Map Update System

Abstract

To provide technique enabling a user to easily know an incentive point set on a road.SOLUTION: Map update system 100, 100a and 100b each comprise: map databases 11, 24; a map update server 101; a vehicle position recognition portion 32; an outside environment information generation portion 35; a map freshness calculation portion 12; an incentive point imparting portion 13 which imparts an incentive point set in advance according to map freshness of an area to a user of a vehicle or the vehicle; and a user correspondence portion 38 which presents map freshness information or incentive point information of the area to the user. The user correspondence portion utilizes the position of the vehicle on the map and the map freshness to identify route information to which incentive points larger than a predetermined point threshold can be imparted, and the user correspondence portion causes a display unit 251 mounted on the vehicle to display the identified route information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a map update system. [Background technology]

[0002] Maps used for vehicle navigation and autonomous driving are required to be updated to keep them up to date with the current situation. Accordingly, various technologies have been proposed in which information obtained from external sensors that sense the external environment, such as cameras and radar sensors mounted on the vehicle, is transmitted to a map update server that manages the maps, and the map is updated by the map update server. Patent Document 1 discloses a map update system that encourages map updates by awarding incentive points for transmitting data to the map update server. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-141842 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the map update system of Patent Document 1, when a destination is set in each vehicle and multiple routes to be selected are presented to the user, incentive point information is acquired by communication with a map update server, and incentive points for each route are presented to the user. Alternatively, when a vehicle reaches its destination by traveling along a set route, incentive points set for the route traveled are presented to the user. For this reason, it is inconvenient that it is not possible to easily know which routes (roads) have incentive points set and how many incentive points are set without setting a route. For these reasons, a technology that makes it easy to know the incentive points that will be set is desired. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] As one aspect of the present disclosure, a map update system (100, 100a, 100b) is provided. The map update system includes a map database (11, 24) that stores map information, a map update server (101) that updates the map information based on external environment information acquired through communication with a vehicle, a vehicle position recognition unit (32) that recognizes the position of the vehicle on a map, an external environment information generation unit (35) that generates the external environment information related to the external environment of the vehicle in association with the position of the vehicle on the map based on the detection result of an external sensor (22) mounted on the vehicle and the position of the vehicle on the map, a map freshness calculation unit (12) that calculates map freshness for each area preset in the map information, and a map update server (101) that updates the map information based on the detection result of an external environment information acquired from the vehicle. and a user correspondence unit (38) that presents to the user map freshness information, which is information relating to the map freshness of the area, or incentive point information relating to the incentive points of the area, and the user correspondence unit uses the position of the vehicle on the map and the map freshness to identify route information for which incentive points equal to or greater than a predetermined point threshold can be awarded, and displays the route information on a display device (251) mounted on the vehicle. The user response unit causes the display device to display the map information indicating surrounding roads, which are roads within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, including the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the location of the vehicle on the map. The surrounding roads have a plurality of lanes. Each of the plurality of lanes and a combination of the plurality of lanes corresponds to the area. The user response unit causes the display device to display the incentive point information related to the incentive points in the area. The system further includes a lane change determination unit (39) that determines whether or not the vehicle is able to change to another lane that is different from the lane on which the vehicle is traveling and that could be a destination lane by lane change. If it is determined that the vehicle is not able to change to the other lane, the user response unit does not display the incentive point information related to the incentive point set for the other lane on the display device. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a map update system (100, 100a, 100b) that includes a map database (11, 24) that stores map information; The map update system includes a map update server (101) that updates the map information based on external environment information acquired through communication with a vehicle, a vehicle position recognition unit (32) that recognizes the position of the vehicle on a map, an external environment information generation unit (35) that generates the external environment information related to the external environment of the vehicle in association with the position of the vehicle on the map based on the detection results of an external sensor (22) mounted on the vehicle and the position of the vehicle on the map, a map freshness calculation unit (12) that calculates map freshness for each area that is preset in the map information, an incentive point granting unit (13) that, when the external environment information is transmitted from the vehicle to the map update server, grants to the user of the vehicle or the vehicle predetermined incentive points according to the map freshness of the area corresponding to the external environment information, and a user response unit (38) that presents to the user map freshness information that is information related to the map freshness of the area or incentive point information related to the incentive points of the area. The user response unit uses the vehicle's position on the map and the map freshness to identify route information for which incentive points equal to or greater than a predetermined point threshold can be awarded, and displays the route information on a display device (251) mounted on the vehicle. The user response unit displays the map information indicating surrounding roads, which are roads within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, including the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the vehicle's position on the map on the display device. The surrounding roads have multiple lanes. Each of the multiple lanes and a combination of the multiple lanes corresponds to the area. The user response unit displays the incentive point information related to the incentive points for the area on the display device. The system further includes a stop determination unit (40) that determines whether the vehicle is stopped. The user response unit displays the incentive point information on the display device when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, and does not display the incentive points on the display device when it is determined that the vehicle is not stopped.

[0006] According to this form of map update system, the user support unit uses the vehicle's position on the map and the map freshness to identify route information for which incentive points equal to or greater than a predetermined point threshold can be awarded, and displays the route information on the display device 251. Therefore, the user can easily know from the route information displayed on the display device 251 whether or not incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold have been set for each route (road). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a map update system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for updating map information. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for calculating a map freshness degree. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for an incentive point information presentation process. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of presentation of incentive point information in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of presentation of incentive point information in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of presentation of incentive point information in the third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an input screen for searching for an assigned area in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an incentive point information presentation process in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of presentation of incentive point information in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a map updating system according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an incentive point information presentation process in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a map updating system according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an incentive point information presentation process in the seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: The map update system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a system that updates map information using information acquired from a vehicle.

[0009] A1. Map update system configuration: The map update system 100 includes a map update server 101 and a plurality of vehicle control devices 102. Note that instead of the plurality of vehicle control devices 102, a configuration including a single vehicle control device 102 may also be used.

[0010] A1-1. Map update server configuration: The map update server 101 is a server installed in a facility such as a center that manages traffic-related information. The map update server 101 updates map information based on external environment information acquired from vehicles that can communicate with the map update server 101. The external environment information is information about the external environment of the vehicle (including the road environment, such as white lines on the road) detected by an external sensor of the vehicle. The external environment information will be described in detail later.

