Information processing method

Abstract

To improve safety during travel of a vehicle equipped with a travel function accompanied by wireless communication.SOLUTION: The information processing method according to the present disclosure: acquires a communication band map indicating a communication band for wireless communication with any of a plurality of base stations; estimates a position of a vehicle for communicating wirelessly with any of the plurality of base stations; estimates a band prediction value indicating a predicted communication band in wireless communication with any of the plurality of base stations based on the position of the vehicle and the communication band map; and controls a vehicle behavior of the vehicle according to the band prediction value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technology for providing driving assistance such as vehicle control and in-vehicle entertainment such as video playback in a moving vehicle by using wireless communication with a wireless base station. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for correcting the vehicle's driving route using a radio wave intensity map so that a predetermined radio wave intensity can be obtained during content download in a case where communication cannot be performed at a time desired by the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-135100 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, radio wave resources are limited, and for example, the communication band per wireless base station is shared by the entire system including the vehicle. For this reason, the communication band available to the vehicle varies greatly depending on the number of vehicles accommodated per wireless base station, i.e., the degree of communication congestion. In addition, high-frequency radio waves (millimeter waves) such as 5G and 6G are highly directional, and the communication band available to the vehicle varies greatly depending on the area. In addition, the communication band also varies greatly depending on the date, time, and weather. For these reasons, even when sufficient radio wave strength is available, a specified communication band cannot be obtained, and for example, in a vehicle equipped with a driving function involving wireless communication, there is a risk that the safety of the vehicle during driving may be affected.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to improve safety during driving of a vehicle equipped with a driving function involving wireless communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing method of the present disclosure obtains a communication band map indicating a communication band for wireless communication with one of a plurality of base stations, estimates a position of a vehicle communicating wirelessly with one of the plurality of base stations, estimates a band prediction value indicating a predicted communication band for wireless communication with one of the plurality of base stations based on the position of the vehicle and the communication band map, and controls vehicle behavior of the vehicle in accordance with the band prediction value. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve safety during driving of a vehicle equipped with a driving function involving wireless communication. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle behavior control device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system including the vehicle behavior control device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of each device in the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the vehicle behavior control device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the data processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a vehicle behavior control process before traveling, which is executed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed in the process of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a vehicle behavior control process during traveling, which is executed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed in the process of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen displayed in the process of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of the control of the vehicle behavior in the process of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a communication band map generation process executed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing device, a vehicle, an information processing system, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In the description of the present disclosure, components having the same or substantially the same functions as those described above with respect to the previously-mentioned drawings may be given the same reference numerals, and the description may be omitted as appropriate. In addition, even when the same or substantially the same parts are shown, the dimensions and ratios of the components may be different depending on the drawing. In addition, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring the visibility of the drawings, reference numerals may be given only to the main components in the description of each drawing, and reference numerals may not be given to components having the same or substantially the same functions as those described above with respect to the previously-mentioned drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle behavior control device 3 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 has a vehicle body 12 and two pairs of wheels 13 arranged along a predetermined direction on the vehicle body 12. The two pairs of wheels 13 include a pair of front tires 13f and a pair of rear tires 13r.

[0012] Here, the front tire 13f according to the embodiment is an example of a first wheel. Also, the rear tire 13r according to the embodiment is an example of a second wheel. Note that, although FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 1 having four wheels 13, the present invention is not limited to this. The vehicle 1 may have at least one front tire 13f and at least one rear tire 13r. The number of wheels 13 of the vehicle 1 may be two, three, five or more.

[0013] The direction of at least one wheel (steered wheel) among the wheels 13 of the vehicle 1 is electrically or mechanically linked to the rotation angle, i.e., steering angle, of a steering wheel disposed in front of the driver's seat 130. In other words, the vehicle 1 can turn right or left by steering. The steered wheel may be the rear tire 13r, or both the front tire 13f and the rear tire 13r.

[0014] The vehicle body 12 is supported by wheels 13. The vehicle 1 has a driving machine (not shown) and can move by driving at least one wheel (driving wheel) of the wheels 13 of the vehicle 1 with the power of the driving machine. Any driving machine can be used as the driving machine, such as an engine fueled by gasoline or hydrogen, a motor using power from a battery, or a combination of an engine and a motor. In this case, the predetermined direction in which the two pairs of wheels 13 are arranged is the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 can move forward or backward by switching gears (not shown) or the like.

[0015] The vehicle body 12 has a front end portion F which is an end portion on the front tire 13f side, and a rear end portion R which is an end portion on the rear tire 13r side. The vehicle body 12 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and the four corners of the substantially rectangular shape are sometimes referred to as ends.

[0016] A pair of bumpers 14 are provided at the front and rear ends F, R of the vehicle body 12 near the lower end of the vehicle body 12. Of the pair of bumpers 14, a front bumper 14f covers the entire front surface and part of the side surface near the lower end of the vehicle body 12. Of the pair of bumpers 14, a rear bumper 14r covers the entire rear surface and part of the side surface near the lower end of the vehicle body 12.

[0017] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 9 including a vehicle behavior control device 3 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing system 9 includes a wireless base station 5 and a low-latency cloud server 6 in addition to a vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle behavior control device 3.

[0018] The information processing system 9 can be constructed as a server-client type system including a low-latency cloud server 6 and a vehicle behavior control device 3 as a client that performs wireless communication with the low-latency cloud server 6 via a wireless base station 5.

[0019] The information processing system 9 is configured to be capable of executing the vehicle behavior control process and the communication band map generation process according to the embodiment. Here, at least one of the vehicle behavior control process and the communication band map generation process according to the embodiment is an example of information processing realized by an information processing method. Also, at least one of the vehicle behavior control device 3 and the low-latency cloud server 6 according to the embodiment is an example of an information processing device.

[0020] Each of the vehicle behavior control process and the communication band map generation process according to the embodiment includes a client-side process executed by the vehicle behavior control device 3 and a server-side process executed by the low-latency cloud server 6. The vehicle behavior control process according to the embodiment includes a process executed as a pre-process before a driving route is determined, such as when a driving route is set, or before driving starts, and a process executed as a real-time process after driving starts, such as while driving. The communication band map generation process according to the embodiment may be executed prior to the vehicle behavior control process or may be executed using information obtained in the vehicle behavior control process.

[0021] 2, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an on-vehicle sensor 21, an HMI 22, a wireless communication device 23, a vehicle control device 24, and a vehicle behavior control device 3. Each of the on-vehicle sensor 21, the HMI 22, the wireless communication device 23, and the vehicle control device 24 is connected to the vehicle behavior control device 3 via an on-vehicle network including a Controller Area Network (CAN) or Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0022] 2 illustrates a case where the in-vehicle sensor 21, the HMI 22, the wireless communication device 23, and the vehicle control device 24 are not included in the vehicle behavior control device 3, but this is not limiting. Some or all of these may be included in the vehicle behavior control device 3.

