JP7764236B2 - Traffic management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a traffic management system that manages routes and other information, for example, when operating an autonomous vehicle.

Known autonomous driving technologies include route selection methods and devices that select routes that allow autonomous driving to continue even when the weather worsens (Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, one technology related to train operation management is a train operation prediction system (Patent Document 2), which creates a predicted timetable with a range of arrival and departure times based on actual operation records when train delays occur.

However, the technologies described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 above make no mention of a management system that would enable, for example, the operation of vehicles traveling on roads to be managed in a swift and accurate manner in response to changes in the weather.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-43058 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-98425

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a traffic management system that can quickly and accurately manage the traffic of moving vehicles.

To achieve the above objective, the operation management system includes a weather information reception unit that receives weather information, an operation record storage unit that stores past operation records, a determination unit that determines whether or not a change is required in the operation of the target vehicle based on the weather information received by the weather information reception unit and the operation records stored in the operation record storage unit, and an operation change unit that changes the operation of the target vehicle in accordance with the determination made by the determination unit.

The above-mentioned operation management system can quickly and accurately determine whether changes are needed and what changes to make to the operation of vehicles currently in motion based on weather information and operation records.

In a specific aspect of the present invention, the determination unit determines whether or not changes to the timetable and route are necessary for the operation of the target vehicle. In this case, the target vehicle can be made to travel in accordance with operational changes appropriate to the situation.

In another aspect of the present invention, a timetable generation unit is provided that generates a new timetable when the determination unit determines that a change in the timetable or route is required. In this case, operation management can be performed based on the newly generated timetable.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the operation record storage unit stores operation records along with past weather information and geographical information, and the determination unit compares weather information received from the weather center by the weather information reception unit with the operation records for each location to determine whether there is an impact on operations. In this case, appropriate operation management decisions can be made based on past operation records and in accordance with the current weather and location.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the operation record storage unit includes, as operation records, the details of traffic restrictions implemented for each weather information and geographical information, and the determination unit determines the appropriateness of the details of the traffic restrictions based on the weather information received by the weather information reception unit. In this case, it is possible to make an appropriate determination regarding the appropriateness of traffic restrictions for operation management.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the target vehicle is a public transportation system operated by automated driving, and the operation history storage unit stores operation history corresponding to the target vehicle's operating area. In this case, for example, when operating a bus as a public transportation system, it becomes possible to appropriately change the operating route (and therefore the schedule) in response to weather conditions.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a map data storage unit is provided that stores map data including the target vehicle's normal driving route and detour driving route, and the operation change unit selects one detour driving route from the map data storage unit depending on the determination made by the determination unit. In this case, it is possible to determine whether or not a driving route change is necessary based on the map data.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a traffic management unit is provided that manages operations based on weather information received by the weather information receiving unit and current location information of the target vehicle, and the determination unit determines whether or not changes to the operation of the target vehicle are necessary based on the current location information of the target vehicle received from the traffic management unit along with the weather information. In this case, it is possible to determine whether or not changes to operation are necessary while also complying with traffic management by the traffic management unit.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a communication unit is provided that transmits the operation changes made by the operation change unit to the target vehicle. In this case, the target vehicle can understand the changes.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an operation management system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a traffic management system. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a determination of whether or not a change in operation is necessary based on current weather information and past operation records. 10A and 10B are flowcharts illustrating an example of the overall operation of a traffic management system. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of route determination in the traffic management system. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of diagram generation in the traffic management system. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of an example configuration of a traffic management system. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a management mode by a traffic management system according to a modified example.

An example of a traffic management system according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and other figures. As shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. 1, the traffic management system 100 according to this embodiment is a transportation system responsible for traffic management of autonomously driven vehicles as target vehicles VE, and includes a weather information receiving unit 10, a control unit 50, and a vehicle communication unit 70. The traffic management system 100 acquires weather information, i.e., various information related to weather conditions, from the outside via the weather information receiving unit 10, and uses the weather information as needed to manage the traffic of the target vehicles VE in the traffic area TA under its jurisdiction using the control unit 50. To this end, the traffic management system 100 transmits various information from the control unit 50 to the target vehicles VE via the vehicle communication unit 70.

