JP2013149296A - Support/notification system for pedestrian to cross road, and support method for pedestrian to cross road - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a support/notification system for a pedestrian to cross a road, which supports a pedestrian in safe crossing of a road even when a crosswalk is not installed on the road.SOLUTION: The support/notification system for a pedestrian to cross a road, includes: person-detecting means 2 detecting a person; subject-vehicle-position detecting means 3 detecting position information on a vehicle; communication means 4; and person-position/waiting-score calculating means 5 determining the person detected by the person-detecting means 2 to be a potential-crossing-person, calculating an absolute position of the potential-crossing-person, measuring waiting time of the potential-crossing-person to cross a road, calculating a waiting score that is an index of a waiting state, and storing the calculation results in person-position/waiting-score storing means 6. The person-position/waiting-score calculating means 5 outputs the waiting-score to the communication means 4.

Description

The present invention relates to a pedestrian crossing support notification system and a pedestrian crossing support method for supporting a pedestrian to safely cross a road at an arbitrary place in a vehicle such as an autonomous mobile vehicle and a passenger car.

  Conventionally, in a vehicle, when an obstacle including a pedestrian existing around the vehicle is detected and it is determined that there is a risk of collision between the vehicle and the obstacle, the vehicle is stopped, or An apparatus for collision avoidance support that issues a warning to a driver of a vehicle is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In addition, a device that supports a pedestrian's safe crossing in a pedestrian crossing installed in advance on a road is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-105891 JP 2002-175590 A

  According to the prior art, it is possible to prevent the collision between the pedestrian and the vehicle when the pedestrian jumps out on the roadway, and to support the pedestrian safely crossing the pedestrian crossing previously set on the road.

  However, on roads where there are no pedestrian crossings, the conventional technology has made it possible for pedestrians to safely cross the roadway, avoiding situations in which the vehicle suddenly brakes as pedestrians jump out. It was difficult.

  On roads where no pedestrian crossings are installed, there are no pedestrian crossings and no pedestrian traffic lights, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross the road safely. That is, since there is no facility for supporting the crossing of pedestrians on the road side, the pedestrian himself / herself must recognize the traveling vehicle by visual observation or the like and determine whether or not to cross the road. However, there is a limit to the recognition of a vehicle by visual observation or the like by a pedestrian, and it is particularly difficult to predict how the vehicle will move in the future.

  In addition, if facilities such as pedestrian crossings and traffic lights for pedestrians are installed on the road, pedestrians can safely cross the road. However, in order to safely cross the road at any place desired by pedestrians, a large amount Equipment such as pedestrian crossings and traffic lights for pedestrians is required, and there is a problem that the cost of equipment enhancement becomes high.

The present invention is an invention for solving the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a human crossing support notification system and a human crossing support method capable of supporting a pedestrian's safe road crossing.

To achieve the above object, a human crossing support notification system of the present invention is a human crossing support notification system mounted on a vehicle, and a human detection means for detecting a person who is a crossing candidate for collision avoidance support Based on the position information from the own vehicle position detection means, the communication means (for example, the communication means 4), the person detection means and the own vehicle position detection means, the position information of the person of the crossing candidate is calculated as the person position. In addition, the waiting time for the candidate to cross the road to cross the road is measured to calculate a standby score that is an indicator of the standby state, and the result of the calculation is stored in a human position / standby score storage means (for example, a human position and Human position / standby score calculation means (for example, human position and standby score calculation means 5) stored in the standby score storage means 6), and the human position / standby score calculation means outputs the standby score to the communication means. Features To.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a pedestrian's safe road crossing can be supported.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system. It is sectional drawing seen from the side surface direction which shows the vehicle carrying a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system. It is a top view which shows the environment where the vehicle carrying a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system is drive | working. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the person position and standby score calculation means in a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system. It is a top view which shows the state in which the person detection means in the pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system is detecting the person. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the waiting score in a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system, and the time when the person is waiting for a road crossing. It is another graph which shows the relationship between the waiting score in a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system, and the time when the person is waiting for the road crossing. It is a top view which shows the environment where the vehicle carrying a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system is drive | working. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the waiting score in a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system, and the time when the person is waiting for a road crossing. It is another top view which shows the environment where the vehicle carrying the pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system is drive | working. It is another graph which shows the relationship between the waiting score in a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system, and the time when the person is waiting for the road crossing. It is another top view which shows the environment where the vehicle carrying the pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system is drive | working. It is another graph which shows the relationship between the waiting score in a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system, and the time when the person is waiting for the road crossing. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the stop determination means in a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the stop signal analysis means in a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system. It is a block diagram which shows the structure used as the modification of a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system. It is a top view which shows the form of operation of the modification of a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system. The pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 (cross-person support vehicle system) is mounted on a vehicle v such as an autonomous mobile vehicle or a passenger car, and a road on which the vehicle v is traveling, such as a pedestrian or a person riding a bicycle, It helps people to cross safely. The vehicle v is also described as “own vehicle v” or “other vehicle v”.

  The pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 includes a person detection means 2, a host vehicle position detection means 3 (vehicle position detection means), a communication means 4, a person position and standby score calculation means 5 (person position / standby score calculation means), a person Position and standby score storage means 6 (person position / standby score storage means), other vehicle position storage means 7, own vehicle position storage means 8, road map storage means 9, stop determination means 10, stop signal analysis means 11, travel control It comprises means 12 and pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 (crossing person signal display means).