[0023] The on-board sensor 21 includes, for example, a sonar (Sound Navigation And Ranging) 211 and an all-around camera 212, as illustrated in FIG.

[0024] The sonar 211 is provided, for example, at a predetermined end of the vehicle body 12, and transmits and receives sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. The sonar 211 includes wave transmitting and receiving units 211f, 211r. For example, one or more wave transmitting and receiving units 211f are disposed on the front bumper 14f, and one or more wave transmitting and receiving units 211r are disposed on the rear bumper 14r. The number and / or positions of the wave transmitting and receiving units 211f, 211r are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1 and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the vehicle 1 may be provided with the wave transmitting and receiving units 211f, 211r on the left and right sides.

[0025] Based on the results of transmitting and receiving sound waves, the sonar 211 detects obstacles around the vehicle 1. Also, based on the results of transmitting and receiving sound waves, the sonar 211 measures the distance between the vehicle 1 and obstacles around the vehicle 1.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the sonar 211 uses sound waves such as ultrasonic waves, but is not limited thereto. For example, instead of the sonar 211 or in addition to the sonar 211, the vehicle 1 may have a radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) that transmits and receives radio waves or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) that transmits and receives laser light.

[0027] The all-around camera 212 is provided on the vehicle 1 so as to be able to capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1. As an example, the vehicle 1 has, as the all-around camera 212, a front camera 212a that captures images in front, a rear camera 212b that captures images in the rear, a left side camera 212c that captures images on the left side, and a right side camera (not shown) that captures images on the right side.

[0028] The all-around camera 212 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1. The all-around camera 212 is, for example, a camera that captures images based on visible light and / or infrared light. Note that the images captured by the all-around camera 212 may be moving images or still images.

[0029] The position and / or number of the all-around camera 212 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1 and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the vehicle 1 may have only two cameras, the front camera 212a and the rear camera 212b. Alternatively, the vehicle 1 may have other cameras in addition to the above-mentioned examples. For example, a part or all of the all-around camera 212 may be provided in the vehicle cabin space (inside the vehicle) of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the all-around camera 212 may be a camera built into the vehicle 1, or may be a camera of a drive recorder attached to the vehicle 1.

[0030] The on-vehicle sensor 21 also includes various sensors not shown. As an example, the on-vehicle sensor 21 includes a steering angle sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of steering wheel operation by the driver, i.e., the steering angle. As an example, the on-vehicle sensor 21 includes a wheel speed sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the rotation speed and rotation direction of the wheels 13. As an example, the on-vehicle sensor 21 includes a brake sensor that detects the amount of brake pedal operation by the driver. As an example, the on-vehicle sensor 21 includes an accelerator sensor that detects the amount of accelerator pedal operation by the driver. As an example, the on-vehicle sensor 21 includes an acceleration sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to acceleration applied to the vehicle 1. As an example, the on-vehicle sensor 21 includes a gyro sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to angular velocity applied to the vehicle 1. The acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor may each be provided with three axes and configured as an inertial measurement unit (IMU). As an example, the on-board sensor 21 includes a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, that outputs position information of the vehicle 1. The GNSS sensor includes a GNSS antenna that receives radio waves from satellites, and a GNSS circuit that obtains position information based on radio waves from at least two satellites received by the GNSS antenna.

[0031] The HMI 22 is an interface for outputting various types of information, such as route guidance, notifications, and warnings, to the driver of the vehicle 1. The HMI 22 is also an interface for accepting input of various types of information by the driver of the vehicle 1. Here, the HMI 22 according to the embodiment is an example of a display unit and an input unit. The HMI 22 only needs to be able to output various types of information recognizable by the driver of the vehicle 1 and accept various operations by the driver of the vehicle 1, and is provided, for example, around the driver's seat of the vehicle 1, but may also be provided in other areas around the driver's seat, such as the back seat.

[0032] As an example, the HMI 22 includes a display provided on a dashboard or console of the vehicle 1 and configured to be capable of outputting an image. The display is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display may be configured as a touch panel display. The display may be a part of a car navigation device mounted on the vehicle 1. The display may be a projection-type display device such as a Head Up Display (HUD) that projects an image (virtual image) onto a display area provided in front of the driver, for example, on the windshield or dashboard (console). The HMI 22 may include other output devices such as a speaker configured to output notification sounds, warning sounds, and audio.

[0033] As an example, the HMI 22 includes a touch panel of a touch panel display as an input device. The HMI 22 may include other input devices such as buttons, dials, switches, and a microphone. These input devices are arranged on, for example, the dashboard, instrument panel, steering wheel, or console of the vehicle 1.

[0034] In addition, as the HMI 22, an operation terminal capable of transmitting or transmitting signals to the vehicle 1 from outside the vehicle 1, such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a remote controller, or an electronic key, may be used.

[0035] The wireless communication device 23 transmits and receives wireless signals for transmitting information between the vehicle 1 and the wireless base station 5. The wireless communication device 23 has an antenna (not shown) and is configured to be able to transmit and receive wireless signals between the vehicle 1 and the wireless base station 5 via the antenna. The transmission and reception of wireless signals is performed by any cellular V2X system, such as a mobile communication system of each generation according to the IMT2020 regulations or 3GPP (registered trademark) specifications, such as 3G, LTE, 4G, or 5G, or a next-generation mobile communication system such as Beyond 5G (6G).

[0036] The communication method may be another communication method such as the IEEE-compliant DSRC method or a vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle (V2N) method.

[0037] The vehicle control device 24 includes a steering control device and a drive / brake control device.

[0038] The steering control device controls the steering of the vehicle 1. For example, the steering control device deflects the wheels 13 in a direction according to a control signal corresponding to the amount of steering wheel operation by the driver, or a control signal from the vehicle behavior control device 3 or the data processing device 7. The steering control device may have a steering actuator (not shown) that changes the rotation angle of the steering wheel according to a control signal from the vehicle behavior control device 3 or the data processing device 7.

[0039] The drive / brake control device controls the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1. The drive / brake control device has, for example, a brake actuator (not shown) and an engine controller (not shown). The brake actuator applies brakes, changes the shift (gear ratio), and controls the output of driving machines such as an engine and a motor based on the detection result of a brake sensor (not shown) that detects the amount of operation of the brake pedal by the driver, or a control signal from the vehicle behavior control device 3 or the data processing device 7, thereby braking the vehicle 1 or decelerating the vehicle 1. The accelerator controller accelerates the vehicle 1 by controlling the output of driving machines such as an engine and a motor based on the detection result of an accelerator sensor (not shown) that detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal by the driver, or a control signal from the vehicle behavior control device 3 or the data processing device 7.

[0040] The vehicle behavior control device 3 is an example of an information processing device that can be mounted on the vehicle 1. The vehicle behavior control device 3 is configured to be able to execute the vehicle behavior control process and the communication band map generation process according to the embodiment by working together with the data processing device 7. Specifically, the vehicle behavior control device 3 is configured to execute the client-side processes of the vehicle behavior control process and the communication band map generation process. The vehicle behavior control device 3 is realized by, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or an OBU (On Board Unit) provided inside the vehicle 1. Alternatively, the vehicle behavior control device 3 may be an external computer installed near the dashboard of the vehicle 1. The vehicle behavior control device 3 may also function as a car navigation device or the like.