In the illustrated example, a target vehicle VE, which is the subject of operation management by the traffic management system 100, travels within a traffic area TA along a normal route RO. A typical example of a target vehicle VE is a public transportation bus BU. Specifically, the target vehicle VE (the route bus BU) sequentially departs and arrives at bus stops BS located on the normal route RO, and the route it takes between these stops is the normal route RO under normal circumstances. The traffic management system 100 manages the route bus BU's schedule, and handles route changes, particularly in response to weather conditions, along with schedule changes. In other words, the route bus BU can also travel along a predetermined detour route NR, as indicated by the dashed line in the figure, as needed. Furthermore, the traffic management system 100 may create a new route and operate the bus along the new route as needed. When these non-normal routes are used, a new schedule is created, i.e., the schedule is reorganized.

To achieve the above-mentioned configuration, the traffic management system 100 acquires weather information, for example, from a weather center MC. Meanwhile, the traffic management system 100 communicates with the route bus BU, which is the target vehicle VE, to exchange necessary information. Here, the traffic management system 100 acquires weather information for an area that includes at least the traffic area TA under its jurisdiction, thereby being able to detect any weather changes that may occur in the traffic area TA.

In addition, in this embodiment, the route bus BU (target vehicle VE) is an autonomously driven vehicle capable of autonomous driving, and the route bus BU is equipped with equipment for determining its own position, which is necessary for autonomous driving, and various equipment (not shown), for driving according to a predetermined schedule.The on-board autonomous driving control unit CUv operates these facilities, receives necessary information from the traffic management system 100 via the communication unit TTv, and provides information necessary for the traffic management system 100 to manage the traffic of the route bus BU.

As mentioned above, here, an autonomously driven route bus BU is described as the target vehicle VE that is managed by the traffic management system 100. In other words, public transportation operated by autonomous driving is the subject of management by the traffic management system 100. However, the target vehicle VE is not limited to a route bus BU and can be a variety of vehicles.

In this embodiment, the traffic management system 100 stores past operation records, and determines whether or not a change is necessary for the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the past operation records and weather information obtained from the weather center MC. Depending on the determination, the change mode for the target vehicle's operation is determined. This allows the traffic management system 100 to quickly and accurately determine whether or not a change is necessary and determine the change mode for vehicle operation (in this example, the operation of a route bus BU) that targets a moving vehicle.

Below, an example configuration of the traffic management system 100 will be explained with reference to the block diagram shown in Figure 2.

As shown in the figure, and as previously described, the operation management system 100 includes a weather information receiving unit 10, a control unit 50, and a vehicle communication unit 70. Furthermore, the control unit 50 includes an operation information management unit 51, an operation information processing unit 52, a schedule change determination unit 53, a schedule management system 54, an operation record storage unit DSa, and an operation information storage unit DSs.

The weather information receiving unit 10 is an interface unit that receives various weather information transmitted from an external source. In other words, the weather information receiving unit 10 functions as a weather information receiving unit WR that receives weather information. In the illustrated example, the weather information receiving unit 10 receives various necessary weather information from an external weather center MC, such as a weather management system MS that manages weather-related data. The weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 broadly includes various types of weather-related information, such as information on landslides and road subsidence caused by weather changes, as well as information on road flooding, flooding, river overflows, river water levels, high tides, and tide levels. Types of weather information include forecasts, warnings, and advisories. Various values include observed values for rain (rainfall, rainfall amount), snow (snowfall, snow accumulation), wind (wind direction, wind speed), lightning, and temperature, as well as predicted values. As described above, the traffic management system 100 treats this various information as weather information via the weather information receiving unit 10 and uses it as one of the data used to determine traffic management.

The control unit 50 is composed of, for example, a CPU, storage device, or various electronic circuits, and functions as the main component responsible for various operational controls, such as vehicle operation management.

Of the control unit 50, the operation information management unit 51 is composed of, for example, a CPU or various electronic circuits, and manages operation information. For example, the operation information management unit 51 acquires timetable data and driving route data stored in the operation information storage unit DSs, and transmits various commands via the vehicle communication unit 70 to have the target vehicle VE drive based on this data. The operation information management unit 51 also receives current location information (longitude, latitude, and time information) of the target vehicle VE from the target vehicle VE via the vehicle communication unit 70. In other words, it determines where the route bus serving as the target vehicle VE is currently traveling. In this way, the operation information management unit 51 handles various information related to the operation of the route bus BU and is responsible for overall operation management. In other words, the operation information management unit 51 is an operation management unit that manages operations based on weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 and the current location information of the target vehicle VE.

