JP7841876B2 - Exit guidance system and exit guidance method - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an exit guidance system and an exit guidance method.

Conventionally, technologies have been known that use sensors to detect the position of other vehicles in order to more reliably avoid collisions with one's own vehicle.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a collision detection device equipped with an in-vehicle millimeter-wave radar that detects other vehicles within the radar's detection range, determines the likelihood of a collision with the detected vehicle, and notifies the driver of a predetermined warning or the like based on the determination result.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-146482

Incidentally, for a vehicle to safely exit a designated area facing the roadway onto the roadway, it is necessary to confirm that no other vehicles are approaching from upstream on the roadway towards the exiting vehicle.

However, the above-described collision detection system cannot detect vehicles traveling outside the detection range of the on-board radar. Therefore, it cannot detect the presence of vehicles approaching from a distant location outside the detection range. In other words, the above-described collision detection system cannot confirm that no other vehicles are approaching from upstream when a vehicle exits a predetermined area facing the roadway onto that roadway. Therefore, it cannot safely allow the vehicle to exit.

This invention was made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a technology that allows a vehicle to safely exit onto a roadway from a predetermined area facing the roadway.

The exit guidance system according to the present invention is an exit guidance system for guiding a vehicle to exit from an exit of a predetermined area to an adjacent roadway, and comprises: a detection means arranged upstream of the exit for detecting a moving object moving downstream on the roadway; a controller for determining whether or not the vehicle is allowed to exit onto the roadway; and a notification means for notifying the vehicle driver whether or not the vehicle is allowed to exit onto the roadway. The controller calculates the speed of the moving object detected by the detection means, predicts the time required for the moving object to reach the exit, calculates an exit-permitted time period for which the vehicle is allowed to exit onto the roadway based on the time required, and uses the notification means to notify the driver that the vehicle is allowed to exit during the exit-permitted time period.

According to the present invention, it is possible to detect a moving object moving toward the exit from the upstream side of the exit of a predetermined area and predict the time required for the moving object to reach the exit, thereby enabling the safe exit of a vehicle from a predetermined area facing the roadway.

Figure 1 illustrates an example configuration when an exit guidance system according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a highway.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of the configuration of an exit guidance system according to one embodiment.

Figure 3 shows an example of guidance information displayed on a notification means according to one embodiment.

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the exit guidance process according to one embodiment.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the guidance information determination process according to one embodiment.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the display control process according to one embodiment.

Figure 7 illustrates the relationship between the passage of time and the content of the notification information during operation of an exit guidance system according to one embodiment.

[Embodiment]
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an exit guidance system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows an example in which the exit guidance system 10 is applied to a work area 101 provided on a highway 100. Figure 1 shows a part of the highway 100, consisting of two lanes on one side, lane 110 and lane 120, where vehicles travel in the same direction. As indicated by the thick dotted arrows in Figure 1, the direction of vehicle travel in lanes 110 and 120 is defined as moving from the bottom (upstream) side of the figure to the top (downstream) side of the figure.

The work area 101 (see hatched area) is an area on the highway 100 demarcated by a plurality of road cones 111, and may be, for example, a construction site where road surface repair work is carried out. One or more vehicles 11 may be present in such a work area 101. When a vehicle 11 in the work area 101 exits the work area 101, it exits from the exit 102 of the work area 101 into the lane 120 and travels downstream of the lane 120 to avoid collision with vehicles 12 traveling from the upstream side of the lane 120. The exit guidance system 10 is a system for safely guiding a vehicle 11 from the exit 102 of a predetermined area (work area 101 in this example) to the roadway adjacent to the exit 102 (lane 120 in this example). The details of the exit guidance system 10 of this embodiment will be described below. There are no restrictions on the types of vehicles 11 and 12; they may include various work vehicles such as trucks, dump trucks, and crane trucks, as well as passenger cars, motorcycles, etc.

Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the exit guidance system 10 according to this embodiment. The exit guidance system 10 comprises a radar 1, a controller 2, and a display device 3.

