WO2013069132A1 - Vehicle-side system and center-side system - Google Patents

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide a technology with which it is possible to increase probe information system reliability. A vehicle-side system (101) is mounted in a probe vehicle (151) and uploads traffic information to a center-side system (201). The vehicle-side system (101) comprises a location detector unit (116) which detects probe vehicle location information which is information relating to a location of a probe vehicle (151), a velocity detector unit (126) which detects probe vehicle velocity information which is information relating to the velocity of the probe vehicle (151), an auto-cruise setting unit (114) with which an auto-cruise function setting is carried out, and a vehicle-side transmitting unit (127). The vehicle-side transmitting unit (127) transmits the probe vehicle location information, the probe vehicle velocity information, and auto-cruise setting information which is information relating to the setting with the auto-cruise setting unit (114) to the center-side system (201).

Description

Vehicle side system and center side system

The present invention relates to a vehicle side system and a center side system in a probe information system.

A center side system that acquires (uploads) traffic conditions including traffic information based on the probe vehicle that acquires and uploads traffic information of the road on which it is currently traveling, and the traffic information uploaded by the probe vehicle ( For example, a probe information system including a traffic situation providing system) has been proposed. According to this technology, each vehicle that has received the traffic situation from the center side system can search for an appropriate route based on the traffic jam information, and as a result, can arrive at the destination in a shorter time. It becomes possible. Currently, only a part of vehicles such as cars and telematics service compatible vehicles, buses and taxis are applied as probe vehicles, but it is predicted that they will be applied to general vehicles in the future.

Now, in the probe information system as described above, when the information (probe data) acquired by the probe vehicle is inaccurate or inappropriate, the person who traveled on the searched route traveled on another route. From time to time, it may take time to reach the destination, and as a result, each vehicle may not be able to travel on an appropriate route.

Therefore, various techniques have been proposed to solve such problems. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for optimizing probe data without using probe data indicating abnormal operation such as abnormal stopping. Various techniques associated therewith have also been proposed. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for displaying a route searched based on statistical traffic information, predicted traffic information, and real-time traffic information. Further, in Patent Document 3, an auto cruise function that automatically sets the vehicle speed to a set speed is added to the probe vehicle, and when the probe vehicle is not running at the set speed, the running road is congested. A technique for determining that the user is doing is disclosed.

JP 2009-9298 A JP 2010-276396 A JP 2010-204726 A

However, according to the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, although it is possible to transmit to each vehicle whether or not the road is congested, it is possible to determine how fast the road can be traveled on the road determined to be congested. It is not sent to each vehicle from the center side system. Therefore, depending on the degree of traffic jam, when traveling on a road judged as traffic jam, the destination may be reached in a shorter time, and as a result, each vehicle may not be able to travel on an appropriate route.

Even if the speed of the probe vehicle is distributed to each vehicle, if the probe vehicle is traveling on a vacant road at a low speed due to a specific cause of the probe vehicle, the road is vacant. However, it is determined that the vehicle can only travel at the same low speed as the probe vehicle. Therefore, in this case, as described above, it may not be possible to travel on an appropriate route.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of improving the reliability of the probe information system.

A vehicle-side system according to the present invention is a vehicle-side system in a probe information system that is mounted on a probe vehicle and uploads traffic information to a center-side system, and includes probe vehicle position information that is information related to the position of the probe vehicle. A position detection unit for detecting, and a speed detection unit for detecting probe vehicle speed information, which is information related to the speed of the probe vehicle. The vehicle-side system includes an auto-cruise control unit that controls travel of the probe vehicle by an auto-cruise function, a setting unit that sets the auto-cruise function, and the probe vehicle detected by the position detection unit. A transmission unit that transmits position information, the probe vehicle speed information detected by the speed detection unit, and auto-cruise setting information that is information related to the setting in the setting unit to the center-side system.

The center side system according to the present invention is a center side system in a probe information system that receives traffic information uploaded from a vehicle side system mounted on a probe vehicle, and is related to the setting of the auto cruise function of the probe vehicle. A receiving unit that receives auto-cruise setting information, probe vehicle position information that is information related to the position of the probe vehicle, and probe vehicle speed information that is information related to the speed of the probe vehicle from the vehicle-side system. The center-side system estimates a traffic situation including a travelable speed of the vehicle based on the auto-cruise setting information, the probe vehicle position information, and the probe vehicle speed information received by the receiver. And a transmission unit that transmits the traffic situation estimated by the traffic situation estimation unit to the outside, or a browsing unit that allows the traffic situation to be browsed by external access.

According to the present invention, the traffic situation including the travelable speed is estimated based on the probe vehicle position information, the probe vehicle speed information, and the auto cruise setting information of the probe vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to improve the reliability of the estimated traveling speed, and hence the reliability of the probe information system.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a probe information system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing of the vehicle side system according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing processing of the center side system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the center side system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the center side system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the center side system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the center side system according to the first embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the probe information system which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation of the vehicle side system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation of the vehicle side system according to the second embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing processing of a vehicle side system according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a center side system according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the center side system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a vehicle side system according to a fifth embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the probe information system which concerns on Embodiment 6. FIG. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an operation of the center side system according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an operation of the center side system according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an operation of the center side system according to the sixth embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a related probe information system.

<Embodiment 1>
First, before describing the vehicle-side system and the center-side system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a probe information system related thereto (hereinafter referred to as “related probe information system”) will be described with reference to FIG. To do.

The related probe information system includes a vehicle side system 101 mounted on a probe vehicle 151 (probe vehicles 151a and 151b), and a center side system 201 (not shown in FIG. 19) such as a traffic condition providing system. . The vehicle-side system 101 uploads the traffic information of the traveling road of the probe vehicle 151 to the center-side system 201. The center-side system 201 receives the traffic information uploaded from the vehicle-side system 101, and the traffic situation based on the traffic information. To the outside (each vehicle).

In FIG. 19, the probe vehicle 151 is located between the current location S and the destination G. Between the current location S and the destination G, roads R1 to R4 intersecting at nodes n1 to n9 exist. is doing.

Of the roads R1 to R4, roads R1 and R2 indicated by thick lines in FIG. 19 are main roads to which VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) (registered trademark) information is distributed. It is assumed that each of the maximum speeds (hereinafter “limit speed”) is 60 km / h. By receiving the VICS information, the center-side system 201 can acquire the travelable speed and traffic jam information on main roads such as the roads R1 and R2. Note that the travelable speed means a maximum speed estimated to be able to travel under the current traffic condition of a general vehicle on the target road.

On the other hand, the roads R3 and R4 are non-major roads not subject to distribution of VICS information, and here, the speed limit is assumed to be 50 km / h. The center side system 201 cannot obtain the travelable speed of the roads R3 and R4 from the VICS information, but can obtain it by receiving traffic information uploaded from the vehicle side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151. Specifically, the center-side system 201 acquires the speed included in the traffic information transmitted by the vehicle-side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151a, and uses the speed as the travelable speed on the road R3. Similarly, the center side system 201 acquires the speed included in the traffic information transmitted by the vehicle side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151b, and sets the speed as the travelable speed on the road R4.

Here, in FIG. 19, it is assumed that distance (n1-n2-n3-n4-n5) = distance (n1-n2-n9-n4-n5) = 50 km. Note that the distance (n1-n2-n3-n4-n5) means the shortest distance in a route that passes through the nodes n1, n2, n3, n4, and n5, and the distance (n1-n2-n9-n4-n5) ) Means a distance along a route that sequentially passes through the nodes n1, n2, n9, n4, and n5. In the same manner, distance (n1-n2) = distance (n1-n6) = distance (n4-n5) = distance (Sn1) = distance (n5-G) = 10 km, and distance (n2-n9) -N4) = 30 km and the distance (n1-n6-n7-n8-n5) = 60 km. The travelable speed of the road Rn is described as Vcn (here, n = 1 to 4).

Based on the above, hereinafter, when a vehicle located near the current location (departure location) S receives a travelable speed Vcn from the center-side system 201, a general search for a route from the current location S to the destination G is performed. Will be described.

According to a general well-known route search logic, in the route search from the current location S to the destination G, the link cost (traffic cost) of each route from the current location S to the destination G is calculated, and the route with the lowest cost is calculated. Is presented as the first candidate (optimum route). Generally, the cost of a link is calculated by link cost = (link distance / passable speed) × α (coefficient). In this case, the cost A of the route A shown in FIG. 19 is (70 / Vc2) × α because it is the sum of the link costs of Sn1-n2-n3-n4-n5-G. Similarly, the cost B of the path B is (40 / Vc2 + 30 / Vc3) × α because it is the sum of the link costs of Sn1-n2-n9-n4-n5-G. Similarly, the cost C of the path C is (20 / Vc2 + 60 / Vc4) × α because it is the sum of the link costs of Sn1-n6-n7-n8-n5-G. In the following description, α = 1 is assumed to simplify the description.

