Information processing system

Abstract

To provide a technique that enables assessment of difficulty of passing through an exit / entrance.SOLUTION: An information processing system is provided, comprising a trajectory acquisition unit for acquiring a trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit of a facility, an entrance / exit position acquisition unit for acquiring the position of the entrance / exit, and a required time acquisition unit for acquiring the time it took for the vehicle to travel from the entrance / exit to within a given range on the basis of the trajectory of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for supplementing missing information in map information used in navigation systems, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for extracting the position of a starting point or a destination entrance / exit based on a position history on a route. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-191115 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a vehicle enters or exits a facility, it passes through an entrance / exit of the facility, and the difficulty of passing through each entrance / exit can vary. If the difficulty of passing through an entrance / exit is high, it generally takes time to pass through the entrance / exit. However, in the past, it was not possible to evaluate the difficulty of passing through an entrance / exit. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can evaluate the degree of difficulty of passing through an entrance / exit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the information processing system includes a trajectory acquisition unit that acquires the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit of a facility, an entrance / exit acquisition unit that acquires the position of the entrance / exit, and a required time acquisition unit that acquires the required time required by the vehicle to travel within a specified range from the position of the entrance / exit based on the trajectory of the vehicle.

[0006] In other words, the length of the time required to travel a predetermined distance from an entrance / exit is considered to correspond to the difficulty of passing through the entrance / exit. Therefore, by acquiring the required time, it becomes possible to evaluate the difficulty of passing through the entrance / exit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a guidance system and an information processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2A is a diagram for explaining a situation in which the passage difficulty level changes depending on the driving direction, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of route guidance. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart of a difficulty level setting process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Here, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Guidance system configuration: (2) Information processing system configuration: (3) Difficulty setting process: (4) Other embodiments:

[0009] (1) Guidance system configuration: FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the information processing system 100 cooperates with a guidance system 10. The guidance system 10 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle and has a navigation function for guiding the vehicle. The guidance system 10 includes a control unit 20 including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium 30, a GNSS receiving unit 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, a gyro sensor 43, a user I / F unit 44, and a communication unit 45. The control unit 20 can execute a guidance program 21 stored in the recording medium 30 or the ROM.

[0010] Trajectory information 30b and route information 300b are recorded in the recording medium 30 during the operation of the guidance system 10. Trajectory information 30b indicates the movement trajectory of the vehicle and indicates the history of the vehicle's current location at each time. Route information 300b is information indicating the planned driving route of the vehicle, and is generated by the information processing system 100 and transmitted to the guidance system 10. The guidance system 10 acquires the route information 300b and records it in the recording medium 30. In this embodiment, the vehicle is a commercial vehicle that performs cargo handling such as unloading and loading at a facility that is the destination. The planned driving route is information indicating the route from the departure point to the destination, and is defined, for example, by a permutation of nodes or a permutation of links. Of course, there may be two or more destinations. If map information 300a, which will be described later, includes information on entrances and exits of the facility, the route information 300b will include the entrances and exits for entering the facility that is the destination.

[0011] The GNSS receiver 41 is a device that receives signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System. It receives radio waves from navigation satellites and outputs a signal for calculating the current position of the vehicle via an interface (not shown). The control unit 20 acquires this signal to obtain the current position of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 42 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels of the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires this signal via an interface (not shown) to obtain the vehicle speed. The gyro sensor 43 detects the angular acceleration of the vehicle turning in a horizontal plane and outputs a signal corresponding to the orientation of the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires this signal to obtain the traveling direction of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 42, the gyro sensor 43, and the like are used to determine the traveling trajectory of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the current position of the vehicle is determined based on the starting position and traveling trajectory of the vehicle, and the current position of the vehicle determined based on the starting position and traveling trajectory is corrected based on the output signal of the GNSS receiver 41.

[0012] The user I / F unit 44 is an interface unit for inputting user instructions and providing various information to the user, and is equipped with a touch panel display, switches, a speaker, etc. (not shown). In other words, the user I / F unit 44 is equipped with a guidance unit using images and audio and an input unit for user instructions. The communication unit 45 is equipped with a circuit for communicating with other devices.

