Track generation method, track generation device, and driving simulation system

Abstract

This invention provides a road path generation method, a road path generation device, and a driving simulation system that can easily generate a road path in a virtual space based on vehicle trajectory data. [Solution] The road generation method comprises a data acquisition step, a ratio setting step, and a road generation step. The data acquisition step acquires data related to the driving trajectory. The ratio setting step sets the ratio of the distance from the driving trajectory acquired in the data acquisition step to the boundary element on one side that indicates the boundary between the road and the area outside the road, to the road width. The road generation step calculates the position of the boundary element on one side and the position of the boundary element on the other side based on the ratio set in the ratio setting step.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a travel route generation method and a travel route generation device based on travel trajectory data, and a driving simulation system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a driving characteristic evaluation method for evaluating a driver's driving characteristics. This driving characteristic evaluation method includes a tire force acquisition step of acquiring a tire force acting on a vehicle tire at a predetermined interval during driving, and an index derivation step of obtaining an evaluation index indicating the driving characteristics of the driver of the vehicle based on the statistical variation of the plurality of acquired tire forces.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the development of vehicles and tires, a vehicle driving test is conducted to determine a driving route and actually drive the vehicle to evaluate the vehicle's motion performance, the characteristics of the mounted tires, the driver's driving feeling, and the lap time for completing the driving route. In addition to the driving test using a real vehicle, a simulation experiment of driving the vehicle on a virtual space generated using a computer is also carried out.

[0005] In a driving simulation experiment of driving a vehicle on a virtual space, a travel route is generated on the virtual space, and a model of the tire and the vehicle is simulatedly driven and run along the travel route. In the driving simulation experiment, the travel route on the virtual space may be generated in the same manner as an actual travel route, but there is a problem that it takes time and effort to reproduce the road width and the position information of the left and right boundary lines of the travel route on the virtual space.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a road path generation method, a road path generation device, and a driving simulation system that can easily generate a road path in a virtual space based on vehicle driving trajectory data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a method for generating a travel path. The method for generating a travel path comprises: a data acquisition step of acquiring data relating to a travel trajectory; a ratio setting step of setting a ratio of the distance from the travel trajectory acquired in the data acquisition step to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the travel path and the area outside the travel path, to the width of the road; and a travel path generation step of calculating the position of one boundary element and the position of the other boundary element based on the ratio set in the ratio setting step.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a road path generation device. The road path generation device includes a data acquisition unit that acquires data relating to a driving trajectory; a ratio setting unit that sets a ratio of the distance from the driving trajectory acquired by the data acquisition unit to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the road and the area outside the road, to the road width; and a road path generation unit that calculates the position of the one boundary element and the position of the other boundary element based on the ratio set by the ratio setting unit.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a driving simulation system. The driving simulation system comprises the above-described road generation device and a driving simulation device that generates a road in a virtual space including the boundary elements on one side and the other side generated by the road generation device, simulates driving a vehicle in the virtual space, and acquires at least one of driving feeling evaluation information and lap time information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a road can be easily generated in a virtual space based on the vehicle's trajectory data. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of a driving simulation system including a road path generation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the road path generation device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road generated by a road road generation device. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a method for generating a road surface. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the procedure for generating a road path using a road path generation device. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing another example of a road generated by a road road generation device. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of a road generated by a road road generation device. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of a road generated by a road road generation device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 8, based on preferred embodiments. The same or equivalent components and members shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Also, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted in each drawing.

[0013] (Embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overview of a driving simulation system 100 including a road path generation device 20 according to an embodiment. The driving simulation system 100 comprises a vehicle measurement device 10, a road path generation device 20, a driving simulation device 60, and a server device 90. The driving simulation system 100 measures the driving trajectory data and vehicle speed data of vehicle 1 using the vehicle measurement device 10, and collects this data using the server device 90.

[0014] The vehicle measurement device 10 includes a GPS receiver, a tachometer, and an acceleration sensor. The vehicle measurement device 10 transmits to the server device 90 the location information of the vehicle 1 measured by the GPS receiver, and driving trajectory data including the time information when the location information was measured. The vehicle measurement device 10 transmits to the server device 90 vehicle speed data including the speed information of the vehicle 1 measured by the tachometer, the acceleration information of the vehicle 1 measured by the acceleration sensor, and the time information when it was measured. The acceleration sensor may measure acceleration in the three axes of the vehicle 1: longitudinal, lateral, and vertical, or it may measure acceleration in any combination of two axes or one axis.

