JP7686534B2 - Violating vehicle identification device, violating vehicle identification method, and violating vehicle identification processing program - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a violating vehicle identification device, a violating vehicle identification method, and a violating vehicle identification processing program.

Vehicles with special structures or vehicles that transport special cargo and exceed the general limits for width, length, height, or total weight, or exceed the limits for total weight or height on bridges, elevated roads, tunnels, etc., are required to obtain a special vehicle permit that specifies the route, date and time of travel, and weight in order to travel on roads. In recent years, the number of applications for special vehicle permits has been increasing.

On the other hand, for example, when a special vehicle with an axle load of 20 tons passes through, the impact on the pavement (i.e., the rate at which the road deteriorates) is said to be four times the axle load ratio (i.e., (20/10)^4 = 16 times) compared to when a vehicle with an axle load passes through.

JP 2009-216674 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-189523 JP 2017-33370 A JP 2013-114494 A JP 2017-151778 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-207391

Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited, September 9, 2020, "42nd National Trunk Road Subcommittee Briefing Materials, Road Subcommittee, Council for Infrastructure Development" Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Road Bureau Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Urban Affairs Bureau September 2020 “Summary of Road-related Budget Request for FY2021” Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Road Bureau, Road Traffic Management Division, July 31, 2018, "Start of collection of 3D road data using vehicle-mounted sensing devices ~ Toward speeding up the review of special vehicle passage permits, etc. ~" Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, January 2016, "Implementation Guidelines for the Simplified Special Vehicle Permit System for Vehicles Equipped with ETC 2.0" Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency, January 2020, "Measures to address violations of the Road Act (Vehicle Restriction Order) on expressways.pdf" Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Kanto Regional Development Bureau, Road Department, Traffic Management Division, November 2018, "Outline of the Special Vehicle Permit System"

There is a limit to the number of personnel that can be allocated to deal with special vehicles that illegally exceed the load capacity or travel route permitted by the applied special vehicle permission, so there is a need for a system that can automatically detect such cases.

There is also a method of using an automatic vehicle weighing device (WIM: weight in motion) to identify violating vehicles, but the information obtained by the WIM alone is insufficient to identify violating vehicles.

In addition, there is a need for technology that can reliably collect additional tolls when non-compliant vehicles pass through toll roads.

This invention was made in response to the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that automatically detects violating vehicles.

The violating vehicle identification central device according to the embodiment includes a WIM communication unit that receives information from an automatic vehicle weight measuring device (WIM) including the axle weight and vehicle number of the vehicle, a vehicle communication unit that transmits a special vehicle information request including the vehicle number to a special vehicle database device and receives special vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle number if the axle weight exceeds a maximum limit value that is the upper limit of the axle weight of a reference vehicle, a violating vehicle determination unit that determines the vehicle as a violating vehicle if the axle weight exceeds the maximum weight included in the special vehicle information, and a business communication unit that transmits violating vehicle information including information about the vehicle if it is determined that the vehicle is a violating vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a violating vehicle identification system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each device and each equipment of the violating vehicle identification system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of specific information in a special vehicle passage permit database, which is the special vehicle information stored in the storage unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a WIM arrangement. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing procedure in the violating vehicle identification system shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the violating vehicle information output to the output unit of the business device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the ETC central unit of the violating vehicle identification system shown in FIG.

Article 47 of the Road Act stipulates maximum limits for the size and axle load of vehicles that may travel on roads. Normal vehicles, or standard vehicles, are vehicles that fall within this maximum limit. Vehicles that exceed the maximum limit, or special vehicles, can also travel on roads. When a special vehicle travels on a road, it is necessary to apply for a special permit under the special vehicle permit system and receive a special vehicle permit. When applying for a permit, the route to travel must be specified.

In this embodiment, we will explain a system that determines whether a special vehicle traveling on a toll road is violating laws and regulations when the route includes a toll road.

The following describes in detail the violating vehicle identification device, the violating vehicle identification method, and the violating vehicle identification processing program with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiment, the violating vehicle identification central device will be described as being implemented as an integrated unit with an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) central device. Note that parts with the same numbers perform similar operations, and will not be described again.

(composition)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a violating vehicle identification system according to an embodiment.
The violating vehicle identification system includes an ETC central device 1, a special permit application database device 2, a toll booth device 3, a WIM 4, an operator device 5, and a vehicle 7 equipped with an on-board unit 6.

The ETC central device 1, which is a device for identifying violating vehicles, is installed in a designated location, such as the management room of the operator that manages the toll road. The ETC central device 1 is connected to the special permit application database device 2 and the toll booth equipment 3, and is capable of acquiring various types of information.

The special permit application database device 2 is installed at a specified location, such as a Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The special permit application database device is a database device that stores a special vehicle passage permit database, which is information on special vehicles that have been granted passage. Specific information on the special vehicle passage permit database will be described later. The special permit application database device 2 is also able to provide the database in response to a request from the ETC central device 1.

