Method of operating an information processing device, information processing device and program

Abstract

To shorten processing time while securing accuracy of simulation of vehicle operation in a block.SOLUTION: An operation method of an information processing device includes the steps of: operating the information processing device in a plurality of pseudo situations by a simulation program for executing part of control operation by a control program for controlling travel of a vehicle in accordance with a situation of surrounding circumstances in which the vehicle travels in accordance with part of the situation; and extracting a first pseudo situation in which the vehicle and an object show a predetermined mode from the plurality of pseudo situations for a simulation step by the control program. In the simulation step, control operation by the control program is executed in the first pseudo situation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In the design stage of a block, in order to consider the possibility of traffic congestion and the like in the block, a technique of simulating traffic volume and the like by an information processing apparatus is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for simulating the operation plan of public transportation vehicles.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the simulation of vehicle operation in a block, the assumed situations such as the presence or absence of objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles on the moving route of the vehicle and the moving modes of the objects are diverse. However, a huge amount of information processing and time are required to simulate vehicle operation for each different situation. Therefore, it is desired to shorten the processing time while ensuring the accuracy of the simulation.

[0005] The present disclosure provides an operation method of an information processing apparatus and the like that can shorten the processing time while ensuring the accuracy of the simulation of vehicle operation in a block.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The operation method of the information processing device in this disclosure includes: operating in a plurality of simulated situations by a simulation program that executes a part of the control operation of a control program that controls the driving of the vehicle in accordance with the conditions of the surrounding environment in which the vehicle is driving, in accordance with a part of the conditions; and extracting a first simulated situation from the plurality of simulated situations in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined manner for a simulation step by the control program, wherein the control operation of the control program in the first simulated situation is executed.

[0007] The information processing device in this disclosure includes a storage unit for storing a simulated program for executing a part of the control operation of a control program that controls the driving of a vehicle according to the conditions of the surrounding environment in which the vehicle is driving, according to a part of the conditions; and a control unit that operates in a plurality of simulated conditions by the simulated program and extracts a first simulated condition from the plurality of simulated conditions in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined manner, for a simulation process by the control program, in which the control operation of the control program in the first simulated condition is executed.

[0008] The program in this disclosure is a program that causes an information processing device to operate in a plurality of simulated situations by a simulation program that executes a part of the control operation of a control program that controls the driving of a vehicle in accordance with the conditions of the surrounding environment in which the vehicle is driving, in accordance with a part of the conditions, and to extract a first simulated situation from the plurality of simulated situations in which the vehicle and an object exhibit a predetermined manner, for a simulation process by the control program, wherein in the simulation process, the control operation of the control program in the first simulated situation is executed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the operation method of the information processing device described in this disclosure, it is possible to shorten the processing time while ensuring the accuracy of the simulation of vehicle operation in a city block. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of information related to the simulation. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of server device operation. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of server device operation. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating a simplified simulation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described below.

[0012] Figure 1 shows an example configuration of one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1 has a server device 10 and a terminal device 12 that are connected to each other via a network 11 so that they can communicate with each other. In the information processing system 1, the server device 10 performs information processing related to the simulation in block design in response to instructions sent from the terminal device 12. The terminal device 12 is, for example, one or more information processing devices such as personal computers and tablet terminal devices. The information processing device may also include a smartphone. The server device 10 is, for example, one or more server computers. The server device 10 may be a single server computer, or it may be a plurality of server computers that coordinately execute the operations in this embodiment and provide services. The network 11 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, an ad hoc network, a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a mobile communication network, or other networks, or any combination thereof.

