JP6989298B2 - Information distribution method for vehicles, information distribution device and management program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle information distribution method, an information distribution device, and a management program that can be used to provide useful predetermined information to a vehicle.

In a vehicle, by providing useful information to the driver, it becomes easy to operate the vehicle efficiently, reduce the burden on the driver, and ensure the safety of the driver. Therefore, conventionally, various information has been provided to the driver by using various on-board units (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Patent Document 1 shows a technique for a navigation system to search for an appropriate guidance route. That is, the guidance route is determined so as to avoid the point by using the information (see FIG. 2) registered in the table such as the place where the traffic jam occurs, the place under construction, and the place where the accident occurs. It also indicates that the expiration date of each information is managed so that unnecessary information is not used, and the information whose expiration date has passed is deleted from the table.

Further, Patent Document 2 shows a technique for an on-board unit such as a car navigation device to receive external information such as traffic information from the outside of a vehicle and effectively utilize it. It also indicates that the expiration date of various received external information is managed and the external information whose expiration date has passed is deleted.

Patent Document 3 shows a technique for making it possible to reduce the number of sensors mounted on a vehicle and facilitating the acquisition of necessary information. Specifically, an in-vehicle device equipped with a wireless communication function is connected to a computer network constituting the cloud, and the cloud is used as a sensor for a vehicle. The cloud sends weather information, traffic information, disaster information, etc. In addition, by performing special data processing on the on-board unit, the information required by the user and electrical components on the vehicle is preferentially output. Further, in order to facilitate the selection of information suitable for the vehicle, the attribute information unique to each vehicle is transmitted from the on-board unit to the cloud, and the data is optimized based on the attribute information on the cloud side. It also optimizes the data transmitted by the cloud to maximize the benefits of multiple vehicles. Data can be shared between the on-board unit and other communication terminals, enabling remote control.

On the other hand, when driving a vehicle, you may encounter dangerous situations. Dangerous situations may occur due to the driver's carelessness or reckless driving, or due to careless driving of another vehicle. In addition, dangerous situations may occur due to the road environment at that time, such as poor visibility at intersections or sharp curves. In the latter case, even if the driver tries to drive safely, it is likely that he will encounter the same dangerous situation again at the same point. In other words, there are actually places on the road where dangerous situations are likely to occur, and in such places, the driver needs to be very careful not to encounter dangerous situations. ..

Conventionally, hazard map information including information indicating the position of a dangerous point is obtained by using an event database in which a large amount of recorded data including position and acceleration information is accumulated for each event detected in the past for a predetermined vehicle. The technique for producing is known (Patent Document 4). A drive recorder that uses such a hazard map is also known (Patent Document 5). In this drive recorder, a trigger is generated when the own vehicle approaches a specific point, and data recording is automatically executed according to this trigger. So, for example, when a particular vehicle passes through a high-risk point, the drive recorder automatically records data such as video that can be used to confirm whether the driver was driving safely. It is possible to do.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-139549 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-305170 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-21584 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-19398 JP-A-2015-41277

For example, in a vehicle equipped with a drive recorder shown in Patent Document 5, since a hazard map can be used, it is possible to output an alarm when approaching a pre-registered danger point, for example. However, the hazard maps that can be used are limited to points that are unlikely to change, such as in specific situations caused by road terrain.

On the other hand, on an actual road, there is a possibility that a high-risk point may occur as a temporary event caused by, for example, the influence of road construction, weather, temperature, or the like. However, since a general hazard map is created based on an event database that accumulates past data, the occurrence situation changes due to temporary events caused by the effects of road construction, weather, temperature, etc. It is not possible to deal with dangerous points.

Further, in a vehicle equipped with a wireless communication function, when an in-vehicle device such as a drive recorder or a digital tachograph detects some event, the information can be transmitted to a server outside the vehicle, for example. Therefore, the server can constantly collect information transmitted from each vehicle to construct an event database, and create a hazard map to which information can be added in real time based on the event database.

By using such a hazard map, it is possible to grasp in real time on the server side new danger points whose occurrence status changes due to temporary events caused by the influence of road construction, weather, temperature, and the like. Further, if the information on the danger point is transmitted from the server to the in-vehicle device of each vehicle, an alarm can be output from the in-vehicle device when each vehicle approaches the danger point.

