Information processing device, control method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a control method, a program and a storage medium that stores the program, with which it is possible to suitably generate information even at fault occurrence time.SOLUTION: A computation block 17 of a control unit 13 generates first measurement information generated on the basis of a first combination, out of measured physical quantities measured by a plurality of sensors (detection units) that respectively measure the measured physical quantities of mutually different measurement objects, and second measurement information generated on the basis of a second combination different from the first combination. A abnormality determination block 18 of the control unit 13 detects the abnormality of each individual measured physical quantity. An output control block 19 of the control unit 13 controls the output of measured information, out of the first and second measured information, that is measured by the sensor (detection unit) having measured the measured physical quantity for which abnormality was detected by the abnormality detection block 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the processing of measured information. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems capable of responding to the occurrence of a failure have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic driving control device that includes a main ECU that uses multiple sensors to calculate an operation amount (main operation amount) related to automatic driving control of a vehicle, and a sub-ECU that uses fewer sensors than the main ECU to calculate an operation amount (sub operation amount) related to automatic driving control, and that selects either the main operation amount or the sub operation amount based on the failure detection results of the main ECU and the sub-ECU to perform automatic driving control of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-196965 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The automatic driving control device described in Patent Document 1 required two systems, and further had the problem that if even one of the sensors used in common by the main ECU and the sub-ECU failed, the system would no longer function at all.

[0005] The above is an example of a problem to be solved by the present invention. The main object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, a control method, a program, and a storage medium storing the program, which are capable of appropriately generating information even when a failure occurs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to an information processing device,Multiple Physical quantity to be measured 1 Signals generated by range finder sensors from an information generating means for generating first information based on a first combination of the physical quantities measured by each of the plurality of physical quantity measuring means; an anomaly detection means for detecting each anomaly in the physical quantity; and The information processing device is characterized by comprising an output control means for adding flag information regarding reliability to the first information and outputting the information.

[0008] The claimed invention is a control method executed by an information processing device, Multiple Physical quantity to be measured 1 Signals generated by range finder sensors from an information generating step of generating first information based on a first combination of the physical quantities measured by each of the plurality of physical quantity measuring means; an anomaly detection step of detecting each anomaly in the physical quantity; and The method further comprises an output control step of adding flag information regarding reliability to the first information and outputting the information.

[0009] The claimed invention is a program that is different from each other. Multiple Physical quantity to be measured 1 Signals generated by range finder sensors from an information generating means for generating first information based on a first combination of the physical quantities measured by each of the plurality of physical quantity measuring means; an anomaly detection means for detecting each anomaly in the physical quantity; and The method is characterized in that the computer is caused to function as output control means for adding flag information regarding reliability to the first information and outputting the information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic configuration of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a front view of the reference reflector and the window portion. [Diagram 3] 1 shows an example of a judgment table. [Figure 4]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by a control unit in the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is an example of a display screen displayed by a display unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a measuring device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an information processing device includes information generating means for generating first information generated based on a first combination of physical quantities measured by a plurality of physical quantity measuring means measuring physical quantities of different measurement targets, and second information generated based on a second combination different from the first combination, anomaly detecting means for detecting anomalies in the physical quantities, and a limiting means for limiting output of information that requires, among the first information and the second information, a physical quantity measured by a physical quantity measuring means that measured a physical quantity in which the anomaly detecting means detected anomaly. According to this aspect, the information processing device limits output of information that requires, among the first information and the second information generated by a combination of different physical quantities, a physical quantity measured by a physical quantity measuring means that measured a physical quantity determined to be abnormal. This allows the information processing device to limit output of some inaccurate information among information that should be output when a failure occurs.

[0012] In one aspect of the information processing device, the restricting means prohibits the information generating means from generating information that requires the physical quantity. With this aspect, the information processing device can preferably restrict the output of inaccurate information.

[0013] In another aspect of the information processing device, the limiting means stops outputting information that requires the physical quantity and continues outputting information that does not require the physical quantity. With this aspect, the information processing device can continue outputting information whose accuracy can be maintained even if a failure occurs in some sensors or the like.

