Map Information System and In-Vehicle Device

Abstract

In a map information system (100), when periphery information detected by a periphery detection sensor (21) is different from the map information, an information generating part (61) generates processed information obtained by processing the periphery information. The processed information has a smaller amount of information than the periphery information, and includes at least information obtained by extracting, from the peripheral information, a portion different from the map information. The information extracted from the periphery information is quantitative information quantified by numerical values. As a result, the amount of data is smaller than that of the periphery information, but it is possible to collect detailed information on different portions rather than simple flags.

Description

Cross - reference to related applications

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2022 - 010351 filed in Japan on January 26, 2022, and the content of the basic application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

[0002] The disclosure in this specification relates to a map information system for managing map information and In - vehicle equipment in the position and.

Background Art

[0003] The device described in Patent Document 1 compares the position, shape, etc. of ground features detected by an external sensor mounted on a vehicle with the ground feature information stored in a storage unit as map data. And when it is determined that there is a change in the ground feature detected by the external sensor, the difference information is transmitted to the server. The server updates the advanced map database based on the difference information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when the ground feature information included in the advanced map database is different from the position, shape, etc. of the map detected by the sensor mounted on the vehicle that has actually traveled on the site, the difference information or the measurement data detected by the sensor is transmitted to the server.

[0006] Since the difference information uses flags, there is a problem that the degree of change of the ground features cannot be grasped from the difference information. For example, when the change identification flag described in Patent Document 1 represents a change in the position of the ground feature, there is a problem that it is unclear whether it is the marginal change amount that can become the change identification flag or whether the position has changed significantly. Also, when uploading measurement data, there is a problem that the data volume is too large and the communication load increases.

[0007] Therefore, the disclosed object is made in view of the above problems, and a map information system capable of collecting detailed difference information while suppressing an increase in the data volume and Vehicle-mounted device the position is provided for the purpose.

[0008] The present disclosure employs the following technical means to achieve the above object.

[0009] The map information system disclosed herein is a map information system that manages map information stored in a storage unit located in a vehicle. When the peripheral information detected by a peripheral detection sensor mounted on the vehicle is different from the map information, it includes an information generation unit that generates processed information obtained by processing the peripheral information. The processed information has a smaller amount of information than the peripheral information and includes quantification information that quantifies the difference between at least the peripheral information of the part different from the map information and the map information. Upon seeing this, when the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is within the allowable range, the information generation unit generates the processing information, and when it is outside the allowable range, the generation of the processing information is stopped.

[0010] The disclosed in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle (200) and used, including a storage unit (30) for storing map information, an information generation unit (61) for generating processed information obtained by processing peripheral information when the peripheral information detected by a peripheral detection sensor (21) mounted on the vehicle is different from the map information, and a vehicle communication unit for communicating with a management server (80), which transmits the processed information or the peripheral information to the management server and receives new map information from the management server. When receiving new map information from the management server, it includes a map update unit (63) for updating the map information in the storage unit. The processed information has a smaller amount of information than the peripheral information and includes quantitative information that quantifies at least the difference between the peripheral information and the map information in the part where they are different from the map information. When the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is within the allowable range, the information generation unit generates processed information, and when it is outside the allowable range, the information generation unit of generates to stops, and when the difference is within the allowable range, the vehicle communication unit transmits the processed information to the management server, and when it is outside the allowable range, the vehicle communication unit transmits the peripheral information to the management server.

[0011] The disclosed in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and used, including a storage unit for storing map information, an information generation unit for generating processed information obtained by processing peripheral information when the peripheral information detected by a peripheral detection sensor mounted on the vehicle is different from the map information, and a vehicle communication unit for communicating with a management server, which transmits the processed information or the peripheral information to the management server and receives new map information from the management server. When receiving new map information from the management server, it includes a map update unit for updating the map information in the storage unit. The processed information has a smaller amount of information than the peripheral information and includes quantitative information that quantifies at least the difference between the peripheral information and the map information in the part where they are different from the map information. When the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is within the allowable range, the information generation unit generates processed information, and when it is outside the allowable range, the information generation unit stops generating processed information, and when the difference is within the allowable range, the vehicle communication unit transmits the processed information to the management server, and when it is outside the allowable range, the vehicle communication unit transmits the peripheral information to the management server.

[0012] According to such an in-vehicle device, when the peripheral information detected by the peripheral detection sensor mounted on the vehicle is different from the map information, the information generation unit generates the processed information obtained by processing the peripheral information. The processed information has a smaller amount of information than the peripheral information, and includes quantitative information that quantifies the difference between at least the peripheral information of the part different from the map information and the map information. As a result, the amount of data is smaller than the peripheral information, but it is possible to collect more detailed information on the different parts than a simple flag. Since such processed information is transmitted to the management server, the management server can determine whether to update the map using the processed information.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] (First Embodiment) Regarding the first embodiment of the present disclosure, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the map information system 100 of the present embodiment. The map information system 100 updates the map information stored in the vehicle storage unit 30 located in the vehicle 200. The map information system 100 includes an in-vehicle system 10 mounted on the vehicle 200 and a management server 80 installed at an arbitrary position outside the vehicle 200. The in-vehicle system 10 and the management server 80 can communicate via the communication network 300.