However, in the server that performs the above processing, the data sequentially transmitted from each vehicle is added to the event database in order, so that a huge amount of data is handled and a large capacity storage device is used. Is required, and the processing load is also very large. In particular, when a large number of vehicles are managed by one common server, it is inevitable that the capacity of the storage device and the processing load increase as the number of vehicles increases. On the contrary, when a common server acquires information from each of a large number of vehicles, it becomes possible to grasp a newly generated danger point more quickly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to be able to grasp useful information that is more valuable to each vehicle or driver while avoiding the enlargement of the database. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an information distribution method for a vehicle, an information distribution device, and a management program.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vehicle information distribution method, the information distribution device, and the management program according to the present invention are characterized by the following (1) to (5).
(1) When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the management device side receives and manages the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication from the transmission side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the management device side receives and manages the transmission information. It is an information distribution method for vehicles that transmits the result of totaling the transmission information to the on-board unit on the receiving side by wireless communication.
The management device side
Manage additional databases that can be updated in real time,
When the transmission information is newly received, the additional database is updated to reflect the transmission information, and the position indicated by the registration information already registered in the additional database and the position indicated by the transmission information are set. If they match or have high similarity, the position after averaging is calculated by performing averaging processing on the position indicated by the registration information and the position indicated by the transmission information. Rewrite the position indicated by the registration information to the position after averaging ,
An information distribution method for vehicles characterized by this.

According to the vehicle information distribution method of the configuration (1) above, the transmission information transmitted by each vehicle is managed in a situation where a specific event occurs in the same manner at almost the same point for various vehicles. Statistical processing is performed on the device side and reflected in the contents of the additional database. For example, when averaging is executed as statistical processing, when N transmission information is received, these can be averaged and one transmission information can be left as a processing result, so that the capacity of the additional database is increased. It is possible to improve the accuracy of each registered information in the database by reflecting the contents of a large number of transmitted information without changing the information.

(2) The management device side is
When information that matches or has high similarity to the registration information already registered in the additional database is newly received as the transmission information, the time information associated with the registration information is initialized.
Among the registration information registered in the additional database, the registration information for which a predetermined time has passed without being updated is automatically reduced.
The vehicle information distribution method according to (1) above, characterized in that.

According to the vehicle information distribution method of the above configuration (2), if a specific event occurs only once at the same point, the corresponding old registration information will be added to the additional database after a predetermined time has passed. Is automatically reduced from. In addition, when a specific event occurs repeatedly at the same point, the time information associated with the corresponding registration information is initialized each time the event occurs, so the information is out of date. Can be excluded from the deletion target and left in the additional database. In other words, it automatically distinguishes between high and low utility value without complicated processing, leaves high utility value registration information as it is even if it is old, and deletes only low utility value registration information in the additional database. It is possible to suppress the enlargement of the capacity.

(3) The management device side is
Every time a predetermined time elapses, only the updated information is extracted from the registration information already registered in the additional database, and the extracted registration information is wirelessly transmitted to the receiving side in-vehicle device registered in advance. Send by communication,
The vehicle information distribution method according to (1) or (2) above.

According to the vehicle information distribution method of the above configuration (3), even if a large amount of registered information is registered in the additional database, only the updated information is received every time a predetermined time elapses. It can be transmitted to the side on-board unit. Therefore, it is possible to periodically update the information such as the danger point grasped by the receiving side on-board unit to the latest contents. Moreover, since the amount of information transmitted by the management device can be reduced, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and processing load associated with communication.

(4) When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication is received and managed from the transmission side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the result of totaling the transmission information is received. It is an information distribution device that transmits to the on-board unit on the side by wireless communication.
An additional database that can be updated in real time,
It has a database management unit that manages the additional database.
When the transmission information is newly received, the database management unit updates the additional database to reflect the transmission information, and at the same time, the position indicated by the registration information already registered in the additional database and the transmission. The positions indicated by the information are compared, and if they match or have high similarity, the positions indicated by the registered information and the positions indicated by the transmitted information are averaged to perform averaging. The position is calculated, and the position indicated by the registration information is rewritten to the position after the averaging .
An information distribution device characterized by this.

According to the information distribution device having the configuration of (4) above, the transmitted information transmitted by each vehicle is statistically processed in a situation where a specific event occurs in the same manner at almost the same point for various vehicles. It will be reflected in the contents of the additional database. For example, when averaging is executed as statistical processing, when N transmission information is received, these can be averaged and one transmission information can be left as a processing result, so that the capacity of the additional database is increased. It is possible to improve the accuracy of each registered information in the database by reflecting the contents of a large number of transmitted information without changing the information.

