Positioning device, processing device and vehicle-mounted system

Abstract

The positioning device of one embodiment of the present disclosure includes first processing circuitry that generates travel road data including data representing a position of a travel road in a vehicle coordinate system based on a map database, the travel road being in a partial region set in a direction in which a vehicle is likely to travel based on the vehicle, and conversion data for converting coordinates from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system, and first communication circuitry that transmits time-series data of the travel road data and time-series data of the conversion data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a positioning device, a processing device, and an in-vehicle system mounted on a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] For vehicles, high-precision map data is often used for driving assistance. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses a positioning device to generate map data of the area near the vehicle and sends the generated map data to an autonomous driving control unit.

[0003] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-108069 Summary of the Invention

[0004] One embodiment of the positioning device disclosed herein includes a first processing circuit and a first communication circuit. The first processing circuit is capable of generating, based on a map database, driving road data representing and including data showing the position of driving roads in a partial area defined based on the vehicle's possible driving direction in a vehicle coordinate system, and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system. The first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the transformation data.

[0005] One embodiment of the processing apparatus disclosed herein includes a second communication circuit and a second processing circuit. The second communication circuit is capable of receiving driving road data, which represents and includes data showing the position of a driving road in a partial area defined based on the vehicle in a vehicle-based coordinate system, and transformation data for performing coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system. The second processing circuit is capable of reconstructing the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time-series data of the driving road and the time-series data of the transformation data.

[0006] One embodiment of the vehicle-mounted system disclosed herein includes a positioning device and a processing device. The positioning device includes a first processing circuit and a first communication circuit. The first processing circuit is capable of generating, based on a map database, driving road data in a vehicle coordinate system based on the vehicle, including data showing the position of a driving road in a portion of a region defined based on the vehicle's possible driving direction, and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system. The first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the transformation data. The processing device includes a second communication circuit and a second processing circuit. The second communication circuit is capable of receiving time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the transformation data. The second processing circuit is capable of reconstructing the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time-series data of the driving road data and the time-series data of the transformation data. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand this disclosure and are incorporated in and form part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one embodiment and, together with the description, serve to illustrate the principles of this disclosure.

[0008] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle equipped with a driver assistance system including a positioning device and a processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating one configuration example of a driver assistance system is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 It means Figure 1 An explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the positioning device.

[0011] Figure 4 It means Figure 1 Another illustration of an example of the operation of the positioning device is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 It means Figure 1 Another illustration of an example of the operation of the positioning device is shown.

[0013] Figure 6 It means Figure 1 Another illustration of an example of the operation of the positioning device is shown.

[0014] Figure 7 It means Figure 1 An explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of a driving assistance device.

[0015] Figure 8This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of a positioning device for reference.

[0016] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of a positioning device in a modified form. Detailed Implementation

[0017] When the positioning device transmits driving road data to downstream devices, it is desirable to transmit driving road data not only in the area close to the vehicle, but also in a wide area including areas far from the vehicle. In this case, it is also desirable to suppress the amount of communication data.

[0018] The goal is to provide a positioning device, processing device, and vehicle system that can suppress the amount of communication data and can send and receive data on driving roads over a wide area.

[0019] Hereinafter, several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following description is an illustration of a specific example of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. For example, elements including numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the positions of the components, and the connection methods of the components are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the following exemplary embodiments, constituent elements not described in the independent claims based on the highest concept of the present disclosure are arbitrary elements and can be configured as needed. The accompanying drawings are schematic and are not intentionally drawn to their original dimensions. Throughout this specification and the accompanying drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same function and substantially the same structure are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Additionally, constituent elements not directly related to one embodiment of the present disclosure are not illustrated in the drawings.

[0020] <Implementation Method> [Example of composition] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates one configuration example of a driver assistance system 10, including a positioning device and a processing device according to one embodiment. The driver assistance system 10 is configured to be mounted on a vehicle 1 and assists the driver in driving the vehicle 1 based on map data from a high-precision map database. The driver assistance system 10 includes a camera 11, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna 12, a positioning device 20, and a driver assistance device 30. The camera 11, the positioning device, and the driver assistance device 30 are connected to a communication bus (BUS).

