Control device, server device, control method, and program

Abstract

To efficiently and accurately detect objects. [Solution] The advanced map DB43 stored in the server device 4 contains pulse type information, which is setting information for detecting landmarks with the rider 2. The in-vehicle unit 1 then sends request information D1, which includes the vehicle's position information, to the server device 4, receives response information D2, which includes pulse type information corresponding to landmarks around the vehicle's position, and controls the rider 2 based on the received pulse type information.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for detecting an object.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for measuring the distance to an object existing in the vicinity by emitting a laser and receiving the reflected light thereof is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, in order to enable wide measurement from an object having a high reflectance and located nearby to an object having a low reflectance and located far away, the transmission intensity or the reception amplification factor of the laser is dynamically changed within a predetermined time width so that the received wave does not saturate, and a measuring device that outputs a distance value having a high intensity of the received wave as a measured distance is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, each time an object is detected, a distance value is calculated while changing the transmission intensity or the reception intensity at a predetermined time interval, so there is a problem that it takes time to determine the conditions of the laser or the reception amplification factor for calculating the optimal distance value.

[0005] The present invention is made, for example, to solve the above problems, and the main object thereof is to efficiently and accurately detect an object.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The invention according to the claims is a control device mounted on a moving body, an emitting unit that emits emitted light, A storage unit that stores setting information indicating the pulse type setting for at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emitter to the surface, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the surface, A first acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the moving object, A second acquisition unit acquires feature information about features present around the moving object based on the current location, Equipped with, The feature information includes the location information of the feature and at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature. The emission unit is a control device characterized by referring to the setting information and determining at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature included in the feature information as the emitted light to be emitted to the feature. Furthermore, the invention described in the claim is a server device that can communicate with an in-vehicle machine, comprising: a detection device having an emission unit that emits emitted light; and a storage unit that stores setting information indicating the setting of pulse type relating to at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emission unit to the terrain, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the terrain, A first acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the in-vehicle device, A second acquisition unit acquires feature information having a feature data structure relating to features present around the vehicle-mounted device, based on the current location. A communication unit that transmits the aforementioned geographic information to the in-vehicle unit, Equipped with, The server device is characterized in that the feature information includes location information of the feature and at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature.

[0007] Furthermore, the invention described in the claim comprises an emission unit that emits emitted light, and a storage unit that stores setting information indicating the setting of pulse type relating to at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emission unit to the surface, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the surface, and a control method executed by a control device mounted on a mobile body, The current position of the moving object is obtained, Feature information relating to features present around the aforementioned moving object, comprising the location information of the feature, Based on the current location, feature information having at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature is acquired. This control method involves referring to the aforementioned setting information and determining, as the output light emitted from the feature, at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature included in the feature information.

[0008] Furthermore, the invention described in the claim comprises an emission unit that emits emitted light, and a storage unit that stores setting information indicating the setting of pulse type relating to at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emission unit to the surface, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the surface, and a program executed by a computer of a control device mounted on a mobile body, The current position of the moving object is obtained, Feature information relating to features present around the aforementioned moving object, comprising the location information of the feature, Based on the current location, feature information having at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature is acquired. This program causes the computer to perform a process that, by referring to the aforementioned setting information, determines the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature included in the feature information as the emitted light emitted from the feature. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic representation of the advanced mapping system. [Figure 2] (A) Shows the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device. (B) Shows the functional configuration of the server device. (C) Shows the data structure of the landmark information. [Figure 3](A) This figure shows the pulsed laser beam emitted by lidar 2 in a single scan. (B) This is a portion of the waveform showing the time variation of the output power of the pulsed laser emitted by lidar 2. [Figure 4] This is a table showing the pulse type of the pulsed laser specified by the pulse type information. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure in the example. [Figure 6] This diagram clearly shows the pulsed laser emitted in a single scan when three target landmarks are present. [Figure 7] Figure 6 shows the waveform of the output intensity of the lidar's pulsed laser during a single scan in the example shown. [Figure 8] This is a schematic configuration of the advanced mapping system as shown in the modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the feature data structure representing a feature includes at least setting information for the detection device to detect the feature. Here, "feature" refers to all natural or artificial objects on the ground, such as trees, rivers, houses, roads, railways, etc. In this embodiment, the feature data structure representing a feature includes setting information for detecting the feature with the detection device. Therefore, in this embodiment, when detecting a feature with the detection device, it is possible to determine the setting information by referring to the setting information of the feature data structure, eliminating the need for measurement to determine the setting information, enabling efficient measurement and obtaining detection results from a detection device with guaranteed accuracy.

