Server device, information processing method, information processing program, and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a server device, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium that can create data to reflect time-changing driving conditions in driver assistance. [Solution] The system is characterized by comprising: a server communication means 211 that acquires processing target information, in which the location information of one of the multiple mobile bodies 1 and information indicating the driving assistance function used by one of the mobile bodies are associated with each other, from a mobile body communication means 113 located on one of the multiple mobile bodies 1; and a processing means 212 that performs statistical processing on the processing target information acquired by the server communication means 211 and embeds statistical information into the map data indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed at the location or area on the map indicated by the map data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a server device that creates data for driving support of a moving body, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium storing the information processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, driving support technologies for assisting driving operations such as steering operations and acceleration / deceleration in a moving body have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For driving support, there are various methods such as assisting any one or a plurality of operations such as steering operations and acceleration / deceleration.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, for driving support, there are various cases such as cases where it can be performed without problems depending on driving conditions such as roads and surrounding environments, and cases where it is desirable to drive only manually. Therefore, it is desired to perform appropriate driving support that reflects the driving conditions. At this time, the driving conditions that affect driving support may change over time due to, for example, road construction or surrounding construction work. However, at present, no effective method has been proposed for appropriately reflecting such driving conditions that change over time in driving support.

[0005] Therefore, an example of the problem of the present invention is to provide a server device, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium that can create data for reflecting driving conditions that change over time in driving support. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a server device for performing statistical processing on data acquired from communication devices located on each of a plurality of mobile bodies and embedding the information into map data, comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring processing target information from a communication device located on one of the plurality of mobile bodies, in which the location information of the one mobile body and information indicating the driving assistance function used by the one mobile body are associated with each other; and a processing means for performing statistical processing on the processing target information acquired by the acquisition means and embedding statistical information into the map data indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not at a location or area on the map indicated by the map data, wherein the acquisition means acquires information in which at least one of the following is associated as processing target information: information regarding the type of program related to the driving assistance function in the one mobile body, information regarding the version of the program, and information regarding the type of the one mobile body, in which the location information and the information indicating the driving assistance function are associated.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objectives, the present invention provides an information processing method that is executed by a computer and performs statistical processing on data acquired from communication devices arranged on each of a plurality of mobile bodies, and embeds the information into map data, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring processing target information from a communication device arranged on one of the plurality of mobile bodies, in which the location information of the one mobile body and information indicating the driving assistance function used by the one mobile body are each associated with each other; and a processing step of performing statistical processing on the processing target information acquired in the acquisition step and embedding statistical information into the map data indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not in the location or area on the map indicated by the map data, wherein the acquisition step is a step of acquiring information in which at least one of the following as processing target information is associated with the location information and the information indicating the driving assistance function: information regarding the type of program related to the driving assistance function in the one mobile body, information regarding the version of the program, and information regarding the type of the one mobile body.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objectives, the information processing program of the present invention is characterized by causing a computer to execute the information processing method of the present invention described above.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objectives, the storage medium of the present invention is characterized by storing the information processing program of the present invention described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing multiple mobile units and a server. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the device configuration for both the mobile unit and the server. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of map data stored in the server storage device. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the embedded information shown in Figure 3 in a table format. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing method performed in the information processing device. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a diagram that shows, in table format, the data structure of the data sent to the server as the information processing method represented by the flowchart is repeated. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing method performed in the server device shown in Figure 2. [Figure 8] This figure shows an evaluation table that correlates various behaviors in a moving object with the addition or subtraction values ​​of safety points used to evaluate the safety of driver assistance functions. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of evaluation results in a table format when the statistical safety of driver assistance functions is evaluated based on the cumulative value of safety points. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. A server device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a server device for performing statistical processing on data acquired from communication devices located on each of a plurality of mobile bodies and embedding the information into map data, and comprises an acquisition means and a processing means. The acquisition means acquires processing target information from a communication device located on one of the plurality of mobile bodies, in which the location information of one mobile body and information indicating the driving assistance function used by the one mobile body are associated with each other. The processing means performs statistical processing on the processing target information acquired by the acquisition means and embeds statistical information into the map data indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not executed at a location or area on the map indicated by the map data.

[0012] According to the server device of this embodiment, statistical processing is performed based on location information and information indicating driving assistance functions acquired from a mobile vehicle, and statistical information indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not is embedded in the location or area on the map. The location information and information indicating the driving assistance function of the mobile vehicle represent, for example, what kind of driving assistance was actually performed at any given driving location, in accordance with driving conditions that change over time due to road construction or surrounding building construction. Since statistical information indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not is embedded in the location or area on the map from such information, it is possible to reflect the driving conditions that change over time in the driving assistance.

