Information processing device, mobile device, control method and program for information processing device

Abstract

To reduce latency when generating a map in the case that there is a correction of position and attitude information of a measurement sensor.SOLUTION: An information processing device 203 comprises: shape information acquisition means 204 for acquiring shape information of a surrounding environment of a moving object measured by a sensor mounted on the moving object; position and attitude acquisition means 205 for acquiring position and attitude information of the sensor; correction state acquisition means 207 for acquiring an implementation state related to processing for correcting position and attitude information; priority determining means 208 for determining a priority of an area for which a map is generated; and map generating means 209 for generating the map based on the shape information and the position and attitude information when the shape information is acquired, wherein: the map generating means 209 generates the map in a descending order of the priority according to the implementation state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a moving body, a control method for the information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Attention has been paid to the field of moving bodies operating in environments such as factories and logistics warehouses, such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). An unmanned moving body travels along a set route while estimating its own position. And a technique for creating a map (hereinafter referred to as a map) representing the shape of an obstacle using data during travel around the travel route has also been proposed.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for quickly creating a map by sensing the possibility of movement of an object included in a map and selectively reflecting it on the original map from the changed environmental information including the moved object. Further, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a loop closure technique for correcting the deviation of the position and orientation in the process of generating environmental map data by moving a moving body equipped with a sensor. By the loop closure technique, the accuracy of the map can be improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0006] However, the method described in Patent Document 1 cannot reduce the latency of map creation in cases where it is necessary to regenerate the layout map according to the position and orientation measurement error of the moving object, such as when a loop is closed.

[0007] The present invention aims to reduce latency when generating maps in cases where position and orientation information of a measurement sensor is corrected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the information processing device of the present invention includes a shape information acquisition means for acquiring shape information of the surrounding environment of a moving body measured by a sensor mounted on the moving body, and the Mounted on the mobile vehicle A position and orientation acquisition means for acquiring position and orientation information of a sensor, The moving body revisits the position already acquired by the position and orientation acquisition means. Process for correcting the position and orientation information process Get the status In a state Means for obtaining the state, A different layout from the map based on SLAM processing using the aforementioned position and orientation information. map Based on the shape information, territory to generate area Decision The decision A determining means, the shape information, and the position and orientation information when the shape information was acquired. and the aforementioned processing state Based From the area determined by the determination means, the layout A map generation means for generating a map, and El . [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, latency can be reduced when generating a map in cases where the position and orientation information of the measurement sensor is corrected. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the operating environment of a mobile object. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the processing of the information processing device in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the map generation process in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the stepwise map in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows the configuration of the information processing device in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing the map generation process in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This diagram explains map result notification and parameter settings. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] (First Embodiment) In this embodiment, a case where the method of this embodiment is applied when a moving object equipped with a sensor for measuring the shape of an obstacle is manually moved while an operator visually recognizes a map of the space in which the moving object moves will be described. In this embodiment, an example of generating a layout map that measures the surrounding environment of the traveling route of a moving object as a map and represents the shape of an obstacle, buildings, the shape of roads, etc. will be described. In order to prevent measurement omission of the shape of an obstacle, it is necessary to always update the display of the map while the moving object is moving. In order to update the display of the map in real time, it is necessary to reduce the time (latency) from when the shape data is measured until a map with corrected errors is generated. Therefore, in this embodiment, a priority for determining the order of map generation is set for each partial area in the space to be mapped.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the traveling environment of a moving object. In FIG. 1, a schematic view of the space to be mapped is shown as seen from above. The moving object 101 is a moving object equipped with a position and orientation measurement sensor 102 and a shape measurement sensor 103. The position and orientation measurement sensor 102 includes a camera and measures the position and orientation of the moving object 101. The camera included in the position and orientation measurement sensor 102 captures, for example, a grayscale image of the surrounding environment of the moving object 101 at a certain frequency (for example, 30 times / second) and acquires it. The shape measurement sensor 103 includes a depth sensor and measures the shape information of surrounding objects. The shape measurement sensor 103 acquires, for example, a distance image at a certain frequency (for example, 30 times / second) based on the result of measuring the surrounding environment of the moving object 101 with the depth sensor. In this embodiment, it is assumed that two shape measurement sensors 103 are mounted on the moving object 101.