Subsequently, the above components will be described individually.
The person detecting means 2 is a means for detecting a person m such as a pedestrian or a person on a bicycle that exists in the traveling direction of the own vehicle v, and acquires relative position information of the person m from the own vehicle v. . In addition, in some embodiments, not only relative position information but also a pre-stored operation pattern, for example, a gesture (operation behavior) such as raising a hand is recognized. Incidentally, the specific detection method / apparatus for is already known technology, the detection means of the human m on general road, for example, Japanese 2002-7 4 595 JP "safe driving support system for a vehicle." The technique proposed by may be used. In addition, for obtaining the relative position, for example, a technique proposed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-234694 “Exterior Monitoring Device” may be used. For recognition of a gesture such as raising a hand, for example, a technique proposed by Project Natal (http://www.xbox.com/projectnatal/) may be used.

  The own vehicle position detection means 3 acquires the current position (absolute position on the ground) of the own vehicle v. A specific detection method / apparatus for that purpose is a known technique, for example, RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System), which is a kind of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). Or the self-position using landmarks described in the book “Vehicle” (Author: Kimio Kanai et al., Publisher: Corona, Publication Year: 2003, ISBN: 978-4-339-03363-2) Use estimation techniques.

  The communication means 4 communicates between the own vehicle v and another vehicle v around the own vehicle v. A specific detection method / apparatus for this purpose is already known technology. For example, the “5.8 GHz band is used by the ITS Information Communication System Promotion Conference (http://www.itsforum.gr.jp/). "Guidelines for testing vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems (ITS FORUM RC-005)" and "Guidelines for driving support communication systems using the 700MHz band (ITS FORUM RC-006)" or IEEE (http://www.ieee "IEEE802.11p" and "IEEE1609" formulated by .org /) are used. Further, in order to communicate with other vehicles v around the host vehicle v, a location-based routing technique is required, and this technique is a known technique called Geo-Routing. Details of the communication contents will be described later.

  The person position / standby score calculation means 5 includes the relative position information of the person m (crossing candidate) acquired by the person detection means 2 from the own vehicle v and the own vehicle v acquired by the own vehicle position detection means 3. The absolute position of the person m is calculated using the absolute position information. In addition, by measuring the time that the person m is waiting for crossing the road, a standby state index called a standby score a is calculated. In the present embodiment, the gesture recognition determination shown by the person detection unit 2 is described as having the person position and standby score calculation unit 5. In this case, the gesture motion pattern may be stored in the person position and standby score storage means 6. Details of the processing procedure will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The person position and standby score storage means 6 stores the absolute position of the person m and the standby score a calculated by the person position and standby score calculation means 5. The absolute position of the person m and the waiting score a are obtained through the communication means 4 by the person position and the waiting score calculating means 5a (not shown) installed in the other vehicle v. In some cases.

  The other vehicle position storage means 7 acquires and stores the current position of the other vehicle v acquired by the own vehicle position detection means 3 a (not shown) mounted on the other vehicle v via the communication means 4.

  The own vehicle position storage means 8 stores the current position of the own vehicle acquired by the own vehicle position detection means 3 mounted on the own vehicle v.

  The road map storage means 9 stores a map (road map information) in which road information on the environment in which the vehicle v travels is described. The map stored in the road map storage means 9 is a map equivalent to the road map used in the car navigation system, and is a road map including information such as intersection position, number of lanes, one-way street, and stop prohibited position.

  In addition to the above, a road map including the position information of a crossing waiting zone w and a sidewalk p described later is stored. There are two ways to express the crossing waiting zone w and the sidewalk p. The first is a map representation in which the positions of the crossing waiting zone w and the sidewalk p are designated by absolute coordinate values. The second is a relative map representation from the shoulder, such as how many meters from the shoulder to the crossing waiting zone and how many meters to the sidewalk. Specifically, in the road map information, the predetermined section on the road map has a crossing waiting zone w (see FIG. 3) in the area of how many meters from the road d (see FIG. 3), and the area of how many meters It may be described that there is a sidewalk p, and information on the crossing waiting zone w and the sidewalk p may be included as section information on the road number.

  The stop determination means 10 includes information on the position of the person m and the standby score a stored in the person position and standby score storage means 6, position information on the other vehicle v stored in the other vehicle position storage means 7, and the own vehicle position storage means 8. Is used to determine whether or not to stop the vehicle v so that the person m can safely cross the road using the position information of the vehicle v stored by the vehicle and the road map information stored by the road map storage means 9. . When the standby score a exceeds a value called a stop threshold value x, the host vehicle v is stopped. If it is determined that the host vehicle v is to be stopped, a stop signal indicating that the host vehicle v is stopped is transmitted to the stop signal analysis unit 11a (not shown) mounted on the other vehicle v using the communication unit 4. . Details of the processing procedure will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The stop signal analysis means 11 receives the stop signal transmitted from the stop judgment means 10a mounted on the other vehicle v, and the position information of the other vehicle v stored in the other vehicle position storage means 7, the own vehicle position storage means 8 Is used to determine the stop position of the host vehicle v using the road map information stored in the road map storage means 9. Details of the processing procedure will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The travel control unit 12 has a function of traveling the host vehicle v to the destination, and a function of stopping the host vehicle v when the stop determination unit 10 or the stop signal analysis unit 11 determines to stop the host vehicle v. The traveling function is a publicly known function described in, for example, the book “vehicle” (author: Kimio Kanai et al., Publisher: Corona, publication year: 2003, ISBN: 978-4-339-03363-2). Use technology.

  The pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is a traffic signal that is mounted on the host vehicle v and displays information about whether or not the person m can safely cross the road to the person m. When the stop determination means 10 or the stop signal analysis means 11 determines that the host vehicle v is to be stopped, and the travel control unit 12 is controlling the host vehicle v to the stop state, the person m safely crosses the road. A signal indicating that it is possible is displayed. Otherwise, a signal indicating that it is dangerous for person m to cross the road is displayed.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle equipped with the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system as seen from the side. With reference to FIG. 2, the embodiment of the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 of the vehicle v carrying the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 will be described.