[0013] In this embodiment, the acquisition means acquires information as processing target information, in which information indicating the behavior of a moving object is associated with location information and information indicating driving assistance functions.

[0014] The behavior of a moving object during driver assistance clearly shows how changes in driving conditions over time, such as road construction or surrounding building work, affect the driver assistance of the moving object. According to this embodiment, since such behavior of the moving object is also used to embed statistical information, changes in driving conditions over time can be reflected in the driver assistance in a detailed manner.

[0015] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing means determines whether it is possible to move safely by executing the driving assistance function in a location or area on the map, based on information indicating the behavior of the moving object, and generates statistical information.

[0016] According to this embodiment, the safety of the driving assistance function, determined based on the behavior of the moving object, is reflected in the generation of the above-mentioned statistical information. Therefore, the driving conditions that change over time can be reflected in the driving assistance in a detailed manner from a safety perspective.

[0017] Also, in the present embodiment, the acquisition means acquires, as the processing target information, information in which the following information is associated with the position information and the information indicating the driving support function. That is, the acquisition means acquires information in which at least one of information regarding the type of program related to driving support, information regarding the version of the program, and information regarding the type of one moving body is associated with the position information and the information indicating the driving support function.

[0018] Even if the driving support functions are the same, there may be cases where the type of program related to the driving support, the version of the program, and the type of the moving body are different. According to the present embodiment, since such information is also used for creating statistical information, it is possible to finely reflect the changing driving conditions over time in the driving support.

[0019] Further, the server device of the present embodiment includes a providing means for providing the statistical information created by the processing means to a predetermined moving body.

[0020] According to the present embodiment, since the created statistical information is provided to the moving body, it is possible to effectively reflect the changing driving conditions over time in the driving support in that moving body.

[0021] Moreover, the information processing method according to the embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method for performing statistical processing on data acquired from communication devices arranged in each of a plurality of moving bodies and embedding information in map data, and includes an acquisition step and a processing step. The acquisition step is a step of acquiring, from a communication device arranged in one moving body among the plurality of moving bodies, processing target information in which the position information of the one moving body and the information indicating the driving support function used by the one moving body are associated with each other. The processing step is a step of performing statistical processing on the processing target information acquired in the acquisition step and embedding, in the position or region in the map indicated by the map data, statistical information indicating whether or not to execute the driving support function or whether or not not to execute the driving support function.

[0022] According to the information processing method of this embodiment, statistical processing is performed based on location information and information indicating driving assistance functions acquired from a single moving object, and statistical information indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not is embedded in the location or area on the map. The location information and information indicating the driving assistance function of the moving object represent, for example, the extent to which driving assistance was actually performed at an arbitrary driving location, in accordance with driving conditions that change over time due to road construction or surrounding building construction. Since statistical information indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not is embedded in the location or area on the map from such information, it is possible to reflect the driving conditions that change over time in the driving assistance.

[0023] Furthermore, the information processing program according to the embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to execute the information processing method described above.

[0024] According to the information processing program of this embodiment, by having a computer execute the above-described information processing method, it is possible to reflect driving conditions that change over time in the driver assistance system.

[0025] Furthermore, the storage medium according to the embodiment of the present invention stores the above-described information processing program.

[0026] According to the storage medium of this embodiment, the stored information processing program can cause the computer to execute the information processing method described above. This makes it possible to reflect driving conditions that change over time in the driver assistance system. [Examples]

[0027] The following will provide a detailed explanation, with reference to the figures, of an example that addresses the challenge of reflecting time-changing driving conditions in driver assistance, or the challenge of providing more detailed driver assistance.

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing multiple mobile units and a server, and Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the device configuration of each mobile unit and server shown in Figure 1.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, multiple mobile units 1, each a passenger car, are wirelessly connected to a single server device 2. The server device 2 is equipped with a server storage device 220 that stores map data used to determine whether or not each mobile unit 1 should perform driving using driver assistance functions, that is, to allow or disallow the driver assistance functions. The server device 2 is also equipped with a data creation device 210 that creates the map data to be stored in the server storage device 220.

[0030] On the other hand, each mobile body 1 is provided with an information processing device 110 that performs information processing related to driving assistance. In this embodiment, the plurality of mobile bodies 1 include a mobile body 1a equipped with a driving assistance device 120 that performs driving assistance, and a mobile body 1b that is not equipped with a driving assistance device 120 and is therefore not capable of driving assistance.

[0031] Furthermore, each mobile unit 1 is equipped with a mobile unit storage device 130. The mobile unit storage device 130 stores map data used for driving assistance by the driving assistance device 120 in the mobile unit 1a that is capable of driving assistance. This map data is provided as appropriate from the server device 2, which is stored in the server storage device 220. The mobile unit storage device 130 also stores various types of information, which will be described later, used for information processing by the information processing device 110.