[0017] First, regarding the configuration of the in-vehicle system 10, it will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The in-vehicle system 10 includes an in-vehicle sensor 20, a vehicle storage unit 30, a vehicle communication unit 40, a vehicle control unit 50, and an in-vehicle device 60. These are connected to the in-vehicle LAN 11 and communicate with each other via the in-vehicle LAN 11. The vehicle communication unit 40 is a communication unit that performs wireless communication and communicates with other devices, such as a management server 80, via a communication network 300.

[0018] The in-vehicle sensor 20 is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 200 for detecting various information used for vehicle control. The in-vehicle sensor 20 includes a peripheral detection sensor 21, a GNSS receiver 24, an inertial sensor 25, and a driver operation detection sensor 26. In addition to these, the in-vehicle sensor 20 may include other sensors, such as a sensor for detecting the driver's state.

[0019] The peripheral detection sensor 21 is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 200 for detecting various objects existing around the vehicle 200. The objects include planar objects such as road markings and lane lines. FIG. 2 shows a camera 22 and a Lidar 23 as the peripheral detection sensor 21. The camera 22 captures an image in front of the vehicle 200. Also, the camera 22 may be configured to capture images of the sides and rear of the vehicle 200. The Lidar 23 detects the position of objects existing around the vehicle 200 by emitting and receiving light. In addition to or instead of these, the peripheral detection sensor 21 may include other sensors for detecting objects existing around the vehicle 200, such as a millimeter-wave radar. The peripheral detection sensor 21 stores the peripheral information, which is the raw information of the detected sensors, in the vehicle storage unit 30.

[0020] The GNSS receiver 24 receives navigation signals transmitted by navigation satellites of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), which is a satellite navigation system, and sequentially calculates the current position based on the received navigation signals. The inertial sensor 25 is a sensor that detects the inertia generated in the vehicle 200 and includes one or both of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor. The GNSS receiver 24 and the inertial sensor 25 are sensors for sequentially detecting the current position of the vehicle 200. Since the change in the current position indicates the behavior of the vehicle 200, the GNSS receiver 24 and the inertial sensor 25 are sensors for detecting information indicating the behavior of the vehicle 200.

[0021] The driver operation detection sensor 26 is a sensor that detects an input operation performed by the driver to change or maintain the behavior of the vehicle 200. The driver operation detection sensor 26 includes an accelerator sensor, a brake sensor, a steering sensor, a shift position sensor, and the like.

[0022] The vehicle storage unit 30 is writable and stores various information. The vehicle storage unit 30 does not always need to be mounted on the vehicle 200 and may be detachable from the vehicle 200. For example, after the user stops the vehicle 200, the vehicle storage unit 30 may be removed and connected to another information terminal, such as another information terminal in the company, for use.

[0023] A flash memory can be used for the vehicle storage unit 30. A map database (hereinafter referred to as map DB) is stored in the vehicle storage unit 30. The map DB includes map information. The map information includes sign information for identifying the types of road signs, road markings, and lane dividers. Road signs, road markings, and lane dividers are defined by law and are provided to ensure safe and smooth traffic on the road. Road signs include, for example, guide signs, warning signs, regulatory signs, and instruction signs. The sign information is information for identifying these types and contents. The map information is realized by, for example, map information called a high-precision map.

[0024] The high-precision map is a three-dimensional map and includes information about features existing around the road. The features include traffic lights, road signs, billboards, and buildings. The billboard displays, for example, the store name. The information about the traffic light is the traffic light information that identifies the traffic light, such as the coordinates of the traffic light, the signal shape, the size, and the orientation. The high-precision map includes not only three-dimensional information but also two-dimensional information existing on the surface of the road. The two-dimensional information is, for example, the type of road markings, the position of the road markings, the position of the lane lines, and the type of the lane lines.

[0025] The vehicle control unit 50 acquires, from the in-vehicle sensor 20, behavior information indicating the behavior of the vehicle 200 and surrounding information indicating an object existing around the vehicle 200. Also, the vehicle control unit 50 acquires map information from the map DB stored in the vehicle storage unit 30. The vehicle control unit 50 uses the acquired information to execute vehicle control for controlling the behavior of the vehicle 200. The vehicle control unit 50 can be realized by a configuration including at least one processor.

[0026] An example of vehicle control is signal stop control. The signal stop control is control to stop at the stop line when the light of the target traffic light is red and the vehicle is not traveling in the driving lane indicated by the arrow light. When a plurality of traffic lights are detected by the surrounding detection sensor 21, the target traffic light is determined based on the position and orientation of the traffic light with respect to the vehicle 200. In the signal stop control, the traffic light information stored in the map information is used to identify the target traffic light from the traffic lights detected by the surrounding detection sensor 21. Then, the light that is lit at the identified target traffic light is determined.