Radar 1 is configured as a detection means for detecting a moving object within its irradiation range. In this embodiment, Radar 1 may be, for example, a Doppler radar or a Doppler sensor. Radar 1 is a radar capable of detecting a moving object by observing the frequency displacement due to the so-called Doppler effect. By detecting the frequency displacement caused by the moving object within its irradiation range, Radar 1 enables the controller 2 (described later) to calculate the direction and speed of the moving object. Radar 1 in this embodiment is configured to emit (irradiate) microwaves (radio waves with frequencies of 3 GHz to 30 GHz and wavelengths of 1 to 10 cm) or millimeter waves (radio waves with frequencies of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and wavelengths of 1 to 10 mm), and to receive reflected waves originating from the emitted microwaves or millimeter waves, thereby detecting the frequency displacement within the irradiation range (moving object detection range) as moving object information.

Furthermore, the radar 1 in this embodiment is installed so as to include within its illumination range the road upstream (lower side in Figure 1) from the exit 102 of the work area 101, and at least the lane 120 adjacent to the exit 102 of the work area 101. Details of the installation location of the radar 1 will be described later with reference to Figure 7. Here, the illumination range can be defined as the range that the microwaves or millimeter waves emitted by the radar 1 can reach.

However, radar 1 does not necessarily have to be composed of the above-mentioned Doppler radar or the like. Radar 1 only needs to be capable of calculating the speed of a moving object based on the information it detects, and may be composed of other known sensors such as an image sensor like a stereo camera or multiple infrared sensors. When an image sensor is used, the speed of the moving object contained in the image can be calculated by analyzing the detected image. Furthermore, when multiple infrared sensors are used, the speed of the moving object can be calculated from the distance between at least two points of the moving object detected by the infrared sensors and the difference in detection time. The moving object information detected by radar 1 is transmitted to controller 2 via known wired or wireless communication means.

The controller 2 has functional units such as a setting unit 20, a moving object detection unit 21, a prediction unit 22, a guidance information determination unit 23, and a display control unit 24. The controller 2 is an information processing device configured by connecting, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) as a processor, read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM) as storage media, and an input/output interface (I/O interface) via a bus. The ROM of the controller 2 stores programs (control programs) for executing the respective functions of each of the aforementioned functional units. In other words, the controller 2 is configured to realize the functions of each functional unit, such as the guidance information determination unit 23, by executing various programs stored in the storage media. Note that the above-described configuration of the processor and storage media constituting the controller 2 is illustrative, and in addition to these, or instead, it may include a GPU, flash memory, hard disk, storage, etc. Furthermore, the functions of each of the above-described functional units do not necessarily have to be realized by the controller 2 alone, but may be configured to be realized by multiple controllers appropriately selected for each functional unit, either individually or in cooperation. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the specific form in which controller 2 is implemented; it may be implemented as a so-called computer or server. Also, controller 2 may be physically installed in a designated location directly or indirectly managed by the business operator managing the exit guidance system 10, or it may be virtually installed on the cloud.

The controller 2, configured in this way, calculates the speed of a moving object and the time required for the object to reach the exit 102 based on the moving object information detected by the radar 1, and also provides information to the driver of the vehicle 11 to guide its exit. Details of each function of the controller 2 are described below.

The setting unit 20 sets predetermined settings for the proper operation of the exit guidance system 10. These predetermined settings include, for example, the installation location of the radar 1 and the content of the information to be broadcast. These settings may be input by the user (operator, etc.) of the exit guidance system 10 via an input means (not shown). Details of the settings will be described later with reference to Figure 4.

The moving object detection unit 21 calculates the speed of the moving object based on the information (moving object information) detected by the radar 1.

The prediction unit 22 predicts the time required for the moving object detected by radar 1 to reach the exit 102. More specifically, the prediction unit 22 calculates the time required from the time radar 1 detects the moving object (e.g., vehicle 12) until it reaches the exit 102 (hereinafter referred to as the arrival time) based on the distance from the position of the moving object detected by radar 1 to the exit 102 and the speed of the moving object calculated by the moving object detection unit 21. Here, the arrival time may be defined as the time from the time radar 1 detects the moving object until the time when it is expected to reach the exit 102. The location (upstream end, downstream end, or an intermediate point, etc.) in the width direction (vertical direction in the diagram) of the exit 102 to be predicted may be set appropriately according to the site conditions.