[0014] In another aspect of the information processing device, the limiting means outputs the information that requires the physical quantity by adding flag information regarding reliability to the information. With this aspect, the information processing device can output inaccurate information in a manner that can be suitably identified by an output destination device or processing block.

[0015] In another aspect of the information processing device, the limiting means outputs a warning regarding information that requires the physical quantity. With this aspect, the information processing device can preferably make a user aware of the presence of inaccurate information and urge the user to inspect or repair the information.

[0016] In another aspect of the information processing device, the physical quantity measuring means is provided in a range sensor, and the physical quantity includes any one of the angle of a scanner that controls the angle at which light is emitted in the range sensor, the intensity of the light, the intensity of the return light of the light, or the time from when the light is emitted to when the return light is received. The information processing device can suitably control the output of the range sensor that measures these physical quantities when an abnormality occurs. In a suitable example, the first information and the second information are each any one of information indicating the direction of an object onto which the light is irradiated, position information of the object, information indicating whether the object is a retroreflective material, and information indicating the reflectance of the object.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an information processing device includes a generating means for generating a plurality of pieces of information based on a combination of physical quantities measured by a plurality of physical quantity measuring means that measure different physical quantities of measurement targets, an abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormality in each of the physical quantities, an identifying means for identifying, from the plurality of pieces of information, information generated based on a combination including a physical quantity measured by a physical quantity measuring means that measured the physical quantity in which the abnormality detecting means detected an abnormality, and a limiting means for limiting output of the information identified by the identifying means. According to this aspect, the information processing device can limit output of a part of the information to be output that is inaccurate when a failure occurs.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a control method executed by an information processing device includes an information generating step of generating first information generated based on a first combination of physical quantities measured by each of a plurality of physical quantity measuring means measuring physical quantities of different measurement targets, and second information generated based on a second combination different from the first combination, an anomaly detecting step of detecting anomalies in the physical quantities, and a limiting step of limiting output of information that requires, among the first information and the second information, a physical quantity measured by a physical quantity measuring means that measured the physical quantity whose anomaly was detected in the anomaly detecting step. By executing this control method, the information processing device can limit output of some inaccurate information among information that should be output when a failure occurs.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a program executed by a computer causes the computer to function as information generating means for generating first information generated based on a first combination of physical quantities measured by a plurality of physical quantity measuring means each measuring a physical quantity of a measurement target different from each other and second information generated based on a second combination different from the first combination, anomaly detecting means for detecting anomalies in the physical quantities, and limiting means for limiting output of information that, among the first information and the second information, requires a physical quantity measured by a physical quantity measuring means that measured the physical quantity in which the anomaly detecting means detected anomaly. By executing this program, the computer can limit output of some inaccurate information among information that should be output when a failure occurs. Preferably, the program is stored in a storage medium. EXAMPLES

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Device configuration] 1 shows a schematic configuration of a driving assistance system according to the present embodiment. The driving assistance system is a system mounted on a vehicle performing autonomous driving, and mainly includes a LIDAR 100, which is a range sensor, a driving assistance device 150, and a display device 200. The lidar 100 projects a light beam (also called "projected light") which is an electromagnetic wave, and receives light (also called "returned light") that is reflected by an object and returns, thereby measuring the distance to the object on which the projected light is irradiated. The lidar 100 supplies measurement information "S10" obtained by the measurement to the driving assistance device 150. The lidar 100 also supplies display information "S11" for displaying a warning when a malfunction occurs to the display device 200. The lidar 100 is an example of an "information processing device" in the present invention.

[0022] The driving assistance device 150 performs control related to driving assistance such as automatic driving of the vehicle based on the measurement information S10 supplied from the rider 100. The driving assistance device 150 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle or an in-vehicle device electrically connected to the vehicle.

[0023] The display device 200 is a display, a projector, or the like that performs a predetermined display based on the display information S11 supplied from the rider 100. The display device 200 may also be a display (including a navigation device or a mobile terminal) that is connected to a vehicle. The display device 200 may also be configured as the same device as the driving assistance device 150.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the lidar 100 will be described with continued reference to FIG.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the lidar 100 mainly includes a transmitter 1, a receiver 2, a beam splitter 3, a transmission intensity detector 4, a scanner 5, a piezoelectric sensor 6, a reference reflector 7, a window 8, a time-of-flight detector 9, a memory 11, and a controller 13.