[0027] Another example of vehicle control is lane keeping control. The lane keeping control is control to automatically drive in the same lane while sequentially detecting the position in the vehicle width direction between the lane lines and the vehicle 200. The lane keeping control is executed using the position and shape of the lane lines recognized using the surrounding detection sensor 21 and the position and shape of the lane lines included in the map information.

[0028] The in-vehicle device 60 is mounted on the vehicle 200 and used. The in-vehicle device 60 can be realized by a configuration including at least one processor. For example, the in-vehicle device 60 can be realized by a computer including a processor, a non-volatile memory, a RAM, an I / O, and a bus line connecting these components. A program for operating a general-purpose computer as the in-vehicle device 60 is stored in the non-volatile memory. The processor executes the program stored in the non-volatile memory while using the temporary storage function of the RAM. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle device 60 has, as functional blocks, an information generation unit 61, an accuracy calculation unit 62, a map update unit 63, and a setting unit 64. The execution by these functional blocks means that a method corresponding to the program is executed.

[0029] The accuracy calculation unit 62 calculates the detection accuracy of the surrounding information of the surrounding detection sensor 21 using at least one of the position of the vehicle 200, the weather at the position of the vehicle 200, the road surface condition around the vehicle 200, and the detection time of the surrounding information. The position of the vehicle 200 also includes the reception accuracy of the GNSS receiver 24 that determines the position of the vehicle 200. For example, when the reception situation of the GNSS receiver 24 is poor, specifically, when the reliability of the GNSS reception signal is low or the number of positioning satellites is small, even if the position of the vehicle 200 is determined, its position accuracy is low. Therefore, in order to calculate the detection accuracy, the position of the vehicle 200 considering the reception accuracy of GNSS is used. The detection accuracy of the surrounding detection sensor 21 varies depending on various external factors. For example, when the vehicle 200 is driving through a group of high-rise buildings, there are many shadows of high-rise buildings on the road surface, and the detection accuracy decreases due to the contrast between the shadows and the sunny areas. Also, when the position of the vehicle 200 is in a busy street, there are many on-road parking cars in the busy street, so the detection accuracy of the lane lines decreases due to the on-road parking. Also, when driving through a tunnel, near the entrance and exit of the tunnel, the brightness changes suddenly between the inside and outside of the tunnel, so the detection accuracy decreases. Therefore, the detection accuracy varies depending on the position of the vehicle 200.

[0030] Also, in a tunnel or the like, the reception accuracy of the GNSS receiver 24 may also decrease. Therefore, the reception accuracy of the GNSS receiver 24 varies depending on the position of the vehicle 200. Such reception accuracy of the GNSS receiver 24 is also included in the detection accuracy.

[0031] Also, when the road surface condition deteriorates due to rain, snow, etc., the detection accuracy of road markings decreases. Therefore, the detection accuracy varies depending on the weather at the position of the vehicle 200. For example, whether it is raining or not may be determined by the operating condition of the wiper, or weather information may be obtained from another device via the vehicle communication unit 40. Also, at the detection times such as sunset and sunrise, the position of the sun is low and it may be difficult for the camera 22 to take pictures. Therefore, the detection accuracy may decrease depending on the detection time.

[0032] The accuracy calculation unit 62 calculates the detection accuracy of the surrounding information in consideration of the factors that affect the detection accuracy as described above. As described above, for example, when the position of the vehicle 200 is in a busy street, the detection accuracy of the lane line may be low, so the detection accuracy of the lane line is set low. Based on the position of the vehicle 200, the weather at the position of the vehicle 200, the road surface condition around the vehicle 200, and the detection time of the surrounding information, when there is a possibility that the detection accuracy may decrease, the detection accuracy is set low.

[0033] Such detection accuracy is calculated using a control map set in advance and a calculation formula set based on a correlation relationship, etc. The accuracy calculation unit 62 calculates the detection accuracy periodically, for example, every few seconds. The accuracy calculation unit 62 stores the calculated accuracy in the vehicle storage unit 30 as accuracy information together with the calculation time and the calculation position.

[0034] When the peripheral information detected by the peripheral detection sensor 21 is different from the map information, the information generation unit 61 generates processed information obtained by processing the peripheral information. The processed information has a smaller amount of information than the peripheral information and includes quantitative information that quantifies at least the difference between the peripheral information of the part different from the map information and the map information. The peripheral information is also referred to as measurement data, for example, and the measurement data of the camera 22 is image data. The quantitative information is, for example, the recognition result obtained by performing image recognition processing on the image data of the camera 22. By the image recognition processing, for example, information about feature points is quantified as numerical values and extracted. The feature points are, for example, the types such as the center of a partition line, the edge of a partition line, and a signboard.

[0035] As processing of the peripheral information, the information generation unit 61 also includes coordinate conversion processing. The coordinate conversion processing is, for example, conversion from absolute coordinates to the vehicle coordinate system, conversion from the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) to the straight-ahead coordinate system, and the like. The absolute coordinate system is a coordinate system in which the coordinates of data points are represented by latitude, longitude, and altitude. The vehicle position coordinate system is a coordinate system in which the coordinates from the vehicle position to the data point are represented in the vehicle width direction, the vehicle length direction, and the vehicle height direction.