The guidance information determination unit 23 determines the information (guidance information) to be notified to the driver of the vehicle 11. More specifically, the guidance information determination unit 23 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the determination unit 23) determines the content of the guidance information and the timing of its notification (notification time period) based on the prediction results from the prediction unit 22 and predetermined setting values from the setting unit 20. The guidance information determined by the determination unit 23 and its notification time period will be described later with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

The display control unit 24 controls the display on the display device 3 according to the guidance information and notification time period determined by the determination unit 23. The displayed guidance information will be described later with reference to Figure 3.

The display device 3 is configured as a notification means for informing the driver of the vehicle 11 of information necessary to guide them to exit the work area 101.

Figure 3 illustrates an example of the configuration of the display device 3 and an example of guidance information displayed on the display device 3. The display device 3 in this embodiment includes a display unit (LED panel unit) in which numerous LED elements are arranged in a matrix. The display control unit 3 controls the blinking and coloring of each LED element, thereby enabling the display of predetermined guidance information.

For example, the display device 3 may be configured to display whether the vehicle 11 is allowed to exit in text, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b). In this case, the display device 3 is configured to prompt the vehicle 11 to exit from exit 102 by displaying "Exit" as guidance information, and to prevent the vehicle 11 from exiting from exit 102 by displaying "Wait". In addition, the display device 3 may be configured to display not only whether the vehicle is allowed to exit, but also "Prepare", as shown in Figure 3(c), to suggest that the vehicle will soon be able to exit and to encourage preparation for exiting. Furthermore, the display device 3 may be configured to change its color pattern according to the content of the text information. For example, by displaying "Exit" in green, "Wait" in red, and "Prepare" in yellow, it becomes possible to inform the driver of the vehicle 11 of the guidance information in a more intuitive way. However, the configuration of the display device 3 and the content of the guidance information are examples and are not limited to the above-described embodiments. The configuration of the display device 3 and the content of the guidance information may be any form as long as it can inform the driver of the vehicle 11 of at least whether the vehicle is allowed to exit from exit 102. The display device 3 may be, for example, a tricolor light composed of red, yellow, and green, reminiscent of a traffic light. The timing of the display of guidance information by the display device 3 will be described later with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

The above is an example of the configuration of the exit guidance system 10 of this embodiment. Although omitted in Figures 1 and 2, the exit guidance system 10 may also include other components necessary for controlling its operation, such as a battery as a power source, and a communication unit for communication between the radar 1, controller 2, and display device 3, or between these and external devices (not shown). As the communication unit, for example, an information communication means configured with a NIC (Network Interface Card) may be used. Furthermore, the arrangement of the radar 1 and display device 3 shown in Figure 1, and the configuration of each functional unit shown in Figure 2, are not limited to the above configuration and may be added or modified as appropriate depending on the site conditions and work content where the exit guidance system 10 is introduced. For example, the moving object detection unit 21 does not necessarily have to be configured as a functional unit of the controller 2; it may be configured as a functional unit of a controller (not shown) attached to the radar 1, and information regarding the calculated speed of the moving object may be transmitted to the controller 2.

Next, the operation of the exit guidance system 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 7.

Figure 4 is a general flowchart of the operation of the exit guidance system 10. The storage medium of the controller 2 stores a control program that executes the processes (exit guidance processes) described below, referring to the illustrated flowchart.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the exit guidance system 10 is installed on the highway 100 before the processing from step S10 is executed. More specifically, when the processing from step S10 is executed, it is assumed that at least the display device 3 is installed near the exit 102, and the radar 1 is installed at a predetermined distance upstream from the exit 102. The predetermined distance here is adjusted on the premise that sufficient time is available for the exit guidance system 10 to safely and appropriately guide the vehicle 11 until the moving object detected by the radar 1 reaches the exit 102. That is, the predetermined distance here may be adjusted depending on the location to which the exit guidance system 10 is applied; for example, if the road to which it is applied is a highway, it may be longer than when applied to a general road.