[0026] The transmitter 1 is a light source that emits pulsed projection light toward the beam splitter 3. The transmitter 1 includes, for example, an infrared laser light emitting element. The transmitter 1 is driven based on a drive signal “S1” supplied from the control unit 13.

[0027] The receiver 2 is, for example, an avalanche photodiode, which generates a detection signal “S2” corresponding to the amount of received light and supplies the generated detection signal S2 to the control unit 13 and the time-of-flight detector 9.

[0028] The beam splitter 3 transmits most of the pulsed projection light emitted from the transmitter 1 and reflects a portion of it toward the transmission intensity detector 4. The beam splitter 3 also reflects the return light reflected by the scanner 5 toward the receiver 2.

[0029] The transmission intensity detection unit 4 detects the emission intensity of the projection light emitted from the transmission unit 1. The transmission intensity detection unit 4 is, for example, an avalanche photodiode. The transmission intensity detection unit 4 supplies the generated detection signal “S3” to the control unit 13.

[0030] The scanner 5 is, for example, an electrostatically driven mirror (MEMS mirror), and the inclination (i.e., the angle of optical scanning) changes within a predetermined range based on the drive signal “S4” supplied from the control unit 13. The scanner 5 reflects the projected light transmitted through the beam splitter 3 toward the reference reflector 7 or the window 8, and also reflects the return light incident from the reference reflector 7 or the window 8 toward the beam splitter 3.

[0031] The scanner 5 is also provided with a piezoelectric sensor 6. The piezoelectric sensor 6 detects distortion caused by stress of a torsion bar that supports the mirror portion of the scanner 5. The piezoelectric sensor 6 supplies the generated detection signal "S5" to the control unit 13. The detection signal S5 is used to detect the orientation of the scanner 5. Note that instead of the piezoelectric sensor 6, the scanner 5 may be provided with any sensor capable of detecting the orientation of the scanner 5.

[0032] The reference reflector 7 is disposed within a range scanned by the scanner 5, and reflects light with a predetermined reflectance for the wavelength (e.g., infrared wavelength) of the projection light emitted by the transmitter 1. The reference reflector 7, for example, absorbs most of the incident projection light and reflects a portion of it. The light reflected by the reference reflector 7 is used to detect abnormalities in the intensity of the received light. The window 8 transmits the projection light reflected by the scanner 5. When the transmitter 1 emits infrared projection light, the window 8 is configured to transmit light of infrared wavelengths.

[0033] Here, an example of the arrangement of the reference reflector 7 and the window portion 8 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a view of the reference reflector 7 and the window portion 8 observed from the front. In FIG. 2, the trajectory of scanning by the scanner 5 with the projected light is clearly indicated by a solid line on a two-dimensional plane overlapping the reference reflector 7 and the window portion 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the reference reflector 7 and the window portion 8 are provided within the scanning range of the projected light by the scanner 5. In addition, the reference reflector 7 is provided adjacent to the window portion 8 and at the side end of the scanning range of the projected light. With such an arrangement, the reference reflector 7 can reflect the projected light without substantially narrowing the measurement range of the LIDAR 100.

[0034] Returning to FIG. 1, each component of the lidar 100 will be described.

[0035] The time-of-flight detection unit 9 receives a detection signal S2 from the receiving unit 2, and also receives a detection signal S3 from the transmission intensity detection unit 4. Then, the time-of-flight detection unit 9 detects the time from when the transmission intensity detection unit 4 detects the projected light to when the receiving unit 2 detects the returned light as the time of flight of light. Then, the time-of-flight detection unit 9 supplies a detection signal "S6" indicating the detected time of flight to the control unit 13. Note that the time-of-flight detection unit 9 may be configured as a part of the control unit 13.

[0036] The memory 11 is composed of various types of memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a flash memory. The memory 11 stores in a non-volatile manner a program required for the control unit 13 to execute a predetermined process. The memory 11 also stores a judgment table Td referenced by the control unit 13. The judgment table Td will be described in detail later.

