Information processing device

Abstract

To accumulate and utilize information representing brightness of roads at night for a wider range.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises a control unit that executes: acquiring illumination information including information representing a location traveled by an own vehicle and information representing an illumination observed at the location via a communication network from a plurality of vehicles; creating illumination map information that holds multiple pieces of information representing a position and information representing a brightness at the position at night in association with each other by using the illumination information acquired from the plurality of vehicles, and storing them in a storage unit; and reading the illumination map information from the storage unit and executing processing using the illumination map information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle navigation device that searches for a guide route that avoids dark roads. The vehicle navigation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a position detection means that detects the current position of the vehicle, an illuminance detection means that detects the brightness around the vehicle, a date and time acquisition means that acquires the current date and time, a date and time determination means that determines whether the acquired current date and time is within nighttime, an illuminance determination means that determines whether the brightness around the detected vehicle is below a predetermined value if the acquired current date and time is within nighttime, and a storage means that stores the current position and its surroundings as a difficult-to-drive section at night if the brightness around the detected vehicle is below the predetermined value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-220479 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a technique for accumulating and utilizing information representing the brightness of roads at night over a wider range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The information processing device according to the present disclosure includes: Acquiring illuminance information from a plurality of vehicles via a communication network, the illuminance information including information representing points through which the vehicle has traveled and information representing brightness observed at the points; Using the illuminance information acquired from the plurality of vehicles, create illuminance map information that holds a plurality of pieces of information representing positions and information representing brightness at the positions during the nighttime in association with each other, and store the created illuminance map information in a storage unit. reading the illuminance map information from the storage unit and executing a process using the illuminance map information; The control unit executes the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology for accumulating and utilizing information representing the brightness of roads at night over a wider range. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a storage device of a server. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a processing flow diagram showing an example of the illuminance map information creation processing. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a storage device of a server. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a processing flow diagram showing an example of the route search processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The information processing device according to the present disclosure is configured to acquire, from a plurality of vehicles, a travel point indicating a point where the vehicle has traveled. The control unit acquires, via a communication network, illuminance information including information representing the location and information representing the brightness observed at the driving point, creates, using the illuminance information acquired from the plurality of vehicles, a plurality of pieces of illuminance map information that associates information representing the location with information representing the brightness at the location at night, stores the information in a memory unit, and reads out the illuminance map information from the memory unit and executes processing using the illuminance map information.

[0009] The communication network is, for example, a data communication network such as a carrier network connected to the Internet. The vehicle is an automobile, and may be equipped with an Advanced Driving Assistant System (ADAS) or an autonomous driving system (AD). The vehicle may be equipped with a positioning device using, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and may obtain position information (latitude and longitude) of a traveling location. The vehicle may also be equipped with a light sensor or an onboard camera such as a drive recorder, and may use the information output by these sensors to observe the brightness (illuminance) in the traveling direction. The vehicle may also be equipped with an onboard device having a communication module, and may communicate with an information processing device via the communication network. The communication module may be directly connectable to a communication network such as a carrier network, or may be connectable to the communication network via a communication device carried by the vehicle user (driver or passenger) as an access point. The illuminance information includes position information of a location where the vehicle has traveled and information indicating the brightness of the location. The illuminance information may be generated while the vehicle is traveling at night. Whether it is nighttime or not may be determined by the in-vehicle device based on the system time, or may be determined based on whether the lighting device provided in the vehicle is turned on.