The toll booth equipment 3 is installed at the entrance toll booth or the exit toll booth of a toll road. When the toll booth equipment 3, which includes a roadside unit, detects a vehicle 7, it establishes communication with the vehicle-mounted unit 6 of the vehicle 7. The toll booth equipment 3 then transmits and receives various information to and from the vehicle-mounted unit 6. The toll booth equipment 3 then transmits the various information acquired through communication with the vehicle-mounted unit 6 to the ETC central unit 1 as toll details.

WIM4 is a vehicle weight measuring device installed on a toll road. Here, WIM4 is a device under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. WIM4 may be installed near a toll booth, a service area, etc. WIM4 is capable of detecting the vehicle number of vehicle 7 and measuring and acquiring the axle weight. WIM4 may also transmit the acquired information to ETC central unit 1.

The operator device 5 may be a so-called user device, and may be installed in the same management room as the ETC central device 1, or in a different location. The operator device 5 may also be a mobile terminal, and may be carried by the operator's administrator. The operator device 5 transmits and receives various information to and from the ETC central device 1. The operator device 5 is also capable of displaying information about violating vehicles received from the ETC central device 1.

The on-board unit 6 is placed inside a vehicle 7 traveling on a toll road. The on-board unit 6 can communicate with the toll booth equipment 3, and transmits various information such as the card ID of the ETC card inserted into the on-board unit 6. The on-board unit 6 can also receive information from the toll booth equipment 3 that the vehicle has entered, and write the received information to the ETC card.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each device and each equipment of the violating vehicle identification system according to the embodiment.
That is, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing examples of the configuration of each of the ETC central device 1, the special permit application database device 2, the toll booth device 3, the WIM 4, the business device 5, and the vehicle-mounted device 6.

The ETC central device 1 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, an information management control unit 14, a violating vehicle determination unit 15, and a detail management unit 16.

The control unit 11 is a control unit that controls the communication unit 13, the information management control unit 14, the violating vehicle determination unit 15, and the detail management unit 16. The control unit 11 has a CPU, a memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each unit that constitutes the ETC central device 1 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory such as a non-volatile memory that stores the programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, etc. In other words, the control unit 11 controls each unit and processes data by the CPU executing the programs stored in the memory.

The storage unit 12 includes a storage medium that can read and write data at high speed, such as a main memory. The storage unit 12 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device, such as an HDD or SSD. The storage unit 12 stores various data received from the special permit application database device 2, the toll booth equipment 3, and the WIM 4. For example, the storage unit 12 can store various pieces of information received from each of the special permit application database device 2, the toll booth equipment 3, and the WIM 4.

The communication unit 13 is a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication unit 13 includes communication modules that connect to the special permit application database device 2, the toll booth equipment 3, and the WIM 4 via a wired or wireless connection. The communication unit 13 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each device and equipment under the control of the control unit 11 and send and receive various information.

The information management control unit 14 manages various information received from the special permit application database device 2, the toll booth equipment 3, and the WIM 4. Under the control of the control unit 11, the information management control unit 14 also stores various information in the memory unit 12, and can acquire data stored in the memory unit 12 as necessary and output it to the violating vehicle determination unit 15 and the detail management unit 16, etc.

Under the control of the control unit 11, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 can determine whether the axle load received from the WIM 4 is within the maximum limit for a standard vehicle. Furthermore, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 can determine whether the vehicle 7 that has been applied for as a special vehicle is a violating vehicle in violation of the application based on the information received from the toll booth equipment 3 and the WIM 4.

The details management unit 16 can determine the toll according to the travel route of the vehicle 7 determined based on the toll gate identification information received from the toll gate equipment 3, and collect the determined toll from the vehicle 7. The details management unit 16 can also collect additional tolls from vehicles that violate the rules.

The special permit application database device 2 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

The control unit 21 is a control unit that controls and processes data in the special permit application database device 2. The control unit 21 has a CPU, memory, an interface, and the like. The CPU is a processor that executes a program to realize various processing functions, such as outputting information about the special vehicle permit database. The CPU is connected to each part that constitutes the special permit application database device 2 via an interface, and the like. The memory includes various types of memory, such as a non-volatile memory that stores the program executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, and the like. In other words, the control unit 21 controls each part and processes data by the CPU executing the program stored in the memory. The special vehicle permit database will be described later.

The storage unit 22 includes a storage medium that can read and write data at high speed, such as a main memory. The storage unit 22 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device, such as an HDD or SSD. The storage unit 22 stores various information, including special vehicle information that indicates that the vehicle 7 is a special vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of specific information in a special vehicle passage permit database, which is the special vehicle information stored in the storage unit 22. As shown in FIG.
3, the items in the special vehicle permit database include the applicant's name, address, telephone number, start date of passage, end date, loaded material, vehicle type classification, vehicle number, vehicle type name, model, license plate information, vehicle specifications, traffic classification, number of travel routes, route section, renewal, renewal flag, etc. Information on these items is recorded for each applicant.

