Information processing device and communication device

Abstract

This information processing device comprises a control unit. The control unit transmits first information indicating the position of a specific location common among a plurality of detected objects.

Description

Information processing device and communication device CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-071668, filed on April 25, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and a communication device.

[0003] It has been proposed that sensors be used in vehicles to detect the positions of objects such as other vehicles and pedestrians. It has also been proposed to perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication to share information on the positions of detected objects between multiple vehicles or between a vehicle and a roadside unit (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] JP 2016-018407 A

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing device according to a first aspect includes a control unit that transmits first information indicating the position of a common specific point for each of a plurality of detected objects.

[0006] A communication device according to a second aspect transmits, for each detected object, fourth information specifying a specific location to an information processing device that transmits first information indicating the position of the specific location.

[0007] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a traffic assistance system including an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the vehicle of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the roadside device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the information processing device of FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 4 is a top view of an object illustrating a specific point on the object. FIG. 5 is a top view of a vehicle illustrating directions in which surrounding objects face with respect to a vehicle equipped with the information processing device of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a top view of a vehicle illustrating distances from a reference position and a surface position of the object. FIG. 7 is a top view of an object illustrating a method for calculating the position of a specific point on an object whose side and rear are detected. FIG. 8 is a top view of a vehicle illustrating a method for calculating the position of a specific point on an object located behind the vehicle. FIG. 9 is a top view of a vehicle illustrating a method for calculating the position of a specific point on an object located in front of the vehicle. FIG. 10 is a top view of a vehicle illustrating a method for calculating the position of a specific point on an object located to the side of the vehicle. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transmission format. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating transmission processing executed by the control unit of FIG. 4.

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information processing device to which the present disclosure is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a traffic assistance system 12 including a vehicle 10 equipped with an information processing device according to an embodiment and a roadside device 11. The traffic assistance system 12 is, for example, a safe driving assistance communication system of an intelligent transport system (ITS). The safe driving assistance communication system is also called a safe driving assistance system or a safe driving assistance wireless system.

[0010] The traffic assistance system 12 includes a roadside unit 11 and a vehicle 10 .

[0011] The roadside unit 11 may observe objects such as vehicles, objects, and people on a road in a predetermined area. The roadside unit 11 may be placed near an intersection where multiple roads (roadways) intersect. The roadside unit 11 may also be placed on the side of a road other than at an intersection.

[0012] In the traffic assistance system 12, the roadside device 11 and the vehicle 10 traveling on the road may communicate wirelessly with each other. Multiple vehicles 10 may communicate wirelessly with each other. The roadside device 11 may transmit second information, which will be described later, to the vehicle 10 by broadcast. The vehicle 10 may transmit second information, which will be described later, to the roadside device 11 and other vehicles 10 by broadcast. The vehicle 10 may use the second information acquired from the roadside device 11 or other vehicles 10 to assist the driver in safe driving.

[0013] As described above, the traffic assistance system 12 may assist the driver of the vehicle 10 in safe driving. The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to an automobile and may be a motorcycle, a bus, a streetcar, a bicycle, or the like.

[0014] 2, the vehicle 10 may be equipped with a sensor unit 13, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 14, and an information processing device 15. In a configuration in which the information processing device 15 does not include a wireless communication unit, the vehicle 10 may be equipped with an in-vehicle wireless device 16. In the following description, the information processing device 15 is configured not to include a wireless communication unit, but has functions similar to those of the in-vehicle wireless device 16 in a configuration in which the information processing device 15 includes a wireless communication unit.

[0015] The sensor unit 13 includes a sensor that can detect at least an object present in the surrounding area. The sensor unit 13 may further include a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle 10.