[0013] The space 104 is a predetermined space to be mapped. The obstacles 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, and 110 are obstacles existing in the space 104. To measure the shapes of the obstacles 105 to 110, the operator causes the moving object 101 to travel near the obstacles. The traveling route of the moving object 101 is, for example, a one-round course that starts from the start / end point 112, travels clockwise on the traveling route 111 in FIG. 1, and returns to the start / end point 112 again.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system including the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The information processing system 201 includes a position and orientation measurement sensor 102, a shape measurement sensor 103, a position and orientation measurement unit 202, a correction unit 206, an information processing apparatus 203, an input reception unit 210, and a display unit 211. The information processing apparatus 203 includes a shape information acquisition unit 204, a position and orientation acquisition unit 205, a correction state acquisition unit 207, a priority determination unit 208, and a map generation unit 209.

[0015] The position and orientation measurement unit 202 calculates the position and orientation information of the shape measurement sensor 103 based on the measurement result of the position and orientation measurement sensor 102. Specifically, first, the position and orientation measurement unit 202 obtains the position and orientation of the position and orientation measurement sensor 102 based on the captured image captured by the position and orientation measurement sensor 102. Next, the position and orientation measurement unit 202 calculates the position and orientation of the shape measurement sensor 103 from the position and orientation of the position and orientation measurement sensor 102 based on the relatively set positional relationship between the position and orientation measurement sensor 102 and the shape measurement sensor 103 in advance. As a method for obtaining the position and orientation of the position and orientation measurement sensor 102 from the captured image of the position and orientation measurement sensor 102, a known method such as SLAM technology may be used.

[0016] The information processing apparatus, 203 creates a map of the surrounding environment in which the mobile body 101 moves based on the information acquired by the mobile body 101. In the present embodiment, the information processing apparatus 203 is described as being provided in the mobile body 101, but is not limited thereto, and the information processing apparatus 203 may be an external information processing apparatus capable of communicating with the mobile body 101. The shape information acquisition unit 204 acquires the shape information of the obstacles around the travel route from the shape measurement sensor 103. In the present embodiment, a distance image is acquired as the shape information.

[0017] The position and orientation acquisition means 205 acquires position and orientation information of the shape measuring sensor 103 calculated by the position and orientation measurement means 202. In this embodiment, since two shape measuring sensors 103 are mounted on the mobile body 101, position and orientation information for two sensors is acquired. Position and orientation information refers to the coordinate values ​​indicating the position of the shape measuring sensor 103 in the coordinate system set in space 104, and the angle indicating the measurement direction of the shape measuring sensor 103.

[0018] The correction means 206 performs error correction processing on the position and orientation information of the shape measuring sensor 103 measured by the position and orientation measuring means 202. The correction state acquisition means 207 acquires information on the implementation status of the process for correcting the position and orientation information. In the first embodiment, the correction state acquisition means 207 acquires information from the correction means 206 indicating whether or not the error correction processing of the position and orientation information has been completed as implementation status information. The priority determination means 208 determines the priority of map generation for each sub-region within the space 104 that is the target of map generation.

[0019] The map generation means 209 generates a map. The map generation means 209 generates a map based on the correction state acquired by the correction state acquisition means 207, the shape information acquired by the shape information acquisition means 204, the position and orientation information acquired by the position and orientation acquisition means 205, and the priority determined by the priority determination means 208. The input receiving means 210 receives input from the user. The display means 211 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, which converts the map data generated by the map generation means 209 into an image and displays it. Note that the correction means 206, the input receiving means 210, and the display means 211 may be included in the information processing device 203.

[0020] Figure 3 shows the hardware configuration of the information processing unit 203. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301 controls various devices connected to the system bus 311. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 302 stores the BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) program and the boot program. The RAM (Random Access Memory) 303 is used as the main memory for the CPU 301. The external memory 304 stores the programs processed by the information processing unit 203.