[0041] The wireless base station 5 relays communication between each of the multiple vehicles 1 and the low-latency cloud server 6. Specifically, the wireless base station 5 transmits and receives wireless signals that transmit information to and from each of the multiple vehicles 1 within the area it covers. The wireless base station 5 is also connected to the low-latency cloud server 6 via a wired or wireless telecommunications line, and transmits and receives information to and from the low-latency cloud server 6. Here, the wireless base station 5 according to the embodiment is an example of a communication destination base station among the multiple base stations.

[0042] In addition, in FIG. 2, an arbitrary wireless base station 5 is illustrated as an example of a base station with which the vehicle 1 communicates to transmit and receive information, but the information processing system 9 includes multiple wireless base stations 5. The multiple wireless base stations 5 are installed so that the areas they cover overlap with the adjacent wireless base stations 5. The area covered by the wireless base station 5 is the range of positions of the vehicle 1 and various information processing terminals such as smartphones that can transmit and receive information. In addition, roadside equipment such as roadside units may be used as the wireless base station 5.

[0043] The low-latency cloud server 6 is at least one server device that provides cloud computing. As an example, the low-latency cloud server 6 is at least one edge server device that provides edge computing.

[0044] The low-latency cloud server 6 is an example of an information processing device that executes processing using data from multiple vehicles 1. The data processing device 7 is configured to be able to execute the vehicle behavior control processing and the communication band map generation processing according to the embodiment by working in cooperation with the vehicle behavior control device 3. Specifically, the data processing device 7 is configured to execute server-side processing for each of the vehicle behavior control processing and the communication band map generation processing. The server-side processing may be any of processing related to each function of an Advanced Driving Assistant System (ADAS), such as an Automated Emergency Brake (AEB) processing or a sudden acceleration prevention processing, a high-load AI processing, a vehicle position estimation processing that estimates the position of the vehicle 1, an automatic driving or automatic parking by the vehicle 1, and a route generation processing that generates a driving route to be used for navigation.

[0045] The low-latency cloud server 6 has a characteristic of low latency. Here, low latency means that the communication latency as viewed from the vehicle 1 is small or the delay time is short. As an example, the low-latency cloud server 6 is disposed in or near a wireless base station 5 that relays wireless signals from the vehicle 1. Note that the low-latency cloud server 6 is not limited to the wireless base station 5 that relays wireless signals from the vehicle 1, but may be disposed in an exchange that bundles multiple wireless base stations 5, another wireless base station 5 that uses the exchange as a hub, another exchange or another wireless base station 5 in the same area that is connected to the exchange via a backbone network or the like, or in the vicinity of these.

[0046] Here, "vicinity of A" may be, for example, a range in which the latency of a process involving communication via A as seen from the vehicle does not exceed a predetermined threshold, or a range in which the physical distance from A does not exceed a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, "within the same area" may be, for example, within the same city or the same prefecture.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, the low-latency cloud server 6 includes a cloud GW (gateway) 61, a data expansion device 62, and a data processing device 7.

[0048] The cloud GW 61 connects communication from the vehicle 1 via the wireless base station 5 to the low-latency cloud server 6. As an example, the cloud GW 61 converts the communication protocol and data format of data received from the vehicle 1 via the wireless base station 5 or data from the data processing device 7 to be transmitted to the vehicle 1 via the wireless base station 5.

[0049] The data expansion device 62 expands the data from the vehicle 1 converted by the cloud GW 61 to the data processing device 7. Specifically, the data expansion device 62 distributes the data from the vehicle 1 to one of the multiple data processing devices 7 in the low-latency cloud server 6 that executes processing.

[0050] The data processing device 7 is an example of an information processing device that executes processing using data from multiple vehicles 1. The data processing device 7 is configured to be able to execute the vehicle behavior control processing and the communication band map generation processing according to the embodiment by working together with the vehicle behavior control device 3. Specifically, the data processing device 7 is configured to execute server-side processing for each of the vehicle behavior control processing and the communication band map generation processing. In addition, the data processing device 7 outputs the processed data to the cloud GW 61.

[0051] 2 illustrates an example of one data processing device 7 that executes processing using data from any vehicle 1, but the information processing system 9 may include multiple data processing devices 7. As an example, the multiple data processing devices 7 are each equipped with multiple processors and configured to be capable of executing the server-side processing according to the embodiment by any one of the multiple processors, i.e., at least one of the processors. Alternatively, the server-side processing may be configured to be capable of being executed by at least one data processing device 7 of the multiple data processing devices 7.

[0052] It should be noted that data decompression device 62 is not an essential component, and does not have to be provided in low-latency cloud server 6. Alternatively, data decompression device 62 may be realized as one function of data processing device 7.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of each device in the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment.

[0054] 3, each of the devices (e.g., the vehicle behavior control device 3 and the data processing device 7) of the information processing system 9 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 44, and an I / F (Interface) 45. The CPU 41, the ROM 42, the RAM 43, the HDD 44, and the I / F (Interface) 45 are mutually connected by a bus 49 or the like, and have a hardware configuration using a normal computer.

[0055] The CPU 41 is a calculation device that controls the entirety of each device in the information processing system 9. The CPU 41 loads a program stored in the ROM 42 or HDD 44 into the RAM 43 and executes it to realize each process described below.

[0056] The CPU 41 according to the embodiment is an example of a processor in each device of the information processing system 9. As the processor, another processor may be provided instead of the CPU 41 or in addition to the CPU 41. As the other processor, various processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a dedicated arithmetic circuit realized by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. can be appropriately used.

[0057] The ROM 42 stores programs, parameters, etc. for implementing various processes by the CPU 41. The RAM 43 is a main memory device for each device of the information processing system 9, and temporarily stores data necessary for various processes by the CPU 41. The HDD 44 stores various data, programs, etc. used by each device of the information processing system 9. Note that instead of or in addition to the HDD 44, various storage media and storage devices such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) and a Flash memory can be used as appropriate.

[0058] In addition, when there is no need to distinguish between the ROM 42, the RAM 43, and the HDD 44, they may be simply referred to as "internal memory."

[0059] As an example, the internal memory of the vehicle behavior control device 3 stores any one of a communication band map generated in advance, a communication band map generated in the vehicle behavior control device 3, and a communication band map corrected in the vehicle behavior control device 3. Note that the internal memory may store a correction coefficient or the like instead of the corrected communication band map.

[0060] The I / F 45 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data.

[0061] As an example, the I / F 45 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 may receive data from other devices provided in the vehicle 1, such as the on-board sensor 21, the HMI 22, and the wireless communication device 23. In addition, the I / F 45 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 may transmit data to other devices provided in the vehicle 1, such as the HMI 22, the wireless communication device 23, and the vehicle control device 24.