[0011] The map update server 101 is configured as a general computer including a CPU, a storage unit, and a communication control unit. The storage unit may be ROM and / or RAM, or may be a storage medium such as a HDD configured as a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID). The storage unit may be provided outside the map update server 101. The communication control unit is a communication device such as a network card that controls communication. Each function of the map update server 101 is realized by a combination of the operations of the above-mentioned hardware. The map update server 101 may be configured with multiple computers. The map update server 101 may be a cloud server.

[0012] The map update server 101 includes a server-side map database 11, a map freshness calculation unit 12, an incentive point granting unit 13, a reliability evaluation unit 14, and a map information update unit 15. The map update server 101 is also connected to a server-side communication unit 16 that communicates with vehicles. The server-side communication unit 16 is, for example, communication equipment in a center where the map update server 101 is installed.

[0013] The server-side map database 11 is a database that stores map information. The map information includes road position information, road shape information (e.g., curves, types of straight sections, curvature of curves, etc.), intersection and branch point position information, and structure position information. The server-side map database 11 serves as the basis for the vehicle-side map database 24, which will be described later. Updating of the map information in the server-side map database 11 will be described later.

[0014] The server-side map database 11 stores area information about predefined areas on a map. An "area" is a partial area obtained by dividing a map. Examples of areas include areas formed by dividing a map into a grid, areas corresponding to multiple lanes on a road, and areas corresponding to a combination of lanes. An "area corresponding to a combination of lanes" refers to an area such as the following. For example, if there is lane A and lane B that intersects with lane A at an intersection, and a vehicle turns right or left from lane A at the intersection and enters lane B, there is a route from lane A to lane B. An area connecting a part of lane A and a part of lane B at the intersection is an example of an "area corresponding to a combination of lanes." In this embodiment, such an area is treated as an "area" and incentive points can be awarded to the area. The server-side map database 11 may be provided on a server different from the map update server 101.

[0015] The map freshness calculation unit 12 calculates the map freshness for each area set in the map information in the server-side map database 11. Map freshness is the degree of freshness of the map information. The map freshness calculation unit 12 calculates the map freshness according to the amount of time that has passed since the map information for that area was last updated. For example, the map freshness calculation unit 12 calculates a higher value for the map freshness as the amount of time that has passed since the map information for that area was last updated is shorter. Note that the map freshness calculation unit 12 does not necessarily need to calculate the map freshness as a numerical value, and may also calculate the map freshness as a graded state such as high, medium, or low.

[0016] The incentive point granting unit 13 grants incentive points to the user of the vehicle or the vehicle when external environment information is transmitted from the vehicle controlled by the vehicle control device 102 to the map update server 101. In this embodiment, the user of the vehicle means a person riding in the vehicle. The user to whom incentive points are granted is one person. The user does not need to be limited to the driver. Note that the users to whom incentive points are granted may also include vehicle owners (including corporations) who are not riding in the vehicle.

[0017] Incentive points are points that motivate vehicle users to transmit external environment information to the map update server 101. Incentive points may be, for example, miles in a mileage program (registered trademark) offered by an airline, points in a well-known point system, or dedicated points. Incentive points may be any points that bring benefits to users when accumulated. Incentive points may be points that can be used as toll road fees, vehicle inspection fees, vehicle maintenance fees, exchanged for fuel, exchanged for merchandise, converted into electronic money, etc.

[0018] The incentive point granting unit 13 determines incentive points according to the map freshness of the area corresponding to the external environment information. The incentive point granting unit 13 may determine incentive points using map data that associates the map freshness with incentive points. The area corresponding to the external environment information is an area that includes the position on the map from which the external environment information is acquired.

[0019] For example, when the amount of external environment information contained in an area is equal to or greater than a certain amount (for example, when a vehicle travels a certain distance or more within the area and transmits the obtained external environment information to the map update server 101), the incentive point granting unit 13 grants incentive points to the user or vehicle according to the map freshness of the area.

[0020] The incentive point granting unit 13 grants more incentive points as the map freshness of the area corresponding to the external environment information increases. Specifically, the map freshness and the incentive points may be in a directly proportional relationship, or the incentive points may increase in stages as the map freshness increases. For example, the incentive point granting unit 13 may grant more incentive points when the map freshness is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold than when the map freshness is less than the predetermined threshold in a two-stage manner.

[0021] The reliability evaluation unit 14 evaluates the reliability of the external environment information. The reliability of the external environment information is the reliability of the vehicle control device 102 when detecting the external environment of the vehicle included in the external environment information. When the detection range of the external sensor is blocked by a preceding vehicle or the like when detecting the external environment of the vehicle and information such as white lines on the road is not included in the external environment information, the reliability evaluation unit 14 evaluates the reliability of the external environment information as a lower value compared to when information on white lines is included. The reliability evaluation unit 14 may evaluate the reliability as a lower value the higher the proportion of white lines in the external environment information that are hidden by other vehicles or the like. The proportion of hidden white lines can be determined using well-known technology (for example, camera image processing technology).

[0022] The reliability evaluation unit 14 may evaluate the reliability of the external environment information based on the reliability of the external sensors when detecting the external environment of the vehicle. Similarly, the reliability evaluation unit 14 may evaluate the reliability of the external environment information based on the reliability (stability) of the ECU of the vehicle control device 102. The reliability of the external sensors and the reliability of the ECU can be obtained by well-known techniques. In this case, the reliability evaluation unit 14 acquires the reliability of the external sensors and / or the reliability of the ECU when detecting the external environment of the vehicle through communication with the vehicle.

[0023] The map information update unit 15 updates the map information in the server-side map database 11 based on the external environment information acquired from the vehicle. First, the map information update unit 15 determines whether the reliability of the external environment information evaluated by the reliability evaluation unit 14 is equal to or greater than a reliability threshold. The reliability threshold is a preset threshold. The map information update unit 15 updates the map information based on external environment information whose reliability is equal to or greater than the reliability threshold. On the other hand, the map information update unit 15 does not use external environment information whose reliability is less than the reliability threshold to update the map information.

[0024] The map information update unit 15 updates the map information based on the external environment information using well-known techniques. For example, the map information update unit 15 generates continuous road surface images from images captured by a camera included in the external environment information, and updates the map information by compositing the generated road surface images onto a map under certain conditions.

[0025] A1-2. Vehicle control device configuration: Next, the configuration of the vehicle control device 102 of the map update system 100 will be described. The vehicle control device 102 is a device that controls a vehicle that is capable of communicating with the map update server 101. The control of the vehicle includes at least control of a user interface unit 25 (hereinafter also referred to as "UI unit 25"), which will be described later. The control of the vehicle may also include control of vehicle travel (for example, automatic driving control, driving assistance control).