[0013] The control unit 20 can cause the guidance system 10 to function as a navigation system by executing the guidance program 21. When the guidance program 21 is executed, the control unit 20 functions as an information acquisition unit 21a and a guidance unit 21b.

[0014] The information acquisition unit 21a has a function of acquiring various types of information. In this embodiment, the control unit 20 acquires trajectory information 30b using the function of the information acquisition unit 21a. Specifically, the control unit 20 acquires the current location of the vehicle at regular intervals based on output information from the GNSS receiver 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, and the gyro sensor 43. The control unit 20 generates trajectory information 30b by associating the acquired current location with the time when the vehicle was at the current location, and records the trajectory information 30b on the recording medium 30. Furthermore, the control unit 20 can transmit the trajectory information 30b to the information processing system 100 via the communication unit 45 using the function of the information acquisition unit 21a.

[0015] The guidance unit 21b has a function of providing guidance such as route guidance. The control unit 20 controls the user I / F unit 44 using the function of the guidance unit 21b to display various interface screens on the display. The user inputs a destination using the interface screen. The control unit 20 accepts the input of the destination via the user I / F unit 44.

[0016] When the destination is accepted, the control unit 20 acquires the current location of the vehicle based on the output information of the GNSS receiving unit 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, and the gyro sensor 43. The control unit 20 also transmits a route search request to the information processing system 100 together with the current location of the vehicle and the destination. In response to the route search request, the information processing system 100 searches for a route from the current location of the vehicle to the destination, and transmits route information 300b indicating the route and a map of the area around the current location of the vehicle to the guidance system 10.

[0017] The control unit 20 receives the route information 300b via the communication unit 45. Furthermore, the control unit 20 controls the user I / F unit 44 to display a map including the current location based on the route information 300b and to display the searched route on the map. When the vehicle starts traveling, the control unit 20 periodically acquires the current location of the vehicle based on output information from the GNSS receiver 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, and the gyro sensor 43, and transmits the acquired information to the information processing system 100. The information processing system 100 creates route information 300b showing a map of the area around the current location of the vehicle and a route on the map, and transmits the information to the guidance system 10. The control unit 20 controls the user I / F unit 44 to display a map of the area around the current location of the vehicle and a route on the map based on the route information 300b. That is, the control unit 20 controls the user I / F unit 44 using the function of the guidance unit 21b to provide guidance for the vehicle to travel along the route.

[0018] A facility that is the destination of a vehicle has an entrance / exit, and the vehicle enters the facility by passing through the entrance / exit. Therefore, in this embodiment, the entrance / exit is set as the destination, and route guidance is provided so that the road section where the entrance / exit is located is included in the route. Furthermore, in the case of a facility that has multiple entrances / exits, an entrance / exit is selected based on the difficulty of passing through the entrance / exit. The selection of an entrance / exit will be described in detail below.

[0019] (2) Information processing system configuration: As described above, in this embodiment, an entrance / exit is selected using the passage difficulty level associated with the entrance / exit. In order to set the passage difficulty level, the information processing system 100 has a function of identifying a passage difficulty level and associating it with each entrance / exit. The information processing system 100 includes a control unit 200 including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium 300, and a communication unit 450. The communication unit 450 includes a circuit for communicating with other devices. The control unit 200 can execute an information processing program stored in the recording medium 300 or ROM.

[0020] Map information 300a is pre-recorded on the recording medium 300. The map information 300a is information used to identify the vehicle's position, facilities and roads to be guided, etc. Specifically, the map information 300a includes node data indicating the positions of nodes set on the road on which the vehicle travels, shape interpolation point data indicating the positions of shape interpolation points for identifying the shape of the road between the nodes, link data indicating the connections between the nodes, facility data indicating the positions of facilities present around the road, etc. Furthermore, the link data is associated with a cost for route search. Of course, the cost may be calculated based on the distance and congestion level of the road section indicated by the link data, etc.

[0021] In this embodiment, the locations of entrances and exits of a facility and the difficulty levels of passing through the entrances are identified and associated with the facility through processing by the information processing system 100. Here, information indicating the locations of entrances and exits of a facility and the difficulty levels of passing through the entrances is referred to as entrance and exit information 300a1. The control unit 200 executes the information processing program 210 to generate the entrance and exit information 300a1 and record it on the recording medium 300.

