IL. In addition, in accordance with this, the criteria applied to various calculation processes such as setting the position of the virtual stop line VL in the judgment unit 52 are also different from those described with reference to Figure 1, etc., but the calculation of the possible departure time after stopping is the same as in the above case. With regard to the position of the virtual stop line VL, from a different perspective, the virtual stop line VL is set individually depending on whether the autonomous vehicle VE turns right or left when entering the intersection CS, and the method of setting the virtual stop line VL transmitted to the autonomous vehicle VE may be different accordingly. For example, in this case, it is possible to assume that the position of the virtual stop line VL is before the crosswalk, learn the tendency of the pedestrian PE to walk, and change the setting of the virtual stop line VL accordingly.

Below, an example of each part of the information provision system 100 and a series of operations thereof will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. In this example, an autonomous vehicle VE that is turning right or left at an intersection CS and is capable of communicating necessary data with the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) is assumed to be a target for driving assistance by the information provision system 100. Also, as in the previous example, communication between the target for driving assistance and the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) is assumed to be continuous until the autonomous vehicle VE that is the target for driving assistance has passed through the intersection CS. In other words, future position information is transmitted from the autonomous vehicle VE that is to be the target for driving assistance to the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) at regular intervals (for example, every second), and this is assumed to continue until the autonomous vehicle VE passes through the intersection CS.

First, the driving assistance device SS, which is a roadside device, confirms the presence of a vehicle that is to be the subject of driving assistance, i.e., performs vehicle detection (step S101). More specifically, in step S101, the main control unit 50 of the driving assistance device SS continues to perform a confirmation operation to determine whether or not the first future position information, which is a trigger for starting communication, has been received (acquired) from the autonomously driven vehicle VE that is to be the subject of driving assistance, until confirmation is confirmed (step S101: Yes).

In step S101, when acquisition of the first future position information is confirmed (step S101: Yes), the main control unit 50 of the driving assistance device SS judges from the future position information whether the vehicle is a target vehicle for assistance, i.e., whether the vehicle will be the target of driving assistance (step S102). In this example, whether the autonomous vehicle VE is the target of driving assistance is determined by checking from the future position information whether the autonomous vehicle VE is scheduled to turn right or left at the intersection CS.

If it is determined in step S102 that the autonomous vehicle VE is not a target for driving assistance (step S102: No), the main control unit 50 ends the series of operations for the autonomous vehicle VE without performing any special processing, and returns to the operations from step S101, i.e., starts detecting a new vehicle.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the autonomous vehicle VE is a target for driving assistance (step S102: Yes), the main control unit 50 refers to the target information as a detection result obtained from the sensor unit 10 (step S103), and as the collision prediction unit (prediction unit) 52a, performs a collision prediction based on the target information and future position information from the autonomous vehicle VE (step S104).

Next, the main control unit 50 determines whether or not it is necessary to stop the autonomous vehicle VE based on the result of the collision prediction in step S104 (step S105). In other words, the main control unit 50 determines whether or not it is necessary to set the position of the virtual stop line VL.

If it is determined in step S105 that the autonomous vehicle VE does not need to stop (step S105: No), that is, if it is determined that the autonomous vehicle VE can pass through the intersection CS by turning right or left as desired without stopping, the main control unit 50, as the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS, does not set a virtual stop line VL, and transmits information to the autonomous vehicle VE via the communication unit 30 that it does not need to stop at the intersection CS, which is the planned driving range (step SSa).

Then, the main control unit 50 transmits the possible departure time calculated by the calculation unit 52b or a possible departure signal corresponding thereto to the autonomous vehicle VE (step S201), and further continues to check whether the autonomous vehicle VE has completed a right turn (or left turn), i.e., whether it has passed the intersection CS (step S202). If the check is successful (step S202: Yes), the series of operations for the autonomous vehicle VE ends and the operation returns to that from step S101, i.e., detection of a new vehicle begins.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S105 that the autonomous vehicle VE needs to stop (step S105: Yes), the main control unit 50, as a virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS, sets the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S106) and transmits position information of the set virtual stop line VL to the autonomous vehicle VE (step S107).

