JP7212367B2 - Traffic support system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a traffic support system, and more particularly to a traffic support system that operates with electric power generated by sunlight.

Conventionally, various types of road information such as traffic jams and accidents are collected, and road information is displayed on an electronic display device placed on the road. the system is in operation. Further, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which are developed from conventional traffic information systems, have also been proposed (see Patent Literatures 1 and 2, for example).

Furthermore, by using vehicle-to-vehicle communication, in which information is exchanged between vehicles, and road-to-vehicle communication, in which information is exchanged between vehicles and communication equipment located on the road, people, roads and vehicles are connected by information communication technology. On the other hand, the development of next-generation ITS, which aims at advanced road use and reduction of user burden, is also underway. For such next-generation ITS, interlocking with a driving support system that assists driving by acquiring information on the vehicle's driving state and surrounding conditions, and automatic driving technology that automates the driving of the vehicle is also being considered.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-280377 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-280382

However, in the prior arts of Patent Documents 1 and 2, it was necessary to install a large number of detection devices for collecting road information and communication devices for transmitting road information near the road. In order to operate these devices, it is necessary to lay power lines for supplying electric power and communication lines for information communication along roads, so the installation work is large-scale.

Moreover, even if the areas where the detection devices and the communication devices are installed are scattered, it is necessary to lay power lines and communication lines on the route to the areas. In addition, since a large number of detection devices and communication devices are installed near the road, there is a possibility that the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians will be obstructed in areas where the road surface area is limited, such as roads with narrow roadsides and urban areas. Furthermore, in the event of a power outage such as a disaster, when the power supply from the electric power company is interrupted, the system of communication control and information distribution will not be able to operate, and there is a possibility that control such as automatic operation will be hindered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been devised in view of the conventional problems described above, and aims to provide a traffic support system that simplifies installation work while securing a traffic area, and is capable of collecting and transmitting road information. aim.

In order to solve the above problems, the traffic support system of the present invention includes a photovoltaic power generation unit laid on a running surface of a road, a power storage unit storing power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit, and A sensor unit that operates on the supplied power and detects road conditions as road surface information, and an information processing unit that operates on the power supplied from the power storage unit and processes the road surface information and outputs transmission information. and an information communication unit that transmits the transmission information to a data center, the road surface information includes a decrease in the output of the photovoltaic unit, a plurality of the sensor units, the information processing unit, and the information communication unit, the a support information processing unit configured to receive a plurality of transmission information transmitted from the plurality of information communication units, store them as accumulated road information, and process the accumulated road information to generate support information; It is characterized by comprising a support information distribution unit that distributes the support information to a support target .

In such a traffic support system of the present invention, the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit is stored in the power storage unit, the power from the power storage unit is used to operate the sensor unit and the information processing unit, and the road information obtained by the sensor unit is stored. Since information about the situation is processed and sent to the data center, there is no need to lay power wiring or communication wiring, which simplifies the installation work while securing traffic areas and enables the collection and transmission of road information. .

Further, in one aspect of the present invention, at least one of the power storage unit, the sensor unit, the information processing unit, and the information communication unit is embedded under the surface of the road.

In one aspect of the present invention, the power supply unit is embedded in the road and supplies power supplied from the power storage unit to a vehicle traveling on the road.

In one aspect of the invention, the road surface information includes any one of humidity, vibration, illuminance, carbon dioxide concentration, amount of rainfall, number of traveling vehicles, traveling vehicle speed, road surface image, and infrared image .

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a traffic support system that simplifies installation work while securing a traffic area, and that can collect and transmit road information even during a power outage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic diagram which shows the outline|summary of the traffic assistance system 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a result of situation determination based on accumulated road information collected by the traffic support system 100; It is a schematic diagram which shows the outline|summary of the traffic assistance system 200 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a unitized photovoltaic section 10. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a traffic support system 200; FIG. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram showing an example of grid arrangement of photovoltaic units 10. FIG. 6A shows a configuration example of one grid 70, and FIG. 6B shows a plurality of grids 70 arranged in a matrix on a road. An example of arrangement is shown.

