Vehicle information processing device and information processing system

Abstract

To accurately estimate the total weight of a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing device of a vehicle acquires vehicle driving force being driving force of a vehicle (S31). The information processing device acquires longitudinal acceleration being acceleration along front and rear axes of the vehicle from an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle (S31). The information processing device acquires the gradient of each point of a road on which the vehicle travels (S31). The information processing device estimates an estimate of the total weight of the vehicle on the basis of the vehicle driving force at a point of acquiring the gradient, the longitudinal acceleration at the point, and the gradient of the point when the vehicle travels at the point of the acquiring the gradient (S32).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing system for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] The vehicle of Patent Document 1 includes an engine, a motor, a vehicle control device, and a navigation device. The vehicle control device controls the engine and the motor as drive sources. Further, the vehicle control device acquires the gradient at each point on the travel route along which the vehicle travels from the navigation device. The vehicle control device determines whether the vehicle is traveling downhill based on the acquired gradient. Then, the vehicle control device changes the driving force of the vehicle by the engine and the motor according to whether the vehicle is traveling downhill.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle such as that of Patent Document 1, for example, the total weight of the vehicle changes depending on the number of passengers in the vehicle and the amount of luggage loaded on the vehicle. When the total weight of the vehicle changes in this way, for example, even if the driving force of the vehicle is the same, the actual longitudinal acceleration and the like obtained by the vehicle change. That is, the motion characteristics of the vehicle change according to the magnitude of the total weight of the vehicle. Therefore, from the viewpoint of more accurately controlling the vehicle according to the motion characteristics of the vehicle, there is a need to grasp the total weight of the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The vehicle information processing device for solving the above problems performs the following: acquires the vehicle driving force, which is the driving force of the vehicle; acquires the longitudinal acceleration, which is the measured value of the acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, from an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle; acquires the gradient at each point on the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and, when the vehicle is traveling at a point on which the gradient has been acquired, estimates the total weight of the vehicle based on the vehicle driving force at that point, the longitudinal acceleration at that point, and the gradient at that point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the above configuration, the total weight of the vehicle can be accurately estimated by referring to the acquired road gradient. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the information processing system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a sequence diagram showing acquisition control, estimation control, evaluation control, and decision control. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] <Outline configuration of the information processing system> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. First, the general configuration of the information processing system 100 will be described.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 100 is equipped with multiple vehicles 10. A vehicle 10 could be, for example, a car owned by a user. Note that Figure 1 only shows one vehicle 10 as a representative example.

[0010] Vehicle 10 is equipped with a vehicle speed sensor 31, a GNSS receiver 32, an acceleration sensor 33, an accelerator pedal operation amount sensor 34, and a display 36. The vehicle speed sensor 31 detects the vehicle speed SP, which is the speed of the vehicle 10. The GNSS receiver 32 detects the position coordinates PC, which are the coordinates of the point where the vehicle 10 is located, by communicating with a GNSS satellite (not shown). "GNSS" is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System.

[0011] The acceleration sensor 33 is a so-called three-axis sensor. That is, the acceleration sensor 33 can detect longitudinal acceleration GX, lateral acceleration GY, and vertical acceleration GZ. The longitudinal acceleration GX is the acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10. The lateral acceleration GY is the acceleration along the lateral axis of the vehicle 10. The vertical acceleration GZ is the acceleration along the vertical axis of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the longitudinal acceleration GX is the measured value of the acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10.

[0012] The accelerator pedal operation sensor 34 detects the accelerator pedal operation amount (ACC), which is the amount of accelerator pedal operation performed by the driver of the vehicle 10. The display 36 can display various types of information. The display 36 is also a so-called touch panel display. Therefore, the user can also input various types of information via the display 36.

[0013] Vehicle 10 is equipped with a control device 20. The control device 20 acquires signals indicating various values ​​from a vehicle speed sensor 31, a GNSS receiver 32, an acceleration sensor 33, an accelerator pedal operation sensor 34, and a display 36. In addition, when displaying various information on the display 36, the control device 20 outputs control signals to the display 36.