In step S10, the controller 2 (setting unit 20) sets predetermined setting values in response to user input. These predetermined setting values may be, for example, one or more settings related to the installation position (installation distance) of the radar 1, the illumination range of the radar 1, the content of the guidance information, the timing of the guidance information display, and whether or not correction of various calculated values is necessary. The user's input operations to the setting unit 20 may be configured to be performed via a personal computer or smartphone. Each setting value is described below.

The installation distance of radar 1 is the distance from the installation position of radar 1 to the exit 102. The distance from the installation position of radar 1 to any point in the width direction of the exit 102 (e.g., the upstream end, the downstream end, or an intermediate point between them) can be appropriately selected. Furthermore, if the display device 3 is installed near the exit 102, the distance between the installation position of radar 1 and the display device 3 may also be set. In this embodiment, for example, it is set to 500m.

The illumination range of radar 1 is the range in which moving objects can be detected, and may be set, for example, by specifying the lane in which the moving object is to be detected. While Figures 1 and 7 show only one lane (lane 120) adjacent to the exit 102, this is not the only example. If the road adjacent to the exit 102, or the road on which the exit 102 is located, includes multiple lanes, the user can set one or more lanes among those multiple lanes to be used for detecting moving objects as the illumination range of radar 1. In this embodiment, for example, one lane (lane 120) is set as the illumination range of radar 1.

The content of the guidance information is what is displayed on the display device 3. For example, the display can be set to show two patterns, "Exit" and "Wait" (green and red), as shown in Figure 3, or three patterns, including "Prepare" (yellow). In this embodiment, the guidance information is set to display three patterns: "Exit," "Wait," and "Prepare."

The setting for the display timing of guidance information is determined by specifying the display timing according to the content of the guidance information. Details of the display timings that can be set here will be described later, referring to Figure 5.

The settings for correcting various calculated values are set in order to correct the calculated values such as arrival time calculated by the controller 2 according to the road characteristics and/or vehicle characteristics on which the detected moving object (vehicle 12) is traveling. Here, road characteristics refer to characteristics that may affect the speed of the vehicle 12, and are assumed to be, for example, the gradient of the roadway, the degree of curvature of the roadway, the width of the roadway, the unevenness of the road surface, and road surface conditions caused by rainfall or snowfall. For example, if lane 120 is a downhill slope from the upstream side toward exit 102, a correction value may be set so that the arrival time calculated by the prediction unit 22 becomes faster, taking into account the possibility that the vehicle 12 will accelerate more than when the speed was calculated (for example, -1 second). Vehicle characteristics refer to characteristics that may affect how quickly the vehicle 11 reaches a certain speed from a stationary state, in other words, how quickly the vehicle 11 can completely exit from exit 102, and are assumed to be the type and weight of the vehicle 11. For example, if vehicle 11 is a truck loaded with a large amount of soil and it is determined that a long time is required for it to completely exit, a correction value may be set to relatively shorten the time during which "Preparation" or "Waiting" is displayed, for instance.

Once the configuration process is complete, the process in step S11 is executed.

In step S11, the controller 2 (moving object detection unit 21) determines whether or not information about a moving object detected by the radar 1 has been acquired. If moving object information is acquired, the process in step S12 is executed to calculate the estimated arrival time, etc., based on that moving object information. If it is not determined that moving object information has been acquired, the determination process in step S11 is repeatedly executed until moving object information is acquired, i.e., until the radar 1 detects a moving object.

In step S12, the controller 2 (mobile object detection unit 21, prediction unit 22, guidance information determination unit 23) executes the guidance information determination process. Details of the guidance information determination process will be described later with reference to Figure 5. Once the guidance information determination process is complete, the process in the following step S13 is executed.

In step S13, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) executes the display control process. Details of the display control process will be described later with reference to Figure 6.

The above details the exit guidance process of this embodiment. However, the controller 2 does not necessarily need to execute all processes according to the above flow. For example, the setup process may be performed in advance before installing the exit guidance system 10 on the road 100.

The details of the guidance information determination process in step S12 will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the guidance information determination process performed by the exit guidance system 10. This guidance information determination process is executed when a moving object moving downstream is detected within the illumination range of radar 1. The storage medium in controller 2 contains a control program that executes the process described below, referring to the illustrated flowchart.