[0011] In one embodiment of the above-described feature data structure, the detection device has an emission unit that emits light while changing the emission direction and a light receiving unit that receives the light, and the setting information is information about the parameters related to the emission of light by the emission unit. In this embodiment, the detection device can appropriately determine the parameters related to the emission of light according to the feature to be detected, based on the setting information included in the feature data structure.

[0012] In another aspect of the above-described ground object data structure, the setting information is information on the peak power of the light or the period of emitting the light. According to this aspect, the detection device can emit light with a peak power and a light emission period corresponding to the size and reflectivity of the ground object to be irradiated with light, and can accurately detect the ground object.

[0013] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a ground object data structure indicating a plurality of ground objects includes at least a plurality of setting information in the detection device for detecting each of the plurality of ground objects by the detection device. In this aspect, when detecting a plurality of ground objects with a detection device, it is possible to determine the setting information for detecting each ground object by referring to the setting information of the ground object data structure. Therefore, measurement for determining the setting information is no longer necessary, efficient measurement is possible, and a detection result by a detection device with a predetermined accuracy can be obtained.

[0014] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control device includes a first acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating the position of the moving body, a second acquisition unit that acquires setting information regarding the setting in the detection unit for detecting a ground object existing around the position indicated by the position information by the detection unit, and a control unit that controls the detection unit based on the setting information. In this aspect, when the control device detects a ground object around the position of the moving body by the detection unit, it can easily and highly accurately execute the detection of the ground object by acquiring the setting information for detecting the ground object.

[0015] In one aspect of the above control device, the second acquisition unit acquires the setting information corresponding to the ground object existing around from a server device having a database of ground object information including the setting information for each ground object. According to this aspect, the control device can suitably acquire the setting information for detecting the ground object around the position of the moving body from the server device and perform the detection of the ground object by the detection unit.

[0016] In another embodiment of the control device described above, the detection device emits light while changing the emission direction, the feature information includes location information for each feature, the second acquisition unit acquires the location information of the features along with the setting information, and the control unit, when there are multiple features to be detected by the detection unit, identifies the direction in which each of the features is emitted based on the location information of each feature and the location information of the moving body, and switches the setting information to be applied to the detection unit for each identified emission direction. In this embodiment, even when multiple features are detected simultaneously by the detection unit, the control device can accurately detect each feature by switching the setting information to be applied for each direction in which each feature is located.

[0017] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a storage device for storing feature information relating to a feature, wherein the feature information includes at least setting information for a detection device for detecting the feature with the detection device. In this embodiment, when the detection device detects a feature, there is no need for processing to determine the optimal setting information, and a detection result from the detection device with a predetermined accuracy can be obtained.

[0018] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a control method performed by a control device comprises: a first acquisition step of acquiring position information indicating the position of a moving object; a second acquisition step of acquiring setting information relating to settings in a detection unit for detecting features present around the position indicated by the position information; and a control step of controlling the detection unit based on the setting information. By performing this control method, the control device can easily perform feature detection by the detection unit and obtain detection results from a detection device with guaranteed predetermined accuracy.

[0019] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a computer program is provided, comprising: a first acquisition unit for acquiring position information indicating the position of a moving object; a second acquisition unit for acquiring setting information relating to the settings of a detection unit for detecting features present around the position indicated by the position information; and the computer functioning as a control unit for controlling the detection unit based on the setting information. By executing this program, the computer can easily perform feature detection by the detection unit and obtain detection results from a detection device with a predetermined accuracy. Preferably, the program is stored on a storage medium. [Examples]

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Overview of Advanced Map Systems] Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration of the advanced mapping system according to this embodiment. The advanced mapping system comprises an on-board unit 1 that moves with the vehicle, a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Illuminated Detection and Ranging) 2 controlled by the on-board unit 1, and a server device 4 that stores the advanced mapping DB 43. The advanced mapping system standardizes the settings of the Lidar 2 for detecting features (also called "landmarks") present around roads for each landmark, and generates compatible, high-precision measurement data. Figure 1 shows an example in which a landmark Ltag, which is a sign installed along the road, is detected by the Lidar 2.