The operation information processing unit 52 is composed of, for example, a CPU or various electronic circuits, and receives information related to operation management (operation information) and weather information from the operation information management unit 51. It also references various information stored in the operation record storage unit DSa and operation information storage unit DSs to determine whether operation can be maintained on the current route and timetable, and performs various processes to change (or adjust or select) these as necessary.

The operation record storage unit DSa is composed of a storage device or the like, and stores past operation records. Here, past operation records particularly record the details of what measures were taken when a change in driving mode became necessary at each point within the driving range in relation to past weather information, etc. The operation information processing unit 52 compares the current location information of the target vehicle VE and the weather information obtained from the weather center MC with the details of past operation records stored in the operation record storage unit DSa, and by taking into account, for example, similar situations in the past and the countermeasures (records) used at that time, it is possible to make accurate decisions regarding the need to change the driving route or timetable, etc.

The operation information storage unit DSs is composed of a storage device or the like and stores schedule data, driving route data, and the like. Typically, the operation information storage unit DSs stores data on the normal schedule and driving routes used during normal driving (ideal driving) without weather or other issues. In addition to data related to normal driving, the operation information storage unit DSs also stores various map data GD, as shown in a separate block diagram in the figure. Specifically, the operation information storage unit DSs stores map data GD including data DD1 on the normal driving route RO (see Figure 1) of the target vehicle VE and data DD2 on the detour driving route NR (see Figure 1). Each piece of data DD1 and DD2 is composed of the driving route data RD included in the operation information storage unit DSs. For example, for the detour driving route data DD2, a single or multiple detour driving routes are pre-created and stored by appropriately combining elements of the driving route data RD. The operation information processing unit 52 changes the detour route (selects a route) to a route that can be selected depending on the situation from among the detour routes stored in the detour route data DD2. In other words, the operation information processing unit 52 selects one detour route from the operation information storage unit DSs, which is a map data storage unit.

Here, the map data GD stores, as driving route data RD, data on the normal driving route RO and detour driving route NR, as well as roads (passageways) surrounding these routes and facilities. That is, the driving route data RD includes various information on the normal driving route RO and detour driving route NR illustrated in FIG. 1, as well as surrounding driving routes that are navigable by the target vehicle VE (i.e., routes that are navigable in terms of size). Examples include information on latitude and longitude indicating each point on the route, which constitutes geographical data such as information on the length of the route, and information on intersections, such as the location of the intersection, the presence or absence of traffic lights, and information on the traffic lights if traffic lights are present (intersection information). The traffic light information includes, in addition to information for identifying the traffic lights, signal information for the traffic lights through which the target vehicle VE passes (such as the duration of red and green lights and the timing of their switching). Furthermore, this information also includes information about the distance between bus stops (bus stop distance information) and information about the travel time for each road section that makes up the travel route (travel time information). Additionally, for example, if a road is cut off due to a landslide or earthquake, a signalized intersection near the cutoff point (for example, within a 100m radius of the cutoff point) is likely to become a traffic bottleneck. Therefore, if there is information about a landslide or earthquake in addition to traffic light information, it may be possible to generate or select a detour route NR that avoids roads that include signalized intersections at or near the cutoff point.

As described above, the driving route data RD includes various information within the jurisdiction (traffic area TA in Figure 1). In this embodiment, if a change in driving route is necessary due to a change in weather, a new driving route (detour driving route) is prepared in advance or prepared as needed based on the driving route data RD stored in the operation information storage unit DSs. Furthermore, if the operation information processing unit 52 is unable to select an appropriate route by, for example, comparing it with the operation record storage unit DSa, i.e., comparing it with past data, it may search the driving route data RD for a route bus BU that is navigable and is other than the normal driving route RO or the detour driving route NR, and create (or select) a new driving route based on this. The operation information processing unit 52 notifies the operation information management unit 51 of information about the new driving route, i.e., the changed driving route (route change information).

The operation information processing unit 52 also determines whether a schedule change is necessary, along with determining whether to use the above-mentioned detour route. If it determines that a schedule change is necessary, it notifies the schedule change determination unit 53, described below, of this (a schedule change instruction request). However, in this example, the final decision on whether a schedule change is necessary is made by the schedule change determination unit 53.