In step S121, the controller 2 (moving object detection unit 21) calculates the speed of the moving object detected by the radar 1. In this embodiment, the speed of the vehicle 12 is calculated based on the moving object information of the moving object (hereinafter referred to as vehicle 12) detected by the radar 1.

In step S122, the controller 2 (prediction unit 22) calculates the arrival time based on the vehicle's speed and the radar's installation distance. If the roadway 120 has a downward slope from the upstream side towards the exit 102, and a predetermined correction value has been input through the setting process, the arrival time is corrected according to the input correction value. Once the arrival time is calculated, steps S123 to S125 are executed to determine the timing of the guidance information display.

In step S123, the controller 2 (guidance information determination unit 23) calculates a time period (waiting period) during which vehicle 11 is not permitted to exit, based on the predicted arrival time. The waiting period is the time period during which there is a possibility of collision with vehicle 12 if the stationary vehicle 11 begins to exit from exit 102 onto the roadway 120. The waiting period is calculated as the time period during which the driver of vehicle 11 is notified that exit is prohibited.

In step S124, the controller 2 (guidance information determination unit 23) calculates the time period during which vehicle 11 is permitted to exit (exit time period) based on the predicted arrival time. The exit time period is the time period during which a stationary vehicle 11 can safely exit from exit 102 onto the roadway 120 without the risk of collision with other vehicles. The exit time period is calculated as the time period during which permission to exit is notified to the driver of vehicle 11.

In step S125, the controller 2 (guidance information determination unit 23) calculates the time period (exit preparation time) during which vehicle 11 will soon be permitted to exit, based on the predicted arrival time. The exit preparation time is the period immediately preceding the transition to the exit time. The exit preparation time is calculated as a period to prompt the driver of vehicle 11 to prepare for exit by informing them that the exit time will soon begin.

The above details the guidance information determination process in this embodiment. However, the guidance information determination process does not necessarily have to be executed in the order of the above-described flow. For example, the order of the processes from step S123 to step S125 (display timing determination process) may be changed as appropriate. Also, for example, if only the exit time slot is calculated, the other time slots will be periods when exit is prohibited in principle. In other words, since it is possible to inform the driver of vehicle 11 whether exit is permitted or not by calculating at least the exit time slot (or the time slot when exit is not permitted), it is not necessarily required that all the processes from step S123 to step S125 be executed. Once the guidance information determination process is completed, the display control process is executed.

The details of the display control process (step S13 in Figure 4) will be explained with reference to Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the display control processing performed by the exit guidance system 10. The display control processing described in this flowchart is, in principle, executed continuously while the exit guidance system 10 is operating. This allows the exit guidance system 10 to continuously provide real-time information to the driver of a vehicle 11 attempting to exit the work area 101 regarding whether or not it is permitted to exit through the exit 102. The storage medium in the controller 2 stores a control program that executes the processing described below, referring to the illustrated flowchart.

In step S131, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) determines whether the current time is a standby period. If it is a standby period, it executes the process in step S132 to notify the user that exit is not permitted via the display device 3. If it is not a standby period, it executes the process in step S133.

In step S132, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) displays the word "Standby" on the display device 3. Once the word "Standby" is displayed, the display control processing related to this flow ends. Since the display control processing is repeatedly executed while the exit guidance system 10 is operating, the word "Standby" will continue to be displayed on the display device 3 for the duration corresponding to the standby time period calculated by the guidance information determination unit 23 (i.e., while S131 is determined to be YES).

In step S133, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) determines whether the current time is the exit preparation period. If it is the exit preparation period, the process in step S134 is executed to notify via the display device 3 that the time period in which exit is possible will soon begin. If it is not the exit preparation period, the process in step S135 is executed.

In step S134, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) displays the word "Preparation" on the display device 3. Once the word "Preparation" is displayed, the display control processing related to this flow ends, and the process from step S131 is repeatedly executed while the exit guidance system 10 is operating.

In step S135, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) determines whether it is currently the exit time slot. If it is the exit time slot, it executes the process in step S136 to notify via the display device 3 that exit is possible. If it is not the exit time slot, the process in step S137 is executed.