[0022] The in-vehicle unit 1 is electrically connected to the lidar 2 and controls the emission of light from the lidar 2 for detecting landmarks. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle unit 1 transmits request information (also called "request information D1"), which includes information on the vehicle's position, to the server device 4, and receives response information (also called "response information D2"), which includes information necessary for detecting landmarks, from the server device 4. Response information D2 includes location information of the landmark to be detected (also called "landmark location information") and parameter information (also called "pulse type information") related to the emission control of light pulses from the lidar 2 for detecting the landmark to be detected by the lidar 2. The in-vehicle unit 1 then controls the lidar 2 based on the response information D2 received from the server device 4, and based on the output of the lidar 2, performs highly accurate estimation of the vehicle's position for autonomous driving, or generates update information for the advanced map DB 43 stored in the server device 4. The in-vehicle unit 1 is an example of a "control device" in the present invention. Landmarks registered in the advanced map DB43 may include not only artificial features such as kilometer posts, 100m posts, delineators, traffic infrastructure facilities (e.g., signs, directional signs, traffic lights), utility poles, and streetlights that are periodically placed along the roadside, but also natural features such as trees.

[0023] LIDA 2 discretely measures the distance to an object in the external environment by emitting a pulsed laser within a predetermined angular range in the horizontal and vertical directions, and generates three-dimensional point cloud information indicating the position of the object. In this case, LIDA 2 has an emission unit that emits laser light while changing the irradiation direction, a light receiving unit that receives reflected light (scattered light) of the irradiated laser light, and an output unit that outputs point cloud information based on the received signal output by the light receiving unit. The point cloud information is generated based on the irradiation direction corresponding to the laser light received by the light receiving unit and the response delay time of the laser light specified based on the received signal described above. In this embodiment, LIDA 2 is configured so that the peak power of the emitted pulsed laser and the period of repeated emission of the pulsed laser (also called the "pulse period") can be adjusted based on a control signal supplied from the in-vehicle unit 1. LIDA 2 is an example of a "detection device" or "detection unit" in the present invention.

[0024] Server device 4 stores an advanced map DB 43 containing information about landmarks (also called "landmark information"). When it receives request information D1 from the in-vehicle unit 1, it extracts landmark information corresponding to landmarks around the in-vehicle unit 1 from the advanced map DB 43 based on the location information of the in-vehicle unit 1 contained in the request information D1, and transmits it to the in-vehicle unit 1 as response information D2. The landmark information includes, as will be described later, at least landmark location information and pulse type information. Server device 4 is an example of a "storage device" in the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2(A) is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the in-vehicle unit 1. The in-vehicle unit 1 mainly consists of a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, a sensor unit 13, an input unit 14, a control unit 15, and an output unit 16. Each of these elements is interconnected via a bus line.

[0026] The communication unit 11 communicates data with the server device 4 based on the control of the control unit 15. The communication unit 11 also supplies information to the lidar 2 that controls the emission of the pulsed laser of the lidar 2, based on the control of the control unit 15. The storage unit 12 stores the program executed by the control unit 15 and the information necessary for the control unit 15 to perform predetermined processing.

[0027] The sensor unit 13 consists of an internal sensor for detecting the vehicle's state and an external sensor for recognizing the vehicle's surrounding environment, and includes a camera 31, a GPS receiver 32, a gyro sensor 33, a speed sensor 34, and the like. In this embodiment, the control unit 15 generates current position information indicating the vehicle's current position (i.e., the vehicle's own position) based on the output of the sensor 13.

[0028] The input unit 14 includes buttons, touch panels, remote controllers, voice input devices, etc., for user operation, and the output unit 16 includes, for example, a display or speaker that outputs based on the control of the control unit 15.