[0021] The input unit 305 is a keyboard, pointing device, robot controller, etc., and processes input information from the user. The display unit 306 has a display device such as a liquid crystal display or projector, and outputs the calculation results of the information processing device 203 to the display device and displays them on the screen according to commands from the CPU 301. The communication interface (I / F) unit 307 communicates information with external devices via a network. The communication I / F 307 can be of any type, such as Ethernet, USB, serial communication, or wireless communication. The network may consist of a communication network such as LAN or WAN, a cellular network (e.g., LTE or 5G), a wireless network, or a combination thereof. In other words, the network only needs to be configured to enable data transmission and reception, and any physical layer communication method may be adopted. The sensor Input / Output (I / O) 308 is connected to the position and orientation measurement sensor 102 and the shape measurement sensor 103, and communicates information.

[0022] The processing of the information processing device 203 in this embodiment will be explained using Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the overall processing performed by the information processing device 203 in this embodiment. Each process shown in Figure 4 is realized when the CPU 301 of the information processing device 203 calls a program corresponding to each module stored in the ROM 302 or external memory 304 into the RAM 303 and executes it.

[0023] In step S401, the shape information acquisition means 204 acquires shape information around the moving body 101. The shape information is, for example, a distance image corresponding to the measurement result of the depth sensor by the shape measurement sensor 103. The shape information acquired in this step is stored in the RAM 303 in the order in which it was acquired.

[0024] In step S402, the position and orientation information of the shape measurement sensor 103 when it measures the shape is acquired by the position and orientation acquisition means 205. The position and orientation information acquired in this step will be corrected position and orientation information if the position and orientation information correction process is performed by the correction means 206. The data acquired in this step is stored in RAM 303 linked to the data acquired in step S401. Hereinafter, the linked shape information and position and orientation information will be referred to as "map element data".

[0025] In step S403, the correction status acquisition means 207 acquires information indicating the status of the correction process for correcting the positional error of the shape measuring sensor 103. The status information indicates whether or not the correction process for correcting the positional error of the shape measuring sensor 103 has been completed. For example, if the correction process is a loop-close correction process, the status information indicates whether or not the loop-close correction process has been completed. The correction status acquisition means 207 acquires the status information of the correction process from the correction means 206.

[0026] In step S404, the priority determination means 208 sets a priority for generating maps for each sub-region within the space traveled. For example, the priority determination means 208 generates a data set in which all map element data sets are sorted in order of proximity to the current position of the moving object 101. Subsequently, the priority determination means 208 divides the sorted map element data set into predetermined numbers and stores each map element data set as sub-region data in the RAM 303. At this time, the priority determination means 208 may set the number of data in each map element data set to be uniform. The priority determination means 208 also sets a priority for each sub-region data in the order in which it was sorted. Note that the priority setting is not limited to this, and other examples of priority setting will be described later.

[0027] In step S405, the map generation means 209 generates a map. Details of map generation will be described later with reference to Figure 5. In step S406, the input receiving means 210 determines whether to terminate the movement of the mobile body 101. Specifically, the input receiving means 210 determines whether or not a termination instruction from the operator has been input to the input unit 305. If a termination instruction has been input from the operator, the movement of the mobile body 101 is terminated, and this process is also terminated. On the other hand, if no termination instruction has been received from the operator, the process returns to step S401.

[0028] The details of the map generation process in step S405 will now be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the map generation process in the first embodiment. Each process shown in Figure 5 is realized by the CPU 301 of the information processing device 203 calling the RAM 303 of the program corresponding to each module stored in the ROM 302 or external memory 304 and executing it.

[0029] In step S501, the map generation means 209 acquires the map element data group held in RAM 303 in steps S401 and S402 and the sub-region data group held in RAM 303 in step S404. In step S502, the map generation means 209 determines whether the correction process for correcting the position and orientation error of the shape measurement sensor 103 has been completed. Specifically, the map generation means 209 determines whether the correction process has been completed based on the correction process implementation status information acquired by the correction status acquisition means 207 in step S403. If it is determined that the correction process has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S503. On the other hand, if it is determined that the correction process has been completed, the process proceeds to step S505.