[0062] In addition, the I / F 45 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 may send and receive information between other ECUs installed in the vehicle 1 via the vehicle 1's in-vehicle network, or may communicate with an information processing device external to the vehicle 1 via a network such as the Internet.

[0063] As an example, the I / F 45 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 may obtain information regarding the state of the vehicle 1, such as steering, vehicle speed, tire pulse, angular velocity including yaw rate, acceleration, position information, shift information, vehicle log, etc., from other ECUs via the in-vehicle network.

[0064] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the vehicle behavior control device 3 according to the embodiment. The vehicle behavior control device 3 realizes functions as a vehicle information acquisition unit 301, a vehicle position estimation unit 302, a communication quality determination unit 303, a communication control unit 304, a vehicle control unit 305, and a display control unit 306 by executing a program loaded in the RAM 43 by the CPU 41.

[0065] The vehicle information acquisition unit 301 acquires sensor data from the on-board sensor 21, for example, via the I / F 45. As an example, the vehicle information acquisition unit 301 acquires various sensor data from the on-board sensor 21, such as the sonar 211, the all-around camera 212, the RADAR, the LiDAR, and the IMU.

[0066] The vehicle information acquisition unit 301 acquires information about the state of the vehicle 1, for example, via the I / F 45. As an example, the vehicle information acquisition unit 301 acquires information about the state of the vehicle 1, such as steering, vehicle speed, tire pulse, angular velocity including yaw rate, acceleration, position information, shift information, and vehicle log, by communicating with other ECUs via an in-vehicle network.

[0067] The vehicle position estimation unit 302 performs a vehicle position estimation process for estimating the position of the vehicle 1 that wirelessly communicates with the wireless base station 5. As an example, the vehicle position estimation unit 302 acquires position coordinates of the current position of the vehicle 1 including the amount of movement and the direction of movement of the vehicle 1, using information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 301 from, for example, the in-vehicle sensor 21. Note that the vehicle position estimation unit 302 may perform the vehicle position estimation process by acquiring the position coordinates of the current position of the vehicle 1 using the GNSS sensor of the in-vehicle sensor 21.

[0068] The communication quality determination unit 303 determines the communication quality and controls the vehicle behavior according to the communication quality. When low communication quality is predicted, the communication quality determination unit 303 restricts or changes the vehicle behavior. Here, the communication quality refers to the communication band in wireless communication with the wireless base station 5, or the communication band that can be secured or used by any vehicle 1 in wireless communication with the wireless base station 5. When controlling the vehicle behavior, the communication quality determination unit 303 may restrict the vehicle behavior via the HMI 22, or may inform the user of the restricted vehicle behavior.

[0069] As an example, the communication quality determination unit 303 acquires a communication band map indicating the communication band for wireless communication with the wireless base station 5 from an internal memory or the low-latency cloud server 6.

[0070] As an example, the communication quality determination unit 303 accepts user inputs, such as search conditions for searching for route candidates and destinations, input via the HMI 22. Here, the route candidates are candidates for driving routes for guiding the vehicle 1 to the destination, which are presented to the user. The search conditions are conditions for specifying priorities in searching for route candidates, such as "time priority," "distance priority," "bandwidth priority," and "cost priority." Time priority, distance priority, bandwidth priority, and cost priority are conditions for instructing to search for routes that are short in time, short in distance, easy to obtain a communication bandwidth, and cheap in cost, respectively, as route candidates.

[0071] As an example, the communication quality determination unit 303 refers to the communication band map and acquires information on the communication band of the current position, the route candidate, or the driving route. Here, the information on the communication band of the current position, the route candidate, or the driving route includes a band prediction value indicating the estimated communication band of the current position, the route candidate, or the driving route. For example, the communication quality determination unit 303 acquires an actual band measurement value indicating the current communication band in wireless communication with the current wireless base station 5, and corrects the communication band map using the actual band measurement value and the current position. Then, the communication quality determination unit 303 estimates a band prediction value indicating the communication band predicted on the route candidate based on the corrected communication band map.

[0072] As an example, the communication quality determination unit 303 determines in advance whether low communication quality is predicted for the set travel route. For example, the communication quality determination unit 303 determines in advance whether a minimum communication band is secured throughout the set travel route. In other words, the communication quality determination unit 303 determines in advance whether a band prediction value is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value in at least a part of the set travel route. For example, when it is predicted in advance that the minimum communication band is not secured throughout the set travel route, or that the band prediction value is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value in at least a part of the set travel route, the communication quality determination unit 303 determines that low communication quality is predicted for the set travel route. The minimum communication band is, for example, a threshold value of the communication band that is predetermined and stored in the internal memory of the vehicle behavior control device 3. The minimum communication band is set, for example, based on the communication band of wireless communication required to execute the automatic driving function of the vehicle 1, but can be set arbitrarily.

[0073] As an example, the communication quality determination unit 303 determines whether low communication quality is predicted at the current location or on the route while driving. For example, the communication quality determination unit 303 determines whether a bandwidth prediction value at the current location or on the route is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold while driving. For example, when the bandwidth prediction value at the current location or on the route is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the communication quality determination unit 303 determines that low communication quality is predicted at the current location or on the route.

[0074] As an example, when a low communication quality is predicted in advance on a set driving route, the control of the vehicle behavior includes any of stopping (disabling) the automatic driving function, changing the communication mode of wireless communication with the wireless base station 5, limiting the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, and notifying the user. That is, the communication quality determination unit 303 according to the embodiment determines in advance whether the automatic driving function can be executed over the entire set driving route.

[0075] As an example, the control of vehicle behavior includes, when low communication quality is predicted at the current location or along the route while driving, changing the communication mode of wireless communication with wireless base station 5, limiting the vehicle speed of vehicle 1, and notifying the user.

[0076] Here, the change in the communication mode includes a change in any of the following in wireless communication: the communication method, the compression rate of the data to be transmitted and received, the resolution of the image data to be transmitted and received, the frame rate of the video data to be transmitted and received, and the sampling rate of the sensor data to be transmitted and received. Note that the change in the communication mode is not limited to the selection of the data to be transmitted and received in wireless communication, but may also be a change in the data acquisition itself by the vehicle-mounted sensor 21, etc.

[0077] Furthermore, limiting the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 means limiting the speed of the vehicle 1 to a speed or lower at which functions related to driving and safety among the functions of the vehicle 1 can be executed by wireless communication at the predicted band value. For example, the limit on the vehicle speed in autonomous driving is based on a predetermined value or calculation formula as the vehicle speed at which autonomous driving can be safely executed under wireless communication at the predicted band value.

[0078] Notification to the user includes degrading the functions of the vehicle 1, such as stopping the automatic driving function, changing the communication mode, and limiting the vehicle speed, or providing information about the details. Notification to the user regarding the stopping of the automatic driving function includes a display guiding the user to manual driving until a predetermined communication band is obtained.