[0014] The control device 20 comprises an execution unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The communication unit 23 can wirelessly communicate with external devices of the vehicle 10 via a communication network 200. The storage unit 22 includes a read-only ROM, a read and write volatile RAM, and a read and write non-volatile storage. The storage unit 22 can store information acquired by the control device 20. The storage unit 22 also pre-stores various programs. Examples of these programs include an information processing program 22A and a driving support application 22B. The information processing program 22A is a program for realizing the functions of an information processing device. In this embodiment, the control device 20 is an example of an information processing device for the vehicle 10. The driving support application 22B is application software that realizes the driving support functions of the vehicle 10. An example of the driving support application 22B is application software for follow-me driving, which maintains a constant distance from a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the driving assistance application 22B realizes the driving assistance function of the vehicle 10 by outputting the required acceleration, which is the required value of the acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the storage unit 22 has pre-stored map data DM. The map data DM includes information about the road route and information about the road gradient. The information about the road route is, for example, link data connecting two different coordinates. The information about the road gradient is road surface gradient AR data, which is the gradient for each point on the road. In this embodiment, each point linked to the road surface gradient AR is a specific area within a predetermined range. The specific area is, for example, an area ranging from a few meters to a dozen meters. The storage unit 22 also has pre-stored the initial value MA of the total weight M of the vehicle 10. An example of the execution unit 21 is the CPU. The execution unit 21 executes various processes by reading the program from the storage unit 22. The execution unit 21 can also obtain the road surface gradient AR for each point included in the map data DM from the map data DM.

[0015] The execution unit 21 of the control device 20 calculates the target driving force FT, which is the target value of the driving force of the vehicle 10, based on the vehicle speed SP, accelerator pedal operation amount ACC, requested acceleration from the driver assistance application 22B, the total weight M of the vehicle 10, etc. For example, when the driver of the vehicle 10 is operating the accelerator pedal, etc., the execution unit 21 calculates the target driving force FT based on the vehicle speed SP, accelerator pedal operation amount ACC, and total weight M. Also, for example, when driver assistance for the vehicle 10 is realized, the execution unit 21 calculates the target driving force FT based on the requested acceleration from the driver assistance application 22B and total weight M. Furthermore, for example, if the estimated value MB of the total weight M is not stored in the storage unit 22 because the estimation control described later is not being performed, the execution unit 21 calculates the target driving force FT using a predetermined initial value MA of the total weight M as the total weight M. On the other hand, for example, if the estimated value MB of the total weight M is stored in the storage unit 22 because the estimation control described later is being performed, the execution unit 21 calculates the target driving force FT using the estimated value MB instead of the initial value MA as the total weight M. The driving force of the vehicle 10 is the force transmitted from the drive wheels of the vehicle 10 to the road surface in order to drive the vehicle 10.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 100 includes a server 50. The server 50 includes an execution unit 51, a storage unit 52, and a communication unit 53. The communication unit 53 can wirelessly communicate with external devices of the server 50 via a communication network 200. The storage unit 52 includes ROM, RAM, and storage. The storage unit 52 can store information acquired by the server 50. The storage unit 52 also pre-stores various programs. Furthermore, the storage unit 52 pre-stores map data DM. When acquisition control, which will be described later, is executed, the map data DM in the server 50's storage unit 52 matches the map data DM in the vehicle 10's storage unit 22. An example of the execution unit 51 is a CPU. The execution unit 51 executes various processes by reading programs from the storage unit 52.

[0017] <Acquisition control> Next, referring to FIG. 2, acquisition control executed by the vehicle 10 and the server 50 will be described. This acquisition control is control for the control device 20 of the vehicle 10 to acquire map data DM from the server 50. The acquisition control is executed in parallel between a plurality of vehicles 10 and one server 50. In the present embodiment, each time a driver or the like of the vehicle 10 operates the display 36 to request execution of the acquisition control, the control device 20 of the vehicle 10 executes the acquisition control.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, when the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 starts the acquisition control, it executes the process of step S11. In step S11, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 transmits a request signal for requesting transmission of the map data DM to the server 50. When the execution unit 51 of the server 50 receives the request signal, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 advances the process to step S12.

[0019] In step S12, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 transmits the latest map data DM stored in the storage unit 52 to the control device 20 of the vehicle 10. As a result, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 acquires the map data DM. At this time, the execution unit 21 stores the map data DM in the storage unit 22. If the storage unit 22 already stores the map data DM, the execution unit 21 updates the map data DM stored in the storage unit 22 with the latest map data DM acquired in step S12. After step S12, the execution unit 21 ends the current acquisition control.