(5) When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the management device receives and manages the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication from the transmission side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the management device receives and manages the transmission information. the results obtained by aggregating the information, in a communication system for transmitting by wireless communication to the receiver-side vehicle-mounted device, the management device is a management program for managing additional databases can be updated in real time, the management apparatus To your computer
A procedure for updating the additional database to reflect the transmission information when the management device newly receives the transmission information, and a procedure for updating the additional database.
When the management device newly receives the transmission information, the position indicated by the registration information already registered in the additional database is compared with the position indicated by the transmission information, and they match or have similarities. If it is high, the position after averaging is calculated by performing averaging processing on the position indicated by the registration information and the position indicated by the transmission information, and the position indicated by the registration information is the position after averaging. And the procedure to rewrite to
A management program characterized by executing.

By reading and executing the management program having the configuration of (5) above on the computer of the management device, each vehicle can generate a specific event at almost the same point for various vehicles. The transmission information to be transmitted is statistically processed and reflected in the contents of the additional database. For example, when averaging is executed as statistical processing, when N transmission information is received, these can be averaged and one transmission information can be left as a processing result, so that the capacity of the additional database is increased. It is possible to improve the accuracy of each registered information in the database by reflecting the contents of a large number of transmitted information without changing the information.

According to the vehicle information distribution method, the information distribution device, and the management program of the present invention, it is possible to grasp useful information that is more valuable to each vehicle and the driver while avoiding the enlargement of the additional database. become.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. ..

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication system for carrying out the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of an on-board unit in a communication system for carrying out the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a characteristic operation example of the server in the communication system according to the present invention when receiving data. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a characteristic operation example of a process periodically executed by a server in a communication system for carrying out the present invention.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the respective figures.

<Communication system configuration example>
_ <Explanation of system outline>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a communication system for carrying out the present invention.

The on-board unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 is used in a state of being mounted on each vehicle such as a large number of trucks, buses, taxi vehicles, etc. whose operation is controlled by a specific company or the like. Further, although the on-board unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 is basically configured as a digital tachograph, it also includes functions equivalent to those of a drive recorder.

That is, the on-board unit 10 periodically acquires the vehicle speed, engine rotation speed, vehicle position, acceleration, captured image, etc. as operation information while the vehicle is operating by the function of the digital tachograph, and this operation information is acquired by the memory card 65. Automatically record on a recording medium such as. Further, when the occurrence of a large acceleration or the like is detected, that is, when a collision of the own vehicle or a special event such as sudden braking occurs, the on-board unit 10 is based on the trigger signal generated inside the on-board unit 10. Temporarily execute the recording function of the drive recorder.

Further, the on-board unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with a function of outputting an alarm to alert the crew when approaching a danger point registered in advance. The information on this danger point is stored in the local danger point database DBL described later, and the information is sequentially updated as needed.

The office PC 30 is installed in an office or the like in a company to manage the operation status of a large number of vehicles equipped with the on-board unit 10, labor management of crew members of each vehicle, safe driving management, and the like. It is a management device and is operated by a predetermined manager in the company. The hardware of the office PC 30 is the same as that of a general personal computer (PC), but is equipped with special application software for realizing the operation management function 37.

When the daily operation of each vehicle is completed and the vehicle is received, for example, a crew member removes the memory card 65 from the on-board unit 10 and takes it back to the office, and attaches the memory card 65 to the office PC 30 in the office. .. As a result, the office PC 30 can read the operation information of the vehicle recorded on the memory card 65 on the day and use it for vehicle operation management, crew labor management, crew safe driving management, and the like.

In addition, by analyzing the operation information of a large number of vehicles read by the office PC30, for example, on the operation route of each vehicle, a dangerous point where a dangerous event such as a traffic accident or sudden braking is likely to occur is identified. It is possible to do. That is, in the operation record of each vehicle, the position of the dangerous point can be specified in consideration of the point where the trigger signal frequently generated due to the sudden braking, the shape of the road, the presence or absence of the traffic light, and the like.

The above dangerous point information is registered in the dangerous point database DB0. Further, the information of each danger point registered in the danger point database DB0 can be reflected in the local danger point database DBL on the vehicle-mounted device 10 by the office PC 30 writing to each memory card 65.

The contents of the danger point database DB0 can be updated by the administrator as needed. However, since the information on the danger points registered in the danger point database DB0 is created based on the data read from the memory card 65 by the office PC 30 at the time of warehousing of each vehicle, it is updated on a daily basis at the earliest and frequently. Not updated.