[0030] In step S503, the map generation means 209 generates map data based on the map element data set acquired in step S501. For example, first, for each map element data, the map generation means 209 calculates the coordinates of the 3D point cloud corresponding to each pixel based on the shooting position orientation and camera parameters of the distance image included in the distance image. Next, the map generation means 209 extracts the 3D point cloud within a predetermined distance from the floor and calculates the 2D coordinates projected onto a plane corresponding to the floor. Then, the map generation means 209 generates map data corresponding to the calculated 2D coordinates.

[0031] If the correction process for correcting the positional and orientation errors of the shape measurement sensor 103 is completed, the map generation means 209 generates map data by processing in steps S504 to S506. In steps S504 to S506, map data for each region is generated in order of priority. In step S504, the map generation means 209 extracts the sub-region data with the highest priority from the sub-region data group acquired in step S501. That is, it extracts the sub-region data corresponding to the sub-region with the highest priority among the sub-regions for which map data generation processing has not yet been performed.

[0032] In step S505, the map generation means 209 generates map data for the sub-region corresponding to the sub-region data with the highest priority extracted in step S504. That is, for each distance image belonging to the relevant sub-region, the map generation means 209 calculates the coordinates of the 3D point cloud corresponding to each pixel based on the shooting position orientation of the distance image and camera parameters. Next, the map generation means 209 extracts the 3D point cloud within a predetermined distance from the floor and calculates the 2D coordinates projected onto a plane corresponding to the floor. Then, the map generation means 209 generates map data for the region with the highest priority according to the calculated 2D coordinates.

[0033] In step S506, the map generation means 209 checks if there are any unprocessed sub-region data in the sub-region data group acquired in step S501 that have not yet been processed for map data generation. If there is unprocessed sub-region data, the process returns to step S504 and generates a map for the sub-region data with the highest priority among the remaining sub-regions. On the other hand, if there is no unprocessed sub-region data, i.e., if the map generation process corresponding to all sub-region data has been completed, this process ends.

[0034] Figure 6 illustrates how the map is generated in stages in the first embodiment. Figure 6(A) is a view from above of the arrangement of the moving body 101 and obstacles in the driving environment when position and orientation information correction occurs. The moving body 101 moves clockwise in space 104, as shown in Figure 1. Figures 6(B), 6(C), and 6(D) show the map 600 displayed on the display device of the display unit 306 in chronological order. The map 600 is generated sequentially, starting from the sub-region closest to the current position of the moving body 101, and the area where the map is generated expands as the moving body 101 moves.

[0035] According to this embodiment, even if a loop closure process occurs, the latency during map generation can be reduced by preferentially creating a map from the area around the current position of the moving object 101. In other words, the latency during map generation when there is correction of the position and orientation information of the measurement sensor can be reduced.

[0036] (Modification of the first embodiment) In this embodiment, an example was described in which the shape measurement sensor 103 is equipped with a depth sensor, but it is not limited to this as long as shape information of the obstacle can be obtained. For example, it may be a stereo camera or a monocular camera. In the case of a monocular camera, the distance to the obstacle may be calculated by motion stereo, or the distance may be estimated using a learning model that outputs distance information from brightness information. Also, in this embodiment, an example was described in which two shape measurement sensors 103 are mounted on the mobile body 101 on the left and right sides in relation to the direction of travel, but the arrangement and number of shape measurement sensors 103 are not limited to this as long as the shape of the obstacle around the mobile body can be measured. For example, they may be installed at a 45-degree angle to the direction of travel, or installed to look down from above. The number of sensors may also be one or three or more. Also, in this embodiment, an example was described in which the shape information is a distance image, but it is not limited to this, for example, the shape information may be the 3D coordinate values ​​of the point cloud of the obstacle surface, or a pair of the measurement direction and the distance value to the obstacle in the measurement direction.

[0037] In this embodiment, the method used by the position and attitude measurement means 202 to measure the position and attitude is described as measuring based on images captured by a camera equipped with a position and attitude measurement sensor 102 mounted on the mobile body 101 using SLAM technology, but it is not limited to this. Any method for measuring the position and attitude is acceptable as long as it can measure the position and orientation of the shape measurement sensor 103 or the mobile body 101 on which the shape measurement sensor 103 is mounted. For example, it may be a method of measuring based on measurements from a LiDAR or depth sensor mounted on the mobile body 101 using SLAM technology, or the position and orientation of the mobile body 101 may be calculated based on the rotation speed of the wheels equipped on the mobile body 101 or on an inertial sensor mounted on the mobile body 101. Alternatively, the position and attitude may be measured using a magnetic sensor, optical sensor, radio beacon, GPS, etc., or the position and orientation of the mobile body 101 may be detected from the image of an overhead camera installed in space 104. Furthermore, the position and attitude may be measured by combining the above multiple methods.