[0021] The imaging device 11 is configured to generate images by shooting at the front of the vehicle 1. The imaging device 11 can be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. The imaging device 11 includes a lens and an image sensor. In this example, the imaging device 11 is positioned inside the vehicle 1, near the upper part of the windshield. The imaging device 11 generates a series of images by performing shooting actions at a predetermined frame rate (e.g., 10 [fps]). The imaging device 11 then transmits the image data of the generated images to the driver assistance device 30 via a communication bus (BUS).

[0022] The GNSS antenna 12 is configured to receive signals transmitted from GNSS satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0023] The positioning device 20 is configured to detect the position of the vehicle 1 in an absolute coordinate system based on the signal received by the GNSS antenna 12, and generate various data required for driving assistance based on the detection result of the vehicle 1's position. The positioning device 20 includes a GNSS receiver 21, a processing unit 22, a storage unit 23, and a communication unit 24.

[0024] The GNSS receiver 21 is configured to detect the position of the vehicle 1 in the absolute coordinate system based on the signal received by the GNSS antenna 12.

[0025] The processing unit 22 is configured to use, for example, one or more processors, one or more memories, and generates driving road data DT and differential position data E. The driving road data DT includes data showing the position of the driving road that the vehicle 1 may travel on. The differential position data E includes data showing the difference in position and orientation of the vehicle 1 at two different shooting times.

[0026] Specifically, at each shooting moment, the processing unit 22 defines a partial area R, based on vehicle 1, in the direction in which vehicle 1 might travel. Then, based on the high-precision map database DB stored in the storage unit 23, the processing unit 22 generates driving road data DT, including data showing the location of the driving road within the partial area R. This driving road data DT is represented in a vehicle coordinate system based on vehicle 1. It should be noted that, in addition to data showing the location of the driving road, the driving road data DT may also include various data about the driving road, such as data showing the location and content of road signs along the driving road.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a portion R defined by the processing unit 22. Figure 3(A) shows the location of a portion of region R set at a certain shooting time. Figure 3 (B) shows the location of a portion of the area R set at the next shooting time at the current shooting time. In this example, vehicle 1 is traveling on road 100. In this example, although it is illustrated as traveling in the left lane of road 100, i.e., driving on the left, it is not limited to this and can also travel in the right lane of road 100, i.e., driving on the right.

[0028] In this example, such as Figure 3 As shown in (A), at a certain shooting moment, the processing unit 22 is in front of the vehicle 1, and in this example, a partial area R is set at a position a distance d1 away from the shooting device 11 of the vehicle 1. In the extending direction of the driving road 100 ( Figure 3 In the longitudinal direction of the region R, the position of the front end of the region R is position T1, and the position of the rear end of the region R is position T2. ​​Then, the processing unit 22 generates driving road data DT, which includes data showing the position of the driving road in the region R, based on the high-precision map database DB stored in the storage unit 23. In this example, the data showing the position of the driving road is obtained by representing the lane markings of the driving road 100 as a series of points. The position of this series of points is represented in the vehicle coordinate system. Then, the positioning device 20 transmits the driving road data DT to the driver assistance device 30 via the communication bus BUS.

[0029] At the next shooting moment, such as Figure 3 As shown in (B), with Figure 3 Compared to the shooting time of (A), the vehicle 1 has traveled a distance A. Similarly, the processing unit 22 sets a partial area R in front of the vehicle 1 at a distance d1 away from the shooting device 11 of the vehicle 1. Then, based on the high-precision map database DB stored in the storage unit 23, the processing unit 22 generates driving road data DT, which includes data showing the position of the driving road in the partial area R. Then, the positioning device 20 transmits the driving road data DT to the driving assistance device 30 via the communication bus BUS.

[0030] Figure 3 (A) shows the position T1 of the front end of the partial region R and Figure 3 The location T2 of the rear end of the region R shown in (B) is approximately the same. Therefore, Figure 3 Part of region R in (A) and Figure 3In (B), the partial regions R are inseparable from each other and do not overlap in the extension direction of the driving road 100. The processing unit 22 sets two partial regions R in such a way that they are inseparable and do not overlap at two adjacent shooting times. Therefore, in the driving assistance system 10, data showing the location of the driving road can be transmitted from the positioning device 20 to the driving assistance device 30 without waste or omission. That is, for example, if the two partial regions R are separated, part of the data showing the location of the driving road will be missing. Furthermore, for example, if the two partial regions R overlap, data from the overlapping areas is wasted due to transmission and reception twice. In the driving assistance system 10, since two partial regions R are set in a way that are inseparable and do not overlap in the time sequence, data showing the location of the driving road can be transmitted and received without waste or omission.