Costs A to C are determined by the travelable speeds Vc2 to Vc4 given from the center system 201, as can be seen from the above formula. There are various combinations of the travelable speeds Vc2 to Vc4. In the following, three cases will be described.

First, the case where there is no traffic jam on any of the roads R1 to R4 (Case 1) will be described. In this case, the travelable speeds Vc2, Vc3, and Vc4 can be set to 60 km / h, 50 km / h, and 50 km / h, which are the same as the speed limits, respectively. ) = 35/30, (40/60 + 30/50) = 38/30, (20/60 + 60/50) = 46/30. That is, in this case, since cost A <cost B <cost C, route A with a plurality of triangle marks in FIG. 19 is selected as the optimum route.

Next, when the center side system 201 receives VICS information indicating that the travelable speed of the road R2 is 40 km / h due to the occurrence of traffic congestion, and there is no traffic congestion on the other roads R1, R3, R4 ( Case 2) will be described. In this case, the travelable speed Vc2 is changed so that the travelable speeds Vc2, Vc3, and Vc4 are 40 km / h, 50 km / h, and 50 km / h, respectively, and the above-described costs A, B, and C are (70 / 40) = 35/20, (40/40 + 30/50) = 32/20, (20/40 + 60/50) = 34/20. That is, in this case, since cost B <cost C <cost A, the route B with a plurality of square marks in FIG. 19 is selected as the optimum route.

Next, the center side system 201 receives the same VICS information as in the case 2, and receives a speed of 40 km / h from the vehicle side system 101 on the road R3, and receives 50 km / h from the vehicle side system 101 on the road R4. A case where the speed is received (case 3) will be described. In this case, the travelable speeds Vc2 to Vc4 are changed so that the travelable speeds Vc2, Vc3, and Vc4 are 40 km / h, 40 km / h, and 50 km / h, respectively, and the above-described costs A, B, and C are ( 70/40) = 35/20, (40/40 + 30/40) = 35/20, (20/40 + 60/50) = 34/20. That is, in this case, since cost C <cost A = cost B, the route C with a plurality of circles in FIG. 19 is selected as the optimum route.

Now, in the case 3 described above, the probe vehicle 151a was traveling at a speed (40 km / h) equal to or lower than the speed limit (50 km / h) of the road R3. Here, if the probe vehicle 151a can travel only at a speed slower than the speed limit due to traffic jams on the road R3, it is appropriate that the route C is selected as the optimum route. However, when the road R3 is vacant but the probe vehicle 151a is traveling at a speed slower than the speed limit on the vacant road due to its inherent cause, the vehicle behind the probe vehicle 151a is It is considered that the vehicle 151a can be overtaken.

That is, in this case, the vehicle behind the probe vehicle 151a can travel at a speed higher than the speed of the probe vehicle 151a (here, the speed limit), and therefore the road R3 is traveling at the speed limit. Similar to 2, route B should be selected as the optimal route. In spite of this, if the route C is selected as the optimum route, the vehicle user is caused to travel on an inappropriate route, and extra time and fuel are used. Further, since CO ₂ is increased, social loss is also accompanied from the viewpoint of ecology.

Therefore, according to the vehicle-side system 101 and the center-side system 201 according to the present embodiment, even when the probe vehicle 151 is traveling on an empty road at a low speed, the vehicle travels on an appropriate route. It is possible to increase the possibilities. Hereinafter, the vehicle side system 101 and the center side system 201 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a probe information system including a vehicle side system 101 and a center side system 201 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, components similar to those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 1, this probe information system is similar to the above-described related probe information system. The vehicle side system 101 uploads the traffic information of the probe vehicle 151 to the center side system 201, and the traffic from the vehicle side system 101 A center-side system 201 that receives information upload. Note that the upload here is performed via the communication network 200.

The vehicle-side system 101 includes an operation unit 111 that receives information operations from a user, a display / notification unit 112 that displays / notifies various information, an auto cruise control unit 113, an auto cruise setting unit 114, a travel system / Body system control unit 115, position detection unit 116, vehicle-mounted map DB (database) 117, communication interface unit 118, traffic condition input unit 119, probe information output unit 120, operation received by operation unit 111, etc. And a control unit 121 composed of a CPU or the like for comprehensively controlling each component based on the above. The control unit 121 is connected to the auto cruise control unit 113 and the travel system / body system control unit 115 via the in-vehicle LAN 122. With this connection, the control unit 121 outputs a control signal to the auto cruise control unit 113 and the travel system / body system control unit 115 via the in-vehicle LAN 122, and the control unit 121 performs auto-cruise through the in-vehicle LAN 122. Various information can be received from the control unit 113 and the traveling system / body system control unit 115.

Next, each component of the vehicle side system 101 will be described. The travel system / body system control unit 115 includes a travel system control unit and a body system control unit that are controlled by the control unit 121.

The traveling system control unit is composed of a group of devices that control traveling of the probe vehicle 151 in accordance with a driver's operation received at a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, or a handle (not shown). The apparatus or the like is controlled to control the speed of the probe vehicle 151, or the shaft orientation or the like is controlled to control the traveling direction of the probe vehicle 151. Further, the traveling system control unit acquires a vehicle speed pulse corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheel, and the control unit 121 detects the speed of the probe vehicle 151 based on the vehicle speed pulse. The body system control unit is composed of a device group that controls operations not directly related to traveling on the probe vehicle 151 in accordance with a control signal generated by a driver operating an operation input means (not shown). For example, it controls wiper driving, lighting information transmission, blinker lighting, door opening and closing, window opening and closing. As will be described later, the traveling system / body system control unit 115 is controlled not only by the control unit 121 but also by the auto cruise control unit 113.

In the present embodiment, the traveling system control unit and control unit 121 described above constitute the speed detection unit 126. The speed detection unit 126 configured as described above detects probe vehicle speed information that is information related to the speed of the probe vehicle 151. In the following description, the probe vehicle speed information is assumed to be the speed of the probe vehicle 151 unless otherwise specified.

The auto cruise control unit 113 controls the travel of the probe vehicle 151 by an auto cruise function (cruise control function). In the present embodiment, when the auto-cruise function is set to ON in the auto-cruise setting unit 114 and a predetermined speed is set, the auto-cruise control unit 113 sets the travel speed of the probe vehicle 151 to the setting. The engine speed of the traveling system / body system control unit 115, control of the brake system device, and the like are controlled so as to be equal to the set speed (predetermined speed).

As one of the types of auto-cruise functions, Advanance Auto has been added to the auto-cruise function that detects the preceding vehicle and automatically keeps the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle at a fixed distance. There is a so-called cruise function. In the following description, the auto-cruise function means an auto-cruise function to which no interval maintaining function is added unless otherwise specified.

In the auto cruise setting unit 114, the above-described auto cruise function is set. In the present embodiment, a setting bar (not shown) is provided in the vicinity of the handle as in a general direction indicator. When a predetermined operation is performed on the setting bar, the auto-cruise setting unit 114 sets the auto-cruise function to on. When a brake operation is performed on the operation unit 111, the auto-cruise setting unit 114 The auto cruise function is set to off. In addition, when a predetermined operation such as turning the grip of the setting bar is performed, the auto cruise setting unit 114 changes the set speed or sets the auto cruise function to off.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the auto-cruise setting information, which is information related to the setting in the auto-cruise setting unit 114, is an on / off setting of the auto-cruise function or a setting that the probe vehicle 151 should travel by the auto-cruise function. It includes the setting of speed (predetermined speed).

The position detection unit 116 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) device, a yaw rate sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like, and detects probe vehicle position information that is information related to the position of the probe vehicle 151. Here, it is assumed that the position detection unit 116 detects the own vehicle position information Pk = (xk, yk) as the probe vehicle position information of the probe vehicle 151 on absolute coordinates such as longitude and latitude.

The in-vehicle map DB 117 includes map data to which absolute coordinates and link numbers are added, and information on facilities that can be set as the destination (for example, information such as the unique name and general name of the facility and the coordinate position of the facility on the map) ) Is stored. The vehicle-side system 101 according to the present embodiment uses the information in the in-vehicle map DB 117 to search for a travel route to the destination or guide the vehicle user to the destination along the travel route. Navigation function.