[0038] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the correction status acquisition means 207 acquires information on the implementation status indicating the completion / incompleteness of the error correction processing of position and attitude information from the correction means 206. However, the information acquired by the correction status acquisition means 207 only needs to be information that allows it to be determined that the error correction processing has been performed. For example, it could be a flag indicating whether the position and attitude have been changed, or a value indicating the progress of the correction processing. If the correction status acquisition means 207 acquires a value indicating the progress of the correction processing in step S403, in step S502 it is determined whether the progress of the correction processing is above a predetermined threshold. The correction processing performed by the correction means 206 does not have to be loop-close correction, as long as it corrects the position and attitude information. For example, it could be outlier removal of position and attitude or addition of position and attitude information.

[0039] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the priority determination means 208 sets a higher priority for the area around the current position, but the method of setting priority is not limited to this. The area for which priority is set can be any area that can be specified based on the position and orientation measured along the travel path, and for example, priority may be set according to the planned movement of the mobile body 101. Specifically, priority may be set higher for areas that exist in the direction in which the mobile body 101 is traveling, or priority may be set relatively high for areas around the predicted position where the mobile body 101 will pass. In addition, if the position and orientation acquisition means 205 acquires new position and orientation information while the map generation means 209 is generating a map, priority may be changed according to the measurement situation, such as setting a higher priority for the surrounding sub-area including the newly acquired position compared to other sub-areas. Alternatively, instructions from the user may be accepted, and priority may be set higher for the sub-area specified by the user. According to this method of setting priority, the map can be generated preferentially from areas that the user has a high need to see. In addition, priority may be set higher for sub-areas where the time of acquisition of shape information is recent.

[0040] The high-priority area determined by the priority determination means 208 may be centered on the moving body 101 of the partial area, and its width may be set to approximately coincide with the measurable distance of the shape measurement sensor 103. Alternatively, the size of the area for which priority is set may be limited to a predetermined size, and other areas may be excluded from map creation. These priority setting methods allow for map generation in a shorter time.

[0041] Furthermore, in step S404 of this embodiment, the number of pairs of shape information and position / orientation information is kept constant regardless of the sub-region, but this is not the only limitation. For example, it may be variable depending on the CPU usage rate or the remaining capacity of RAM 303. Specifically, when the CPU usage rate is high or the remaining memory capacity is low, the number of pairs of shape information and position / orientation information is reduced. This reduces the increase in latency related to map generation.

[0042] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, an embodiment was described in which, once the position and orientation correction process is completed, map generation is carried out according to the priority of each sub-region. In the second embodiment, an embodiment is described in which, in addition to the map generation process, the position and orientation correction process is also carried out in order from the highest priority.

[0043] The configuration of the information processing system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device in the second embodiment. The information processing system 201 in this embodiment includes a position and orientation measurement sensor 102, a shape measurement sensor 103, a position and orientation measurement means 202, an information processing device 700, an input receiving means 210, and a display means 211. The information processing device 700 includes a shape information acquisition means 204, a position and orientation acquisition means 205, a correction state acquisition means 701, a correction means 702, a priority determination means 208, and a map generation means 209. In Figure 7, components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. Note that the input receiving means 210 and the display means 211 may be included in the information processing device 700.

[0044] The correction state acquisition means 701 acquires information on whether or not the position and attitude information error correction process can be performed. Here, the position and attitude information error correction process is loop closing correction. Whether or not the error correction process can be performed is determined by whether or not the position and attitude acquired by the position and attitude acquisition means 205 is close to any of the acquired position and attitude groups, that is, whether or not the movement path of the moving body 101 forms a loop.