[0032] The information processing device 110 is a device that acquires information for creating map data in the server device 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, the components of the information processing device 110 and the driving support device 120 are built into a navigation device located on the mobile body 1, with the exception of some of them. The driving support device 120 consists of the components built into this navigation device and various sensors (not shown).

[0034] Before describing the components of the information processing device 110 of the mobile device 1 and the data creation device 210 of the server device 2, we will first describe the data structure of the map data stored in the server storage device 220.

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of the map data stored in the server storage device shown in Figure 2.

[0036] The data structure 3 shown in Figure 3 is a data structure that includes the following embedded information 310. The embedded information 310 is information relating to driving assistance on the mobile body 1 and includes statistical information 314 indicating whether or not a certain driving assistance function should be statistically executed at a predetermined location or area on a map (i.e., whether the driving assistance function is permitted or not). In data structure 3, this embedded information 310 is associated with a location or area on a map. A location or area on a map refers to a road link 321 that constitutes the road network 320, or an area 322 that includes multiple road links 321.

[0037] Figure 4 is a diagram that shows the embedded information shown in Figure 3 in a table format, using region Ar11 as an example.

[0038] The embedded information 310 in this data structure 3 includes manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 311, mobile device type information 312, driver assistance program version information 313, and statistical information 314.

[0039] The manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 311 is information regarding the type of driver assistance program related to the driver assistance functions possessed by the mobile vehicle 1, and the manufacturer of that driver assistance program and the mobile vehicle 1. Examples of driver assistance functions here include ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System), and automatic braking. Figure 4 shows the ACC function as an example among these functions. The ACC function is a function that maintains a constant distance from the vehicle in front. The LKAS function is a function that maintains the vehicle within its lane.

[0040] Mobile vehicle type information 312 is information regarding the type (vehicle type) of mobile vehicle 1.

[0041] The version information 313 of the driver assistance program is information regarding the version of the driver assistance program possessed by the mobile unit 1.

[0042] Furthermore, statistical information 314 indicates whether or not driving using driver assistance functions should be performed (i.e., whether driver assistance functions are permitted or not), as described above.

[0043] In the example in Figure 4, the manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 311 is exemplified by information on three types of programs: Program A from Company A, Program B from Company B, and Program C from Company C. Furthermore, the mobile device type information 312 is exemplified by information on six types of mobile devices: Mobile device types A1 and A2 from Company A, Mobile device types B1 and B2 from Company B, and Mobile device types C1 and C2 from Company C. Finally, the driver assistance program version information 313 is exemplified by information on Ver1.0 and Ver1.5 for Program A, Ver1.0 and Ver1.3 for Program B, and Ver1.0 and Ver2.0 for Program C.

[0044] Furthermore, statistical information 314 provides an example showing that for the A program manufactured by Company A, which is used by mobile device type A1 manufactured by Company A, the use of the ACC function is not permitted in Ver1.0, but is permitted in Ver1.5. Similarly, for the A program manufactured by Company A, which is used by mobile device type A2, the use of the ACC function is not permitted in Ver1.0, but is permitted in Ver1.5. For the B program manufactured by Company B, which is used by mobile device type B1 manufactured by Company B, the use of the ACC function is not permitted in both Ver1.0 and Ver1.3. In addition, for the C program manufactured by Company C, which is used by mobile device type C1 manufactured by Company C, the use of the ACC function is permitted in both Ver1.0 and Ver2.0.

[0045] In the example shown in Figure 4, the embedded information 310 containing this information is embedded in the map data in a data structure 3 associated with region Ar11.

[0046] In the server device 2, the map data having the data structure 3 described above is created by the data creation device 210 and stored in the server storage device 220. This server storage device 220 is a hard disk drive, which is a storage device provided in the server device 2. However, the storage device for the above data is not limited to a hard disk drive; it may be any other storage device that can write / read, or a known portable storage medium. When the data is stored in a portable storage medium, the server storage device 220 becomes a reader / writer device that can install and remove the portable storage medium.

[0047] Furthermore, the map data from the server storage device 220 is provided to the mobile device 1 as appropriate. In the mobile device 1, the map data provided from the server device 2 is stored in the mobile device storage device 130 and read by the driver assistance device 120 for use in driver assistance. The mobile device storage device 130 is a hard disk disk device installed in the mobile device 1 as a storage device. Note that the storage device for the above data is not limited to a hard disk disk device; it may be any other storage device that can write / read, or a known portable storage medium. When the data is stored in a portable storage medium, the mobile device storage device 130 becomes a reader / writer device that can install and remove the portable storage medium.

[0048] To create the map data to be stored in these storage devices, the mobile device 1 is equipped with an information processing device 110, and the server device 2 is equipped with a data creation device 210, as shown in Figure 2.