The communication interface unit 118 communicates with the center system 201 and the like via the communication network 200. The traffic situation input unit 119 gives the information received by the communication interface unit 118 to the control unit 121. The probe information output unit 120 provides information in the probe vehicle 151 to the communication interface unit 118, and the communication interface unit 118 transmits information from the probe information output unit 120 to the center side system 201 or the like.

In the present embodiment, the communication interface unit 118 and the probe information output unit 120 described above constitute a vehicle-side transmission unit 127 that is a transmission unit. The vehicle-side transmission unit 127 configured as described above includes probe vehicle position information detected by the position detection unit 116, probe vehicle speed information detected by the speed detection unit 126, and auto-cruise at the auto-cruise setting unit 114. The setting information is transmitted to the center system 201 via the communication network 200. Note that probe vehicle position information, probe vehicle speed information, and auto cruise setting information transmitted by the vehicle-side system 101 may be collectively referred to as “vehicle transmission information” below. In the present embodiment, the vehicle transmission information matches the traffic information uploaded by the vehicle side system 101.

Next, the configuration of the center side system 201 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the center side system 201 includes a communication interface unit 211, a probe information input unit 212, a probe DB server 213, an infrastructure information input unit 214, an infrastructure DB server 215, and a traffic situation estimation unit 216. And a traffic situation DB server 217 and a traffic situation provision unit 218. In the present embodiment, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 controls the center system 201 in an integrated manner. Next, each component of the center side system 201 will be described.

The communication interface unit 211 communicates with the vehicle-side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151, other probe information systems, and the VICS center (none of which are shown) via the communication network 200. Here, the communication interface unit 211 receives the vehicle transmission information transmitted from the vehicle-side system 101 via the communication network 200. The vehicle transmission information may be vehicle transmission information received directly from the probe vehicle 151, or may be vehicle transmission information received indirectly via another probe information system.

The probe information input unit 212 gives the vehicle transmission information received by the communication interface unit 211 to the probe DB server 213.

The probe DB server 213 stores the vehicle transmission information from the probe information input unit 212 for each road and time using the road and time as parameters. In the following description, it goes without saying that the center system 201 includes a map database (not shown) so that various types of information can be stored for each road.

The infrastructure information input unit 214 provides the infrastructure DB server 215 with the VICS information and the infrastructure information received by the communication interface unit 211.

The VICS information is information from the VICS center, and includes, for example, travel speed on main roads and traffic jam information. The infrastructure information is information from the VICS center and other probe information systems, and includes, for example, information indicating the current date and weather for each road. In addition, the supply source of various information of infrastructure information may be changed as appropriate, and information indicating weather may be supplied (transmitted) from the vehicle.

The infrastructure DB server 215 stores the VICS information and the infrastructure information from the infrastructure information input unit 214 as, for example, the road and time as parameters, like the probe DB server 213.

In the present embodiment, the communication interface unit 211 and the probe information input unit 212 described above constitute a center side receiving unit 226 that is a receiving unit. The center-side receiving unit 226 configured as described above transmits vehicle transmission information, that is, auto-cruise setting information of the probe vehicle 151, probe vehicle position information of the probe vehicle 151, and probe vehicle speed information of the probe vehicle 151 to the probe vehicle. 151 from the vehicle-side system 101.

The traffic situation estimation unit 216 analyzes the vehicle transmission information stored in the probe DB server 213 and estimates the traffic situation including the above-described travelable speed. That is, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the traffic situation including the vehicle traveling speed on each road based on the auto cruise setting information, the probe vehicle position information, and the probe vehicle speed information received by the center side reception unit 226. . In the present embodiment, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 not only estimates the travelable speed, but also based on the auto cruise setting information, the probe vehicle position information, and the probe vehicle speed information received by the center side reception unit 226. The reliability of the travelable speed is estimated, and the reliability is included in the above traffic situation. The traffic situation estimation unit 216 also estimates traffic jam information based on vehicle transmission information, infrastructure information, and the like, and includes the traffic jam information in the traffic situation described above. The estimation of the travelable speed and the reliability in the traffic situation estimation unit 216 will be described in detail later.

The traffic situation DB server 217 stores the traffic situation (hereinafter also referred to as “distributed traffic situation”) including the travelable speed, reliability, traffic jam information, and the like obtained by the traffic situation estimation unit 216 for each road.

The traffic situation providing unit 218 gives the distribution traffic situation stored in the traffic situation DB server 217 to the communication interface unit 211, and the communication interface unit 211 gives the delivery traffic situation to the vehicle-side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151 and others. Send (outgoing) to outside such as probe information system.

In the present embodiment, the communication interface unit 211 and the traffic condition providing unit 218 described above constitute a center-side transmission unit 227 that is a transmission unit. The center side transmission unit 227 configured as described above transmits the distribution traffic situation estimated by the traffic situation estimation unit 216 to the outside such as the vehicle side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151. In the present embodiment, since the distribution traffic situation is stored in the traffic situation DB server 217 for each road, the center side transmission unit 227 can transmit the distribution traffic situation for each road. In addition, instead of the center side transmission unit 227, for example, an Internet browser may be provided that includes a browsing unit that allows browsing of the distribution traffic state by external access.

2 and 3 are flowcharts showing processing of the probe information system according to the present embodiment. In the following, first, the process of the vehicle side system 101 will be described with reference to FIG. 2, and then the process of the center side system 201 will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S <b> 1, the position detection unit 116 detects the probe vehicle position information (here, the own vehicle position information Pk) of the probe vehicle 151, and provides it to the control unit 121. In step S2, the speed detector 126 detects probe vehicle speed information of the probe vehicle 151 based on the vehicle speed pulse. In step S <b> 3, the auto-cruise setting unit 114 extracts auto-cruise setting information and gives it to the control unit 121. Through the above steps S1 to S3, the control unit 121 of the probe vehicle 151 acquires the above-described vehicle transmission information (probe vehicle position information, probe vehicle speed information, and vehicle transmission information).

In step S4, the vehicle side transmission unit 127 of the vehicle side system 101 transmits the vehicle transmission information acquired by the control unit 121 to the center side system 201.

In step S5, it is determined whether the process is completed. If it is determined that the process has been completed, the process illustrated in FIG. 2 is terminated. If not, the process returns to step S1. In the present embodiment, vehicle-side system 101 performs steps S1 to S5 at regular intervals until it is determined that the processing has been completed.

Next, the processing of the center side system 201 will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S11, the infrastructure information input unit 214 gives the VICS information received by the communication interface unit 211 to the infrastructure DB server 215, and the infrastructure DB server 215 stores (saves) the VICS information and the like. In step S12, the center side receiving unit 226 gives the vehicle transmission information from the vehicle side system 101 to the probe DB server 213, and the probe DB server 213 stores (saves) the vehicle transmission information.

In step S13, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 follows the regulation rules stored in advance in the center system 201, for example, based on the vehicle transmission information and the VICS information stored in steps S11 and S12, and the travelable speed and reliability. Estimate traffic conditions including degrees.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the regulation rule. In the regulation rule shown in FIG. 4, the acquired information indicating the type of information acquired by the traffic situation estimation unit 216, the travelable speed (estimated speed) and the reliability that the traffic situation estimation unit 216 should take as an estimation result are as follows. It is associated. Here, the reliability is represented by a single number from “1 to 5”, and the reliability increases as the number increases.

Next, a description will be given of a process in which the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed and the reliability according to the prescribed rules shown in FIG.

First, when the target road is a main road and VICS information is obtained for the road, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed of the road as the speed V1 indicated by the VICS information, and The reliability of the estimated traveling speed is estimated to be “5”.

If the target road is not a main road, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 obtains the travelable speed and reliability as follows based on the vehicle transmission information stored in step S12. In the following description, it is assumed that the auto cruise setting information included in the vehicle transmission information is an on / off setting of the auto cruise function.

When the auto-cruise setting information in the vehicle transmission information indicates the off setting, as shown in FIG. 5, it is highly likely that the probe vehicle 151 is affected by the preceding vehicle, and the vehicle behind the probe vehicle 151 However, it is considered that the speed can be increased only to the speed V2 of the probe vehicle 151. Therefore, in this case, the traffic condition estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed of the road on which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling as the speed V2 of the probe vehicle 151 indicated by the probe vehicle speed information of the vehicle transmission information.