[0016] A sensor capable of detecting surrounding objects may detect information about objects in the vicinity of the vehicle as a detection result. The objects may be objects that must be taken into consideration when driving the vehicle 10, such as the vehicle 10 on the road, an object, or a person. The information about the objects may be the position of the object, the presence or absence of the object, the type of object present, the speed, and the direction of travel. The information about the object detected by the sensor unit 13 may be raw information from which the position of the object, the presence or absence of the object, the type of object present, the speed, and the direction of travel can be generated. The sensor unit 13 may detect information about the object at a predetermined time interval.

[0017] The sensor unit 13 may include, for example, an imaging device such as a visible light camera, an FIR camera, or a stereo camera, and a ranging device such as an infrared radar, a millimeter-wave radar, or a Lidar. The position, presence or absence of an object, the type of object, and the direction of travel of the object can be determined based on image analysis of images detected by the imaging device. The speed and acceleration of the object can be calculated by image analysis of images continuously detected at different points in time. The position, presence or absence of an object, and the type of object present can be determined based on the distance of an object point detected by the ranging device. The speed and acceleration of the object can be calculated based on the distance continuously detected at different points in time.

[0018] The sensor that detects the state of the vehicle 10 may include a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the vehicle in real space, and a positioning device such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) that detects the spatial position of the vehicle in real space.

[0019] The ECU 14 may assist the driving of the vehicle 10 based on information detected by the sensor unit 13 and information acquired from the information processing device 15 described below. In a configuration in which the vehicle 10 can be operated by a driver, the ECU 14 may notify the driver of the acquired information or information obtained by processing the acquired information. In a configuration in which the vehicle 10 is operated automatically or semi-automatically, such as acceleration / deceleration and steering, the ECU 14 may use the acquired information to determine the operation.

[0020] The in-vehicle wireless device 16 may perform wireless communication with nearby roadside devices 11 and other vehicles 10. The in-vehicle wireless device 16 may be configured with a communication circuit and an antenna. The antenna is, for example, an omnidirectional antenna. The in-vehicle wireless device 16 performs wireless communication, for example, using the 700 MHz band allocated to ITS. The in-vehicle wireless device 16 also performs wireless communication, for example, using a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The in-vehicle wireless device 16 may output information acquired from nearby roadside devices 11 and vehicles 10 to the information processing device 15. The in-vehicle wireless device 16 may output information acquired from the information processing device 15 to external devices such as the roadside devices 11 and vehicles 10.

[0021] The information processing device 15 may generate second information as described below based on the detection results obtained from the sensor unit 13. The information processing device 15 may transmit the generated second information to other vehicles 10 or the roadside device 11 by broadcast. The information processing device 15 may generate information regarding the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 10 based on the detection results obtained from the sensor unit 13. The information processing device 15 may generate information regarding the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle 10 also based on the second information obtained from other vehicles 10 or the roadside device 11. The information processing device 15 may provide the generated information regarding the surrounding conditions to the ECU 14.

[0022] 3, the roadside device 11 may be configured to include a sensor unit 17 and an information processing device 15. In a configuration in which the information processing device 15 does not include a wireless communication unit, the roadside device 11 may be configured to include a communication unit 18. The roadside device 11 may be fixed to a structure having a height that allows it to capture an image of a scene including a road outdoors, such as a traffic light, utility pole, or streetlight near an intersection where roads intersect.

[0023] The sensor unit 17 includes at least a sensor capable of detecting surrounding objects. The sensor capable of detecting surrounding objects may be similar to the sensor included in the sensor unit 13 of the vehicle 10. In other words, the sensor capable of detecting surrounding objects may detect information about the target object as a detection result. The sensor unit 17 may include, for example, an imaging device such as a visible light camera, an FIR camera, or a stereo camera, and a ranging device such as an infrared radar, a millimeter-wave radar, or a Lidar.