[0020] <Estimation control> Next, referring to FIG. 2, estimation control executed by the vehicle 10 will be described. This estimation control is control for estimating an estimated value MB of the total weight M of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the control device 20 of the vehicle 10 executes the estimation control each time the vehicle 10 travels to a location where the road surface gradient AR exists. Specifically, when the position coordinates PC of the vehicle 10 are located within a specific area corresponding to the road surface gradient AR, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 determines that the vehicle 10 is traveling to a location where the road surface gradient AR exists.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, when the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 starts the estimation control, it executes the process of step S31. In step S31, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 acquires the vehicle driving force FV, the running resistance RR, the road surface gradient AR, and the longitudinal and lateral acceleration GX at the time of the process of step S31.

[0022] Here, the vehicle driving force FV is the actual driving force of the vehicle 10 realized according to the target driving force FT. Therefore, for example, the execution unit 21 can acquire the vehicle driving force FV based on the torque of the engine and the motor generator as the driving source of the vehicle 10, the gear ratio by the transmission, etc., and the radius of the driving wheels of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the unit of the vehicle driving force FV is "N (Newton)".

[0023] Further, the running resistance RR is a resistance force including air resistance, rolling resistance, and drag resistance, etc. accompanying the running of the vehicle 10. Therefore, for example, the execution unit 21 can acquire the running resistance RR based on the vehicle speed SP, etc. In the present embodiment, the unit of the running resistance RR is "N (Newton)". After step S31, the execution unit 21 advances the process to step S32.

[0024] In step S32, the execution unit 21 estimates an estimated value MB of the total weight M based on the vehicle driving force FV, the running resistance RR, the road surface gradient AR, and the longitudinal and lateral acceleration GX. As a premise, when the vehicle 10 runs, the following relationship of formula (1) holds. Also, the relationships of the following formula (2) and formula (3) are well-known.

[0025] Formula (1): Vehicle driving force FV = Inertia resistance RI + Gradient resistance RG + Running resistance RR Formula (2): Inertia resistance RI = Longitudinal and lateral acceleration GX × Total weight M Formula (3): Gradient resistance RG = Total weight M × Gravitational acceleration × sin (Road surface gradient AR) Here, the inertia resistance RI is an apparent resistance force against the movement of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the unit of the inertia resistance RI is "N (Newton)".

[0026] Furthermore, the gradient resistance RG is the resistance force due to the gradient at the point where the vehicle 10 is located. For example, if the vehicle 10 is on an uphill slope, the gradient resistance RG is a positive value. On the other hand, if the vehicle 10 is on a downhill slope, the gradient resistance RG is a negative value. In this embodiment, the unit of the gradient resistance RG is "N (Newton)".

[0027] Furthermore, by applying equations (1) to (3), the following equation (4) can be derived. Equation (4): Total weight M = (vehicle driving force FV - rolling resistance RR) / (longitudinal acceleration GX + gravitational acceleration × sin(road surface gradient AR)) The execution unit 21 estimates the estimated value MB of the total weight M by substituting the vehicle driving force FV, driving resistance RR, road surface gradient AR, and longitudinal acceleration GX into equation (4). At this time, the execution unit 21 stores the estimated value MB in the storage unit 22. The estimated value MB stored in the storage unit 22 is erased when the system of the vehicle 10 is turned off. That is, when the system of the vehicle 10 is turned on, the estimated value MB is not stored in the storage unit 22. On the other hand, the initial value MA of the total weight M is not erased even when the system of the vehicle 10 is turned off and remains stored in the storage unit 22. In this embodiment, the process in step S32 is to calculate the estimated value MB of the total weight M based on the vehicle driving force FV, longitudinal acceleration GX, and road surface gradient AR at the point where the road surface gradient AR was acquired. After step S32, the execution unit 21 terminates the estimation control for this time.

[0028] <Evaluation and Control> Next, with reference to Figure 2, the evaluation control performed by the vehicle 10 and the server 50 will be described. This evaluation control is for evaluating the reliability of the road surface gradient AR used in the estimation control. The evaluation control is performed in parallel between multiple vehicles 10 and one server 50. In this embodiment, the control device 20 of the vehicle 10 estimates the estimated value MB of the total weight M in the estimation control and calculates the target driving force FT using the estimated value MB, and each time this estimate is performed, the control device 20 performs evaluation control on the road surface gradient AR used to estimate the estimated value MB. In other words, the control device 20 performs evaluation control on the condition that the estimated value MB of the total weight M is stored in the storage unit 22.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, when the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 starts evaluation control, it executes the process in step S51. In step S51, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 obtains the longitudinal acceleration GX as the actual acceleration and the target longitudinal acceleration GXT, which is the target value of the acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10, at the time of processing in step S51. Specifically, the execution unit 21 obtains the target longitudinal acceleration GXT as follows. For example, in a situation where the driver of the vehicle 10 is operating the accelerator pedal, etc., the execution unit 21 calculates the target longitudinal acceleration GXT based on the target driving force FT. In this embodiment, the execution unit 21 calculates the target longitudinal acceleration GXT as a larger value the larger the target driving force FT. Also, for example, in a situation where driving assistance for the vehicle 10 is realized, the execution unit 21 calculates the target longitudinal acceleration GXT as the same value as the requested acceleration from the driving assistance application 22B. Thus, in all examples, the target longitudinal acceleration GXT corresponds to the target driving force FT. In this embodiment, the target longitudinal acceleration GXT corresponds to the target acceleration. After step S51, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 proceeds to step S52.