However, in the actual operating state of the vehicle, there is a possibility that a temporary danger point may occur or disappear in a short period of about one hour to several hours. Specifically, only for a short period of time due to the effects of traffic congestion that occurred temporarily due to road construction and traffic accidents, the effects of bad weather, rainfall, snowfall, fog, and freezing of the road surface due to low temperatures. It is possible that a dangerous spot will occur.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, an additional database DB1 is provided on the office PC 30 in addition to the danger point database DB0. This additional database DB1 is provided for registering the position information of the additional danger points that can be updated in almost real time.

The office PC 30 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the Internet 42 via a communication line 41. Further, an office PC 30 and a server 40 that can be used by the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle while the vehicle is in operation are connected to the Internet 42.

The server 40 is installed in a predetermined data center, for example, and can perform wireless communication with the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle via the radio base station 43. The wireless base station 43 is a facility of a telecommunications carrier that provides mobile communication services such as mobile phones, and can provide wireless communication services over a wide area. The server 40 functions as a relay of communication data between the office PC 30 and the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle. Of course, if the office PC 30 is always in operation and can always communicate, the server 40 can be omitted and direct wireless communication can be performed between the office PC 30 and the on-board unit 10. Further, for example, if the same function as that of the office PC 30 is realized by the cloud on the server 40, the processing load of the office PC 30 can be reduced.

Therefore, in the communication system shown in FIG. 1, the office PC 30 or the server 40 can acquire the latest data in real time from the on-board unit 10 by wireless communication while each vehicle is in operation. Therefore, it is also possible to update the additional database DB1 on the office PC 30 in real time. Further, the office PC 30 or the server 40 has registered the latest data of the danger point in advance so that the update content of the additional database DB1 updated in real time is reflected in the local danger point database DBL of each on-board unit 10. It can be delivered to the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle in operation.

Therefore, temporary danger points due to the effects of traffic congestion caused by road construction and traffic accidents, the effects of bad weather, rainfall, snowfall, fog, and freezing of the road surface due to low temperatures are also included. The on-board unit 10 of each vehicle in operation can grasp and issue an alarm as necessary when approaching the corresponding point.

However, when the server 40 or the office PC 30 receives data in real time from the on-board units 10 of a large number of vehicles, the capacity of the data to be registered in the database becomes enormous, and the storage capacity and the processing load become very large. there is a possibility. Therefore, as will be described later, the office PC 30 or the server 40 performs a special process so that the information on the dangerous points having high utility value can be delivered to the on-board unit 10 while avoiding the enlargement of the database capacity. ..

When using public equipment as the server 40, data is collected in real time from the on-board unit 10 of all vehicles traveling on the road, not limited to the vehicles managed by a specific company. It is also possible to do. Further, in that case, it is assumed that the on-board unit 10 of the distribution destination when the server 40 distributes the information of the danger point is limited to, for example, only the vehicle registered in advance for each user company.

_ <Configuration of on-board unit 10>
The in-vehicle device 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a microcomputer (CPU) 11, a speed interface (I / F) 12A, an engine rotation interface 12B, an external input interface 13, a sensor input interface 14, a camera interface 16, a card interface 18, and audio. Interface 19, analog input interface 29, GPS receiver 15, speaker 20, clock circuit (RTC: Real Time Clock) 21, switch input 22, wireless communication 24, power supply 25, non-volatile memory 26A, volatile memory 26B , A display unit 27, and a G sensor 28.

The microcomputer 11 performs processing for realizing various functions required for the vehicle-mounted device 10 by executing a program incorporated in advance. That is, the function of the digital tachograph, the drive recorder function, the alarm output function, the function of transmitting data to the server 40, the function of receiving data from the server 40, the function of updating the local danger point database DBL, etc. are processed by the microcomputer 11. Realize.

The speed interface 12A inputs the signal of the vehicle speed pulse output by the vehicle speed sensor 17 provided on the vehicle side and converts it into a signal suitable for the input of the microcomputer 11. By monitoring this vehicle speed pulse, the microcomputer 11 can calculate the traveling speed and the moving distance of the own vehicle.

The engine rotation interface 12B inputs the signal of the engine rotation pulse output from the vehicle side and converts it into a signal suitable for the input of the microcomputer 11. By monitoring the engine rotation pulse, the microcomputer 11 can grasp the rotation speed of the engine.