[0015] The server device 90 is an information processing device such as a PC (personal computer). The server device 90 stores and accumulates the vehicle 1's driving trajectory data and vehicle speed data transmitted by the vehicle measurement device 10 in its storage device. The server device 90 transmits the accumulated driving trajectory data and vehicle speed data to the driving path generation device 20 and the driving simulation device 60, respectively.

[0016] The route generation device 20 generates route data based on route data acquired from the server device 90 via the communication network 8. The route data is the actual position information of the vehicle 1 at each moment, and by connecting each position information, the vehicle's route, represented by continuous straight lines and curves, is obtained. The route generation device 20 sets the road width and left and right boundary lines for the vehicle's route to form a path (road) on which the vehicle 1 will travel and generates route data.

[0017] The driving simulation device 60 is an information processing device such as a PC (personal computer), and acquires driving route data from the driving route generation device 20 via the communication network 8. The driving simulation device 60 arranges the driving route data acquired from the driving route generation device 20 in a virtual space, and virtually causes a driver to operate a model of a vehicle including tires, and drives the vehicle along the driving route.

[0018] In a driving simulation experiment, the driving simulation device 60 collects various data acquired from a model of a vehicle including tires, information on the driving feeling of the driver, etc., and generates evaluation information etc. about the driving situation of the simulation experiment, and provides it to the user. Also, the driving simulation device 60 acquires vehicle speed data from the server device 90 via the communication network 8. The driving simulation device 60 may provide the user with data for comparing the vehicle speed data with the speed and acceleration of vehicle 1 in the driving simulation experiment.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the driving route generation device 20. The driving route generation device 20 includes a communication unit 21, an operation unit 22, a display unit 23, a storage unit 30, and an arithmetic processing unit 40. The driving route generation device 20 is an information processing device such as a PC (personal computer). Each part in the driving route generation device 20 can be realized hardware-wise by an electronic processing circuit composed of electronic elements including a computer's CPU and mechanical parts, etc., and can be realized software-wise by a computer program etc., but here, functional blocks realized by their cooperation are depicted. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by combinations of hardware and software.

[0020] The communication unit 21 communicates with the server device 90 and the driving simulation device 60 via the communication network 8 by wired or wireless communication or the like. The communication network 8 is, for example, a wide-area Internet, and may include a local area network. The communication unit 21 receives driving trajectory data from the server device 90 and transmits driving route data to the driving simulation device 60.

[0021] The operation unit 22 has operable input devices such as a touch panel, switches, keyboard, and mouse device, and accepts user input. The operation unit 22 accepts user input related to the road data generation process. The display unit 23 has a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various data in the road data generation process and displays a screen for accepting user input.

[0022] The storage unit 30 is a storage device composed of, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a hard disk, a CD-ROM, or a DVD. The storage unit 30 stores the driving trajectory data 31 and the driving route data 32. The storage unit 30 also stores various computer programs to be executed by the arithmetic processing unit 40, as well as data used to execute arithmetic processing.

[0023] The arithmetic processing unit 40 includes a data acquisition unit 41, a ratio setting unit 42, and a road path generation unit 43. The arithmetic processing unit 40 is an electronic circuit that performs arithmetic processing, such as a CPU, and functions by reading and executing computer programs and data stored in the storage unit 30. The data acquisition unit 41, the ratio setting unit 42, and the road path generation unit 43 in the arithmetic processing unit 40 may be constructed as a plurality of program modules formed by a computer program.

[0024] The data acquisition unit 41 acquires the driving trajectory data 31 from the server device 90 via the communication unit 21 and stores it in the storage unit 30. As described above, the driving trajectory data 31 is the actual location information of the vehicle 1 at each moment.