[0030] In step S52, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 calculates the mean square error MSE of longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT based on the longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT acquired for the road surface gradient AR at the same point. As described above, each point linked to the road surface gradient AR is a specific area within a predetermined range. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is traveling within the same specific area, the execution unit 21 repeatedly performs evaluation control, which may result in the execution unit 21 acquiring multiple longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT for the road surface gradient AR at the same point. The execution unit 21 then calculates the mean square error MSE of longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT based on one set of longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT, or two or more sets of longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT. In the following, it is assumed that there are N sets of data for longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT. "N" is an integer of 2 or more. Furthermore, the N data points are arranged in order from oldest to newest as the data for the 1st time point, the data for the 2nd time point, ..., the data for the Nth time point. In step S52, the execution unit 21 calculates the square of the difference between the longitudinal acceleration GX at the 1st time point and the target longitudinal acceleration GXT at the 1st time point. The execution unit 21 also calculates the square of the difference between the longitudinal acceleration GX at the 2nd time point and the target longitudinal acceleration GXT at the 2nd time point. Similarly, the execution unit 21 calculates the square of the difference between the longitudinal acceleration GX and the target longitudinal acceleration GXT for the 3rd to Nth time points. The execution unit 21 then calculates the mean squared error MSE as the average of the N values ​​calculated as described above. In this embodiment, the mean squared error MSE is calculated based on the square of the difference between the longitudinal acceleration GX and the target longitudinal acceleration GXT. Therefore, the mean squared error MSE is a value corresponding to the absolute value of the difference between the longitudinal acceleration GX and the target longitudinal acceleration GXT. After step S52, the execution unit 21 proceeds to step S53.

[0031] In step S53, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 evaluates the reliability of the road surface gradient AR based on the mean squared error MSE. For example, the execution unit 21 determines that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is high if the mean squared error MSE is less than or equal to a predetermined specified error A. On the other hand, the execution unit 21 determines that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is low if the mean squared error MSE is greater than the specified error A. Here, the specified error A is predetermined as a threshold for determining whether the mean squared error MSE is small enough to be acceptable, based on experiments and simulations, etc. After step S53, the execution unit 21 proceeds to step S54.

[0032] In step S54, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 transmits the evaluation result from step S53, which is linked to the road surface gradient AR targeted in the evaluation control, to the server 50. As a result, the server 50 can acquire the evaluation result from step S53 linked to the road surface gradient AR targeted in the evaluation control. The server 50 can acquire the evaluation result from step S53 transmitted from the control devices 20 of multiple vehicles 10. When the server 50 receives the evaluation result, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 terminates the evaluation control.

[0033] <Decision Control> Next, with reference to Figure 2, the judgment control performed by the server 50 will be described. This judgment control is for finally determining the reliability of the road surface gradient AR. In this embodiment, the server 50 performs the judgment control at predetermined intervals. An example of a predetermined interval is several hours to several days. The server 50 performs the judgment control for each road surface gradient AR targeted in the evaluation control.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, when the execution unit 51 of the server 50 starts the judgment control, it executes the process of step S71. In step S71, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 calculates an evaluation value EV, which indicates the reliability of the road surface gradient AR, based on the evaluation results of multiple steps S53 acquired from the time of processing step S71 up to a specified period prior. For example, the execution unit 51 calculates a higher evaluation value EV the more evaluation results of step S53 acquired that are judged to have a high reliability. Also, the execution unit 51 calculates a lower evaluation value EV the more evaluation results of step S53 acquired that are judged to have a low reliability. After step S71, the execution unit 51 proceeds to step S72.