[0029] The control unit 15 includes a CPU that executes the program and controls the entire in-vehicle unit 1. In this embodiment, the control unit 15 transmits request information D1, including vehicle position information, to the server device 4 via the communication unit 11 at predetermined time intervals. When the communication unit 11 receives response information D2, the control unit 15 transmits a control signal to the lidar 2 that changes the peak power and pulse period of the pulsed laser of the lidar 2 based on the pulse type information contained in the response information D2. Subsequently, the control unit 15 analyzes the output of the lidar 2 using known analysis techniques and performs processes such as recognition of the surrounding environment, estimation of vehicle position, and / or generation of update information for the advanced map DB 43. The control unit 15 is an example of the "first acquisition unit," "second acquisition unit," "control unit," and computer that executes the program in this invention.

[0030] Figure 2(B) is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server device 4. The server device 4 mainly consists of a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 45. These elements are interconnected via bus lines.

[0031] The communication unit 41 communicates data with the in-vehicle device 1 based on the control of the control unit 45. The storage unit 42 stores programs executed by the control unit 45 and information necessary for the control unit 45 to perform predetermined processing. In this embodiment, the storage unit 42 stores the advanced map DB 43. The advanced map DB 43 contains landmark information corresponding to each landmark that the in-vehicle device 1 is to detect by the lidar 2.

[0032] Figure 2(C) shows the data structure of landmark information. Landmark information is generated for each landmark and includes, for example, landmark location information, pulse type information, landmark ID, type information, and size information. As will be described later, pulse type information may differ depending on, for example, the shape (size) or light reflectance of the landmark. Because landmark information is stored in the map DB43 with this data structure, for example, when a location is identified by location information (location information of the in-vehicle device 1) included in request information D1, it becomes possible to extract landmarks that exist around that identified location. Furthermore, by referring to the landmark information of the extracted landmarks, it is possible to extract lidar setting information for detecting the landmark by lidar 2 (in other words, setting information suitable for detection by lidar 2). In addition to the above-mentioned information (or in place of the pulse type information above), landmark information may also include information such as the shape and reflectance of the landmark. Landmark information is an example of the "feature data structure" and "feature information" in the present invention, pulse type information is an example of the "setting information" in the present invention, and advanced map DB43 is an example of the "database" in the present invention.

[0033] Furthermore, instead of pulse type information, the landmark information may include information regarding the peak power and / or pulse period of the pulsed laser that the lidar 2 should emit, as setting information for the lidar 2 to detect the landmark. In this case, the server device 4 should include the information regarding the peak power and / or pulse period of the pulsed laser that the lidar 2 should emit in the response information D2 and transmit it to the in-vehicle unit 1.

[0034] The control unit 45 includes a CPU that executes programs and controls the entire server device 4. In this embodiment, when the communication unit 41 receives request information D1 from the in-vehicle device 1, the control unit 45 compares the location information of the in-vehicle device 1 contained in the request information D1 with the landmark location information contained in each landmark information registered in the advanced map DB 43 to extract landmark information around the in-vehicle device 1. Then, the control unit 45 transmits response information D2, which includes at least the landmark location information and pulse type information of the extracted landmark information, to the communication The unit 41 transmits the information to the in-vehicle unit 1.

[0035] [LiDAR pulse laser emission control] Next, the on-board unit 1 will control the emission of the pulsed laser from the lidar 2. Based on the pulse type information contained in the response information D2 received from the server device 4, the on-board unit 1 determines the peak power and pulse period of the pulsed laser to be emitted from the lidar 2.

[0036] Figure 3(A) shows the pulsed laser beam emitted by lidar 2 in a single scan, and Figure 3(B) shows a portion of the waveform illustrating the time variation of the output power of the pulsed laser emitted by lidar 2.

[0037] In the example shown in Figure 3(A), the lidar 2 emits a pulsed laser with a predetermined angular resolution determined by the pulse period, targeting a predetermined angular range (approximately 210° in this example) that includes the forward direction of the vehicle. In the example shown in Figure 3(A), the in-vehicle unit 1 receives pulse type information corresponding to the landmark Ltag from the server device 4, and emits a pulsed laser from the lidar 2 based on the peak power and pulse period determined by this pulse type information. As shown in Figure 3(B), the peak power corresponds to the amplitude of the waveform peak, and the pulse period corresponds to the time interval of the waveform peak. The average power of the pulsed laser shown in Figure 3(B) (see dashed line 6) is uniquely determined based on the peak power, pulse width, and pulse period, and an upper limit is defined for eye safety. Therefore, the peak power, pulse width, and pulse period are set so that the average power does not violate the eye safety conditions.