[0045] The correction means 702 performs position and attitude error correction processing when the correction state acquired by the correction state acquisition means 702 is in a state where position and attitude information error correction processing can be performed. In this case, the correction means 702 performs error correction processing starting with the position and attitude included in the higher priority partial region, based on the position and attitude information acquired by the position and attitude acquisition means 205 and the priority-determining means 208 set up for the partial region.

[0046] The overall processing performed by the information processing device 203 in this embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment (Figure 4). Note that all position and orientation information acquired in step 402 in the second embodiment is position and orientation information before the position and orientation information correction processing by the correction means 702 has been performed. Details of the map generation process performed in step S405 in the second embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart of the map generation process in the second embodiment. Each process shown in Figure 8 is realized by the CPU 301 of the information processing device 203 calling a program corresponding to each module stored in the ROM 302 or external memory 304 into the RAM 303 and executing it. In Figure 8, processes similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figure 5, and their explanation is omitted.

[0047] After acquiring the map element data group and the sub-region data group in step S501, the process proceeds to step S801. In step S801, the map generation means 209 acquires information from the correction state acquisition means 701 indicating whether or not the position and orientation information correction process can be performed. If the loop closing process, which is the correction process in this embodiment, cannot be performed, the process proceeds to step S503. On the other hand, if the loop closing process can be performed, the process proceeds to step S504.

[0048] If the position and orientation information correction process can be performed, the map generation means 209 generates map data by processing in steps S504, S802, S505, and S506. In steps S504, S802, S505, and S506, the position and orientation correction process and the map data generation process are executed for each region in order of priority.

[0049] In step S504, when the sub-region data with the highest priority is obtained, the process transitions to step S802. In step S802, the correction means 702 performs a local loop-close correction process to correct the error in the position and orientation information for the sub-region based on the position and orientation information contained in the high-priority sub-region data extracted in step S505. After the correction process is performed, the process transitions to step S505, where a map is generated based on the high-priority sub-region data extracted in step S505 and the data corrected in step S802.

[0050] As described above, according to this embodiment, in addition to generating maps for each sub-region, error correction of position and orientation information can also be performed for each sub-region, thereby reducing latency when generating maps. Therefore, latency when generating maps when correction of position and orientation information from measurement sensors is required can be reduced.

[0051] (Modified version of the second embodiment) In step 802, the area that the correction means 702 prioritizes correcting only needs to include the area with the highest priority for generating the map determined by the priority determination means 208. Therefore, the priority of the area corrected by the correction means 702 may be a priority determined by a method other than the priority determined by the priority determination means 208. For example, the correction priority of the correction means 702 may be set for an area larger than the range of the sub-area determined by the priority determination means 208.

[0052] (Third embodiment) This embodiment describes a method for notifying the map generation results and performing parameter setting functions related to map generation when generating maps in stages according to the first and second embodiments.

[0053] Figure 9 illustrates the notification of map results and parameter settings. The GUI screen 901 displays the map being generated and a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for setting parameters related to map generation. The GUI screen 901 is displayed, for example, on a touch panel that integrates a display unit 306 and an input unit 305. The display means 211 displays the GUI screen 901 on the display unit 306, and the input receiving means 210 receives user instructions for the GUI screen 901.

[0054] The GUI screen 901 includes a parameter setting area 902, a driving history display area 903, a correction status display area 904, and a map display area 905. The parameter setting area 902 displays the parameters related to the current map generation, and the user can select the setting item they want to set and set the parameter. For example, the user presses the element count setting icon 907 to specify the number of map data (number of elements) corresponding to the range of a sub-area. The priority determination means 208 determines the sub-area to set priority so that it matches the number of data specified by the user. The user can also press the end icon 908 to indicate the end of map generation.

[0055] The travel history display area 903 is a plan view showing the history of positions corresponding to the travel path 111 taken by the mobile body 101. The correction status display area 904 is an area that displays the status of the correction process for the position and attitude acquired by the correction status acquisition means 207. The display in the correction status display area 904 in Figure 9 indicates that the loop close correction process can be started. The map display area 905 is an area that displays the map 906 generated by the map generation means 209. The map 906 is displayed in stages, starting from the portion of the map that was generated.

[0056] As described above, according to this embodiment, parameters for controlling map generation and the status of map generation can be intuitively input using a GUI.