Then, the main control unit 50 checks whether new future position information has been acquired from the same autonomous vehicle VE (step S108), and if so (step S108: Yes), updates the future position information (step S109), and if not (step S108: No), maintains the current future position information. Then, the main control unit 50 again refers to the target information (step S110), performs a collision prediction (step S111), and determines whether it is necessary to stop the autonomous vehicle VE (step S112).

If it is determined in step S112 that it is not necessary for the autonomous vehicle VE to stop (step S112: No), the main control unit 50 starts the operation from step S201, confirms that the autonomous vehicle VE has passed through the intersection CS, and resumes the operation from step S101.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S112 that the autonomous vehicle VE needs to continue to be stopped (step S112), the main control unit 50 determines whether or not it is necessary to change the stop position, i.e., to change the setting of the virtual stop line VL (step S113).

If it is determined in step S113 that the stop position needs to be changed (step S113: Yes), the main control unit 50 changes the setting of the virtual stop line VL (step S114) and transmits the position information of the changed virtual stop line VL to the autonomous vehicle VE (step S115).

After it is determined in step S113 that the stop position does not need to be changed (step S113: No), or after a transmission is made to the autonomous vehicle VE in step S115, i.e., after the settings of the virtual stop line VL are finalized, the main control unit 50 continues to communicate with the autonomous vehicle VE while repeating the operations from step S108 again, and the above series of operations are performed until the autonomous vehicle VE finally completes passing through the intersection CS.

Figure 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an overview of the configuration and operation of the above-mentioned information provision system 100. As shown in the figure and as described above, in the above-mentioned information provision system 100, the sensor unit 10 as a monitoring unit acquires target information for the detection area DD, which is the planned driving range SR of the autonomous vehicle VE and includes the intersection CS, while communicating with the autonomous vehicle VE entering the detection area DD as the planned driving range SR to acquire future position information of the autonomous vehicle VE, thereby grasping the behavior of the autonomous vehicle VE and the intersection CS and the traffic conditions around it. This makes it possible for the information provision system 100 to provide driving assistance to the autonomous vehicle VE passing through the detection area DD. In particular, in this embodiment, the information provision system 100 takes into consideration the detection results (target information) by the sensor unit 10 as a monitoring unit and future position information from the autonomous vehicle VE acquired via the communication unit 30, and provides the autonomous vehicle VE with position information of the virtual stop line VL as information on whether the autonomous vehicle VE can proceed after setting it in the setting unit LS. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the information provision system 100 also sets criteria for determining whether the autonomous vehicle VE can depart after stopping.

In general, the shape and conditions of roads differ from place to place, so if the autonomous vehicle VE were to make all of the above-mentioned judgments on its own, it would be difficult to select the optimal behavior for that location. In contrast, in this embodiment, the roadside can provide the vehicle with a behavior selection based on a standard optimized for each installation location using the information provision system 100. This enables smooth driving, regardless of the influence of the superiority or inferiority of sensing, which differs for each autonomous vehicle VE. In particular, in this embodiment, the position of the virtual stop line VL can be changed in response to various changes in the situation, making it possible to perform safer and smoother traffic control. As described above, the planned driving range SR of the autonomous vehicle VE includes the intersection CS and a crosswalk that is provided incidentally thereto or that exists in the vicinity of the intersection CS. In the above embodiment, it is possible to make an accurate vehicle stop judgment at a location where the occurrence of a collision accident is considered to be relatively high, such as the intersection CS or a crosswalk.

As described above, the information provision system 100 according to this embodiment includes a communication unit 30 that communicates with the autonomous vehicle VE to receive future position information, a sensor unit 10 as a monitoring unit that monitors the planned driving range of the autonomous vehicle VE, and a setting unit LS that sets the position of the virtual stop line VL according to the future position information received by the communication unit 30 and the monitoring results of the sensor unit 10, and the communication unit 30 transmits the position information of the virtual stop line VL set by the setting unit LS to the autonomous vehicle VE. In the information provision system 100, the infrastructure side sets the position of the virtual stop line VL according to the future position information received from the autonomous vehicle VE and the monitoring results on the infrastructure side, and transmits the position information of the set virtual stop line VL to the autonomous vehicle VE, so that accurate stop position information can be provided from the infrastructure side without relying on the performance of the autonomous vehicle VE when grasping traffic conditions.