  The pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is an electric lamp similar to the headlight i and the taillight k, and uses an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or the like. In addition, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is installed at a position where it can be easily seen from a person m around the vehicle v. For example, it is installed on the sidewalk side on the roof of the vehicle v. The color of the electric light of the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is different from the headlight i and the taillight k. For example, the stop determination means 10 or the stop signal analysis means indicates the states of blue lighting, blue flashing, red lighting and extinguishing. 11 has a function to display in response to a command from 11. When the vehicle v is stopped and the person m can safely cross the road, the fact that the vehicle v can be safely crossed is transmitted to the person m by lighting in blue. When the vehicle v is stopped but starts to travel within a predetermined time (predetermined time), the vehicle v starts to travel within a predetermined time (predetermined time) to the person m by blinking blue. introduce. When the vehicle v is traveling, that is, when it is dangerous for the person m to cross the road, the red light is transmitted to inform the person m that the road is dangerous. If the vehicle v is stopped but it is unknown whether the person m can safely cross the road, it is turned off.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an environment in which a vehicle equipped with a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system is traveling. With reference to FIG. 3, the operation | movement form of the vehicle v carrying the pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system 1 is demonstrated.

  In the implementation of the present invention, an area called a crossing waiting zone w is provided between the roadway d and the sidewalk p. The crossing waiting zone w is a place where a person m who intends to cross the road waits. Since the crossing waiting zone w can be installed simply by drawing a white line or the like on the ground, the cost of equipment enhancement is low. The presence or absence of the crossing waiting zone w is included in the map information, and the road map storage means 9 stores the road map information.

  When a certain time (predetermined time) has been set while the person m is standing still in the crossing waiting zone w as a candidate for crossing (for example, when one minute has passed without the person m moving more than 3 meters), or If at least one of the predetermined gestures such as m raising a hand in the crossing waiting zone w has been performed for a predetermined time (predetermined time) set in advance, the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 is on the road to the person m. The vehicle v is stopped in front of the person m, and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in blue to inform the person m that the vehicle can be crossed.

  For example, when the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1a (not shown) mounted on the vehicle v1 shown in FIG. 3 interprets that the person m has an intention to cross the road, the vehicle v1 is a stop position before the person m. The vehicle stops at h1 and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13a lights up in blue.

  Further, the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1a transmits information that the vehicle v1 is stopped to the other vehicle v within a certain distance (for example, within 100 meters) from the vehicle v1 using the communication unit 4. By receiving the information, the vehicle v2 traveling in the same lane as the vehicle v1 stops behind the vehicle v1 and turns off the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13b. The vehicle v3 traveling in the opposite lane of the vehicle v1 stops at the stop position h2 before the person m, and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13c is lit in blue.

  After the vehicle v stops and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in blue, at least one of the case where the person m completes the crossing of the road or the predetermined time (predetermined time) has passed. Then, in order for the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 to resume running of the vehicle v, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 blinks in blue to inform the person m that the vehicle v starts running within a certain time. To do. In addition, when the vehicle v stops and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is extinguished, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 does not blink blue under the conditions.

  While the vehicle v is traveling, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in red to notify the person m that it is dangerous to cross the road.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the human position and standby score calculation means in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system. With reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, the processing procedure of the person position and waiting score calculation means 5 will be described. The human position / standby score calculation means 5 executes the processing procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 in a loop at regular intervals (predetermined time). The time interval for loop execution is set equal to the period in which the person detection means 2 detects the person m.

  First, the person position and standby score calculation means 5 determines whether or not the person detection means 2 detects a person m such as a pedestrian or a person on a bicycle that exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle v ( Step S11). If the person detecting means 2 detects one or more persons m (may detect a plurality of persons m) (Yes in step S11), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, when no person m is detected (No at Step S11), the process proceeds to Step S14.

  Next, when the person detection means 2 detects the person m, the person position / standby score calculation means 5 determines whether the detected person m is willing to cross the road. It is determined whether or not a gesture of raising a hand or raising a hand is performed in the crossing waiting zone w (step S12). When a plurality of persons m are detected, it is determined whether or not each person m is still or performing the gesture. In order to make this determination, the relative position information detected by the person detection means 2 from the vehicle v of the person m is acquired. Furthermore, depending on the embodiment, the posture information of the gesture taken by the person m detected by the person detection unit 2 is also acquired.

  Further, the person position and standby score calculation means 5 acquires absolute position information of the own vehicle v acquired by the own vehicle position detection means 3. First, the absolute position of the person m is calculated using the relative position information of the person m from the own vehicle v and the absolute position information of the own vehicle v. Further, the position of the crossing waiting zone w is acquired from the road map storage means 9. Thereby, it is determined whether or not the person m is located on the crossing waiting zone w.

  Next, the determination as to whether or not the person m intends to cross the road is specifically made when, for example, the person m has not moved 3 meters or more on the crossing waiting zone w for 1 minute, or the person m Is determined by determining that the person m is willing to cross the road in at least one of the cases where one minute has passed while taking the posture of raising the hand on the crossing waiting zone w. It should be noted that the gesture motion pattern serving as the determination criterion is stored in advance in the human position and standby score storage means 6.

  However, the various threshold values for the determination (the above “3 meters”, “1 minute”) are not limited to these (“5 meters”, “30 seconds”, etc.). If there is more than one person m determined to be willing to cross the road (step S12, Yes), if there is no person (step S12, No), go to step S14. move on.