[0049] First, let's describe the information processing device 110 of the mobile device 1. The information processing device 110 is a device that acquires information for creating map data of data structure 3 in the server device 2, and comprises a first acquisition means 111, a second acquisition means 112, and a mobile device communication means 113. With these components, the information processing device 110 acquires information in accordance with the processing flow of the following information processing method.

[0050] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing method performed in the information processing device shown in Figure 2.

[0051] The process shown in this flowchart starts when power is supplied to the navigation device of mobile unit 1 and is executed in parallel with the normal navigation process.

[0052] When processing starts, the first acquisition step (step S11) is performed, in which the first acquisition means 111 acquires information about the driving assistance functions being performed on the mobile body 1 from the driving assistance device 120. The information acquired here also includes cases where manual driving is being performed without driving assistance.

[0053] In this embodiment, in the first acquisition step (step S11), the first acquisition means 111 also acquires the following information regarding the mobile body 1 on which the information processing device 110 executing the information processing method of this flowchart is located. Specifically, the first acquisition means 111 reads and acquires information regarding the driving support program that the mobile body 1 has, the manufacturer of the mobile body 1, the type and version of the driving support program, and the type of the mobile body 1 from the mobile body storage device 130.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the first acquisition step (step S11), the first acquisition means 111 acquires the behavior of the mobile body 1 from the brake device, handle device, etc. of the mobile body 1.

[0055] Following the first acquisition step (step S11) described above, a second acquisition step (step S12) is performed by the second acquisition means 112 to acquire the travel position of the mobile body 1. The second acquisition means 112 acquires the travel position of the mobile body 1 using a positioning system such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0056] Once the various information is acquired in this manner, the mobile communication means 113 performs the transmission process (step S13). The mobile communication means 113 transmits to the server device 2 information relating to the currently running driving support function, the driving support program, the manufacturer of the mobile body 1, the type and version of the driving support program, the type of mobile body 1, its driving position, and its behavior. After this transmission process (step S13) is completed, the process returns to step S11 and the subsequent processes are repeated.

[0057] The information processing method shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 continues to run until the navigation device's power is turned off.

[0058] The information processing program that causes a computer to execute the information processing method shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 is stored in the storage medium of the navigation device or in the storage medium of an in-vehicle computer device separate from the navigation device. Furthermore, the storage medium that stores this information processing program is not limited to the storage medium of these devices, but may also be a known portable storage medium or a storage medium installed on a server connected to these devices via a network.

[0059] The information processing method shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 is repeated, resulting in data having the data structure described below being sent to the server device 2.

[0060] Figure 6 is a diagram that shows, in table format, the data structure of the data sent to the server as the information processing method represented by the flowchart in Figure 5 is repeated.

[0061] In the data structure 4 shown in Figure 6, the following six types of information are associated with each other. Specifically, the six types of information include location information 41 indicating the driving position of the mobile body 1, driving assistance function information 42 indicating the driving assistance function currently being performed, and behavior information 43 indicating the behavior of the mobile body 1. Furthermore, it includes manufacturer / driving assistance program type information 44 indicating the manufacturer of the driving assistance program and the mobile body 1, and the type of driving assistance program, mobile body type information 45 indicating the type of mobile body 1, and version information 46 indicating the version of the driving assistance program. Then, one set of information 47 consisting of the above six types of information is transmitted to the server device 2 by the mobile body communication means 113 each time the processing of the information processing method represented by the flowchart in Figure 5 is executed in one cycle.

[0062] To explain the example in Figure 6, first, mobile vehicle 1, a mobile vehicle type A1 manufactured by Company A and equipped with program A of Ver1.0, transmits an information set 47 at position Pt11 indicating that it is driving normally with driver assistance not running. After similar information sets 47 are transmitted repeatedly, the ACC function is started at position Pt12, and an information set 47 is transmitted at position Pt12 indicating that it is driving normally with the ACC function running. Then, after normal driving with the ACC function continues in the section including position Pt13, in the example in Figure 6, an information set 47 is transmitted at position Pt14 indicating that a sudden braking incident occurred, which is a minor dangerous behavior equivalent to a so-called near miss. From position Pt15 onwards, which corresponds to the next cycle, the transmission of information sets 47 indicating normal driving continues, but when it reaches position Pt16, an information set 47 is transmitted indicating that a sudden braking incident occurred, which is a serious dangerous behavior due to a curb-mounting accident. Mobile vehicle 1 stops at this point, and the transmission of information sets 47 also stops here.

[0063] Figure 6 shows an example of data transmission having data structure 4. Such a series of data transmissions are performed in each of the multiple mobile bodies 1 shown in Figure 2, and the data creation device 210 of the server device 2 creates map data based on the data from each mobile body 1.