The schedule change determination unit 53 is composed of a CPU or various electronic circuits, etc., and when it receives a schedule change instruction request from the operation information processing unit 52, it references weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 (weather information reception unit WR) as necessary, determines its validity, and then determines whether a schedule change is necessary. If the schedule change determination unit 53 determines that a schedule change is necessary, it commands the schedule management system 54 to create a new schedule based on the travel route selected by the operation information processing unit 52. The schedule change determination unit 53 notifies the operation information processing unit 52 of the result of its determination as to whether a schedule change is necessary.

The timetable management system 54 is composed of a CPU or various electronic circuits, and upon receiving a timetable creation command from the timetable change determination unit 53, the timetable generation unit 54a creates a new timetable in accordance with the creation command. The new timetable (new timetable information) created by the timetable management system 54 is provided to the timetable change determination unit 53, which then notifies the operation information management unit 51 of timetable change information based on the provided new timetable (timetable change information).

When the operation information management unit 51 receives route change information from the operation information processing unit 52 or schedule change information from the schedule change determination unit 53, it performs various processes to manage operations based on this new information, and sends new schedule information and driving route information corresponding to this information to the route bus BU, which is the target vehicle VE, via the vehicle communication unit 70.

In the above cases, the various new information may be stored, for example, in the operation information storage unit DSs. In other words, when new schedule information is registered (acquired) in the operation information storage unit DSs, the current schedule data is overwritten. Furthermore, operation management in the operation information management unit 51 is also performed based on this information.

Furthermore, for example, after the operation is completed, the operation according to the new route and timetable will be further accumulated as past performance data in the operation performance data storage unit DSa (added to past performance data) (operation performance data storage).

As described above, the vehicle communication unit 70 is an interface unit for communicating with the target vehicle VE, and transmits information about schedule information and driving routes managed by the traffic management system 100 to the target vehicle VE in accordance with instructions from the control unit 50. In particular, in this embodiment, as described above, information about changes to driving routes and schedules due to changes in weather is transmitted.

In the above, if we look at the various parts that make up the control unit 50 from a different perspective, the operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53 can also be seen as functioning as a determination unit JG in the operation management system 100 that determines whether or not a change is required in the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10 (weather information receiving unit WR) and the operation history stored in the operation history storage unit DSa. In the above embodiment, the determination unit JG determines whether or not a change is required in the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the current location information of the target vehicle VE received together with the weather information from the operation information management unit 51, which is the operation management unit.

Furthermore, the operation information processing unit 52, timetable change determination unit 53, operation record storage unit DSa, operation information storage unit DSs, and even the timetable management system 54, or portions thereof, can be considered to function in cooperation as an operation change unit OC that changes the operation of the target vehicle VE in accordance with the determination made by the determination unit JG. In this case, the operation management system 100 also has a vehicle communication unit 70 as a communication unit that transmits the operation changed by the operation change unit OC to the target vehicle VE.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the timetable generation unit 54a of the timetable management system 54 generates a new timetable when the determination unit JG determines that a change in the timetable or the travel route is required.

On the other hand, as described above, the target vehicle VE (route bus BU) is an autonomously driven vehicle capable of autonomous driving, and is equipped with an autonomous driving control unit CUv, a communication unit TTv for acquiring information from outside, and a data storage unit DDv for storing various data. In this case, in particular, the target vehicle (autonomous vehicle) VE is capable of detecting its own position so that it can operate as a route bus BU, and transmits information about its own position to the traffic management system 100 via the communication unit TTv. Furthermore, as described above, the target vehicle VE receives information about changes to its travel route and schedule from the traffic management system 100 via the communication unit TTv, and stores this information, i.e., schedule data and travel route data, in the data storage unit DDv. In other words, the autonomous driving control unit CUv receives new information via the communication unit TTv and performs various operational controls for the autonomous driving of the target vehicle (autonomous vehicle) VE by referring to the schedule data and travel route data stored in the data storage unit DDv. That is, the accelerator, brakes, and other components (not shown) are operated while detecting the surrounding conditions using various sensors. In this way, autonomous driving along a route is achieved for the target vehicle VE. In this case, if communication becomes unavailable after the fact due to a disaster or other reason, the target vehicle VE may continue autonomous driving based on the timetable data and driving route data that it has received and stored up to that point.

Below, we will explain an example of how to determine whether or not to change operation based on past operation records and current weather information, etc., with reference to the conceptual diagram shown in Figure 3.