[0038] Figure 4 is a table showing an example of the pulse type of a pulsed laser specified by the pulse type information. Here, the pulse type of the pulsed laser emitted by lidar 2 (here, pulse type A to pulse type I) corresponds to a combination of peak power (here, p1 to p3) and pulse period (here, c1 to c3), and differs depending on the reflectance and size of the landmark to be detected by lidar 2. By using this table, if the reflectance and size of the landmark can be extracted, the setting information (pulse type) for detecting that landmark with lidar can be extracted (recognized).

[0039] Generally, the smaller the reflectivity (reflection characteristics) of a landmark, the greater the peak power of the pulsed laser used to illuminate that landmark needs to be. Also, the smaller the size of the landmark, the shorter the pulse period of the pulsed laser used to illuminate that landmark needs to be to achieve high angular resolution.

[0040] Taking the above into consideration, in the example in Figure 4, the reflectivity of the landmark is classified into three stages: "large," "medium," and "small." The smallest peak power "p1" is associated with the "large" reflectivity, the largest peak power "p3" is associated with the "small" reflectivity, and the intermediate peak power "p2" is associated with the "medium" reflectivity. Similarly, in the example in Figure 4, the size of the landmark is classified into three stages: "large," "medium," and "small." The longest pulse period "c3" is associated with the "large" size, the shortest pulse period "c1" is associated with the "small" size, and the intermediate pulse period "c2" is associated with the "medium" size. As a result, in the example in Figure 4, nine different pulse types A to I are defined, each with a different combination of three peak power levels and three pulse periods, depending on the combination of the three stages of reflectivity and three stages of size of the landmark.

[0041] Thus, the pulse type information indicates an appropriate combination of peak power and pulse period predetermined according to the reflectance and size of the target landmark. Furthermore, this pulse type information is stored in the advanced map DB43 as part of the landmark information, as shown in Figure 2(C). Therefore, the in-vehicle unit 1 receives response information D2 including pulse type information from the server device 4, and sets the peak power and pulse period of the lidar 2 based on this pulse type information, thereby enabling the lidar 2 to detect landmarks simply and with high accuracy. It is possible.

[0042] Alternatively, instead of the example in Figure 4, the reflectivity and size of the landmark may be set to four or more levels, providing more pulse types. Even in this case, a smaller reflectivity of the landmark is associated with a larger peak power, and a smaller size of the landmark is associated with a shorter pulse period. This allows the lidar 2 to be set according to the reflectivity and size of the landmark to be detected, enabling high-precision landmark detection. Similarly, the reflectivity and size of the landmark may be set to four or more levels. You can also set it to two levels.

[0043] Furthermore, Figure 2(C) shows a data structure for landmark information, which includes pulse type information in the landmark information. If, instead of pulse type information, information regarding the shape and reflectivity of the landmark is included in the landmark information, the table shown in Figure 4 may be stored separately in the storage unit 42 (or advanced map DB 43) from the landmark information. In this case, by referring to the landmark information, the area around the location identified by the location information (location information of the in-vehicle device 1) included in the request information D1 can be accessed. It becomes possible to extract the shape and reflectance of existing landmarks, and by referring to the table shown in Figure 4, it is possible to extract the pulse type corresponding to the extracted shape and reflectance.

[0044] In addition to pulse type information, the peak power and pulse period may also be optimally set according to the relative distance between the landmark and the vehicle, calculated from the landmark location information and the location information of the in-vehicle unit 1. In this case, for example, depending on the relative distance, which may be divided into three stages: "large," "medium," and "small," the shortest period may be assigned to "large," the longest pulse period to "small," and an intermediate period to "medium," and a large peak power may be assigned to "large," a small peak power to "small," and an intermediate period to "medium."

[0045] [Processing flow] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure in this embodiment. As a representative example, Figure 5 shows the processing flow when the in-vehicle unit 1 updates the advanced map DB43 based on the output of the lidar 2. The in-vehicle unit 1 repeatedly executes the processing shown in the flowchart of Figure 5, for example, according to a predetermined cycle.