[0013] The server device 10 corresponds to the "information processing device" of this embodiment and receives instructions from the terminal device 12 to perform information processing related to the simulation in urban block design. The simulation is, for example, a simulation to virtually execute the movement of vehicles operating on streets in an urban block such as a so-called smart city under various conditions. The vehicles are, for example, commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks, and are autonomous vehicles whose driving is automated at any level (for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)). Various conditions (hereinafter referred to as surrounding conditions) include the movement patterns of objects such as pedestrians, bicycles, and other vehicles that intersect the path the vehicle is traveling, and the nature of blind spots from the vehicle on the street. In the simulation, the operation of the vehicle is virtually executed based on control operations performed according to the surrounding conditions by a driving control program installed in the vehicle. In this embodiment, the simulation is executed in two stages. In other words, the operation method of the server device 10 includes a simplified simulation step in which a simulation program operates in multiple simulated surrounding conditions, executing a part of the control operation of a driving control program that controls the driving of a vehicle according to the surrounding conditions of the surrounding environment in which the vehicle is driving, according to a part of the surrounding conditions; and a selection step in which a simulated surrounding condition in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined manner is extracted from the multiple simulated surrounding conditions for a precise simulation step by the driving control program. Then, in the precise simulation step, the control operation of the driving control program is executed in the simulated surrounding condition extracted in the selection step (hereinafter referred to as the sample surrounding condition).

[0014] According to this embodiment, a simplified simulation process using a simulation program that only partially simulates the control operations of the driving control program, and therefore has a smaller processing load than the driving control program, extracts a sample surrounding situation in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined configuration, for example, the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object is smaller than the reference distance. Then, a precise simulation process using the driving control program is executed in the sample surrounding situation. In this way, by executing a simplified simulation process using a simulation program based on the driving control program, the sample surrounding situation can be extracted while maintaining a certain degree of simulation accuracy. Furthermore, by executing the precise simulation process on the sample surrounding situation, the simulation can be performed with a smaller overall processing load than when performing a detailed simulation for all simulated surrounding situations. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the processing time while ensuring the accuracy of the simulation of vehicle operation in a city block.

[0015] Next, the configurations of the server device 10 and the terminal device 12 will be described.

[0016] The server device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, a control unit 103, an input unit 105, and an output unit 106. These components are appropriately arranged in two or more server computers when the server device 10 is composed of two or more server computers.

[0017] The communication unit 101 includes one or more communication interfaces. These communication interfaces are, for example, LAN interfaces. The communication unit 101 receives information used in the operation of the server device 10 and transmits information obtained through the operation of the server device 10. The server device 10 is connected to the network 11 via the communication unit 101 and communicates information with the terminal device 12 via the network 11.

[0018] The memory unit 102 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these, which function as a main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is, for example, SRAM (Static RAM) or DRAM (Dynamic RAM). The ROM is, for example, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). The memory unit 102 stores information used for the operation of the control unit 103 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 103. The memory unit 102 stores, for example, a driving control program 104 and detailed simulation data 107 for the detailed simulation process, and a simulation program 108 and simplified simulation data 109 for the simplified simulation process.

[0019] Figure 2 illustrates the detailed simulation data 107 for the detailed simulation process and the simplified simulation data 109 for the simplified simulation process. The detailed simulation data 107 includes multiple simulation pattern data 21. Each simulation pattern data 21 is data corresponding to a simulated surrounding situation, similar to the data detected by the vehicle's sensors when the vehicle is driving through a city block, and each represents a different surrounding situation. The simulation pattern data 21 includes, for example, data such as images captured by the vehicle's camera, the vehicle's state, and its motion state. The captured images include objects and obstacles around the vehicle. The vehicle's state includes vehicle vibration, temperature, etc. The vehicle's motion state includes vehicle speed, acceleration, etc. The simulation pattern data 21 may be data detected and collected by sensors when the vehicle is actually driving through a city block, or it may be data created for detailed simulation in the format of the actual detected data. The simplified simulation data 109 also includes multiple simulation pattern data 22. Each simulation pattern data 22 represents data showing a portion of the surrounding conditions when a vehicle is driving through a city block, and corresponds to data showing a portion of a simulated surrounding condition. The simulation pattern data 22 includes data such as object movement patterns, vehicle driving patterns, blind spot patterns, visibility, and road surface conditions. The object movement pattern includes the object's movement path, speed, and acceleration / deceleration. The vehicle driving pattern includes the vehicle's driving path, speed, and acceleration / deceleration. The blind spot pattern includes the location and range of blind spots around the vehicle. Visibility includes the range that the vehicle's camera can capture. Road surface conditions include the magnitude of friction on the road surface when the vehicle is braking. The simulation pattern data 22 is data created for a simplified simulation and does not necessarily have to be in the format of data detected by the vehicle's sensors. The simulation pattern data 22 is associated with the simulation pattern data 21 of the detailed simulation data 107, which includes the corresponding surrounding conditions. The association information of the simulation pattern data 21 and 22 is stored in the storage unit 102.