[0024] The communication unit 18 may be controlled by the information processing device 15 to perform wireless communication with the vehicle 10. The communication unit 18 may be configured with a communication circuit and an antenna. The antenna may be, for example, an omnidirectional antenna. The communication unit 18 performs wireless communication using, for example, the 700 MHz band allocated to ITS. Alternatively, the communication unit 18 may perform wireless communication using, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0025] The communication unit 18 may perform various processes such as amplification on the signal received by the antenna, and output the processed received signal to the information processing device 15. The communication unit 18 may perform various processes such as amplification on the information acquired from the information processing device 15, and wirelessly transmit the processed transmission signal from the antenna.

[0026] 4, the information processing device 15 includes a control unit 19. The information processing device 15 may further include an acquisition unit 20 and a storage unit 21.

[0027] The acquisition unit 20 may acquire information from a device external to the information processing device 15. The acquisition unit 20 may acquire a detection result from, for example, the sensor unit 13 or the sensor unit 17. The acquisition unit 20 may be, for example, a communication interface with a device external to the information processing device 15, and may transmit information to the external device. The acquisition unit 20 may, for example, transmit the second information to the in-vehicle wireless device 16 or the communication unit 18.

[0028] The storage unit 21 includes any storage device, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The storage unit 21 stores various programs that cause the control unit 19 to function and various information that the control unit 19 uses.

[0029] The control unit 19 includes one or more processors and memories. The processor may include a general-purpose processor that loads a specific program to execute a specific function, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated processor may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor may include a programmable logic device (PLD). The PLD may include a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The control unit 19 may be either a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or a system-in-a-package (SiP) in which one or more processors work together. The control unit 19 controls the operation of each component of the information processing device 15.

[0030] The control unit 19 includes, in the second information, first information indicating the position of a specific common point for each of the detected objects. The control unit 19 transmits the second information.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5 , the common specific location sp of the object obj is a location that is arbitrarily specified on the object obj. The specific location sp may be a location that is specified when the object obj is viewed vertically from above. The specific location sp may be predetermined, such as the center of the front surface fs of the object obj, or may be changed to another location by designation, as described below. The front surface fs is a surface that is determined relative to the object obj when viewed from the front side. The center position of the front surface fs is the center position in the left-right direction that is determined relative to the object obj.

[0032] As will be described later, the control unit 19 may include in the second information first information indicating the position of a specific location sp for an object obj that exists at any position and in any orientation relative to the vehicle 10 in which the information processing device 15 is installed, an external device such as the roadside device 11, etc., as viewed vertically from above. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , around the vehicle 10 in which the information processing device 15 is installed, objects obj may be located at various positions and facing various directions relative to the vehicle 10 as viewed vertically from above. For example, a first object obj1 may be present in front of the vehicle 10, with its rear surface rs facing the vehicle 10. Also, for example, a second object obj2 may be present behind the vehicle 10, with its front surface fs facing the vehicle 10. Also, for example, a third object obj3 may be present to the side of the vehicle 10, with its side surface ss facing the vehicle 10. Furthermore, for example, a fourth object obj4 may be present diagonally ahead of the vehicle 10, with its side surface ss and rear surface rs facing the vehicle 10. For any of the first object obj1, second object obj2, third object obj3, and fourth object obj4 exemplified as described above, the information processing device 15 includes in the second information first information indicating the position of a specific point sp of each object obj.

[0033] The position of the specific location sp is a position in an arbitrary coordinate system that is unrelated to anything other than the object obj, in other words, a coordinate system that remains unchanged regardless of the position and orientation of the object obj. The position of the specific location sp is, for example, latitude and longitude with the ground as the coordinate system. Alternatively, the position of the specific location sp is a position in a coordinate system defined for an apparatus equipped with a sensor that provides the detected results to the information processing device 15. In a configuration in which the information processing device 15 is mounted on a vehicle 10, the coordinate system may have, for example, three axes parallel to the front-to-rear, left-to-right, and up-down directions of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the information processing device 15 is mounted on a roadside device 11, the three-dimensional coordinate system may have, as coordinate axes, two axes parallel to the vertical direction and the road direction.