[0026] The vehicle control device 102 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 30 that performs overall control of the device. The ECU 30 is an electronic control unit that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication circuit, and the like. The ECU 30, for example, loads programs stored in the ROM into the RAM and executes the programs loaded into the RAM with the CPU, thereby realizing various functions. The ECU 30 may be composed of multiple electronic units.

[0027] The ECU 30 is connected to a GPS receiving unit 21 , an external sensor 22 , an internal sensor 23 , a vehicle-side map database 24 , a UI unit 25 , an actuator 26 , and a vehicle-side communication unit 27 .

[0028] The GPS receiver 21 receives signals from three or more GPS satellites to measure the position of the vehicle (for example, the latitude and longitude of the vehicle). The GPS receiver 21 transmits the measured position information of the vehicle to the ECU 30.

[0029] The external sensor 22 is a detection device that detects the situation around the vehicle, and includes at least one of a camera and a radar sensor.

[0030] The camera is an imaging device that captures images of the external environment of the vehicle. The camera is installed behind the windshield of the vehicle. The camera transmits imaging information related to the external environment of the vehicle to the ECU 30. The camera may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. The stereo camera has two imaging units arranged to reproduce binocular parallax. The imaging information of the stereo camera also includes information in the depth direction.

[0031] A radar sensor is a detection device that uses radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light to detect obstacles around a vehicle. Radar sensors include, for example, millimeter wave radar or LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). A radar sensor detects obstacles by transmitting radio waves or light around the vehicle and receiving the radio waves or light reflected by the obstacles. The radar sensor transmits information about the detected obstacles to the ECU 30. Obstacles include fixed obstacles such as guardrails and buildings, as well as moving obstacles such as pedestrians, bicycles, and other vehicles.

[0032] The internal sensors 23 are detecting devices that detect the traveling state of the vehicle. The internal sensors 23 include a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle speed sensor is a detector that detects the speed of the vehicle. As the vehicle speed sensor, for example, a wheel speed sensor is used that is provided on a wheel of the vehicle or a drive shaft that rotates integrally with the wheel and detects the rotation speed of the wheel. The vehicle speed sensor transmits the detected vehicle speed information (wheel speed information) to the ECU 30.

[0033] The acceleration sensor is a detector that detects the acceleration of the vehicle. The acceleration sensor includes, for example, a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle. The acceleration sensor transmits, for example, vehicle acceleration information to the ECU 30. The yaw rate sensor is a detector that detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle. For example, a gyro sensor can be used as the yaw rate sensor. The yaw rate sensor transmits the detected yaw rate information of the vehicle to the ECU 30.

[0034] The vehicle-side map database 24 is a database that stores map information. The vehicle-side map database 24 is formed, for example, in a hard disk drive (HDD) mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle-side map database 24 updates the map information based on the server-side map database 11 through communication with the map update server 101. Note that the vehicle control device 102 may not be provided with the vehicle-side map database 24, and may instead acquire the necessary map information from the server-side map database 11.

[0035] The UI unit 25 has an interface for outputting and inputting information between the driver and the vehicle control device 102. The UI unit 25 has a display device 251 that displays image information to the driver, etc., as well as a touch panel for the driver to perform input operations. The UI unit 25 is also connected to a speaker of the vehicle (not shown). Based on a control signal from the ECU 30, the UI unit 25 displays image information on the display device 251 and outputs sound from the speaker. The UI unit 25 has a microphone for collecting the user's voice, and may have a voice recognition function for recognizing the user's voice collected by the microphone.

[0036] The actuators 26 are devices used to control the vehicle. The actuators 26 include at least a throttle actuator, a brake actuator, and a steering actuator. The throttle actuator controls the amount of air supplied to the engine (throttle opening) in response to a control signal from the ECU 30, thereby controlling the driving force of the vehicle. If the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, in addition to the amount of air supplied to the engine, a control signal from the ECU 30 is input to a motor serving as a power source to control the driving force. If the vehicle is an electric vehicle, a control signal from the ECU 30 is input to a motor serving as a power source to control the driving force. In these cases, the motor serving as a power source constitutes the actuator 26.

[0037] The brake actuator controls a brake system in response to a control signal from the ECU 30, thereby controlling the braking force applied to the vehicle wheels. The brake system may be, for example, a hydraulic brake system. The steering actuator controls the drive of an assist motor that controls the steering torque of the electric power steering system in response to a control signal from the ECU 30. In this way, the steering actuator controls the steering torque of the vehicle.

[0038] The vehicle-side communication unit 27 is a device for communicating with the map update server 101. The vehicle control device 102 transmits and receives various information to and from the map update server 101 via the vehicle-side communication unit 27. There are no particular limitations on the communication format.

[0039] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the ECU 30. The ECU 30 has a user authentication unit 31, a vehicle position recognition unit 32, a route selection unit 33, an external environment recognition unit 34, an external environment information generation unit 35, a driving state recognition unit 36, a vehicle control unit 37, and a user response unit 38. Some of the functions of the ECU 30 described below may be executed by a server or the like that can communicate with the vehicle.

[0040] The user authentication unit 31 performs individual authentication of the vehicle user. The user authentication unit 31 performs individual authentication of the user by well-known technology (for example, voiceprint authentication or facial image authentication) via the UI unit 25. Note that the vehicle control device 102 does not need to have the user authentication unit 31 if incentive points are awarded to a specific vehicle or vehicle owner.

[0041] The vehicle position recognition unit 32 recognizes the position of the vehicle on the map (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "vehicle position") based on the position information from the GPS receiver 21 and the map information in the vehicle-side map database 24. The vehicle position recognition unit 32 also recognizes the position of the vehicle by SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology, using position information of fixed obstacles such as utility poles included in the map information in the vehicle-side map database 24 and the detection results of the external sensor 22. The vehicle position recognition unit 32 may also recognize the position of the vehicle on the map by other well-known methods.

[0042] When the destination of the vehicle is set, the route selection unit 33 presents the route along which the vehicle will travel to the user via the UI unit 25. The destination of the vehicle may be set by the user or automatically by the vehicle control device 102 using well-known technology.

[0043] The route selection unit 33 uses well-known technology to present the user with a route along which the vehicle should travel, based on the vehicle's position on the map recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32 and the map information. If there are multiple routes to the destination, the route selection unit 33 presents the multiple routes to the user and allows the user to select a route. Based on the user's response, the route selection unit 33 sets the route selected by the user as the route along which the vehicle should travel. Based on the vehicle's position on the map recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32 and the map information, the route selection unit 33 determines whether the vehicle has arrived at the destination. If the route selection unit 33 determines that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, it cancels the route setting.