The applicant's name may be an individual or a company name. For loaded materials, the name of the loaded material, width, height, length, etc. are recorded. For vehicle specifications, the total weight, farthest wheelbase, minimum adjacent wheelbase, adjacent axle load, length, width, height, minimum turning radius, maximum axle load, maximum wheel load, etc. are recorded. For updates, the update date and time are recorded, and the update flag indicates whether it is the specified update time. Also, the items shown in Figure 3 are merely examples, and it goes without saying that other items such as the number of passes, a travel route table, and a packaging diagram may be included.

Returning to FIG. 2, the communication unit 23 is a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication unit 23 includes a communication module that connects to the ETC central device 1 by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 23 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each device and each equipment under the control of the control unit 21 and send and receive various information.

The toll booth equipment 3 includes a control unit 31, a memory unit 32, a higher-level communication unit 33, a departure control unit 34, a roadside display 35, and a vehicle communication unit 36.

The control unit 31 is a control unit that controls the entire toll booth equipment 3 and processes data, etc. The control unit 31 has a CPU, memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each part that constitutes the toll booth equipment 3 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory such as a non-volatile memory that stores the programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, etc.

The storage unit 32 includes a storage medium such as a main memory that allows high-speed reading and writing. The storage unit 32 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The storage unit 32 stores various data related to the toll booth equipment 3. For example, the storage unit 32 stores toll booth identification information that identifies the toll booth where the toll booth equipment 3 is installed.

The upper communication unit 33 is a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules for communicating with the ETC central unit 1 as a higher-level device. For example, the upper communication unit 33 includes a communication module that connects to the ETC central unit 1 via a wired or wireless connection. The upper communication unit 33 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each device and each instrument under the control of the control unit 31 and send and receive various information.

The departure control unit 34 controls the passage of the vehicle 7 entering or exiting the toll gate. The departure control unit 34 controls the opening and closing of a departure control bar provided in the lane in which the vehicle 7 entering or exiting the toll gate travels. For example, when the departure control unit 34 stops the vehicle 7 or when the vehicle 7 is not allowed to pass (enter or exit), the departure control unit 34 closes the departure control bar to physically block the passage of the vehicle 7. When the departure control unit 34 permits the passage of the vehicle 7 (enter or exit), the departure control unit 34 opens the departure control bar to permit the passage of the vehicle 7. Note that the toll gate equipment 3 does not need to have a departure control bar, for example, when the toll gate is a free-flow (FF) toll gate.

The roadside display 35 displays information and the like to users of vehicles 7 passing through the toll gate. The roadside display 35 is installed facing the vehicles 7 passing through the toll gate.

The vehicle communication unit 36 includes a wireless communication module for communicating with the on-board unit 6 mounted on the vehicle 7. For example, the vehicle communication unit 36 detects a vehicle 7 approaching the toll booth equipment 3 and establishes communication with the on-board unit 6 mounted on the vehicle 7. The vehicle communication unit 36 then wirelessly communicates with the on-board unit 6 to obtain various information such as the on-board unit ID, vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model of the vehicle 7, and ETC card information of the ETC card inserted in the on-board unit 6. Here, the ETC card information includes various information required for payment of tolls on toll roads with an ETC card, such as the card ID, card number, and expiration date of the ETC card. Furthermore, the vehicle communication unit 36 transmits various information including the ID of the toll booth equipment 3 to the on-board unit 6.

The WIM4 includes a control unit 41, a memory unit 42, a higher-level communication unit 43, an entering vehicle detection unit 44, an exiting vehicle detection unit 45, an axle load measurement unit 46, and a vehicle information acquisition unit 47.

The control unit 41 is a control unit that controls the entire WIM 4 and processes data, etc. The control unit 41 has a CPU, memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each part that constitutes the WIM 4 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory such as a non-volatile memory that stores the programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, etc.

The storage unit 42 includes a storage medium that can read and write data at high speed, such as a main memory. The storage unit 42 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device, such as an HDD or SSD. The storage unit 42 stores various data related to the WIM 4. For example, the storage unit 42 may store information acquired by the axle load measurement unit 46 and the vehicle information acquisition unit 47.

The upper communication unit 43 is a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules for communicating with the ETC central unit 1 as a higher-level device. For example, the upper communication unit 43 includes a communication module that connects to the ETC central unit 1 by wire or wirelessly. The upper communication unit 43 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each device and each instrument under the control of the control unit 41 and send and receive various information.

The entering vehicle detection unit 44 detects a vehicle 7 entering the WIM 4. The entering vehicle detection unit 44 may be, for example, a loop-type or laser-type detection unit. For example, a loop-type entering vehicle detection unit 44 has a loop coil embedded in a road or the like. The entering vehicle detection unit 44 detects the vehicle 7 based on a change in inductance when the vehicle 7 passes over the loop coil. Alternatively, for example, the entering vehicle detection unit 44 emits a laser light and detects the reflected light of the laser light reflected by an object on the vehicle 7. When the entering vehicle detection unit 44 detects a vehicle 7, it outputs a signal indicating the detection to the control unit 41.