[0036] As processing of the peripheral information, the information generation unit 61 also includes calculating the height of a ground object and extracting the color of the ground object. The extraction of the color of the ground object compresses the information into any one of white, yellow, and unknown information in the case of road surface paint, for example. In other words, the color information such as road surface paint is digitized into a value corresponding to the simplified color. The information generation unit 61 also extracts the type of difference information, the magnitude of the difference, the number of feature points, and the like from the peripheral information. As a result, the processed information is quantified and the amount of data becomes smaller than the peripheral information.

[0037] When the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is the difference in the position of the ground object that is the target, the information generation unit 61 uses the amount of change in the position of the ground object as the quantitative information. The difference between the peripheral information and the map information is, for example, the difference in the position of the ground object, the difference in the position of the road surface marking, the difference in the line type of the partition line, and the like.

[0038] In the case where there is a difference in the position of a feature between the surrounding information and the map information, for example, a difference of 100 mm, the quantitative information includes information containing a change amount of 100 mm. The quantitative information may also include the coordinates of the position of the feature in the surrounding information. The coordinates of the position of the feature are, for example, the coordinates of a reference point such as the center point of the feature that is set in advance for the feature. Also, the change amount is the change amount of the reference point. The change amount may also include the direction in which the position of the feature has changed, that is, vector information.

[0039] When there is a difference between the identification information of the surrounding information and the identification information of the map information, the information generation unit 61 generates processed information including both the identification information of the surrounding information and the identification information of the map information. For example, when the partition line is a dashed line in the surrounding information and a solid line in the map information, the processed information includes the information that the partition line is a dashed line in the surrounding information and the information that the partition line is a solid line in the map information. In other words, the processed information includes both the surrounding information and the map information.

[0040] When the difference between the surrounding information and the map information is a difference in the presence or absence of a feature that is the target, the information generation unit 61 generates processed information including presence information indicating the presence or absence of the feature separately from the quantitative information. For example, when there is a road sign in the surrounding information but no road sign in the map information, there is a difference in the presence or absence of the road sign. In this case, the information generation unit 61 generates the processed information so as to include the presence information indicating that there is a road sign in the surrounding information. Conversely, for example, when there is no road sign in the surrounding information but there is a road sign in the map information, there is similarly a difference in the presence or absence of the road sign. In this case, the information generation unit 61 generates the processed information so as to include the presence information indicating that there is no road sign in the surrounding information. The presence information may include information for identifying the feature with the difference in presence or absence. For example, among the plurality of features included in the surrounding information, for one feature among the plurality of features included in the map information, for example, when there is no road sign, the information for identifying the road sign may also be included.

[0041] Also, when the information generation unit 61 determines that construction work is being carried out on the road during driving using the surrounding information, it stops generating the processed information. The presence or absence of road construction work is determined from signs indicating construction work, workers located on the road, guides, lane guidance displays, lane restrictions, and information on construction schedules pre-distributed. In the case of construction work, the vehicle communication unit 40 may be controlled to transmit the surrounding information instead of the processed information. Also, since it may be necessary to update the map information due to construction work, information indicating that construction work is being carried out may be transmitted to the management server 80.

[0042] Also, when the difference between the surrounding information and the map information is within the allowable range, the information generation unit 61 generates the processed information, and when it is outside the allowable range, it stops generating the processed information. When the difference is large, it is necessary to identify the cause of the large difference. Therefore, when the difference is outside the allowable range, the vehicle communication unit 40 is controlled to transmit the surrounding information instead of the processed information.

[0043] Also, the processed information includes information regarding the detection accuracy. Specifically, the processed information includes the information on the detection accuracy calculated by the accuracy calculation unit 62. Also, when the detection accuracy is lower than a predetermined detection accuracy, the information generation unit 61 stops generating the processed information using the surrounding information with low detection accuracy. The predetermined detection accuracy is an index for determining whether the surrounding information is reliable information. If the surrounding information has a low detection accuracy, the reliability of the surrounding information decreases, and thus the reliability of the processed information also decreases. Control is performed so as not to generate such processed information with low reliability.

[0044] Also, the detection accuracy of the surrounding information varies depending on the sensor. For example, the reception accuracy of the GNSS receiver 24 is low, but there are cases where the detection accuracy of the camera 22 is high. In such cases, the generation of the processed information using the GNSS receiver 24 is stopped, but the processed information using the camera 22 is generated.

[0045] When the in-vehicle device 60 transmits the processed information, it compresses or reduces the processed information so that it is below a predetermined limit communication volume. Then, the vehicle communication unit 40 transmits the compressed or reduced processed information to the management server 80.

[0046] Further, if the data size of the surrounding information is equal to or less than the threshold value, the in-vehicle device 60 may transmit the surrounding information as it is without processing. The in-vehicle device 60 may generate the processed information, for example, every 100 ms, and may stop the generation when the processed information reaches a predetermined threshold value or more, for example, 600 bytes or more. Then, the in-vehicle device 60 may collect and transmit a plurality of pieces of generated processed information.