[0031] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates another example of a portion of the area R defined by the processing unit 22. In this example, for instance, the communication traffic in the communication bus is high, making it impossible to adequately ensure the amount of communication data from the processing unit 22 to the driver assistance device 30. In this case, since it is necessary to suppress the amount of driving road data DT, the processing unit 22 narrows the portion of the area R. Specifically, the processing unit 22 shortens the extension direction of the driving road 100 ( Figure 4 The length of a portion of region R along the longitudinal direction (in the image). Thus, the distance from the imaging device 11 on vehicle 1 to the portion of region R gradually decreases. If this situation continues for a long time, then... Figure 4 As shown, the processing unit 22 is located in front of the vehicle 1, and a partial area R is set at a position that is a distance d2 shorter than the distance d1, measured from the shooting device 11 of the vehicle 1.

[0032] in this case, Figure 4 (A) shows the position T1 of the front end of the partial region R and Figure 4 The position T2 of the rear end of the partial region R shown in (B) is also approximately the same. In this way, the processing unit 22 sets two partial regions R in a manner that is neither separate nor overlapping at two adjacent shooting times.

[0033] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates another example of a portion of the area R set by the processing unit 22. In this example, congestion occurs in the lane where vehicle 1 travels on the road 100. Consequently, vehicle 1 travels a shorter distance A between two adjacent shooting times. In this situation, Figure 5 (A) shows the position T1 of the front end of the partial region R and Figure 5The location T2 of the rear end of the portion R shown in (B) is also approximately the same. The processing unit 22 shortens the extension direction of the travel road 100 ( Figure 4 The length of a portion of region R along the longitudinal direction is determined so that two portions of region R are set at two adjacent shooting times in a manner that is neither separate nor overlapping.

[0034] In addition, the processing unit 22 generates differential position data E at each shooting time. The differential position data E includes data showing the difference between the position of vehicle 1 at the current shooting time and the position of vehicle 1 at the previous shooting time, and the difference between the orientation of vehicle 1 at the current shooting time and the orientation of vehicle 1 at the previous shooting time.

[0035] Figure 6 This is another example of differential position data E. Differential position data E is represented in an absolute coordinate system based on a high-precision map database DB. The absolute coordinate system uses the X and Y directions. On the other hand, the vehicle coordinate system uses the x and z directions. Differential position data E includes three parameters: dX, dY, and dθ. (The text repeats itself here.) Figure 6 As shown, parameter dX is the difference in the X-direction position of vehicle 1 at two camera times t11 and t12. (From...) Figure 6 As shown, parameter dY is the difference in the Y-direction position of vehicle 1 at two camera times t11 and t12. Figure 6 As shown, parameter θ is the difference in orientation of vehicle 1 at two camera times t11 and t12.

[0036] In this way, the processing unit 22 sets a partial area R at each shooting time and generates driving road data DT based on the high-precision map database DB, including data showing the location of driving roads in that partial area R. In addition, the processing unit 22 generates differential position data E including three parameters dX, dY, and dθ at each shooting time.

[0037] The storage unit 23 is configured to use a non-volatile storage device, such as a semiconductor memory, and stores a high-precision map database DB.

[0038] The communication unit 24 is configured to transmit the driving road data DT and differential position data E generated by the processing unit 22 to the driving assistance device 30 via the communication bus BUS.

[0039] The driving assistance device 30 is configured to assist the driver in driving the vehicle 1 based on data transmitted from the camera device 11 and / or the positioning device 20. The driving assistance device 30 includes a communication unit 31 and a processing unit 32.

[0040] The communication unit 31 is configured to receive image data of captured images transmitted from the shooting device 11, driving road data DT and differential position data E transmitted from the positioning device 20.

[0041] The processing unit 32 is configured to use, for example, one or more processors, one or more memories, and processes data received by the communication unit 31 to control the operation of the driving assistance system 10.

[0042] For example, the processing unit 32 identifies the subject based on image data of the captured image sent from the capturing device 11, and performs driving assistance based on the identification result. Specifically, the processing unit 32 can control the operation of the driving assistance system 10 in a manner that notifies the driver of information such as the identified subject.

