vehicle

The vehicle system addresses the challenge of downloading high-precision maps by prioritizing sections prone to communication failures, ensuring continuous driver assistance or autonomous driving control through strategic map pre-downloading methods.

JP7853123B2Active Publication Date: 2026-04-28SUBARU CORP
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
SUBARU CORP
Filing Date
2022-03-08
Publication Date
2026-04-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

High-precision maps required for driving support or automatic driving control have large data volumes and can take a long time to download, and unstable communication during driving may interrupt the download, leading to insufficient information and disrupted control functions.

Method used

A vehicle system prioritizes the pre-downloading of high-precision map information for sections where communication failures are anticipated, using methods such as gradual accumulation or bulk downloading to ensure availability for driver assistance or autonomous driving control.

Benefits of technology

Ensures continuous driver assistance or autonomous driving control by prioritizing high-precision map downloads for critical sections, reducing the likelihood of control disruptions due to communication issues.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of preferentially downloading data on a pre-stored section when it takes time to acquire high-precision map information.SOLUTION: A control unit 70 of a vehicle 1 provides control to allow a second map acquisition unit 60 to preferentially download high-precision map information in advance for a section with low viability for driving assistance control or automatic driving control according to a route section to a destination as derived by a route computation unit 40 and viability information for the route section stored in a viability storage unit 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the development of driving support control for assisting the driving operation of a vehicle or automatic driving control for automatically controlling the driving operation of a vehicle using a high-precision map has been advanced. Here, currently, in the case of automatic driving at level 3 or higher that is approaching realization, driving support control or automatic driving control is often performed using a high-precision map, and route display and the like are often performed using a navigation map.

[0003] For route display and the like using a navigation map, as before, map information is provided from the navigation map stored in the storage unit inside the navigation device, the optimal route to the destination is calculated, and the optimal route is often displayed based on the result (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] On the other hand, the high-precision map required for driving support control or automatic driving control has a larger data volume and often takes a long time to download compared to the navigation map. Also, when continuously downloading the high-precision map during driving, due to unstable communication, there is a possibility that the download takes a long time or the download is interrupted. For this reason, there is a problem that the data of the high-precision map cannot be sufficiently downloaded, the information is insufficient, and the driving support control or automatic driving control cannot be continued.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle that, when it takes time to acquire high-precision map information required for driver assistance control or automatic driving control on the route to the destination, or when the download is interrupted, prioritizes downloading high-precision map information for the section that is stored in advance, as well as the sections before and after that section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Embodiment 1; One or more embodiments of the present invention include: a first map storage unit for storing navigation map information; a location information acquisition unit for acquiring the location information of the vehicle; an information input unit for receiving information including destination information from a user; a route calculation unit for calculating a route from the navigation map information to the destination based on the destination information and the location information of the vehicle; an effectiveness storage unit for storing effectiveness information of driver assistance control or automatic driving control for each predetermined route section of the navigation map; a second map acquisition unit for downloading high-precision map information; a second map storage unit for storing the downloaded high-precision map information; and a control unit for controlling the information acquired by the second map acquisition unit based on the route to the destination and the effectiveness information for each route section. The control unit, In the route calculated by the route calculation unit, the effective storage unit performs driver assistance control or automatic driving control. The feasibility information for this includes sections where communication failures are anticipated in advance. That's what I remember. In such cases, the section where communication failures are anticipated will be designated as a priority section, and the priority section In response to this, methods include: finding available download time for other route sections, including the most recent route section, and downloading and accumulating the high-precision map information for the priority section; downloading multiple sections in advance to increase the download time for the priority section and downloading the high-precision map information for the priority section all at once; or temporarily stopping the download of other route sections, including the most recent route section, and downloading and accumulating the high-precision map information for the priority section. Prioritizing the pre-downloading of high-precision map information, we propose a vehicle characterized by this feature.

[0008] Embodiment 2; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle comprising: a determination unit that determines whether driver assistance control or automated driving control can be continued in the section where the second map acquisition unit has preferentially downloaded high-precision map information; and a notification unit that notifies the user of the possibility that driver assistance control or automated driving control may be deactivated, wherein if the determination unit determines that driver assistance control or automated driving control cannot be continued, the notification unit notifies the user of the possibility that driver assistance control or automated driving control may be deactivated on the route calculated by the route calculation unit.