The exiting vehicle detection unit 45 detects a vehicle 7 exiting the WIM 4. The exiting vehicle detection unit 45 may be a loop-type or laser-type detection unit, similar to the entering vehicle detection unit 44. When the exiting vehicle detection unit 45 detects a vehicle 7, it outputs a signal indicating the detection to the control unit 41.

The axle load measuring unit 46 includes, for example, an axle load detection unit and an axle load calculation unit. There may be, for example, multiple axle load detection units, each embedded in the road and outputting a detection signal to the axle load calculation unit according to the weight of the tire of a vehicle 7 passing by the axle load detection unit. The axle load calculation unit obtains an average value of the waveform of the detection signal and calculates the axle load from the average value. Note that this calculation method is only one example, and the axle load measurement by the axle load measuring unit 46 can of course be performed by any general method as long as the axle load measurement can be performed. The axle load measuring unit 46 then outputs the calculated axle load to the control unit 41.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 47 is equipped with a camera or the like, and captures an image of the entire vehicle 7, and identifies license plate information including the vehicle number from license plates located at the front and rear of the vehicle 7. The entire image of the vehicle 7 captured by the camera may also include the driver of the vehicle 7. The vehicle information acquisition unit 47 outputs the identified license plate information to the control unit 41.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the WIM 4. As shown in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 4, an entering vehicle detection unit 44 is installed on the road on the side where the vehicle 7 enters, and furthermore, a plurality of axle load measurement units 46 are installed on the road. In addition, a vehicle information acquisition unit 47 is installed on a gate-like support pillar that crosses the road, and is capable of photographing the entire vehicle 7. In addition, an exiting vehicle detection unit 45 is installed on the road on the side where the vehicle 7 exits the WIM 4.

In FIG. 4, the control unit 41 is installed next to the gate-shaped support pillar. However, the control unit 41 is not limited to the example in FIG. 4. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 4, a memory unit 42 and a higher-level communication unit 43 may be stored within the control unit 41.

Returning to FIG. 2, the business device 5 includes a control unit 51, a memory unit 52, a communication unit 53, an input unit 54, and an output unit 55.

The control unit 51 is a control unit that controls the communication unit 53, the input unit 54, and the output unit 55. The control unit 51 has a CPU, a memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each part that constitutes the operator device 5 via an interface, etc. The memory includes various types of memory such as a non-volatile memory that stores the programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, etc. In other words, the control unit 51 controls each part and processes data by the CPU executing the programs stored in the memory.

The storage unit 52 includes a storage medium that can read and write data at high speed, such as a main memory. The storage unit 52 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device, such as an HDD or SSD. The storage unit 52 stores various data received from the ETC central device 1. For example, the storage unit 52 stores violating vehicle information received from the ETC central device 1. Details of the violating vehicle information will be described later.

The communication unit 53 is a communication interface including one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication unit 53 includes a communication module that connects to the ETC central device 1 by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 53 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each device and each equipment under the control of the control unit 51 and send and receive various information.

The input unit 54 is, for example, an input detection sheet that employs an electrostatic or pressure method and is placed on the display screen of the display device, and outputs a signal corresponding to the user's touch position to the control unit 51 via an input/output interface. For example, the input unit 54 and the output unit 55 may be a touch screen with integrated input and output. That is, the input unit 54 may receive input of necessary information when the user touches a button or the like displayed on the touch screen, and output a signal corresponding to the received information to the control unit 51. The input unit 54 may also include, for example, a keyboard or pointing device that allows the administrator of the business operator device 5 to input instructions to the business operator device 5.

The output unit 55 is a display device that uses, for example, liquid crystal, organic EL (Electro Luminescence), or the like, and displays images and messages according to signals input from the input/output interface. For example, the output unit 55 can display information about violating vehicles received from the ETC central device 1.

The vehicle-mounted device 6 has a control unit 61, a memory unit 62, a communication unit 63, etc.

The control unit 61 is a control unit that controls and processes data in the vehicle-mounted device 6. The control unit 61 has a CPU, a memory, an interface, and the like. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each part that constitutes the vehicle-mounted device 6 via an interface, and the like. The memory includes various types of memory, such as a non-volatile memory that stores the programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and a rewritable non-volatile memory that saves setting data, etc. In other words, the control unit 61 controls each part and processes data by the CPU executing the programs stored in the memory.

The memory unit 62 includes a storage medium that can read and write data at high speed, such as a main memory. The memory unit 62 may be configured with a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The memory unit 62 stores various data related to the vehicle-mounted device 6. For example, the memory unit 62 stores the vehicle-mounted device ID, the vehicle model and vehicle number of the vehicle 7, ETC card information about the ETC card inserted in the vehicle-mounted device, and various information received from the toll booth equipment 3.