[0037] The control unit 13 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 13 executes a predetermined process by executing a program stored in the memory 11. Functionally, the control unit 13 includes a transmission drive block 15, a scanner drive block 16, a calculation block 17, an abnormality determination block 18, and an output control block 19.

[0038] The transmission drive block 15 outputs a drive signal S1 that drives the transmission unit 1. The drive signal S1 includes information for controlling the emission time of a laser light-emitting element included in the transmission unit 1 and the emission intensity of the laser light-emitting element. Based on the drive signal S1, the transmission drive block 15 controls the emission intensity of the laser light-emitting element included in the transmission unit 1 so that the received light intensity indicated by the detection signal S3 supplied from the transmission intensity detection unit 4 becomes a predetermined set value.

[0039] The scanner driving block 16 outputs a driving signal S4 for driving the scanner 5. This driving signal S4 includes a horizontal driving signal corresponding to the resonance frequency of the scanner 5 and a vertical driving signal for vertical scanning. In addition, by monitoring a detection signal S5 output from the piezoelectric sensor 6, the scanning angle of the scanner 5 (i.e., the projection direction of the projection light) is detected.

[0040] The calculation block 17 acquires physical quantities (also referred to as "measured physical quantities") measured for a plurality of measurement targets based on detection signals received from each component of the LIDAR 100. Then, the calculation block 17 generates measurement information regarding objects present in the vicinity of the LIDAR 100 based on each acquired measured physical quantity.

[0041] First, the measurement physical quantity used by the calculation block 17 to generate the measurement information will be described. The calculation block 17 calculates the amount of return light (also called "received light intensity") based on the detection signal S2 supplied from the receiver 2. The calculation block 17 also calculates the amount of projected light (also called "transmitted light intensity") based on the detection signal S3 supplied from the transmission intensity detector 4. The calculation block 17 also calculates the orientation of the mirror part of the scanner 5 (also called "scanner angle") based on the detection signal S5 supplied from the piezo sensor 6. The calculation block 17 also calculates the time of flight based on the detection signal S6 supplied from the time of flight detector 9.

[0042] Next, a specific example of the measurement information that the calculation block 17 obtains based on each measurement physical quantity will be described. The measurement information is information derived from a combination of a plurality of measurement physical quantities, and the combination of measurement physical quantities used for the derivation differs for each measurement information to be derived. The measurement information is, for example, information on the direction in which the object to be measured exists (also called "object direction information"), information on the position of the object to be measured (also called "object position information"), information indicating whether the object to be measured is a retroreflective material (reflector) (also called "reflector detection information"), and information indicating the reflectance of the object to be measured (also called "object reflectance information"). The reflector may be a reflector attached to the vehicle, or may be a road sign made of a retroreflective material. These pieces of measurement information are examples of the "first information" and "second information" in the present invention.

[0043] The abnormality judgment block 18 judges whether each measured physical quantity is abnormal. For example, when the measured transmitted light intensity is out of a predetermined range of appropriate values, the abnormality judgment block 18 judges that there is an abnormality in the transmitted light intensity. The above-mentioned range of appropriate values ​​is stored in advance in, for example, the memory 11. Causes of abnormality in the transmitted light intensity include, for example, an abnormality in the laser diode (LD) or LD drive circuit constituting the transmitting unit 1, or an abnormality in the photodetector or its peripheral circuit constituting the transmitting intensity detecting unit 4.

[0044] In another example, the abnormality judgment block 18 judges that there is an abnormality in the received light intensity when the received light intensity is measured to be outside a predetermined range of appropriate values ​​at the timing when the scanner 5 scans the reference reflector 7 with the projected light (i.e., the timing when the piezo sensor 6 outputs a voltage value within a preset range). The above-mentioned range of appropriate values ​​is stored in advance in, for example, the memory 11. Examples of causes of abnormalities in the received light intensity include an abnormality in the avalanche photodiode constituting the receiving unit 2 or its peripheral circuitry.

[0045] In yet another example, the abnormality determination block 18 determines that there is an abnormality in the measured flight time if the flight time measured is outside a predetermined range of appropriate values ​​at the timing when the scanner 5 scans the reference reflector 7 with the projected light. The above-mentioned range of appropriate values ​​is stored in advance in, for example, the memory 11. Causes of an abnormality in the flight time include, for example, an abnormality in the transmission intensity detection unit 4 or a circuit abnormality in the receiving unit 2 (distortion of the output waveform or noise deterioration, etc.).