[0009] Embodiment 3; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle characterized in that, if the determination unit determines that it is not possible to continue driver assistance control or automated driving control, and the user requires the continuation of driver assistance control or automated driving control, the route calculation unit recalculates a new route that allows the driver assistance control or automated driving control to be continued. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, for sections of the driving route to a destination where it is pre-stored that acquiring high-precision map information required for driver assistance control or automated driving control takes time, the high-precision map information for those sections can be downloaded preferentially. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the flow of a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows the flow of the download process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of data stored in the effective storage unit according to the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]It is a diagram showing an example of the passage of time of the download process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the flow of the download process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of the passage of time of the download process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the flow of a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the flow of a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of the passage of time of the download process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0014] <First Embodiment> The vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0015] <Configuration of Vehicle 1> As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first map storage unit 10, a position information acquisition unit 20, an information input unit 30, a route calculation unit 40, a validity storage unit 50, a second map acquisition unit 60, a second map storage unit 61, a control unit 70, a display unit 80, and an output unit 90.

[0016] The first map storage unit 10 stores information on a navigation map as the first map. Specifically, the first map storage unit 10 is composed of a hard disk device or a semiconductor memory, and stores map information necessary for navigation functions such as route calculation or facility calculation. The navigation map information stored in the first map storage unit 10 is read out by the route calculation unit 40, which will be described later.

[0017] The location information acquisition unit 20 includes, for example, a GPS receiver, a compass sensor, a distance sensor, etc., and detects the location information (longitude information, latitude information) of the vehicle at a predetermined timing and acquires the location information of the vehicle. The vehicle's location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 20 is output to the route calculation unit 40, which will be described later.

[0018] The information input unit 30 receives information from the user, including destination information. For example, the information input unit 30 can be a touch panel located on the front of the vehicle 1, and the user can receive information particularly necessary for route calculation, such as destination information, waypoint information, route calculation instructions, and toll road priority instructions, by touching the touch panel.

[0019] The route calculation unit 40 calculates a route to the destination from the navigation map information based on the destination information entered by the user via the information input unit 30 and the location information of the vehicle acquired by the location information acquisition unit 20. The route calculation unit 40 proposes, for example, multiple candidate routes, and the user selects and decides on a route. The route information selected in this way is output to the control unit 70, which will be described later.

[0020] The effectiveness storage unit 50 stores effective information for driver assistance control or automated driving control for each predetermined route section of the navigation map. Specifically, the effective storage unit 50 is composed of a hard disk drive and semiconductor memory, and for each route section, it proactively identifies information about locations with communication challenges, such as tunnels, urban areas with many tall buildings, suburban areas such as mountainous regions where communication lines are easily interrupted and relay power is weak, or situations where the amount of data to be downloaded is enormous and the data download takes a long time. The effective storage unit 50 stores information in areas where the communication environment is weak as low-effectiveness sections and in areas where communication problems are less likely to occur as high-effectiveness sections. The effectiveness information stored in the effectiveness memory unit 50 is output to the control unit 70, which will be described later.

[0021] The second map acquisition unit 60 downloads high-precision map information as the second map. Specifically, the second map acquisition unit 60 acquires high-precision map information necessary for driving assistance control or automated driving control specified by the control unit 70 (described later), for example, from the server 100. The information acquired by the second map acquisition unit 60 is output to the second map storage unit 61, which will be described later.

[0022] The second map storage unit 61 stores the downloaded high-resolution map information as second map information. Specifically, the second map storage unit 61 is composed of a hard disk drive and semiconductor memory, and stores high-precision map information necessary for driver assistance control or automated driving control. The high-precision map information stored in the second map storage unit 61 is read out by the control unit 70, which will be described later.

[0023] The control unit 70 controls the information acquired by the second map acquisition unit 60 based on the route to the destination and the effectiveness information for each section of that route. Specifically, the second map acquisition unit 60 controls, for example, which route section to prioritize downloading from the server 100 for high-precision map information necessary for driver assistance control or automated driving control, based on the route section information determined by the route calculation unit 40 and the effectiveness information stored in the effectiveness storage unit 50. Here, two methods are envisioned for prioritizing downloads: for example, a method that finds available download time and gradually downloads and accumulates the high-precision map information for priority sections (hereinafter referred to as the "accumulation method"), and a method that downloads multiple sections in advance to save download time for priority sections and then downloads the high-precision map information for priority sections all at once (hereinafter referred to as the "bulk method").

[0024] The display unit 80 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays the route to the destination calculated by the route calculation unit 40 to the user in a way that is easily visible.