[0025] The ratio setting unit 42 sets the road width W. The ratio setting unit 42 also sets the ratio A of the distance from the travel trajectory T to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the travel road and the area outside the travel road, to the road width W. Since the travel trajectory data 31 includes time information, the direction of travel E of the vehicle 1 can be determined. The boundary element to the left of the direction of travel E determined from the travel trajectory data 31 is designated as the left boundary element BL, and the boundary element to the right is designated as the right boundary element BR.

[0026] The ratio setting unit 42 may set the boundary element on one side for setting ratio A to either the left boundary element BL or the right boundary element BR. The ratio setting unit 42 sets ratio A to a value greater than 0 and less than 1. For example, the ratio setting unit 42 uniformly sets ratio A to 0.5. The ratio setting unit 42 may use a pre-set ratio A, or it may accept input of ratio A specified by the user via the operation unit 22 and set it.

[0027] The ratio setting unit 42 may change the ratio between the straight section S of the travel trajectory T and the curved section C of the travel trajectory T. The ratio setting unit 42 sets the ratio A to a constant value in the straight section S of the travel trajectory T, and sets the ratio A to a different value from the ratio set in the straight section S in the curved section C.

[0028] The ratio setting unit 42 gradually changes ratio A, for example, from the entrance of a curved section C. The ratio setting unit 42 ensures that the change in ratio A is greatest approximately in the center of the curved section C. The ratio setting unit 42 gradually changes ratio A back to its original value from the center of the curved section C, returning to the original ratio at the entrance at the exit of the curved section C. The ratio setting unit 42 may also set ratio A based on the radius of curvature in sections C where the travel trajectory T is curved. The ratio setting unit 42 may use a preset for a variable ratio A, or it may accept and use a variable setting for ratio A specified by the user via the operation unit 22.

[0029] The road generation unit 43 calculates the positions of the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR relative to the road trajectory T shown by the road trajectory data 31, based on the ratio A and road width W set by the ratio setting unit 42, and stores them in the road data 32 as left boundary element data and right boundary element data.

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road generated by the road generation device 20. In the example shown in Figure 3, the ratio A is uniformly set to 0.5 by the ratio setting unit 42. The road trajectory T has a straight section S and a curved section C, and the direction of travel E of the vehicle 1 is represented by an arrow. The road generation unit 43 generates left boundary element data and right boundary element data for the road trajectory data 31 and stores them in the storage unit 30 as road data 32.

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the method for generating the travel path shown in Figure 3. In the example shown in Figure 4, the ratio A is uniformly set to 0.5 by the ratio setting unit 42, similar to Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, the travel trajectory data 31 represents that the vehicle 1 moved to positions P1, P2, and P3.

[0032] The track generation unit 43 calculates position M1, which is midway between positions P1 and P2, and generates left boundary element data (position QL1) on a line segment perpendicular to the line segment connecting positions P1 and P2, where the distance from position M1 is WA. The track generation unit 43 also generates right boundary element data (position QR1) on a line segment perpendicular to the line segment connecting positions P1 and P2, where the distance from position M1 is W(1-A). The track generation unit 43 performs the same process for positions P2 and P3 to generate positions QL2 and QR2. The track generation unit 43 generates left boundary element data and right boundary element data by repeating the process for each position indicating the trajectory T in the trajectory data 31.

[0033] The driving simulation device 60 communicates with the road generation device 20 to acquire driving trajectory data 31 and road data 32. The driving simulation device 60 places the road data 32 in a virtual space and simulates having a driver operate a model of vehicle 1, including the tires, to travel along the road. The driving simulation device 60 may also represent the road in the virtual space by placing, for example, white lines, multiple cones, curbs, guardrails, etc., as left boundary element BL and right boundary element BR. The driving simulation device 60 may also acquire driving trajectory data 31 from the server device 90 via the communication network 8.

[0034] The model of vehicle 1, including the tires, is a dynamics model and includes the mass of vehicle 1, spring elements, damper elements, and a characteristic model of the tires. The characteristic model of the tires is, for example, a magic formula model and represents characteristics such as longitudinal force with respect to slip ratio and lateral force with respect to slip angle.

[0035] The driving simulation device 60 simulates the frictional force acting between the road surface and the tires, and also simulates the occurrence of conditions such as slippage. The driving simulation device 60 displays the road surface and, based on input from the driver regarding steering, acceleration, and braking operations, drives a model of vehicle 1 on the road surface generated in a virtual space.