[0020] Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 103 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. While controlling each part of the server device 10, the control unit 103 executes information processing related to the operation of the server device 10.

[0021] The functions of the server device 10 are realized by the processor included in the control unit 103 executing a control program. The control program is a program for causing the processor to function as the control unit 103. Also, some or all of the functions of the server device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 103. Further, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory recording and storage medium readable by the control unit 103, and the control unit 103 may read it from the medium.

[0022] The control unit 103 executes a simple simulation process using the simple simulation data 109 by executing the simulation program 108. Also, the control unit 103 simulates the operating environment of a control device such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) in which the travel control program 104 is installed in a vehicle, for example, by executing a program for emulation. Then, the control unit 103 executes a detailed simulation process using the detailed simulation data 107 by executing the travel control program 104 in the simulated operating environment.

[0023] The input unit 105 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interfaces are, for example, physical keys, capacitive keys, pointing devices, touchscreens integrated with a display, or microphones that accept voice input. The input unit 105 accepts operations to input information used for the operation of the server device 10 and sends the input information to the control unit 103.

[0024] The output unit 106 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interfaces are, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 106 outputs information obtained from the operation of the server device 10.

[0025] The terminal device 12 includes a communication unit 121, a storage unit 122, a control unit 123, an input unit 125, and an output unit 126.

[0026] The communication unit 121 includes a communication module compatible with wired or wireless LAN standards, a module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE, 4G, and 5G, etc. The terminal device 12 is connected to the network 11 via the communication unit 121 through a nearby router device or mobile communication base station, and communicates information with the server device 10, etc. via the network 11.

[0027] The storage unit 122 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The storage unit 122 functions, for example, as a main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The storage unit 122 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 123 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 123.

[0028] The control unit 123 has, for example, one or more general-purpose processors such as a CPU or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or one or more dedicated processors such as a GPU specialized for specific processing. Alternatively, the control unit 123 may have one or more dedicated circuits such as FPGAs or ASICs. The control unit 123 comprehensively controls the operation of the terminal device 12 by operating according to a control and processing program, or by operating according to an operating procedure implemented as a circuit. The control unit 123 then sends and receives various information with the server device 10, etc., via the communication unit 121 and executes the operations according to this embodiment.

[0029] The functions of the terminal device 12 are realized by the execution of a control program by the processor included in the control unit 123. The control program is a program that causes the processor to function as the control unit 123. In addition, some or all of the functions of the terminal device 12 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 123. Furthermore, the control program may be stored in a non-transient recording / storage medium readable by the control unit 123, and the control unit 123 may read it from the medium.

[0030] The input unit 125 includes one or more input interfaces. These input interfaces include, for example, physical keys, capacitive keys, a pointing device, and a touchscreen integrated with a display. The input interfaces may also include a microphone for receiving voice input and a camera for capturing images. Furthermore, the input interfaces may include a scanner or camera for scanning image codes and an IC card reader. The input unit 125 accepts operations to input information used in the operation of the control unit 123 and sends the input information to the control unit 123. The input unit 125 also sends images captured by the camera to the control unit 123.

[0031] The output unit 126 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interfaces include, for example, a display and a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The output unit 126 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 123.

[0032] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the server device 10 in this embodiment. Each step is performed by the control unit 103. The procedure in Figure 3 is performed, for example, in response to instructions from a terminal device 12 operated by an operator.

[0033] In step S30, the control unit 103 acquires simplified simulation data. The control unit 103 reads and acquires the simplified simulation data 109 that has been previously stored in the storage unit 102. Alternatively, the operator inputs arbitrary simplified simulation data via the input unit 125 of the terminal device 12, and the control unit 123 of the terminal device 12 sends the input data to the server device 10 via the communication unit 121. The control unit 103 of the server device 10 receives the information sent from the terminal device 12 via the communication unit 101. As a result, the control unit 103 acquires the simplified simulation data. Alternatively, the operator may input arbitrary simplified simulation data via the input unit 105 of the server device 10, and the control unit 103 may acquire the input simplified simulation data.

