Information processing method, information processing device, and program

Abstract

A simple configuration allows for the separation of vehicle data by lane. [Solution] An information processing method for an information processing device 10 equipped with a control unit 11, wherein the control unit 11 acquires location information of a vehicle traveling on a road with multiple lanes on one side and vehicle data acquired from the vehicle; extracts vehicle data acquired within a location range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in location information from the acquired vehicle data to acquire vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes; and outputs the acquired vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] A technique for associating and utilizing vehicle position information and vehicle data acquired by a vehicle is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of generating a lane-level map based on course map information and lidar data acquired while a sensor-equipped vehicle passes along a road.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The conventional configuration had room for improvement in that vehicle data could not be separated for each lane with a simple configuration.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to enable separation of vehicle data for each lane with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present disclosure, an information processing method is an information processing method of an information processing apparatus including a control unit, the control unit acquiring position information of a vehicle traveling on a road including a plurality of lanes on one side and vehicle data acquired by the vehicle, extracting the vehicle data acquired within a position range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in the position information from the acquired vehicle data to obtain vehicle data for each of the plurality of lanes, and outputting the acquired vehicle data for each of the plurality of lanes.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, vehicle data can be separated by lane with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the system configuration according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of an information processing device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of extracting vehicle data for each lane. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 shows an example configuration of System 1 according to one embodiment. System 1 comprises an information processing device 10 and a vehicle 20. System 1, the information processing device 10 and the vehicle 20 are connected to a network N, which includes, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0011] The information processing device 10 is, for example, a computer such as a server. The information processing device 10 can communicate with the vehicle 20 via the network N.

[0012] Vehicle 20 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to that and may be any vehicle. Automobiles include, for example, gasoline automobiles, electric automobiles (EVs), hybrid automobiles (HVs), plug-in hybrid automobiles (PHVs), or fuel cell automobiles (FCVs), but are not limited to these. The number of vehicles 20 provided in System 1 may be determined arbitrarily.

[0013] In the configuration described above, the vehicle 20 transmits vehicle data, such as wheel vibration information, to the information processing device 10, associating it with location information acquired by a GPS receiver or the like. The information processing device 10 uses the received vehicle data and location information to utilize the vehicle data, for example, by visualizing the roughness of the road surface. On the other hand, since the location information acquired by the GPS receiver has an error of about 10m from the actual location, it may be difficult to separate the vehicle data by lane.

[0014] The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment acquires location information and vehicle data of a vehicle 20 traveling on a road that includes multiple lanes on one side, and extracts the vehicle data acquired within a location range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in location information from the vehicle data. Therefore, the information processing device 10 can acquire and analyze vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes without providing any additional sensors or devices other than a GPS receiver.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0016] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 11 controls the operation of the entire information processing device 10.

[0017] The storage unit 12 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 12 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory.

[0018] The communication unit 13 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network N. The communication interface corresponds to a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard. In the present embodiment, the information processing device 10 communicates with the vehicle 20 via the communication unit 13 and the network N.

[0019] The functions of the information processing device 10 can be realized by executing a computer program (program) according to the present embodiment by a processor included in the control unit 11. That is, the functions of the information processing device 10 may be realized by software. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the information processing device 10 may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated circuit. The information processing device 10 may be realized by a single computer or may be realized by the cooperation of a plurality of computers capable of communicating with each other.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, a positioning unit 24, and an acquisition unit 25. Since the configurations and functions of the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 are the same as those of the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13 of the information processing device 10, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. The positioning unit 24 includes one or more devices that acquire the position information of the vehicle 20. Specifically, the positioning unit 24 includes, for example, a receiver corresponding to GPS, but is not limited thereto and may include a receiver corresponding to any satellite positioning system. The acquisition unit 25 includes one or more devices that acquire vehicle data. The vehicle data is, for example, any information that the vehicle 20 can acquire. For example, the vehicle data may be information that can be used to estimate the road surface condition such as the vibration information of the wheels, the running data of the vehicle 20, information regarding the states of the respective components constituting the vehicle 20, and the like. The vehicle data is not limited to the information detected by the devices provided in the vehicle 20, and may be, for example, information detected by any device such as a smartphone or a smartwatch held by a passenger of the vehicle.