[0025] The output unit 90 outputs the high-precision map information acquired from the control unit 70 to the ECU for driver assistance control or automated driving control. As a result, driver assistance control or automated driving control is executed.

[0026] <Processing of Vehicle 1> The processing in vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figure 2.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the location information acquisition unit 20 acquires the location information of its own vehicle (step S100).

[0028] The information input unit 30 receives information from the user, including destination information (step S110).

[0029] The route calculation unit 40 calculates a route to the destination based on the navigation map information stored in the first map storage unit 10, using the destination information input from the user via the information input unit 30, the location information of the vehicle input from the location information acquisition unit 20, and other supplementary information (step S120).

[0030] The control unit 70 acquires the effectiveness information for the section stored in the effectiveness storage unit 50 based on the route to the destination calculated by the route calculation unit 40 (step S130). Here, based on the route to the destination and the effectiveness information of the relevant section, a determination is made as to whether or not there is a priority section for pre-downloading high-precision map information as second map information from server 100 (step S140).

[0031] If there is a priority section on the route to the destination (YES in step S140), the process of pre-downloading high-precision map information is executed (step S200). On the other hand, if there are no priority sections on the route to the destination ("NO" in step S140), the high-precision map information is downloaded in the usual order along the route to the destination (step S300).

[0032] The output unit 90 outputs the high-precision map information output from the control unit 70 to the ECU (step S150). This then enables the execution of driver assistance control or automatic driving control.

[0033] <Pre-downloading process for high-precision maps: "cumulative method"> Using Figures 3 to 5, the pre-download process (step S200) of the high-precision map in the cumulative method in vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be explained.

[0034] Figure 4 shows that the effectiveness memory unit 50 stores effectiveness information for each route section of the navigation map, which is the first map. Sections G and M are stored as sections where communication failures are anticipated, indicating low effectiveness. On the other hand, sections A and B are stored as sections where there are no communication problems, indicating high effectiveness. Here, sections where communication problems are anticipated in advance refer to places where communication lines are prone to interruption, such as tunnels, urban areas with many tall buildings, or suburban areas such as mountainous regions with weak relay capabilities, or areas with heavy vehicle traffic where communication is concentrated, which presents communication challenges. Figure 5 is an example of how the download of high-precision map information progresses over time and distance in the pre-download process (step S200) described above. The amount of high-precision map data for each section is represented by a bar graph, and the progress of downloaded high-precision map information is shown in order from 1 to 6 in terms of time progression, with the shaded areas indicating that the download is complete. The vehicle image indicates the vehicle's position. In addition, while this figure shows the amount of high-precision map data according to the distance of the section, the actual amount of high-precision map data is not necessarily greater for longer distances and less for shorter distances. If there is a lot of real-world features such as buildings, white lines, traffic lights, and continuous curves in the section, or virtual features existing in space in a GIS, the amount of high-precision map information will also be large.

[0035] Here, we will explain using Figure 5 as an example. As shown in Figure 3, first, the control unit 70 causes the second map acquisition unit 60 to download high-precision map information from the nearest route section A (step S210) (procedure 1 in Figure 5).

[0036] Next, once the high-precision map information necessary for continuing to execute vehicle driving assistance control or automatic driving control has been downloaded in the nearest section A, if it is determined that there is a time leeway before downloading the next nearest section B and that it is possible to download the high-precision map information for priority section C (YES in step S220), the control unit 70 will start the second map acquisition unit 60 to pre-download the high-precision map information for priority section C (step S230) (Progress 2 in Figure 5).

[0037] Subsequently, when the vehicle approaches the end of section A, where sufficient high-precision map information for continuing to perform driver assistance control or automatic driving control has been downloaded, the pre-download of priority section C is temporarily stopped, and the control unit 70 instructs the second map acquisition unit 60 to download high-precision map information for the nearest section B (step S240) (procedure 3 in Figure 5).

[0038] On the other hand, if, at the time high-precision map information necessary for continuing to execute vehicle driving assistance control or automatic driving control has been downloaded in section A, there is no time leeway to download the next nearest section B ("NO" in step S220), the control unit 70 will cause the second map acquisition unit 60 to download high-precision map information for the nearest section B without starting the pre-download of high-precision map information for priority section C (step S240).