[0064] Next, the data creation device 210 of the server device 2 will be described. The data creation device 210 is a device that creates map data of the data structure 3 shown in Figures 3 and 4 based on information from the mobile body 1, and as shown in Figure 2, it comprises a server communication means 211 (acquisition means), a processing means 212, and a providing means 213. With these components, the data creation device 210 creates map data in accordance with the processing flow of the following information processing method.

[0065] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing method performed in the server device shown in Figure 2.

[0066] This process starts when power is turned on to the server device 2. First, the server communication means 211 performs an acquisition step (step S21) in which it acquires processing target information for one of the multiple mobile bodies 1, where location information 41 indicating the driving position and information 42 indicating the currently running driving support function are associated with each other. In this acquisition step (step S21), an information set 47 corresponding to one row of the table shown in Figure 6 is acquired from the mobile body 1 as processing target information. Specifically, the processing target information acquired here is the location information 41 of one mobile body 1, driving support function information 42, behavior information 43, manufacturer / driving support program type information 44, mobile body type information 45, and version information 46.

[0067] Next, based on the acquired information set 47, the processing means 212 performs the following safety point adjustment process (step S22). That is, the safety point adjustment process (step S22) is a process of adding or subtracting safety points for evaluating the safety of the driver assistance function to be evaluated, which is associated with the location or area on the map to which the location information 41 of the mobile body 1 in the information set 47 belongs. The value of this safety point adjustment is determined based on the behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 in the information set 47, using the following evaluation table.

[0068] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an evaluation table that correlates various behaviors of a moving object with the addition or subtraction values ​​of safety points used to evaluate the safety of driver assistance functions.

[0069] In the evaluation table 5 shown in Figure 8, normal driving is associated with a plus or minus value of +N11, while sudden braking, which is a minor dangerous behavior equivalent to a near miss, is associated with a minus value of -N12. Sudden steering, which is also a minor dangerous behavior, is associated with a minus value of -N13, which is similar to the minus value of -N12 mentioned above. Furthermore, sudden braking, which is a serious dangerous behavior resulting from a curb-mounting accident, is associated with a minus value of -N14, which has a larger absolute value than the minus values ​​of -N12 and -N13 mentioned above. This evaluation table 5 is stored in the server storage device 220 shown in Figure 2.

[0070] In the safety point adjustment process (step S22) shown in Figure 7, the processing means 212 refers to the evaluation table 5 and determines the adjustment value of safety points corresponding to the behavior of the moving body 1 indicated by the behavior information 43 in the acquired information set 47. Then, the processing means 212 uses the determined adjustment value to adjust the safety points in relation to the driving assistance function being evaluated, for the location or area on the map to which the location information 41 in the information set 47 belongs.

[0071] In this way, once the acquisition process (step S21) and the safety point addition / subtraction process (step S22) have been performed for one information set 47, the processing means 212 determines whether these two processes have been performed over a certain period of time (step S23). If the certain period of time has not yet been reached (No determination in step S23), the process returns to step S21 and the subsequent processes are repeated. Through this repetition, safety points for the driving assistance function, etc., are accumulated for the location or area on the map. If the above two processes have been performed over a certain period of time (Yes determination in step S23), the processing means 212 performs the following safety evaluation process (step S24). The safety evaluation process (step S24) is a process in which a statistical safety evaluation of the driving assistance function is performed based on the accumulated value of safety points for the location or area on the map.

[0072] Figure 9 is a table showing an example of evaluation results when the statistical safety of driver assistance functions is evaluated based on the cumulative value of safety points.

[0073] In the evaluation results table 6 shown as an example in Figure 9, the evaluation results when the statistical safety of the driver assistance function 62 is evaluated for a location or area 61 on the map are shown, using area Ar11 on the map shown in Figure 3 as an example. In this evaluation, first, when one information set 47 is acquired from a moving object 1, the location or area 61 to which the location information 41 in the information set 47 belongs is determined. Here, it is assumed that this location information 41 belongs to area Ar11.

[0074] Next, it is determined whether the driver assistance function information 42, manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 44, mobile device type information 45, and version information 46 of the information set 47 are already associated with the driver assistance function information 62, manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 63, mobile device type information 64, and version information 65 of the information set 47 as targets for evaluation in area Ar11. If they are not associated, each of the above pieces of information in the information set 47 is associated with area Ar11 as a target for evaluation. Furthermore, the addition or subtraction value of safety points obtained based on the behavior information 43 in the information set 47 is associated with area Ar11 as the initial value of the safety points.

[0075] On the other hand, if the above-mentioned various information in the information set 47 is already associated with the region Ar11 as an evaluation target, the safety point addition / subtraction process (step S22) is performed as follows. First, an addition / subtraction value for safety points is determined based on the behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 in the information set 47. Next, the determined addition / subtraction value is added to or subtracted from the safety points that are already associated with the evaluation target in region Ar11.