[0034] In step S31, the control unit 103 executes a simplified simulation process. The operator inputs an instruction to execute the simplified simulation process via the input unit 125 of the terminal device 12. The control unit 123 of the terminal device 12 sends the input instruction to the server device 10 via the communication unit 121. The control unit 103 of the server device 10 receives the instruction sent from the terminal device 12 via the communication unit 101. As a result, the control unit 103 executes the simplified simulation process using the simplified simulation data 109 according to the simulation program 108. Details of the simplified simulation process are shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0035] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the server device 10 that executes the simplified simulation process. Each step in Figure 4 is a step defined by the simulation program 108. Figure 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a simplified simulation defined by the simulation program 108. As shown in Figure 5, the simplified simulation is performed to simulate the closest approach distance between a vehicle 51 (P1 to P5 in parentheses indicate the position over time) and other vehicles 54 or pedestrians 55 moving intersecting the route 52 when the vehicle travels along the route 52 from the starting point 52S to the ending point 52E on streets 57-1 and 57-3 in block 50. Here, the arrangement of streets 57-1 to 57-3 in block 50 is defined by the simulation program 108, and the surrounding conditions, including the driving pattern of vehicle 51, the movement patterns of objects such as other vehicles 54 or pedestrians 55, and the positions, dimensions, and shapes of obstacles 56-1, 56-2, etc., are defined by the simulation pattern data 22, so that they differ for each simulation pattern data 22. For example, the movement pattern of objects such as other vehicles 54 or pedestrians 55 is defined by the movement path, speed, acceleration, etc. of the objects. Also, the driving pattern of vehicle 51 is defined by the driving path, speed, acceleration, etc. of vehicle 51. Furthermore, the blind spot pattern is defined by the position, dimensions, and shape of the blind spots around the vehicle, etc., as determined by the positions, dimensions, and shapes of obstacles 56-1, 56-2, etc. Furthermore, the field of view 53 of the vehicle 51's camera is defined by variations in visibility. For example, in variations that assume relatively low light conditions such as cloudy days or nighttime, the range of the field of view 53 is set to be relatively small.

[0036] In step S401 of Figure 4, the control unit 103 starts the recognition process. The recognition process is, for example, the process of capturing an object in the field of view 53 of the camera of the vehicle 51.

[0037] In step S402, the control unit 103 determines whether the sensor range has been determined. The sensor range is, for example, the camera's field of view 53. If the field of view 53 is set to the range corresponding to the position of the vehicle 51 in the block 50, it can be determined that the sensor range has been determined (Yes in step S402), and the control unit 103 proceeds to step S403. If it is determined that the sensor range has not been determined (No in step S402), the control unit 103 proceeds to step S410, decides to maintain the vehicle speed of the vehicle 51, and terminates the process shown in Figure 4.

[0038] In step S403, the control unit 103 determines whether there are any hidden objects. For example, at positions P1, P3, and P5, the field of view 53 of the vehicle 51 does not include obstacles 56-1 and 56-2, so it is determined that there are no hidden objects. At positions P2 and P4, the field of view 53 of the vehicle 51 includes obstacles 56-1 and 56-2, respectively, so it is determined that there are hidden objects. If it is determined that there are hidden objects (Yes in step S403), the control unit 103 proceeds to step S404. If it is determined that there are no hidden objects (No in step S403), the control unit 103 proceeds to step S410, decides to maintain the vehicle speed of the vehicle 51, and ends the process shown in Figure 4.

[0039] In step S404, the control unit 103 starts decelerating the vehicle 51 according to static parameters. The static parameters are arbitrary values ​​predetermined by the simulation program 108 and correspond to deceleration for preliminary deceleration of the vehicle 51.

