Traffic information processing system, server device, traffic information processing method, and program

• US 9,495,867 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems, Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Korenaga, Takeshi, Takeuchi, Hisaji, Hiura, Ryota, Murata, Tomohiro, Nagata, Takeshi, Nakamoto, Hiromichi, Kato, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US14/646,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count

Abstract

A traffic information processing system includes on-board unit configured to be installed in a vehicle, an on-board unit-equipped vehicle number-detecting unit configured to detect the number of vehicles equipped with on-board unit entering a sample area based on information received from the on-board unit, a total vehicle number-detecting unit configured to detect the number of all vehicles entering the sample area, a vehicle ratio operation unit configured to calculate a value related to a ratio based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board unit detected by the on-board unit-equipped vehicle number-detecting unit and the number of all vehicles detected by the total vehicle number-detecting unit, and a total vehicle number-estimating operation unit configured to calculate a total number of vehicles in the zone.

Claims

1. A traffic information processing system, comprising:

an on-board detecting device configured to be installed in a vehicle; and

a server device configured to communicate with the on-board detecting device and configured to perform functions of;

counting the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering a sample area, which is part of a plurality of zones divided from a place in which vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device travel, based on information received from the on-board detecting device;

counting the total number of vehicles entering the sample area, the total number of vehicles entering the sample area including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device;

calculating a ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device with respect to the total numbers of vehicles in the sample area, based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the sample area and the total number of vehicles entering the sample area; and

calculating a total number of vehicles including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device in the zone based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the zone and the ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device in the sample area,

wherein the on-board detecting device reports traffic information according to the total number of vehicles in the zone.

2. The traffic information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the server device calculates the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the zone based on information indicating a zone in which the on-board detecting device is located among the plurality of zones that are sequentially detected based on information indicating a position of the on-board detecting device.

3. The traffic information processing system according to claim 1, further, comprising,

an information-collecting device that is connected with a camera,

wherein the information-collecting device acquires an image obtained by photographing the vehicle entering the sample area by the camera, and

the server device analyzes the acquired image photographed by the camera, and counts the total number of vehicles entering the sample area.

4. The traffic information processing system according to claim 3,

wherein the information-collecting device includes a wireless communication antenna,

the on-board detecting device receives a radio signal transmitted from the wireless communication antenna, and responds,

the server device counts the number of on-board detecting devices that have responded, and calculates the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the sample area.

5. The traffic information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein each zone contains at least one segment which represents a section of a road, and a predetermined segment is the sample area, and

the server device calculates the number of vehicles, which is equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the segment serving as the sample area among the vehicles which is equipped with the on-board detecting device and the vehicles which is not equipped with the on-board detecting device that travel in a place divided into a plurality of segments, based on information indicating a segment in which the on-board detecting device is located among the plurality of segments that are sequentially detected based on the information indicating the position of the on-board detecting device.

6. The traffic information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of sample areas,

the server device counts the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the sample area in a unit of sample areas,

the server device counts the total number of vehicles entering the sample area in a unit of sample areas, and

the server device calculates the value related to the ratio which is based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device in the sample areas and the total number of vehicles in the sample area.

7. The traffic information processing system according to claim 6,

wherein a value indicating a weighting on the number of vehicles present is allocated to the plurality of sample areas in advance, and

the server device calculates the value related to the ratio which is based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device in the sample area, the total number of vehicles in the sample area, and the value indicating the weighting of each sample area.

8. A server device, comprising:

a computer configured to perform functions of;

counting the number of vehicles equipped with an on-board detecting device entering a sample area, which is part of a plurality of zones divided from a place in which vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device travel, based on information received from the on-board detecting device;

counting the total number of vehicles entering the sample area, the total number of vehicles entering the sample area including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device;

calculating a ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device with respect to the total numbers of vehicles in the sample area, based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board entering the sample area and the total number of vehicles entering the sample area;

calculating a total number of vehicles including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device in the zone based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the zone and the ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device in the sample area; and

generating image information as traffic information according to the total number of vehicles in the zone and sending the traffic information to the on-board detecting device.

9. A traffic information-processing method, comprising:

counting the number of vehicles equipped with an on-board detecting device entering a sample area, which is part of a plurality of zones divided from a place in which vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device travel, based on information received from the on-board detecting device;

counting the total number of vehicles entering the sample area, the total number of vehicles entering the sample area including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device;

calculating a ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device with respect to the total numbers of vehicles in the sample area, based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the sample area and the total number of vehicles entering the sample area;

calculating a total number of vehicles including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device in the zone based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the zone and the ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device in the sample area; and

reporting traffic information according to the total number of vehicles in the zone.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a program causing a computer to perform functions of:

counting the number of vehicles equipped with an on-board detecting device entering a sample area, which is part of a plurality of zones divided from a place in which vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device travel, based on information received from the on-board detecting device;

counting the total number of vehicles entering the sample area, the total numbers of vehicles entering the sample area including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device;

calculating a ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device with respect to the total numbers of vehicles in the sample area, based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the sample area and the total number of vehicles entering the sample area;

calculating a total number of vehicles including vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device and vehicles not equipped with the on-board detecting device in the zone based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device entering the zone the ratio of the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board detecting device in the sample area; and

generating image information as traffic information according to the total number of vehicles in the zone and sending the traffic information to the on-board detecting device.