However, when the speed V2 of the probe vehicle 151 is traveling exceeding the legal limit speed, the travelable speed should not be estimated as the speed V2 of the probe vehicle 151 from the viewpoint of legal compliance. Therefore, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 according to the present embodiment estimates the travelable speed here as the speed V2 of the probe vehicle 151 indicated by the probe vehicle speed information of the vehicle transmission information and the smaller limit speed. . Min (V2, speed limit) shown in FIG. 4 means this. The speed limit used for estimating the travelable speed is, for example, from a map database in which probe vehicle position information (road) and speed limit are associated in advance based on the probe vehicle position information in the vehicle transmission information. To be acquired.

In this case, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the reliability of the estimated traveling speed as “3”, for example.

On the other hand, when the auto-cruise setting information of the vehicle transmission information indicates the ON setting, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a high possibility that no preceding vehicle exists in front of the probe vehicle 151, and the rear of the probe vehicle 151 It is considered that the vehicle can travel at a speed V3 or higher of the probe vehicle 151. Therefore, in this case, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 sets the traveling speed of the road on which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling to the speed V3 or higher of the probe vehicle 151 indicated by the probe vehicle speed information of the vehicle transmission information, and , F (V3, speed limit) is estimated to be a value less than the speed limit.

Here, f (V3, speed limit) is a function of speed V3 and speed limit. This f (V3, speed limit) may be any function as long as it is equal to or higher than the speed V3 and takes a value equal to or lower than the speed limit. For example, f (V3, speed limit) = limit The speed may be set as f (V3, speed limit) = {(speed limit) + V3} / 2. In the following, in order to simplify the description, f (V3, speed limit) is described as speed limit.

In this case, the traffic condition estimation unit 216 estimates the reliability of the estimated travelable speed to “2”, for example.

In addition to the above processing, when the traffic state estimation unit 216 according to the present embodiment acquires the speed V4 from a probe vehicle that does not have an auto-cruise function, the traffic condition estimation unit 216 determines the road traveling speed associated with the probe vehicle. The lower one of the speed V4 and the speed limit is estimated. In this case, the traffic condition estimation unit 216 estimates the reliability of the estimated travelable speed to, for example, “3”. In addition, when no probe vehicle speed information is obtained for the target road (in the case of no probe information), the traffic situation estimation unit 216 sets the travelable speed of the road as the speed limit of the road. The reliability of the estimated travelable speed is estimated to be “1”, for example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the traffic situation estimation unit 216 in step S13. In this figure, the main roads R1 and R2 that are the targets of the VICS information and the non-main roads R3 and R4 that are not the targets of the VICS information described in FIG. 19 are shown. Similarly to the description of FIG. 19, the speed limit on the roads R1 and R2 is 60 km / h, and the speed limit on the roads R3 and R4 is 50 km / h. The probe vehicle 151a travels on the road R3, and the probe vehicle 151b travels on the road R4.

In the above, when the center-side system 201 receives VICS information indicating 40 km / h as the travelable speed of the road R2, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed Vc2 of the road R2 as 40 km / h. To do. Since the reliability of the travelable speed is “5”, the center-side system 201 determines the travelable speed Vc2 of the road R2 even when the travelable speed of a different speed is received from the probe vehicle 151. Estimated to be 40 km / h.

When the auto cruise function is set to OFF in the probe vehicle 151a, the center system 201 receives probe vehicle speed information (vehicle transmission information) indicating 40 km / h from the vehicle system 101 of the probe vehicle 151a. The traffic condition estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed Vc3 on the road R3 as the speed (40 km / h) of the probe vehicle 151a. On the other hand, when the auto-cruise function is set to ON in the probe vehicle 151a, the center side system 201 receives probe vehicle speed information (vehicle transmission information) indicating 40 km / h from the vehicle side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151a. In this case, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed Vc3 of the road R3 as a speed equal to or higher than the speed of the probe vehicle 151a (here, 50 km / h, which is the same as the speed limit).

In addition, since the operation | movement in the vehicle side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151b is the same as the operation | movement in the vehicle side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151a, concrete description is abbreviate | omitted. Here, as a result of the operation of the vehicle-side system 101 of the probe vehicle 151b, it is assumed that the travelable speed Vc4 of the road R4 on which the probe vehicle 151b is traveling is estimated to be 50 km / h.

According to the vehicle side system 101 and the center side system 201 as described above, when the road R3 is congested and the probe vehicle 151a is traveling at a low speed (40 km / h) with the auto-cruise function turned off. It is estimated that the travelable speed Vc3 on the road R3 is the same speed (40 km / h) as the probe vehicle 151a. Accordingly, in this case, the travelable speeds Vc2 to Vc4 are the same travelable speed as in the case 3 described with reference to FIG. Is selected as the optimum route.

On the other hand, when the probe vehicle 151a is traveling at a low speed (40 km / h) with the auto-cruise function turned on even though the road R3 is empty, the travelable speed Vc3 of the road R3 is determined by the probe It is estimated that the speed is equal to or higher than the speed of the vehicle 151a (here, 50 km / h, which is the same as the speed limit). Accordingly, in this case, the travelable speeds Vc2 to Vc4 are the same travelable speed as in the case 2 described in FIG. 19, and therefore, in each vehicle located near the current location S, the route B is the same as in the case 2. It will be selected as the optimum route.

As described above, according to the vehicle side system 101 and the center side system 201 according to the present embodiment, each vehicle can travel on an appropriate route based on the vehicle transmission information.

Returning to FIG. 3, in step S <b> 13 described above, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 stores (saves) the distribution traffic situation including the calculated travelable speed and reliability in the traffic situation DB server 217 for each road. .

In step S14, a vehicle or other probe information system for which the distribution traffic status is to be acquired from the center side system 201 accesses the center side system 201. When the center side system 201 receives the access, the center side transmission unit 227 transmits (transmits) the distribution traffic situation stored in the traffic situation DB server 217 to the outside. At this time, the center-side transmission unit 227 transmits (transmits) the ID information added to the distribution traffic situation so that only the access source can receive the distribution traffic situation desired by the access source.

In step S15, it is determined whether the process is completed. If it is determined that the process has been completed, the process illustrated in FIG. 3 is terminated. If not, the process returns to step S11. In the present embodiment, the center side system 201 performs the processes of steps S11 to S15 until it determines that the process has been completed.

According to the vehicle side system 101 and the center side system 201 according to the present embodiment as described above, the travelable speed (traffic situation) based on the probe vehicle position information, the probe vehicle speed information, and the auto cruise setting information of the probe vehicle 151. ). Therefore, even if the probe vehicle 151 is traveling on a vacant road at a low speed due to an inherent cause of the vehicle, the possibility that the probe vehicle 151 can travel on an appropriate route outside (each vehicle) is increased. Can do. Therefore, the reliability of the estimated traveling speed, and hence the reliability of the probe information system can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the center system 201 also estimates the reliability (traffic situation) of the travelable speed based on the setting of the auto-cruise function, the position and speed of the probe vehicle. Therefore, the travelable speed can be appropriately used outside (each vehicle).

In the above description, the probe vehicle speed information detected by the speed detector 126 is described as being the speed itself of the probe vehicle 151. However, the information is not limited to this and may be information regarding speed. For example, any information may be used as long as the speed of the probe vehicle 151 can be obtained by performing calculations such as time differentiation and time integration such as the position and acceleration of the probe vehicle 151.

In the description of the processing in step S13, it is assumed that the auto cruise setting information is an on / off setting of the auto cruise function. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a set speed (predetermined speed) at which the probe vehicle 151 should travel by the auto-cruise function. In this case, for example, when the speed of the probe vehicle 151 indicated by the probe vehicle speed information is equal to the set speed, the auto-cruise function is on, and when the speed indicated by the probe vehicle speed information is smaller than the set speed. If it is determined that the auto-cruise function is off, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

Further, the auto-cruise setting information is not limited to the above, and may include a release reason for specifying the reason why the auto-cruise function is released, for example, an operation with a brake and a setting bar. In this case, the travelable speed may be changed according to the reason for the cancellation. The auto cruise setting information may also include settings for semi-automatic braking and semi-automatic shifting.

In addition, when the above-described Advanance auto-cruise function is set to on, the speed of the probe vehicle 151 is suppressed to be lower than the set speed by a brake operation, an interval maintaining function of the Advanance auto-cruise function, or the like. Alternatively, the vehicle-side system 101 may transmit suppression information indicating that the speed is suppressed to the center-side system 201. When the center-side system 201 receives the suppression information, the center-side system 201 estimates the travelable speed of the road on which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling as the speed of the probe vehicle 151; The speed may be estimated to be equal to or higher than the speed of the probe vehicle 151. Even if it does in this way, the effect similar to the above-mentioned can be acquired. In this configuration, the vehicle-side system 101 does not transmit the suppression information to the center-side system 201 when the frequency of the brake operation is low, and transmits the suppression information to the center-side system 201 when the frequency of the brake operation is high. You may transmit. In addition, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 may estimate the travelable speed as the average speed of the probe vehicle 151 when the auto-cruise function is repeatedly turned on / off by a brake operation or the like.