[0040] In step S405, the control unit 103 determines the vehicle-to-vehicle deceleration. For example, when vehicle 51 travels to position P3, another vehicle 54 traveling along street 57-2, which intersects with street 57-3, in direction 54D is detected in the field of view 53. The control unit 103 derives, for example, the time until the other vehicle 54 intersects with the travel path 52 based on the change in the position of the other vehicle 54 over time, and determines a deceleration that avoids contact with the other vehicle 54. Alternatively, the control unit 103 may maintain the speed of vehicle 51 if the other vehicle 54 is not included in the field of view 53, or if the time until the other vehicle 54 intersects with the travel path 52 is longer than an arbitrary criterion. The arbitrary criterion is set to be greater than or equal to the time required for vehicle 51 to reach the point where the other vehicle 54 intersects with the travel path 52.

[0041] In step S406, the control unit 103 determines the vehicle-pedestrian deceleration. For example, when the vehicle 51 travels to position P5, a pedestrian 55 moving along direction 55D crossing the street 57-3 is detected in the field of view 53. The control unit 103 derives, for example, the time until the pedestrian 55 intersects with the travel path 52 based on the change in the pedestrian 55's position over time, and determines a deceleration that avoids contact with the pedestrian 55. Alternatively, the control unit 103 may maintain the vehicle speed of the vehicle 51 if the pedestrian 55 is not included in the field of view 53, or if the time until the pedestrian 55 intersects with the travel path 52 is longer than an arbitrary criterion. The arbitrary criterion is set to be greater than or equal to the time required for the vehicle 51 to reach the point where the pedestrian 55 intersects with the travel path 52.

[0042] In step S407, the control unit 103 adjusts the deceleration. For example, the control unit 103 adjusts the deceleration to be less than or equal to the maximum deceleration possible according to the specifications of the vehicle 51.

[0043] In step S408, the control unit 103 determines the vehicle speed. For example, the control unit 103 decelerates the vehicle 51 using the adjusted deceleration rate to determine the vehicle speed at the degree of deceleration. This allows the control unit 103 to perform a simulation in which the vehicle 51 travels at the decelerated speed. In such a simplified simulation, the control unit 103 may generate computer graphics (CG) images representing the city block 50, vehicle 51, other vehicles 54, pedestrians 55, obstacles 56-1, 56-2, etc., and send them to the terminal device 12. This allows the operator to view the CG images representing the simplified simulation on the terminal device 12.

[0044] In step S409, the control unit 103 stores the closest approach distance between the vehicle 51 and the object. For example, when the vehicle 51 is traveling at a reduced speed, the control unit 103 derives the distance at which it comes closest to another vehicle 54 or a pedestrian 55 and stores it in the storage unit 102 along with the identification information of the simulation pattern data 22. The closest approach is also included when the vehicle 51 comes into contact with another vehicle 54 or a pedestrian 55.

[0045] Returning to Figure 3, in step S32, the control unit 103 executes a sorting process. The control unit 103 executes the sorting process according to the simulation program 108. Based on the results of the simplified simulation, the control unit 103 extracts a simulated surrounding situation from a plurality of simulated surrounding situations in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined configuration, for the precise simulation process by the driving control program. For example, the control unit 103 extracts simulation pattern data 22 such that the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object is below an arbitrary standard. The standard for the closest approach distance is a value arbitrarily determined in the range of, for example, several tens of centimeters to 2 meters, such that the probability of a contact accident occurs above a certain level. When deriving the closest approach distance between the vehicle 51 and the object, the control unit 103 may derive the closest approach distance by taking into account the object's movement pattern, such as the object's movement path, movement speed, and acceleration / deceleration, using an arbitrary algorithm. Furthermore, the control unit 103 may derive the closest approach distance by taking into account variations in the driving pattern of the vehicle 51, such as its driving path, speed, and acceleration / deceleration, using an arbitrary algorithm. In addition, the control unit 103 may derive the closest approach distance by taking into account the road surface conditions using an arbitrary algorithm and adjusting the braking distance when the vehicle 51 decelerates. Alternatively, the control unit 103 may extract any number of simulation pattern data 22 in ascending order of the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object. That is, pseudo-surrounding conditions are extracted such that the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object falls into any number of ascending categories. The control unit 103 stores identification information of the simulation pattern data 21 corresponding to the extracted simulation pattern data 22 in the storage unit 102. Here, the simulation pattern data 21 corresponding to the extracted simulation pattern data 22 corresponds to the sample surrounding conditions.