[0079] As an example, the control of vehicle behavior includes, when there is an area where congestion in the communication band is predicted based on the band prediction value, changing at least one of the driving route and the vehicle speed of vehicle 1 so as to limit the number of vehicles in that area, or providing guidance on such changes (see Figure 11).

[0080] As an example, control of vehicle behavior includes changing the lane (driving lane) in which vehicle 1 is traveling to a lane with a higher band prediction value, or a lane closer to an area with a higher band prediction value, or providing guidance on such a change.

[0081] As an example, the control of vehicle behavior includes, with regard to wireless communication with wireless base station 5, prioritizing predetermined functions related to safety and security, such as driving assistance functions (e.g., ADAS functions) such as an autonomous driving function and a home parking function, and a driver monitor function, and restricting the communication bandwidth related to other functions, such as a vehicle log function, a vehicle entertainment function (in-vehicle entertainment function), and an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) function, or providing guidance on such restrictions.

[0082] The communication control unit 304 controls wireless communication between the wireless base station 5 and the wireless communication device 23 .

[0083] As an example, the communication control unit 304 changes the communication mode according to the control of the vehicle behavior by the communication quality determination unit 303 .

[0084] As an example, the communication control unit 304 transmits and receives data related to each function including processing involving communication of the vehicle 1 to and from the data processing device 7 by wireless communication via the wireless base station 5.

[0085] As an example, the communication control unit 304 transmits route search information including the user's destination, search conditions, and the current position of the vehicle 1 to the data processing device 7 by wireless communication via the wireless base station 5. In addition, the communication control unit 304 receives from the data processing device 7 a search result of route candidates according to the route search information from the vehicle 1.

[0086] The vehicle control unit 305 controls at least one of the steering, braking, and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1.

[0087] As an example, the vehicle control unit 305 controls at least one of steering, braking, and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1 in response to a user operation or a processing result of the data processing device 7 in accordance with the control of the vehicle behavior by the communication quality determination unit 303 .

[0088] The display control unit 306 controls the display by the HMI 22 .

[0089] As an example, the display control unit 306 displays a display screen including information related to the communication band on the HMI 22 in accordance with the control of the vehicle behavior by the communication quality determination unit 303. Here, the information related to the communication band includes any of information related to a band prediction value, a communication band map, and a guide for controlling the vehicle behavior.

[0090] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the data processing device 7 according to the embodiment. The data processing device 7 realizes functions as an anti-theft processing unit 701, a driving support processing unit 702, a driver monitor processing unit 703, a vehicle log processing unit 704, and a vehicle entertainment processing unit 705 by executing a program loaded in the RAM 43 by the CPU 41.

[0091] The anti-theft processing unit 701 executes server-side processing related to the anti-theft function of the vehicle 1. The anti-theft function is a function that includes processing involving wireless communication of the vehicle 1. The anti-theft function may be an example of a function related to the safety and security of the vehicle 1.

[0092] The driving support processing unit 702 executes server-side processing related to driving support functions (e.g., ADAS functions) such as an automatic driving function and a home parking function of the vehicle 1. The driving support functions include processing involving wireless communication of the vehicle 1. The driving support functions are an example of functions related to the safety and security of the vehicle 1.

[0093] The driver monitor processing unit 703 executes server-side processing related to a driver monitor function that monitors the driving posture, line of sight, face direction, eyelid opening and closing state, etc., of the driver of the vehicle 1. The driver monitor function is a function that includes processing involving wireless communication of the vehicle 1. The driver monitor function is an example of a function related to the safety and security of the vehicle 1.

[0094] The vehicle log processing unit 704 executes server-side processing related to a vehicle log function that collects logs of the vehicle 1 and analyzes the collected logs. The vehicle log function is a function that includes processing involving wireless communication of the vehicle 1. The vehicle log function is an example of another function related to the safety and security of the vehicle 1.

[0095] The vehicle entertainment processing unit 705 executes server-side processing related to a vehicle entertainment function that provides entertainment to the user inside the vehicle 1, such as music playback, video playback, and smartphone linkage in the vehicle 1. The vehicle entertainment function is a function that includes processing involving wireless communication in the vehicle 1. The vehicle entertainment function is an example of another function related to the safety and security of the vehicle 1.

[0096] Next, a flow of processing executed by the information processing system 9 configured as above will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a vehicle behavior control processing before traveling executed by the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen 801 displayed in the processing of Fig. 6.

[0097] The vehicle behavior control device 3 displays route candidates searched for according to the search conditions and information on the communication bands of the route candidates on the HMI 22 (S101).

[0098] As an example, the display control unit 306 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 displays information on the predicted bandwidth value on the HMI 22 as information on the communication bandwidth of the searched route candidates, as shown in Fig. 7. In the example of Fig. 7, a display screen 801 includes a road map 803 displaying route candidates, a display for setting or changing a search condition 805, and displays 807, 809 of information on the predicted bandwidth value of the route candidates. Fig. 7 illustrates a case in which, in response to "bandwidth priority" being selected as the search condition 805, display 807 indicating that the route candidate is "a route that can achieve xx Mbps or more" and display 809 indicating that the route candidate is "xx% or more of the route is xx Mbps or more" are displayed as information on the predicted bandwidth value of the route candidate.

[0099] FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which information on the communication band is displayed together when route candidates are displayed, but the present invention is not limited to this. A screen displaying route candidates and a screen displaying information on the communication band may be displayed in a switchable manner. For this reason, the display screen 801 may display an operation button for switching the screen or for selecting display / non-display of information on the communication band. When route candidates are displayed, displaying information on the communication band is not essential, and there may be a mode in which only normal route candidates are presented. Information on the communication band may be displayed when "band priority" is not selected as the search condition 805. When route candidates are displayed, a communication band map (see FIG. 9 and FIG. 10) described later may be displayed as information on the communication band.

[0100] The vehicle behavior control device 3 determines whether the driving route has been determined (S102). If it is determined that the driving route has not been determined (S102: No), the flow of Fig. 6 returns to the process of S102. On the other hand, if it is determined that the driving route has been determined (S102: Yes), the vehicle behavior control device 3 determines whether a minimum communication band is secured over the driving route (S103).

[0101] As an example, if the communication quality determination unit 303 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 has not acquired information regarding the communication bandwidth when displaying the route candidates, in this step, the communication quality determination unit 303 refers to the communication bandwidth map and acquires information regarding the communication bandwidth of the selected route candidate, i.e., estimates a bandwidth prediction value indicating the communication bandwidth predicted on the driving route.

[0102] As an example, when information regarding the communication bandwidth is acquired when displaying route candidates, the communication quality determination unit 303 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 determines whether a minimum communication bandwidth is secured along the driving route based on the bandwidth prediction value of the selected route candidate.

[0103] If it is determined that the minimum communication bandwidth is secured along the travel route (S103: Yes), the flow in FIG. 6 ends.