In step S136, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) displays the word "Exit" on the display device 3. Once the word "Exit" is displayed, the display control processing related to this flow ends, and the process from step S131 is repeatedly executed while the exit guidance system 10 is operating.

In step S137, the controller 2 (display control unit 24) determines that the current execution of this flow does not fall within any of the time periods related to whether or not exit is permitted. Therefore, the display device 3 either displays no text (black display) or displays text such as "Error," and terminates the display control processing related to this flow. The display in step S137 is not particularly limited, provided that, for safety reasons, it displays at least a message that does not permit exit. For example, even if the current time period does not fall within any of the time periods related to whether or not exit is permitted, a message prohibiting exit, such as "Waiting" or "Preparing," may be displayed in step S137.

The above describes the details of the display control processing in this embodiment. However, the display control processing does not necessarily have to be executed in the flow described above. For example, the order of determination of various time periods in steps S131, S133, and S135 may be changed as appropriate. Also, assuming that the accuracy and safety of the guidance information displayed on the display device 3 are ensured, for example, the processes of steps S135 and S137 may be deleted, and if both steps S131 and S133 result in a NO determination, the process of step S136, which remains by process of elimination, may be executed to display the word "Exit".

Furthermore, if radar 1 detects multiple moving objects, the predicted time for each object is calculated individually, and guidance information and its display timing may also be calculated individually for each object. In this case, if even one of the multiple moving objects has a "waiting period," that "waiting period" always takes precedence, even if it is an exit period for the other objects. In other words, if radar 1 detects multiple moving objects, "exit" will only be displayed during the period when the exit periods calculated for all detected objects overlap.

The above describes the details of the exit guidance process performed by the exit guidance system of this embodiment. Below, with reference to Figure 7, the behavior of the exit guidance system 10 when applied to a highway 100 will be explained.

Figure 7 illustrates the relationship between the passage of time and the content of guidance information during the operation of the exit guidance system 10.

The distance information (0m, 100m, 300m, 500m) on the far right of the diagram indicates the installation distance (500m) of the radar 1, etc., when the starting point (0m) is the downstream end of the exit 102. The time information (t0-t3) to the left of this distance information indicates the elapsed time from the moment the radar 1 detects the vehicle 12 (t0) to the moment (t3) when the vehicle 12 is predicted to pass the downstream end of the exit 102. However, each distance and time is an example for illustrative purposes only, and its correspondence with the scale in the diagram is not considered. Note that the radar 1 is positioned 500m upstream from the downstream end of the exit 102, and the display device 3 and the controller 2 (not shown) are positioned near the exit 102.

At time t0, vehicle 12 is detected traveling downstream from a point 500m upstream of exit 102. At this time, controller 2 calculates the vehicle's speed and predicts the time required for vehicle 12 to reach exit 102 (arrival time). Note that this arrival time corresponds to the time from time t0 to time t3. For example, if the vehicle's speed is calculated to be 80 km/h, the arrival time can be calculated to be approximately 22.5 seconds.

The controller 2 then calculates, based on the predicted arrival time, the time period during which vehicle 11 is not permitted to exit (waiting period: time t1-t2), the time period during which vehicle 11 is encouraged to prepare to exit (exit preparation period: time t2-t3), and the time period during which vehicle 11 is permitted to exit (exit period: time t0-t1, and from time t3 onwards).

In this example, the approximately 9-second period between time t0 and t1 is calculated as the exit time zone. The controller 2 then displays the word "Exit" on the display device 3 for the 9-second period of the exit time zone (while the vehicle 12, traveling at 80 km/h, travels approximately 200 m). At this time, since the vehicle 12 is traveling at a point more than 300 m upstream of the exit 102, it will not reach the exit 102 for at least 13.5 seconds. Therefore, the vehicle 11 can safely exit from the work area 101 into lane 120 according to the guidance information on the display device 3. If the word "Exit" is already displayed when the vehicle 12 is detected, this display will be maintained until time t1.

After time t1 has passed and the standby period has begun, the controller 2 displays the word "Standby" on the display device 3, prohibiting vehicle 11 from leaving the work area 101. At this time, vehicle 12 is traveling downstream, 300m upstream from exit 102.