(First embodiment)
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent constituent elements, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplication of description will be omitted as appropriate. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a traffic support system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , the traffic support system 100 of this embodiment includes a photovoltaic power generation unit 10 , a power storage unit 20 , a power supply unit 30 , a road surface information device 40 and a load unit 50 . 1 shows an example in which the vehicle C1 runs on the power supply unit 30 and the vehicle C2 runs on the photovoltaic unit 10. As shown in FIG.

The photovoltaic power generation unit 10 is a device that converts light laid on the running surface of the road into electric power, and a photovoltaic power generation panel can be used. Although the specific structure of the photovoltaic panel is not limited, known materials and structures such as silicon single crystals, amorphous silicon, dye-sensitized panels, and CIGS materials can be used. The photovoltaic unit 10 is electrically connected to the power storage unit 20 by electrical wiring (not shown).

The power storage unit 20 is a device that is buried under the surface of the road and stores and supplies power, and can use a secondary battery, a capacitor, or the like. As the secondary battery, known materials and structures such as lithium-ion batteries and all-solid-state batteries can be used. For example, recycled secondary batteries used in electric vehicles and hybrid cars may be used. Power storage unit 20 also incorporates a well-known controller for optimizing power storage and delivery. The power storage unit 20 is electrically connected to the photovoltaic unit 10, the power supply unit 30, the road surface information device 40, and the load unit 50 by electrical wiring (not shown), and stores the power generated by the photovoltaic unit 10. Power is supplied to the power supply unit 30 , the road surface information device 40 and the load unit 50 . Although an example in which the power storage unit 20 is embedded under the surface of the road is shown here, it may be installed on the road surface or on the side of the road if the installation area can be secured.

The power supply unit 30 is a device that is laid on the running surface of the road and supplies power to the vehicle C1 that runs on the road surface. be able to. Power supply unit 30 is connected to power storage unit 20 by an electric wiring (not shown), and transmits power supplied from power storage unit 20 to a power receiving device mounted on vehicle C1.

The road surface information device 40 is installed on the road surface or on the side of the road, collects road conditions as road surface information, processes the road surface information, and transmits the information to a data center (not shown) as transmission information. be. Therefore, the road surface information device 40 of this embodiment has the functions of the sensor section, the information processing section, and the information communication section in the present invention. The road surface information device 40 is connected to the power storage unit 20 by electrical wiring (not shown), and various functions are operated by the power supplied from the power storage unit 20 . The road surface information collected by the road surface information device 40 includes temperature, humidity, vibration, illuminance, carbon dioxide concentration, rainfall, number of traveling vehicles, traveling vehicle speed, road surface image, infrared image, and the like on and near the road surface. A wired connection such as an optical fiber or a wireless connection using radio waves can be used as a function for transmitting transmission information to the data center.

The load unit 50 is a device installed on the road surface or on the side of the road, and consumes power to perform a predetermined operation. Examples thereof include a lighting device and an electric display device. The load unit 50 is connected to the power storage unit 20 by electrical wiring (not shown), and power supplied from the power storage unit 20 operates various functions. In addition, the load unit 50 and the road surface information device 40 may be connected so as to be able to communicate information, as required, to display information output from the road surface information device 40, control illumination light, and implement road-to-vehicle communication. .

In the traffic support system 100 of this embodiment, the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 is stored in the power storage unit 20, and the power supplied from the power storage unit 20 powers the power supply unit 30, the road surface information device 40, and the load unit 50. Operate. The road conditions collected by the road surface information device 40 are transmitted to the data center, and the information collected from the plurality of road surface information devices 40 arranged on the road is accumulated in the data center as accumulated road information.