[0104] On the other hand, if it is not determined that the minimum communication band is secured over the travel route (S103: No), the vehicle behavior control device 3 restricts the vehicle behavior (S104). After that, the flow of FIG. 6 ends.

[0105] In this way, in the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment, when searching for route candidates for guiding the vehicle 1 to the destination, a search condition that prioritizes securing a communication bandwidth during driving can be specified. Specifically, when setting a driving route, the user can input a search condition that specifies which of time, distance, communication bandwidth, and fee should be prioritized when generating driving route candidates via the HMI 22. This allows the user to easily search for route candidates that can obtain a stable communication bandwidth.

[0106] In addition, in the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment, when a travel route is set, at least one of a communication band map of the travel route candidates and information on a band prediction value (information on the communication band of the route candidate) can be provided. This allows the user to select a route for guiding the vehicle 1 with reference to the communication band obtained during travel to the destination.

[0107] Furthermore, in the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment, when it is predicted that the minimum communication bandwidth cannot be secured along the selected route candidate, i.e., the driving route, the vehicle behavior of the vehicle 1 is restricted. This makes it possible to prevent problems such as the automatic driving being stopped midway by determining in advance, for example, before driving, whether the automatic driving is possible to the end.

[0108] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a vehicle behavior control process during driving, which is executed by the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen 811 displayed in the process of Fig. 8. Here, the flow of Fig. 8 will be described taking as an example a case where the process is executed during driving after a driving route is set in the flow of Fig. 6. Note that this driving may be, for example, automatic driving by an automatic driving function, or driving by a manual driving function following the guidance of a navigation system.

[0109] The vehicle behavior control device 3 estimates the vehicle position (S201), and acquires a communication band map corresponding to the vehicle position (S202). Then, the vehicle behavior control device 3 displays the vehicle position, the driving route, and the communication band map on the HMI 22 (S203).

[0110] As an example, the display control unit 306 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 displays a communication bandwidth map 819 as information on the communication bandwidth of the travel route on the HMI 22, as shown in Fig. 9. In the example of Fig. 9, a display screen 811 includes a road map 813, a vehicle position 815 on the road map 813, a travel route 817 on the road map 813, and a communication bandwidth map 819. The example of Fig. 9 illustrates a case in which the communication bandwidth map 819, together with the vehicle position 815 and the travel route 817, are superimposed on the road map 813.

[0111] 9 illustrates an example in which the communication band map 819 is superimposed on the road map 813, but the present invention is not limited to this. A screen displaying the communication band map 819 and a screen displaying the road map 813 may be displayed in a switchable manner. For this reason, the display screen 811 may display an operation button for switching the screen or for selecting whether to display or not display information about the communication band. When displaying route candidates, it is not essential to display information about the communication band, and there may be a mode in which only normal route guidance is displayed. Furthermore, information about a band prediction value based on the communication band map (see FIG. 7) may be displayed as information about the communication band of the travel route.

[0112] The display of the communication band map is not limited to the example of the display screen 811. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen 821 as another example of the display screen 811 displayed in the process of Fig. 8. In the example of Fig. 10, the display screen 821 includes a road map 823, a vehicle position 825 on the road map 823, a driving route 827 on the road map 823, and a communication band map 829. In the example of Fig. 10, the communication band map 819 is superimposed and displayed on or along the road along the driving route 827, in the same manner as, for example, traffic congestion information is conventionally displayed.

[0113] In addition, the vehicle behavior control device 3 determines the current communication quality, and estimates the communication quality on the route along the travel route using the communication band map (S204).

[0114] As an example, the communication quality determination unit 303 of the vehicle behavior control device 3 acquires an actual bandwidth measurement value of the wireless communication with the current wireless base station 5, and estimates a predicted bandwidth value as the communication quality based on the actual bandwidth measurement value and the communication bandwidth of the communication bandwidth map for the vehicle position.

[0115] In addition, the display of the communication band map 819 on the display screen 811 may be updated according to the estimation result of the band prediction value in this step, or the estimation of the band prediction value in this step may be performed prior to the display on the display screen 811.

[0116] Furthermore, the communication quality determination unit 303 may correct the communication band map using the estimated band prediction value. At that time, the communication quality determination unit 303 may update the communication band map itself stored in the internal memory, or may store the difference as a separate file.

[0117] In addition, the vehicle behavior control device 3 judges whether the bandwidth prediction value on the route is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, that is, whether low communication quality is predicted on the route (S205). If low communication quality is not predicted on the route (S205: No), the flow of FIG. 8 ends.

[0118] On the other hand, if low communication quality is predicted on the route (S205: Yes), the vehicle behavior control device 3 controls the vehicle behavior according to the communication quality (S206), and then the flow in FIG. 6 ends.

[0119] The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value (S206) may include returning to a state before the control when the bandwidth prediction value on the route becomes larger than a predetermined threshold value (S205: No).For example, the communication quality determination unit 303 may cancel the suspension (disabling) of the automatic driving function, cancel the limit on the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, or cancel the limit on the communication bandwidth for functions other than the function related to safety and security.

[0120] In this way, the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment can use a communication band map created in advance to control the vehicle behavior according to the predicted band value on the route of the vehicle 1. Specifically, when a low communication quality is predicted, the vehicle behavior is changed, so that the user can obtain a stable communication band while traveling and can travel safely within the obtained communication band.

[0121] Further, in the data processing device 7, the server-side vehicle behavior control process is executed for each of the multiple vehicles 1 that travel in the same area or whose set travel route passes through the same area. For this reason, the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment controls the travel route and vehicle speed of each vehicle 1 so that, for example, the number of vehicles 1 in an area where congestion of the communication band is expected is limited. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of the control of vehicle behavior in the process of FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 11, the information processing system 9 controls the travel route and vehicle speed of each vehicle 1 to guide many vehicles 1 to a travel route 851 that passes through an area with a high bandwidth prediction value, and limits the number of vehicles 1 that travel on a travel route 853 that passes through an area with a low bandwidth prediction value. This makes it possible to suppress congestion of the communication band on the travel route 853 and support safe and secure travel of each of the multiple vehicles 1. Furthermore, each of the multiple vehicles 1 can obtain safe and secure travel by controlling the vehicle behavior according to the server-side vehicle behavior control process. The number of vehicles 1 allowed in the same area may be determined according to the bandwidth prediction value of the area.

[0122] Here, the generation of the communication band map according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a communication band map generation process executed by the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment.

[0123] The vehicle behavior control device 3 estimates the base station position based on the history of the vehicle's position, that is, the travel route, and the communication strength, base station ID, and band (frequency band) used at each position (S301).

[0124] As an example, the vehicle behavior control device 3 estimates the vehicle position of the traveling vehicle 1 for each time period, and acquires the travel route of the vehicle 1. Also, the vehicle behavior control device 3 performs wireless communication for transmitting and receiving a certain number of packets between the traveling vehicle 1 and the wireless base station 5 at a predetermined fixed interval for each time period, and acquires the communication strength and the base station ID of the wireless communication at each position. Also, the vehicle behavior control device 3 acquires the band used, which indicates the frequency band used in the wireless communication, for example, by reading out the communication mode setting. Here, the base station ID is an example of base station information for uniquely identifying the wireless base station 5 of the communication destination.