[0010] The information processing device may be, for example, a server device connected to a communication network, or may be an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle. A control unit of the information processing device acquires illuminance information, which is continuously generated while the vehicles are traveling, from multiple vehicles via the communication network. The illuminance map information includes multiple combinations of information representing locations and information representing nighttime brightness at the locations. The information representing locations may be information representing locations on roads, or information representing specific sections of roads. The information representing nighttime brightness held in the illuminance map information may be the information representing brightness included in the illuminance information itself. The information representing nighttime brightness held in the illuminance map information may also be information representing the brightness of the surrounding environment of a traveling point, adjusted based on the information representing brightness included in the illuminance information according to the lighting devices (types of headlights) equipped on the vehicles. In this case, for example, lighting devices may be associated with each vehicle model and stored in advance, allowing the lighting devices to be identified based on the vehicle model. Furthermore, the process using the illuminance map information may, upon receiving a route search request, extract candidate routes whose nighttime brightness meets a predetermined standard using the illuminance map information. The information based on the illuminance map information may be at least a part of the illuminance map information itself.

[0011] According to the information processing device as described above, by collecting illuminance information from a plurality of vehicles, it becomes possible to accumulate and use information representing the brightness of roads at night over a wider range.

[0012] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise specified.

[0013] First Embodiment (composition) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to this embodiment. The system 100 includes a plurality of vehicles 1 and a server 2. The server 2 acquires information from the plurality of vehicles 1 indicating the locations where each vehicle 1 has traveled and the brightness of those locations, and aggregates the information in association with map information. The server 2 also distributes information based on the aggregated information to the vehicles 1.

[0014] The vehicle 1 includes an on-board device 11, a positioning device 12, a communication interface (I / F) 13, and an illuminance measurement unit 14, and is interconnected with the server 2 via the communication I / F 13 and a network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a data communication network connected to the Internet, and the on-board device 11 and the server 2 can communicate with each other based on a predetermined protocol.

[0015] The in-vehicle device 11 is a computer mounted on the vehicle 1, and includes a processor 111, a storage device 112, and a UI (User Interface) 113. The processor 111 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processor 111 executes the processing described in this embodiment by reading and executing a program stored in the storage device 112. The in-vehicle device 11 may be configured to include a plurality of devices and modules connected by signal lines, such as a car navigation system and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls a lighting device.

[0016] The storage device 112 includes a main storage device such as a random access memory (RAM) and an auxiliary storage device such as a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device may also include a removable medium (portable recording medium). Here, the removable medium is, for example, a USB memory, an SD card, or a disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disc, or a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc. The storage device 112 stores, for example, an operating system (OS), various programs, various information tables, and the like.

[0017] The UI 113 is, for example, a display on which a touch panel is laminated, a combination of a physical operation switch and a display, or a combination of a physical operation switch and a display on which a touch panel is laminated. The operation switch includes a push button switch, a rotary switch, a slide switch, etc. Through the UI 113, input from the user of the vehicle 1 can be received and information can be displayed to the user of the vehicle 1.

[0018] The positioning device 12 is a module that receives signals from positioning satellites and outputs position information of the device itself. The positioning device 12 may output the time, the latitude and longitude of the positioning device 12, its altitude above sea level, information about the satellite used for positioning, etc. The in-vehicle device 11 or the positioning device 12 may have a function to match the position information obtained from the positioning satellite signals with map information, or to match the position information obtained from the positioning satellite signals with information output by a vehicle speed sensor or a gyro sensor mounted on the vehicle 1 with map information, thereby estimating the position.

[0019] The communication I / F 13 is an interface for connecting the in-vehicle device 11 to the network N1. The communication I / F 13 may connect the in-vehicle device 11 directly to the network N1 using a predetermined wireless communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation Mobile Communication System) or 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication System), or may connect to the network N1 via another communication device that functions as an access point. The other communication device is, for example, a communication device owned by the user of the vehicle 1. In this case, the communication I / F 13 connects to the other communication device using a communication standard such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0020] The illuminance measurement unit 14 includes, for example, a light sensor and an in-vehicle camera such as a drive recorder. Using the information output by the illuminance measurement unit 14, the in-vehicle device 11 can observe the brightness (illuminance) in the traveling direction. The brightness is, for example, information that indicates the degree of brightness at the traveling point in stages. Alternatively, a range of the road surface in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 that has an illuminance equal to or greater than a threshold (in other words, a range that is visible to the driver of the vehicle 1) may be expressed as a distance from the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the illuminance measurement unit 14 or the processor 111 may estimate the illuminance of the road surface whose light source is the surrounding environment, such as roadside buildings or streetlights, by subtracting illuminance according to, for example, the type of lighting equipment such as headlights that the vehicle 1 is equipped with, the on / off state of the lighting equipment, the direction of the light axis (high beam or low beam), and the control state of variable light distribution headlights if such headlights are equipped.