The communication unit 63 is a communication interface including one or more wireless communication modules. For example, the communication unit 63 includes a communication module that wirelessly connects to the toll booth equipment 3. The communication unit 63 may be a general communication interface as long as it can perform wireless communication with each device under the control of the control unit 61 and send and receive various information.

(operation)
FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure in the information processing system illustrated in FIG.
The operation of this flowchart is realized by the control unit 11 of the ETC central device 1, the control unit 21 of the special permit application database device 2, the control unit 31 of the toll booth equipment 3, the control unit 41 of the WIM 4, the control unit 51 of the operator equipment 5, and the control unit 61 of the vehicle-mounted unit 6 reading and executing programs stored in the memory unit 12, memory unit 22, memory unit 32, memory unit 42, memory unit 52, and memory unit 62, respectively.

This flowchart begins when vehicle 7 enters a toll road.

In step ST11, the control unit 61 transmits the vehicle information to the toll booth equipment 3. When the vehicle 7 approaches the entrance toll booth, communication is established between the communication unit 63 of the on-board unit 6 and the vehicle communication unit 36 of the toll booth equipment 3. The communication unit 63 then transmits the vehicle information including the vehicle number of the vehicle 7, on-board unit specific information, and ETC card information stored in the memory unit 62 to the toll booth equipment 3 via the communication unit 63. The control unit 61 may also receive from the toll booth equipment 3 toll booth identification information corresponding to the entrance toll booth where the toll booth equipment 3 is installed and entrance date and time information indicating the date and time when the entrance toll booth was passed, and store them in the memory unit 62.

In step ST12, the control unit 31 transmits the entrance details to the ETC central device 1. The control unit 31 receives the vehicle information through the vehicle communication unit 36 and acquires the toll gate identification information and the entrance date and time information corresponding to the toll gate where the toll gate equipment 3 is installed, which are stored in the memory unit 32. The control unit 31 transmits the toll gate identification information and the entrance date and time information to the vehicle-mounted device 6 through the vehicle communication unit 36. Furthermore, the control unit 31 generates an entrance detail including the vehicle information, the toll gate identification information, and the entrance date and time information, and transmits the entrance detail to the ETC central device 1 through the upper communication unit 33. The control unit 11 of the ETC central device 1 outputs the entrance detail to the information management control unit 14. The information management control unit 14 may store the entrance detail in the memory unit 12 by linking it to the vehicle number included in the entrance detail.

Thereafter, vehicle 7, which has entered the toll road from the toll booth, enters WIM 4.
In step ST13, the control unit 41 transmits the WIM information to the ETC central device 1. When the vehicle 7 passes over the entering vehicle detection unit 44, the entering vehicle detection unit 44 outputs a signal indicating that it has detected the vehicle 7 to the control unit 41. Then, the control unit 41, having received the signal from the entering vehicle detection unit 44, outputs a vehicle information acquisition request to the vehicle information acquisition unit 47. The vehicle information acquisition unit 47 photographs the entire vehicle 7 and identifies license plate information including the vehicle number from the license plates placed in front of and behind the vehicle 7. Then, the vehicle information acquisition unit 47 outputs the identified license plate information to the control unit 41.

When the vehicle 7 passes the axle load measuring unit 46, the axle load detecting unit included in the axle load measuring unit 46 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the weight of the vehicle 7's tires to the axle load calculating unit included in the axle load measuring unit 46. The axle load calculating unit obtains the average value of the waveform of the detection signal and calculates the axle load from the average value. The axle load measuring unit 46 then outputs the calculated axle load to the control unit 41.

Finally, when vehicle 7 passes over the exiting vehicle detection unit 45, the exiting vehicle detection unit 45 outputs a signal indicating that it has detected vehicle 7 to the control unit 41. The control unit 41 receives the signal from the exiting vehicle detection unit 45 and generates WIM information including the axle weight received from the axle weight measurement unit 46 and the vehicle number acquired from the vehicle information acquisition unit 47. The control unit 41 then transmits the WIM information to the ETC central device 1 via the upper communication unit 43.

In step ST14, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 performs a weight determination. The control unit 11 receives the WIM information through the communication unit 13 and outputs the WIM information to the information management control unit 14. The information management control unit 14 then links the WIM information to the vehicle number included in the WIM information and stores it in the storage unit 12. The information management control unit 14 then outputs the WIM information to the violating vehicle determination unit 15.

The violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 7 is a special vehicle by determining whether a predetermined weight is exceeded based on the information about the axle weight included in the WIM information. Here, the predetermined weight may be a maximum limit value that is the upper limit of the axle weight of the reference vehicle. For example, if it is determined that the axle weight exceeds the maximum limit value, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 outputs a special vehicle signal to the control unit 11. Note that if the axle weight does not exceed the predetermined weight, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a reference vehicle and outputs a reference vehicle signal to the control unit 11.

The following explanation will be given for the case where the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a special vehicle.