[0034] The control unit 19 may calculate first information, i.e., information indicating the position of the specific location sp, based on the distance between each of a plurality of object points on the surface of the surrounding object obj and the reference position. The control unit 19 may also calculate the first information based on the directions of the plurality of object points from the reference position.

[0035] The reference position is a position determined for a sensor that outputs detection results that allow distances to multiple object points to be calculated. As shown in Fig. 7 , for example, the reference position rp is the intersection of the detection axis dax of the sensor 22 and the detection surface of the sensor 22. The detection axis dax is a virtual line that passes through the center of the detection range dr of the sensor 22. In a configuration in which multiple sensors 22 are provided, a reference position rp may be determined for each sensor 22.

[0036] The calculation of the position of the specific location sp by the control unit 19 will be described below.

[0037] The control unit 19 may determine whether or not an object obj exists based on the detection result acquired by the acquisition unit 20 from the sensor unit 13 or 17. If the object obj exists, the control unit 19 may estimate the type of the object obj. Furthermore, if the object obj exists, the control unit 19 estimates the distance between each of multiple object points on the surface of the object obj and the reference position rp. The distance dst from the object point on the surface of the object obj may be the distance along the detection axis dax of the sensor 22 that outputs the detection result. The distance from the object point on the surface of the object obj may be the distance from the reference position rp.

[0038] The control unit 19 may calculate the position of the specific point sp of the object obj based on the distances dst to each of multiple object points on the surface of the object obj. The control unit 19 may calculate the position of the specific point sp based on the type of the object obj. The calculation of the position based on the distances dst to each of multiple object points will be described in detail below.

[0039] The control unit 19 may calculate the contour of the object obj as viewed from the vertical direction based on distances dst from the reference position rp to multiple object points on the surface of any object obj. Calculating the contour means, for example, determining the locus of the contour in a coordinate system with the reference position rp as the origin. A sensor capable of detecting surrounding objects, which is included in the sensor unit 13 or the sensor unit 17, outputs a detection result on a surface of the object that faces the reference position rp. Therefore, the contour calculated by the control unit 19 is the contour of the surface of the object obj that faces the reference position rp. The control unit 19 may calculate the position of a specific location sp of the object obj, i.e., first information, based on the contour.

[0040] The control unit 19 may determine whether the calculated contour has a corner. A corner is a portion where the front surface fs or rear surface rs defined for the object obj intersects with the side surface ss. Therefore, for example, a corner caused by a protrusion such as a mirror on the object obj is not determined to be a corner. The control unit 19 may determine whether the calculated contour has a corner caused by a protrusion such as a mirror based on the length of the portion extending in both directions from the position where the slope of the tangent at each point on the contour becomes discontinuous from one end to the other. The control unit 19 may also determine that the calculated contour does not have a corner if the discontinuity in the slope changes over a very short distance. Furthermore, even if the contour drawn by the front surface fs, rear surface rs, and side surface ss is curved, the portion where the side surface ss changes from the front surface fs or rear surface rs in the calculated contour is determined to be a corner.

[0041] If the calculated contour has corners, the control unit 19 may calculate the position of a specific point sp of the object obj, i.e., the first information, based on each of the corners and the contour of the object obj extending horizontally from each of the corners.

[0042] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 , the control unit 19 recognizes a line segment connecting a corner cp of the contour and a first position p1, which is an end of the contour extending from the corner cp in one direction, as a first line segment L1. In FIG. 8 , for convenience of explanation, the first position p1 is depicted at a position away from the surface of the object obj. The control unit 19 also recognizes a line segment connecting the corner cp and a second position p2, which is an end of the contour extending from the corner cp in the other direction, as a second line segment L2. The control unit 19 determines whether one of the directions of the first line segment L1 and the second line segment L2 is the front-to-back direction of the object obj and the other is the left-to-right direction of the object obj. For example, the control unit 19 determines the direction based on a comparison of the lengths of the first line segment L1 and the second line segment L2. The control unit 19 determines the direction of the longer line segment as the front-to-back direction and the direction of the shorter line segment as the left-to-right direction. The control unit 19 may estimate the forward / backward direction based on the speed of the object obj calculated based on the detection results obtained at different times and the speed of the vehicle 10. The control unit 19 calculates the position coordinates of the specific point sp based on the determined forward / backward direction and left / right direction.