[0021] The above-described configuration is connected via signal lines, and communication is performed in accordance with in-vehicle communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0022] The processor 111 of the in-vehicle device 11 creates information indicating the brightness of the point where the vehicle has traveled based on the information output by the illuminance measurement unit 14, and transmits the information to the server 2 sequentially or at a predetermined timing. Such information is transmitted from each of the multiple vehicles 1.

[0023] The server 2 is a server device (information processing device) that accumulates information indicating the brightness of roads at night and distributes information based on this information to the vehicle 1. The server 2 includes a processor (controller) 21, a storage device 22, and a communication interface (I / F) 23. The processor 21 is, for example, a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC, an FPGA, etc. The processor 21 reads and executes a program stored in the storage device 22 to perform the processing described in this embodiment.

[0024] The storage device 22 includes a main storage device such as RAM and an auxiliary storage device such as ROM, HDD, SSD, or flash memory. The auxiliary storage device may also include removable media. Here, removable media is, for example, a USB memory, an SD card, or a disc recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD disc, or Blu-ray disc. The storage device 112 stores, for example, an operating system, various programs, and various information tables.

[0025] The communication I / F 23 is a network interface controller for connecting the server 2 to the network N1. The communication I / F 23 operates in accordance with, for example, a wired LAN communication standard, and connects the server 2 to the network N1.

[0026] (action) The processor 21 of the server 2 acquires illuminance information, including travel location information indicating the locations where each vehicle 1 has traveled and information indicating the brightness observed at the travel location, from multiple vehicles 1 via the network N1 and stores it in the storage device 22.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in the storage device 22. The example in FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic data structure. The storage device 22 includes illuminance information 221 acquired from the vehicle 1, illuminance map information 222 created by the server 2 using the multiple pieces of illuminance information 221, and route data 223 extracted by a route search using the illuminance map information. The illuminance information 221 includes attributes of a "traveling point" based on the position information of the vehicle 1 and "brightness" representing the illuminance of the road observed at that position. The "traveling point" field may contain, for example, location information including latitude and longitude, or road identification information in a so-called digital road map. Note that a digital road map is data representing roads as a graph including links and nodes. The "brightness" field may contain, for example, information representing the level of brightness at the traveling point in stages, or information representing the distance from the vehicle 1 of the area of ​​the road surface in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 that has illuminance above a threshold. The processor 21 acquires such illuminance information 221 from the vehicle 1 and stores it in the storage device 22.

[0028] The processor 21 also sequentially reads the illuminance information 221 acquired from the multiple vehicles 1 from the storage device 22, and based on the illuminance information 221, creates and stores multiple pieces of illuminance map information 222, which associates information representing locations with information representing the brightness of the locations at night, and stores the information in the storage device 22. The illuminance map information 222 in FIG. 2 includes a "digital road map" and "brightness." The "digital road map" is map information that represents roads as a graph including links and nodes. For example, various attributes can be associated with links corresponding to sections of roads and stored. "Brightness" is information representing the brightness of sections corresponding to links, and is stored in association with the links. Note that the brightness information registered in the illuminance map information 222 may be the value included in the illuminance information 221 itself, or may be a value obtained by statistically processing the illuminance information 221 acquired from multiple vehicles 1 for the same section. Furthermore, the brightness information registered in the illuminance map information 222 may be determined or corrected using information other than the illuminance information acquired from the vehicles 1. Furthermore, the processor 21 may adjust the brightness information registered in the illuminance map information 222 by using information other than the illuminance information 221 acquired from the vehicle 1.