[0125] The base station position does not necessarily have to be estimated by the vehicle behavior control device 3, but may be registered in advance and stored in an internal memory, or may be obtained from an external source such as the data processing device 7.

[0126] Furthermore, the vehicle behavior control device 3 estimates a base station bandwidth indicating the bandwidth of the communication band per base station based on the communication frequency information (S302).

[0127] Here, the communication frequency information is information indicating the bandwidth of the communication band defined for each band used in wireless communication with the wireless base station 5, i.e., the frequency range occupied by the transmission channel of the band used. The communication frequency information may be registered in advance and stored in an internal memory or the like, or may be obtained from an external source such as the data processing device 7.

[0128] Furthermore, the vehicle behavior control device 3 estimates the number of communicating vehicles (accommodated number of vehicles) for each base station for each time period based on the estimated base station bandwidth, the actual communication band, and the radio wave intensity (S303).

[0129] As an example, the vehicle behavior control device 3 acquires the actual communication bandwidth, i.e., the actual bandwidth measurement value, of the wireless communication with the wireless base station 5 based on the time required to send and receive a certain packet in wireless communication in which a certain packet is sent and received at a predetermined fixed interval.

[0130] In addition, the number of vehicles accommodated by each base station for each time period does not necessarily have to be estimated by the vehicle behavior control device 3, but may be registered in advance and stored in an internal memory, or may be obtained from an external source such as the data processing device 7.

[0131] Then, the vehicle behavior control device 3 estimates the communication bandwidth at each position for each time period based on the number of vehicles accommodated by each base station for each time period and the base station bandwidth, and generates a communication bandwidth map for each time period (S304).

[0132] The flow of FIG. 12 may be implemented as a communication band map update process that updates an already-generated communication band map, for example, by executing the process together with the above-described flow of FIG.

[0133] 12 may be realized as a simpler process. For example, the vehicle behavior control device 3 acquires the position and the bandwidth actual measurement value of the vehicle 1 in the same manner as described above by performing wireless communication between the vehicle 1 and the wireless base station 5 while the vehicle 1 is moving. Then, the vehicle behavior control device 3 generates a communication bandwidth map in which the acquired bandwidth actual measurement value of each position is plotted. Note that this communication bandwidth map generation process may be realized as an update process of the communication bandwidth map generated in the process of FIG. 12. Similarly, the communication bandwidth map generated in this communication bandwidth map generation process may be updated in the process of FIG. 12.

[0134] In this way, in the information processing system 9 according to the embodiment, a communication band map is generated or updated for each time period using at least the actual band measurement value. As a result, even in a communication method in which the communication band that can be used varies greatly depending on the area, such as wireless communication using a highly directional millimeter wave band such as 5G or 6G, safe and comfortable driving is possible by vehicle behavior control using the communication band map. In addition, the communication band varies greatly not only depending on the directivity of wireless communication but also on the degree of communication congestion, date and time, and weather, but safe and comfortable driving is possible by vehicle behavior control using the communication band map generated or updated for each time period.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the information processing system 9 that generates, updates, or uses a communication band map for each time period has been described. Here, the communication band map for each time period may be a communication band map for each of a plurality of sections when a day is divided into a plurality of sections, or may be a common communication band map for two or more sections. For example, a communication band map for normal times and a communication band map for a specific time period such as a commuting time period may be set. In addition, the communication band map may be set not only for a section into which a day is divided, but also for a time period such as a day of the week or a month. In this case, a communication band map for a specific time period such as the end of the month can also be set. Furthermore, the communication band map may be set for each weather instead of or in addition to the time period. For example, as a communication band map, a plurality of communication band maps may be set for each weather for one time period.

[0136] The vehicle behavior control process and the communication band map generation process according to the above-described embodiment may be performed in different vehicles 1. That is, the vehicle behavior control process according to the embodiment may use a communication band map generated in the vehicle itself, or may use a communication band map generated in another vehicle. The data processing device 7 according to the embodiment may combine communication band maps generated in multiple vehicles 1. This combination may be a combination of multiple communication band maps having different areas, time periods, or communication methods, or may be a combination of multiple communication band maps having at least some of the same areas, time periods, or communication methods, by statistical processing, such as taking an average value or a median value.

[0137] In addition, a part or all of the processing in the client-side vehicle behavior control processing and communication band map generation processing by the vehicle behavior control device 3 according to the above-mentioned embodiment may be executed outside the vehicle 1, such as by the data processing device 7. For example, the vehicle behavior control processing and communication band map generation processing using the above-mentioned communication band map may be executed outside the vehicle 1, such as by the data processing device 7, such that the communication band map is held on the low-latency cloud server 6 side. Similarly, a part or all of the processing by the data processing device 7 according to the above-mentioned embodiment may be executed inside the vehicle 1, such as the vehicle behavior control device 3. Alternatively, the vehicle behavior control device 3 and the data processing device 7 according to the embodiment may be configured as one unit. Even with these configurations, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

[0138] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, "determining whether it is A" may mean determining that it is A, determining that it is not A, or determining whether it is A or not.

[0139] Each program executed by each device of the information processing system 9 according to each of the above-described embodiments is provided by being recorded in a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, FD, CD-R, DVD, etc., in a file in an installable or executable format.

[0140] Also, each program executed by each device of the information processing system 9 according to each embodiment described above may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, each program executed by each device of the information processing system 9 according to each embodiment described above may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0141] Furthermore, each program executed by each device of the information processing system 9 according to each embodiment described above may be configured to be provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like.

[0142] In addition, the programs executed in each device of the information processing system 9 according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments have a modular configuration including each of the functional units described above, and in terms of actual hardware, the CPU 41 reads out the program from the ROM 42 or the HDD 44 and executes it, thereby loading each of the functional units onto the RAM 43, and each of the functional units is generated on the RAM 43.

[0143] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, it is possible to improve safety during driving of a vehicle equipped with a driving function involving wireless communication.