The G sensor 28 is connected to the input of the sensor input interface 14. The G sensor 28 can detect the magnitude of the acceleration applied in the front-rear direction and the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction of the own vehicle. The sensor input interface 14 outputs a predetermined trigger signal to the microcomputer 11 when the G sensor 28 detects a large acceleration equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

An in-vehicle camera 23 (one or a plurality of cameras) is connected to the input of the camera interface 16. The vehicle-mounted camera 23 is arranged so that it can photograph the road ahead in the traveling direction of the own vehicle, other vehicles, the scenery outside the vehicle, and the crew in the vehicle interior. The camera interface 16 converts the video signal or audio signal output by the vehicle-mounted camera 23 into a digital image signal or digital audio signal suitable for processing by the microcomputer 11 and gives the microcomputer 11 a digital image signal or a digital audio signal.

The GPS receiving unit 15 receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and executes a predetermined calculation process based on the received signals to represent information indicating the current position (latitude / longitude) of the own vehicle. Can be obtained. The microcomputer 11 can acquire information on the current position from the GPS receiving unit 15.

The card interface 18 has a card slot into which a memory card 65 of a predetermined standard can be mounted in a detachable state. The microcomputer 11 can access the memory card 65 via the card interface 18 to read and write data. The memory card 65 is used for storing operation information and transferring data offline between the office PC 30 and the vehicle-mounted device 10.

The voice interface 19 can generate a pseudo voice signal based on the data output by the microcomputer 11 and give the pseudo voice signal to the speaker 20. This makes it possible to output a voice warning such as "It is a dangerous point soon, please drive carefully."

The clock circuit 21 can output information on the current time and date by constantly counting stable clock pulses having a constant period. The switch input unit 22 has a plurality of switches (SWs) capable of accepting input operations of crew members.

The wireless communication unit 24 has a function of performing wide-area wireless communication with a wireless base station 43 managed by a communication carrier that provides a mobile communication service such as a mobile phone line. Therefore, the microcomputer 11 secures a wireless communication line by using the wireless communication unit 24 and the wireless base station 43 regardless of the position where the own vehicle equipped with the on-board unit 10 is traveling, and the server. Can be connected to 40.

The power supply unit 25 has a stable DC power supply voltage (+5) required by each circuit such as the microcomputer 11 in the vehicle-mounted device 10 based on the DC power supply power (+12 [V] or the like) supplied from the vehicle battery or the like. [V] etc.) is generated and supplied to each circuit.

The non-volatile memory 26A is composed of an electronic device such as a flash memory capable of reading and rewriting data. The non-volatile memory 26A is used to hold predetermined constant data, various tables, programs, etc. referred to by the microcomputer 11.

The volatile memory 26B is composed of a semiconductor memory (RAM) capable of reading and writing data. The storage area on the volatile memory 26B is used by the microcomputer 11 to hold temporary data as needed.

Under the control of the microcomputer 11, the display unit 27 can display numbers and characters representing the operating state (warehousing / delivery, etc.), date, current time, etc. of the vehicle-mounted device 10 so that the crew can visually recognize them.

_ <Structure of office PC30>
The office PC 30 shown in FIG. 1 has hardware such as a computer main body 31, a communication unit 32, a display unit 33, a storage unit 34, a card interface 35, and an operation unit 36, in the same manner as the configuration of a general personal computer. It is installed.

Further, although not shown, the office PC 30 is equipped with standard basic software (OS: operating system) in the same manner as the configuration of a general personal computer. Further, the office PC 30 is equipped with special application software for realizing the operation management function 37 that can be operated on the basic software.

Further, in the present embodiment, the danger point database DB0 and the additional database DB1 are constructed on at least one of the storage unit 34 of the office PC 30 and the storage device of the server 40. The content of the danger point database DB0 is determined based on the history of past operation information accumulated in the office PC 30 and the judgment of the administrator, and is updated, for example, in units of one day or several days.

On the other hand, the contents of the additional database DB1 are automatically set in almost real time by the processing executed by the office PC 30 or the server 40 based on the data transmitted by the on-board unit 10 mounted on each vehicle to the server 40 by wide area wireless communication. Will be updated.

<Details of system operation>
_ <Operation example of on-board unit 10>
FIG. 2 shows an operation example of the vehicle-mounted device 10 in the communication system for carrying out the present invention. That is, under the control of the microcomputer 11 in the vehicle-mounted device 10, the characteristic operation shown in FIG. 2 is executed in cooperation with the server 40. The communication system for carrying out the present invention includes, for example, a large number of on-board units 10 mounted on different vehicles. Further, the vehicle-mounted device 10 that transmits data to the server 40 by wireless communication and the vehicle-mounted device 10 that receives data from the server 40 by wireless communication are not always the same. The operation of FIG. 2 will be described below.