[0035] In step S72, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 makes a final decision on the reliability of the road surface gradient AR based on the evaluation value EV. Specifically, the execution unit 51 determines that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is high if the evaluation value EV is higher than a predetermined specified value B. On the other hand, the execution unit 51 determines that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is low if the evaluation value EV is less than or equal to the specified value B. Here, the specified value B is predetermined as a threshold for determining whether the evaluation value EV is unacceptably small or not through experiments and simulations. After step S72, the execution unit 51 proceeds to step S73.

[0036] In step S73, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 notifies the server 50 of the evaluation of the reliability of the road surface gradient AR determined in step S72 via a display or the like connected to the server 50. Therefore, the execution unit 51 notifies that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is high if the evaluation value EV is higher than the specified value B. On the other hand, the execution unit 51 notifies that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is low if the evaluation value EV is less than or equal to the specified value B. After step S73, the execution unit 51 terminates the current judgment control.

[0037] <Operation of this embodiment> For example, even if the total weight M and vehicle driving force FV of vehicle 10 are the same, the actual longitudinal acceleration GX will change if the road surface gradient AR changes. Therefore, as shown in equation (4) above, the total weight M of vehicle 10 can be estimated based on the vehicle driving force FV, road surface gradient AR, and longitudinal acceleration GX.

[0038] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) In step S31 of the estimation control, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 acquires the vehicle driving force FV, road surface gradient AR, and longitudinal acceleration GX, etc. Then, in step S32, the execution unit 21 estimates the estimated value MB of the total weight M by referring to the vehicle driving force FV, road surface gradient AR, and longitudinal acceleration GX, etc. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the estimated value MB of the total weight M.

[0039] (2) For example, the total weight M of the vehicle 10 changes depending on the number of passengers in the vehicle 10 and the amount of luggage loaded onto the vehicle 10. Therefore, if the target driving force FT is calculated using a predetermined initial value MA of the total weight M, the calculated target driving force FT may deviate from the appropriate target driving force FT.

[0040] In this regard, if the estimated value MB of the total weight M is stored in the storage unit 22 because estimation control is being performed, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 calculates the target driving force FT using the estimated value MB instead of the initial value MA as the total weight M. As a result, after the estimated value MB of the total weight M has been estimated, an appropriate target driving force FT can be calculated by using the estimated value MB.

[0041] (3) If the road surface gradient AR used in the estimation control is accurate, then the estimated value MB of the total weight M estimated based on the road surface gradient AR will be an appropriate value. Also, if the road surface gradient AR used in the estimation control is accurate, then the target driving force FT calculated based on the estimated value MB of the total weight M will also be an appropriate value. As a result, the actual longitudinal acceleration GX achieved by the target driving force FT will be close to the target longitudinal acceleration GXT. On the other hand, if the road surface gradient AR used in the estimation control is inaccurate, then the actual longitudinal acceleration GX achieved by the target driving force FT will deviate from the target longitudinal acceleration GXT.

[0042] In this regard, in step S52 of the evaluation control, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 calculates the mean squared error MSE of longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT based on the longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT acquired for the road surface gradient AR at the same point. Then, in step S53, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 evaluates the reliability of the road surface gradient AR based on the mean squared error MSE. In other words, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 evaluates the reliability of the road surface gradient AR based on the absolute value of the difference between longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT. This makes it possible to evaluate the reliability of the road surface gradient AR based on the above characteristics.

[0043] (4) In step S54 of the evaluation control, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 transmits the evaluation result from step S53, which is linked to the road surface gradient AR targeted in the evaluation control, to the server 50. As a result, the server 50 acquires the evaluation result from step S53, so that, for example, the administrator of the server 50 can understand the evaluation result from step S53.

[0044] (5) In step S71 of the judgment control, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 calculates an evaluation value EV indicating the reliability of the road surface gradient AR based on the evaluation results from step S53 transmitted from the control devices 20 of the multiple vehicles 10. Then, in steps S72 and S73, the execution unit 51 notifies that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is low if the evaluation value EV is less than or equal to a specified value B.

[0045] With the above configuration, for example, compared to calculating the evaluation value EV based solely on the evaluation result of step S53 transmitted from the control device 20 of one vehicle 10, the decrease in the accuracy of calculating the evaluation value EV can be suppressed. Furthermore, when the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is low, this situation is notified, making it easier for, for example, the administrator of the server 50 to perform processing such as remeasuring the road surface gradient AR.

[0046] <Example of changes> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the evaluation control may be modified. For example, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 does not have to perform the processing in step S53. In this case, in step S54, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 may send the mean squared error MSE from step S52, which is associated with the road surface gradient AR targeted in the evaluation control, to the server 50. The execution unit 51 of the server 50 may then perform the processing in step S53 using the acquired mean squared error MSE.