First, we will explain information related to past operation records (past information). Here, as shown in the figure, we will explain the case where the performance data AD indicating past operation records stored in the operation record storage unit DSa is created based on information composed of three layers. First, as shown in the figure, we will assume that past weather information (past weather information) is used as the first layer (layer 1), past traffic regulation information (past regulation information) is used as the second layer (layer 2), and feature information is used as the third layer (layer 3).

Based on this past information, a large amount of performance data AD can be created, as shown in the figure. That is, for each area (areas α, β, etc.) that occupies part of the target jurisdiction's traffic area TA, a large amount of information is stored, including weather at past dates and times (e.g., rainfall, wind speed, etc.), various conditions that occurred along the route (e.g., flooding, landslides, etc.), traffic restrictions that were put in place at the time, what detours were taken, and information about features at the time (whether it was a mountainous area, an urban area, etc.). Note that the feature information may include information about the situation at the time it was recorded (past time), as well as what the same location is like today (for example, a rural area has become an urban area).

Regarding feature information, even if the amount of rainfall is the same, the damage that occurs may differ depending on whether the location is a mountainous area, an urban area, or a rural area. Furthermore, if an area that was previously near a river or the sea has since undergone bank protection construction or other work to improve safety, the operation information processing unit 52 will change its criteria for determining whether or not to make a detour. By taking such feature information into account, the operation information processing unit 52 and other units can make more accurate decisions.

As described above, the operation record storage unit DSa stores operation records along with past weather information (past weather information) and geographical information (land feature information), and the operation information processing unit 52, which serves as the judgment unit JG, compares the weather information from the weather center MC received by the weather information receiving unit 10 with the operation records for each location to determine whether there is any impact on operation. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the operation record storage unit DSa includes, as operation records, the details of traffic restrictions implemented for each past weather information and land feature information (past restriction information), and the operation information processing unit 52, which serves as the judgment unit JG, can determine the appropriateness of the details of traffic restrictions (past restriction information) based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit 10.

Next, as shown in the figure and as described above, the current weather information handled here includes weather information and the current location information of the target vehicle VE. That is, the weather information used is real-time weather information for the traffic area TA under its jurisdiction (e.g., current weather information and weather forecast information for the near future). The current location information of the target vehicle VE transmitted from the target vehicle VE and acquired by the operation information management unit 51 is also used. In particular, an area AR1 that is expected to affect the travel of the target vehicle VE is estimated from the current location information of the target vehicle VE, and the weather information in the estimated area AR1 (area estimation information) is used for judgment. Note that the area estimation information is considered to be part of the operation information notified to the operation information processing unit 52 by the operation information management unit 51. The operation information is composed of something like the operation data OD illustrated in the figure, i.e., the route bus BU's schedule (or part of it).

The operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53 receive the various types of information described above and, based on this, determine whether or not a route change or schedule change should be made. For example, the various types of information described above are parameterized using a combination of numerical data, and the operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53 make the above determination based on various preset thresholds.

Furthermore, in addition to the various types of information mentioned above, if there is information regarding current traffic regulations in the traffic area TA under jurisdiction (current regulation information), this information can also be taken into consideration when making various decisions.

An example of the operational procedure for route changes using the above configuration is outlined below. First, when weather information is input from the weather information receiver 10, the control unit 50 determines whether the weather information exceeds a threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, the control unit 50 identifies the target area AR1 from the current location of the bus BU and uses the operation history storage unit DSa, which uses the weather information as a condition, to check past restrictions, detour routes, etc. If any exist, the control unit 50 adopts them as the route change details. On the other hand, if no matching information is found after checking past history, the control unit 50 checks current restriction information and extracts and selects route candidates while avoiding areas with traffic disruptions. Furthermore, even if there is no restriction information, if there is a risk of traffic disruption (for example, if past history is compared and it is determined that a restriction may be imposed), the control unit 50 may extract and select a route that avoids the risk. In conjunction with the above, processing is performed to determine whether a schedule change is necessary and the specific details of the schedule change. Furthermore, if a major change in route occurs, it is expected that a change in the schedule will be necessary, but if, for example, only a slight detour is made without changing the bus stop, it may be determined that a change in the schedule is not necessary.

An example of the overall operation of the traffic management system 100 will be explained below with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 4(A) and 4(B).