[0022] When the information processing program 210 is executed, the control unit 200 functions as a trajectory acquisition unit 210a, an entrance / exit acquisition unit 210b, a required period acquisition unit 210c, a difficulty level setting unit 210d, and a guidance control unit 210e. The trajectory acquisition unit 210a has a function of acquiring the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit. Specifically, the control unit 200 outputs an acquisition request for trajectory information 30b to the guidance system 10. In response to the acquisition request, the guidance system 10 transmits the trajectory information 30b to the information processing system 100. The control unit 200 acquires the trajectory information 30b via the communication unit 450 and records it on the recording medium 300. Note that when there are multiple vehicles, the trajectory information 30b may be acquired from the guidance system 10 provided in each vehicle.

[0023] Furthermore, the control unit 200, using the function of the trajectory acquisition unit 210a, refers to the trajectory information 30b and the map information 300a to identify the trajectory of the vehicle moving from the road into the facility and the trajectory of the vehicle moving from the facility onto the road, and acquires this as the trajectory of the vehicle passing through the entrance / exit.

[0024] The entrance / exit acquisition unit 210b has a function of acquiring the position of an entrance / exit of a facility. Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the position of the entrance / exit of the facility by referring to the trajectory of the vehicle that passed through the entrance / exit, acquired by the function of the trajectory acquisition unit 210a. That is, in the trajectory of the vehicle that passed through the entrance / exit, when the vehicle moves from the road into the facility and when the vehicle moves from inside the facility onto the road, the control unit 200 acquires, as the position of the entrance / exit, the position where the boundary between the road and the facility intersects with the trajectory.

[0025] The required time acquisition unit 210c is a function that acquires the required time required for the vehicle to travel within a predetermined range from the entrance / exit position based on the vehicle's trajectory. Specifically, the control unit 200, using the function of the required time acquisition unit 210c, references the trajectory of the vehicle that passed through the entrance / exit acquired by the function of the trajectory acquisition unit 210a and extracts a trajectory within the predetermined range from the entrance / exit position. The control unit 200 then references the vehicle's position at each time on the extracted trajectory and acquires the difference between the time the vehicle entered the predetermined range and the time it exited the predetermined range as the required time. Note that the predetermined range may be determined in advance, and for example, a configuration in which the predetermined range is a range within a predetermined distance (e.g., 5 m) from the entrance / exit position can be adopted. Note that if multiple trajectories for the same entrance / exit are acquired, the control unit 200 may identify the required time based on each trajectory and perform statistics.

[0026] In this embodiment, the longer the time required for a vehicle to travel within a predetermined range from the entrance / exit location, the higher the passage difficulty is considered to be. For example, if the entrance / exit is narrow, if the angle between the driving direction when passing through the entrance / exit and the driving direction of the road changes by 90 degrees or more, or if visibility is poor, it is necessary to turn around or drive slowly, and careful driving is required, so the passage time is likely to be long. For this reason, in this embodiment, the passage time is considered to correspond to the passage difficulty.

[0027] The required time may also change depending on the direction of travel of the vehicle on the road connected to the entrance / exit, and if it does change, the passage difficulty may change depending on the direction of travel. Figure 2A is a diagram for explaining a situation in which the passage difficulty changes depending on the direction of travel. In the example shown in Figure 2A, facility G has entrance / exit E. Road R, which entrance / exit E connects to, is a road with one lane in each direction.

[0028] Therefore, vehicle C1 traveling on road R in direction of travel A turns left to enter entrance / exit E, while vehicle C2 traveling on road R in direction of travel B turns right to enter entrance / exit E. Furthermore, vehicle C3 traveling on road R in direction of travel A after leaving the entrance / exit turns left when exiting the entrance / exit. Vehicle C4 traveling on road R in direction of travel B after leaving the entrance / exit turns right when exiting the entrance / exit.

[0029] Because vehicles C2 and C4 need to cross lane L1 of road R when passing through the entrance / exit E, the passing difficulty level for vehicles C2 and C4 when passing through the entrance / exit E is generally higher than the passing difficulty level for vehicles C1 and C3 when passing through the entrance / exit E. Therefore, in this embodiment, the required period is specified for each traveling direction, and the passing difficulty level is set for each traveling direction. For this reason, in this embodiment, the control unit 200 analyzes the trajectory for each traveling direction when specifying the required period.