[0021] An operation example of the information processing apparatus 10 as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the information processing apparatus 10. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process of extracting vehicle data for each lane. Hereinafter, an operation example of extracting vehicle data acquired by the vehicle 20 for each lane when the vehicle 20 is traveling on a road with two lanes on one side will be described. Note that the information processing apparatus 10 pre-holds map data including the road on which the vehicle 20 travels. The map data may include information for distinguishing each lane of each road. [[ID=E1]] [[ID=E2]]

[0022] [[ID=E3]] [[ID=E4]]The operation of the information processing apparatus 10 described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 may correspond to one of the information processing methods of the information processing apparatus 10. The operations of each step in FIG. 2 may be executed based on the control by the control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10. [[ID=E5]] [[ID=E6]]

[0023] [[ID=E7]] [[ID=E8]]In S1, the control unit 11 acquires the position information and vehicle data of the vehicle 20. Specifically, the control unit 11 receives from the vehicle 20 the position information acquired by the positioning unit 24 of the vehicle 20 and the vehicle data acquired by the acquisition unit 25, which are associated with each other. [[ID=E9]] [[ID=E10]]

[0024] [[ID=E11]]<00'00099>[[ID=E12]]In S2, the control unit 11 extracts vehicle data for each lane based on the magnitude of the variation in the position information. [[ID=E13]] [[ID=E14]]

[0025] [[ID=E15]] [[ID=E16]]FIG. 3 shows a process of extracting vehicle data for each lane. The graph 80 in FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the position information acquired from each vehicle 20 and the number of vehicles 20 at a point on a road 51 having two lanes 56 and 57 on one side. In the graph 80, the horizontal axis represents the position indicated by the position information, and is shown as the distance in the width direction of the road 51 from a reference point provided outside the road 51. The vertical axis represents the number of vehicles 20. [[ID=E17]] [[ID=E18]]

[0026] [[ID=E19]] Graph 80 has a shape formed by stacking graphs 71 and 72. Graph 71 shows the distribution of position and frequency indicated by position information obtained from a vehicle 20a traveling in the left lane 56. Graph 72 shows the distribution of position and frequency indicated by position information obtained from a vehicle 20b traveling in the right lane 57. As graphs 71 and 72 show, the position information obtained by the positioning unit 24, such as a GPS receiver, has variability due to measurement errors of the positioning unit 24 and the driving position of the vehicle 20 in the lane.

[0027] When the number of vehicles 20 traveling in each lane 56 and 57 is the same, the distribution of location information received from each vehicle 20 traveling on the road 51 has a shape that is a composite of graphs 71 and 72, as shown in graph 80. As can be seen from graph 80, due to the variability of location information, the location information indicating the position of the left lane 56 actually includes location information acquired by a vehicle 20b traveling in the right lane 57. The location information indicating the position of the right lane 57 actually includes location information acquired by a vehicle 20a traveling in the left lane 56.

[0028] Therefore, the control unit 11 determines position ranges 85 and 86 for acquiring vehicle data according to the magnitude of the variation in position information from the positioning unit 24, and extracts vehicle data corresponding to the position information acquired within each position range 85 and 86. Specifically, the control unit 11 sets thresholds 1 and 2 (>threshold 1) for distance in the width direction. Threshold 1 may be set so that the probability of position information measured by a vehicle 20b traveling in lane 57 at a position to the left of threshold 1 is reduced (for example, to less than a predetermined threshold). Threshold 2 may be set so that the probability of position information measured by a vehicle 20a traveling in lane 56 at a position to the right of threshold 2 is reduced (for example, to less than a predetermined threshold).

[0029] The control unit 11 extracts vehicle data corresponding to position information indicating a position to the left of threshold 1 within the position range 85 as vehicle data for the left lane 56. The control unit 11 extracts vehicle data corresponding to position information indicating a position to the right of threshold 2 within the position range 86 as vehicle data for the right lane 57.

[0030] In S3, the control unit 11 outputs the lane-specific position information and vehicle data extracted in S2. Specifically, the control unit 11 may store the lane-specific position information and vehicle data in the storage unit 12, transmit it to another device via the communication unit 13, or display it on a display. After completing S3, the control unit 11 terminates the flowchart processing.

[0031] The location information and vehicle data extracted for each lane may be used, for example, to analyze the road conditions in each lane 56 and 57. For example, if vibration information of vehicle 20 is obtained as vehicle data, the information processing device 10 may analyze the condition of road surface deterioration, winter road surface conditions, and deterioration of bridge joint locations for each lane 56 and 57.