[0043] Specifically, the control unit 19 determines whether the corner portion cp is located on the front side of the object obj. If the corner portion cp is located on the front side of the object obj, the control unit 19 may designate the center position of the first line segment L1 or the second line segment L2 that passes through the corner portion cp and extends in the left-right direction of the object obj as the specific location sp. Alternatively, if the corner portion cp is not located on the front side, the control unit 19 calculates a third line L3 that passes through either the first position p1 or the second position p2, whichever is closer to the front, and extends in the left-right direction of the object obj. The control unit 19 calculates the center position of the line segment connecting the first position p1 and the second position p2. The control unit 19 designates the intersection of the third line L3 and a fourth line L4 that passes through the center position and is parallel to the front-to-rear direction of the object obj as the specific location sp.

[0044] The control unit 19 calculates the position of the specific point sp of the object obj relative to the reference position rp based on the position of the corner portion cp relative to the reference position rp, the first position p1, and the second position p2. The position relative to the reference position rp is a position in a three-dimensional coordinate system having a detection axis dax of the sensor 22 and two axes perpendicular to the detection axis dax and perpendicular to each other. The control unit 19 may convert the position of the specific point sp relative to the reference position rp into position coordinates of another coordinate system as necessary. For the coordinate conversion, the control unit 19 may acquire the position and orientation of the device in which the sensor 22 is provided, as well as a deviation of the coordinate system for identifying the position of the device relative to the reference position rp.

[0045] If the calculated contour does not have corners cp, in other words, if the calculated contour corresponds to only one of the front surface fs, rear surface rs, or side surface ss of the object obj, the control unit 19 estimates the length of the object obj in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction based on the length of the contour. More specifically, the control unit 19 estimates whether the length of the line segment is the length of the object obj in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction by comparing it with a threshold determined depending on the type of object obj. Depending on the type of object obj, such as an automobile, bicycle, or motorcycle, the front-rear direction is generally longer than the left-right direction. However, the threshold for identifying the front-rear direction and the left-right direction differs depending on the type of object obj.

[0046] 9 , when the length of the contour ct is the length of the object obj in the left-right direction and the detection range dr of the sensor 22 that outputs the detection result from which the contour ct is calculated is behind the vehicle 10, the control unit 19 determines that the contour ct corresponds to the front surface fs of the object obj. When the control unit 19 determines that the contour ct is located on the front surface fs of the object obj, it recognizes the center position of both ends of the contour ct as the specific location sp.

[0047] The control unit 19 calculates the position of the specific point sp of the object obj relative to the reference position rp, based on the position of each point on the contour ct relative to the reference position rp. As described above, the control unit 19 may convert the position of the specific point sp relative to the reference position rp into position coordinates in another coordinate system, as necessary.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 10 , the control unit 19 determines that the contour ct is located on the rear surface rs of the object obj if the length of the contour ct is the lateral length of the object obj and the detection range dr of the sensor 22 that outputs the detection result that calculated the contour ct is in front of the vehicle 10. When the control unit 19 determines that the contour ct is located on the rear surface rs of the object obj, it calculates the center position of the contour ct. Furthermore, the control unit 19 extends a line perpendicular to the tangent to the center position of the contour ct in the horizontal plane forward from the center position and identifies a location a predetermined longitudinal distance spc according to the type of the object obj as the specific location sp. When the type of the object obj is a vehicle 10, the control unit 19 may further vary the longitudinal distance spc based on the height and longitudinal length of the object obj. For example, if the control unit 19 estimates that the object obj is an industrial vehicle such as a truck or bus based on its height, it may determine the average longitudinal length of an industrial vehicle as the longitudinal distance spc. Furthermore, the control unit 19 may determine whether the object obj is a light vehicle, a standard vehicle, or a large vehicle based on the height, and determine the longitudinal length according to each type as the longitudinal spacing spc.