[0030] Specifically, the control unit 200 identifies the trajectory of the vehicle before and after passing through the entrance / exit based on the trajectory of the vehicle that passed through the entrance / exit, and identifies the vehicle's traveling direction. Then, the control unit 200 identifies the period required for the vehicle to travel within a predetermined range for each traveling direction. That is, the control unit 200 identifies the period required when the vehicle travels in a traveling direction that requires crossing lanes to pass through the entrance / exit, and the period required when the vehicle travels in a traveling direction that does not require crossing lanes to pass through the entrance / exit. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, traveling direction B is the traveling direction in which the vehicle must cross lanes to pass through the entrance / exit, and traveling direction A is the traveling direction in which the vehicle does not require crossing lanes to pass through the entrance / exit.

[0031] The difficulty level setting unit 210d is a function that sets the difficulty level of passing through an entrance / exit so that the longer the required time, the higher the difficulty level. Specifically, the control unit 200 selects one of multiple difficulty levels so that the longer the required time acquired by the required time acquisition unit 210c, the higher the difficulty level, and associates the selected difficulty level with the location of the entrance / exit. The control unit 200 also generates entrance / exit information 300a1 indicating the location of the entrance / exit and the passing difficulty level of the entrance / exit, and updates the map information 300a by associating the entrance / exit information 300a1 with facility data on the facility where the entrance / exit is located. Note that the passing difficulty level may change continuously or stepwise, but here we assume a continuous change. With the above configuration, it is possible to perform processing according to the passing difficulty level, such as distinguishing entrances and exits by passing difficulty level.

[0032] In this embodiment, since the required period is specified for each traveling direction, the control unit 200 acquires the passing difficulty for each traveling direction based on the required period for each traveling direction. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2A , the control unit 200 acquires the passing difficulty based on the required period for traveling direction A for both the case of traveling in traveling direction A and entering through entrance / exit E, and the case of exiting through entrance / exit E and traveling in traveling direction A. The control unit 200 then associates the passing difficulty with the traveling direction A to generate entrance / exit information 300a1 and records the generated information on the recording medium 300.

[0033] Furthermore, for both the case of traveling in traveling direction B and entering through entrance / exit E, and the case of exiting through entrance / exit E and traveling in traveling direction B, the control unit 200 acquires the passage difficulty level based on the required time in traveling direction B. Then, the control unit 200 associates the passage difficulty level with traveling direction B to generate entrance / exit information 300a1 and records it on the recording medium 300.

[0034] The guidance control unit 210e has a function of causing the guidance system installed in the vehicle to provide route guidance. Specifically, upon receiving a route search request from the guidance system 10, the control unit 200 refers to the map information 300a and searches for a route to travel from the current location of the vehicle as a departure point to the destination based on the current location and destination of the vehicle included in the route search request. The search can be performed using a known algorithm that utilizes cost, such as the Dijkstra algorithm.

[0035] In this embodiment, the cost includes a cost according to the passage difficulty of the entrance / exit. That is, the control unit 200 acquires the entrance / exit information 300a1 along with the map information 300a, sets the cost so that the higher the passage difficulty, the higher the cost, and performs a route search based on the cost. Note that in this embodiment, the passage difficulty is defined for each driving direction, so the control unit 200 identifies the passage difficulty according to the driving direction on the road immediately before or immediately after passing through the entrance / exit, and sets the cost according to the passage difficulty.

[0036] According to the above configuration, when a facility serving as a destination has multiple entrances and exits, an entrance to be guided is selected based on the passage difficulty, and the guidance unit is caused to guide the user to the selected entrance and exit. The lower the passage difficulty of an entrance and exit, the more likely it is to be selected as an entrance and exit, and a route including the entrance and exit is searched for.

[0037] When a route is found, the control unit 200 generates route information 300b that indicates a map including the route and the current location of the vehicle, and transmits the information to the guidance system 10 via the communication unit 450. The control unit 200 also updates the route information 300b in response to changes in the current location of the vehicle, and transmits the updated information to the guidance system 10 via the communication unit 450. The control unit 20 of the guidance system 10 controls the guidance unit of the user I / F unit 44 to provide route guidance based on the route information 300b.