In step ST15, the control unit 11 transmits a special vehicle information request to the special permit application database device 2. Having received the special vehicle signal, the control unit 11 generates a special vehicle information request including the vehicle number included in the WIM information to confirm whether the vehicle 7 has applied to be a special vehicle. The control unit 11 then transmits the special vehicle information request to the special permit application database device 2 via the communication unit 13.

In step ST16, the control unit 21 transmits the special vehicle information to the ETC central unit 1. The control unit 21 receives the special vehicle information request through the communication unit 23, extracts the vehicle number included in the special vehicle information request, and obtains the special vehicle permit database corresponding to the extracted vehicle number from the memory unit 22. The control unit 21 then generates special vehicle information including the special vehicle permit database, and transmits the special vehicle information to the ETC central unit 1 through the communication unit 23.

If the memory unit 22 does not have a special vehicle permission database that corresponds to the vehicle number, the control unit 21 may generate special vehicle information that includes flag information indicating no match and transmit the special vehicle information to the ETC central device 1. The control unit 11 stores the received special vehicle information in the memory unit 12 by linking it to the vehicle number included in the special vehicle information.

Thereafter, the vehicle 7 finishes traveling on the toll road and enters the exit toll booth, which is the exit.
In step ST17, the control unit 61 transmits the vehicle information to the toll gate equipment 3. When the vehicle 7 approaches the exit toll gate, the communication unit 63 of the on-board device 6 and the vehicle communication unit 36 of the toll gate equipment 3 establish communication. Then, the communication unit 63 transmits the vehicle information including the number information of the vehicle 7, on-board device specific information, ETC card information, entrance details, etc. stored in the memory unit 62 to the toll gate equipment 3 through the communication unit 63. The control unit 61 may also receive toll gate identification information corresponding to the exit toll gate where the toll gate equipment 3 is installed from the toll gate equipment 3 and store it in the memory unit 62. Furthermore, the control unit 31 may determine the toll fee based on the entrance details received from the on-board device 6 and collect the toll fee.

In step ST18, the control unit 31 transmits the exit details to the ETC central device 1. The control unit 31 receives the vehicle information through the vehicle communication unit 36 and acquires the toll gate identification information corresponding to the toll gate where the toll gate equipment 3 is installed, which is stored in the memory unit 32, and the exit date and time information indicating the date and time when the vehicle 7 passed through the exit toll gate. The control unit 31 transmits the toll gate identification information to the vehicle-mounted device 6 through the vehicle communication unit 36. Furthermore, the control unit 41 generates an exit detail including the vehicle information, the toll gate identification information, and the exit date and time information, and transmits the exit detail to the ETC central device 1 through the upper communication unit 33.

In step ST19, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 performs a violating vehicle determination. The control unit 11 receives the exit details and outputs the exit details to the information management control unit 14. The information management control unit 14 acquires the entrance details, WIM information, and special vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle number included in the exit details from the memory unit 12. The information management control unit 14 then outputs the entrance details, exit details, WIM information, and special vehicle information to the violating vehicle determination unit 15. The violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle based on the entrance details, exit details, WIM information, and special vehicle information.

For example, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the axle weight included in the WIM information exceeds the maximum axle weight included in the vehicle specifications of the special vehicle passage permit database included in the special vehicle information. If the axle weight included in the WIM information exceeds the maximum axle weight, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle.

Furthermore, for example, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines the route traveled by the vehicle 7 from the tollgate identification information included in the entrance details and exit details, and determines whether the traveled route is included in the route section in the special vehicle information. If the traveled route is not included in the route section, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle.

Furthermore, for example, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the entrance date and time information included in the entrance details and the exit date and time information included in the exit details are between the start date and end date included in the special vehicle passage permit database. If either the entrance date and time information or the exit date and time information is not between the start date and end date, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle.

Furthermore, for example, if the vehicle information includes flag information indicating that there is no information about the vehicle, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle.

The violating vehicle determination unit 15 may also determine whether other information is included in the special vehicle passage permit database. For example, the control unit 11 counts the number of times the vehicle 7 passes and stores the number of passes in the memory unit 12, and the information management control unit 14 outputs the count to the violating vehicle determination unit 15. The violating vehicle determination unit 15 then determines whether the number of passes is within a predetermined number included in the special vehicle information. If it exceeds the predetermined number, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle.

In step ST20, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 generates violating vehicle information. If the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 generates violating vehicle information including the applicant, vehicle number, date and time of passing the exit toll gate, i.e., exit date and time information, vehicle specifications, travel route, etc., contained in the special vehicle passage permit database. The violating vehicle determination unit 15 then outputs the violating vehicle information to the control unit 11.

In step ST21, the violating vehicle information is transmitted to the business operator device 5. The control unit 11 transmits the violating vehicle information to the business operator device 5 via the communication unit 13. The control unit 51 of the business operator device 5 that receives the violating vehicle information stores the violating vehicle information in the memory unit 52, and may also output the violating vehicle information to the display device of the output unit 55 to display the violation information.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the violating vehicle information output to the output unit 55 of the business operator device 5. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 51 may cause the output unit 55 to display the applicant of the vehicle that has violated the traffic law, the vehicle number, the date and time of the violation (information on the date and time of departure), vehicle specifications, and the travel route, etc.