In the above description, the center system 201 and the VICS center are separate centers, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the center side system 201 itself may be a VICS center.

In the above description, in step S14, the center-side system 201 specifies the distribution destination and transmits the distribution traffic status. However, the transmission of the distribution traffic status is not limited to this. For example, the center-side transmitting unit 227 transmits (transmits) the distribution traffic situation associated with each road by broadcast at regular intervals, and the vehicle-side system 101 determines and acquires necessary travelable information by itself. It may be a thing.

Also, statistical processing such as the average value and variance value of the travelable speed may be performed, and the transmission interval of the distribution traffic status may be changed based on the result of the statistical processing. In such a configuration, an effect of suppressing communication costs can be expected.

In the configuration described above, the center-side system 201 estimates based on the vehicle transmission information of the probe vehicle 151 when it is determined that the probe vehicle 151 is traveling outside the normal traveling range such as meandering operation. The reliability of the travelable speed may be lowered, or the vehicle transmission information itself may not be adopted. In addition, what is necessary is just to perform the detection whether it is out of the range of normal driving | running | working based on the transition of the position of the probe vehicle 151 etc. on a map, for example.

In the above description, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 may estimate the travelable speed as the speed (instantaneous value) indicated by the probe vehicle speed information of the vehicle transmission information received most recently by the center side reception unit 226. . Alternatively, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 may estimate the travelable speed (traffic situation) by performing, for example, statistical processing based on a plurality of probe vehicle speed information acquired within a certain period of time. In the case of the latter configuration, an effect of suppressing the influence of an abnormal instantaneous value can be expected.

In the above description, the position detection unit 116 detects the own vehicle position information Pk = (xk, yk) as the probe vehicle position information of the probe vehicle 151 on absolute coordinates such as longitude and latitude. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the position detection unit 116 may detect the link number of the road corresponding to the position of the probe vehicle 151 and use the link number instead of the own vehicle position information Pk. Good.

Also, RDS-TMC (Radio Data System-Traffic Message Channel) may be used instead of the VICS described above.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, the distribution traffic situation including the travelable speed is transmitted from the center side system 201. In Embodiment 2 of the present invention, a vehicle-side system 301 that receives and uses the distribution traffic situation will be described.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the block configuration of the vehicle side system 301 according to the present embodiment is the same as the block configuration of the vehicle side system 101 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, among the components of the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment, those similar to the components of the vehicle-side system 101 according to the first embodiment are changed using only the reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are used. Omitted.

However, in the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment, the auto-cruise function described in the first embodiment and the function of transmitting vehicle transmission information to the center-side system 201 are not essential. The vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a predetermined vehicle (hereinafter may be referred to as “vehicle 351”), and the vehicle 351 will be described as a non-probe vehicle. The center side system according to the present embodiment is the same as the center side system 201 according to the first embodiment.

In the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment, the communication interface unit 318 and the traffic condition input unit 319 constitute a vehicle-side receiving unit 326 that is a receiving unit. The vehicle-side receiving unit 326 configured as described above receives the above-described distribution traffic situation transmitted from the center-side system 201.

When the vehicle-side receiving unit 326 (traffic condition input unit 319) receives the distribution traffic condition, the control unit 321 causes the display / notification unit 312 to perform display / notification based on the distribution traffic condition.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display performed by the display / notification unit 312 under the control of the control unit 321 when the vehicle-side receiving unit 326 receives the distribution traffic situation.

As shown in FIG. 9, the display / notification unit 312 displays the position (current location) of the vehicle 351 indicated by the vehicle position information detected by the position detection unit 316 and the map indicated by the map information in the in-vehicle map DB 317. . The own vehicle position information is information equivalent to the probe vehicle position information. In general, the probe vehicles 151a and 151b are not displayed on the display / notification unit 312, but are indicated by imaginary lines (two-dot chain lines) in FIG. 9 for easy understanding of the explanation.

Now, also in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the travelable speeds Vc2 and Vc4 of the roads R2 and R4 are the same as those described in FIG. That is, it is assumed that the travelable speeds Vc2 and Vc4 of the roads R2 and R4 are 40 km / h and 50 km / h, respectively. Here, it is assumed that the probe vehicle 151a is traveling at a low speed (40 km / h) with the auto-cruise function turned on. In this case, the center side described in the first embodiment is used. By the operation of the system 201, the travelable speed Vc3 is estimated to be the same speed (50 km / h) as the speed limit.

Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the display / notification unit 312 is based on the travelable speeds Vc2 to Vc4 (here, the travelable speeds Vc2 to Vc4 included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side reception unit 326). (Character information such as 40 km / h, 50 km / h) is displayed in the vicinity of the roads R2 to R4. Therefore, according to the vehicle side system 301 according to the present embodiment, the user of the vehicle 351 can determine to some extent the route to be traveled by himself / herself.

In the present embodiment, display / notification unit 312 displays an arrow corresponding to the reliability in the vicinity of roads R2 to R4 based on the reliability included in the distribution traffic situation received by vehicle-side receiving unit 326. To do. Here, a solid arrow is displayed for a travelable speed with high reliability, and a dashed arrow is displayed for a travelable speed with low reliability. According to the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment, the user of the vehicle 351 can easily know the reliability of the travelable speed.

Returning to FIG. 8, in the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment, the in-vehicle map DB 317 and the control unit 321 constitute a route search unit 327. The route search unit 327 configured as described above has the above-described navigation function, and the route on which the vehicle 351 should travel based on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side reception unit 326. Explore.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display performed by the display / notification unit 312 when the route search unit 327 performs a route search. The route search unit 327 calculates the link cost using the travelable speeds Vc2, Vc3, Vc4 (= 40 km / h, 50 km / h, 50 km / h) received by the vehicle-side receiving unit 326. Here, it is assumed that the link cost to be calculated is the same as described in FIG. That is, the route search unit 327 calculates the cost A (70 / Vc2), the cost B (40 / Vc2 + 30 / Vc3), and the cost C (20 / Vc2 + 60 / Vc4).

In this case, the costs A, B, and C are (70 / Vc2) = 35/20, (40 / Vc2 + 30 / Vc3) = 32/20, and (20 / Vc2 + 60 / Vc4) = 34/20, respectively. That is, in this case, since cost B <cost C <cost A, the route search unit 327 selects the route B with a plurality of square marks as the optimum route. Although not shown in FIG. 10, the display / notification unit 312 displays the route B searched by the route search unit 327 so as to be distinguishable from the other routes A and C.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing when the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment performs such a route search. Hereinafter, the processing of the vehicle-side system 301 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In step S21, the position detection unit 316 detects the own vehicle position information of the vehicle 351. In step S22, the control unit 321 acquires map information from the in-vehicle map DB 317. In step S <b> 23, the display / notification unit 312 displays a map and a position based on the map information and the own vehicle position information of the vehicle 351 under the control of the control unit 321.

In step S24, the control unit 321 determines the travelable speed and reliability held in the vehicle-side system 301 based on the travelable speed and reliability included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side reception unit 326. Correct it. The display / notification unit 312 displays the corrected travelable speed and reliability.

When the operation unit 311 accepts an operation for setting the destination G from the user in step S25, the route search unit 327 causes the vehicle 351 to travel to the destination G based on the corrected travelable speed. Search for a route.

In step S26, the display / notification unit 312 displays the search result of the route search unit 327. In step S27, when the operation unit 311 receives an operation for selecting a route from the user, the display / notification unit 312 displays the user along the selected route by the display / notification. Guide to.

According to the present embodiment as described above, the route search unit 327 selects a route based on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation received from the center side system 201 received by the vehicle side reception unit 326. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, the possibility that the vehicle 351 can travel on an appropriate route can be increased. Further, according to the present embodiment, such a route is searched for by the route search unit 327, so that the burden on the user can be reduced.

In the above description, the vehicle-side system 301 searches for the route of the vehicle 351. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle-side system 301 transmits the destination G to the center-side system 201, and the center-side system 201 is based on the travelable speed, the current probe vehicle position information of the vehicle 351, and the destination G. Thus, a route search similar to that described above may be performed. In this case, since route search using the Internet or the like can be realized, it is expected to realize a user-friendly system. In this configuration, when the center side system 201 receives a route search command from the vehicle side system 301, the center side system 201 may transmit a route search result to the vehicle side system 301.