[0049] The control unit 19 calculates the position of the specific point sp of the object obj relative to the reference position rp, based on the position of each point on the contour ct relative to the reference position rp. As described above, the control unit 19 may convert the position of the specific point sp relative to the reference position rp into position coordinates in another coordinate system, as necessary.

[0050] 11 , when the length of the contour ct is the length of the object obj in the longitudinal direction and the detection range dr of the sensor 22 that outputs the detection result from which the contour ct was calculated is on the right side of the vehicle 10, the control unit 19 determines that the contour ct is located on the left side ss of the object obj. Similarly, when the length of the contour ct is the length of the object obj in the longitudinal direction and the detection range dr of the sensor 22 that outputs the detection result from which the contour ct was calculated is on the left side of the vehicle 10, the control unit 19 determines that the contour ct is located on the right side ss of the object obj. The control unit 19 estimates the width of the object obj according to the type of the object obj. When the object obj is a vehicle 10, the control unit 19 estimates the width of the object obj according to the height of the object obj. For example, a combination of widths according to the type and height of the object obj may be stored in advance in the storage unit 21. When the contour ct is located on the left side ss of the object obj, the control unit 19 recognizes as the specific location sp a point on a line perpendicular to the contour ct in the horizontal plane that passes through the left end of the contour ct and is located at a distance from the vehicle 10 that is half the width of the object obj from the end point of the contour ct. In a configuration in which the contour ct is a curve, the control unit 19 may linearly approximate the contour ct and recognize the specific location sp using the linearly approximated contour. Similarly, when the contour ct is located on the right side ss of the object obj, the control unit 19 recognizes as the specific location sp a point on a line perpendicular to the contour ct in the horizontal plane that passes through the right end of the contour ct and is located at a distance from the vehicle 10 that is half the width of the object obj from the end point of the contour ct.

[0051] The control unit 19 calculates the position of the specific point sp of the object obj relative to the reference position rp, based on the position of each point on the contour ct relative to the reference position rp. As described above, the control unit 19 may convert the position of the specific point sp relative to the reference position rp into position coordinates in another coordinate system, as necessary.

[0052] In a configuration in which the detection result includes an image of an object present in the vicinity, the control unit 19 may generate the position of the specific location sp, in other words, first information, based on the image of the target object obj.

[0053] The control unit 19 may identify the type of object based on, for example, an image. Specifically, when the object obj is a vehicle 10, the control unit 19 may identify the model of the vehicle 10 based on the image, and may calculate the position of the specific point sp using the overall length and overall width of the identified model. The overall length and overall width of the model may be stored in advance in the storage unit 21, or may be read out via a network.

[0054] Furthermore, the control unit 19 may determine, for example, based on the image, whether the contour ct is located on the front surface fs, rear surface rs, or both side surfaces ss of the object obj. Furthermore, the control unit 19 may determine, based on the image, at least one of the forward, backward, rightward, and leftward directions of the object obj relative to the reference position rp. Furthermore, the control unit 19 may identify a specific location sp based on the estimated direction of the object obj as described above, and calculate the position of the specific location sp.

[0055] The control unit 19 may generate the second information by including the position of the specific point sp calculated as described above as the first information in the transmission format. As shown in Fig. 12, the transmission format may have a common area and a free area. The common area may have a common application header area and a common application data area. The free area may have a free application header area and a free application data area.