[0046] In step S33, the control unit 103 executes the detailed simulation process. The operator inputs an instruction to execute the detailed simulation process via the input unit 125 of the terminal device 12. The control unit 123 of the terminal device 12 sends the input instruction to the server device 10 via the communication unit 121. The control unit 103 of the server device 10 receives the instruction sent from the terminal device 12 via the communication unit 101. As a result, the control unit 103 executes the detailed simulation process using the detailed simulation data 107 in accordance with the driving control program 104. At this time, the control unit 103 executes the detailed simulation using the simulation pattern data 21 extracted in the selection process. The control unit 103 executes the driving control program 104 by emulating the implementation environment of the driving control program 104 in the vehicle, and outputs signals, data, etc., such as those output by an ECU, according to the detailed simulation data 107. Furthermore, the control unit 103 extracts simulation pattern data 21 such that the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object is below an arbitrary standard. The criterion for the closest approach distance is a value arbitrarily determined within a range, for example, several tens of centimeters to 2 meters, such that a certain probability of a collision occurs. In the detailed simulation process, the control unit 103 may generate a CG image representing the simulated surrounding environment corresponding to the simulation pattern data 21 and the operation of the vehicle 51 corresponding to the output obtained by executing the driving control program 104, and send it to the terminal device 12. In this way, the operator can view the CG image showing the detailed simulation on the terminal device 12.

[0047] According to this embodiment, by performing a simplified simulation process using a simulated program based on a driving control program, the surrounding conditions of a sample can be extracted while maintaining a certain degree of simulation accuracy. Then, by performing a precise simulation process targeting the surrounding conditions of the sample, the simulation can be performed with a smaller overall processing load than when performing a detailed simulation for all surrounding conditions. Specifically, by excluding phenomena outside the vehicle's perception range from the screening, it becomes possible to concentrate on events that occur due to difficulties in vehicle perception caused by the infrastructure of the city block and perform a detailed simulation. In this way, it becomes possible to shorten the processing time while ensuring the accuracy of the simulation of vehicle operation in the city block.

[0048] In this embodiment, the simplified simulation process, the sorting process, and the detailed simulation process may be executed in a distributed manner by two or more server computers. Furthermore, this embodiment also includes cases where the above-described procedures, as described for the operation of the server device 10, are executed by an information processing device such as a standalone PC. Moreover, the server computer or information processing device such as a PC may be configured to communicate with an ECU or equivalent control device for installation in a vehicle, and the detailed simulation operating environment may be emulated by a configuration including the ECU, etc.

[0049] As described above, embodiments have been explained based on various drawings and examples, but it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each means, each step, etc., can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple means, steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1. Information Processing System 10 Server devices 11 Network 12 Terminal devices 101, 121 Communications Department 102, 122 Storage section 103, 123 Control Unit 105, 125 Input section 106, 126 Output section 104 Driving control program 104 107 Detailed Simulation Data 108 Simulation Programs 109 Simple Simulation Data

Claims

1. A method for operating an information processing device, A simulation program that executes a part of the control operation of a control program that controls the vehicle's movement according to the conditions of the surrounding environment in which the vehicle is traveling, in accordance with a part of the conditions, operates in multiple simulated situations based on first simulation data, The process includes acquiring, for the simulation step by the control program, second simulation data, which includes simulation pattern data representing a situation, corresponding to the first simulation data, which includes simulation pattern data representing a situation, for simulating a first simulated situation in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined manner, and which corresponds to the first simulation data, which includes simulation pattern data representing a situation, corresponding to the first simulation data, which includes simulation pattern data representing a situation, which includes simulation pattern data representing a situation, for simulating a first simulated situation in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined manner. In the simulation process, the control operation by the control program in the first simulated situation is executed. How it works.