In step ST22, the details management unit 16 collects an additional fee from the driver of the vehicle 7. The control unit 11 receives the violating vehicle information and outputs the violating vehicle information to the details management unit 16. The details management unit 16 obtains the ETC card information included in the vehicle information in the entrance details or exit details, and collects an additional fee from the driver of the violating vehicle 7 based on the ETC card information.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the ETC central equipment 1 of the information processing system shown in FIG.
That is, Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing only the operation of the ETC central equipment 1 in the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 5. The control unit 11 of the ETC central equipment 1 reads out and executes a program stored in the storage unit 12, thereby realizing the operation of this flowchart.

In step ST31, the control unit 11 receives the entrance details (step ST31). The control unit 11 receives the entrance details from the toll booth equipment 3 through the communication unit 13. The control unit 11 outputs the entrance details to the information management control unit 14. The information management control unit 14 stores the entrance details in the memory unit 12, linking them to the vehicle number.

In step ST32, the control unit 11 receives the WIM information. The control unit 11 receives the WIM information from the WIM 4 through the communication unit 13. The control unit 11 outputs the WIM information to the information management control unit 14. The information management control unit 14 stores the WIM information in the storage unit 12, linking it to the vehicle number.

In step ST33, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 7 is a special vehicle. The control unit 11 outputs the WIM information to the violating vehicle determination unit 15. Based on the information about the axle weight contained in the WIM information, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the axle weight of the vehicle 7 exceeds a predetermined weight, i.e., the maximum limit value.

In step ST34, the control unit 11 receives the exit details. If the axle load does not exceed the predetermined weight, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a reference vehicle. Therefore, the exit details are received in the same way as for a normal vehicle, and the process ends. The ETC central device 1 may also receive information about the toll for the vehicle 7 from the toll booth equipment 3.

Meanwhile, in step ST35, the control unit 11 transmits a special vehicle information request to the special permit application database device 2. If it is determined that the axle load exceeds a predetermined weight, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 outputs a special vehicle signal to the control unit 11. Having received the special vehicle signal, the control unit 11 generates a special vehicle information request including the vehicle number included in the WIM information to confirm whether the vehicle 7 has applied to be a special vehicle. Then, the control unit 11 transmits the special vehicle information request to the special permit application database device 2 via the communication unit 13.

In step ST36, the control unit 11 receives special vehicle information. In response to the special vehicle information request, the control unit 11 receives the special vehicle information from the special permit application database device 2. The control unit 11 outputs the special vehicle information to the information management control unit 14. The information management control unit 14 links the received special vehicle information to the vehicle number and stores it in the memory unit 12.

Thereafter, the vehicle 7 finishes traveling on the toll road and enters the exit toll gate.
In step ST37, the control unit 11 receives the exit details. The control unit 11 receives the exit details through the communication unit 13.

In step ST38, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle. The control unit 11, which has received the exit details, outputs the exit details to the information management control unit 14. The information management control unit 14 acquires the entrance details, WIM information, and special vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle number included in the exit details from the memory unit 12. The information management control unit 14 then outputs the entrance details, exit details, WIM information, and special vehicle information to the violating vehicle determination unit 15. The violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle based on the entrance details, exit details, WIM information, and special vehicle information.

In step ST39, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 generates violating vehicle information. If the violating vehicle determination unit 15 determines that the vehicle 7 is a violating vehicle, the violating vehicle determination unit 15 generates violating vehicle information including the applicant, vehicle number, date and time of passing the exit toll gate, i.e., exit date and time information, vehicle specifications, travel route, etc., contained in the special vehicle passage permit database. The violating vehicle determination unit 15 then outputs the violating vehicle information to the control unit 11.

In step ST40, the violating vehicle information is transmitted to the business operator device 5. The control unit 11 transmits the violating vehicle information to the business operator device 5 via the communication unit 13. The control unit 51 of the business operator device 5 that receives the violating vehicle information stores the violating vehicle information in the memory unit 52, and may also output the violating vehicle information to the display device of the output unit 55 to display the violation information.

In step ST41, the details management unit 16 collects an additional fee from the driver of the vehicle 7. The control unit 11 receives the violating vehicle information and outputs the violating vehicle information to the details management unit 16. The details management unit 16 obtains the ETC card information included in the vehicle information in the entrance details or exit details, and collects an additional fee from the driver of the violating vehicle 7 based on the ETC card information.

(Effects of the embodiment)
According to this embodiment, the ETC central device 1 can use the information acquired by the WIM 4 to identify violating vehicles as well as the information acquired by the toll booth equipment 3 to determine whether the vehicle 7 matches the special vehicle information stored in the special permit application database device 2. This makes it possible to automatically determine violating vehicles among special vehicles.