[0039] Subsequently, once the high-precision map information necessary for continuing to execute vehicle driver assistance control or automated driving control in the nearest section B has been downloaded, it is determined whether the pre-download for priority section C has been completed (step S250). If the pre-download of priority section C has already been completed ("YES" in step S250), the control unit 70 downloads high-precision map information for the next nearest section D to the second map acquisition unit 60 (step S270) (procedure 5). Once the download is complete, the control unit 70 instructs the second map acquisition unit 60 to download the next nearest section E (step S280) (procedure 6).

[0040] On the other hand, if the pre-download of priority section C has not been completed when the high-precision map information necessary for continuing to execute vehicle driver assistance control or automatic driving control has been downloaded in the most recent section B ("NO" in step S250), the pre-download will be performed from the continuation of priority section C (step S260) (proceedings 4).

[0041] Subsequently, the control unit 70 instructs the second map acquisition unit 60 to download the next nearest section D (step S270) (procedure 5). Once the download is complete, the control unit 70 instructs the second map acquisition unit 60 to download yet another next nearest section E (step S280) (procedure 6).

[0042] <Pre-downloading of high-precision maps using a "batch method"> Next, the method for pre-downloading high-precision maps in the batch method (step S200) will be explained using Figures 6 and 7. Figure 7, similar to Figure 5, shows an example of how the download of high-precision map information progresses with the passage of time and distance traveled during the pre-download process (step S200). The amount of high-precision map data for each section is represented by a bar graph, and the progress of downloaded high-precision map information is shown in the order of time progression 1 to 4, with the shaded areas indicating that the download is complete. The vehicle image indicates the vehicle's position. In this figure, the amount of high-precision map data is shown according to the distance of the section, but in reality, the amount of high-precision map data is not necessarily greater for longer distances and less for shorter distances. If there is a lot of object information such as buildings in the section, the amount of high-precision map information will also be large.

[0043] Here, we will explain using Figure 7 as an example. As shown in Figure 6, first, the control unit 70 determines the amount of high-precision map information for a priority section and the time required for pre-downloading it, if such a section exists on the route to the destination. Then, in order to gain time to pre-download the priority section all at once before the vehicle travels to reach the priority section, the control unit 70 first causes the second map acquisition unit 60 to download multiple sections at once, including the section A immediately preceding the current vehicle position and the next section B (step S211) (procedure 1 in Figure 7). Here, the number of sections to download at once is determined based on the location of the priority section on the travel route and the estimated arrival time of the vehicle, and is calculated based on the minimum number of sections required to gain time to pre-download the priority section.

[0044] If time is gained to pre-download the priority section D by downloading high-precision map information for multiple sections at once, the control unit 70 pre-downloads the priority section D to the second map acquisition unit 60 at once (step S231) (procedure 2 in Figure 7).

[0045] Once the pre-download of priority section D is complete, the control unit 70 instructs the second map acquisition unit 60 to download high-precision map information for the next nearest route section C (step S271) (procedure 2 in Figure 7). Once the download is complete, since priority section D has been pre-downloaded, the control unit 70 instructs the second map acquisition unit 60 to download the next nearest section E (step S280) (procedure 4 in Figure 7).

[0046] <Variation> The pre-download process for high-precision maps (step S200) may also be carried out using the method described below. For example, in step 3 of Figure 5, an example is shown where high-precision map information for section B is downloaded to completion. However, if there is no interference with driver assistance control or automatic driving control, the control unit 70 will temporarily stop the download of section B to the second map acquisition unit 60 while it is still downloading section B. The control unit 70 can then have the second map acquisition unit 60 download priority section C using a cumulative pre-download method. After that, the control unit 70 can have the second map acquisition unit 60 continue downloading section B, which was temporarily stopped.

[0047] <Effects and Actions> As described above, the control unit 70 of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment controls the second map acquisition unit 60 to preferentially pre-download high-precision map information for sections where the effectiveness of driver assistance control or automatic driving control is stored in the effectiveness storage unit 50, based on the route section to the destination calculated by the route calculation unit 40 and the effectiveness information corresponding to said route section. There are two methods for pre-downloading: a cumulative method that downloads high-resolution map information for priority sections little by little during available download times, and a batch method that downloads multiple sections at once to save download time for priority sections and allow for the download of high-resolution map information for those sections. The most appropriate download method can be chosen depending on the location of the sections that should be prioritized for download along the driving route. Therefore, for sections of the route to the destination where the effectiveness of driver assistance control or autonomous driving control is recorded as low, high-precision map information for those sections is prioritized for download, making it possible to continue driver assistance control or autonomous driving control.