Figure 4 (A) is a flowchart showing an overview of the overall operation of the traffic management system 100 for generating a schedule. First, the traffic management system 100 acquires weather information, such as rainfall information and wind speed information, from the weather management system MS of the weather center MC in the weather information receiving unit 10 (step S101). Then, the control unit 50, for example the traffic information management unit 51, checks whether the rainfall and wind speed (wind volume) values included in the acquired rainfall and wind speed information are equal to or greater than predetermined reference values (step S102).

If the value is less than the reference value in step S102 (step S102: No), operation continues from step S101.

On the other hand, if, in step S102, (for example, one of the rainfall and wind speed) is equal to or greater than the reference value (step S102: Yes), the control unit 50 compares past information with current information in the operation information processing unit 52, and, if necessary, changes the route or timetable, or issues a notification to make the changes (step S103).

In response to the notification in step S103, the timetable change determination unit 53 and the timetable management system 54 perform various processes to generate a new timetable, or the operation information processing unit 52 sets a new driving route (step S104). Then, the control unit 50 performs various processes in the operation information management unit 51 to send information about the new timetable and driving route to the target vehicle VE (step S105).

Regarding the transmission and reception of weather information that triggers the above operation, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 4(B), first, weather information including rain information and wind speed information is transmitted from the weather management system MS of the weather center MC to the weather information receiving unit 10 of the operation management system 100 (step S201), and this information is then received by the weather information receiving unit 10 (step S202).

Next, an example of route determination in the traffic management system 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5. That is, an example of the detour route selection determination, including whether or not to use a detour route, in the traffic information processing unit 52 will be described. Note that in this example, we will assume that the situation is that of step S103, as shown in Figure 4(A).

In this case, the operation information processing unit 52 first acquires information about the area AR1 estimated to correspond to the current location of the target vehicle VE (step S301) in order to compare current information with past information, and then reads the corresponding historical data AD stored in the operation history storage unit DSa (step S302). Furthermore, the operation information processing unit 52 reads various data from the map data GD that affect area AR1 (step S303). In other words, it extracts various data that enable calculation of information about bus stops, various detour routes connecting them, and the degree of delay that will occur if a detour route is selected.

Next, the operation information processing unit 52 uses the various prepared data described above to check current (and possibly near-future) weather information to determine whether there are any significant weather-related delays or other impacts at stops or on routes (step S304).

If it is determined in step S304 that there is no impact (step S304: No), operation ends without any further processing.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S304 that an impact exists (step S304: Yes), that is, if it is determined that a detour is necessary to avoid a large delay, etc., the operation information processing unit 52 queries the operation information management unit 51 for various information such as the required travel time under the current driving conditions (step S305), and extracts candidate detour routes that can be selected for driving through area AR1. In other words, from the multiple prepared detour routes, one or more routes that correspond to the situation that has occurred are extracted as candidates to become new routes (alternative driving route candidates) (step S306).

Next, the operation information processing unit 52 checks whether any of the candidates extracted in step S306 can continue operation without excluding (skipping) any stops (step S307), and if such a candidate is found (step S307: Yes), it further checks whether there are multiple candidates (two or more) of such candidates (step S308).

If it is determined in step S308 that multiple candidates exist (step S308: Yes), the operation information processing unit 52 compares the multiple candidates and checks whether any of the candidates includes a route with a difference within a predetermined time (a delay within an acceptable range) (step S309).

In step S309, if a route exists that falls within the specified time difference (step S309: Yes), the route that satisfies the conditions (one or more candidates) and has the shortest time difference compared to the ideal case (no schedule disruption) is selected as the new detour route (step S310).

On the other hand, if there is no route within the predetermined time difference in step S309 (step S309: No), the operation information processing unit 52 acquires intersection information (stored as driving route data RD) on the multiple candidate detour routes (step S311), compares the number of intersections with traffic lights among the multiple detour routes, and selects the one with the smallest number as the new detour route (step S312).

Note that if it is determined in step S308 that there are not multiple candidates (step S308: No), that is, if there is only one candidate, that candidate is selected as a new detour route (step S313).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S307 that there is no detour route that allows the vehicle to continue traveling without omitting (skipping) any stops (step S307: No), a check is made to see if there is a detour route that allows the vehicle to travel to all stops except for the impassable stops (step S314), and if such a detour route exists (step S314: Yes), the detour route is selected as a new detour route (step S315).

If no detour route exists in step S314 (step S314: No), the operation information processing unit 52 searches the travel route data RD for a route other than the normal travel route RO or the detour travel route NR that the route bus BU can travel on (step S316), and treats this as a new detour route (step S317).