[0032] As described above, the information processing device 10 acquires location information of vehicles 20 traveling on a road 51 that includes multiple lanes 56 and 57 on one side, and vehicle data acquired from the vehicles 20. From the acquired vehicle data, the information processing device 10 extracts vehicle data acquired within a location range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in location information, acquires vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes 56 and 57, and outputs it.

[0033] In this way, the information processing device 10 extracts vehicle data from a position range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in location information. Therefore, the information processing device 10 can extract and use only the vehicle data of vehicles 20 traveling in a specific lane without installing additional sensors other than the positioning unit 24 such as a widely used GPS receiver, or installing devices such as lidars on the road surface.

[0034] The information processing device 10 may divide the roads on the map data into multiple meshes (small areas) and perform the above processing for each mesh.

[0035] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 may determine thresholds 1 and 2 based on the catalog specifications of the error of the positioning unit 24. Alternatively, the information processing device 10 may determine thresholds 1 and 2 based on the distribution of position information measured on a road with one lane in each direction. On a road with one lane in each direction, it is possible to determine which lane a vehicle 20 is traveling in based on its direction of travel. Therefore, the information processing device 10 may measure the variation in position information of vehicles 20 traveling in each lane based on their direction of travel.

[0036] Specifically, the information processing device 10 may acquire location information of multiple vehicles 20 traveling in one lane at predetermined points on a road with one lane in each direction. The information processing device 10 may determine a location range based on the variability of the location information of the multiple vehicles 20. By using the distribution of location information measured on a road with one lane in each direction, the information processing device 10 can appropriately determine a location range, taking into account the variability of the vehicle 20's travel position according to the width of the road. Furthermore, the information processing device 10 can determine a more appropriate location range by using measurement information of a road with one lane in each direction having a width similar to that of each lane being measured.

[0037] As described above, when the information processing device 10 performs analysis using vehicle data from a particular lane, it acquires positional information from the vehicle 20 and uses only the data within a predetermined range from the edge of the positional information dispersion distribution. Therefore, the information processing device 10 can extract and use only the vehicle data of the vehicle 20 traveling in a particular lane without separately installing additional sensors, cameras, lidars, etc. For example, the information processing device 10 can analyze the vibration information of the vehicle 20's wheels to precisely detect roughness and sudden damage (potholes, etc.) to the road surface for each lane.

[0038] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, multiple blocks shown in the block diagram may be combined, or a single block may be divided. Multiple steps shown in the flowchart may be performed in parallel or in a different order, depending on the processing capacity of the device performing each step, or as necessary, instead of being performed in chronological order as described. Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, the configuration and operation of the information processing device 10 may be distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. Also, for example, some or all of the components of the information processing device 10 may be provided in other computers and other devices such as the vehicle 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1: Vehicle system, 10: Information processing device, 11: Control unit, 12: Memory unit, 13: Communication unit, 20: Vehicle, 21: Control unit, 22: Memory unit, 23: Communication unit, 24: Positioning unit, 25: Acquisition unit, N: Network, 51: Road, 56, 57: Lane, 71, 72, 80: Graph, 85, 86: Position range

Claims

1. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus comprising a control unit, The control unit, To acquire location information of a vehicle traveling on a road with multiple lanes on one side, and vehicle data acquired from that vehicle, From the acquired vehicle data, the vehicle data acquired within a position range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in the position information is extracted to obtain vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes, The acquired vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes is output, Information processing method for an information processing device, including

2. The control unit, To acquire location information of multiple vehicles traveling in one lane at a predetermined point on a road with one lane in each direction, The position range is determined based on the variation in the position information of the aforementioned multiple vehicles. The information processing method for the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, including the method described above.

3. The system acquires location information of a vehicle traveling on a road with multiple lanes on one side, and vehicle data acquired from that vehicle. From the acquired vehicle data, the vehicle data acquired within a position range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in the position information is extracted to obtain vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes. An information processing device equipped with a control unit.

4. On the computer, A procedure for obtaining location information of a vehicle traveling on a road with multiple lanes on one side, and vehicle data acquired from that vehicle, A procedure for obtaining vehicle data for each of the multiple lanes by extracting vehicle data acquired within a position range corresponding to the magnitude of the variation in the position information from the acquired vehicle data, A program that executes something.

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