[0044] The external environment recognition unit 34 recognizes the external environment around the vehicle based on the detection results of the external sensor 22. The external environment includes the positions of white lines on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the road shape, the road width, and the status of obstacles (such as moving obstacles like other vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians, and the status of fixed obstacles like utility poles, guardrails, and buildings). The external environment is not limited to the environment on the road, but may include all environments included in the detection range of the external sensor 22. The external environment recognition unit 34 recognizes the external environment using a well-known method based on images captured by the camera and obstacle information from the radar sensor.

[0045] The external environment information generation unit 35 generates external environment information based on the position of the vehicle on the map recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32 and the external environment around the vehicle recognized by the external environment recognition unit 34. The external environment information includes information on the external environment associated with the position of the vehicle on the map. The external environment information may include the reliability of the external sensor 22 when detecting the external environment and / or the reliability of the vehicle position recognition. The external environment information generation unit 35 may recognize areas set in advance on the map by communicating with the map update server 101 and generate external environment information for each area.

[0046] The driving state recognition unit 36 ​​recognizes the driving state of the vehicle based on the detection results of the internal sensor 23. The driving state includes the vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, and vehicle yaw rate. Specifically, the driving state recognition unit 36 ​​recognizes the vehicle speed based on vehicle speed information from the vehicle speed sensor. The driving state recognition unit 36 ​​recognizes the vehicle acceleration based on vehicle speed information from the acceleration sensor. The driving state recognition unit 36 ​​recognizes the direction of the vehicle based on yaw rate information from the yaw rate sensor.

[0047] The vehicle control unit 37 controls the driving of the vehicle by sending a control signal to the actuator 26. When automatic driving control of the vehicle is requested, the vehicle control unit 37 executes automatic driving control of the vehicle based on the map information in the vehicle-side map database 24, the position of the vehicle on the map recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32, the route set by the route selection unit 33, the external environment of the vehicle recognized by the external environment recognition unit 34, and the driving state of the vehicle recognized by the driving state recognition unit 36. The vehicle control unit 37 executes automatic driving control by using well-known technology to drive the vehicle without requiring driving operation by the user.

[0048] The vehicle control unit 37 may perform driving assistance control of the vehicle. The driving assistance control may include LKA (Lane Keeping Assist) and / or ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). The driving assistance control may be control corresponding to autonomous driving level 1 or autonomous driving level 2. When a route is set in the route selection unit 33, the vehicle control unit 37 may execute route guidance control to guide the user along the route via the UI unit 25.

[0049] The vehicle control unit 37 may have a function to automatically execute a lane change when the user responds in the user response unit 38 described below that the lane change is to be performed even if the vehicle is being manually driven (or under driving assistance control).

[0050] The user response unit 38 exchanges various information with the vehicle user via the UI unit 25. The user response unit 38 may have a function of setting a recipient of incentive points. The recipient of incentive points can be selected from the vehicle user or the vehicle authenticated by the user authentication unit 31. Note that the recipient of incentive points may be fixed to either the vehicle user or the vehicle.

[0051] In response to a user request, the user response unit 38 presents incentive point information regarding incentive points for an area on the display device 251. The user response unit 38 acquires the incentive point information by communicating with the map update server 101 and presents the information on the display device 251.

[0052] The incentive point information is information on incentive points that can be obtained by transmitting the external environment information of the area to the map update server 101 .

[0053] The user response unit 38 acquires incentive point information by communicating with the map update server 101, and presents the incentive point information to the user via the UI unit 25. A specific presentation method will be described later.

[0054] The user response unit 38 inquires of the user as to whether or not to transmit the external environment information to the map update server 101. The user response unit 38 makes the inquiry by displaying an image or outputting a voice via the UI unit 25. The user response unit 38 recognizes the user's response to the inquiry via the UI unit 25 by the user operating an input device such as a touch panel or by voice recognition.

[0055] If the user responds that he / she will transmit the external environment information to the map update server 101, the user response unit 38 transmits the external environment information to the map update server 101 via the vehicle-side communication unit 27. If the user responds that he / she will not transmit the external environment information to the map update server 101, the user response unit 38 does not transmit the external environment information to the map update server 101.

[0056] When external environment information is transmitted from a vehicle to the map update server 101, the incentive point granting unit 13 of the map update server 101 grants predetermined incentive points to the user or the vehicle according to the map freshness of the area corresponding to the external environment information.

[0057] A2. Processing in the map update system 100: The processing executed in the map updating system 100 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0058] A2-1. Map information update process: The map information update process shown in FIG. 2 is executed when the map update server 101 acquires external environment information from the vehicle.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 2, in step S10, the map update server 101 evaluates the reliability of the external environment information using the reliability evaluation unit 14. When the external environment information does not include information about white lines on roads, the reliability evaluation unit 14 evaluates the reliability of the external environment information as a lower value than when information about white lines is included. Note that hereinafter, "step S" may also be simply referred to as "S".

[0060] In S12, the map update server 101 determines whether the reliability of the external environment information is equal to or greater than the reliability threshold by the map information update unit 15. If the map update server 101 has not determined that the reliability of the external environment information is equal to or greater than the reliability threshold (S12: NO), the map update server 101 ends this processing. If the map update server 101 has determined that the reliability of the external environment information is equal to or greater than the reliability threshold (S12: YES), the map update server 101 proceeds to S14.

[0061] In S14, the map update server 101 updates the map information using the external environment information whose reliability is equal to or greater than the reliability threshold. The map information update unit 15 updates the map information based on the external environment information using well-known techniques. Thereafter, the map update server 101 ends this processing.

[0062] A2-2.Map freshness calculation: The map freshness calculation process shown in Fig. 3 is executed as needed. In S20, the map update server 101 calculates the map freshness for each area set in the map information using the map freshness calculation unit 12. The map freshness calculation unit 12 calculates the map freshness according to the time elapsed since the map information for that area was last updated. Thereafter, the map update server 101 ends this process.

[0063] A2-3.Incentive point information presentation process: 4 is a process for presenting incentive points to a vehicle user. The incentive point information presentation process is executed when the vehicle control device 102 is started up.