  Subsequently, when there are two or more people m determined to be willing to cross the road, grouping of the waiting people m is performed (step S13). This is performed in order to stop the vehicle v at an appropriate position when a plurality of people are waiting for crossing the road. Using the position information of the person m detected by the person detection means 2, the distance between each of the plurality of persons m is calculated. If the distance between the persons m is less than a predetermined distance (a distance longer than the total length of the vehicle v by several meters or more), the group of persons m is defined as one group g, and the road d Calculate the position of both ends of the group g along. For example, when the distance between persons m is 7 meters or less as a predetermined condition, it is set as one group g. A specific example will now be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the person detecting means in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system is detecting a person. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the person detection means 2 (see FIG. 1) mounted on the host vehicle v4 detects eight persons m1 to m8. With regard to the five persons m1 to m5, it is determined in step S12 that they have been stationary for a predetermined time or more on the crossing waiting zone w and are willing to cross the road. On the other hand, since the three persons m6 to m8 are not on the crossing waiting zone w, it is determined in step S12 that there is no intention to cross the road.

  In this case, grouping is performed for five persons m1 to m5 who are determined to have an intention to cross the road. In the example of FIG. 5, when the distance between the persons m is 7 meters or less, it is set as one group g. Since the distance between the person m1 and the person m2 and the distance between the person m2 and the person m3 are 7 meters or less, the person m1, the person m2, and the person m3 are grouped as one group g1.

  Thereafter, the position c of the person m at both ends belonging to the group g1 along the traveling direction of the roadway d is calculated. In the example of FIG. 5, the positions of both ends of the arrow representing the group g1, that is, the positions c1 and c2 along the traveling direction of the roadway d of the persons m1 and m3 are calculated. On the other hand, the distance between the person m3 and the person m4 and the distance between the person m4 and the person m5 both exceed 7 meters. Therefore, grouping is not performed for the person m4 and the person m5. Even if it does not belong to the group g, the position c along the traveling direction of the roadway d is calculated. A position c3 is obtained for the person m4, and a position c4 is obtained for the person m5.

  For example, the distance between the person m3 and the person m6 is 7 meters or less, but it is determined in step S12 that the person m6 is not on the crossing waiting zone w and does not intend to cross the road. m6 is not added to group g1. Further, if the group g becomes too large, the stop position of the vehicle v is lost, so the maximum length of the group g is determined in advance, and if it exceeds that, the group g is divided at that position. For example, the maximum length of the group g is set to 20 meters.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the person position / standby score calculation means 5 shares the information of the surrounding person positions by inter-vehicle communication for the result of the process of step S <b> 13 (step S <b> 14). That is, the communication means 4 is used to share the surrounding vehicle v and the surrounding human position. The progress of the road d of the group g or the person m who has been determined in step S12 that the other vehicle v within a certain distance (for example, within 100 meters) from the own vehicle v is willing to cross the road. Information on position c along the direction is transmitted. At the same time, the information is received from another vehicle v within a certain distance (for example, within 100 meters) from the own vehicle v. Thereby, even if the person m who cannot detect the own vehicle v is in the vicinity of the own vehicle v, it is possible to supplement using the information detected by the other vehicle v.

  Furthermore, since the person position and standby score calculation means 5 executes the processing procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 in a loop at regular time (predetermined time) intervals, the information detected within a certain past time is also shared. . For example, the information detected one minute before the current time is shared. In the case of sharing the information detected within a certain past time, information on a standby state index called standby score a obtained in step S16 one loop before is also shared. As for the waiting score a, one waiting score a is calculated for each individual m or group g excluding duplication.

  Next, the person position / standby score calculation means 5 associates the position c along the traveling direction of the roadway d of the person m acquired in step S14 (associates the person position) (step S15). This association has two meanings. First, since the same person m is detected by a plurality of vehicles v, or the same person m as the person m detected in the past may be detected, the same person m is duplicated. This is a correspondence to prevent it from being handled. The second is the association for determining which vehicle v calculates the standby state index called standby score a for each person m or group g.

  First, in order to avoid duplication of the person m, the distance between each of the acquired positions c of the plurality of persons m is calculated and set to a predetermined distance (a distance that is about the detection position error of the person detection means 2). ) In the case of the following, it is assumed that the corresponding plurality of persons m are the same person m. For example, when the distance between each of the positions c of a plurality of persons m is 0.5 meters or less, it is assumed that they are the same person m. At this time, if it is the same as the person m detected in the past, the information of the standby score a associated with the person m or group g detected in the past is taken over. If the person m or group g has not been detected in the past and is detected for the first time at the current time, the initial value of the standby score a is “0” (zero).

  Subsequently, the vehicle v in charge of calculating the standby score a is determined for each individual person m or group g. When only one vehicle v detects an individual person m or group g at the current time, the vehicle v is in charge of calculating the standby score a. When a plurality of vehicles v detect an individual person m or group g at the current time, for example, the vehicle v closest to each individual person m or group g is responsible for calculating the standby score a. . On the other hand, if no vehicle v is detected at the current time for the individual person m or group g, for example, the vehicle v in charge of one loop before takes over the charge of calculating the standby score a. However, the method of determining the person in charge for calculating the standby score a is not limited to this.

  Here, the vehicle v in charge of calculating the waiting score a of each person m or group g measures the time that each person m or group g waits to cross the road, so that the waiting score is obtained. a is calculated (step S16). For each person m or group g determined to be willing to cross the road, that is, waiting for the road crossing in step S12, the waiting score a is increased over time. Let That is, in the case of the person m or group g detected for the first time at the current time, the initial value of the waiting score a is “0” (zero), and the same person as the person m or group g detected in the past When m or group g is detected, the standby score a is increased by the time interval of loop execution with respect to the standby score a taken over from the previous loop.

  FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the standby score in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system and the time that a person is waiting for crossing the road. For example, as shown in the graph of FIG. 6, the increase in the standby score a makes the standby score a proportional to the waiting time. The proportionality constant (slope of the graph in FIG. 6) may be an arbitrary value. For example, if the proportionality constant is “1” and the unit of time is seconds, the waiting score a when waiting for 10 seconds is “10”. Become. Further, the proportionality constant may be changed according to the number of persons m belonging to the group g.

  FIG. 7 is another graph showing the relationship between the standby score in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system and the time that a person is waiting for crossing the road. For example, as shown in the graph of FIG. 7, at first, one person m is waiting, but when the number of persons increases to one group g at time t1, the proportionality constant may be doubled. . As a result, when many people m are waiting for crossing the road, the increase in the waiting score a can be accelerated, and the waiting time until the vehicle v stops can be shortened.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the person position and standby score calculation means 5 then prepares a case where no vehicle v has been detected for a long time for the person m or group g, and the non-detection period is a value called the reset threshold y. It is determined whether or not it exceeds (step S17).

  The person position and waiting score calculation means 5 calculates the waiting score a for the person m or the group g detected within a certain past time continuously even during a period in which they are not detected. However, if the person m or the group g is not detected for a long time, there is no guarantee that the person m or the group g continues to wait in the state in which the person m or the group g was detected last.

  Further, the fact that the person m or the group g has not been detected means that the vehicle v does not exist in a range where the person m or the group g can be detected. That is, when the person m or the group g is not detected for a long time, the vehicle v is not traveling in the vicinity thereof, and it is highly likely that the person m or the group g has already completed the road crossing.

  Therefore, if the person m or the group g has not been detected for a long time, the person m or the group g is considered to have already completed the road crossing. The length of time that continues is measured for each individual person m or group g. Then, it is determined whether or not the undetected period exceeds a preset reset threshold y. If not (No at Step S17), the process proceeds to Step S19.

  If the undetected period has exceeded the reset threshold y (step S17, Yes), the corresponding person position is deleted (step S18). That is, it is determined that the person m or the group g that has exceeded the reset threshold y has already completed the road crossing, and the information on the corresponding position c and waiting score a is deleted.

  Finally, the person position and standby score calculation means 5 uses the communication means 4 to share the standby score a by vehicle-to-vehicle communication (step S19). That is, the information on the position c and the waiting score a of each person m or group g is shared with the vehicle v within a certain distance (for example, within 100 meters) and stored in the person position and waiting score storage means 6. . The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is the processing procedure of the person position and standby score calculation means 5 as described above.

  Next, a specific example of the processing procedure of the person position and waiting score calculation means 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 10 and 12 are plan views showing different situations in the environment in which the vehicle v on which the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 is running is running. 9, FIG. 11 and FIG. 13 are graphs showing the relationship between the waiting score a and the time that the person m or group g is waiting for crossing the road. 9 corresponds to the situation of FIG. 8, the graph of FIG. 11 corresponds to the situation of FIG. 10, and the graph of FIG. 13 corresponds to the situation of FIG.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an environment in which a vehicle equipped with a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system is traveling. In the situation of FIG. 8, four vehicles v are running from vehicle v5 to vehicle v8. The detection ranges r of the human detection means 2a to the human detection means 2d mounted on the vehicles v5 to v8 are indicated by hatched fan-shaped detection ranges r5 to r8, respectively. The detection range r5 of the human detection means 2a mounted on the vehicle v5, the detection range r6 of the human detection means 2b mounted on the vehicle v6, and the human detection means 2c mounted on the vehicle v7, traveling in the same lane. The detection range r7 overlaps the crossing standby zone w, and any vehicle v is always detecting the person m9 on the crossing standby zone w without any gap.

  FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the waiting score in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system and the time that a person is waiting for crossing the road. When the graph showing the relationship between the standby score a and the standby time in the situation of FIG. 8 shown in FIG. 9 is viewed, the period during which the vehicle v5 is detecting the person m9 is indicated by the arrow e5, and the vehicle v6 A period during which the person m9 is detected is indicated by an arrow e6, and a period during which the vehicle v7 detects the person m9 is indicated by an arrow e7. The arrows e5 and e6 partially overlap, and the arrows e6 and e7 partially overlap. The position of the person v9, the vehicle v6, or the vehicle v7 that is responsible for calculating the waiting score a of the person m9 at each time and the waiting score calculation means 5 always detects the person m9 and determines the waiting score a. calculate. Since the waiting score a of the person m9 exceeds the stop threshold value x at the time t2, the vehicle v7 located in front of the person m9 at the time t2 stops if it can stop safely in front of the person m9. Then, the person position and waiting score calculation means 5 deletes the waiting score a of the person m9 (step S18 in FIG. 4). The details of the procedure for stopping will be described later.

  FIG. 10 is another plan view showing an environment in which a vehicle equipped with a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system is traveling. In the situation of FIG. 10, three vehicles v from the vehicle v9 to the vehicle v11 are traveling. The detection ranges r of the human detection means 2e to the human detection means 2g mounted on the vehicles v9 to v11 are indicated by hatched fan-shaped detection ranges r9 to r11, respectively. The detection range r9 of the human detection means 2e mounted on the vehicle v9 and the detection range r10 of the human detection means 2f mounted on the vehicle v10 that are traveling in the same lane do not overlap on the crossing waiting zone w. There is a time when the person m10 on the crossing waiting zone w can be detected and a time when the person m10 cannot be detected.