[0048] For example, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 does not have to perform the processing in steps S52 and S53. In this case, in step S54, the execution unit 21 of the control device 20 may transmit the longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT from step S51, which are linked to the road surface gradient AR targeted in the evaluation control, to the server 50. The execution unit 51 of the server 50 may then perform the processing in steps S52 and S53 using the acquired longitudinal acceleration GX and target longitudinal acceleration GXT.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the determination control may be modified. For example, in step S71, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 may store the calculated evaluation value EV in the storage unit 52. Specifically, the execution unit 51 may store the evaluation value EV as map data DM in the storage unit 52, associating it with the road surface gradient AR included in the map data DM. In this case, when acquisition control is performed, the control device 20 of the vehicle 10 can acquire the evaluation value EV included in the map data DM.

[0050] For example, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 may ultimately determine the reliability of the road surface gradient AR based on multiple evaluation results from step S53 acquired from the time of processing in step S71 up to a specified period before, without calculating the evaluation value EV. Specifically, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 can determine that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is high if the number of evaluation results from step S53 that are determined to be highly reliable is greater than the number of evaluation results from step S53 that are determined to be low. On the other hand, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 can determine that the reliability of the target road surface gradient AR is low if the number of evaluation results from step S53 that are determined to be highly reliable is less than or equal to the number of evaluation results from step S53 that are determined to be low.

[0051] For example, the execution unit 51 of the server 50 does not have to perform the processing in step S73. Even in this case, if the final decision result of the reliability evaluation of the road surface gradient AR is stored in the storage unit 52, the administrator of the server 50, for example, can obtain the decision result by accessing the information of the final decision result stored in the storage unit 52.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the conditions for calculating the target driving force FT using the estimated value MB of the total weight M may be changed. For example, if it is determined in step S53 that the reliability of the road surface gradient AR is low, and the estimated value MB calculated using the road surface gradient AR is stored in the storage unit 22, the execution unit 21 may calculate the target driving force FT using the initial value MA as the total weight M. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] ACC…Accelerator input AR…Road gradient DM…Map data FT…Target driving force FV…Vehicle driving force GX…Longitudinal acceleration GXT…Target longitudinal acceleration GY…Left-right acceleration GZ…Vertical acceleration M…Total weight MA…Initial value MB…Estimated value MSE…Mean squared error PC…Position coordinates RG…Gradient resistance RI…Inertia resistance RR…Roading resistance SP…Vehicle speed 10…Vehicle 20…Control unit 21…Execution unit 22…Storage unit 22A…Information processing program 22B…Driving assistance application 23…Communication unit 31…Vehicle speed sensor 32…GNSS receiver 33…Accelerometer 34…Accelerator input sensor 36…Display 50…Server 51…Execution unit 52…Storage unit 53…Communication unit 100…Information processing system 200…Communication network

Claims

1. To obtain the vehicle's driving force, The actual acceleration, which is the measured value of acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, is obtained from the acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle. Obtaining the gradient at each point along the road on which the vehicle travels, When the vehicle travels through the point where the gradient is obtained, an estimated value of the total weight of the vehicle is estimated based on the vehicle's driving force at that point, the actual acceleration at that point, and the gradient at that point. When the aforementioned estimated value is estimated, the estimated value is stored, The process involves calculating the target driving force, which is the target value of the aforementioned vehicle driving force, Execute, When calculating the target driving force, if the estimated value is not stored, the target driving force is calculated using a predetermined initial value of the total weight. When calculating the target driving force, if the estimated value is stored, the target driving force is calculated using the estimated value instead of the initial value. Execute, When the target value of acceleration along the longitudinal axle of the vehicle is defined as the target acceleration, Provided that the estimated value is stored, the target acceleration corresponding to the target driving force is calculated, The reliability of the acquired gradient is evaluated based on the absolute value of the difference between the actual acceleration and the target acceleration. Execute Vehicle information processing device.

2. To transmit the evaluation results regarding the reliability of the acquired gradient to an external party. Execute The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1.

3. An information processing system comprising the vehicle information processing device described in Claim 2 and a server that is wirelessly connected to the information processing device, The aforementioned server, To obtain the evaluation results transmitted from the information processing devices of multiple vehicles, Based on the multiple evaluation results obtained, an evaluation value indicating the reliability of the gradient is calculated, If the calculated evaluation value is less than or equal to a predetermined specified value, the system will notify that the reliability of the gradient is low. Execute Information processing system.

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