[0064] In S30, the user response unit 38 of the vehicle control device 102 identifies the vehicle position recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32 and notifies the map update server 101 of the identified vehicle position. In the map update server 101, the incentive point granting unit 13 determines incentive points that can be granted to each area around the vehicle based on the received vehicle position and taking into consideration the server-side map database 11, and notifies the vehicle control device 102 via the server-side communication unit 16. In this way, the user response unit 38 identifies incentive points that can be granted to each area around the vehicle. The above-mentioned "surroundings of the vehicle" refers to, for example, a circular area with a predetermined radius centered on the vehicle. The predetermined radius may be any distance, such as 100 m or 300 m. Alternatively, for example, the area may be within an area corresponding to the size of the map information displayed on the display device 251 included in the UI unit 25. Specifically, if the shape of the display area of ​​the map information on the display device 251 is rectangular, and at the current display scale of the map information, a map of an area of ​​200m (meters) x 300m can be displayed in the display area, then the area may correspond to the "surroundings of the vehicle."

[0065] In S32, the user response unit 38 determines whether or not an area (hereinafter also referred to as an "assignment area") in which incentive points equal to or greater than a point threshold can be assigned exists around the vehicle. The "area in which incentive points can be assigned" refers to an area in which incentive points can be assigned when external environment information related to that area is transmitted to the map update server 101. The "point threshold" is a threshold set for incentive points to be assigned in order to identify an assignment area in which a line-shaped image, which will be described later, is to be displayed, and in this embodiment, it is set as a fixed value in advance. In this embodiment, the point threshold is set as "10" in advance. However, it is not limited to "10", and any value may be set.

[0066] If it is determined that an area (awarding area) in which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded exists around the vehicle (S32: YES), in S38 the user response unit 38 causes the display device 251 of the UI unit 25 to display a line-shaped image corresponding to the incentive points for each awarding area. In this embodiment, the user response unit 38 causes the display device 251 to display map information and the vehicle's position on the map, and further causes the line-shaped image to be superimposed on the map information. After completion of S38, the processing returns to S30.

[0067] For example, in the example of FIG. 5, when vehicle V1 is located near intersection Cr1, three line-shaped images (first line-shaped image FL1, second line-shaped image FL2, and third line-shaped image FL3) are displayed on the display device 251. The first line-shaped image FL1 indicates that the incentive points that can be awarded to the area corresponding to lane L12 on which vehicle V1 is traveling are equal to or greater than the point threshold value of 10. The second line-shaped image FL2 indicates that the incentive points that can be awarded to the area corresponding to the combination of lanes L13 and L32 are equal to or greater than the point threshold value of 10. The third line-shaped image FL3 indicates that the incentive points that can be awarded to the area corresponding to lane L23 are equal to or greater than the point threshold value of 10. Note that in the example of FIG. 5, incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold value cannot be awarded to the other lanes L11, L21, L22, L31, L41, and L42 and areas corresponding to combinations of these lanes.

[0068] 4, if it is determined that there is no area (awarding area) around the vehicle where incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded (S32: NO), the user response unit 38 determines in S34 whether or not there is a search request for an awarding area via the UI unit 25. A "search request for an awarding area" refers to a request to search for an awarding area in an area outside the area around the vehicle. In this embodiment, the "area outside the area around the vehicle" refers to an area adjacent to the area around the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an "adjacent area") and having a predetermined size.

[0069] If it is determined in S34 that a request for searching for an assigned area has been made (S34: YES), the user support unit 38 communicates with the map update server 101 in S36 to search for an assigned area in the adjacent region. After S36 is completed, the above-mentioned S38 is executed. If it is determined in S34 that a request for searching for an assigned area has not been made (S34: NO), the process returns to S30.

[0070] According to the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment described above, the user support unit 38 uses the vehicle's position on the map to identify line-shaped images FL1 to FL3 as route information for which incentive points equal to or greater than a predetermined point threshold can be awarded, and displays them on the display device 251. Therefore, the user can easily know from the line-shaped images FL1 to FL3 displayed on the display device 251 whether or not incentive points equal to or greater than at least the point threshold can be set for each route (road, lane).

[0071] Furthermore, the map freshness is calculated for each lane and lane combination of the surrounding roads and incentive points are awarded based on the calculated map freshness, and lanes and lane combinations for which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded are displayed as line images on the display device 251, allowing the user to easily know whether the incentive points set for each lane and lane combination (route) are equal to or greater than the point threshold. Furthermore, since lanes and lane combinations for which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded are displayed as line images, the user can easily know which lanes and lane combinations will award incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold when traveling on them.

[0072] B. Second embodiment: The configuration of the map updating system 100 of the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. Also, in the map updating system 100 of the second embodiment, the map information update process, the map freshness calculation process, and the incentive point information presentation process are each executed, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0073] The map updating system of the second embodiment differs from the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment in that the information displayed on the display device 251 in S38 of the incentive point information presentation process differs from that of the first embodiment.

[0074] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, incentive point display sections pd1 to pd3 are displayed superimposed on each of the linear images FL1 to FL3. These three incentive point display sections pd1 to pd3 are rectangular display areas for displaying incentive point values. Specifically, the first incentive point display section pd1 is displayed superimposed on the first linear image FL1. Similarly, the second incentive point display section pd2 is displayed superimposed on the second linear image FL2, and the third incentive point display section pd3 is displayed superimposed on the third linear image FL3. The first incentive point display section pd1 displays "20" as the incentive point. The second incentive point display section pd2 displays "80" as the incentive point. The third incentive point display section pd3 displays "40" as the incentive point. This configuration allows the user to easily know the specific incentive points that can be awarded for each lane and each lane combination.

[0075] The map updating system 100 of the second embodiment described above has the same effects as the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, since incentive point display sections pd1 to pd3 that display incentive points for each of the line-shaped images FL1 to FL3 are displayed, the user can easily know the specific incentive points that can be awarded for each lane and each combination of lanes.

[0076] C. Third embodiment: The configuration of the map updating system 100 of the third embodiment is the same as the configuration of the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. Also, in the map updating system 100 of the third embodiment, the map information update process, the map freshness calculation process, and the incentive point information presentation process are each executed, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0077] The map updating system of the third embodiment differs from the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment in that the information displayed on the display device 251 in S38 of the incentive point information presentation process differs from that of the first embodiment.