  FIG. 11 is another graph showing the relationship between the standby score in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system and the time that a person is waiting for crossing the road. When a graph showing the relationship between the standby score a and the standby time in the situation of FIG. 10 shown in FIG. 11 is viewed, the period during which the vehicle v9 detects the person m10 is indicated by the arrow e9, and the vehicle v10 A period during which the person m10 is detected is indicated by an arrow e10. The arrow e9 and the arrow e10 do not overlap, and the person m10 on the crossing waiting zone w cannot be detected between the time t3 and the time t4. However, while the person m10 cannot be detected, the waiting score a is calculated by the processing of the person position and waiting score calculating means 5 shown in FIG. Since the waiting score a of the person m10 exceeds the stop threshold value x at time t5, the vehicle v10 located in front of the person m10 stops at time t5 if it can be safely stopped in front of the person m10. Then, the person position and standby score calculation means 5 deletes the standby score a of the person m10. The details of the procedure for stopping will be described later.

  FIG. 12 is still another plan view showing an environment in which a vehicle equipped with a pedestrian crossing support vehicle system is traveling. In the situation of FIG. 12, two vehicles v are running, the vehicle v12 and the vehicle v13. The detection ranges r of the human detection means 2h and the human detection means 2i mounted on the vehicle v12 and the vehicle v13, respectively, are indicated by hatched detection ranges r12 and r13. The vehicle v12 that can detect the person m11 on the crossing waiting zone w is only the vehicle v12, and the time during which the person m11 cannot be detected is long.

  FIG. 13 is still another graph showing the relationship between the waiting score in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system and the time that a person is waiting for crossing the road. The arrow in the figure indicates the period. Looking at the graph showing the relationship between the waiting score a and the waiting time in the situation of FIG. 12 shown in FIG. 13, the period during which the vehicle v12 detects the person m11 is indicated by an arrow e12. . After time t6, the person m11 on the crossing waiting zone w cannot be detected. The person position and standby score calculation means 5 calculates the standby score a while the person m11 cannot be detected, but the person m11 who exceeded the reset threshold y because the non-detection period for the person m11 exceeded the reset threshold y at time t7. Determines that the road crossing has already been completed, and deletes the corresponding waiting score a.

  That is, when the person detected by the person detecting means 2 cannot be detected for a predetermined time thereafter, the person's standby score detected by the person position and the waiting score calculating means 5 may be reset.

Next, the processing procedure of the stop determination means 10 will be described.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of stop determination means in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system. The processing procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is executed for each person m or group g stored in the person position and standby score storage unit 6. Further, while the vehicle v executing the processing of the stop determination means 10 is running, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in red to notify the person m that it is dangerous to cross the road.

  First, the stop determination unit 10 acquires the standby score a of the person m or the group g from the person position and standby score storage unit 6, and determines whether or not the stop threshold value x is exceeded (step S21). If the standby score a exceeds the stop threshold x (step S21, Yes), the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if it has not exceeded (No at step S21), the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is terminated, and the person m or group g detected by the person detecting means 2 is shown in FIG. The processing procedure of the flowchart is started.

  Next, the stop determination means 10 determines whether or not another vehicle v exists on the own lane between the own vehicle v on which the stop determination means 10 is mounted and the target person m or group g (step). S22). This is performed in order to stop the vehicle v at an appropriate position so that the person m or the group g can safely cross the road when a plurality of vehicles v are traveling. That is, when there is another vehicle v on the own lane between the host vehicle v and the person m or group g, the host vehicle v has a space where the other vehicle v can stop before the person m or group g. I have to stop.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operation is realized by sequentially determining the stop position h from the vehicle v close to the person m or the group g. Therefore, the other vehicle position is acquired from the other vehicle position storage means 7, and it is determined whether or not the other vehicle v exists on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g. When the other vehicle v exists on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g (step S22, No), the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. Determines the stop position h by the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  If there is no other vehicle v on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g (step S22, Yes), it is determined whether or not the own vehicle v can be stopped safely (step S23). Specifically, in step S23, the position information of the person m or the group g from the person position / standby score storage means 6, the position information of the own vehicle v from the own vehicle position storage means 8, and the own position information from the road map storage means 9 are stored. A road map around the vehicle v is acquired, within the deceleration range where the vehicle v can be safely parked in advance, and in front of the person m or group g and where parking is prohibited such as an intersection To determine whether it is possible to stop safely.

  When it is determined that it is impossible to stop safely (No at Step S23), the stop determination unit 10 ends the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. Pass without stopping in front of you.

  When it is determined that the vehicle can be stopped safely and the stop position h is determined (step S23, Yes), the stop determination unit 10 transmits a stop signal to the other nearby vehicle v (step S24). That is, the stop position h of the host vehicle v is transmitted to the other vehicle v within a certain distance (for example, within 100 meters) from the host vehicle v using the communication means 4. The stop signal analyzing means 11a mounted on the other vehicle v that has received the stop position h of the own vehicle v determines the stop position h of the other vehicle v that does not collide with the own vehicle v by the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. To do.

  Thereafter, the host vehicle v stops at the stop position h, and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in blue (step S25). Specifically, the stop determination unit 10 issues a stop command to the travel control unit 12 to stop the host vehicle v at the stop position h. At the same time, when the stop determination means 10 issues a stop command and the travel control means 12 controls the own vehicle v to the stop state, the person m can safely cross the road, and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in blue to inform the person m that the vehicle can be crossed (when step S25 is executed, there is no other vehicle v on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or group g). ). In addition, as a method for the stop determination means 10 to confirm the stop of the vehicle, it may be determined by receiving a signal from the travel control means 12 or may be determined from the stop position of the in-house position storage means 8.