In the above description, the vehicle 351 on which the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment is mounted is described as being a non-probe vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Needless to say, the vehicle 351 on which the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment is mounted may be the probe vehicle 151 described in the first embodiment. That is, the vehicle side system 301 according to the present embodiment may have a configuration equivalent to that of the vehicle side system 101 according to the first embodiment. In this case, the effects described in the first embodiment and the effects described in the present embodiment can be realized.

In the above description, the probe vehicles 151a and 151b are not displayed on the display / notification unit 312, but the present invention is not limited to this, and of course, the probe vehicles 151a and 151b are displayed. There may be.

Although not shown in FIG. 9, the display / notification unit 312 may also display traffic jam information included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side receiving unit 326. In the above description, the display / notification unit 312 displays the travelable speed. However, the display / notification unit 312 may notify the travelable speed by voice or the like. Similarly, the display / notification unit 312 displays the reliability with solid and broken lines of arrows, but may display the reliability with voice or the like.

In the above description, the route search unit 327 searches for a route on which the vehicle 351 should travel based only on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side reception unit 326. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Not a thing. For example, the route search unit 327 searches for a route on which the vehicle 351 should travel by resetting the link cost used for the route search in consideration of the reliability included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side receiving unit 326. May be.

<Embodiment 3>
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the center-side system 201 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Hereinafter, in the description of the center-side system 201 according to the present embodiment, components similar to those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, the center side system 201 according to the present embodiment is obtained by adding a statistics DB (database) server 219 to the center side system 201 according to the first embodiment.

The statistics DB server 219 stores the travelable speed estimated by the traffic condition estimation unit 216. In the present embodiment, the statistical DB server 219 stores a plurality of past travelable speeds estimated by the traffic situation estimation unit 216 and is generated by performing statistical processing on the travelable speeds. Also stores statistical data Vm1, which is a past travelable speed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a regulation rule used by the traffic situation estimation unit 216 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the traffic condition estimation unit 216 uses the statistical data Vm1 stored in the statistical DB server 219 to indicate the travelable speed for roads for which vehicle transmission information has not been received by the center side reception unit 226. (Substantially the past traveling speed).

Here, the reliability of the statistical data Vm1 estimated as the statistical data Vm1 is considered to be higher than the reliability of the speed limit estimated as the speed limit. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 uses the reliability of the travelable speed estimated as the statistical data Vm1 as the reliability of the travelable speed estimated as the limit speed (“1” in FIG. 4). To a higher reliability ("2" in FIG. 13).

According to the center-side system 201 according to the present embodiment as described above, the travelable speed for a road for which vehicle transmission information (auto-cruise setting information, probe vehicle position information, and probe vehicle speed information) was not obtained, Estimated as past possible travel speed. Therefore, the possibility of searching for an appropriate route outside (each vehicle) can be increased.

When the statistical data Vm1 is generated for each item such as time zone, day of the week, and weather, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 selects the statistical data Vm1 of the corresponding item at the time of estimation, and transmits vehicle information. It is also possible to estimate the travelable speed of the road for which no is obtained as the selected statistical data Vm1. In this case, the possibility of searching for an appropriate route outside (each vehicle) can be further increased. Further, the statistical data Vm1 may be generated based on a past travelable speed for a certain distance or a certain time. In this case, the influence of an abnormal instantaneous value can be suppressed.

In addition, since the reliability of the main road that is the target of the VICS information is high, the statistics DB server 219 does not need to store the travelable speed for the main road. With this configuration, the utilization efficiency of the storage capacity in the center side system 201 can be increased.

<Embodiment 4>
In the above description, the reliability does not change the travelable speed, but in the present embodiment, the travelable speed is changed based on the reliability or the like. Specifically, the center side system 201 (traffic condition estimation unit 216) re-estimates the travelable speed based on the reliability or the like. Hereinafter, in the description of the center-side system 201 according to the present embodiment, components similar to those described in the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 re-estimates the travelable speed based on the current travelable speed and reliability and the past travelable speed stored in the statistics DB server 219. Note that the past travelable speed used for re-estimation may be the above-described statistical data Vm1, but here, for the sake of simplicity, the past travelable speed will be described as an example. In the present embodiment, the traffic condition estimation unit 216 uses the current travelable speed Vpr and g (Vpr, reliability, Vps), which is a function of the reliability and the past travelable speed Vps. Is re-estimated.

Here, g (Vpr, reliability, Vps) = {Vpr × reliability / maximum reliability + Vps × (maximum reliability−reliability) / maximum reliability}, and maximum reliability = 5. In this case, a process in which the traffic situation estimation unit 216 obtains the reestimated travelable speed Vref according to the regulation rule shown in FIG. 13 will be described.

For the VICS information, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the current travelable speed Vpr = V1 and the reliability = 5 based on the prescribed rule shown in FIG. Substituting these into g (Vpr, reliability, Vps) described above results in re-estimated travelable speed Vref = {V1 × 5/5 + Vps × (5-5) / 5} = V1.

For vehicle transmission information from the vehicle-side system 101 in which the auto-cruise function is set to ON, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 determines the current travelable speed Vpr = restricted speed based on the prescribed rule shown in FIG. The reliability is estimated as = 2. Substituting these into g (Vpr, reliability, Vps) described above, re-estimated travelable speed Vref = {limit speed × 2/5 + Vps × (5-2) / 5} = (limit speed × 2/5) + (Vps × 3/5).

According to the center side system 201 according to the present embodiment as described above, the travelable speed is calculated based on the current travelable speed and reliability and the past travelable speed stored in the statistics DB server 219. Re-estimate. Therefore, the travelable speed can be obtained in consideration of the reliability and the past travelable speed. In this embodiment, the center side system 201 re-estimates the travelable speed. However, the vehicle-side system 101 re-estimates the travelable speed, and the vehicle-side system 101 displays the result of the re-estimation. It may be used for route calculation. Alternatively, the vehicle-side system 101 may re-estimate the travelable speed, and the vehicle-side system 101 may display / notify the result of the re-estimation.

<Embodiment 5>
In the vehicle-side system 301 according to the second embodiment, display / notification is performed based on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side receiving unit 326. The vehicle-side system 301 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention has an auto-cruise function, and can display / notify in consideration of the set speed. Hereinafter, the vehicle side system 301 according to the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, in the description of the vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment, components similar to those described in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

However, in the vehicle side system 301 according to the present embodiment, the auto-cruise function that is not essential in the second embodiment is essential. That is, the auto cruise control unit 313 that controls the traveling of the vehicle 351 by the auto cruise function is essential.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a display performed by the display / notification unit 312 when the vehicle-side receiving unit 326 receives a distribution traffic situation from the center-side system 201.

Here, the vehicle 351 is traveling on a route A with a plurality of triangle marks searched by the route search unit 327 in a state where the auto-cruise function is on and the set speed is set to 40 km / h. To do. In addition, the travelable speeds included in the distribution traffic conditions for the sections Sn2, n2-n3, n3-n4, and n4-G are 50 km / h, 45 km / h, 35 km / h, and 45 km / h, respectively. It shall be.

In the present embodiment, the display / notification unit 312 includes a travelable speed (travelable speed estimated by the center-side system 201) included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side reception unit 326, and an auto-cruise control unit 313. Display / notification based on the set speed at which the vehicle 351 should travel by the auto cruise function.

For example, when the vehicle 351 can travel at the set speed of the auto-cruise function, that is, when the travelable speed is equal to or higher than the set speed, the arrow in the vicinity of the road is displayed in blue (in FIG. 14, sand hatching). On the other hand, when the vehicle 351 cannot travel at the set speed of the auto-cruise function, that is, when the travelable speed is lower than the set speed, the above-mentioned arrow in the vicinity of the road is displayed in red (in FIG. 14, it is painted black). . Thus, in FIG. 14, the colors of the arrows in the sections Sn2, n2-n3, n3-n4, and n4-G are blue, blue, red, and blue, respectively.

In the present embodiment, when vehicle 351 approaches node n3 that cannot travel at the set speed of the auto-cruise function (for example, 1 km before or 5 minutes before), display / notification unit 312 Notify you that you will not be able to drive at the auto cruise speed soon. At this time, a red arrow blinks.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 351 approaches the node n4 that can travel at the set speed of the auto-cruise function, the display / notification unit 312 informs that “it will soon be able to travel at the set speed of auto-cruise”. At this time, a blue arrow blinks.