Then, after time t2 has passed and the departure preparation period has begun, the controller 2 notifies the driver of vehicle 11 that departure will soon be possible by displaying the word "Preparation" on the display device 3.

Then, after time t3 has passed and the exit time has returned, the controller 2 displays the word "Exit" on the display device 3, again permitting vehicle 11 to exit the work area 101. At this time, since vehicle 12 has passed the exit 102 and is traveling further downstream, vehicle 11 can safely exit the work area 101 into lane 120 without colliding with vehicle 12.

The above describes the relationship between the elapsed time and the content of the guidance information during the operation of the exit guidance system 10. This allows the vehicle 11 to safely exit from the exit (exit 102) of the designated area (work area 101) onto the adjacent roadway (lane 120).

The exit guidance system 10 may further include at least one of two radars, 1a and 1b, capable of detecting moving objects traveling on the roadway (see 1a and 1b in the figure). Radar 1a may be positioned at any location between the location where radar 1 is installed and the exit 102, as shown in the figure. By having radar 1a detect moving objects at this location in the same way as radar 1, the controller 2 can more accurately determine the presence and speed of moving objects using both radar 1 and radar 1a. With this configuration, the exit guidance system 10 can guide the vehicle 11 to exit more safely.

Furthermore, radar 1b may be installed at any location downstream of exit 102. By detecting a moving object at this location, controller 2 can more reliably determine whether the moving object detected by radar 1 has passed through exit 102. This configuration enables the exit guidance system 10 to guide the vehicle 11 out more safely.

The exit guidance system 10 of one embodiment is an exit guidance system that guides a vehicle exiting from an exit 102 of a predetermined area (work area 101) to an adjacent roadway (lane 120), and comprises: a detection means (radar 1) positioned upstream of the exit 102 for detecting a moving object (vehicle 12) moving downstream on the roadway (lane 120); a controller 2 for determining whether or not to exit to the roadway (lane 120); and a notification means (display device 3) for notifying the driver of the vehicle 11 whether or not to exit to the roadway (lane 120). The controller 2 then calculates the speed of the moving object (vehicle 12) detected by the detection means (radar 1), predicts the time required for the moving object (vehicle 12) to reach the exit 102, determines whether the vehicle 11 is allowed to exit onto the roadway (lane 120) based on the arrival time, and notifies the controller 2 of the decision via the notification means (display device 3).

Thus, the exit guidance system 10 can detect moving objects approaching the exit of a predetermined area using radar positioned upstream of the exit. Therefore, it can safely guide vehicles stopped within the predetermined area out of the exit onto the adjacent roadway.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the exit guidance system 10, the system calculates the permitted exit time period based on the arrival time, and uses a notification means (display device 3) to notify the driver that they can exit during the permitted exit time period. This allows the exit guidance system 10 to guide the driver to a safe exit.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the exit guidance system 10, a waiting period during which exit to the roadway (lane 120) is not permitted is calculated based on the arrival time, and a notification means (display device 3) is used to notify the driver that they cannot exit during the waiting period. As a result, the exit guidance system 10 can prohibit the driver from exiting through exit 102 if there is a possibility of collision with another vehicle.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the exit guidance system 10, an exit preparation time period is calculated based on the arrival time, during which exit to the roadway (lane 120) is soon permitted. A notification means (display device 3) is used to notify the driver that exit is soon possible during this preparation time period. This allows the exit guidance system 10 to prompt the driver to prepare for exit at the moment when exit is soon possible.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the exit guidance system 10, the predetermined area is a work area 101 demarcated on the expressway 100, and the roadway includes one or more lanes (lane 120, etc.) that constitute the expressway. Thus, the exit guidance system 10 can also be applied to construction sites and the like that carried out on expressways.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the exit guidance system 10, the predicted time is corrected according to the characteristics of the roadway (lane 120). This ensures the accuracy of the guidance information even when the speed of the moving object changes due to the characteristics of the roadway.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the exit guidance system 10, the notification means is an image display device 3, and the controller 2 is configured to notify the driver whether or not they can exit onto the roadway (lane 120) by displaying an image related to the possibility of exiting on the image display device 3. This allows the exit guidance system 10 to provide guidance information visually.