[0046] First, the in-vehicle unit 1 acquires its own vehicle position information based on the output of the sensor unit 13 (step S101). Next, the in-vehicle unit 1 transmits request information D1, which includes the vehicle position information acquired in step S101, to the server device 4 (step S102).

[0047] Server device 4 receives request information D1 from in-vehicle unit 1 (step S201). In this case, server device 4 extracts landmark location information and pulse type information, etc., corresponding to landmarks present around in-vehicle unit 1 from advanced map DB 43 (step S202). In this case, server device 4 searches for landmark information from advanced map DB 43 that has landmark location information indicating a location within a predetermined distance from the location indicated by the location information specified by request information D1, and extracts at least landmark location information and pulse type information from the retrieved landmark information. Then, server device 4 transmits response information D2, which includes at least the landmark location information and pulse type information extracted in step S202, to in-vehicle unit 1 (step S203).

[0048] The in-vehicle unit 1 receives the response information D2 transmitted by the server device 4 (step S103). Then, the in-vehicle unit 1 controls the emission of the lidar 2 based on the pulse type information and other information contained in the response information D2 (step S104). The handling of cases where the response information D2 contains pulse type information and landmark location information corresponding to multiple landmarks will be explained in detail in the [Multiple Landmark Detection Process] section.

[0049] Next, the in-vehicle unit 1 performs analysis processing on the output of the rider 2 (step S105). For example, first, the control unit 15 extracts point cloud information of the target landmark from the output of the rider 2 to calculate the relative position of the landmark with respect to the vehicle's position. Then, the control unit 15 estimates the absolute position of the target landmark based on the calculated relative position and the absolute position of the vehicle recognized based on the output of the sensor unit 13. The control unit 15 then transmits the estimated landmark position information, etc., to the server device 4 as update information for the advanced map DB 43 (step S106). In this case, the control unit 15 may perform the transmission process in step S106 only if it determines that an update to the advanced map DB 43 is necessary, such as when the estimated landmark position and the position indicated by the landmark position information included in the response information D2 are separated by a predetermined distance or more.

[0050] Then, when the server device 4 receives update information for the advanced map DB43 from the in-vehicle device 1, it updates the advanced map DB43 based on that update information (step S204).

[0051] In this configuration, the server device 4 can cause each vehicle equipped with the lidar 2 to perform landmark measurements using the lidar 2 based on uniform setting conditions suitable for each landmark. As a result, it is possible to obtain measurement data with optimal measurement resolution and accuracy for each landmark, and to improve the compatibility and reliability of the measurement data. Therefore, the server device 4 can acquire highly accurate update information that is compatible with the landmark information registered in the advanced map DB 43 from each vehicle traveling on the target road network, and keep the advanced map DB 43 in a state that reflects the actual situation at all times.

[0052] [Detection process for multiple landmarks] Next, we will explain the case where multiple landmarks are detected simultaneously. In general terms, the in-vehicle unit 1 recognizes the emission angle at which each landmark is illuminated based on the landmark position information of each landmark to be detected and the vehicle's position information, and switches the pulse type information to be applied to the lidar 2 according to the recognized emission angle. As a result, even when multiple landmarks are detected simultaneously, the in-vehicle unit 1 drives the lidar 2 with setting conditions appropriate for each landmark.

[0053] Figure 6 illustrates the pulsed laser emitted in a single scan when three landmarks Ltag1, Ltag2, and Ltag3 are present. Figure 7 shows the waveform of the time variation of the output power of the lidar 2 pulsed laser in a single scan in the example in Figure 6. In this example, landmark Ltag1 belongs to the "small" reflectivity and "large" size categories in the table in Figure 4, landmark Ltag2 belongs to the "large" reflectivity and "small" size categories, and landmark Ltag3 belongs to the "medium" category for both reflectivity and size.