[0076] The above process is executed each time an information set 47 is acquired from one of the multiple mobile bodies 1 within a certain period of time, and safety points are accumulated.

[0077] Then, after a certain period of time has elapsed, the processing means 212 compares the cumulative value 66 of safety points associated with each piece of information to be evaluated at the location or region 61 on the map with a predetermined threshold. If it is above the threshold, the evaluation result 67 indicates that, at that location or region (in this case, region Ar11) 61, the execution of the evaluated driver assistance function is statistically safe for the manufacturer, type of driver assistance program, type of mobile body, and version of the evaluated product.

[0078] In the example in Figure 9, in region Ar11, the manufacturer, driver assistance program type, vehicle type, and version corresponding to the cumulative safety point values ​​Cn11 and Cn13 are evaluated as not being permitted to perform driver assistance using the ACC function. On the other hand, the manufacturer, driver assistance program type, vehicle type, and version corresponding to the cumulative safety point values ​​Cn12, Cn14, and Cn15 are evaluated as being permitted to perform driver assistance using the ACC function.

[0079] In the safety evaluation process (step S24) in the flowchart of Figure 7, once an evaluation is performed as shown as an example in Figure 9, the processing means 212 performs a map data creation process (step S25) based on the evaluation results. In the map data creation process (step S25), for each location or area on the map, such as area Ar11 or road link L11, embedded information 310 (Figures 3 and 4) is created, which includes the above evaluation results as statistical information 314. Then, the created embedded information 310 is associated again with the location or area corresponding to the evaluation results, and is embedded in the map data of the data structure 3 shown in Figure 3.

[0080] Next, the processing means 212 performs a storage process (step S26) in which the map data created by this embedding is stored in the server storage device 220. After the storage process (step S26) is completed, the process returns to step S21 and the subsequent processes are repeated. Through this repetition, at regular intervals, safety points are accumulated based on the information set 47 acquired from each of the multiple mobile bodies 1 during that period, and map data is created and stored based on the evaluation results for the accumulated value 66. In other words, the map data in the server storage device 220 is updated at regular intervals through the information processing method shown in the flowchart of Figure 7. This map data is provided to the mobile body 1 as appropriate by the providing means 213 and is referenced when determining the driving assistance function in the mobile body 1 to which it is provided.

[0081] In this embodiment, the information processing method shown in the flowchart of Figure 7 continues to run until the server is powered off.

[0082] In this embodiment, the information processing program that causes a computer to execute the information processing method shown in the flowchart of Figure 7 is stored in a storage medium that forms part of the server storage device 220, or in a storage medium separate from the server storage device 220. Furthermore, the storage medium that stores this information processing program is not limited to a storage medium installed in the server device 2, but may be a known portable storage medium or a storage medium installed in another server connected to the server device 2 via a network.

[0083] The embodiments described above provide the following benefits. First, according to the information processing device 110 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the information processing method, information processing program, and storage medium shown in the flowchart of Figure 5, the following processing is performed. That is, an information set 47, in which driving assistance function information 42 and location information 41 of the mobile body 1 are associated with each other, is transmitted to the server device 2. The driving assistance function information 42 and location information 41 of the mobile body 1 represent how driving assistance was actually performed at any given driving location, according to driving conditions that change over time, such as road construction or surrounding building construction. Since such an information set 47 is transmitted from the mobile body 1 to the server device 2 and used to create embedded information 310, which includes statistical information 314 indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed (permitted / denied) corresponding to a location or area on a predetermined map, the driving assistance can be made to reflect the driving conditions that change over time.

[0084] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6 as an example, the following information is acquired along with the driver assistance function information 42. Specifically, the manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 44, the mobile device type information 45, and the version information 46 are acquired. This information is then further associated with the driver assistance function information 42 and the location information 41 and transmitted.

[0085] Even if the driving assistance function being executed is the same, there may be differences in the manufacturer of the mobile body 1 and the driving assistance program involved in the execution of that driving assistance function, the type of driving assistance program, the type of mobile body 1, the version of the driving assistance program, etc. According to this embodiment, such information is also transmitted to the server device 2 and used to create the embedded information 310, so that the driving conditions that change over time can be reflected in the driving assistance in a detailed manner.

[0086] Furthermore, the information acquired by the mobile device 1 and sent to the server device 2, further associated with the driver assistance function information 42 and location information 41, only needs to include at least one of the following: manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 44, mobile device type information 45, and version information 46. In other words, unlike in this embodiment, this information may consist of one or more of these, or it may include other information as well.

[0087] In this embodiment, behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 is acquired together with driver assistance function information 42, and the behavior information 43 is further associated with the driver assistance function information 42 and the location information 41 and transmitted.