[0048] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment can store in advance sections where communication failures are anticipated as sections where the effectiveness of driver assistance control or automatic driving control is low. Sections where communication failures are anticipated are areas where communication lines are prone to interruption and communication challenges exist, such as tunnels, urban areas with many tall buildings, and suburban areas such as mountainous regions with weak relay capabilities. In such sections where communication failures are anticipated, it is expected that communication will be interrupted during the download of high-precision map information, and that the download of high-precision map information will take a long time due to congestion on the communication lines. Because the high-precision map information used for driver assistance control or autonomous driving control has a large data size, if communication is interrupted and the download is interrupted, or if the download takes a long time, it will become difficult to continue driver assistance control or autonomous driving control. Therefore, in sections of the route to the destination where communication failures cause delays in acquiring the high-precision map information required for driver assistance control or autonomous driving control, the high-precision map information for those sections can be downloaded preferentially, increasing the likelihood of continued driver assistance control or autonomous driving control.

[0049] <Second Embodiment> Vehicle 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 11.

[0050] <Configuration of Vehicle 1A> As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 1A according to this embodiment includes a first map storage unit 10, a location information acquisition unit 20, an information input unit 30, a route calculation unit 40, an effective storage unit 50, a second map acquisition unit 60, a second map storage unit 61, a control unit 70, a display unit 80, an output unit 90, a determination unit 91, and a notification unit 92. Note that components bearing the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have similar functions, and therefore, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0051] The determination unit 91 determines whether driver assistance control or automatic driving control can be continued in the section where the second map acquisition unit 60 has prioritized downloading high-precision map information. Specifically, the second map acquisition unit 60 determines whether sufficient high-precision map information has been downloaded in the section where it has prioritized downloading high-precision map information, in order to perform driver assistance control or automatic driving control. If the determination unit 91 determines that driver assistance control or automatic driving control cannot be continued, it outputs the determination result to the notification unit 92, which will be described later.

[0052] The notification unit 92 notifies the user (occupant) of the possibility that the driver assistance control or automatic driving control may be deactivated. Specifically, if the determination unit 91 determines that driver assistance control or automatic driving control cannot be continued, the user (occupant) is notified, for example, by displaying on the liquid crystal panel of the display unit 80, that driver assistance control or automatic driving control may be deactivated along the route calculated by the route calculation unit 40.

[0053] <Processing of Vehicle 1A> The processing of vehicle 1A according to this embodiment will be explained using Figures 8 to 11. Figure 11 shows an example of how the download of high-precision map information progresses over time and distance during the pre-download process (step S200). The amount of high-precision map data for each section is represented by a bar graph, and the progress of downloaded high-precision map information is shown in order from 1 to 4 in terms of time progression, with the shaded area indicating that the download is complete. The vehicle image indicates the vehicle's position. In addition, while this figure shows the amount of high-precision map data according to the distance of the section, the actual amount of high-precision map data is not necessarily greater for longer distances and less for shorter distances. If there is a lot of object information such as buildings in the section, the amount of high-precision map information will also be large.

[0054] Here, we will explain using Figure 11 as an example. In Figure 10, it is determined whether driver assistance control or automated driving control can be continued in priority section C of the route to the destination, where high-precision map information has been pre-downloaded (step S400). If driver assistance control or automated driving control can be continued ("YES" in step S400), driver assistance control or automated driving control continues to be performed until the destination. On the other hand, if, for example, sufficient high-precision map information has not been downloaded to perform driver assistance control or automated driving control, and driver assistance control or automated driving control cannot be continued ("NO" in step S400), the route calculation unit 40 will notify the user that there is a possibility that driver assistance control or automated driving control will be canceled on the currently calculated route (step S410) (procedure 4 in Figure 11). The notification to the user will be made, for example, by being displayed on the liquid crystal panel, which serves as the display unit 80. The notification may also be made via an LED display in the cockpit or by voice.

[0055] If a user who has been notified that driver assistance control or automated driving control may be deactivated wishes to continue driver assistance control or automated driving control ("YES" in step S420), the system calculates a route different from the current route. As shown in Figure 9, the system acquires the current location information of the vehicle again using the location information acquisition unit 20 (step S100) and inputs information including destination information into the information input unit 30 (step S110). The route calculation unit 40 then recalculates a new route to the destination where driver assistance control or automated driving control can be performed, based on the destination information, the current location information of the vehicle, and other supplementary information, using the navigation map information stored in the first map storage unit 10 (step S120).