[0054] In the examples shown in Figures 6 and 7, the in-vehicle unit 1 first receives pulse type information, landmark location information, and size information for each of the landmarks Ltag1 to Ltag3 as response information D2. Then, based on the vehicle's own position information recognized by the output of the sensor unit 13 and the landmark location information of each landmark Ltag1 to Ltag3, the in-vehicle unit 1 calculates the relative position of landmarks Ltag1 to Ltag3 with respect to the vehicle's position and recognizes the emission angle of the corresponding pulse laser. Furthermore, by taking into account the size information of each landmark Ltag1 to Ltag3, the in-vehicle unit 1 recognizes the range of emission angles of the pulse laser that irradiates each landmark Ltag1 to Ltag3.

[0055] Furthermore, when the lidar 2 performs a scan, the in-vehicle unit 1 changes the peak power and pulse period of the pulsed laser irradiating landmarks Ltag1 to Ltag3 within a single pulsed laser scan by time-division multiplexing.

[0056] Specifically, within the emission angle range corresponding to landmark Ltag1, the in-vehicle unit 1 emits a pulsed laser with the peak power and pulse period indicated by the pulse type information corresponding to landmark Ltag1. Here, since landmark Ltag1 corresponds to the landmark with "small" reflectivity and "large" size in the table in Figure 4, the pulse type information corresponding to landmark Ltag1 indicates pulse type I (i.e., pulse period c3, peak power p3). Therefore, within the emission angle range corresponding to landmark Ltag1, the in-vehicle unit 1 emits a pulsed laser to the lidar 2 with pulse type I (i.e., pulse period c3, peak power p3).

[0057] Similarly, because landmark Ltag2 is a landmark with high reflectivity and small size, the pulse type information corresponding to landmark Ltag2 indicates pulse type A (i.e., pulse period c1, peak power p1). Therefore, in the emission angle range corresponding to landmark Ltag2, the in-vehicle unit 1 emits a pulsed laser to the lidar 2 with pulse type A (i.e., pulse period c1, peak power p1). Furthermore, because landmark Ltag3 is a landmark with medium reflectivity and medium size, the pulse type information corresponding to landmark Ltag3 indicates pulse type E (i.e., pulse period c2, peak power p2). Therefore, in the emission angle range corresponding to landmark Ltag3, the in-vehicle unit 1 emits a pulsed laser to the lidar 2 with pulse type E (i.e., pulse period c2, peak power p2).

[0058] Thus, even when multiple landmark Ltags exist, the in-vehicle unit 1 controls the lidar 2 by referring to pulse type information corresponding to the landmark Ltags present within the emission angle range in which each landmark Ltag is illuminated. As a result, the in-vehicle unit 1 can suitably generate measurement data for each landmark Ltag based on pulse type information registered in the advanced map DB43.

[0059] As described above, in this embodiment, the advanced map DB43 stored in the server device 4 contains pulse type information, which is setting information for detecting landmarks with the lidar 2. The in-vehicle unit 1 then sends request information D1, which includes the vehicle's position information, to the server device 4, receives response information D2, which includes pulse type information corresponding to landmarks around the vehicle's position, and controls the lidar 2 based on the received pulse type information. As a result, the in-vehicle unit 1 can obtain output results from the lidar 2 that are compatible and have a predetermined level of accuracy without having to perform any processing to determine the settings of the lidar 2 for detecting landmarks.

[0060] [Differentiation] Next, a suitable modification of the embodiment will be described. The following modifications may be applied to the above-described embodiment in any combination.

[0061] (Variation 1) Instead of controlling the lidar 2 based on pulse type information received from the server device 4, the in-vehicle unit 1 may receive information on the reflectivity and size of landmarks from the server device 4, determine the peak power and pulse period of the laser pulse of the lidar 2 from this information, and then control the lidar 2.

[0062] In this case, the server device 4 pre-stores information on the reflectance and size of landmarks as landmark information to be stored in the advanced map DB 43, and when it receives request information D1, it transmits response information D2, which includes the reflectance and size information of the landmarks, to the in-vehicle unit 1. The in-vehicle unit 1 also pre-stores a correspondence table between the reflectance and size of landmarks and the peak power and pulse period of the laser pulse to be emitted, as shown in Figure 4. When the in-vehicle unit 1 receives response information D2 from the server device 4, it refers to the aforementioned correspondence table from the reflectance and size information of landmarks contained in the response information D2 to determine the peak power and pulse period of the laser pulse that the lidar 2 should emit, and controls the lidar 2.