[0038] FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of route guidance when vehicle C is traveling toward facility G. In FIG. 2B, roads around vehicle C are shown with thin solid lines, and the planned driving route of vehicle C is shown with thick solid lines. In this example, vehicle C's current destination is facility G. Facility G has entrances / exits E1 and E2, but entrance / exit E2 is narrower than entrance / exit E1 and is more difficult to pass through. For this reason, in this embodiment, the cost of entrance / exit E2 is greater than the cost of entrance / exit E1, and in the example shown in FIG. 2B, a planned driving route that uses entrance / exit E1 is searched for when vehicle C heads toward facility G, even though it is a slightly longer route.

[0039] According to the above configuration, the vehicle driver can easily travel to the facility. In this embodiment, the route is set so as to avoid entrances and exits with high passing difficulty levels as much as possible, so the vehicle driver is likely to be able to avoid entrances and exits with high driving difficulty levels when entering the facility. Furthermore, even for the same entrance and exit, if the passing difficulty levels differ depending on the driving direction, the route is searched based on the passing difficulty levels for each driving direction. Therefore, compared to a case where no distinction is made based on driving direction, route guidance is provided that is more accurate according to the passing difficulty levels, and the vehicle driver is likely to be able to avoid entrances and exits with high driving difficulty levels when entering the facility.

[0040] In this embodiment, the location of the entrance / exit and the difficulty of passing through the entrance / exit are determined based on the vehicle trajectory information 30b, so in the case of a facility for which no trajectory information 30b exists, the location of the entrance / exit and the difficulty of passing through the entrance / exit are not set. In this case, regardless of the location of the entrance / exit and the difficulty of passing through the entrance / exit, it is sufficient that a route to the facility as a destination is searched for and route guidance is provided.

[0041] (3) Difficulty setting process: Next, the difficulty level setting process will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the difficulty level setting process executed by the information processing system 100. The difficulty level setting process is initiated in response to a predetermined trigger, such as the reception of trajectory information 30b or at regular intervals. It is assumed here that the difficulty level setting process is executed for a specific facility for which trajectories of vehicles passing through entrances and exits have been collected. That is, the difficulty level setting process is executed for the facility after trajectory information 30b indicating trajectories of vehicles passing through entrances and exits of the facility to be subjected to the difficulty level setting process has been recorded on the recording medium 300. The facility to be subjected to the difficulty level setting process may be identified in various ways. For example, trajectories indicating the vehicles passing through entrances and exits may be identified based on trajectory information 30b collected from multiple vehicles, and the difficulty level setting process may be executed for each of the identified entrances and exits.

[0042] When the difficulty level setting process is started, the control unit 200 acquires the trajectory of entering the facility to be processed and the trajectory of exiting the facility by using the function of the trajectory acquisition unit 210a (step S100). That is, the control unit 200 acquires the trajectory of passing through the entrance and exit of the facility to be processed.

[0043] Next, the control unit 200 acquires the position of the entrance / exit using the function of the entrance / exit acquisition unit 210b (step S105). That is, the control unit 200 refers to the trajectory acquired in step S100 and the map information 300a, identifies the trajectory traveled between the road and the facility, and acquires the position where the boundary between the road and the facility intersects with the trajectory as the position of the entrance / exit. If there are multiple entrances / exits at the same facility, this process is executed for each entrance / exit (and so on).

[0044] Next, the control unit 200 acquires the traveling direction of the vehicle when passing through the entrance / exit using the function of the required time acquisition unit 210c (step S110). Specifically, the control unit 200 refers to the trajectory and map information 300a acquired in step S100, and identifies the traveling direction of the vehicle on the road outside the facility immediately before passing through the entrance / exit or immediately after passing through the entrance / exit.

[0045] Next, the control unit 200 acquires the required period for the predetermined range using the function of the required period acquisition unit 210c (step S115). Specifically, the control unit 200 refers to the trajectory acquired in step S100 and the map information 300a, and acquires the trajectory for the predetermined range from the position of the entrance / exit acquired in step S105. Then, the control unit 200 acquires the required period for the vehicle to travel the predetermined range based on the time associated with the vehicle position on the trajectory for the predetermined range.