According to such a vehicle-side system 301 according to the present embodiment, since display / notification is performed based on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation and the set speed of the auto-cruise function in the vehicle 351, The user of the vehicle 351 can know the range that can be traveled by the auto-cruise function. Therefore, the realization of a user-friendly system can be expected. It should be noted that the display method and the alarm setting in the display / notification in the display / notification unit 312 may be changed according to a predetermined operation from the user in the operation unit 311.

Further, the vehicle-side system 301 changes the set speed at which the vehicle 351 should travel by the auto-cruise function of the auto-cruise control unit 313 based on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation received by the vehicle-side receiver 326. May be. For example, when the travelable speed is equal to or higher than the set speed, the speed of the vehicle 351 is controlled to be equal to the set speed, and when the travelable speed is lower than the set speed, the speed of the vehicle 351 is set as the travelable speed. Control to be equal. In this case, for example, the speeds of the vehicle 351 in the section Sn2, the section n2-n3, the section n3-n4, and the section n4-G shown in FIG. 14 are 40 km / h, 40 km / h, and 35 km / h, respectively. , 40 km / h. However, when there is a speed limit, the minimum speed of the set speed that is automatically changed is set to be equal to or higher than the speed limit from the viewpoint of legal compliance.

According to the vehicle-side system 301 configured as described above, the setting speed of the auto-cruise function is automatically changed based on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation, thereby reducing the operation burden on the user of the vehicle 351. can do. Whether or not to automatically change the set speed may be determined according to a predetermined operation from the user at the operation unit 311.

In addition, here, the vehicle-side system 301 changes the setting speed of the auto-cruise function of the vehicle 351 based on the travelable speed included in the distribution traffic situation, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the center side system 201 may perform the same processing.

Specifically, the center-side receiving unit 226 of the center-side system 201 obtains another auto-cruise setting information and another probe vehicle position information equivalent to the above-described auto-cruise setting information and probe vehicle position information for another probe vehicle, Receive from the other probe vehicle. Then, the center side system 201 (for example, the traffic situation estimation unit 216) includes the travelable speed estimated by the traffic situation estimation unit 216, the different auto cruise setting information and the different probe vehicle position information received by the center side reception unit 226, and The other probe vehicle controls or displays information such as information indicating a section in which the other probe vehicle can travel at the set speed and control information for controlling the other probe vehicle. Predetermined information that can be used for Then, the center side transmission unit 227 of the center side system 201 transmits the generated predetermined information to the another probe vehicle.

According to such a configuration, as described above, it is possible to realize an easy-to-use system and to reduce a user's operation burden on the other probe vehicle. In addition, the transmission method of the predetermined information from the center side transmission unit 227 to the outside may be transmitted with ID information added or may be transmitted by broadcast, as described in the first embodiment. .

<Embodiment 6>
The vehicle-side system 101 that uploads traffic information to the center-side system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention has a function of detecting vehicles (moving bodies) around the probe vehicle 151. According to such a vehicle-side system 101 according to the present embodiment, the reliability of the travelable speed can be improved.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a probe information system including the vehicle side system 101 and the center side system 201 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, in the description of the vehicle-side system 101 according to the present embodiment, components similar to those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. Further, in the description of the center-side system 201 according to the present embodiment, components similar to those described in the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

First, the configuration of the vehicle side system 101 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 15, in this vehicle-side system 101, a surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 that is a surrounding mobile body detection unit is added to the vehicle-side system 101 according to Embodiment 1, and the above-described Advanance Auto Cruise function is realized. Specifically, the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 detects surrounding vehicle detection information (peripheral moving body detection information) that is information relating to the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle (moving body) around the probe vehicle 151. In the present embodiment, the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 includes, for example, a known laser radar, millimeter wave radar, image processing sensor, and ultrasonic sensor, and the distance between the probe vehicle 151 and the preceding vehicle is set to a certain distance ( For example, it is measured within a range of 120 m) or less.

When the auto cruise control unit 113 determines that the probe vehicle 151 may collide with the preceding vehicle based on the inter-vehicle distance detected by the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131, the speed of the probe vehicle 151 is appropriately set. Then, the probe vehicle 151 is controlled to travel following the preceding vehicle at a speed equal to or lower than the set speed of the auto-cruise function.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the above-described advance auto-cruise function is realized in the probe vehicle 151 by the cooperation of the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 and the auto-cruise control unit 113. The case where the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 is a separate device from the auto cruise control unit 113 will be described in a later embodiment. Here, the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 is configured as one device with the auto cruise control unit 113. In the following description, it is assumed that the automatic cruise control unit 113 is connected directly.

In the above configuration, when the surrounding vehicle detection information indicates that there is a preceding vehicle, the following traveling state is turned on, and the surrounding vehicle detection information indicates that there is no preceding vehicle. If so, the follow-up running state is turned off. In other words, the on / off state of the following traveling state and the presence / absence of the preceding vehicle are in a mutually corresponding relationship. Therefore, in the following description, the detection of the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle by the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 may be rephrased as detection of on / off of the follow-up running state.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle-side transmission unit 127 of the vehicle-side system 101 transmits the surrounding vehicle detection information detected by the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 to the center-side system 201.

Next, the configuration of the center side system 201 according to the present embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the center side reception unit 226 receives the surrounding vehicle detection information detected by the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 and transmitted from the vehicle side system 101 (vehicle side transmission unit 127). To do. That is, the center side receiving unit 226 receives from the vehicle side system 101 on / off (peripheral vehicle detection information) of the probe vehicle 151 in the following traveling state. The traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the above-described traffic situation in consideration of on / off (peripheral vehicle detection information) of the following traveling state received by the center side reception unit 226.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a regulation rule used by the traffic situation estimation unit 216 according to the present embodiment. In the regulation rule shown in FIG. 16, a column is added in which the auto-cruise setting information is turned on and the follow-up running state is turned on.

When the auto-cruise setting information is on and the follow-up running state is off, there is no preceding vehicle in front of the probe vehicle 151 and the vehicle behind the probe vehicle 151 as shown in FIG. Is considered to be able to travel at a speed V3 or higher of the probe vehicle 151. Therefore, in this case, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed as the above-described f (V3, speed limit).

On the other hand, even if the setting of the auto-cruise function included in the vehicle transmission information is on, if the follow-up running state is on, the probe vehicle 151 is affected by the preceding vehicle as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is considered that the vehicle behind the probe vehicle 151 can only increase the speed to the speed V5 of the probe vehicle 151. Therefore, in this case, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 estimates the travelable speed as the speed V5 of the probe vehicle 151 indicated by the probe vehicle speed information included in the vehicle transmission information and the smaller limit speed.

According to the vehicle-side system 101 and the center-side system 201 according to the present embodiment as described above, the travelable speed (traffic situation) is estimated by taking into account the presence or absence of surrounding vehicles (neighboring mobile bodies). In addition, the reliability of the travelable speed can be increased.

In the present embodiment, in consideration of this effect, as shown in FIG. 16, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 determines the reliability of the travelable speed according to the present embodiment as the reliability of the travelable speed described so far. It is higher than this (here, “4”).

In the above, the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 of the vehicle side system 101 detects the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle in the lane in which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 detects the presence or absence of a vehicle in the lane (road) adjacent to the lane (road) on which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling, or a rear vehicle, and integrates the detection results. Thus, the presence or absence of a surrounding vehicle may be detected. Even if it is a case where it comprises in this way, reliability can be raised. Alternatively, the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 may be configured by a plurality of sensors including an image processing sensor and a laser radar, and the presence or absence of the surrounding vehicle may be detected by combining the detection results. Even in the case of such a configuration, the reliability can be similarly increased.

<Embodiment 7>
In the sixth embodiment, the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 is described as being configured as one device with the auto cruise control unit 113. As such a configuration, it is conceivable that the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 is provided in the probe vehicle since the probe vehicle is assembled.

However, a user who has purchased a probe vehicle that does not have the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 retrofits the probe vehicle with the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131, thereby realizing the Advanance auto-cruise function after the purchase of the probe vehicle. It is also assumed.

Therefore, in the seventh embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 is a separate device from the device of the auto cruise control unit 113. In this case, the surrounding vehicle detection unit 131 is independently connected to the in-vehicle LAN 122 or connected to the control unit 121. Except for this point, the vehicle-side system 101 and the center-side system 201 according to the present embodiment are the same as those in the sixth embodiment.

According to the vehicle side system 101 and the center side system 201 according to the present embodiment as described above, the same effects as those of the sixth embodiment can be obtained.