Furthermore, the present invention can also be conceptualized as a method. That is, one embodiment of the exit guidance method is an exit guidance method for guiding a vehicle 11 exiting from a predetermined area (work area 101) to an adjacent roadway (lane 120). This method involves detecting a moving object (vehicle 12) moving downstream along the roadway (lane 120) at a predetermined position upstream of the exit 102, calculating the speed of the moving object (vehicle 12), predicting the time required for the moving object (vehicle 12) to reach the exit 102, determining whether the vehicle 11 is permitted to exit onto the roadway (lane 120) based on the time, and informing the driver of the vehicle 11 whether or not they are permitted to exit onto the roadway (lane 120).

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments represent only a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments. The exit guidance system 10 may be modified as appropriate, as long as it achieves the technical effects described above.

For example, the designated area to which the exit guidance system 10 is applied is not limited to a work area 101 demarcated on the road. The exit guidance system 10 can be applied to a variety of locations, such as parking lots of commercial facilities facing a road, as long as the exit point for vehicles faces the road directly or indirectly via a sidewalk or similar.

Furthermore, the moving objects detected by radar 1 are not limited to the vehicle 12 described above. The detected moving objects may also be bicycles, people, etc. On the other hand, by setting a minimum speed limit for the moving objects detected by radar 1, moving objects below this limit (e.g., 5 km/h) may be excluded from the prediction of arrival time.

Furthermore, the mode of notification is not limited to the display device 3 described above. For example, a speaker that provides voice notifications or a level crossing that physically blocks exit may be used in addition to, or instead of, the display device 3.

Furthermore, in the setting process described above (Figure 4, step S10), it is not always necessary for the user to directly input each setting value when various settings are made. For example, the exit guidance system 10 may be further equipped with GPS, etc., and configured to automatically set correction values according to road characteristics based on road information obtainable from the GPS location information. Alternatively, the radar 1 may be further equipped with GPS, etc., and configured to automatically set the distance from the installation location of the radar 1 to the exit 102.

1...Radar 2...Controller 3...Display device (notification means)

Claims (7)

An exit guidance system that guides vehicles exiting from a designated area onto an adjacent roadway,
A detection means is positioned upstream of the aforementioned exit and detects a moving object moving downstream along the roadway,
A controller that determines whether or not to allow exit onto the aforementioned roadway,
A notification means for informing the driver of the vehicle whether or not it is permissible to exit onto the roadway,
Equipped with,
The aforementioned controller,
The detection means calculates the moving speed of the moving body detected by the detection means,
The time required for the moving body to reach the exit is predicted,
Based on the arrival time , calculate the time period during which the vehicle is permitted to exit onto the roadway.
The notification means is used to notify the driver that it is possible to exit during the exit-permitted time period.
Exit guidance system. The aforementioned controller,
Based on the aforementioned arrival time, calculate the waiting period during which exit onto the roadway is not permitted.
Using the notification means, the driver is notified that he cannot leave during the waiting period.
The exit guidance system according to claim 1 . The aforementioned controller,
Based on the aforementioned arrival time, calculate the exit preparation time when exit onto the roadway will be permitted shortly.
Using the notification means, the driver is notified during the departure preparation time that he will soon be able to depart.
The exit guidance system according to claim 1 or 2 . The aforementioned predetermined area is a work area demarcated on the highway,
The aforementioned roadway includes one or more lanes that constitute the expressway,
An exit guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The aforementioned controller,
The predicted time is corrected according to the characteristics of the roadway.
An exit guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The notification means is an image display device,
The aforementioned controller,
The driver is notified whether or not they are allowed to exit the roadway by displaying an image related to the possibility of exiting on the image display device.
An exit guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . An exit guidance method for guiding vehicles exiting a designated area onto an adjacent roadway,
At a predetermined position upstream of the aforementioned exit, a moving object moving downstream along the roadway is detected.
The moving speed of the aforementioned moving object is calculated,
The time required for the moving body to reach the exit is predicted,
Based on the arrival time , calculate the time period during which the vehicle is permitted to exit onto the roadway.
The notification means is used to notify the driver that it is possible to exit during the exit-permitted time period.
Exit guidance method.