After selecting a detour route in step S310, step S312, step S313, step S315, or step S317, the operation information processing unit 52 requests the schedule change determination unit 53 to issue a schedule change instruction (step S318), and notifies the operation information management unit 51 of the route change information (step S319), thereby completing the series of processes related to the selection of a detour route.

An example of timetable generation in the traffic management system 100 will be explained below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6.

First, the timetable change determination unit 53 checks whether a timetable change instruction request (corresponding to step S318 in Figure 5) has been received from the operation information processing unit 52 (step S401), and if no timetable change instruction request has been received (step S401: No), the unit terminates operation without performing any further processing.

On the other hand, if a request for a schedule change instruction has been received in step S401 (step S401: Yes), the schedule change determination unit 53 queries the operation information management unit 51 for current schedule information, such as operation data OD (see Figure 3) (step S402), and, if necessary, checks current weather information, etc. (step S403) and determines whether a schedule change is necessary (step S404).

If it is determined in step S404 that a timetable change is not necessary (step S404: No), the timetable change determination unit 53 applies the current timetable (step S405) and checks for subsequent delays (step S406).

If it is determined in step S406 that no delay has occurred (step S406: No), operation terminates without any further processing. It should be noted that such a case may occur, for example, when the detour route selected by the operation information processing unit 52 hardly increases the delay, and the operation data OD is originally configured to allow for ample time (e.g., some delay is already taken into account).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S406 that a delay has occurred (step S406: Yes), the schedule change determination unit 53 repeats the operations from step S402. In this case, it is also possible to change the determination criteria in step S404.

If it is determined in step S404 that a schedule change is necessary (step S404: Yes), the schedule change determination unit 53 requests the schedule management system 54 to create (generate) a schedule for a new route along the detour route selected by the operation information processing unit 52 (step S407). In response to the request in step S407, the schedule generation unit 54a of the schedule management system 54 recalculates departure and arrival times, and a new schedule is automatically generated, for example (step S408). At this time, adjustments are made, to the extent possible, such as adjustments to the travel times between stops and adjustments between multiple running vehicles.

In step S408, the recalculated new timetable information is provided to the timetable change determination unit 53. After the timetable change determination unit 53 confirms the consistency of the new timetable (step S409), the new timetable information (timetable change information) is output to the operation information management unit 51 (step S410), and the timetable change determination unit 53 completes the series of processes related to timetable generation.

As a result of the processing described above with reference to Figures 5 and 6, when the operation information management unit 51 receives route change information from the operation information processing unit 52 or schedule change information from the schedule change determination unit 53, the operation information management unit 51 links these together and transmits (notifies) them to the route bus BU that it manages.

An example configuration of the traffic management system 100 will be outlined below with reference to the conceptual diagram shown in Figure 7. As shown in the figure and as previously described, the traffic management system 100 according to this embodiment includes a weather information reception unit WR (weather information receiving unit 10) that receives weather information, a traffic record storage unit DSa that stores past traffic records, a determination unit JG that determines whether or not changes are necessary in the operation of the target vehicle VE based on the weather information received by the weather information reception unit WR and the traffic records stored in the traffic record storage unit DSa, and a traffic change unit OC that changes the operation of the target vehicle VE in accordance with the determination made by the determination unit JG. In particular, the determination unit JG determines whether or not changes are necessary in the operation of the target vehicle VE, such as changes to the timetable and route. As a result, the traffic management system 100 can quickly and accurately determine whether or not changes are necessary and how changes should be made to the operation of vehicles targeting the target vehicle VE, for example, based on weather information and traffic records. It can also cause the target vehicle VE, which is the subject of management, to reflexively drive in accordance with operational changes appropriate to the situation.

Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the management mode of a modified operation control system 100. In the example above, the acquisition range for regional weather information was set to a range that included at least the local traffic area TA. However, in the example shown in Figure 8, for example, management is performed collectively for multiple traffic areas TA1, TA2, TA3, etc. corresponding to multiple different routes. In such a case, for example, weather information may be acquired in a range RR that includes all of these traffic areas TA1, TA2, TA3, etc., and operation management may be performed for target vehicles VE traveling in each traffic area TA1, etc. while acquiring weather information for the required range for each route, i.e., for each traffic area TA1, etc.