[0047] Further, when transmitting the surrounding information, the in-vehicle device 60 divides the surrounding information so that the communication amount is equal to or less than the restricted communication amount. Then, the vehicle communication unit 40 transmits the divided processed information to the management server 80. The in-vehicle device 60 may control the vehicle communication unit 40 to transmit the processed information to the management server 80 at an arbitrarily set upload timing. The upload timing may be, for example, every time the vehicle control ends. Further, the upload timing may be when the vehicle 200 is started, that is, when the ignition switch is turned on. Further, the upload timing may be periodic. After uploading the stored information from the vehicle communication unit 40 to the management server 80, the in-vehicle device 60 may delete the uploaded information from the vehicle storage unit 30.

[0048] The setting unit 64 sets whether the processed information and the surrounding information can be transmitted to the management server 80. The setting unit 64 is set, for example, by the driver, and the transmission permission is set. Thereby, when the driver sets, that is, when the driver agrees, the processed information and the surrounding information are transmitted to the management server 80.

[0049] For example, a screen of "May I transmit? YES, NO" is displayed on the display screen of the navigation device, and the driver selects it to set the transmission permission. Also, a request for disclosure of personal information may be enabled.

[0050] Further, when transmitting and receiving information, it may be notified to the passengers that the transmission and reception are in progress, for example, by voice output and screen display. Also, during the transmission and reception, an operation by the passengers to stop or cancel the transmission and reception may be enabled.

[0051] When new map information is provided, the map update unit 63 updates the map information in the map DB. Also, when the vehicle communication unit 40 receives new map information from the management server 80, the map update unit 63 updates the map information in the map DB.

[0052] Next, the control of the information generation unit 61 and the accuracy calculation unit 62 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 3. The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is repeatedly executed by the in-vehicle device 60 in a short time.

[0053] In step S1, the surrounding information and the map information are compared, and the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, it is determined whether there is a difference between the surrounding information and the map information. If there is a difference, the process proceeds to step S3. If there is no difference, this flowchart ends.

[0054] In step S3, since there is a difference, it is determined whether the difference is within the allowable range. If it is within the allowable range, the process proceeds to step S4. If it is not within the allowable range, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0055] In step S4, since it is within the allowable range, it is determined whether the detection accuracy of the surrounding information is higher than a predetermined detection accuracy. If it is higher, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is not higher, this flowchart ends.

[0056] In step S5, since the detection accuracy is high, processing information is generated, and the process proceeds to step S6. The processing information also includes accuracy information regarding the detection accuracy. In step S6, control is performed to transmit the processing information from the vehicle communication unit 40 to the management server 80, and this flowchart ends.

[0057] In step S7, since it is outside the allowable range, control is performed to transmit the surrounding information and the accuracy information from the vehicle communication unit 40 to the management server 80, and this flowchart ends.

[0058] If there are differences between the surrounding information and the map information, the processed information is transmitted to the management server 80. Also, if the differences are outside the allowable range, the surrounding information is transmitted to the management server 80.

[0059] Next, the configuration of the management server 80 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The management server 80 communicates with in-vehicle devices 60 mounted on a plurality of vehicles 200 and manages the map information stored in the vehicle storage unit 30 of the in-vehicle device 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the management server 80 includes a server communication unit 81, a server storage unit 82, and a server control unit 83. The server communication unit 81 is a communication unit that communicates with the vehicle communication unit 40 via the communication line network 300. The server communication unit 81 may be wired-connected to the communication line network 300 or wirelessly connected to the communication line network 300.

[0060] The server storage unit 82 stores a distribution map DB. The distribution map DB is a database that stores map information to be distributed to the vehicle 200 in order to update part or all of the map DB stored in the vehicle storage unit 30. Therefore, the latest map information is stored in the distribution map DB.

[0061] The server control unit 83 can be realized by a configuration including at least one processor. For example, the server control unit 83 can be realized by a computer including a processor, a non-volatile memory, a RAM, an I / O, and a bus line connecting these components. A program for operating a general-purpose computer as the server control unit 83 is stored in the non-volatile memory. The processor executes the program stored in the non-volatile memory while using the temporary storage function of the RAM.

[0062] When the server communication unit 81 receives the processed information or the surrounding information and the accuracy information, the server control unit 83 controls to store the received information in the server storage unit 82 together with the time of reception. Also, when the map information in the distribution map DB is updated, the server control unit 83 controls the server communication unit 81 to transmit the updated map information to the vehicle 200.

[0063] By accumulating information from the in-vehicle device 60, the server control unit 83 can, for example, grasp changes in processing information over time. For example, if the positional deviation in the processing information of a certain feature was initially a few millimeters but has become several tens of millimeters after a few days, it can be predicted that the position of the feature has changed due to factors such as construction work. Therefore, the factors causing the generation of processing information can be grasped at an earlier stage.

[0064] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the server control unit 83 has, as functional blocks, a reliability calculation unit 84, a detection accuracy determination unit 85, and an update determination unit 86. That which is executed by these functional blocks means that a method corresponding to the program is executed.