[0046] Next, the control unit 200 acquires the passage difficulty level corresponding to the entrance / exit and the travel direction by using the function of the difficulty level setting unit 210d (step S120). Specifically, the control unit 200 specifies the passage difficulty level according to the required time for each travel direction acquired in step S115, and acquires it as the passage difficulty level for each travel direction.

[0047] Next, the control unit 200 updates the map information using the function of the difficulty level setting unit 210d (step S125). That is, the control unit 200 records the entrance / exit information 300a1, which indicates the entrance / exit and the passage difficulty level for each traveling direction acquired in step S120, in the recording medium 300 in association with the facility data of the facility to be processed.

[0048] (4) Other embodiments: The above embodiment is an example for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, the guidance system may be a device mounted on a vehicle or the like, a device realized by a portable terminal, or a system realized by multiple devices (e.g., a client and a server). The information processing system may be a system realized by multiple devices (e.g., a cloud server). Furthermore, the guidance system 10 and the information processing system 100 may be an integrated device. Furthermore, map information 300a including entrance / exit information 300a1 may be stored in the recording medium 30 of the guidance system 10, and route search and guidance control may be performed in the guidance system 10.

[0049] At least some of the information acquisition unit 21a and the guidance unit 21b that constitute the guidance system, and the trajectory acquisition unit 210a, the entrance / exit acquisition unit 210b, the required period acquisition unit 210c, the difficulty level setting unit 210d, and the guidance control unit 210e that constitute the information processing system 100 may be separated into multiple devices. Of course, some of the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments may be omitted, and the order of processing may be changed or omitted.

[0050] For example, the difficulty level setting unit 210d may be omitted. In this configuration, the length of the required time is considered to correspond to the difficulty level of passage. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the entrance / exit information 300a1 includes the required time, and the longer the required time, the higher the difficulty level of passage is considered to be. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the required time is specified for each traveling direction, but the required time may also be specified without distinguishing between traveling directions.

[0051] Furthermore, the driving direction may be a target of guidance. Specifically, the driving direction of the vehicle before entering the facility entrance / exit and / or after exiting the facility entrance / exit is associated with the required time required to pass through the entrance / exit in each driving direction and the location of the entrance / exit, and entrance / exit information 300a1 is generated and recorded. In this configuration, the guidance control unit 210e may select the driving direction to be guided based on the required time, and cause the guidance unit to guide the selected driving direction.

[0052] More specifically, the control unit 200, using the function of the guidance control unit 210e, references the entrance / exit information 300a1 and identifies the required time for each driving direction associated with the location of the entrance / exit of the facility to be guided. Furthermore, the control unit 200 acquires the shortest required time from among the required times associated with the entrances / exits of the facility and selects the driving direction associated with that required time. The control unit 200 then generates information for guiding the selected driving direction along with the facility to be guided, and transmits the information to the guidance system 10. For example, the control unit 200 generates an image in which an icon indicating the selected driving direction is superimposed on a map including the facility to be guided, and transmits the image to the guidance system 10. With the above configuration, the vehicle driver can recognize the driving direction that is easy to pass through the entrance / exit of the facility, increasing the likelihood of avoiding entrances / exits that are difficult to drive through. In the above configuration, the driving direction may be the driving direction before entering the entrance / exit of the facility, the driving direction after exiting the entrance / exit of the facility, or both.

[0053] Furthermore, a route may be searched for based on the driving direction. Specifically, the control unit 200 associates a cost corresponding to the length of the required time for each driving direction with a road section when traveling in each driving direction. Furthermore, the control unit 200 references the cost together with the cost for each link to search for a planned driving route from the departure point to the facility. The control unit 200 then generates information for guiding the planned driving route and transmits it to the guidance system 10. For example, the control unit 200 generates an image in which the planned driving route from the departure point to the destination is superimposed on a map including the current location of the vehicle, and transmits the image to the guidance system 10. With the above configuration, the vehicle driver can recognize a planned driving route that approaches a facility entrance / exit in a driving direction that makes the entrance / exit less difficult to pass through, thereby increasing the likelihood of avoiding an entrance / exit that is more difficult to drive. Note that the driving direction may be the driving direction before entering the facility entrance / exit, the driving direction after exiting the facility entrance / exit, or both.