Furthermore, when a violating vehicle passes through a toll road, the ETC central unit 1 can automatically collect additional tolls from the driver of the violating vehicle.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the embodiment, the toll booth equipment 3 and the WIM 4 are described as separate devices, but the toll booth equipment 3 may have the function of the WIM 4. That is, the toll booth equipment 3 may be equipped with an axle weight measurement unit 46 and a vehicle information acquisition unit 47. The toll booth equipment 3 may acquire license plate information including axle weight and vehicle number from a vehicle 7 passing through a toll booth under its jurisdiction, and transmit the acquired information to the ETC central equipment 1 as WIM information.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 ETC central device 11 control unit 12 memory unit 13 communication unit 14 information management control unit 15 violating vehicle determination unit 16 detail management unit 2 special permit application database device 21 control unit 22 memory unit 23 communication unit 3 toll booth equipment 31 control unit 32 memory unit 33 higher-level communication unit 34 departure control unit 35 roadside display 36 vehicle communication unit 4 WIM
Description of the Reference Numerals 41: Control unit 42: Memory unit 43: Upper communication unit 44: Entering vehicle detection unit 45: Exiting vehicle detection unit 46: Axle load measurement unit 47: Vehicle information acquisition unit 5: Business operator device 51: Control unit 52: Memory unit 53: Communication unit 54: Input unit 55: Output unit 6: Vehicle-mounted device 61: Control unit 62: Memory unit 63: Communication unit 7: Vehicle

Claims (9)

A WIM communication unit that receives WIM information including an axle weight and a vehicle number of a vehicle;
a vehicle communication unit that transmits a special vehicle information request including the vehicle number to a special vehicle database device when the axle weight exceeds a maximum limit value that is an upper limit of the axle weight of a standard vehicle, and receives special vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle number;
a violating vehicle determination unit that determines the vehicle as a violating vehicle when the axle weight exceeds a maximum weight included in the special vehicle information;
a business operator communication unit that transmits violating vehicle information including information about the vehicle when the vehicle is determined to be a violating vehicle;
Equipped with a violating vehicle identification device. the violating vehicle determination unit determines a driving route of the vehicle based on the entrance toll gate identification information of the entrance toll gate and the exit toll gate identification information of the exit toll gate received from the toll gate equipment, and determines the vehicle as the violating vehicle if the driving route is not included in a route section in the special vehicle information.
The violating vehicle identification device according to claim 1 . the violating vehicle determination unit determines that the vehicle is the violating vehicle when entrance date and time information indicating the date and time of passing through the entrance toll gate received from the toll gate equipment is not between the start date and time and the end date and time included in the special vehicle information;
The violating vehicle identification device according to claim 1 or 2. the violating vehicle determination unit determines that the vehicle is the violating vehicle when exit date and time information indicating the date and time of passing through the exit toll gate received from the toll gate equipment is not between the start date and time and the end date and time included in the special vehicle information;
The violating vehicle identification device according to claim 1 or 2. The violating vehicle identification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the violating vehicle determination unit determines that the vehicle is a violating vehicle if the number of times the vehicle has used a toll road exceeds a predetermined number of times included in the special vehicle information. the violating vehicle determination unit determines the vehicle as the violating vehicle when the special vehicle information has flag information indicating that there is no information about the vehicle.
The violating vehicle identification device according to claim 1 . and a details management unit that, when it is determined that the vehicle is a toll-violating vehicle, collects an additional toll from the driver of the vehicle based on ETC card information included in the vehicle information of the vehicle received from the toll booth equipment.
The violating vehicle identification device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A violating vehicle identification method executed by a violating vehicle identification device,
A vehicle weight automatic measurement device (WIM) communication unit of the violating vehicle identification device receives WIM information including an axle weight and a vehicle number of the vehicle;
When the axle load exceeds a maximum limit value that is an upper limit of the axle load of a reference vehicle, a vehicle communication unit of the violating vehicle identification device transmits a special vehicle information request including the vehicle number to a special vehicle database device and receives special vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle number;
a violating vehicle determination unit of the violating vehicle identification device determining that the vehicle is a violating vehicle when the axle weight exceeds a maximum weight included in the special vehicle information;
When the business operator communication unit of the violating vehicle identification device determines that the vehicle is a violating vehicle, the business operator communication unit transmits violating vehicle information including information about the vehicle;
A method for identifying violating vehicles is provided. A violating vehicle identification processing program comprising instructions to be executed by a processor of a violating vehicle identification device,
The instruction:
receiving Weigh Indicator (WIM) information including axle weight and vehicle license plate number of a vehicle;
If the axle load exceeds a maximum limit value that is an upper limit of the axle load of a standard vehicle, a process of transmitting a special vehicle information request including the vehicle number to a special vehicle database device and receiving special vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle number;
If the axle weight exceeds a maximum weight included in the special vehicle information, the vehicle is determined to be a non-compliant vehicle.
When it is determined that the vehicle is a violating vehicle, a process of transmitting violating vehicle information including information about the vehicle;
A program for identifying and processing violating vehicles.