[0029] The processor 21 also reads the illuminance map information 222 from the storage device 22 and transmits information based on the illuminance map information 222 to the vehicle 1 via the communication I / F 23. For example, the processor 21 may transmit the illuminance map information 222 itself for a portion of the area. Alternatively, the processor 21 may perform a route search using the illuminance map information 222 and transmit the extracted route data 223. The route data 223 in FIG. 2 may be represented, for example, by a series of links on a digital road map. The route data 223 may be obtained, for example, by using the Dijkstra algorithm or another search algorithm on a digital road map graph from which links corresponding to roads with brightness below a threshold have been deleted or on a digital road map graph adjusted to give a higher weight to dark roads. This allows the server 2 to suggest safer routes by avoiding roads with poor visibility at night. Information for adjusting the operation of the vehicle 1's lighting devices while the vehicle 1 is traveling, such as changing the luminance of the headlights depending on the brightness of sections of the road, may also be transmitted from the server 2 to the vehicle 1. The vehicles 1 to which the above-described information is transmitted are not limited to vehicles 1 that transmit illuminance information to the server 2, but may also include vehicles 1 that only receive information.

[0030] (effect) As described above, the illumination map information 222 aggregates information collected from multiple vehicles 1. That is, the server 2 can accumulate and use information representing the brightness of roads at night over a wider range than if the vehicles 1 collected it individually.

[0031] Second Embodiment FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. In FIG. 3, components corresponding to those in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The system 100 includes a vehicle 1, a server 2, a satellite image server 3, and a map information server 4, which are communicatively connected via a network N1. Note that in this embodiment, multiple vehicles 1 are also connected to the network N1. The satellite image server 3 is a server device that provides image data captured by an artificial satellite. The map information server 4 is a server device that has a function of providing image data of aerial photographs associated with map information (particularly, location information represented by latitude and longitude), or a function of providing image data of on-site photographs of the surroundings taken from a location on a map, or image data of on-site photographs of objects present at the location, associated with the location on the map. The image data provided by the map information server 4 will be referred to as image data of the surroundings of a point on the map, associated with the map information. The server 2 in this embodiment creates or modifies illuminance map information using data of a satellite photograph of a predetermined area, or image data of the surroundings of a predetermined point provided in association with map information.

[0032] The vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 11, a positioning device 12, a communication I / F 13, an illuminance measurement unit 14, and a lighting device 15. The in-vehicle device 11 also includes a processor 111, a storage device 112, and a UI 113. FIG. 3 also shows a communication control unit 1111 and a route guidance unit 1112, which are functional blocks within the processor 111. That is, the processor 111 functions as these functional units by executing a program stored in the storage device 112. The communication control unit 1111 transmits illuminance information via the communication I / F 13. The route guidance unit 1112 receives a destination input from a user of the vehicle 1 via the UI 113 and requests the server 2 via the communication I / F 13 to search for a route from the current location acquired via the positioning device 12 to the destination. The route guidance unit 1112 also acquires the search results from the server 2 via the communication I / F 13 and presents the search results to the user of the vehicle 1 via the UI 113. The illuminance measuring unit 14 includes at least one of an optical sensor 141 and an imaging device 142. The lighting device 15 is, for example, a headlamp, and is connected via, for example, an ECU.