[0046] The output control block 19 outputs the measurement information calculated by the calculation block 17 to the driving assistance device 150 as measurement information S10. In this case, the output control block 19 restricts the output of measurement information (also called "abnormal measurement information") that requires a measured physical quantity determined to be abnormal by the abnormality determination block 18 (more specifically, a measured physical quantity measured by a sensor that measures the measured physical quantity), and continues outputting other measurement information. As will be described later, the output control block 19 identifies the abnormal measurement information by referring to a determination table Td.

[0047] In this embodiment, as one mode of restricting the output of abnormal measurement information, the output control block 19 prevents the specified abnormal measurement information from being output by prohibiting the calculation block 17 from calculating the abnormal measurement information. In this case, the output control block 19 generates display information S11 for displaying a warning screen on the display device 200 to the effect that the abnormal measurement information cannot be used, and supplies the generated display information S11 to the display device 200.

[0048] The control unit 13 is an example of the "information generating means," "abnormality detecting means," and "limiting means" of the present invention, and a computer that executes a program.

[0049] [Judgment table] The judgment table Td is information indicating the type of measured physical quantity that is essential for generating each piece of measurement information calculated by the calculation block 17 (in other words, accuracy is required to maintain the accuracy of the measurement information). The judgment table Td is referred to by the output control block 19 to identify abnormal measurement information.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows an example of the judgment table Td. The judgment table Td shown in FIG. 3 shows the dependency between the measured physical quantity measured by the lidar 100 and the measured information generated using the measured physical quantity. In FIG. 3, in the case of a measured physical quantity that requires accuracy to maintain the accuracy of the measured information (i.e., essential for generating the measured information), a "◯" is written in the part corresponding to the measured information, and in the case of a measured physical quantity that has little effect on maintaining the accuracy of the measured information even if there is an error (i.e., not essential for generating the measured information), a "△" is written in the part corresponding to the measured information. Here, "maintaining accuracy" does not necessarily have to be the same accuracy, and also includes the case where the accuracy is maintained within a predetermined allowable range even if the accuracy is reduced.

[0051] 3, the output control block 19 can appropriately identify abnormal measurement information when the abnormality judgment block 18 detects an abnormality in any of the measured physical quantities. Specifically, the output control block 19 can identify the measurement information that is marked as "O" in the judgment table Td for the abnormal measured physical quantity as abnormal measurement information.

[0052] Here, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding the dependency of accuracy between the measured physical quantity and the measurement information indicated by the decision table Td.

[0053] For example, in order to derive object position information without a decrease in accuracy, the scanner angle and the flight time (i.e., the distance to the object) need to be accurate. On the other hand, in order to derive object direction information, it is sufficient to know the scanner angle required to specify the direction during scanning and to detect a received light intensity equal to or greater than a threshold, so there is no problem even if the accuracy of the flight time is decreased. Also, for a general object, the amount of light that is reflected by the object and returns to the lidar 100 is inversely proportional to the square of the distance to the object. Therefore, in order to derive object reflectance information with high accuracy, the transmitted light intensity, the received light intensity, and the flight time need to be accurate. On the other hand, for a reflector made of a retroreflective material, the reflected light generally returns in the direction of the light source, so that the loss of the amount of received light that depends on the distance to the object is suppressed. Therefore, even if the flight time (i.e., the distance to the object) is inaccurate, the reflector detection information can be suitably generated by determining whether the amount of received light corresponding to a predetermined amount of transmitted light exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0054] [Processing flow] Fig. 4 is an example of a flowchart executed by the control unit 13 in this embodiment. In the flowchart shown in Fig. 4, as an example, when the control unit 13 identifies abnormal measurement information, the control unit 13 prohibits the generation of the abnormal measurement information and outputs a predetermined warning. The control unit 13 repeatedly executes the process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4.