For example, when a large acceleration is applied to the own vehicle due to a collision of the own vehicle or a sudden braking operation, the G sensor 28 detects this large acceleration, and the sensor input interface 14 generates a predetermined trigger signal. When the microcomputer 11 detects the generation of the trigger signal, it proceeds to the processing of S11 to S12 and acquires the information of the current position from the GPS receiving unit 15.

Further, the microcomputer 11 notifies the server 40 of the information of the current position acquired in S12 and the information indicating the type of the event corresponding to the generated trigger signal to the server 40 via the wireless communication unit 24 and the wireless base station 43. S13).

Further, when the wireless communication unit 24 detects that the database update information from the server 40 has been received, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from S14 to S15. Then, the received database update information is reflected in the contents of the local danger point database DBL.

Further, the microcomputer 11 acquires the information of the current position output by the GPS receiving unit 15 in S16, and the current position and the position information of each of a large number of dangerous points registered in the local danger point database DBL. Is compared in S17.

The local hazard database DBL contains the contents of both the hazard database DB0 and the additional database DB1 existing on the office PC 30 or the server 40. The local danger point database DBL corresponding to the contents of the danger point database DB0 and the local danger point database DBL corresponding to the contents of the additional database DB1 may be arranged separately.

When the microcomputer 11 detects in S18 that the own vehicle is approaching any one of the danger points by comparison with S17, the process proceeds to S19. In this case, the microcomputer 11 outputs a predetermined alarm for alerting the crew from the speaker 20 via, for example, the voice interface 19. For example, output a voice message "You are approaching a dangerous point, please be careful when driving."

_ <Operation example of server 40 or office PC30>
＿＿ ＜ Operation when receiving data ＞
FIG. 3 shows a characteristic operation example of the server 40 when receiving data in the communication system for carrying out the present invention. That is, when the server 40 receives data from the vehicle-mounted device 10 of each vehicle by wireless communication, the server 40 or the office PC 30 executes the operation shown in FIG. In the following description, it is assumed that the server 40 executes the process of FIG.

When the data from the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle is received by wireless communication, the server 40 proceeds to the processing of S21 to S22, the type of each event generated by processing the received data, and the position information included in the received data. To get.

The server 40 compares the position information of the received data acquired in S22 with the position information of each of a large number of dangerous points registered in the dangerous point database DB0 in S23. Then, when it is recognized that the dangerous point of the received data is already registered in the dangerous point database DB0, the process of FIG. 3 is terminated in S23, and when it is recognized that the dangerous point is not yet registered, the processes of S23 to S24 are performed. Proceed to.

In step S24, the server 40 compares the position of the received data acquired in S22 with the position of each of the many dangerous points registered on the additional database DB1. Then, it is identified whether or not the danger point corresponding to the received data, that is, the danger point corresponding to or similar to the position of the received data is registered in the additional database DB1, and if it is not yet registered in the additional database DB1. Proceed to S25, and if registered, proceed to S26.

In step S25, the server 40 additionally registers the position of the received data acquired in S22 as information on a new danger point in the additional database DB1.

Further, in step S26, the server 40 averages the position of the received data and the position of the corresponding danger point on the additional database DB1. For example, the following formula is calculated.
Pm = (P1-P0) × Kw + P0 ・ ・ ・ (1)
Pm: Position after averaging P1: Position of received data P0: Position of registered danger point Kw: Constant representing weighting factor

Further, for example, when the update frequency M of the information of the corresponding danger point is known, the calculation of the following equation may be performed.
Pm = ((P1-P0) / (M + 1)) + P0 ... (2)

By performing such an averaging process, it is possible to improve the position accuracy by reflecting the position of the new received data in the registered danger point without increasing the capacity of the information registered in the additional database DB1. Become.

In step S27, the server 40 sets an initial value (constant time) predetermined in the Nth elapsed time counter Ct_N when the position of the received data and the corresponding danger point are the Nth registered information on the additional database DB1. : For example, several hours) is preset. It is assumed that the information of the elapsed time counter Ct associated with each danger point is stored in the additional database DB1 together with the position of the danger point.

In step S28, the server 40 updates the contents of the additional database DB1. That is, the position of the registration information of the Nth dangerous point registered in the additional database DB1 is rewritten with the position Pm after the averaging process calculated in S26.