  Then, it waits for a certain time (predetermined time) to elapse or for a person to complete crossing (step S26). Specifically, at least either when a certain time (predetermined time) has passed after the own vehicle v stops and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 lights in blue, or when the person m completes crossing the road. On the other hand, in order to restart the traveling of the vehicle v, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 blinks in blue to inform the person m that the vehicle v starts to travel within a predetermined time (predetermined time). To do.

  In step S26, the stop determination means 10 has the absolute position of the person m calculated by the person position and waiting score calculation means 5 and the road map storage means 9 when the person m determines the completion of the crossing of the road. Judge using map information. Specifically, the person position / standby score calculation means 5 uses the relative position of the person m detected by the person detection means 2 and the absolute position of the own vehicle v detected by the own vehicle position detection means 3. The absolute position of the person m is calculated. For this reason, when the position of the person m is on the roadway, it is determined as “crossing”, and when the person m is on the sidewalk or on the crossing waiting zone, “crossing is completed”. That is, when it is determined to switch from “being crossed” to “crossing completed”, it is determined that the person m has completed crossing the road.

  In the road map stored in the road map storage means 11, as described above, the first is the map representation in which the position of the sidewalk / crossing waiting zone is designated by the coordinate value which is absolute information. May be a relative map representation from the shoulder, such as how many meters from the shoulder to the crossing waiting zone and how many meters from the sidewalk. Accordingly, in the first case, the stop determination means 10 determines whether or not the absolute position of the person m corresponds to the sidewalk or the crossing waiting zone on the map. In the second case, by referring to the map at the absolute position of the person m, information on how many meters from the shoulder at the position is the sidewalk / crossing waiting zone is obtained. Whether or not the position of the road shoulder detected by a known technology such as “ex-vehicle monitoring device for vehicle” in US Pat. Judging.

  After a predetermined time (predetermined time) has elapsed since the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 blinked blue, the stop determination means 10 lights the pedestrian crossing signal display means in red, and the vehicle v Traveling is resumed (step S27). That is, when resuming traveling, as described above, the stop determination means 10 makes it dangerous for the person m to cross the road by instructing the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 to turn on red while the vehicle v is traveling. Communicate that The flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is the processing procedure of the stop determination means 10 as described above.

Then, the process sequence of the stop signal analysis means 11 is demonstrated.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the stop signal analyzing means in the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system. As in the case of the stop determination means 10, it is dangerous for the person m to cross the road by lighting the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 in red while the vehicle v is executing the processing of the stop signal analysis means 11. Is communicating.

  First, the stop signal analyzing means 11 determines whether or not a stop signal has been received (step S31). Specifically, information on the stop position h of the other vehicle v within a certain distance (for example, within 100 meters) from the own vehicle v is received using the communication means 4. The information on the stop position h of the other vehicle v is transmitted in step S24 of the stop determination means 10 shown in FIG. When the information of the stop position h of the other vehicle v is received (step S31, Yes), the process proceeds to step S32. On the other hand, when the stop position h of the other vehicle v is not received (step S31, No), the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Next, the stop signal analyzing means 11 determines the stop position h of the other vehicle v existing on the own lane between the other vehicle v before the own vehicle v, that is, the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g. It is confirmed using the communication means 4 whether or not it is completed (step S32). This is because the stop position h is determined in order from the vehicle v close to the person m or the group g as in step S22. When the stop position h of the other vehicle v existing on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g has not been determined (No at Step S32), the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. Then, while executing the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 15 again, the stop position h of the other vehicle v existing on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g is determined and the stop position h is transmitted. Wait for it.

  When the stop position h of the other vehicle v existing on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g has been determined (step S32, Yes), the stop signal analyzing means 11 A stop position h at which v can be safely stopped is determined (step S33). That is, since the stop position h of the other vehicle v existing on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g has already been determined, the stop position h of the own vehicle v located behind it is determined. To do. Specifically, the position of the person m or the group g from the person position and standby score storage means 6, the position of the own vehicle v from the own vehicle position storage means 8, and the road around the own vehicle v from the road map storage means 9 A map is acquired, and the stop position h of the host vehicle v is determined behind the stop position h of the other vehicle v acquired in step S32 and avoiding a stop prohibited place such as an intersection.

  However, when there is no other vehicle v on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g and the other vehicle v exists only in the opposite lane to the own vehicle v, the own vehicle v The stop position h of the host vehicle v is determined within a predetermined range of deceleration that can be safely stopped, at a position in front of the person m or the group g, and avoiding a stop prohibited place such as an intersection.

  After the stop position h of the host vehicle v is determined, the stop signal analyzing unit 11 uses the communication unit 4 to determine other vehicles v (peripheral other vehicles v) within a certain distance (for example, within 100 meters) from the host vehicle v. ), The stop position h of the own vehicle v is transmitted (step S34). The stop signal analyzing means 11a mounted on the other vehicle v that has received the stop position h of the own vehicle v determines the stop position h of the other vehicle v that does not collide with the own vehicle v by the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. It determines in order from the vehicle v close | similar to the group g.

  Thereafter, the stop signal analyzing means 11 stops the host vehicle v at the stop position h. The stop signal analysis means 11 issues a stop command to the travel control means 12 to stop the host vehicle v at the stop position h. At the same time, the stop signal analysis means 11 issues a stop command, the travel control means 12 controls the own vehicle v to the stop state, and another vehicle v is on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or group g. If it exists, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is turned off in consideration of the possibility that another vehicle v is traveling in the opposite lane at the stop position h of the own vehicle v (step S35).

  In other cases, that is, the stop signal analysis means 11 issues a stop command, and the travel control means 12 controls the own vehicle v to the stop state, and on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g. If there is no other vehicle v, the person m can safely cross the road and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in blue to indicate that the person m can cross.