[0056] On the other hand, if a user who has been notified that the driver assistance control or automated driving control may be deactivated does not require the driver assistance control or automated driving control to continue ("NO" in step S420), the driver assistance control or automated driving control will be terminated and the system will switch to manual driving (step S430).

[0057] <Effects and Actions> As described above, in the vehicle 1A according to this embodiment, if the determination unit 91 determines that it cannot continue driver assistance control or automatic driving control in a section where high-precision map information has been downloaded preferentially, the notification unit 92 notifies the user that there is a possibility that driver assistance control or automatic driving control will be deactivated on the current route. Therefore, users can be informed in advance that the driver assistance control or automatic driving control will be deactivated and the vehicle will switch to manual driving, and they can continue to drive safely even after the switch to manual driving.

[0058] Furthermore, if the determination unit 91 determines that it cannot continue driver assistance control or automated driving control, and the user requires that driver assistance control or automated driving control be continued, the determination unit recalculates a new route that allows for the continuation of driver assistance control or automated driving control. Therefore, even if there is a possibility that driver assistance control or automated driving control may be deactivated on the current route, a new route to the destination can be set, and driver assistance control or automated driving control can be continued on the new route.

[0059] Furthermore, the vehicles 1 and 1A of the present invention can be realized by recording the processing of the control unit 70 and the judgment unit 91 on a recording medium that can be read by a computer system, and then having the control unit 70 and the judgment unit 91 read and execute the program recorded on this recording medium. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as the operating system and peripheral devices.

[0060] Furthermore, "computer system" includes the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment) if the WWW (World Wide Web) system is being used. The above program may also be transmitted from the computer system in which the program is stored to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.

[0061] Furthermore, the above program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. It may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0062] Although embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the gist of this invention. For example, in the above embodiments, vehicles 1 and 1A, in which functions are concentrated on the vehicle side, were used as examples, but the system may also be configured such that the functions of the control unit 70, the judgment unit 91 and the second map storage unit 61 are separated and processed on a server. By adopting this system, there is no need to download high-precision maps on the vehicle's equipment side, enabling high-speed processing with simple control. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1; Vehicle 1A; Vehicle 10; First map storage unit 20; Location information acquisition unit 30; Information Input Section 40; Route calculation unit 50; Effective memory unit 60; Second Map Acquisition Section 61; Second map memory unit 70; Control Unit 80;Display section 90; Output section 91; Judgment Department 92; Hochi Department 100; Server

Claims

1. A first map storage unit that stores navigation map information, A location information acquisition unit that acquires the location information of the vehicle, An information input unit that receives information including destination information from the user, A route calculation unit calculates a route to the destination from the information on the navigation map based on the destination information and the location information of the vehicle, Effectiveness storage unit stores effective information for driver assistance control or automated driving control for each predetermined route section of the navigation map, The second map acquisition unit downloads high-precision map information, A second map storage unit for storing the downloaded high-precision map information, A control unit that controls the information acquired by the second map acquisition unit based on the route to the destination and the effectiveness information for each section of the route, Equipped with, A vehicle characterized in that, if the control unit has stored in the effectiveness storage unit that a section where a communication failure is anticipated is included in the route calculated by the route calculation unit, the control unit designates the section where a communication failure is anticipated as a priority section, and the second map acquisition unit prioritizes the pre-downloading of high-precision map information for the priority section by finding available download time for other route sections, including the most recent route section, and downloading and accumulating the high-precision map information for the priority section; downloading multiple sections in advance to gain download time for the priority section and downloading the high-precision map information for the priority section in a batch; or temporarily stopping the download of other route sections, including the most recent route section, and downloading and accumulating the high-precision map information for the priority section.

2. A determination unit determines whether driver assistance control or automated driving control can be continued in the section where the second map acquisition unit has prioritized downloading high-precision map information, A notification unit that informs the user of the possibility that driver assistance control or automatic driving control may be deactivated, Equipped with, The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein if the determination unit determines that it cannot continue driver assistance control or automated driving control, the notification unit notifies the user that there is a possibility that driver assistance control or automated driving control will be deactivated on the route calculated by the route calculation unit.

3. If the determination unit determines that it cannot continue driver assistance control or automated driving control, and the user requires that driver assistance control or automated driving control be continued, The vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the route calculation unit recalculates a new route that allows for the continuation of driver assistance control or automatic driving control.

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