[0065] The detection accuracy determination unit 85 determines the detection accuracy of the surrounding information of the surrounding detection sensor 21 using at least one of the position of the vehicle 200, the weather at the position of the vehicle 200, the road surface condition around the vehicle 200, and the detection time of the surrounding information. The detection accuracy determination unit 85 determines the detection accuracy taking into account the accuracy information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 60. For example, when the accuracy information of the in-vehicle device 60 does not include information regarding the weather, the detection accuracy determination unit 85 acquires information regarding the weather from another device and uses it to determine the detection accuracy. In other words, the final detection accuracy is determined using information that is not included in the accuracy information of the in-vehicle device 60 but is acquirable by the detection accuracy determination unit 85.

[0066] When the detection accuracy determination unit 85 receives accuracy information from a plurality of in-vehicle devices 60, it statistically processes the plurality of accuracy information to determine the detection accuracy. For example, when there are variations in the detection accuracy in the same time period, the same weather, etc., the detection accuracy is determined using the variance, standard deviation, median, average value, etc. of the detection accuracy. In other words, when the accuracy information indicating that the detection accuracy is extremely low in a certain in-vehicle device 60 but high in a plurality of other in-vehicle devices 60 is received, there is a possibility that the information indicating low detection accuracy is incorrect. Therefore, through statistical processing, the information with low detection accuracy is treated lightly, and the detection information of a plurality of other in-vehicle devices 60 is treated seriously to determine the detection accuracy.

[0067] The reliability calculation unit 84 calculates the reliability indicating the certainty of the map information using the processed information. Also, when the reliability calculation unit 84 acquires the processed information from a plurality of vehicles 200, it statistically processes the plurality of processed information to calculate the reliability. Further, the reliability calculation unit 84 calculates the reliability using the detection accuracy determined by the detection accuracy determination unit 85. The reliability calculation unit 84 acquires the traffic volume or average traffic volume via the server communication unit 81. Then, when the reliability calculation unit 84 receives a plurality of processed information in a certain time period, it compares the number of received processed information with the traffic volume or average traffic volume of the same road in the same time period to calculate the reliability of the processed information. The reliability calculation unit 84 calculates, for example, the ratio of dividing the number of received processed information by the traffic volume.

[0068] As an example, when the reliability calculation unit 84 acquires the same type of processed information at a certain ratio or more, it determines that the processed information is correct and calculates a high reliability. The reliability is evaluated in multiple levels, for example, 5 levels, and when the reliability is 5, it is considered to have the highest reliability. As described above, when the processed information is acquired at a certain ratio or more, it is calculated as reliability 5. Conversely, when there is a certain amount of traffic volume but the processed information is scarce, the reliability of the received processed information is low, and it is calculated as, for example, reliability 1.

[0069] In addition, the reliability calculation unit 84 calculates the reliability so that the processing information with high detection accuracy has a high reliability. Further, when the detection accuracy is neither low nor high, and when the same processing information is received from a plurality of vehicles 200, the reliability calculation unit 84 calculates the reliability so that the reliability of the processing information becomes high.

[0070] When the reliability calculation unit 84 obtains the reliability by statistical processing, it may calculate the reliability for each vehicle type, each time, and each information type. For example, since the detection accuracy of surrounding information may differ depending on the vehicle type, the reliability can be calculated more accurately by obtaining the reliability for each vehicle type. Also, since the reliability may differ depending on the time zone, for example, if the reliability differs between daytime and nighttime, the different factors are likely to be related to the surrounding brightness. Therefore, the cause of the different reliability can be investigated. Also, the reliability may be calculated for each information type, for example, the reliability of the processing information of the lane lines and the reliability of the position information of the ground objects. Since the surrounding information to be compared is different for each reliability, the detection accuracy may be different. By obtaining the reliability for each type, the reliability can be calculated more accurately.

[0071] The update determination unit 86 determines whether to update the map information using the reliability. When the reliability indicating that the map DB is correct is smaller than the threshold value, the update determination unit 86 determines that it is necessary to update the map DB.

[0072] When the update determination unit 86 updates the map information, it controls the server communication unit 81 to transmit the updated map information to the in-vehicle device 60. When the update determination unit 86 determines that it is necessary to update the map information, it creates map data for update. Then, the created map data for update is transmitted to the in-vehicle system 10. When the vehicle communication unit 40 receives the map data for update, the map update unit 63 updates the map DB. Note that the map data for update may be transmitted specifying the receiving party, or may be transmitted broadcast without specifying the receiving party. When the map data for update is transmitted broadcast, on the receiving side, it is determined whether to update the map data for update based on the version of the map data for update and the like.

[0073] Next, regarding the control of the server control unit 83, it will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 5. The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is repeatedly executed by the management server 80 in a short time.

[0074] In step S11, the processing information is acquired via the server communication unit 81, and the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the reliability calculation unit 84 calculates the reliability using the processing information and the detection accuracy, and the process proceeds to step S13.