  The stop signal analyzing means 11 starts the travel of another vehicle v (the preceding car) stopped in front of the own vehicle v after the own vehicle v stops and the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is turned off or turned on in blue. Wait (step S36). When there is no other vehicle v on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g (when the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in blue), the person m on the opposite lane Alternatively, it waits for the other vehicle v stopped before the group g to start running. Similarly, when there is no other vehicle v on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g, the other vehicle v stopped in front of the person m or the group g on the opposite lane. In order to resume running, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 blinks in blue (step S26), and at the same time, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 blinks in blue so that the person m is within a predetermined time (predetermined time). The fact that the vehicle v starts to travel is transmitted.

  Thereafter, the stop signal analysis means 11 lights the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 in red according to the start of travel of the other vehicle v stopped ahead of the own vehicle v, and resumes the travel of the own vehicle v (step). S37). When there is no other vehicle v on the own lane between the own vehicle v and the person m or the group g (when the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in blue), the person m on the opposite lane Alternatively, the traveling of the host vehicle v is resumed in accordance with the start of traveling of the other vehicle v stopped before the group g. Further, as described above, while the host vehicle v is traveling, the pedestrian crossing signal display means 13 is lit in red to notify the person m that it is dangerous to cross the road. The flowchart shown in FIG. 15 is the processing procedure of the stop signal analyzing means 11 as described above. Accordingly, an embodiment of operation of the vehicle v equipped with the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 3 is realized.

<Modification>
FIG. 16: is a block diagram which shows the structure used as the modification of a pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system. The structure of the modification of the pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system 1 used as the Example of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIG. Also in the modification, the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 is mounted on a vehicle v such as an autonomous mobile vehicle or a passenger vehicle, and a person m such as a pedestrian or a person riding a bicycle on a road on which the vehicle v is traveling. To help people cross safely. However, the configuration of the modified example of the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 is substantially the same as that of the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 described above, except that the person detection means 2 is not mounted on the vehicle v. Instead of the person detection means 2, the person detection means 2z installed in the crossing waiting zone w or the sidewalk p has its function. Since the other components are the same as the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 described above, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a mode of operation of a modified example of the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system. Referring to FIG. 17, an environment in which three vehicles v running from vehicle v <b> 14 to vehicle v <b> 16 equipped with a modification of pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 is shown.

  In the operation mode of the modified example of the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1, the human detection means 2z is installed in the environment. The person detecting means 2z is specifically means for detecting a person using a camera or the like installed on a power pole on a road, and is constituted by a known technique used in a surveillance camera or the like. The person detection means 2z transmits the detected position information of the person m to the person position and waiting score calculation means 5 of the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 mounted on the vehicle v via the communication means 4. Thereafter, the operation mode of the vehicle v equipped with the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 is realized by the same procedure as that of the pedestrian crossing support vehicle system 1 described above.

  By setting it as the structure of the modification of the above pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system 1, the expense of the pedestrian crossing assistance vehicle system 1 mounted in the vehicle v can be held down cheaply. Further, in an environment where surveillance cameras are installed on the road, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to newly install the human detection means 2z. Furthermore, by detecting the person m from the person detection means 2z fixed on the road, compared with the case where the person m is detected from the person detection means 2 mounted on the vehicle v that is a moving body, There is an excellent effect that the detection accuracy is improved.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a vehicle system that supports a pedestrian's safe road crossing even on a road where no pedestrian crossing is installed. Therefore, by using the vehicle system, both the pedestrian and the vehicle have an excellent effect of avoiding the danger of collision and enabling safe movement.

1 Pedestrian crossing support vehicle system (person crossing support vehicle system)
2,2z Person detection means 3 Own vehicle position detection means (vehicle position detection means)
4 communication means 5 person position and waiting score calculation means (person position / waiting score calculation means)
6 Person position and standby score storage means (person position / standby score storage means)
7 Other vehicle position storage means 8 Own vehicle position storage means 9 Road map storage means 10 Stop determination means 11 Stop signal analysis means 12 Travel control means 13 Pedestrian crossing signal display means (crossing person signal display means)

Claims (4)

A person crossing support notification system to be mounted on vehicles,
A person detecting means for detecting a person in the traveling direction of the vehicle;
Vehicle position detecting means for detecting the position of the vehicle;
Communication means;
Using the relative position information from the vehicle and the position information of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle position detection means as the candidate for crossing as the person detected by the person detection means, the absolute of the crossing candidate is obtained. And calculating a waiting score that is an indicator of the waiting state by measuring the time during which the crossing candidate is waiting to cross the road, and calculating the result of the calculation as a human position A human position / waiting score calculation means for storing in the waiting score storage means ;
The person position-waiting-score calculating unit, the person crossing support notification system and outputs the waiting score to the communication unit.   In claim 1,
  The communication means notifies the waiting score to another vehicle.
  This is a cross-person support notification system. A man-detecting unit for detecting a person in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle position detecting means for detecting a position of the vehicle, and the man-position-waiting-score calculating unit, a communication unit, in a notification system comprising, the person is a person cross-support method to help to cross the road,
The person position / standby score calculation means uses relative position information from a vehicle and the position information of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle position detection means with the person detected by the person detection means as a crossing candidate. The absolute position of the crossing candidate is calculated as a human position, and the waiting time that is an indicator of the waiting state is calculated by measuring the time that the crossing candidate is waiting to cross the road. The result of the calculation is stored in the human position / standby score storage means,
The person position / standby score storage means outputs the wait score to the communication means .   In claim 3,
  The communication means notifies the waiting score to another vehicle.
  Cross-person support method characterized by this.

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