[0057] (Modified version of the third embodiment) In this embodiment, the map display area 905 displays the entire generated partial map, but the display method is not limited to this as long as a map of a partial region is displayed. For example, only a local area of ​​a part of the generated partial map may be enlarged and displayed. In particular, by enlarging the display of the area around the current position of the moving object 101, it becomes easier for the operator to notice if there is a measurement error in the shape of an obstacle.

[0058] The parameter that determines the range of a sub-region within space 104, set in the parameter setting area 902, may be a parameter other than the number of map elements. For example, the number of map elements may be associated with multiple modes and stored in the information processing device, and the mode may be specified in the parameter setting area 902. Alternatively, it may be possible to set priorities corresponding to variations of the priority setting method described in the modified example of the first embodiment. For example, it may be possible to specify a mode that prioritizes a sub-region around the current location, or a mode that prioritizes a sub-region of the planned route.

[0059] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0060] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 203 Information Processing Equipment 204 Shape information acquisition means 205 Position and orientation acquisition means 207 Correction status acquisition means 208 Priority determining means 209 Map generation means

Claims

1. Shape information acquisition means for acquiring shape information of the surrounding environment of the mobile body measured by a sensor mounted on the mobile body, A position and orientation acquisition means for acquiring position and orientation information of a sensor mounted on the moving body, A state acquisition means for acquiring a processing state related to a process that corrects the position and orientation information when the moving body revisits a position already acquired by the position and orientation acquisition means, A determination means for determining a region in which a layout map different from the map based on SLAM processing using the position and orientation information is preferentially generated based on the shape information, An information processing apparatus comprising: a map generation means that generates the layout map from the region determined by the determination means based on the shape information, the position and orientation information at the time the shape information was acquired, and the processing state.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines, based on the position and orientation information, that the area closer to the current position of the sensor is an area for which the layout map should be generated with priority.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the determination means determines an area in which the layout map is generated preferentially according to the planned movement of the moving object.

4. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the determination means determines an area in which the layout map is to be generated preferentially in accordance with the user's instructions.

5. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, when the shape information acquisition means acquires the shape information during the generation of the layout map, the determination means determines that the region including the position of the sensor at the time the shape information was acquired is the region in which the layout map will be generated with priority.

6. The processing status indicates whether or not the processing for correcting the position and orientation information has been completed. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the map generation means generates the layout map from the region determined by the determination means when the process for correcting the position and orientation information has been completed.

7. The system further comprises a correction means for performing a process to correct the position and orientation information acquired by the position and orientation acquisition means, The processing status indicates whether or not the process for correcting the position and orientation information can be executed. When the process for correcting the position and orientation information can be executed, The correction means performs a process to correct the position and orientation information from the region determined by the determination means. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the map generation means generates the layout map from the region determined by the determination means based on the shape information and the position and orientation information corrected by the correction means.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the map generation means generates the layout map by gradually expanding the area from the area determined by the determination means to the surrounding area.

9. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a display means for displaying a layout map generated by the map generation means and a GUI for setting parameters related to the generation of the layout map on a display device.

10. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the correction process is a loop-close correction.

11. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, A shape measuring means mounted on the mobile body for measuring the shape of the surrounding environment of the mobile body, A position and attitude measuring means for measuring position and attitude information of a sensor mounted on the moving body, The system includes a display device that displays the layout map generated by the map generation means. An information processing system characterized by the following:

12. A method for controlling an information processing device, A shape information acquisition step involves acquiring shape information of the surrounding environment of the mobile body measured by a sensor mounted on the mobile body, A position and attitude acquisition step for acquiring position and attitude information of a sensor mounted on the moving body, A state acquisition step to acquire a processing state related to a process that corrects the position and orientation information when the moving body revisits a position already acquired by the position and orientation acquisition step, A determination step of determining a region in which a layout map different from the map based on SLAM processing using the position and orientation information is preferentially generated based on the shape information, A control method for an information processing apparatus, comprising: a map generation step, which generates the layout map from the region determined in the determination step, based on the shape information, the position and orientation information at the time the shape information was acquired, and the processing state.

13. A program that causes a computer to perform each of the steps described in claim 12.

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