[0036] The driving simulation device 60 acquires physical information data such as the speed and acceleration of vehicle 1 and the reaction force received from the road surface during a driving simulation experiment. The driving simulation device 60 also collects evaluation information on the driving feeling, such as the vehicle 1's response and responsiveness to the driver's steering, accelerator, and brake operations. The driving simulation device 60 may also repeatedly conduct driving simulation experiments on a road surface and acquire lap time information indicating the time taken for each run. The driving simulation device 60 provides the user with the acquired physical information data, driving feeling evaluation information, and lap time information.

[0037] The driving simulation device 60 may provide the user with data for comparing the acquired driving trajectory data 31 and the driving trajectory in the driving simulation experiment. The driving simulation device 60 may acquire vehicle speed data from the server device 90 via the communication network 8 and provide the user with data for comparing the vehicle speed data with the speed and acceleration of the vehicle 1 in the driving simulation experiment. The driving simulation experiment is carried out with combinations in which the vehicle type (vehicle name) of the vehicle 1 and the specifications of the tires are different, and physical information data, evaluation information on driving feeling, and lap time information can be provided to the user for each combination of the vehicle and the tires.

[0038] Next, the operation of the driving route generation device 20 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the driving route generation processing procedure by the driving route generation device 20. The data acquisition unit 41 of the driving route generation device 20 acquires the driving trajectory data 31 from the server device 90 via the communication unit 21 and stores it in the storage unit 30 (S1). The ratio setting unit 42 sets the road width W and the ratio A of the distance from the driving trajectory to the boundary element on one side to the road width W (S2). The ratio A is set in the range of 0 < A < 1 as described above, and may be constant or variable. Further, when the ratio A is variable, it is set to change based on the fact that the driving trajectory is curved and linear, and the radius of curvature of the curved portion.

[0039] The driving route generation unit 43 calculates the positions of the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR with respect to the driving trajectory indicated by the driving trajectory data 31 based on the ratio A and the road width W set by the ratio setting unit 42 (S3). The driving route generation unit 43 stores the positions of the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR as left boundary element data and right boundary element data in the driving route data 32 (S4) and ends the process.

[0040] The road generation method in this embodiment generates road data 32, for example, as shown in Figure 3, by processing steps S1 to S4 described above. The road generation method acquires road trajectory data 31 in the data acquisition step and sets the ratio A of the distance from the road trajectory T to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the road and the area outside the road, to the road width W in the ratio setting step. The road generation step in the road generation method calculates the positions of the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR based on the ratio A. As a result, the road generation method can easily generate a road in virtual space based on the vehicle's road trajectory data 31.

[0041] In the route generation method, the ratio setting step uniformly sets ratio A to 0.5. This allows the route generation method to generate a route whose trajectory passes through the center of the road width W.

[0042] The road generation device 20 acquires driving trajectory data 31 using the data acquisition unit 41, and sets the ratio A of the distance from the driving trajectory T to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the road and the area outside the road, with respect to the road width W using the ratio setting unit 42. The ratio setting unit 42 may set the ratio to the left boundary element BL, or it may set the ratio to the right boundary element BR. The road generation unit 43 of the road generation device 20 calculates the positions of the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR based on the ratio A. As a result, the road generation method can easily generate a road in a virtual space based on the vehicle's driving trajectory data 31.

[0043] The driving simulation system 100 also includes the above-described driving route generation device 20 and a driving simulation device 60. The driving simulation device 60 generates a driving route including the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR generated by the driving route generation device 20 in a virtual space, and simulates the driving of the vehicle 1 in the virtual space to obtain at least one of evaluation information on the driving feeling and lap time information. Thereby, the driving simulation system 100 can perform a driving simulation experiment on the driving route generated in the virtual space based on the driving trajectory data 31, and provide at least one of evaluation information on the driving feeling and lap time information to the user.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the driving route generated by the driving route generation device 20. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the ratio A is changed between the linear part S and the curved part C. The curved part C is a left curve. The ratio setting unit 42 fixes the ratio A to, for example, A1 = 0.5 in the linear part S. At the entrance of the curved part C, the ratio setting unit 42 sets the ratio A to A1, gradually changes the ratio A to A2 as it moves toward the center of the curved part C, and sets the ratio A to return from A2 to A1 from the center to the exit of the curved part C.