[0033] The server 2 according to this embodiment includes a processor 21, a storage device 22, and a communication interface (I / F) 23. FIG. 3 shows functional blocks within the processor 21, including a communication control unit 211, a map creation unit 212, a route search unit 213, and an illumination setting unit 214. That is, the processor 21 functions as these functional units by executing programs stored in the storage device 22. The communication control unit 211 communicates with the vehicle 1, the satellite image server 3, and the map information server 4 via the communication I / F 23 and the network N1. The map creation unit 212 reads illuminance information, satellite images, aerial photographs, or on-site photographs from the storage device 22, and creates and updates illuminance map information that associates information representing brightness with points or sections on a road. The route search unit 213 searches for a route from a departure point to a destination using the illuminance map information, for example, in response to a request from the vehicle 1. When the lighting devices 15, such as headlights, equipped on the vehicle 1 that requested the route search are capable of changing the luminous intensity, etc., the lighting setting unit 214 creates a program (plan information) for changing the operation settings of the lighting devices 15 of the vehicle 1 while traveling along the route, based on the brightness of the sections that make up the searched route, and transmits the program (plan information) to the vehicle 1. Note that the lighting setting unit 214 may extract information representing the brightness of sections on the route from the illuminance map information and transmit it to the vehicle 1, and the processor 111 of the vehicle 1 that receives the information may change the luminous intensity, etc. of the lighting devices 15 while traveling along the route, depending on the information representing the brightness of the sections on the route.

[0034] (Illuminance map creation process) FIG. 4 is a processing flow diagram showing an example of a process by which the server 2 creates illuminance map information. This process is executed at any timing after the communication control unit 211 of the server 2 acquires illuminance information from the vehicle 1 and stores it in the storage device 22, acquires satellite image data from the satellite image server 3 and stores it in the storage device 22, or acquires image data of aerial photographs or on-site photographs from the map information server 4 and stores it in the storage device 22. First, the map creation unit 212 of the server 2 reads information from the storage device 22 (FIG. 4: S1). In this step, at least one of illuminance information, satellite image data, aerial photograph data, and on-site photograph data is read. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the storage device 22. Data is also shown schematically in FIG. 5. The storage device 22 includes illuminance information 221A acquired from the vehicle 1, illuminance map information 222 created by the server 2 using the illuminance information 221 etc., route data 223A extracted by route search using the illuminance map information, satellite image data 224 acquired from the satellite image server 3, aerial photograph data 225 and on-site photograph data 226 acquired from the map information server 4, and lighting device information 227 for each vehicle type that is stored in advance. In S1, the illuminance information 221A, the satellite image data 224, the aerial photograph data 225 or the on-site photograph data 226 are read out. The illuminance information 221A includes a vehicle ID that can identify the vehicle type of the vehicle 1 that created the illuminance information, a "traveling point" based on the position information of the vehicle 1, and lighting device information 227 for each vehicle type that is stored in advance. The data includes attributes such as "brightness" indicating the illuminance of the roadway at the location, and "lighting status" indicating the status of the lighting device 15 of the vehicle 1 at that location. The "lighting status" field registers the on / off status, the direction of the light axis (high beam or low beam), and, if the vehicle 1 is equipped with a variable light distribution headlight, the control status of the headlight. The satellite image data 224 is image data of the target area captured during nighttime hours. The aerial photograph data 225 is image data associated with, for example, information indicating latitude and longitude and provided by the map information server 4. The local photograph data 226 is image data associated with information indicating latitude and longitude and taken from the target location and provided by the map information server 4. For example, images provided by functions such as Street View (STREET VIEW (registered trademark)) and Look Around may be used from existing map information.

[0035] After S1 in FIG. 4, the map creation unit 212 estimates the brightness on the road using the acquired information (S2 in FIG. 4). When using the illuminance information 221A, the map creation unit 212 may estimate the brightness on the road based on the brightness information included in the illuminance information 221A, or may estimate the illuminance on the road using the surrounding environment, such as roadside buildings and streetlights, as light sources, by subtracting the illuminance based on the type of lighting device 15 associated with the vehicle model of the vehicle 1 that transmitted the illuminance information 221A or the "lighting conditions." When using satellite image data 224, the map creation unit 212 performs geometric correction processing using affine transformation as necessary, compares the satellite image data 224 with the map information, and estimates the brightness on the road based on the brightness of the satellite image data 224 of a portion corresponding to the road on the map, for example. When using the aerial photograph data 225 or on-site photograph data 226, the map creation unit 212 extracts light source facilities, such as streetlights, from the image data and estimates the brightness on the road. For example, the brightness is adjusted so that it is higher than a predetermined lower limit value, centered on a point where a light source is recognized from the image data. The extraction of streetlights and the like is performed, for example, using an image recognition algorithm that utilizes machine learning. The map creation unit 212 may also use multiple pieces of data related to the same part of the road acquired in S1 to comprehensively estimate the brightness of the part, for example, through statistical processing.