In addition, the data center judges the situation based on the huge amount of collected road information, and transmits support information for traffic control to the road surface information device 40 . The road surface information device 40 that has received the assistance information transmits the assistance information to the vehicles C1 and C2 that are running by using road-to-vehicle communication or an electronic display device. The vehicles C1 and C2 perform guidance display, voice guidance, and driving support control based on the received support information. Here, each unit is operated by the power stored in the power storage unit 20, but the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 may be directly supplied to each unit and each device to operate them.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the result of situation determination based on accumulated road information collected by the traffic support system 100. As shown in FIG. In the traffic support system 100 of the present embodiment, the sensors included in the road surface information device 40 detect the rainfall conditions, the average running speed of vehicles, the occurrence and duration of traffic jams, obstacles on the road surface, the occurrence of accidents, etc. for each area. It can be grasped in real time. The data center generates support information such as speed limits and avoidance actions from the accumulated road information in which such information is accumulated, and presents information and driving support to the vehicles C1, C2, etc. in motion via the road surface information device 40. take action. Alternatively, support information is transmitted from the data center to the vehicles C1 and C2 via a wireless communication line of a communication company or the like, and automatic driving control and driving support operation are performed.

In the traffic support system 100 of this embodiment, the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 arranged on the surface of the road is stored in the power storage unit 20, and the power supply unit 30, the road surface information device 40 and the load unit 50 are driven. be. This eliminates the need to install long-distance power lines and communication lines for collecting and communicating road surface information. In addition, since the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 is provided on the road surface, it is possible to save space, secure a traffic area, simplify the installation work, and collect and transmit road information. In addition, even if the power supply from the electric power company is interrupted in the event of a disaster or in a remote location, the independence of the photovoltaic power generation system allows the traffic support system 100 to operate.

In addition, although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the road surface information device 40 is arranged on the side of the road, at least one or all of the sensor section, information processing section, and information communication section provided in the road surface information device 40 may be installed on the road. It may be embedded below the surface. By burying the sensor section, information processing section, information communication section, and power storage section 20 under the surface of the road, it is possible to further save space and secure a passage area.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. The description of the content that overlaps with the first embodiment is omitted. In this embodiment, each function of the road surface information device 40 of the first embodiment is integrated into the unitized photovoltaic section 10 . FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the traffic support system 200 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the unitized photovoltaic section 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the traffic support system 200 of this embodiment has a plurality of photovoltaic power generation units 10 and a load unit 50 . In addition, the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 is unitized, and a solar panel 11, an information processing unit 12, an information communication unit 13, a sensor unit 14, and a power storage unit 20 are provided inside the housing of the photovoltaic power generation unit 10. , the feeder 30 is accommodated. Here, since each part is accommodated inside the unitized photovoltaic power generation unit 10, when the unitized photovoltaic power generation unit 10 is laid on a road, the information processing unit 12, the information communication unit 13, the sensor The unit 14, the power storage unit 20 and the power supply unit 30 will be buried under the surface of the road. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the power storage unit 20 and the power supply unit 30 may be prepared separately from the unitized photovoltaic unit 10 and arranged in an area where the photovoltaic unit 10 is not installed.

The solar panel 11 is a solar panel provided near the surface of the unitized photovoltaic unit 10, and a flexible solar panel made of amorphous silicon is used in terms of load bearing performance, flexibility, and weather resistance. is preferred.

The information processing section 12 is provided inside the unitized photovoltaic section 10, and is a section that processes various types of information according to a predetermined procedure. It is a computer equipped with a storage device and various interfaces. Information processing unit 12 is electrically connected to power storage unit 20 and driven by power supplied from power storage unit 20 .

The information communication unit 13 is provided inside the unitized photovoltaic unit 10, and is a device that performs wireless information communication with a wireless relay station. In addition, the information communication unit 13 performs road-to-vehicle communication by mutually communicating information with the vehicles C1, C2, etc. traveling on the road surface. Information communication unit 13 is electrically connected to power storage unit 20 and driven by power supplied from power storage unit 20 . A specific communication means of the information communication unit 13 is not limited, but a fourth generation mobile communication system or a fifth generation mobile communication system can be used.

The sensor unit 14 is embedded under the surface of the road inside the unitized photovoltaic unit 10 or in an area where the photovoltaic unit 10 is not installed, and acquires various conditions on the road as road surface information. is. Examples of the sensor unit 14 include a microphone, a thermometer, a hygrometer, a vibration measuring device, an illuminance meter, a carbon dioxide concentration measuring device, a rain gauge, a moving body sensor, and a speed sensor. Sensor unit 14 is electrically connected to power storage unit 20 and driven by power supplied from power storage unit 20 .