Second Embodiment
An example of the information provision system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 10 etc. Fig. 10 is a conceptual diagram for outlining an example of an operation at an intersection CS in which the information provision system 100 according to the present embodiment is provided, and corresponds to Fig. 1 etc. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information provision system, and corresponds to Fig. 2.

In the first embodiment, no particular reference was made to the installation of traffic lights at the intersection CS. In contrast, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it shows an intersection CS where traffic lights are installed. The position of the crosswalk at the intersection CS is also slightly different, and the information provision system 100 is configured to treat the intersection CS as complete traversal once the crosswalk has been passed. Apart from these points, the present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, so a description of the overall configuration of the information provision system 100 will be omitted, and other figures such as those in the corresponding relationship above will be used as necessary.

As shown in the figure, this embodiment includes four signal lamps SG and a signal controller SC that constitute the traffic light TL, and the driving support device SS (determination device JD) is connected to the signal controller SC. More specifically, the driving support device SS (determination device JD) is provided close to the signal controller SC, and is connected to it, for example, by a wire, so that it is possible to obtain information required for controlling the traffic light (light color information, etc.). Note that the connection is not limited to a wired connection, and may also be a wireless connection.

The signal controller SC performs overall control of all the signal lights SG (four signal lights SG in the example of FIG. 1) installed at the intersection CS. When functioning as the judgment device JD, the driving support device SS (judgment device JD) can use information about the signal lights SG to make various judgments such as whether to proceed or not by acquiring information about the signal lights SG via the signal controller SC as necessary. To explain a more specific example, as shown in FIG. 11, the judgment unit 52 (particularly the prediction unit 52a) of the main control unit 50 can acquire information about the switching timing of the signal lights SG, such as light color information, from the signal controller SC, so that, when making a collision judgment, the light color information of the signal lights SG can be taken into account in addition to the target information from the sensor unit 10 and the future position information from the autonomous vehicle VE. Accordingly, the setting unit LS makes a judgment about the virtual stop line VL based on the light color information of the signal lights SG installed at the intersection CS.

In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, when an autonomous vehicle VE that is the target of driving assistance is about to turn right at an intersection CS, and an oncoming vehicle GM is seen going straight in the oncoming lane a little distance away, as shown by arrow BB1, if it is known from, for example, light color information acquired in advance that the signal lamp SG of the oncoming lane will turn red before the oncoming vehicle GM reaches the intersection CS and the oncoming vehicle GM will stop in front of it, the information provision system 100 (prediction unit 52a) can exclude the oncoming vehicle GM from those that are at risk of collision. In other words, in this case, the setting unit LS will not set the position of the virtual stop line VL based on the presence of the oncoming vehicle GM, nor will it transmit position information of the virtual stop line VL.

On the other hand, as shown in the example in the figure, a pedestrian PE may be confirmed at the crosswalk ahead of the intended right turn. In the illustrated state, the crosswalk is slightly away from the center of the intersection CS, and a space SP in which the autonomous vehicle VE can stop can be secured at the position of the virtual stop line VL corresponding to the expected passing area IL including the crosswalk. In this case, the information provision system 100 can provide information to the autonomous vehicle VE so that the autonomous vehicle VE stops at the position of the virtual stop line VL ahead of the intended right turn at the intersection CS. In this case, by also detecting the vehicle size of the autonomous vehicle VE, it is possible to determine in advance whether a space SP in which the autonomous vehicle VE can stop can be secured. In other words, in this case, the setting unit LS sets the position of the virtual stop line VL according to the expected passing area IL including the crosswalk and transmits the position information of the virtual stop line VL.

In this embodiment as well, the infrastructure sets the position of the virtual stop line VL based on the future position information received from the autonomous vehicle VE and the monitoring results on the infrastructure side, and transmits the position information of the set virtual stop line VL to the autonomous vehicle VE. This allows the infrastructure to provide accurate stopping position information when grasping traffic conditions without relying on the performance of the autonomous vehicle VE. In particular, in this embodiment, it becomes possible to make judgments that take into account light color information at intersections CS where traffic lights TL are present.

〔others〕
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

First, in the above, the location where the information provision system 100 is introduced is an intersection CS, but this is not limited to this, and the information provision system 100 can be introduced in various locations. For example, the present application can be applied to a detection area DD that includes a lane junction or a lane change section.

The shape of the intersection CS is merely an example, and is not limited to this and can be applied to intersections of various shapes and structures.