[0043] Furthermore, the processing unit 32 reconstructs the location of the possible driving road for vehicle 1 based on the time-series data of driving road data DT and differential position data E sent from the positioning device 20. Then, the processing unit 32 performs driving assistance based on the reconstructed driving road location. Specifically, the processing unit 32 can control the operation of the driving assistance system 10 in a manner that either warns the driver or performs exit prevention control when vehicle 1 is about to leave the driving lane.

[0044] Here, positioning device 20 corresponds to a specific example of a "positioning device" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Processing unit 22 corresponds to a specific example of a "first processing circuit" in one embodiment of this disclosure. High-precision map database DB corresponds to a specific example of a "map database" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Driving road data DT corresponds to a specific example of "driving road data" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Differential position data E corresponds to a specific example of "converted data" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Communication unit 24 corresponds to a specific example of a "first communication circuit" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Driving assistance device 30 corresponds to a specific example of a "processing device" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Communication unit 31 corresponds to a specific example of a "second communication circuit" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Processing unit 32 corresponds to a specific example of a "second processing circuit" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Driving assistance system 10 corresponds to a specific example of a "vehicle system" in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0045] [Actions and Functions] Next, the operation and function of the driving assistance system 10 in this embodiment will be explained.

[0046] (Overall action summary) First refer to Figure 2 The operation of the driving assistance system 10 will be explained below. The imaging device 11 generates an image by photographing the front of the vehicle 1 and transmits the image data of the generated image to the driving assistance device 30 via a communication bus. The GNSS antenna 12 receives signals transmitted from GNSS satellites such as GPS. Based on the signals received by the antenna 12, the positioning device 20 detects the position of the vehicle 1 in the absolute coordinate system and generates driving road data DT and differential position data E based on the detection result of the vehicle 1's position. Then, the positioning device 20 transmits the driving road data DT and differential position data E to the driving assistance device 30 via the communication bus. The driving assistance device 30 assists the driver in driving the vehicle 1 based on the data transmitted from the imaging device 11 and / or the positioning device 20. Specifically, the driving assistance device 30 identifies the photographed object based on the image data of the image captured by the imaging device 11 and provides driving assistance based on the identification result. Furthermore, the driving assistance device 30 reconstructs the position of the possible driving road of the vehicle 1 based on the driving road data DT and differential position data E transmitted from the positioning device 20. Then, the processing unit 32 provides driving assistance based on the location of the restored driving road.

[0047] (Detailed actions) At each shooting time, the processing unit 22 of the positioning device 20 generates driving road data DT, including data showing the position of the driving road that vehicle 1 may travel on, and differential position data E, including data showing the difference in position and orientation of vehicle 1 at two different shooting times. Then, the communication unit 24 of the positioning device 20 transmits the driving road data DT and differential position data E to the driving assistance device 30 via the communication bus BUS. The driving assistance device 30 reconstructs the position of the driving road that vehicle 1 may travel on based on the time-series data of the driving road data DT and the time-series data of the differential position data E transmitted from the positioning device 20.

[0048] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process in the processing unit 32 of the driver assistance device 30 to restore the position of the driving road 100.

[0049] The processing unit 32 of the driver assistance device 30, for example, based on the driving road data DT and differential position data E obtained at the shooting time t1, arranges the points including the lane dividing lines in the driving road data DT on a plane of absolute coordinate system. The position data of the points included in the driving road data DT is represented in the vehicle coordinate system. Therefore, the processing unit 32 performs coordinate transformation by using the differential position data E, thereby converting the position of the points in the vehicle coordinate system to the position in the absolute coordinate system.

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, the differential position data E illustrates the difference in position and orientation of vehicle 1 at two shooting times. Therefore, the processing unit 32 can accumulate multiple past differential position data E and, based on these multiple differential position data E, calculate the difference in position and orientation of vehicle 1 between a past shooting time that serves as a reference and the current shooting time. For example, by using the position and orientation of vehicle 1 in the absolute coordinate system of the reference shooting time as initial values, the processing unit 32 can convert the positions of a series of points in the vehicle coordinate system to positions in the absolute coordinate system.

[0051] Similarly, the processing unit 32 of the driver assistance device 30, for example, based on the driving road data DT and differential position data E obtained at the shooting time t2, arranges the points including the lane dividing lines in the driving road data DT on a plane of absolute coordinate system. Furthermore, the processing unit 32 of the driver assistance device 30, for example, based on the driving road data DT and differential position data E obtained at the shooting time t3, arranges the points including the lane dividing lines in the driving road data DT on a plane of absolute coordinate system.