[0144] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0145] (Additional Note) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques. (1) obtaining a communication band map indicating a communication band for wireless communication with any one of a plurality of base stations; Estimating a position of a vehicle that is wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of base stations; estimating a bandwidth prediction value indicating a predicted communication bandwidth in wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations based on the position of the vehicle and the communication bandwidth map; controlling a vehicle behavior of the vehicle in accordance with the bandwidth prediction value; Information processing methods. (2) acquiring an actual bandwidth measurement value indicating a current communication bandwidth in wireless communication between any one of the plurality of base stations and the vehicle; Estimating a bandwidth prediction value by correcting the communication bandwidth map using the vehicle position and the bandwidth actual measurement value. The information processing method according to (1) above. (3) The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when there is an area where congestion of a communication band is predicted based on the bandwidth prediction value, changing or guiding at least one of a driving route and a vehicle speed of the vehicle so as to limit the number of vehicles in the area. The information processing method according to (1) or (2) above. (4) The control of the vehicle behavior according to the band prediction value includes, when the band prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, changing or guiding the vehicle to a lane having a higher band prediction value. An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (3) above. (5) The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when the bandwidth prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, giving priority to a predetermined function related to driving in wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations and restricting a communication bandwidth related to other functions. An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (4) above. (6) The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when the bandwidth prediction value becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value, lifting a restriction on a communication bandwidth related to the other function. The information processing method according to (5) above. (7) The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes changing a communication mode of wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations when the bandwidth prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (6) above. (8) Setting a travel route for the vehicle based on a user input; The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes determining in advance whether the autonomous driving function can be executed over the entire set driving route based on whether the bandwidth prediction value is higher than a predetermined threshold required for wireless communication related to the autonomous driving function between any of the plurality of base stations over the entire set driving route. An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (7) above. (9) Setting a travel route for the vehicle based on a user input; The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when the bandwidth prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value in at least a portion of the set driving route, performing any one of the following in advance: stopping an autonomous driving function; changing a communication mode of wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations; limiting the vehicle speed of the vehicle; and notifying the user. An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (8) above. (10) The setting of the travel route includes displaying either the communication band map in a candidate travel route or information related to the band prediction value. The information processing method according to (9) above. (11) The setting of the travel route includes receiving an input by the user of a search condition that specifies which of time, distance, communication bandwidth, and cost is to be given priority in generating travel route candidates. The information processing method according to (9) or (10) above. (12) wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of base stations while moving the vehicle; estimating a base station bandwidth indicating a bandwidth of a communication band per the destination base station based on communication frequency information indicating a bandwidth of a frequency band used in wireless communication between the destination base station and one of the plurality of base stations; generating or updating the communication band map based on the base station bandwidth and the number of devices accommodated by the communication destination base station for each time period; An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (11) above. (13) estimating the number of accommodated devices based on a band actual measurement value and radio wave intensity indicating a current communication band in wireless communication with the communication destination base station, a position of the communication destination base station, and a base station bandwidth; The information processing method according to (12) above. (14) estimating a position of the destination base station based on base station information for uniquely identifying the destination base station, the frequency band used, and radio wave intensity, which are acquired during wireless communication between the destination base station and the travel route of the vehicle; The information processing method according to (13) above. (15) wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of base stations while moving the vehicle; acquiring an actual bandwidth measurement value indicating a current communication bandwidth in wireless communication between any one of the plurality of base stations and the vehicle; generating or updating the communication band map based on the vehicle position and the actual band measurement value; An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (14) above. (16) A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of (1) to (15) above. (17) A storage medium (Computer Program Product) having recorded thereon the program described in (16) above, which is executed by a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1 vehicle 12 Body 13 wheels 14 Bumper 21 Vehicle Sensors 211 Sonar 212 All-around camera 22 Human Machine Interface 23 Wireless communication devices 24 Vehicle control device 3 Vehicle behavior control device 301 Vehicle Information Acquisition Department 302 Vehicle position estimation unit 303 Communication quality judgment unit 304 Communication Control Unit 305 Vehicle control unit 306 Display control section 41 CPU 42 ROM 43 RAM 44 HDD 45 Interface 49 Bus 5. Radio base station 6. Low-latency cloud server 61 Cloud Gateway 62 Data Extraction Device 7 Data Processing Device

Claims

1. obtaining a communication band map indicating a communication band for wireless communication with any one of a plurality of base stations; Estimating a position of a vehicle that is wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of base stations; estimating a bandwidth prediction value indicating a predicted communication bandwidth in wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations based on the position of the vehicle and the communication bandwidth map; controlling a vehicle behavior of the vehicle in accordance with the bandwidth prediction value; Information processing methods.

2. acquiring an actual bandwidth measurement value indicating a current communication bandwidth in wireless communication between any one of the plurality of base stations and the vehicle; Estimating a bandwidth prediction value by correcting the communication bandwidth map using the vehicle position and the bandwidth actual measurement value. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

3. The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when there is an area where congestion of a communication band is predicted based on the bandwidth prediction value, changing or guiding at least one of a driving route and a vehicle speed of the vehicle so as to limit the number of vehicles in the area. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

4. The control of the vehicle behavior according to the band prediction value includes, when the band prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, changing or guiding the vehicle to a lane having a higher band prediction value. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

5. The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when the bandwidth prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, giving priority to a predetermined function related to driving in wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations and restricting a communication bandwidth related to other functions. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

6. The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when the bandwidth prediction value becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value, lifting a restriction on a communication bandwidth related to the other function. The information processing method according to claim 5.

7. The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes changing a communication mode of wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations when the bandwidth prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

8. Setting a travel route for the vehicle based on a user input; The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes determining in advance whether the autonomous driving function can be executed over the entire set driving route based on whether the bandwidth prediction value is higher than a predetermined threshold required for wireless communication related to the autonomous driving function between any of the plurality of base stations over the entire set driving route. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Setting a travel route for the vehicle based on a user input; The control of the vehicle behavior according to the bandwidth prediction value includes, when the bandwidth prediction value is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value in at least a portion of the set driving route, performing any one of the following in advance: stopping an autonomous driving function; changing a communication mode of wireless communication with any one of the plurality of base stations; limiting the vehicle speed of the vehicle; and notifying the user. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. The setting of the travel route includes displaying either the communication band map in a candidate travel route or information related to the band prediction value. The information processing method according to claim 9.

11. The setting of the travel route includes receiving an input by the user of a search condition that specifies which of time, distance, communication bandwidth, and cost is to be given priority in generating travel route candidates. The information processing method according to claim 9.

12. wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of base stations while moving the vehicle; estimating a base station bandwidth indicating a bandwidth of a communication band per the destination base station based on communication frequency information indicating a bandwidth of a frequency band used in wireless communication between the destination base station and one of the plurality of base stations; generating or updating the communication band map based on the base station bandwidth and the number of devices accommodated by the communication destination base station for each time period; The information processing method according to claim 1 .

13. estimating the number of accommodated devices based on a band actual measurement value and radio wave intensity indicating a current communication band in wireless communication with the communication destination base station, a position of the communication destination base station, and a base station bandwidth; The information processing method according to claim 12.

14. estimating a position of the destination base station based on base station information for uniquely identifying the destination base station, the frequency band used, and radio wave intensity, which are acquired during wireless communication between the destination base station and the travel route of the vehicle; The information processing method according to claim 13.

15. wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of base stations while moving the vehicle; acquiring an actual bandwidth measurement value indicating a current communication bandwidth in wireless communication between any one of the plurality of base stations and the vehicle; generating or updating the communication band map based on the vehicle position and the actual band measurement value; The information processing method according to claim 1 .

Images