[0078] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the display manner of each line-shaped image FL1a, FL1b, and FL1c is different from the display manner of each line-shaped image FL1, FL1, and FL1 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5. In the third embodiment, as shown in the "legend" in FIG. 7, incentive points are divided into three levels: "10 or less," "greater than 10 and less than 50," and "greater than 50." The display manner of the line-shaped images is configured to differ between the levels. Specifically, "10 or less" is displayed in the lightest (lowest brightness) color, "greater than 10 and less than 50" is displayed in the second lightest color, and "greater than 50" is displayed in the darkest (highest brightness) color. This configuration allows the user to easily know how many incentive points can be awarded for each lane and each lane combination.

[0079] The map updating system 100 of the third embodiment described above has the same effects as the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, the display mode of each of the line-shaped images F1a to F1c is set to a display mode corresponding to the incentive points, so that the user can easily know how many incentive points can be awarded for each lane and each combination of lanes.

[0080] D. Fourth embodiment: The configuration of the map updating system 100 of the fourth embodiment is the same as the configuration of the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. Also, in the map updating system 100 of the fourth embodiment, the map information update process, the map freshness calculation process, and the incentive point information presentation process are each executed, as in the first embodiment.

[0081] The map updating system 100 of the fourth embodiment differs from the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment in that the UI unit 25 displays an assigned area search menu screen W1 on the display device 251 shown in Fig. 8. The assigned area search menu screen W1 is a menu screen used when the user requests the map updating system 100 to search for an assigned area.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 8, the incentive point area search menu screen W1 includes a point threshold input section w11, a search button Bt1, and a cancel button Bt2. The user can input a desired point threshold in the point threshold input section w11. In the example of FIG. 8, "50" is input as the point threshold. The user can input a search request for an incentive point area to the map update system 100 by inputting a point threshold in the point threshold input section w11 and pressing the search button Bt1. When a search request for an incentive point area is input in this manner, it is determined in S34 of the incentive point information presentation process shown in FIG. 4 that a search request for an incentive point area has been made. In S36, the user response unit 38 notifies the map update server 101 of the point threshold input section w11 of the incentive point area search menu screen W1 via the vehicle-side communication unit 27. The map update server 101 searches for areas in the adjacent region that are award areas and for which incentive points equal to or greater than the threshold points can be awarded, based on the vehicle position information and point threshold value received from the vehicle control device 102, and returns the search results to the vehicle control device 102. Then, the above-mentioned S38 is executed, and a line-shaped image is displayed on the display device 251 corresponding to areas in the adjacent region that are award areas and for which incentive points equal to or greater than the threshold points can be awarded.

[0083] The map updating system 100 of the fourth embodiment described above has the same effects as the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, the user response unit 38 queries the map update server 101 to search for roads among the surrounding roads to which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold input from the award area search menu screen W1 of the UI unit 25 can be awarded, and displays the searched roads on the display device 251. Therefore, the user can easily know the lanes and routes (combinations of lanes) that allow the user to acquire desired incentive points by setting the point threshold using the UI unit 25.

[0084] E. Fifth embodiment: The configuration of the map updating system 100 of the fourth embodiment is the same as the configuration of the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. Also, in the map updating system 100 of the fourth embodiment, the map information update process, the map freshness calculation process, and the incentive point information presentation process are each executed, as in the first embodiment.

[0085] The map updating system 100 of the fourth embodiment differs from the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment in the procedure of the incentive point information presentation process.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 9, the incentive point information presentation process of the fifth embodiment differs from the incentive point information presentation process of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4 in that S42 to S46 are executed instead of S32 to S38. The other steps (S30) are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the same steps are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] After S30 is completed, in S42, the user response unit 38 queries the driving state recognition unit 36 ​​to determine whether the vehicle is stopped to turn right or left. If it is determined that the vehicle is stopped to turn right or left (S42: YES), the user response unit 38 determines in S44 whether or not a lane corresponding to the assigned area exists among the lanes that can be traveled after a right or left turn. If it is determined that a lane corresponding to the assigned area exists (S44: YES), the user response unit 38 displays a line-shaped image for the corresponding lane on the display device 251 in S46.

[0088] For example, as shown in Fig. 10, when vehicle V1 is stopped at intersection Cr1 in lane L13, which is a right-turn-only lane, until it is possible to make a right turn, and of the two lanes L31 and L32 that vehicle V1 can travel on after turning right, only lane L32 is a lane on which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded, a line-shaped image FL2b is displayed on lane L32. Therefore, the user can easily know that incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded by traveling on lane L32.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 9, if it is determined that the vehicle is not stopped to turn right or left (S42: NO), if it is determined that there is no lane corresponding to the assigned area (S44: NO), or after S46 is completed, the process returns to S30.

[0090] The map updating system 100 of the fifth embodiment described above has the same effects as the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, when the vehicle stops to turn right or left, the user accommodating unit 38 displays a line image along the lanes that constitute an area for which incentive points equal to or greater than a predetermined point threshold can be awarded, out of the lanes that can be traveled after the right or left turn, so that the user can use the line image FL2b, which is the incentive point information displayed on the display device 251, as information for making a decision when selecting a lane to enter after turning the vehicle right or left.

[0091] F. Sixth embodiment: A map updating system 100a according to the sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 11 differs from the map updating system 100 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that the ECU 30 in the vehicle control device 102 also functions as a lane change determination unit 39. The other configurations of the map updating system 100a according to the sixth embodiment are the same as those of the map updating system 100, and therefore the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0092] The lane change determination unit 39 determines whether or not it is possible to change lanes to other lanes (hereinafter also referred to as "candidate destination lanes") that are different from the lane the vehicle is traveling in and that could be the destination of the lane change.

[0093] The incentive point information presentation process of the sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 12 differs from the incentive point information presentation process of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4 in that S37 is added and executed, and S38a and S38b are executed instead of S38. Since the other steps in the incentive point information presentation process of the sixth embodiment are the same as those in the incentive point information presentation process of the first embodiment, the same steps are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0094] If it is determined in S32 that an area (award area) in which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded exists around the vehicle (S32: YES), the lane change determination unit 39 determines in S37 whether a lane change to the candidate destination lane is possible. Specifically, when the external environment recognition unit 34 identifies the condition of the candidate destination lane, the lane change determination unit 39 determines whether a lane change is possible based on the identified condition and the vehicle-side map database 24. For example, if the external environment recognition unit 34 identifies that the candidate destination lane is congested based on the detection result of the external sensor 22, the lane change determination unit 39 determines that a lane change is not possible. Furthermore, for example, if another vehicle is traveling near the host vehicle, such as traveling alongside the host vehicle in the candidate destination lane, the lane change determination unit 39 determines that a lane change is not possible. For example, if it is determined using the vehicle-mounted map database 24 that a restriction prohibiting lane changes is set in advance at the boundary between the currently traveling lane and the destination candidate lane, it is determined that a lane change is not possible. Also, if it is determined using the vehicle-mounted map database 24 that the entire destination candidate lane is a construction zone and therefore travel is not possible, it is determined that a lane change is not being attempted.