＿＿ <Process to be executed regularly>
FIG. 4 shows a characteristic operation example of the processing that the server 40 periodically executes. That is, every time a predetermined fixed time (for example, 1 minute) elapses, the server 40 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. The operation of FIG. 4 will be described below.

The server 40 sets the initial value "1" in S31 to the variable n representing the number of the danger point data to be processed. Further, in the next S32, the value of the nth elapsed time counter Ct_n is updated to be reduced by "1". Further, the server 40 compares the updated value of the elapsed time counter Ct_n with "0" in S33.

Then, if the updated value of the elapsed time counter Ct_n is 0 or less, the process proceeds to S34, and the server 40 adds the nth data from the additional database DB1 among the data of each danger point registered in the additional database DB1. delete.

Further, the server 40 updates the value of the variable n in S35, and compares the updated value with the maximum value Nmax, that is, the number of information registered in the additional database DB1. In the case of "n≤Nmax", since the processing of all the registration information has not been completed yet, the process returns from S35 to S32 and the same processing is repeated.

In the case of "n> Nmax", since the processing of all the registration information has been completed, the server 40 proceeds from the processing of S35 to the processing of S36. Then, the server 40 transmits the information of the new dangerous point that has not been transmitted since it was added to the additional database DB1 and the dangerous point that has been invalidated by the deletion to the in-vehicle device 10 of each vehicle by wireless communication in S36. do.

<Advantages of communication system>
In the above-mentioned communication system, the office PC 30, the server 40, and the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle can grasp the danger points in almost real time, so that only the danger points that are difficult to change due to the shape of the road or the like can be grasped. It is also possible to manage temporary danger points caused by temporary congestion caused by road construction and traffic accidents, bad weather, rainfall, snowfall, fog, and freezing of the road surface due to low temperature. ..

Moreover, when the data representing the same danger point is input to the server 40 from each on-board unit 10 multiple times, the result of the averaging process in S26 shown in FIG. 3 is reflected in the additional database DB1. Therefore, it is possible to improve the position accuracy without increasing the capacity of the entire database. Furthermore, since the data of the dangerous points that have passed a predetermined time without being updated and become old are automatically deleted from the additional database DB1 in S34 of FIG. 4, only the data of the dangerous points that are actually highly useful are used. Can be left in the additional database DB1.

Further, when the data transmission from each on-board unit 10 is repeated at the same point, the value of the elapsed time counter Ct that manages the elapsed time of the corresponding dangerous point is initialized in S27 of FIG. Elapsed time can be easily managed. For example, by reducing the initial value of the elapsed time counter Ct, it is possible to delete the data of the dangerous point having a high utility value for a short period from the additional database DB1 in a short time. Further, even if the dangerous point has a relatively long period of high utility value, if the data transmission from the on-board unit 10 is repeated at that point, the risk on the additional database DB1 is longer than the initial value. It becomes possible to maintain the data of the point.

Here, the features of the vehicle information distribution method, the information distribution device, and the management program according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention are briefly listed below in [1] to [5], respectively.
[1] When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication from the transmission side on-board unit (vehicle-mounted device 10) mounted on the vehicle is transmitted to the management device (office PC 30 or server 40). It is an information distribution method for vehicles that receives and manages on the side and transmits the result of totaling the transmission information on the management device side to the on-board unit (on-board unit 10) on the receiving side by wireless communication.
The management device side
Manages an additional database (DB1) that can be updated in real time,
When the transmission information is newly received, the additional database is updated to reflect the transmission information (S25, S28), and the registration information already registered in the additional database is compared with the transmission information. (S24), and if they match or have high similarity, perform predetermined statistical processing on the relevant information (S26).
An information distribution method for vehicles characterized by this.

[2] The management device side is
When information that matches or has high similarity to the registration information already registered in the additional database is newly received as the transmission information, the time information associated with the registration information is initialized (S27).
Among the registration information registered in the additional database, the registration information for which a predetermined time has passed without being updated is automatically reduced (S34).
The vehicle information distribution method according to the above [1].

[3] The management device side is
Every time a predetermined time elapses, only the updated information is extracted from the registration information already registered in the additional database, and the extracted registration information is wirelessly transmitted to the receiving side in-vehicle device registered in advance. Transmit by communication (S36),
The vehicle information distribution method according to the above [1] or [2].