[0075] In step S13, the update determination unit 86 determines whether it is necessary to update the map information. If an update is required, the process proceeds to step S14; if no update is necessary, this flowchart ends. In step S13, the update determination unit 86 determines whether an update is necessary using the threshold value and the reliability. For example, if the reliability is 3 or less, it is determined that an update is required.

[0076] In step S14, it is determined whether the map information can be updated. If it is possible, the process proceeds to step S15; if there is insufficient information and the update cannot be performed, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, since there is insufficient information, a request is sent to the vehicle 200 to upload the processing information, and this flowchart ends.

[0077] In step S15, since an update is required, the map information in the distribution map DB is updated, and the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the server communication unit 81 is controlled to transmit the updated map information to the in-vehicle device 60, and this flowchart ends.

[0078] Next, regarding the upload request, it will be described using the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7. As described with reference to FIG. 5, when the map information cannot be updated due to insufficient information, it is necessary to further transmit the processing information from the vehicle 200.

[0079] Therefore, in-vehicle device 60 repeatedly executes the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 in a short time. In step S21, it is determined whether an upload request has been received. If an upload request has been received, the process proceeds to step S22. If no upload request has been received, this flowchart ends.

[0080] In step S22, since an upload request has been received, corresponding processed information is generated, and the process proceeds to step S23. The upload request includes information necessary for updating map information, such as information on a predetermined point, for example, information on section lines. When passing through that point, information generation unit 61 generates processed information. Also, when corresponding surrounding information is stored in vehicle storage unit 30, information generation unit 61 generates processed information from the stored surrounding information.

[0081] In step S23, vehicle communication unit 40 is controlled to transmit the processed information to management server 80, and this flowchart ends. As a result, information necessary for updating map information is transmitted to management server 80. Since the upload request is transmitted to a plurality of vehicles 200 simultaneously, vehicle 200 traveling near the corresponding point responds to the upload request.

[0082] When transmitting processed information in response to an upload request, surrounding information may be transmitted instead of the processed information. Also, when transmitting surrounding information, since the data traffic volume increases, it is preferable to transmit the information at a location and time with little impact on the communication load, such as after vehicle 200 has parked at a predetermined location such as a home parking lot.

[0083] Similarly, management server 80 repeatedly executes the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 in a short time. In step S31, it is determined whether processed information corresponding to the upload request has been received. If received, the process proceeds to step S32. If not received, this flowchart ends.

[0084] In step S32, since processed information necessary for updating map information has been received, the map information is reconstructed using the received processed information, and this flowchart ends.

[0085] As described above, in the map information system 100 of the present embodiment, when the peripheral information detected by the peripheral detection sensor 21 is different from the map information, the information generation unit 61 generates processed information obtained by processing the peripheral information. The processed information has a smaller amount of information than the peripheral information, and includes information obtained by extracting at least a portion different from the map information from the peripheral information. The information extracted from the peripheral information is quantified by a numerical value and becomes quantitative information. As a result, the data amount is smaller than that of the peripheral information, but detailed information on different portions can be collected rather than just a flag.

[0086] Also, in the present embodiment, when the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is the difference in the position of the target ground object, the information generation unit 61 generates processed information including quantitative information indicating the amount of change in the position of the ground object. As a result, the amount of change in the position of the ground object can be known, so it is possible to grasp whether the change in position is minor. Therefore, detailed information such as the amount of change can be collected rather than just a flag. As a result, the update determination unit 86 can determine not to update the map when the change in position is minor, and can suppress the update of map information that is not essential.

[0087] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is the difference in the presence or absence of the target ground object, the information generation unit 61 generates processed information including presence information indicating the presence or absence of the ground object. With the presence information, it is possible to more specifically grasp how the presence of the ground object differs.

[0088] Also, in the present embodiment, the processed information includes detection accuracy. The detection accuracy is determined by the position of the vehicle 200 or the like. The detection accuracy of the peripheral information varies depending on the detection conditions due to advantages and disadvantages of the sensors used. Using such detection accuracy, the reliability of the processed information can be determined. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether to update or not using processed information with high detection accuracy without using processed information with low detection accuracy, in other words, processed information with large errors or noise in detection.

[0089] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the detection accuracy is lower than a predetermined detection accuracy, the information generation unit 61 stops generating the processed information using the peripheral information with low detection accuracy. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the transmission of the processed information with low detection accuracy to the management server 80 or the like.

[0090] Also, in the present embodiment, when the information generation unit 61 determines that construction work is being carried out on the road during travel using the peripheral information, the information generation unit 61 stops generating the processed information. On the road where construction work is being carried out, there is a high possibility that the peripheral information and the map information are different, and there is little need to update the map information using the peripheral information during construction. Therefore, on the road during construction, by stopping the generation of the processed information, it is possible to reduce the processing load and suppress the transmission of unnecessary information to the management server 80.

[0091] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is within the allowable range, the information generation unit 61 generates the processed information, and when it is outside the allowable range, the information generation unit 61 stops generating the processed information. When the difference is large, it is necessary to identify the cause of the large difference. Therefore, when the difference is outside the allowable range, by stopping the generation of the processed information and transmitting the peripheral information, it is possible to investigate the cause of the large difference.