[0055] First, the abnormality determination block 18 of the control unit 13 acquires each measured physical quantity based on the detection signal supplied from each sensor in the LIDAR 100 (step S11). For example, the abnormality determination block 18 acquires the received light intensity, the transmitted light intensity, the scanner angle, and the flight time based on the detection signal S2, the detection signal S3, the detection signal S5, and the detection signal S6, respectively.

[0056] Next, the abnormality determination block 18 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in each measured physical quantity acquired in step S11 (step S12). For example, the abnormality determination block 18 determines whether or not there is a measured physical quantity that falls outside the range of appropriate values ​​set for each measured physical quantity. Then, if there is no abnormality in each measured physical quantity acquired in step S11 (step S12; No), that is, if each measured physical quantity is within the range of each appropriate value, the calculation block 17 calculates all measurement information using each measured physical quantity (step S17). Then, the output control block 19 outputs each measurement information calculated by the calculation block 17 to the driving assistance device 150 as measurement information S10. In this case, the driving assistance device 150 performs driving assistance control such as automatic driving based on the measurement information S10 supplied from the rider 100.

[0057] On the other hand, if any of the measured physical quantities acquired in step S11 is abnormal (step S12; Yes), the output control block 19 identifies abnormal measurement information by referring to the judgment table Td (step S13). In this case, the output control block 19 identifies measurement information that requires the abnormal measured physical quantity (more specifically, the measured physical quantity measured by the sensor that measured the abnormal measured physical quantity) as abnormal measurement information. In this case, the output control block 19 prohibits the calculation block 17 from generating abnormal measurement information (step S14).

[0058] Then, the calculation block 17 generates measurement information other than the abnormal measurement information, and the output control block 19 outputs the generated measurement information to the driving support device 150 as measurement information S10 (step S15). At this time, the driving support device 150 may obtain information similar to the abnormal measurement information from the output of other external sensors other than the LIDAR 100 and continue the autonomous driving, or may perform limited autonomous driving (partial autonomous driving) based on some of the measurement information supplied from the LIDAR 100.

[0059] Then, the output control block 19 outputs a warning screen indicating that the abnormal measurement information is unavailable to the display device 200 (step S16). In this case, when the automatic driving is terminated or the automatic driving function is limited, the output control block 19 may also output a warning to that effect to the display device 200.

[0060] Here, a specific example of the warning output in step S16 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0061] 5 is an example of a warning screen displayed by the display device 200 in step S16. The display device 200 displays the warning screen shown in FIG. 5 based on the display information S11 generated by the output control block 19 of the control unit 13.

[0062] In this case, since the abnormality judgment block 18 has detected an abnormality in a predetermined measured physical quantity, the output control block 19 causes the display device 200 to display a warning screen indicating a warning that the abnormal measurement information, which requires the measured physical quantity, cannot be used. Here, based on the judgment result of the abnormality judgment block 18 that there is an abnormality in the transmitted light intensity, the output control block 19 refers to the judgment table Td and judges that the reflector detection information and object reflectance information, which require the transmitted light intensity, cannot be used. Therefore, the output control block 19 causes the display device 200 to display that the LIDAR 100 cannot detect the "reflectance of surrounding objects" corresponding to the object reflectance information, and the "road signs" and "reflectors of surrounding vehicles" corresponding to the reflector detection information.

[0063] Furthermore, the output control block 19 displays on the display device 200 a message indicating that the autonomous driving will be forcibly terminated and that the dealer should be contacted because the autonomous driving cannot recognize road signs necessary for the autonomous driving. In this case, the output control block 19, for example, stores information indicating the type of measurement information required for the autonomous driving in the memory 11 or the like, and judges whether the autonomous driving can be continued or not by referring to the information. Then, when the output control block 19 judges that the autonomous driving cannot be continued, it displays on the display device 200 a warning indicating that the autonomous driving will be forcibly terminated and that the dealer should be contacted. In addition, when the output control block 19 lowers the automation level of the autonomous driving and continues the autonomous driving, it may display on the display device 200 a warning indicating that the automation level of the autonomous driving will be lowered. In this case, the output control block 19, for example, stores information indicating the type of measurement information required for each automation level of the autonomous driving in the memory 11 or the like, and judges the executable automation level of the autonomous driving by referring to the information.