〔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, when referring to past operation records, the past information is assumed to be composed of three layers, but this is not limited to this, and past data can take various forms.

In addition, while the operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53 are described above as constituting the determination unit JG, various other configurations are possible. For example, a single CPU could perform the functions of both the operation information processing unit 52 and the schedule change determination unit 53. It is also possible to configure the part that functions as the determination unit JG and the part that functions as the operation change unit OC as separate, independent units.

In addition, various thresholds and other factors can be used for making judgments. For example, each value can be weighted, and judgment criteria can be created using a complex combination.

The selection of a detour route is not limited to the above example, and various other options are possible. For example, in the above example, when there are multiple options, the selection criteria were based on time, distance, or the number of traffic lights. However, other criteria may also be used. For example, if the likelihood of a route being flooded is known, this could be used to determine a preferred detour route. Another example of a detour route may involve earthquake information, such as the occurrence of cracks in the ground, creating uneven roads that make them impassable. In such a case, data indicating the extent of road damage (cracks) by officials or other investigators conducting earthquake-related investigations is input as input information from the meteorological center MC. The analysis results can then be stored in the operation information storage unit DSs of the operation management system 100.

Furthermore, operation management may take into account earthquake and tsunami information in addition to meteorological information. For example, if the seismic intensity of an earthquake is below a predetermined threshold, the bus will slow down, but if it is above the threshold, the bus may stop at a nearby bus stop, change its destination (route) to an evacuation shelter, or suspend operation, depending on the seismic intensity, location, and other conditions.

In addition, by using past information accumulated in the performance data AD, it is also possible to start detouring in advance, for example, even if the current rainfall amount is below a standard value that requires detouring, in anticipation of the possibility that the standard value may be exceeded in the future.

10...Weather Information Receiving Unit, 50...Control Unit, 51...Operation Information Management Unit, 52...Operation Information Processing Unit, 53...Schedule Change Determination Unit, 54...Schedule Management System, 54a...Schedule Generation Unit, 70...Vehicle Communication Unit, 100...Operation Management System, AD...Actual Data, AR1...Area, BS...Stop, BU...Route Bus, CUv...Autonomous Driving Control Unit, DD1, DD2...Data, DDv...Data Storage Unit, DSa...Operation History Storage Unit, DSs...Operation Information Storage Unit, GD...Map Data, JG...Determination Unit, MC...Weather Center, MS...Weather Management System, NR...Detour Route, OC...Operation Change Unit, OD...Operation Data, RD...Route Data, RO...Normal Route, RR...Range, TA...Traffic Area, TA1, TA2, TA3...Traffic Area, TTv...Communication Unit, VE...Target Vehicle (Autonomous Driving Vehicle), WR...Weather Information Receiving Unit

Claims (9)

a weather information receiving unit that receives weather information ;
an operation record storage unit that stores past operation records together with past weather information and geographical information ;
a determination unit that determines whether or not a change is required for the operation of a target vehicle based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit and the operation record stored in the operation record storage unit;
An operation management system comprising: an operation change unit that changes the operation of the target vehicle depending on the determination made by the determination unit. The traffic management system of claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not a change in schedule and route is required for the operation of the target vehicle. The traffic management system of claim 2, further comprising a timetable generation unit that generates a new timetable when the determination unit determines that a change in timetable or route is required. The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination unit compares the weather information received from the meteorological center by the weather information receiving unit with the operation record for each location to determine whether or not there is an impact on operation. The operation record storage unit includes, as the operation record, details of traffic regulations implemented for each of the weather information and geographical information,
The traffic management system according to claim 4 , wherein the determining unit determines whether the content of the traffic regulation is appropriate or not, based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit. The target vehicle is a public transportation facility operated by autonomous driving,
The operation management system according to claim 1 , wherein the operation record storage unit stores the operation record corresponding to a travel area of the target vehicle. a map data storage unit having map data including a normal driving route and a detour driving route of the target vehicle;
The traffic management system according to claim 1 , wherein the traffic change unit selects one detour route from the map data storage unit in accordance with the determination made by the determination unit. an operation management unit that manages operation based on the weather information received by the weather information receiving unit and current location information of the target vehicle;
The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not a change is necessary in the operation of the target vehicle based on current location information of the target vehicle received from the operation management unit together with the weather information. The traffic management system of any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a communication unit that transmits the operation changed by the operation change unit to the target vehicle.