[0045] In the example shown in FIG. 6, by setting A2 < A1, in the curved part C, the driving trajectory T approaches the inside (left side) of the left curve, and the driving route is generated so as to move away from the outside (right side). When the curved part C is a right curve, by setting A1 < A2, the driving trajectory T approaches the inside (right side) of the right curve, and conversely, the driving route is generated so as to move away from the outside (left side).

[0046] The driving route generation method can generate a driving route such that the driving trajectory T approaches the inside in the curved part C by changing the ratio A between the part S where the driving trajectory T is linear and the part C where the driving trajectory T is curved.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of the travel path generated by the travel path generation device 20. In the example shown in FIG. 7, similar to the example shown in FIG. 6, the travel locus T curves to the left from a straight line, and the ratio A is changed between the straight portion S and the curved portion C. Similar to the example shown in FIG. 6, at the entrance of the curved portion C, the ratio setting unit 42 sets the ratio A to A1, gradually changes the ratio A to A3 as it goes toward the center of the curved portion C, and sets the ratio A to return from A3 to A1 from the center to the exit of the curved portion C.

[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the radius of curvature R2 of the curved portion C is larger than the radius of curvature R1 of the curved portion C in the example shown in FIG. 6, and for the ratio A, A3 is set to a value larger than A2 in the example shown in FIG. 6. At this time, for the ratio A, the relationship is A2 < A3 < A1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, when the radius of curvature R2 is large, a travel path is formed so that the travel locus T does not approach too close to the inner side of the curve.

[0049] In the portion C where the travel locus T is curved, the travel path generation method can set the degree to which the travel locus T approaches the inner side of the curve according to the radius of curvature by setting the ratio A based on the radius of curvature.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of the travel path generated by the travel path generation device 20. In the example shown in FIG. 8, similar to the example shown in FIG. 6, the travel locus T curves to the left from a straight line, and the ratio A is changed between the straight portion S and the curved portion C. In the example shown in FIG. 8, it enters from the straight portion S to the left-curved portion C, and the travel path is generated so that the travel locus T in the straight portion S is closer to the right side of the travel path. In this case, when the travel locus T of the vehicle 1 passes through the curved portion C, the travel path is generated so as to shift to the outer side, the inner side, and the outer side of the travel path in order.

[0051] The ratio setting unit 42 determines in advance whether the driving trajectory T curves to the left or right side from the straight portion S of the driving trajectory data 31. When it curves to the left, the ratio A is set so that the driving trajectory T is closer to the right side of the driving path in the straight portion S. The ratio setting unit 42 determines in advance whether the driving trajectory T curves to the left or right side from the straight portion S of the driving trajectory data 31. When it curves to the right, the ratio A is set so that the driving trajectory is closer to the left side of the driving path T in the straight portion S.

[0052] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the ratio setting unit 42 sets the ratio A to A4 (0.5 < A4 < 1) in the straight portion S. Also, the ratio setting unit 42 gradually changes the ratio A in the portion C that curves to the left, and sets the ratio A at the center of the curve to A5 (0 < A5 < 0.5).

[0053] When the driving trajectory T changes from a straight shape to a curved shape, the driving path generation method can generate a driving path such that in the straight portion S, by increasing the ratio of the distance to the boundary element on the side where the curve occurs, it seems as if the driving trajectory T makes full use of the road width of the driving path.

[0054] (Modified Example) In each of the examples described using FIGS. 3, 6, 7, and 8 above, the height direction is not considered. However, in the driving path generation step of the driving path generation method, heights may be assigned to the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR to generate the driving path. In this case, the height data of the position information included in the driving trajectory data 31 may be used.

[0055] Also, in the driving path generation step, in order to virtually give a bank angle to the portion S where the driving trajectory T is straight and the portion C where it is curved, height information such as a height or a difference in the height direction may be assigned to the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR. The height information assigned to the left boundary element BL and the right boundary element BR may use several preset values set in advance, or may receive and use the height information specified by the user via the operation unit 22.