[0064] It should be noted that, instead of the output control block 19, the driving support device 150 may control the display of the display device 200 with respect to the warning screen.

[0065] Here, the effects of the above-mentioned embodiment will be supplemented. In the embodiment, the control unit 13 specifies the measurement information derived using the measurement physical quantity determined by the abnormality determination block 18 as abnormal measurement information, and does not derive the specified measurement information in advance (does not derive inaccurate information). As a result, even if some sensors detect abnormal measurement physical quantities, the control unit 13 outputs only accurate measurement information to the driving assistance device 150 and does not output inaccurate measurement information. In this case, when other external sensors such as a camera are provided in addition to the lidar 100, the driving assistance device 150 can temporarily continue automatic driving by complementing the measurement information that was not output by the other external sensors. Furthermore, even if it is impossible to continue automatic driving, the driving assistance device 150 can use some of the measurement information that is accurately derived without the influence of a failure as driving assistance information during manual driving. For example, in this case, the driving assistance device 150 can use the measurement information for the purpose of alerting the driver to an obstacle present in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0066] As described above, the calculation block 17 of the control unit 13 of the lidar 100 according to this embodiment generates first measurement information generated based on a first combination of measured physical quantities measured by each of a plurality of sensors (detection units) that measure different measured physical quantities of measurement targets, and second measurement information generated based on a second combination different from the first combination. Then, the abnormality determination block 18 of the control unit 13 detects individual abnormalities in the measured physical quantities. The output control block 19 of the control unit 13 limits the output of measurement information that requires the measured physical quantity measured by the sensor (detection unit) that measured the measured physical quantity in which the abnormality determination block 18 detected an abnormality, out of the first measurement information and the second measurement information. In this way, when a malfunction occurs in the lidar 100, the control unit 13 can continue to output the other measurement information while limiting the output of some of the measurement information that should be output, which is inaccurate.

[0067] [Variations] Preferred modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below. The following modifications may be applied to the above-described embodiment in any combination.

[0068] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the output control block 19 restricts the output of abnormal measurement information when the measured physical quantity becomes an abnormal value outside the range of appropriate values ​​(poor accuracy). In contrast, for example, when the flight time detection unit 9 completely breaks down and flight time cannot be detected at all, the output control block 19 may determine that a serious failure has occurred and stop all functions of the LIDAR 100. That is, in this case, the output control block 19 prohibits the generation and output of all measurement information.

[0069] (Variation 2) The lidar 100 may output a warning regarding abnormal measurement information by a sound output device instead of or in addition to the display device 200. In this case, when the abnormality determination block 18 detects an abnormality in the measured physical quantity, the output control block 19 causes the sound output unit to output a warning that the abnormal measurement information cannot be used and a warning regarding automatic driving. This also enables the lidar 100 to appropriately notify the user of the existence of abnormal measurement information.

[0070] (Variation 3) In the flowchart of Fig. 4, after identifying abnormal measurement information in step S13, the output control block 19 prohibits the generation of the abnormal measurement information in step S14. Alternatively, after generating the abnormal measurement information in step S14, the output control block 19 may add flag information regarding reliability to the abnormal measurement information.

[0071] In this case, the output control block 19 generates all measurement information that can be generated, and transmits the generated measurement information to the driving support device 150 as measurement information S10. In this case, the output control block 19 attaches flag information indicating that the abnormal measurement information is unreliable, and transmits the abnormal measurement information to the driving support device 150. In this case, the driving support device 150 identifies the abnormal measurement information based on the above-mentioned flag information, and discontinues using the identified abnormal measurement information for autonomous driving. This embodiment also allows the output control block 19 to appropriately restrict the use of the abnormal measurement information.

[0072] (Variation 4) The processes executed by the calculation block 17, the abnormality determination block 18, and the output control block 19 of the control unit 13 may be executed by the driving support device 150 instead.