[0052] In this way, the processing unit 32 of the driving assistance device 30 reconstructs the position of the driving road 100 by sequentially arranging the points showing the lane dividing lines in an absolute coordinate system based on the time series data of the driving road data DT and the time series data of the differential position data E. Then, the processing unit 32 performs driving assistance based on the reconstructed position of the driving road 100.

[0053] Thus, the driving assistance system 10 includes a positioning device 20 and a processing device (driving assistance device 30). The positioning device 20 is provided with: a first processing circuit (processing unit 22), which is capable of generating, based on a map database (high-precision map database DB), driving road data DT, which represents and includes data showing the position of the driving road in a partial area R set with respect to the vehicle 1 in the possible driving direction of the vehicle 1, and transformation data (differential position data E) for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system; and a first communication circuit (communication unit 24), which is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data DT and time-series data of the transformation data (differential position data E). The processing device (driving assistance device 30) is provided with: a second communication circuit (communication unit 31), which is capable of receiving time-series data of the driving road data DT and time-series data of the transformation data (differential position data E); and a second processing circuit (processing unit 32), which is capable of reconstructing the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time-series data of the driving road data DT and the time-series data of the transformation data (differential position data E). Therefore, in the driver assistance system 10, such as Figure 7 As shown, the location of driving roads covering a wide area can be reconstructed based on time-series data of driving road data DT and time-series data of differential location data E. Therefore, the driving assistance system 10 can suppress the amount of communication data and send and receive data of driving roads in a wide area.

[0054] That is, for example, Figure 8 As shown, when a predetermined area RR including vehicle 1 is set at multiple shooting times, this driving assistance system can only transmit and receive data on the driving road in a narrow area. That is, due to the limited amount of communication data in the communication bus BUS, it is difficult to receive and transmit data on the driving road in a wide area. In such cases, in the driving assistance system, for example, when vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed such as on a highway, it may be difficult to provide driving assistance. In the driving assistance system 10 of this embodiment, by transmitting and receiving time-series data of driving road data DT and time-series data of differential position data E, it is possible to achieve the following: Figure 7 As shown, the location of the driving road covering a wide area can be restored. Therefore, in the driver assistance system 10, the amount of communication data can be suppressed and data on the driving road in a wide area can be received and transmitted. As a result, in the driver assistance system 10, driver assistance can be easily performed, for example, even when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed.

[0055] Furthermore, in the driver assistance system 10, the conversion data includes differential position data E, which represents and shows the difference in the vehicle's position and orientation at two different times in the absolute coordinate system. Therefore, in the driver assistance system 10, the amount of conversion data transmitted and received via the communication bus (BUS) can be reduced. That is, for example, if the conversion data includes data from a transformation matrix that allows direct coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system, the amount of communication data will increase. Specifically, for example, the amount of data for the translation components in such a transformation matrix may increase. In the driver assistance system 10 of this embodiment, since the conversion data includes differential position data E, it is sufficient to transmit and receive data showing the difference in the vehicle's position and orientation at two different times, thus reducing the amount of communication data.

[0056] Furthermore, in the driver assistance system 10, the first processing circuit (processing unit 22) can generate time-series data of driving road data DT and time-series data of transformation data (differential position data E) by sequentially setting multiple partial regions R. The first processing circuit (processing unit 22) can set two adjacent partial regions R in the time series in a manner that is neither separate nor overlapping. Therefore, in the driver assistance system 10, data showing the position of the driving road can be transmitted and received without waste or omission. That is, for example, if two partial regions R are separate, part of the data showing the position of the driving road will be missing. Also, for example, if two partial regions R overlap, data from the overlapping areas is transmitted and received twice, resulting in waste. In the driver assistance system 10, because two adjacent partial regions R in the time series are set in a manner that is neither separate nor overlapping, data showing the position of the driving road can be transmitted and received without waste or omission.

[0057] [Effect] As described above, this embodiment includes a positioning device and a processing device. The positioning device includes a first processing circuit capable of generating, based on a map database, driving road data (including data showing the position of driving roads in a partial area defined by the vehicle in the possible driving directions) in a vehicle coordinate system based on the vehicle, and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system; and a first communication circuit capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and the transformation data. The processing device includes a second communication circuit capable of receiving the time-series data of the driving road data and the transformation data; and a second processing circuit capable of reconstructing the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time-series data of the driving road data and the transformation data. This reduces the amount of communication data and allows for the transmission and reception of driving road data over a wide area.