[0088] The behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 during driving assistance succinctly shows how changes in driving conditions over time, such as road construction or surrounding building construction, have affected the driving assistance of the mobile body 1. According to this embodiment, such behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 is transmitted to the server device 2 and used to create the embedded information 310, so that changes in driving conditions over time can be reflected in the driving assistance in a detailed manner.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, based on information indicating the behavior of the mobile body 1, it is determined whether or not it is possible to safely move by executing the driving assistance function in a location or area on the map, and statistical information 314 is generated.

[0090] According to this embodiment, the safety of the driving assistance function determined based on the behavior of the mobile body 1 is reflected in the generation of the statistical information 314 described above. Therefore, the driving conditions that change over time can be reflected in the driving assistance in a detailed manner from a safety perspective.

[0091] Next, we will explain the effects of the data creation device 210 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the information processing method represented by the flowchart in Figure 7, the information processing program, and the storage medium.

[0092] According to the data creation device 210, information processing method, information processing program, and storage medium of this example, a statistical safety evaluation, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, is performed as a statistical process based on the driving assistance function information 42 and location information 41 acquired from each of the multiple mobile bodies 1. Based on the evaluation results, embedded information 310, including statistical information 314 corresponding to a location or area on a predetermined map, is created, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The driving assistance function information 42 and location information 41 in the information set 47 acquired from the mobile body 1 shown in Figure 6 represent how driving assistance was provided according to the driving conditions, as described above. Since embedded information 310 corresponding to a location or area on a predetermined map is created from such an information set 47, it is possible to reflect the driving conditions that change over time in the driving assistance.

[0093] In this embodiment, the behavior information 43 of the moving object is further acquired along with the driver assistance function information 42 and the location information 41, and this behavior information 43 of the moving object 1 is also included in the safety evaluation as part of the statistical processing.

[0094] The behavior information 43 of the mobile body during driving assistance succinctly represents how the driving conditions affected the driving assistance of the mobile body 1, as described above. According to this embodiment, since the behavior of the mobile body 1 is also used to create the embedded information 310, the driving conditions that change over time can be reflected in the driving assistance in a detailed manner.

[0095] In this embodiment, manufacturer / driving assistance program type information 44, mobile device type information 45, and version information 46 are acquired along with driving assistance function information 42 and location information 41, and are included in the safety evaluation.

[0096] According to this embodiment, since each piece of information acquired along with the driver assistance function information 42 is also used to create the embedded information 310, it is possible to finely reflect the driving conditions that change over time in the driver assistance.

[0097] In this embodiment, the embedded information 310 created by the processing means is provided to the mobile body 1 as map data.

[0098] According to this embodiment, since the created embedded information 310 is provided to the mobile body 1, the driving assistance in the mobile body 1 can effectively reflect the driving conditions that change over time.

[0099] Next, we will explain the data structure 3 of the map data shown in Figures 3 and 4, and the effects of the storage medium or memory device that stores the map data having this data structure 3.

[0100] In this embodiment, data structure 3 associates not only the manufacturer / driver assistance program type information 311 of the mobile device 1 but also the driver assistance program version information 313 with the location or area on the map, such as road links 321 or area 322. This allows for detailed operation, such as determining whether or not to execute the driver assistance function (permit / deny) using map data having this data structure 3 and referring to the version information 313, for a specific mobile device 1 that references map data. Thus, according to this embodiment, detailed driver assistance can be performed using map data having this data structure 3.

[0101] In this embodiment, the vehicle type information 312 is also used to determine whether or not to execute the driving assistance function (permit / deny). This allows for even more detailed driving assistance.

[0102] Next, we will explain the effects of the data structure 4 shown in Figure 6 in the data sent from the mobile device 1 to the server device 2, and the mobile communication means 113 that transmits data having this data structure 4.

[0103] According to the data structure 4 of this embodiment, the mobile communication means 113 associates the driving assistance function information 42 and the location information 41 with each other and transmits them as an information set 47. The driving assistance function information 42 and location information 41 in the mobile unit 1 represent how driving assistance was provided according to the driving conditions, as described above. This information set 47 is transmitted from the mobile unit 1 to the server device 2 and used to create embedded information 310 corresponding to a location or area on a predetermined map, so that driving conditions that change over time can be reflected in the driving assistance.

[0104] In this embodiment, the information set 47 further associates the manufacturer / driver support program type information 44 and the like with the driver support function information 42 and location information 41.

[0105] According to this embodiment, the manufacturer / driver support program type information 44, etc., is also transmitted to the server device 2 and used to create the embedded information 310, so that the driving conditions that change over time can be reflected in the driver support in a detailed manner.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the information set 47, the behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 is further associated with the driver assistance function information 42 and the position information 41.