[0095] If it is determined that a lane change to the destination candidate lane is possible (S37: YES), in S38a, if the lane in question is a grant area, the user response unit 38 causes the display device 251 of the UI unit 25 to display a line image corresponding to the incentive points for each grant area including the lane in question (area). Note that if the destination candidate lane is not a grant area to begin with, no line image is displayed for the destination candidate lane in S38a. This S38a is the same as S38 in the first embodiment.

[0096] On the other hand, if it is determined that a lane change to the destination candidate lane is not possible (S37: NO), in S38b, if the lane in question is a grant area, the user response unit 38 does not display a line-shaped image for the lane (area), but displays line-shaped images corresponding to the incentive points for each of the other grant areas on the display device 251 of the UI unit 25. Therefore, for example, even if the destination candidate lane is a grant area, if it is determined that a lane change is not possible because of congestion, a line-shaped image will not be displayed for that lane.

[0097] The map updating system 100a of the sixth embodiment described above has the same effects as the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, when it is determined that a lane change to the candidate destination lane is not possible, the user accommodating unit 38 does not display the incentive point information related to the incentive points set for that lane as a line image on the display device 251. This prevents the user from making a dangerous lane change, such as forcibly cutting into another lane where a lane change is not possible, in order to obtain incentive points, and thus promotes safe driving.

[0098] G. Seventh embodiment: A map updating system 100b of the sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 13 differs from the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that the ECU 30 in the vehicle control device 102 also functions as a vehicle stop determination unit 40. The other configurations of the map updating system 100b of the sixth embodiment are the same as those of the map updating system 100, so the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The vehicle stop determination unit 40 determines whether the vehicle is stopped or not.

[0099] The incentive point information presentation process of the seventh embodiment shown in Fig. 14 differs from the incentive point information presentation process of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4 in that S37a is additionally executed. Since the other steps in the incentive point information presentation process of the seventh embodiment are the same as those in the incentive point information presentation process of the first embodiment, the same steps are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0100] In S32, if it is determined that an area (awarding area) in which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold value can be awarded exists around the vehicle (S32: YES), and after S36 is completed, the vehicle stop determination unit 40 determines whether the vehicle is stopped in S37a. In this embodiment, the vehicle stop determination unit 40 determines that the vehicle is stopped when the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor, which is one of the internal sensors 23, is equal to or less than a predetermined speed.

[0101] If it is determined that the vehicle is stopped (S37a: YES), the above-mentioned S38 is executed, and the line-shaped image is displayed on the display device 251 together with the map information and vehicle position information. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle is not stopped (S37a: NO), S38 is not executed, and the process returns to S30. Therefore, in this case, the line-shaped image is not displayed on the display device 251 together with the map information and vehicle position information. In this way, the reason why the line-shaped image is not displayed when the vehicle is not stopped, i.e., when the vehicle is moving, is to prevent the driver from deciding which lane to drive in by looking at the line-shaped image displayed on the display device 251 while the vehicle is moving, thereby promoting safe driving.

[0102] The map updating system 100b of the seventh embodiment described above has the same effects as the map updating system 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, a line-shaped image is displayed on the display device 251, and when it is determined that the vehicle is not stopped, a line-shaped image is not displayed on the display device 251. This prevents the driver from deciding which road to travel on by looking at the line-shaped image displayed on the display device 251 while the vehicle is moving, thereby promoting safe driving.

[0103] H. Other Embodiments: (H1) In each embodiment, the incentive point information is displayed on the display device 251 as a line-shaped image, or as a line-shaped image and the value of the incentive points displayed in the incentive point display area, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a type of icon that is preset according to the value of the incentive points may be displayed on the display device 251 in association with each grant area (each lane or combination of lanes).

[0104] (H2) In the first embodiment, the settable minimum value of incentive points may be set as the point threshold value. By doing so, all areas for which incentive points can be awarded can be displayed on the display device 251. Therefore, the user can easily know all lanes and lane combinations for which incentive points can be awarded around the vehicle.

[0105] (H3) In the third embodiment, the display mode of the linear image was divided into three stages, each of which had a different display mode. However, the display mode may be divided into any number of stages, not limited to three, each of which has a different display mode. The display mode may be configured to change continuously in response to an increase or decrease in incentive points. For example, the color of the linear image may gradually become darker (brighter) as the incentive points increase. The difference in display mode according to incentive points may be realized by other methods, not just color (brightness). For example, the saturation or hue of the linear image may be different depending on the incentive points. For example, the thickness of the linear image may be different depending on the incentive points. For example, the shape of the linear image may be different depending on the incentive points. Specifically, the shape of the linear image may be a dashed line with a large pitch for the "10 or less" stage, a linear line with a small pitch for the "greater than 10 and less than or equal to 50" stage, and a solid line for the "greater than 50" stage.

[0106] (H4) The award area search menu screen W1 in the fourth embodiment includes the point threshold input section w11, but may include an input section for specifying a range of incentive points (hereinafter referred to as a "range specification input section") instead of the point threshold input section w11. In such a configuration, an award area in which incentive points within the range input to the range specification input section can be awarded may be searched for, and a line-shaped image of the award area may be displayed on the display device 251.

[0107] (H5) In each embodiment, the external environment recognition unit 34 may recognize the external environment around the vehicle based on information acquired via communication from an external device (not shown) instead of or in addition to the detection results of the external sensor 22. For example, the external environment recognition unit 34 may recognize the external environment by acquiring information such as the location of an obstacle from a roadside device serving as an external device via road-to-vehicle communication. Therefore, for example, in S37 of the incentive point information presentation process in the sixth embodiment, it may determine whether or not a lane change to a candidate destination lane is possible based on information acquired from an external device such as a roadside device.

[0108] (H6) In S37a of the incentive point information presentation process in the seventh embodiment, the vehicle stop determination unit 40 determines that the vehicle is stopped when the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor, which is one of the internal sensors 23, is equal to or less than a predetermined speed, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle may be determined to be stopped when the detection result of the external sensor 22 has not changed significantly by a predetermined value or more for a predetermined time, or when the vehicle position recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32 has not changed significantly by a predetermined distance or more for a predetermined time.