[0058] In this embodiment, the conversion data includes differential position data, which represents and shows the difference in position and orientation of the vehicle at two different times in an absolute coordinate system. This reduces the amount of communication data.

[0059] In this embodiment, the first processing circuit can generate time-series data of driving road data and time-series data of conversion data by sequentially setting multiple partial regions. The first processing circuit can set two adjacent partial regions in the time series among the multiple partial regions in a manner that is neither separate nor overlapping. Therefore, data showing the location of the driving road can be transmitted and received without waste or omission.

[0060] [Variation Example 1] In the above embodiment, differential position data E, which shows the difference in position and orientation of the vehicle at two different times, is used to perform coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system, but this is not a limitation. Instead, for example, data including a transformation matrix that allows direct coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system can be used to perform the coordinate transformation. In this case, a single transformation data set can be used to transform the positions of the point series included in the driving road data DT from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system.

[0061] [Variation Example 2] In the above implementation, although a driving road data DT is sent and received at each shooting moment, it is not limited to this. Instead, for example, it can also be as follows: Figure 9 As shown, multiple driving road data DTs are transmitted and received. In this example, an intersection 101 is provided in front of vehicle 1 on driving road 100. Vehicle 1 can go straight, turn left, or turn right at intersection 101. Therefore, the processing unit 22 of the positioning device 20 sets three partial areas R (partial areas R1 to R3) in three possible directions in which vehicle 1 may travel. Then, the processing unit 22 generates driving road data DT, including data showing the position of the driving road in the three partial areas R1 to R3, based on the high-precision map database DB stored in the storage unit 23. Then, the communication unit 24 of the positioning device 20 transmits the driving road data DT and differential position data E together to the driver assistance device 30 via the communication bus BUS.

[0062] It should be noted that although three partial areas R are set in this example, it is not limited to this. For example, if a lane for left turns at intersection 101 is provided on the driving road 100, and vehicle 1 is traveling in that lane, the processing unit 22 of the positioning device 20 may set only partial area R1. That is, in this case, since the probability of vehicle 1 turning left at intersection 101 is high, only partial area R1 is set. When the direction indicator of vehicle 1 indicates that vehicle 1 is about to turn left, the processing unit 22 may also set only partial area R1.

[0063] [Variation Example 3] In the above embodiment, although the processing unit 22 generates driving road data DT, including data showing the location of driving roads in the partial area R, based on the high-precision map database DB stored in the storage unit 23, it is not limited to this. Instead, for example, the processing unit 22 may also communicate with a server that stores the high-precision map database DB, and generate driving road data DT, including data showing the location of driving roads in the partial area R, based on the high-precision map database DB stored on the server.

[0064] [Other variations] Alternatively, two or more of these variations can be combined.

[0065] While several embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, this disclosure is by no means limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims. This disclosure is intended to encompass such modifications and alterations as long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0066] For example, in the above embodiment, although the positioning device 20 transmits driving road data DT and differential position data E at each shooting time, it is not limited to this. Instead, the positioning device 20 may, for example, transmit driving road data DT and differential position data E at a ratio of once every two shooting times. In addition, the positioning device 20 may, for example, periodically transmit driving road data DT and differential position data E at times different from the shooting times.

[0067] The effects described in this specification are merely illustrative, and the effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described in this specification. Therefore, other effects can also be obtained with respect to this disclosure.