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of unitized photovoltaic units 10 are laid on a road having a lower layer 1 and a surface layer 2 . The lower layer 1 is a structure provided below the surface layer 2 on the paved surface of the road, and includes, for example, a concrete layer, a foundation, and the ground. The surface layer 2 is a structure that constitutes the pavement surface of the road, and includes, for example, an asphalt layer, a special coating layer, a foundation, and the like.
A plurality of unitized photovoltaic units 10 are electrically connected to solar panels 11 and connected to a common power storage unit 20 buried under the surface of the road. The power generated by the solar panel 11 of each photovoltaic power generation section 10 is stored in the common power storage section 20 as described above.

In addition, each photovoltaic power generation unit 10 includes a power storage unit 20, a power supply unit 30, an information processing unit 12, an information communication unit 13, and a sensor unit 14, respectively. The power generated by the solar panel 11 in each photovoltaic power generation section 10 is stored in the power storage section 20 within the unit. The power supply section 30, the information processing section 12, the information communication section 13, and the sensor section 14 in the unit are each driven by power supplied from the power storage section 20 in the same unit. Here, the power stored in the power storage unit 20 in the unit is used to operate each part of the unit, but the power generated by the solar panel 11 may be directly supplied to each part to operate it. .

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an overview of the traffic support system 200. As shown in FIG. A plurality of photovoltaic power generation units 10 embedded under the surface of the road are electrically connected to a power storage unit 20 and a power supply unit 30, and an information communication unit 13 accommodated in the photovoltaic power generation units 10 uses wireless communication. Information communication is performed mutually with the data center 60 through the communication. In FIG. 5, illustration of the information processing unit 12 included in each photovoltaic unit 10 is omitted.

In the traffic support system 200 of this embodiment as well, the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 is stored in the power storage unit 20, and the power supplied from the power storage unit 20 operates the power supply unit 30 and the load unit 50. FIG. The road surface information collected by the sensor unit 14 is processed by the information processing unit 12 and transmitted from the information communication unit 13 to the data center 60 as transmission information. In the data center 60, information collected from a plurality of sensor units 14 arranged on the road is accumulated as accumulated road information, and situation judgment is made based on the collected enormous amount of accumulated road information.

As a result of the situation determination, the data center 60 transmits support information for traffic control to the information communication unit 13 . The information communication unit 13 that has received the assistance information transmits the assistance information to the vehicles C1 and C2 that are running by using road-to-vehicle communication or an electronic display device. The vehicles C1 and C2 perform guidance display, voice guidance, and driving support control based on the received support information. Alternatively, support information is transmitted from the data center 60 to the vehicles C1 and C2 via a wireless communication line of a communication company or the like, and automatic driving control and driving support operation are performed.

The situation judgment at the data center 60 includes, for example, the presence of falling objects, the occurrence of accidents, the scale of accidents, the presence of broken down vehicles, the occurrence of traffic jams, etc., based on vibrations, impact sounds, moving object detection, output reduction of the solar panel 11, and the like. , average running speed of vehicles, occurrence of fire, etc. Further, the support information generated as a result of the data center 60 judging the situation includes an instruction to decelerate the vehicle to the vicinity of the accident site, and an instruction to change lanes from a predetermined distance ahead if there is an obstacle on the road surface. Instructions and detours, instructions to reduce the speed limit and deceleration in the event of rain, snow, or frozen roads, and notifications by detecting vehicles before intersections with poor visibility.

In addition, by accumulating road surface information from a plurality of sensor units 14 as accumulated road information in the data center 60 and analyzing it as big data, it is possible to improve the accuracy and reaction speed of situation judgment and information processing in real time. to send assistance information on the road. In addition, by embedding a plurality of photovoltaic units 10 and sensor units 14 along the road and collecting data for each section (grid), it is possible to operate in grid units and cooperate with distant grids. , can realize the scalability and solution of detailed situation judgment.