<Modifications of Embodiments 1 to 7>
In the above description, a probe vehicle of a company specializing in collecting probe data transmits identification information unique to the probe vehicle together with vehicle transmission information, and the center side receiving unit 226 of the center side system 201 transmits the identification information to the vehicle. You may make it receive with transmission information. When the center-side system 201 receives the identification information and the vehicle transmission information and estimates the travelable speed (traffic situation) based on the vehicle transmission information, the reliability of the travelable speed is calculated as VICS. You may estimate to the reliability (here "5") similar to information.

In the above description, when the center-side receiving unit 226 of the center-side system 201 receives a plurality of speeds from a plurality of probe vehicles 151 that travel close to each other (for example, travel on the same road), The traffic situation estimation unit 216 may estimate the road traveling speed as the maximum speed among the plurality of speeds (provided that the maximum speed does not exceed the speed limit). Further, when the auto-cruise function is turned on in all of the probe vehicles 151, the traffic condition estimation unit 216 may estimate the road traveling speed as the speed limit.

In the above description, the lane of the plurality of lanes in which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling or the number of lanes on the road on which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling is detected, and the detection result is transmitted to the center system 201. You may comprise. Then, the center side system 201 may estimate the travelable speed (traffic situation) in consideration of the detection result. The lane in which the probe vehicle 151 is traveling can be detected by an infrastructure such as an optical beacon or an image processing sensor that can be provided in the vehicle-side system 101, for example.

In addition, another probe vehicle in which the center-side receiving unit 226 of the center-side system 201 is traveling near the probe vehicle 151 (for example, traveling on the same road) and does not have an auto-cruise function is described above. Another probe vehicle position information and another probe vehicle speed information equivalent to the probe vehicle position information and probe vehicle speed information may be received from the other probe vehicle. In this case, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 may estimate the travelable speed (traffic situation) in consideration of the other probe vehicle position information and the other probe vehicle speed information received by the center side reception unit 226. Specifically, the traffic situation estimation unit 216 has a maximum possible traveling speed on the target road among the speed of the probe vehicle 151 having the auto-cruise function and the speed of another probe vehicle not having the auto-cruise function. May be estimated.

In the first to seventh embodiments described above, the vehicle side system receives the traffic situation from the center side system outside the vehicle. However, the traffic situation is not only from the center side system, but also VICS traffic by FM multiplex broadcasting. Information, road beacons such as radio beacons and optical beacons, and road-to-vehicle communication infrastructure outside the vehicle providing DSRC and other traffic conditions may be received. Moreover, you may input a traffic condition from communication between vehicles or another communication means. Alternatively, the mobile phone may once receive the traffic situation from a center system outside the vehicle, and the traffic situation may be input from a mobile phone such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN by short-range communication.

In the scope of the present invention, the present invention can be freely combined with each embodiment, any component of each embodiment can be modified, or any component can be omitted in each embodiment.

101, 301 vehicle side system, 113, 313 auto cruise control unit, 114 auto cruise setting unit, 116 position detection unit, 126 speed detection unit, 127 vehicle side transmission unit, 131 peripheral vehicle detection unit, 151 probe vehicle, 201 center side System, 216 Traffic situation estimation unit, 219 Statistics DB server, 226 Center side reception unit, 227 Center side transmission unit, 312 Display / notification unit, 326 Vehicle side reception unit, 327 Route search unit, 351 vehicle.

Claims (15)

A vehicle-side system in a probe information system that is mounted on a probe vehicle and uploads traffic information to a center-side system,
A position detector that detects probe vehicle position information, which is information relating to the position of the probe vehicle;
A speed detector for detecting probe vehicle speed information, which is information related to the speed of the probe vehicle;
An auto cruise control unit that controls the travel of the probe vehicle by an auto cruise function;
A setting unit for setting the auto-cruise function;
The center side system includes the probe vehicle position information detected by the position detection unit, the probe vehicle speed information detected by the speed detection unit, and auto-cruise setting information which is information related to the setting in the setting unit. The vehicle side system provided with the transmission part which transmits to. The vehicle-side system according to claim 1,
The auto-cruise setting information is a vehicle-side system including an on / off setting of the auto-cruise function or a setting of a predetermined speed at which the probe vehicle should travel by the auto-cruise function. The vehicle-side system according to claim 1,
A peripheral mobile body detection unit that detects peripheral mobile body detection information that is information on the presence or absence of a mobile body in the vicinity of the probe vehicle;
The said transmission part is a vehicle side system which transmits the said peripheral mobile body detection information which the said peripheral mobile body detection part detected to the said center side system. A center side system in a probe information system that receives traffic information upload from a vehicle side system mounted on a probe vehicle,
Auto-cruise setting information, which is information related to the setting of the auto-cruise function of the probe vehicle, probe vehicle position information, which is information related to the position of the probe vehicle, and probe vehicle speed information, which is information related to the speed of the probe vehicle, A receiving unit for receiving from the side system;
A traffic situation estimation unit that estimates a traffic situation including a travelable speed of the vehicle based on the auto cruise setting information received by the reception unit, the probe vehicle position information, and the probe vehicle speed information;
A center-side system comprising: a transmission unit that transmits the traffic situation estimated by the traffic situation estimation unit to the outside; or a browsing unit that allows the traffic situation to be browsed by external access. The center side system according to claim 4, wherein
The traffic situation estimation unit
Based on the auto-cruise setting information, the probe vehicle position information, and the probe vehicle speed information received by the receiving unit, the reliability of the travelable speed is estimated, and the reliability is included in the traffic situation. system. The center side system according to claim 4, wherein
The auto-cruise setting information is a center-side system including an on / off setting of the auto-cruise function or a setting of a predetermined speed at which the probe vehicle should travel by the auto-cruise function. The center side system according to claim 4, wherein
The receiving unit receives peripheral moving body detection information that is information related to the presence or absence of a moving body around the probe vehicle from the vehicle-side system,
The said traffic condition estimation part is a center side system which estimates the said traffic condition in consideration of the said surrounding mobile body detection information received by the said receiving part. The center side system according to claim 4, wherein
The reception unit receives, from another probe vehicle, another auto cruise setting information and another probe vehicle position information equivalent to the auto cruise setting information and the probe vehicle position information for another probe vehicle,
Based on the travelable speed, the separate auto-cruise setting information and the separate probe vehicle position information received by the reception unit, the predetermined information that can be used for control or display by the separate probe vehicle is generated. ,
The transmission unit is a center-side system that transmits the predetermined information to the another probe vehicle. The center side system according to claim 4, wherein
A statistical database server for storing the travelable speed estimated by the traffic condition estimation unit;
The traffic situation estimation unit is configured to store, in the statistical database server, a travelable speed for a road for which the auto cruise setting information, the probe vehicle position information, and the probe vehicle speed information are not received by the reception unit. The center-side system having the travelable speed. The center side system according to claim 5,
A statistical database server for storing the travelable speed estimated by the traffic condition estimation unit;
The traffic situation estimation unit
A center-side system that re-estimates the travelable speed to be included in the traffic situation based on the current travelable speed and the reliability, and the past travelable speed stored in the statistical database server. A vehicle-side system mounted on a predetermined vehicle including a probe vehicle or a non-probe vehicle,
A vehicle side receiver for receiving traffic conditions transmitted from outside the vehicle;
A vehicle-side system comprising: a display / notification unit that performs display / notification based on a travelable speed included in the traffic situation received by the vehicle-side reception unit. The vehicle-side system according to claim 11,
The display / notification unit
A vehicle-side system that performs display / notification based on the travelable speed and reliability included in the traffic situation received by the vehicle-side receiver. The vehicle-side system according to claim 11,
An auto cruise control unit that controls the traveling of the predetermined vehicle by an auto cruise function;
The display / notification unit is based on the travelable speed included in the traffic situation received by the vehicle-side reception unit and a predetermined speed at which the predetermined vehicle should travel by the auto-cruise function of the auto-cruise control unit. A vehicle-side system that displays and alerts. The vehicle-side system according to claim 11,
The vehicle-side system further comprising a route search unit that searches for a route on which the predetermined vehicle should travel based on the travelable speed included in the traffic situation received by the vehicle-side receiver. The vehicle-side system according to claim 11,
An auto cruise control unit that controls the traveling of the predetermined vehicle by an auto cruise function;
A vehicle-side system that changes a predetermined speed at which the predetermined vehicle should travel by the auto-cruise function of the auto-cruise control unit based on the travelable speed included in the traffic situation received by the vehicle-side receiver.

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