[0036] Furthermore, the map creation unit 212 uses the brightness estimated in S2 to update the brightness information stored in the illuminance map information in association with the position on the map (FIG. 4: S3). The "brightness" in the illuminance map information 222 is stored, for example, in association with a link representing a road section on a digital road map.

[0037] Then, the map creation unit 212 determines whether unprocessed data exists in the storage device 22 (FIG. 4: S4). If it is determined that unprocessed data exists, the process returns to S1 and repeats the process. If it is determined that unprocessed data does not exist, the illuminance map creation process ends.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a processing flow diagram showing an example of a route search process. In this embodiment, the server 2 executes the route search process upon receiving a request from the vehicle 1, extracts route candidates, and transmits them to the vehicle 1. First, the communication control unit 211 of the server 2 receives a route search request including the departure point and destination from the vehicle 1 via the network N1 (FIG. 6: S11). Then, the route search unit 213 of the server 2 determines whether the vehicle is traveling at night (FIG. 6: S12). In this step, for example, it is determined whether a time period corresponding to nighttime exists for a predetermined period of time or more within the time zone of the departure point or destination from the current time to the expected arrival time. Note that a time period for "nighttime" is predefined, and multiple time periods may be defined depending on the season. Furthermore, when making the determination in S12, the route search unit 213 may perform a general route search to obtain the expected arrival time. Furthermore, if the route search request obtained in S1 includes the departure time or the arrival time, the route search unit 213 may make the determination in S12 based on the departure time or the arrival time.

[0039] If it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at night (S12: YES), the route search unit 213 extracts route data 223A that meets a predetermined criterion using the illumination map information 222 (FIG. 6: S13 In this step, for example, the route search unit 213 performs a route search using Dijkstra's algorithm or another search algorithm on a digital road map graph adjusted based on the illumination map information 222 so that dark roads are weighted heavily. This allows for the extraction of a route that satisfies the criterion of prioritizing relatively bright roads. Alternatively, a route search may be performed on a digital road map graph from which links corresponding to roads with brightness below a threshold have been deleted, thereby satisfying the criterion that the brightness of sections included in the route is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. For example, the lighting device information 227 ( FIG. 5 ) may be referenced based on the vehicle type identified in accordance with the identification information of the requesting vehicle 1, and the type of lighting device 15 equipped in the requesting vehicle 1 may be read. The lighting device information 227 may also be referenced based on the vehicle type identified in accordance with the identification information of the requesting vehicle 1, and the distance visible to the driver of the requesting vehicle 1 on the candidate route may be estimated taking into account the lighting device 15 equipped in the requesting vehicle 1, and used as the weighting and route selection criteria described above. According to S13, roads with poor visibility at night can be avoided, allowing for the creation of a safer route. Route extraction may also be performed using other information, such as the road width and the number of curves.

[0040] Furthermore, the route search unit 213 creates an adjustment program (plan information) for changing the operation settings of the lighting devices 15 while the vehicle 1 is traveling along the route extracted in S13 (FIG. 6: S14). The adjustment program is setting information for adjusting the operation of the lighting devices 15 of the vehicle 1 while traveling along a section of the route, based on the brightness of the section. For example, the luminous intensity of the lighting devices 15 is adjusted so that the illuminance of the road surface increases as the brightness of the road decreases. The adjustment program may be created when a request is received from the vehicle 1, or when it is determined that the luminous intensity, etc. of the lighting devices 15, such as headlights, equipped on the vehicle 1 that requested the route search can be changed. The lighting devices 15 equipped on the requesting vehicle 1 can be identified by identifying the vehicle model based on, for example, identification information of the requesting vehicle 1 included in the route search request, and by referring to, for example, the lighting device information 227 (FIG. 5).