6A and 6B are schematic diagrams showing an example of arranging the photovoltaic units 10 in a grid. FIG. 6A shows a configuration example of one grid 70, and FIG. shows an example of arranging a grid 70 of . In the example shown in FIG. 6A, the unitized photovoltaic units 10a and 10b are connected to each other so that power and information can be exchanged between the photovoltaic units 10a and 10b in the grid 70. . Here, as an example, the photovoltaic unit 10a includes an individual power storage unit 20, a power supply unit 30, an information processing unit 12, an information communication unit 13, and a sensor unit 14, and the other photovoltaic unit 10b includes the information communication unit 13. Suppose you are not prepared.

In each of the photovoltaic units 10a and 10b in the same grid 70, the road surface information detected by the sensor unit 14 is processed by the information processing unit 13, and the information is transmitted within the grid 70 to the information communication unit 13 of the photovoltaic unit 10a. to the data center 60 via the As shown in FIG. 6B, a plurality of grids 70 are laid on the road, and road surface information is transmitted from each grid 70 to the data center 60 as transmission information. Position information is individually recorded in each grid 70, and the situation and position of the road surface occurring within the range of the grid 70 are grasped by transmitting the position information including the position information to the data center 60 when transmitting the transmission information. be able to.

Thus, in the traffic support system 200, road surface information obtained by the gridded photovoltaic unit 10 is accumulated as accumulated road information in the data center 60, and support information is generated by judging the situation. Further, from the data center 60, assistance information is transmitted to the vehicles C1 and C2 in motion via the information communication unit 13 provided in the photovoltaic unit 10a of each grid 70, and information presentation and driving assistance operation are performed. Alternatively, support information is transmitted from the data center 60 to the vehicles C1 and C2 via a wireless communication line of a communication company or the like, and automatic driving control and driving support operation are performed.

In the traffic support system 200 of this embodiment as well, the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 arranged on the surface of the road is stored in the power storage unit 20, and the power supply unit 30, the information processing unit 12, the information communication unit 13, the sensor The section 14 and the load section 50 are driven. This eliminates the need to install long-distance power lines and communication lines for collecting and communicating road surface information. In addition, since the photovoltaic power generation unit 10 is provided on the road surface, it is possible to save space, secure a traffic area, simplify the installation work, and collect and transmit road information. In addition, the traffic support system 200 can be operated independently even in the event of a disaster or in a remote location.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims, and can be obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

C1, C2...Vehicles 100, 200...Traffic support system 10...Photovoltaic unit
20... Power storage unit 30... Power supply unit 40... Road surface information device 50... Load unit 60... Data center 11... Solar panel 12... Information processing unit 13... Information communication unit 14... Sensor unit

Claims (4)

A photovoltaic power generation unit installed on the running surface of the road,
a power storage unit that stores power generated by the photovoltaic unit;
a sensor unit that operates with power supplied from the power storage unit and detects road conditions as road surface information;
an information processing unit that operates with power supplied from the power storage unit, processes the road surface information, and outputs transmission information;
An information communication unit that transmits the transmission information to the data center,
the road surface information includes a decrease in the output of the photovoltaic unit;
A plurality of the sensor unit, the information processing unit and the information communication unit are provided,
The data center receives a plurality of the transmission information transmitted from the plurality of information communication units and accumulates them as accumulated road information;
a support information processing unit that processes the accumulated road information and generates support information;
A traffic support system, comprising: a support information distribution unit that distributes the support information to a support target. A traffic assistance system according to claim 1,
A traffic support system, wherein at least one of the power storage unit, the sensor unit, the information processing unit, and the information communication unit is embedded under the surface of the road. The traffic support system according to claim 1 or 2,
A traffic support system, comprising: a power supply unit embedded in the road for supplying power supplied from the power storage unit to a vehicle traveling on the road. The traffic support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The traffic support system, wherein the road surface information includes any one of humidity, vibration, illuminance, carbon dioxide concentration, amount of rainfall, number of traveling vehicles, traveling vehicle speed, road surface image, and infrared image.

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