[0063] Even with this modified configuration, the in-vehicle device 1 can perform simple and highly accurate landmark detection using the lidar 2 based on information received from the server device 4.

[0064] (Modification 2) The in-vehicle unit 1 may store the advanced map DB 43 in the storage unit 12 in advance, instead of the server device 4.

[0065] Figure 8 shows an advanced mapping system according to a modified example. In the example in Figure 8, the in-vehicle unit 1 stores the advanced mapping DB 43. Then, in the flowchart of Figure 5, after acquiring the vehicle's position information in step S101, the in-vehicle unit 1 executes step S202 on behalf of the server device 4 to extract pulse type information, etc., corresponding to landmark Ltags around the vehicle's position from the advanced mapping DB 43. Then, the in-vehicle unit 1 controls the rider 2 based on the extracted pulse type information, etc. In this example, the in-vehicle unit 1 does not need to communicate with the server device 4. stomach.

[0066] In another example, the in-vehicle device 1 may possess a portion of the advanced map DB 43 by downloading it from the server device 4. In this case, for example, the advanced map DB 43 is managed area by area, and when the in-vehicle device 1 first reaches a predetermined area, it receives the map data corresponding to that area from the server device 4. In yet another example, the in-vehicle device 1 may pre-store only a database of landmark information corresponding to a portion of the advanced map DB 43. Even in this case, the in-vehicle device 1 does not need to exchange request information D1 and response information D2 with the server device 4.

[0067] (Variation 3) The in-vehicle unit 1 may be configured separately from a vehicle position measurement device that measures the vehicle's position information using a sensor unit 13, etc., and may receive the vehicle's position information from the vehicle position measurement device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1 Onboard device 2 Riders 4 Server devices 11, 41 Communications Department 12, 42 Storage section 13 Sensor section 14 Input section 15, 45 Control Unit 16 Output section 43 Advanced Map Database

Claims

1. A control device mounted on a mobile vehicle, An emission unit that emits light, A storage unit that stores setting information indicating the pulse type setting for at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emitter to the surface, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the surface, A first acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the moving object, A second acquisition unit acquires feature information about features present around the moving object based on the current location, Equipped with, The feature information includes the location information of the feature and at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature. The control device is characterized in that the emission unit refers to the setting information and determines, as the emission light to be emitted to the feature, at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature included in the feature information.

2. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the emission unit emits the emission light based on the emission angle based on the current position of the moving body and the position information of the feature, and based on the parameters set by the setting information.

3. If multiple geographical features exist around the aforementioned moving object, The control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the emission unit changes the parameters of the emitted light for each direction in which a feature exists, based on the feature information of each of the plurality of features.

4. A control method executed by a control device mounted on a mobile body, comprising: an emission unit that emits emitted light; and a storage unit that stores setting information indicating the pulse type setting for at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emission unit to a geographic object, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the geographic object; The current position of the moving object is obtained, Feature information relating to features present around the aforementioned moving object, comprising the location information of the feature, Based on the current location, feature information having at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature is acquired. A control method that, by referring to the setting information, determines the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature included in the feature information as the emitted light emitted to the feature.

5. A program executed by a computer of a control device mounted on a mobile body, comprising: an emission unit that emits emitted light; and a storage unit that stores setting information indicating the pulse type setting for at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emission unit to the surface, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the surface; The current position of the moving object is obtained, Feature information relating to features present around the aforementioned moving object, comprising the location information of the feature, Based on the current location, feature information having at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature is acquired. A program that causes the computer to perform a process of determining, by referring to the setting information, the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature included in the feature information, as the emitted light emitted to the feature.

6. A server device that can communicate with an in-vehicle machine, comprising: a detection device having an emission unit that emits emitted light; and a storage unit that stores setting information indicating the pulse type setting for at least one of the peak power or pulse period of the emitted light emitted by the emission unit to the terrain, corresponding to at least one of the reflectance or size of the terrain; A first acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the in-vehicle device, A second acquisition unit acquires feature information having a feature data structure relating to features present around the vehicle-mounted device, based on the current location. A communication unit that transmits the aforementioned geographic information to the in-vehicle unit, Equipped with, The server device is characterized in that the feature information includes location information of the feature and at least one of the reflectance or size of the feature.

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