[0092] Also, in the present embodiment, when transmitting the processed information, the processed information is compressed or reduced so as to be equal to or less than a predetermined restricted communication volume and then transmitted to the management server 80. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an increase in the communication load. Also, when transmitting the peripheral information, the peripheral information is divided so as to be equal to or less than the restricted communication volume and then transmitted to the management server 80. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the communication load at one time and suppress the occurrence of communication failures due to transmitting a large capacity at one time.

[0093] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the setting unit 64 can set whether or not to transmit the processed information and the peripheral information to the management server 80. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the personal information of the occupant generated by the travel of the occupant from being transmitted to a third party without permission.

[0094] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been explained. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments at all, and various modifications can be made and implemented without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0095] The structures of the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of these descriptions. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0096] In the above-described first embodiment, the management server 80 was configured to be outside the vehicle 200, but is not limited to such a configuration. The management server 80 may be mounted on the vehicle 200. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 60 may include functions of the server control unit 83, such as the update determination unit 86.

[0097] In the above-described first embodiment, based on the update map data distributed from the management server 80, the map update unit 63 of the in-vehicle device 60 updates the map DB online, but is not limited to such a configuration. The update of the map DB may be performed offline.

[0098] In the above-described first embodiment, the functions realized by the in-vehicle device 60 and the server control unit 83 may be realized by hardware and software different from those described above, or a combination thereof. The in-vehicle device 60 and the server control unit 83 may communicate with other control devices, for example, and other control devices may execute part or all of the processing. When the in-vehicle device 60 and the server control unit 83 are realized by an electronic circuit, it can be realized by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits or an analog circuit.

[0099] In the above-described first embodiment, the in-vehicle device 60 is used in the vehicle 200, but is not limited to being mounted on the vehicle 200, and at least a part thereof may not be mounted on the vehicle 200.

Claims

1. A map information system for managing map information stored in a storage unit (30) located in a vehicle (200), comprising: an information generation unit (61) that generates processed information obtained by processing the peripheral information when the peripheral information detected by a peripheral detection sensor (21) mounted on the vehicle is different from the map information; the processed information has a smaller amount of information than the peripheral information and includes quantification information obtained by quantifying the difference between the peripheral information and the map information in at least a portion where they are different; the information generation unit generates the processed information when the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is within an allowable range, and stops generating the processed information when the difference is outside the allowable range.

2. The map information system according to claim 1, wherein when the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is a difference in the position of a target feature, the information generation unit uses the amount of change in the position of the feature as the quantification information.

3. The map information system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is a difference in the presence or absence of a target feature, the information generation unit generates the processed information including the quantification information and presence information indicating the presence or absence of the feature.

4. further comprising a detection accuracy determination unit (85) that determines the detection accuracy of the peripheral information of the peripheral detection sensor using at least one of the position of the vehicle, the weather at the position of the vehicle, the road surface condition around the vehicle, and the detection time of the peripheral information; The map information system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processed information includes the detection accuracy.

5. further comprising a detection accuracy determination unit (85) that determines the detection accuracy of the peripheral information of the peripheral detection sensor using at least one of the position of the vehicle, the weather at the position of the vehicle, the road surface condition around the vehicle, and the detection time of the peripheral information; The map information system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the detection accuracy is lower than a predetermined detection accuracy, the information generation unit stops generating the processed information using the peripheral information with the low detection accuracy.

6. The map information system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the information generation unit determines that construction work is being carried out on the road during travel using the peripheral information, the information generation unit stops generating the processed information.

7. An in-vehicle device mounted on and used in a vehicle (200), comprising: a storage unit (30) in which map information is stored; When the peripheral information detected by the peripheral detection sensor (21) mounted on the vehicle is different from the map information, an information generation unit (61) that generates processed information obtained by processing the peripheral information; A vehicle communication unit that communicates with the management server (80), and transmits the processed information or the peripheral information to the management server, and receives new map information from the management server (40); A map update unit (63) that updates the map information in the storage unit when receiving new map information from the management server; The processed information has less information volume than the peripheral information, and includes quantitative information obtained by quantifying the difference between the peripheral information and the map information at least in a portion different from the map information; When the difference between the peripheral information and the map information is within an allowable range, the information generation unit generates the processed information, and when it is outside the allowable range, stops generating the processed information; The vehicle communication unit is an in-vehicle device that transmits the processed information to the management server when within the allowable range, and transmits the peripheral information to the management server when outside the allowable range.

8. The vehicle communication unit When transmitting the processed information, compresses or reduces the processed information so as to be equal to or less than a predetermined restricted communication volume and transmits it to the management server; The in-vehicle device according to claim 7, wherein when transmitting the peripheral information, divides the peripheral information so as to be equal to or less than the restricted communication volume and transmits it to the management server.

9. The in-vehicle device according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising a setting unit (64) that sets whether or not to transmit the processed information and the peripheral information to the management server.

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