[0054] The trajectory acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit. Therefore, it is sufficient to acquire at least one of the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit to enter a facility and the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit to exit the facility. The trajectory may be a trajectory that is estimated to have passed through an entrance / exit. For example, when a link within a facility is not set in the map information and the vehicle's position disappears from the link, it is estimated that the vehicle passed through an entrance / exit to enter the facility. In this case, the trajectory is acquired as the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit. Furthermore, when the vehicle's position changes from not being present on the link to being present on the link, it is estimated that the vehicle passed through an entrance / exit to exit the facility. In this case, the trajectory is acquired as the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance / exit.

[0055] The entrance / exit acquisition unit only needs to acquire the location of the entrance / exit of the facility. The process of acquiring the entrance / exit of the facility is not limited to the process of acquiring the entrance / exit based on the vehicle trajectory. For example, if the facility information indicated by the map information includes the location of the entrance / exit of the facility, the location of the entrance / exit may be acquired based on the map information. The location of the entrance / exit may also be defined in various ways. For example, the location of the entrance / exit may be defined by the distance from a node on a link (road section) or the relative location from the location of the facility. In the above-described embodiment, the entrance / exit is assumed to serve as both an entrance to the facility and an exit from the facility, but the entrance and exit may be separate.

[0056] The required period acquisition unit may acquire the required period required for the vehicle to travel within a predetermined range from the entrance / exit based on the vehicle's trajectory. That is, the required period acquisition unit may acquire the required period as a time length for evaluating the period required to pass through the entrance / exit. The predetermined range may be a range in which the vehicle performs actions to pass through the entrance / exit. That is, in order to pass through the entrance / exit, actions different from normal driving on roads outside the facility may be performed. For example, unlike normal straight-line driving on roads outside the facility, actions such as changing the direction of travel by 90 degrees, deceleration, and turning may occur. The predetermined range may include such a range in which the vehicle performs actions to pass through the entrance / exit. For example, the predetermined range may be determined in advance to be a range a predetermined distance from the location of the entrance / exit.

[0057] When there are multiple entrances / exits at a facility, the guidance control unit may select an entrance / exit to be guided based on the required time and cause the guidance unit to guide the user to the selected entrance / exit. Therefore, guidance may be provided in various forms other than the configuration in which an entrance / exit is selected and guided when searching for a planned driving route, as in the above-described embodiment. For example, in a configuration in which the entrances / exits of a facility are displayed on a map, the entrance / exit with the shortest required time may be selected and guided. Furthermore, the top N entrances / exits (N is an integer of 2 or greater) may be selected and guided in order of the shortest required time, i.e., in order of the lowest difficulty of passing through. Furthermore, the required time and the difficulty of passing through may be associated with the entrance / exit and guided.

[0058] The difficulty level setting unit may set the passage difficulty of the entrance / exit so that the longer the required time required for the vehicle to travel within the predetermined range from the entrance / exit, the higher the difficulty level. In other words, the difficulty level setting unit may set the passage difficulty so that the longer the required time required for the vehicle to travel within the predetermined range from the entrance / exit, the higher the difficulty level will be compared to when the required time is short. The passage difficulty may change in stages or continuously according to the required time.

[0059] Crossing a lane is an action in which a vehicle passes in a direction different from the direction in which the vehicle travels along a road section, and refers to the action of moving from one end of the lane to the other in the width direction. For example, in a left-hand traffic situation, this action would be turning right and crossing the road to enter an entrance / exit of a facility, or crossing the road while exiting an entrance / exit of a facility and turning right. In the above-described embodiment, a passing difficulty level is associated with each of the right turn direction and the left turn direction, but of course, this configuration is just one example. For example, a passing difficulty level may be associated with each of the right turn direction when exiting an entrance / exit, the right turn direction when entering an entrance / exit, the left turn direction when exiting an entrance / exit, and the left turn direction when entering an entrance / exit.