[0068] Furthermore, this disclosure may be made in the following manner. (1) A positioning device comprising: A first processing circuit, based on a map database, generates driving road data, including data showing the location of driving roads in a partial area defined with respect to the vehicle in the possible driving directions, within a vehicle coordinate system; and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system; and A first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data. (2) According to the positioning device described in (1), wherein, The transformation data includes differential position data that represents and shows the difference in position and orientation of the vehicle at two different times in the absolute coordinate system. (3) According to the positioning device described in (1) or (2), wherein, The first processing circuit can generate time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the transformed data by sequentially setting multiple partial regions. The first processing circuit can set two of the plurality of partial regions that are adjacent to each other in time sequence in a manner that is neither separate nor overlapping. (4) According to any one of the positioning devices described in (1) to (3), wherein, The first processing circuit is capable of changing the distance from the vehicle to the partial area. (5) According to any one of the positioning devices described in (1) to (4), wherein, The first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data. The first processing circuit can change the size of the partial region based on the vehicle's progress at adjacent moments in the time series data. (6) According to any one of the positioning devices described in (1) to (5), wherein, The vehicle may travel in multiple directions. The partial regions include multiple partial regions corresponding to the multiple directions respectively. (7) A processing apparatus comprising: The second communication circuit is capable of receiving driving road data, which represents and includes data showing the position of a driving road in a partial area defined with respect to the vehicle in the possible driving direction of the vehicle, in a vehicle coordinate system; and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system; and The second processing circuit is capable of restoring the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time series data of the driving road data and the time series data of the transformed data. (8) According to the processing apparatus described in (7), wherein, The second processing circuit can perform driving assistance control of the vehicle based on the restored position of the driving road. (9) An in-vehicle system, comprising: Positioning device; and Processing device, The positioning device includes: A first processing circuit, based on a map database, generates driving road data, including data showing the location of driving roads in a partial area defined with respect to the vehicle in the possible driving directions, within a vehicle coordinate system; and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system; and A first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data. The processing apparatus includes: A second communication circuit is capable of receiving time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data; and The second processing circuit is capable of restoring the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time series data of the driving road data and the time series data of the transformed data.

[0078] Figure 2 The processing unit 22 shown can be implemented by a circuit including at least one semiconductor integrated circuit, such as at least one processor (e.g., a central arithmetic processing unit (CPU)), at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The at least one processor can be configured to execute instructions by reading them from at least one non-transitory and tangible computer-readable medium. Figure 2 The processing unit 22 shown contains all or some of the various functions. While such media can take various forms, including various magnetic media such as hard disks, various optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and various semiconductor memories (i.e., semiconductor circuits) such as volatile or non-volatile memory, it is not limited to these. Volatile memory may include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memory may include ROM and NVRAM. ASIC is specifically designed for executing... Figure 2 An integrated circuit (IC) that performs all or some of the functions of the various functions in the processing unit 22 shown. An FPGA is designed to be configured after manufacturing to perform... Figure 2 An integrated circuit that performs all or some of the functions of the various functions in the processing unit 22 shown. For Figure 2 The same applies to the processing unit 32 shown.

Claims

1. A positioning device, characterized in that, have: The first processing circuit is capable of generating, based on a map database, driving road data in a vehicle coordinate system based on the vehicle, including data showing the location of driving roads in a partial area defined with respect to the vehicle in the possible driving direction of the vehicle, and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system. as well as A first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transformation data includes differential position data that represents and shows the difference in position and orientation of the vehicle at two different times in the absolute coordinate system.

3. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first processing circuit can generate time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the transformed data by sequentially setting multiple partial regions. The first processing circuit can set two of the plurality of partial regions that are adjacent to each other in time sequence in a manner that is neither separate nor overlapping.

4. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first processing circuit is capable of changing the distance from the vehicle to the partial area.

5. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data. The first processing circuit can change the size of the partial region based on the vehicle's progress at adjacent moments in the time series data.

6. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle may travel in multiple directions. The partial regions include multiple partial regions corresponding to the multiple directions respectively.

7. A processing apparatus, characterized in that, have: The second communication circuit is capable of receiving driving road data, which is represented in a vehicle coordinate system based on the vehicle and includes data showing the position of the driving road in a partial area set with the vehicle as the reference in the possible driving direction of the vehicle, as well as conversion data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system. as well as The second processing circuit is capable of restoring the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time series data of the driving road data and the time series data of the transformed data.

8. The processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second processing circuit can perform driving assistance control of the vehicle based on the restored position of the driving road.

9. A vehicle-mounted system, characterized in that, have: Positioning device; and Processing device, The positioning device includes: A first processing circuit, based on a map database, generates driving road data, including data showing the location of driving roads in a partial area defined with respect to the vehicle in the possible driving directions, within a vehicle coordinate system; and transformation data for coordinate transformation from the vehicle coordinate system to an absolute coordinate system; and A first communication circuit is capable of transmitting time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data. The processing apparatus includes: The second communication circuit is capable of receiving time-series data of the driving road data and time-series data of the converted data; as well as The second processing circuit is capable of restoring the position of the driving road in the absolute coordinate system based on the time series data of the driving road data and the time series data of the transformed data.

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