[4] When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication is received and managed from the transmission side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the result of totaling the transmission information is received. It is an information distribution device that transmits to the on-board unit on the side by wireless communication.
An additional database (DB1) that can be updated in real time,
It is equipped with a database management unit (office PC30 or server 40) that manages the additional database.
When the transmission information is newly received, the database management unit updates the additional database to reflect the transmission information (S25, S28), and together with the registration information already registered in the additional database. The transmitted information is compared (S24), and if they match or have high similarity, a predetermined statistical process is executed on the corresponding information (S26).
An information distribution device characterized by this.

[5] When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the management device receives and manages the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication from the transmission side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the management device receives and manages the transmission information. It is a management program (operation management function 37) for managing an additional database that can be updated in real time by the management device in a communication system that transmits the result of totaling information to the on-board unit on the receiving side by wireless communication. hand,
A procedure (S25, S28) for updating the additional database to reflect the transmission information when the management device newly receives the transmission information.
When the management device newly receives the transmission information, the registration information already registered in the additional database is compared with the transmission information (S24), and when they match or have high similarity. Is a procedure (S26) for executing predetermined statistical processing on the relevant information, and
A management program characterized by having.

10 On-board unit 11 Microcomputer 15 GPS receiver 17 Vehicle speed sensor 20 Speaker 21 Clock circuit 22 Switch input unit 23 On-board camera 24 Wireless communication unit 25 Power supply unit 26A Non-volatile memory 26B Volatile memory 27 Display unit 28 G sensor 30 Office PC
31 Computer main unit 32 Communication unit 33 Display unit 34 Storage unit 35 Card interface 36 Operation unit 37 Operation management function 40 Server 41 Communication line 42 Internet 43 Wireless base station 65 Memory card Ct, Ct_N Elapsed time counter DB0 Danger point database DB1 Additional database DBL Local hazard database

Claims (5)

When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the management device side receives and manages the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication from the transmission side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the management device side receives the transmission information. It is an information distribution method for vehicles that transmits the aggregated results to the on-board unit on the receiving side by wireless communication.
The management device side
Manage additional databases that can be updated in real time,
When the transmission information is newly received, the additional database is updated to reflect the transmission information, and the position indicated by the registration information already registered in the additional database and the position indicated by the transmission information are set. If they match or have high similarity, the position after averaging is calculated by performing averaging processing on the position indicated by the registration information and the position indicated by the transmission information. Rewrite the position indicated by the registration information to the position after averaging ,
An information distribution method for vehicles characterized by this. The management device side
When information that matches or has high similarity to the registration information already registered in the additional database is newly received as the transmission information, the time information associated with the registration information is initialized.
Among the registration information registered in the additional database, the registration information for which a predetermined time has passed without being updated is automatically reduced.
The vehicle information distribution method according to claim 1. The management device side
Every time a predetermined time elapses, only the updated information is extracted from the registration information already registered in the additional database, and the extracted registration information is wirelessly transmitted to the receiving side in-vehicle device registered in advance. Send by communication,
The vehicle information distribution method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication is received and managed from the transmission-side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the result of totaling the transmission information is the result of the reception-side on-board unit. It is an information distribution device that transmits to the user by wireless communication.
An additional database that can be updated in real time,
It has a database management unit that manages the additional database.
When the transmission information is newly received, the database management unit updates the additional database to reflect the transmission information, and at the same time, the position indicated by the registration information already registered in the additional database and the transmission. The positions indicated by the information are compared, and if they match or have high similarity, the positions indicated by the registered information and the positions indicated by the transmitted information are averaged to perform averaging. The position is calculated, and the position indicated by the registration information is rewritten to the position after the averaging .
An information distribution device characterized by this. When a specific event occurs in the vehicle, the management device receives and manages the transmission information transmitted by wireless communication from the transmission side on-board unit mounted on the vehicle, and the management device aggregates the transmission information. It is a management program for managing an additional database that can be updated in real time by the management device in a communication system that transmits the result to the receiving side in-vehicle device by wireless communication, and is a management program for the computer of the management device. ,
A procedure for updating the additional database to reflect the transmission information when the management device newly receives the transmission information, and a procedure for updating the additional database.
When the management device newly receives the transmission information, the position indicated by the registration information already registered in the additional database is compared with the position indicated by the transmission information, and they match or have similarities. If it is high, the position after averaging is calculated by performing averaging processing on the position indicated by the registration information and the position indicated by the transmission information, and the position indicated by the registration information is the position after averaging. And the procedure to rewrite to
A management program characterized by executing.

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