[0060] Furthermore, the passing difficulty may be determined by taking into account factors other than the required time. For example, the difficulty setting unit 210d may set the passing difficulty so that the greater the deviation of the vehicle's trajectory from the standard trajectory at the entrance / exit, the higher the difficulty level. Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the vehicle's trajectory at the entrance / exit based on the trajectory information 30b using the function of the difficulty setting unit 210d. The control unit 200 also acquires a predetermined standard trajectory, for example, a trajectory that passes through the center of the road width when traveling straight along the road shape, turning toward the entrance / exit, and entering the entrance / exit. If the vehicle's trajectory deviates significantly from the standard trajectory, such as a trajectory that moves away from the entrance / exit in the road width direction and then enters the entrance / exit or turns around, the control unit 200 sets the passing difficulty so that the greater the deviation, the higher the difficulty level. This configuration makes it possible to set the passing difficulty depending on whether the vehicle's driving operation is difficult or not.

[0061] Furthermore, the difficulty level setting unit 210d may set the passing difficulty level so that the greater the change angle of the vehicle's traveling direction before and after passing through the entrance / exit, the higher the difficulty level. Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the vehicle's trajectory at the entrance / exit based on the trajectory information 30b using the function of the difficulty level setting unit 210d. The control unit 200 also acquires the vehicle's traveling direction before and after passing through the entrance / exit, and acquires the change angle from the traveling direction before passing through the entrance / exit to the traveling direction after passing through the entrance / exit. For example, driving is generally more difficult when the change angle from the direction of traveling straight on the road before passing through the entrance / exit to the direction after passing through the entrance / exit is 120° than when the change angle is 90°. Therefore, the control unit 200 sets the passing difficulty level so that the greater the passing angle, the higher the difficulty level. This configuration makes it possible to set the passing difficulty level depending on whether driving the vehicle is difficult or not.

[0062] Furthermore, the technique of acquiring the required time as information corresponding to the passage difficulty level, as in the present invention, can also be applied as a program or method. The above-described system, program, and method may be realized as a standalone device or may be realized using components shared with the various parts of the vehicle, and include various aspects. Furthermore, they can be modified as appropriate, such as being partly software and partly hardware. Furthermore, the invention can also be realized as a recording medium for a program that controls the system. Of course, the recording medium for the program may be a magnetic recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and any recording medium developed in the future can be considered in the same manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10...guidance system, 20...control unit, 21...guidance program, 21a...information acquisition unit, 21b...guidance unit, 30...recording medium, 30b...trajectory information, 41...GNSS receiving unit, 42...vehicle speed sensor, 43...gyro sensor, 44...user I / F unit, 45...communication unit, 100...information processing system, 200...control unit, 210...information processing program, 210a...trajectory acquisition unit, 210b...entrance / exit acquisition unit, 210c...required period acquisition unit, 210d...difficulty setting unit, 210e...guidance control unit, 300...recording medium, 300a...map information, 300a1...entrance / exit information, 300b...route information, 450...communication unit

Claims

1. a trajectory acquisition unit that acquires the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through an entrance or exit of the facility; an entrance / exit acquisition unit that acquires the position of the entrance / exit; a required time acquisition unit that acquires a required time required for the vehicle to travel within a predetermined range from the position of the entrance / exit based on the trajectory of the vehicle; An information processing system comprising:

2. The required period acquisition unit the required time period when the vehicle is traveling in a direction of travel that requires crossing a lane to pass through the entrance / exit; the required time period when the vehicle is traveling in a direction of travel that does not require crossing lanes to pass through the entrance / exit; Each of these is associated with the driving direction and acquired. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a guidance control unit that selects a driving direction to be guided based on the required period associated with the driving direction of the vehicle before entering the entrance / exit of the facility and / or after exiting the entrance / exit of the facility, and causes the guidance unit to guide the selected driving direction.

4. The guidance control unit before entering the entrance / exit of the facility and / or after exiting the entrance / exit of the facility, searching for a planned travel route for traveling in a travel direction selected based on the required period, and causing the guidance unit to guide the vehicle thereon; The information processing system according to claim 3 .

5. and a guidance control unit that, when there are a plurality of entrances and exits at the facility, selects the entrance and exit to be guided based on the required period and causes the guidance unit to guide the user to the selected entrance and exit.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1.

6. The guidance control unit searching for a planned driving route that passes through the selected entrance / exit based on the required period, and causing the guidance unit to guide the route; The information processing system according to claim 5 .

7. A difficulty setting unit is further provided that sets the difficulty of passing through the entrance / exit so that the longer the required time period, the higher the difficulty level.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1.

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