[0109] (H7) In the sixth embodiment, the determination of whether a lane change to a destination candidate lane is possible (S37) is made based on the conditions of the destination candidate lane identified by the external environment recognition unit 34 and the vehicle-mounted map database 24. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the risk of moving to the destination candidate lane may be calculated based on traffic congestion information, the driving conditions of other vehicles around the vehicle, and driving conditions such as the vehicle's speed. If the risk is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, it may be determined that a lane change is possible, and if the risk is lower than the predetermined threshold, it may be determined that a lane change is not possible. This configuration also achieves the same effects as the sixth embodiment. As a variation of this configuration, the determination of whether a lane change to a destination candidate lane is possible may be omitted, and line images may be displayed for all destination candidate lanes, and the calculated risk may be displayed in the same way as incentive point information. With this configuration, the user can use the displayed risk as a basis for deciding whether to change lanes.

[0110] (H8) In each embodiment, the vehicle control device 102 of the map update system 100, 100a, 100b does not necessarily have to control vehicle driving. In this case, the ECU 30 of the vehicle control device 102 does not necessarily have to include the driving state recognition unit 36 ​​and the vehicle control unit 37. The user response unit 38 may present only map freshness information to the user instead of incentive point information. Incentive points may be awarded to both the user and the vehicle. The vehicle control device 102 does not necessarily have a function for querying the user. In other words, the vehicle control device 102 may always automatically transmit external environment information to the map update server 101. In this case, the map update server 101 automatically awards incentive points to the user or the vehicle. The vehicle control device 102 presents information about the awarded incentive points to the user. The map update system 100 does not necessarily have an automatic setting function for automatically transmitting external environment information to the map update server 101. The map update server 101 does not necessarily have to have the reliability evaluation unit 14 that evaluates the reliability of external environment information.

[0111] (H9) Each of the functional units 11-15, 31-40 and the methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, each of the functional units 11-15, 31-40 and the methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, each of the functional units 11-15, 31-40 and the methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium.

[0112] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, technical features in each embodiment corresponding to technical features in the embodiments described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. The present disclosure can be realized in the form of, for example, a control method for a collision damage mitigation function, a computer program for implementing such a method, a non-transitory recording medium on which such a computer program is recorded, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 100, 100a, 100b...map update system, 11, 24...map database, 101...map update server, 32...vehicle position recognition unit, 22...external sensor, 35...external environment information generation unit, 12...map freshness calculation unit, 13...incentive point granting unit, 38...user response unit, 251...display device

Claims

1. A map update system (100, 100a, 100b), a map database (11, 24) for storing map information; a map update server (101) that updates the map information based on external environment information acquired through communication with the vehicle; a vehicle position recognition unit (32) that recognizes the position of the vehicle on a map; an external environment information generating unit (35) that generates the external environment information relating to the external environment of the vehicle in association with the position of the vehicle on the map based on the detection results of the external sensors (22) mounted on the vehicle and the position of the vehicle on the map; a map freshness calculation unit (12) that calculates map freshness for each area preset in the map information; an incentive point granting unit (13) that, when the external environment information is transmitted from the vehicle to the map update server, grants to the user of the vehicle or the vehicle a preset incentive point according to the map freshness of the area corresponding to the external environment information; a user response unit (38) that presents to the user map freshness information, which is information relating to the map freshness of the area, or incentive point information relating to the incentive points of the area; Equipped with the user support unit uses the position of the vehicle on the map and the map freshness to identify route information for which the incentive points equal to or greater than a predetermined point threshold can be awarded, and displays the route information on a display device (251) mounted on the vehicle; the user response unit causes the display device to display the map information indicating surrounding roads, which are roads within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, including a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the position of the vehicle on the map; the surrounding road has a plurality of lanes; Each of the plurality of lanes and combinations of the plurality of lanes correspond to the area; the user support unit causes the display device to display the incentive point information related to the incentive points of the area; The vehicle further includes a lane change determination unit (39) that determines whether or not the vehicle can change to another lane that is different from the lane the vehicle is traveling in and that can be a destination lane by lane change, When it is determined that a lane change to the other lane is not possible, the user support unit does not display the incentive point information regarding the incentive point set for the other lane on the display device.

2. A map update system (100, 100a, 100b), a map database (11, 24) for storing map information; a map update server (101) that updates the map information based on external environment information acquired through communication with the vehicle; a vehicle position recognition unit (32) that recognizes the position of the vehicle on a map; an external environment information generating unit (35) that generates the external environment information relating to the external environment of the vehicle in association with the position of the vehicle on the map based on the detection results of the external sensors (22) mounted on the vehicle and the position of the vehicle on the map; a map freshness calculation unit (12) that calculates map freshness for each area preset in the map information; an incentive point granting unit (13) that, when the external environment information is transmitted from the vehicle to the map update server, grants to the user of the vehicle or the vehicle a preset incentive point according to the map freshness of the area corresponding to the external environment information; a user response unit (38) that presents to the user map freshness information, which is information relating to the map freshness of the area, or incentive point information relating to the incentive points of the area; Equipped with the user support unit uses the position of the vehicle on the map and the map freshness to identify route information for which the incentive points equal to or greater than a predetermined point threshold can be awarded, and displays the route information on a display device (251) mounted on the vehicle; the user response unit causes the display device to display the map information indicating surrounding roads, which are roads within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, including a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the position of the vehicle on the map; the surrounding road has a plurality of lanes; Each of the plurality of lanes and combinations of the plurality of lanes correspond to the area; the user support unit causes the display device to display the incentive point information related to the incentive points of the area; The vehicle further includes a vehicle stop determination unit (40) that determines whether the vehicle is stopped, The user response unit displays the incentive point information on the display device when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, and does not display the incentive points on the display device when it is determined that the vehicle is not stopped.

3. 3. The map update system according to claim 1, wherein: The user support unit causes the display device to display, as the route information, line-shaped images (FL1 to FL3, FL1a to FL3a) that are arranged along the surrounding roads displayed on the display device and that correspond to the incentive points set in the area.

4. 3. The map update system according to claim 1, wherein: A user interface unit (25) for receiving input of the point threshold value is further provided, The user support unit searches for roads among the surrounding roads for which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold input from the user interface unit can be awarded, and displays the roads on the display device.

5. 3. The map update system according to claim 1, wherein: The user response unit, when the vehicle stops to turn right or left, causes the display device to display, among the lanes that can be traveled after the right or left turn, lanes that constitute the area for which incentive points equal to or greater than the point threshold can be awarded.

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