[0107] The behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 during driving assistance succinctly represents how the driving conditions affected the driving assistance of the mobile body 1. According to this embodiment, such behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1 is transmitted to the server device 2 and used to create the embedded information 310, so that the driving conditions that change over time can be reflected in the driving assistance in a detailed manner.

[0108] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes other configurations that can achieve the objectives of the present invention, as well as modifications such as those shown below.

[0109] For example, in the embodiment described above, the mobile body 1 is exemplified as a passenger car. However, the mobile body is not limited to a passenger car; it may also be a large vehicle such as a truck or bus, and the specific type of mobile body is not limited.

[0110] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an information processing device 110 built on a navigation device located on the mobile body 1 is exemplified. However, the information processing device that processes data on the mobile body is not limited to these, and may also include components built on a computer located separately from the navigation device.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the mobile body 1 sends an information set 47 including driving assistance function information 42 and behavior information 43 of the mobile body 1, and the server device 2 performs a safety evaluation based on the behavior information 43 as a statistical process. However, the information set from the mobile body 1 may not include the behavior of the mobile body 1, and the server device 2 may perform a statistical process such as counting the number of times the same type of driving assistance function has been performed for a location or area on the map. The number of times an arbitrary driving assistance function has been performed can be said to reflect how well that driving assistance function can be executed without problems at the location or area where the number was counted. In this case, the statistical information associated with the location or area on the map in the map data would be information indicating that the execution of the driving assistance function that has been counted more times than a predetermined threshold is permitted.

[0112] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the server device 2 is shown to embed statistical information in the map data indicating whether or not driving using the driver assistance function should be performed on the mobile body 1, that is, whether the driver assistance function is permitted or not. However, the map data created by the server device may also embed statistical information indicating whether or not driving using the driver assistance function should not be performed on the mobile body 1, that is, whether the driver assistance function is prohibited or not. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0113] 1,1a,1b Mobile 2 Server devices 3. Data Structure 4. Data Structures 5 Evaluation Table 6. Evaluation Results Table 41 Location information 42,62 Driver assistance function information 43 Behavioral Information 44,63,311 Manufacturer / Driver Assistance Program Type Information 45,64,312 Mobile Unit Type Information Version information for 46,65,313 47 Information Set 61 Location or area on a map 66 Cumulative value of safety points 67 Evaluation Results 110 Information Processing Device 111 First acquisition method 112 Second acquisition method 113 Mobile communication means 120 Driving assistance devices 130 Mobile storage devices 210 Data creation device 211 Server communication means 212 Processing means 213 Means of provision 220 Server Storage Devices 310 Embedded Information 314 Statistics 320 Road Network 321 Road Link 322 areas

Claims

1. A server device for performing statistical processing on data acquired from communication devices located on each of multiple mobile objects and embedding the information into map data, An acquisition means that acquires processing target information from a communication device located on one of the multiple mobile bodies, where the location information of the one mobile body and information indicating the driving assistance function used by the one mobile body are each associated with each other. A processing means that performs statistical processing on the information to be processed acquired by the acquisition means and embeds statistical information into the map data indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not executed in the location or area on the map indicated by the map data, Equipped with, A server device characterized in that the acquisition means acquires information such that at least one of the following is associated with the location information and the information indicating the driving assistance function: information concerning the type of program related to the driving assistance function in the mobile body, information concerning the version of the program, and information concerning the type of the mobile body, as the information to be processed.

2. The server device according to claim 1, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires information as the information to be processed, in which information indicating the behavior of the one moving body is associated with the position information and the information indicating the driving support function.

3. The server device according to claim 2, characterized in that the processing means determines whether it is possible to safely move by executing the driving assistance function in the location or area on the map based on the information indicating the behavior, and generates the statistical information.

4. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a means for providing the statistical information created by the processing means to a predetermined mobile body.

5. An information processing method performed by a computer, which performs statistical processing on data acquired from communication devices located on each of multiple mobile objects, and embeds the information into map data, An acquisition step of acquiring processing target information, in which the location information of one of the multiple mobile bodies and information indicating the driving assistance functions used by the one mobile body are each associated with each other, from a communication device placed on one of the multiple mobile bodies. A processing step which involves performing statistical processing on the information to be processed obtained in the acquisition step, and embedding statistical information into the map data indicating whether or not the driving assistance function should be executed or not executed in the location or area on the map indicated by the map data, Equipped with, An information processing method characterized in that the acquisition step is a step of acquiring information such that at least one of the following is associated with the location information and the information indicating the driving assistance function: information concerning the type of program related to the driving assistance function in the mobile body, information concerning the version of the program, and information concerning the type of the mobile body.

6. An information processing program characterized by causing a computer to execute the information processing method described in claim 5.

7. A storage medium characterized by storing the information processing program described in claim 6.

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