[0056] The technical ideas embodied in the above embodiments can be generalized to include the technical ideas described in the following items.

[0057] The first item is a road generation method comprising: a data acquisition step of acquiring data relating to the driving trajectory; a ratio setting step of setting the ratio of the distance from the driving trajectory acquired in the data acquisition step to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the road and the area outside the road, to the road width; and a road generation step of calculating the position of one boundary element and the position of the other boundary element based on the ratio set in the ratio setting step.

[0058] The second item is the road generation method described in the first item, in which the ratio setting step uniformly sets the ratio to 0.5.

[0059] The third item is the method for generating a road path as described in the first item, wherein the ratio setting step changes the ratio between the portion of the road path that is straight and the portion of the road path that is curved.

[0060] The fourth item is the method for generating a travel path as described in the third item, wherein the ratio setting step sets the ratio based on the radius of curvature of the portion of the travel path that is curved.

[0061] The fifth item is the method for generating a travel path as described in item 3, wherein the ratio setting step increases the ratio of the distance to the boundary element on the curved side in the straight portion when the travel path changes from a straight line to a curved shape.

[0062] The sixth item is a road generation method according to any one of the first to fifth items, wherein the road generation step involves adding height information to the boundary elements on both sides in order to give the road a bank angle in the portion of the road trajectory that is curved.

[0063] The seventh item is a road generation device comprising: a data acquisition unit that acquires data relating to the driving trajectory; a ratio setting unit that sets the ratio of the distance from the driving trajectory acquired by the data acquisition unit to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the road and the area outside the road, to the road width; and a road generation step that calculates the position of the one boundary element and the position of the other boundary element based on the ratio set by the ratio setting unit.

[0064] The eighth item is a driving simulation system comprising a driving path generation device described in the seventh item, and a driving simulation device that generates a driving path in a virtual space including the boundary elements on one side and the other side generated by the driving path generation device, and simulates the driving of a vehicle in the virtual space to acquire at least one of driving feeling evaluation information and lap time information.

[0065] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These embodiments are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Accordingly, the descriptions and drawings herein should be treated as illustrative rather than limiting. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1 Vehicle, 41 Data acquisition unit, 42 Ratio setting unit, 43 Road generation unit, 20 track generation devices, 60 driving simulation devices, 100 driving simulation systems.

Claims

1. A data acquisition step to obtain data related to the driving trajectory, A ratio setting step is to set the ratio of the distance from the driving trajectory acquired in the data acquisition step to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the driving path and the area outside the driving path, to the road width. A route generation step which calculates the position of one boundary element and the position of the other boundary element based on the ratio set in the ratio setting step, A method for generating a road surface, comprising the following features.

2. The method for generating a road surface according to claim 1, wherein the ratio setting step uniformly sets the ratio to 0.

5.

3. The method for generating a travel path according to claim 1, wherein the ratio setting step involves changing the ratio between a portion of the travel path that is straight and a portion of the travel path that is curved.

4. The method for generating a travel path according to claim 3, wherein the ratio setting step sets the ratio based on the radius of curvature of the portion of the travel path that is curved.

5. The method for generating a travel path according to claim 3, wherein the ratio setting step increases the ratio of the distance to the boundary element on the curved side in the straight portion when the travel path changes from a straight line to a curved shape.

6. The method for generating a road path according to claim 1, wherein the road path generation step involves adding height information to the boundary elements on both sides in order to give the road path a bank angle in the portion of the road path that is curved.

7. A data acquisition unit that acquires data related to the driving trajectory, A ratio setting unit sets the ratio of the distance from the driving trajectory acquired by the data acquisition unit to one boundary element indicating the boundary between the driving path and the area outside the driving path, to the road width. A road path generation unit calculates the position of one boundary element and the position of the other boundary element based on the ratio set by the ratio setting unit, A road path generating device equipped with the following features.

8. A road path generating device according to claim 7, A driving simulation device generates a driving path in a virtual space that includes the boundary elements on one side and the other side generated by the driving path generation device, simulates driving a vehicle in the virtual space, and acquires at least one of driving feeling evaluation information and lap time information. A driving simulation system equipped with the following features.

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