2. In claim 1, Some of the aforementioned circumstances include one or more of the following: the speed of movement of the object, the acceleration and deceleration of the object, the path of movement of the object, and the blind spot location, dimensions, and shape of the vehicle. How it works.

3. In claim 2, Some of the aforementioned circumstances further include one or more of the following: visibility and road surface conditions. How it works.

4. In claim 1, A part of the aforementioned control operation is the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle along a predetermined travel path. How it works.

5. In claim 1, The aforementioned predetermined embodiment is such that the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object satisfies the first criterion. How it works.

6. In claim 1, The simulation process further includes the above-mentioned process, How it works.

7. In claim 6, In the simulation process described above, it is determined whether the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object satisfies the second criterion. How it works.

8. In claim 1, The simulation pattern data included in the second simulation data includes at least one of the following: the captured image captured by the vehicle's camera, the vehicle's state, and its motion state. How it works.

9. In claim 1, An operating method wherein the first and second simulation data are stored separately in the information processing device.

10. A storage unit for storing a simulated program for executing a part of the control operation of a control program that controls the movement of the vehicle according to the conditions of the surrounding environment in which the vehicle is traveling, according to a part of the conditions, The control unit operates in a plurality of simulated situations based on first simulation data by the simulation program, and acquires second simulation data for the simulation process by the control program, which corresponds to the first simulation data that includes simulation pattern data which is data that shows a part of the situation, and which simulates a first simulated situation in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined manner, and which includes simulation pattern data which is data that shows the situation, in accordance with the first simulation data that includes the plurality of simulated situations which are the first simulation data that includes simulation pattern data which is data that shows a part of the situation, In the simulation process, the control operation by the control program in the first simulated situation is executed. Information processing device.

11. In claim 10, Some of the aforementioned circumstances include one or more of the following: the speed of movement of the object, the acceleration and deceleration of the object, the path of movement of the object, and the blind spot location, dimensions, and shape of the vehicle. Information processing device.

12. In claim 11, Some of the aforementioned circumstances further include one or more of the following: visibility and road surface conditions. Information processing device.

13. In claim 10, A part of the aforementioned control operation is the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle along a predetermined travel path. Information processing device.

14. In claim 10, The aforementioned predetermined embodiment is such that the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object satisfies the first criterion. Information processing device.

15. In claim 10, The control unit further executes the simulation process. Information processing device.

16. In claim 15, The control unit determines in the simulation step whether the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object satisfies a second criterion. Information processing device.

17. In claim 10, The simulation pattern data included in the second simulation data includes at least one of the following: the captured image captured by the vehicle's camera, the vehicle's state, and its motion state. Information processing device.

18. In claim 10, The first and second simulation data are stored separately in the information processing device.

19. In an information processing device, A simulation program that executes a part of the control operation of a control program that controls the vehicle's movement according to the conditions of the surrounding environment in which the vehicle is traveling, in accordance with a part of the conditions, operates in multiple simulated situations based on first simulation data, A program that causes the control program to acquire, for the simulation process, second simulation data, which includes simulation pattern data representing a situation, corresponding to the first simulation data which includes simulation pattern data representing a part of the situation, for the simulation process of a first simulated situation in which the vehicle and the object exhibit a predetermined manner, and for the simulation process of the control program, In the simulation process, the control operation by the control program in the first simulated situation is executed. program.

20. In claim 19, Some of the aforementioned circumstances include one or more of the following: the speed of movement of the object, the acceleration and deceleration of the object, the path of movement of the object, and the blind spot location, dimensions, and shape of the vehicle. program.

21. In claim 20, Some of the aforementioned circumstances further include one or more of the following: visibility and road surface conditions. program.

22. In claim 19, A part of the aforementioned control operation is the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle along a predetermined travel path. program.

23. In claim 19, The aforementioned predetermined embodiment is such that the closest approach distance between the vehicle and the object satisfies the first criterion. program.

24. In claim 19, The information processing device is further made to execute the simulation process. program.

25. In claim 19, The simulation pattern data included in the second simulation data includes at least one of the following: the captured image captured by the vehicle's camera, the vehicle's state, and its motion state. program.

26. In claim 19, The first and second simulation data are programs stored separately in the information processing device.

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