[0041] Then, the communication control unit 211 transmits the information such as the route created in S13 and S14 to the requesting vehicle 1 via the network N1 (FIG. 6: S15). Note that if it is determined in S12 that the vehicle is not traveling at night (S12: NO), the route search unit 213 performs a general route search (S16) and proceeds to the processing of S15.

[0042] (effect) According to this embodiment, by further using at least a portion of image data associated with satellite images, aerial photographs, and map information and whose photographing locations are clear, it is possible to create illuminance map information that comprehensively accumulates the brightness of roads over a wider area. For example, by using such illuminance map information when performing route search, the accuracy of the process of creating a safer route by avoiding roads with poor visibility at night can be improved.

[0043] In addition, according to an adjustment program for changing the operating settings of the lighting device 15 of the vehicle 1, the operating state of the lighting device 15 can be appropriately changed without the driver of the vehicle 1 having to perform any operation, thereby improving safety during driving.

[0044] (Variation) The server 2 may distribute part or all of the illuminance map information to the vehicle 1, and the on-board device 11 of the vehicle 1 may use the illuminance map information to perform a route search (e.g., FIG. 6) or change the operation of the lighting device 15. Instead of the server 2, the vehicle 1 may collect illuminance information from other vehicles 1 via the network N1 or via vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication, and perform at least one of creating illuminance map information (e.g., FIG. 4), sharing the illuminance map information, performing a route search (e.g., FIG. 6), changing the operation of the lighting device 15, etc. That is, the processor 111 of the on-board device 11 may also function as at least one of the communication control unit 211, the map creation unit 212, the route search unit 213, and the lighting setting unit 214 shown in FIG. 3.

[0045] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0046] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0047] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, such as any type of disk, including magnetic disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray disks), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, or optical cards. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1: Vehicle 11: In-vehicle equipment 12: Positioning device 13: Communication I / F 14: Illuminance measurement section 141: Optical sensor 142: Imaging device 15: Lighting equipment 2: Server (information processing device) 21: Processor (control unit) 22: Storage device 23: Communication I / F 3: Satellite image server 4: Map information server N1: Network

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising a control unit and a storage unit, The control unit Acquiring illuminance information from a plurality of vehicles via a communication network, the illuminance information including information representing points through which the vehicle has traveled and information representing brightness observed at the points; Acquiring image data of the area around a point on a map that is associated with map information published on the Internet; extracting from the image data a light source captured in the image data; creating a plurality of pieces of illuminance map information by using the illuminance information acquired from the plurality of vehicles and the points on the map where the light sources were photographed, in which information representing positions is associated with information representing brightness at the positions during the nighttime, and storing the information in the storage unit; and reading the illuminance map information from the storage unit and executing a process using the illuminance map information; To execute Information processing device.

2. The process using the illuminance map information includes, when a request for route search including a departure point and a destination is received, selecting one or more routes based on the illuminance map information so that the brightness at night of a section included in the route from the departure point to the destination satisfies a predetermined standard. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The processing using the illuminance map information includes a processing for creating information for changing the luminance of headlights provided on vehicles traveling along the one or more routes, in accordance with information representing the nighttime brightness of sections included in the one or more routes, the information being stored in the illuminance map information. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit Obtaining satellite images of the area being imaged at night; Estimating the brightness of the road based on information on a position on a map corresponding to the road in the nighttime satellite image; and creating the illuminance map information using the estimated brightness of the road and storing the illuminance map information in the storage unit; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

Images