In addition, the position setting of the virtual stop line VL in the virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit) LS can take various forms other than those described above, and may be, for example, a form that can accept manual position setting. For example, it is conceivable to be able to accommodate initial settings when the information provision system 100 is first introduced, temporary traffic restrictions, and even changes in settings due to changes in the road conditions or shapes at or around the intersection CS.

In addition, various other configurations are possible for configuring the information provision system 100. For example, if a monitoring sensor unit is provided in the signal lamp SG exemplified as the second embodiment, this may be used as the sensor unit 10.

In the above, the oncoming vehicle GM shown in FIG. 1, for example, is described as a general vehicle, i.e., does not communicate with the information provision system 100. However, if the oncoming vehicle GM communicates with the information provision system 100 and transmits its own future position information, the future position information may be used to determine a collision and to set the position of the virtual stop line VL associated with the collision.

For example, the virtual stop line VL and the expected passing area IL may be adjusted by taking into account weather conditions such as rain and snow, and the buffer amount may be adjusted accordingly. In other words, the position setting of the virtual stop line VL may be changed depending on the weather.

In the above, the driving support device SS (determination device JD) and the like constituting the information provision system 100 are installed near the site, i.e., near the intersection CS, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the locations responsible for various information processing and data management may be installed in a remote location as a management center (management server), or various processing and data storage may be performed on the cloud. For example, the position data of the virtual stop line VL and the like may be stored in a management center (management server) in a remote location or on the cloud.

In the above example, the sensor unit 10 is configured with the camera unit 11 and the distance measurement unit 12, but the configuration of the sensor unit 10 is not limited to this, and the sensor unit 10 may be configured with, for example, either the camera unit 11 or the distance measurement unit 12.

10...sensor unit (monitoring unit), 11...camera unit, 12...distance measuring unit, 30...communication unit, 50...main control unit, 51...sensor control unit, 52...judgment unit, 52a...collision prediction unit (prediction unit), 52b...calculation unit, 100...information provision system, AA1, BB1, CC1...arrow, AO...autonomous driving control unit, CS...intersection, DD...detection area, DR...data update unit, FG...future position information generation unit, FP...point, GD...terrain data, GM...oncoming vehicle (general vehicle), ID...judgment unit , ID...vehicle, IL, IL1, IL2...expected passing area, JD...determination device, LL...line, LS...virtual stop line setting unit (setting unit), LS...setting unit, MB...moving body, OB...obstacle, PD...virtual stop line position data, PE...pedestrian, SC...signal controller, SD...learning data, SG...signal lamp, SP...space, SR...planned driving range, SS...driving support device, ST...learning unit, TL...signal, TT...communication unit (wireless unit), VE...autonomous vehicle, VL, VL1, VL2...virtual stop line

Claims (8)

a communication unit that communicates with the autonomous vehicle to receive future location information;
A monitoring unit that monitors a planned driving range of the autonomous driving vehicle;
a setting unit that sets a position of a virtual stop line according to the future position information received by the communication unit and a monitoring result by the monitoring unit,
The communication unit transmits position information of the virtual stop line set by the setting unit to the autonomously driven vehicle. The communication unit continuously communicates with the autonomous driving vehicle,
The information providing system according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit updates the position setting of the virtual stop line in accordance with newly acquired information. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the setting unit sets the position of the virtual stop line based on a history of the vehicle's route in the planned travel area monitored by the monitoring unit. The information provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a calculation unit that calculates a possible departure time at which the autonomous vehicle stopped at the virtual stop line can depart based on the situation in the planned driving range. The information provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when it is determined that the autonomous vehicle does not need to stop based on the situation of the planned driving range monitored by the monitoring unit, the setting unit does not set the virtual stop line, and the communication unit transmits information to the autonomous vehicle that the autonomous vehicle does not need to stop in the planned driving range. The monitoring unit monitors an oncoming lane of a driving lane of the autonomous vehicle,
The information provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the setting unit sets a position of the virtual stop line in response to the future position information including the autonomous vehicle crossing the oncoming lane. The information provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the monitoring unit includes intersections and pedestrian crossings at the intersections as the planned driving range. The information provision system according to claim 7, wherein the setting unit makes a decision regarding the virtual stop line based on light color information of a signal lamp installed at the intersection.

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