[0073] In this case, the driving support device 150 stores the judgment table Td. The driving support device 150 has, for example, a processing block that generates measurement information by receiving various detection signals from the lidar 100, a processing block that performs abnormality judgment of the measured physical quantity, and a processing block that identifies abnormal measurement information based on the judgment table Td and restricts output of the abnormal measurement information to other processing blocks that perform automatic driving, etc. Even in this embodiment, the driving support device 150 can accurately identify abnormal measurement information when an abnormality occurs in the lidar 100, and stop use of the abnormal measurement information for driving support control only by limiting it to the abnormal measurement information. In this case, the driving support device 150 is an example of the "information processing device" of the present invention.

[0074] (Variation 5) The same processing as that of the control unit 13 of the LIDAR 100 may be executed by any device or system that combines a plurality of physical quantities (measured physical quantities) measured by a plurality of sensors to generate a plurality of pieces of measurement information.

[0075] Here, as an example, a measuring device that displays multiple pieces of measurement information on a display unit will be considered. Fig. 6 shows a schematic configuration diagram of measuring device 100A. Measuring device 100A has display unit 10A, control unit 13A, and multiple sensors 15A that measure physical quantities of different measurement targets.

[0076] In this case, the control unit 13A that controls the display unit 10A of the measuring device 100A generates a plurality of pieces of measurement information by combining a plurality of measurement physical quantities measured by a plurality of sensors 15A provided in the measuring device 100A. For example, if the measuring device 100A is a weight scale, the generated plurality of pieces of measurement information include body fat percentage, visceral fat level, muscle mass, muscle quality score, basal metabolic rate, body age, body water percentage, estimated bone mass, leg beauty index, subcutaneous fat percentage, etc.

[0077] When any of the measured physical quantities falls outside the range of appropriate values, the control unit 13A determines that the measured physical quantity is abnormal and restricts the output of information that requires the measured physical quantity. Specifically, the control unit does not display information calculated using the abnormal measured physical quantity on the display unit 10A, and displays only information calculated using the normal measured physical quantity on the display unit 10A.

[0078] In this way, a control unit of any device or system that combines a plurality of measured physical quantities to generate a plurality of pieces of measurement information may execute the same process as the control unit 13 of the embodiment. As a result, even if an abnormality occurs in some of the measured physical quantities, it is possible to suitably output measurement information that can be accurately derived from the remaining measured physical quantities. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1. Transmitter 2. Receiving section 3 Beam splitter 4 Transmission strength detection section 5. Scanner 6 Piezo Sensor 7 Reference reflector 8 Window 9. Time-of-flight detector 10A display 13, 13A Control section 15A Sensor 100 Rider 100A Measuring Device 150 Driving assistance device 200 Display device

Claims

1. an information generating means for generating first information based on a first combination of physical quantities measured by a plurality of physical quantity measuring means that measure physical quantities of a plurality of different measurement targets from a signal generated by one range sensor; An abnormality detection means for detecting each abnormality of the physical quantity; and an output control means for adding flag information regarding reliability to the first information based on the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection means and outputting the first information.

2. the information generating means generates second information based on a second combination, different from the first combination, of physical quantities measured by each of the plurality of physical quantity measuring means that measure physical quantities of the plurality of measurement targets that are different from each other from a signal generated by the one range sensor; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output control means outputs the second information after adding flag information relating to reliability to the second information based on the abnormality detected by said abnormality detection means.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the physical quantity includes any one of an angle of a scanner that controls an angle at which light is emitted in the range sensor, an intensity of the light, an intensity of return light of the light, or a time from when the light is emitted to when the return light is received.

4. A control method executed by an information processing device, comprising: an information generating step of generating first information based on a first combination of physical quantities measured by a plurality of physical quantity measuring means that measure physical quantities of a plurality of different measurement targets from a signal generated by one range sensor; an anomaly detection step of detecting each anomaly in the physical quantity; an output control step of adding flag information regarding reliability to the first information based on the abnormality detected in the abnormality detection step and outputting the first information; The control method includes:

5. an information generating means for generating first information based on a first combination of physical quantities measured by a plurality of physical quantity measuring means that measure physical quantities of a plurality of different measurement targets from a signal generated by one range sensor; An abnormality detection means for detecting each abnormality of the physical quantity; A program that causes a computer to function as output control means that adds flag information regarding reliability to the first information and outputs the first information based on the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection means.

6. A storage medium storing the program according to claim 5.

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