[0056] The control unit 19 may change the specific location sp of the object obj. The control unit 19 may change the specific location sp based on an input to an input device provided in the information processing device 15 or a request (fourth information specifying the specific location sp) from an external device (another communication device, for example, another vehicle 10 including another information processing device 15, or a roadside device 11). In a configuration in which the specific location sp can be changed, the control unit 19 may include third information indicating the specific location sp of the object obj (for example, information indicating the center position of the front surface fs, the center position of the rear surface rs, and the center position of the side surface ss of the object obj) in the second information.

[0057] The control unit 19 may store the position of the specific location sp (first information) in a mandatory data area (e.g., DF_position information) in the common area of ​​the transmission format, where data storage is mandatory, and the specific location sp (third information) of the object obj in an optional data area (e.g., DF_position optional information or DF_position acquisition optional information) in the common area, where data storage is not mandatory. Alternatively, the control unit 19 may store the position of the specific location sp (first information) in the mandatory data area of ​​the common area of ​​the transmission format, and the specific location sp (third information) of the object obj in the optional data area of ​​the free area. Alternatively, the control unit 19 may store the position of the specific location sp (first information) and the specific location sp within the frame (third information) in an optional data area (e.g., free application data area) in the free area of ​​the transmission format, where data storage is optional.

[0058] The control unit 19 may include in the first information the position and direction on the ground of the device on which the information processing device 15 is mounted. In a configuration in which the device on which the information processing device 15 is mounted is the vehicle 10, the control unit 19 may acquire the position and direction of the vehicle 10 on the ground from the sensor unit 13. In a configuration in which the device on which the information processing device 15 is mounted is the vehicle 10, the control unit 19 may include in the first information the relative position and direction of a sensor included in the sensor unit 13 that detects objects present in the vicinity, with respect to the position and direction of the vehicle 10. In a configuration in which the device on which the information processing device 15 is mounted is a device that is used in a fixed manner, such as the roadside device 11, the position and direction of the roadside device 11 on the ground may be read from information stored in advance in a memory provided in the roadside device 11.

[0059] The control unit 19 may generate not only the first information indicating the position of the specific location sp but also other information and include it in the second information. For example, the control unit 19 may calculate the front-to-rear direction of the object obj, generate the information indicating the direction, and include it in the second information.

[0060] The control unit 19 may transmit the designation of the specific location sp (fourth information designating the specific location sp) to another information processing device 15. For example, in a configuration in which the information processing device 15 is provided in the roadside device 11, the designation of the specific location sp may be transmitted to an unspecified vehicle 10 or a specific vehicle 10 near the roadside device 11. The control unit 19 may store the designation of the specific location sp in a transmission format, for example, as shown in FIG. 12 . When transmitting to an unspecified vehicle 10, in other words, transmitting by broadcast, the control unit 19 may store the designation of the specific location sp in an optional data area of ​​either the common area or the free area. When transmitting to a specific vehicle 10, in other words, transmitting by unicast, the control unit 19 may store the designation of the specific location sp in the DF_extended information of the common area or the optional data area of ​​the free area, along with an identifier indicating the specific vehicle 10. By specifying a different specific location sp for each of multiple vehicles 10 that exist around a specific object obj, the control unit 19 can accurately grasp, for example, the size of the specific object obj (for example, the volume of the specific object obj, or the area of ​​the specific object obj when viewed from vertically above) as well as the position of the specific object obj.

[0061] Next, the transmission process executed by the control unit 19 in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 13. The transmission process starts periodically.

[0062] In step S100, the control unit 19 collects the detection results that have been collected by the acquisition unit 20 since the most recent second information was generated. The detection results may be stored in the storage unit 21. After collecting the detection results, the process proceeds to step S101.

[0063] In step S101, the control unit 19 determines whether or not an object obj exists based on the detection result. If an object obj exists, the process proceeds to step S102. If an object obj does not exist, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0064] In step S102, the control unit 19 identifies the type of the object obj. The control unit 19 also calculates the contour ct of the object obj. After the identification and calculation, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0065] In step S103, the control unit 19 calculates the position of the specific portion sp based on at least the contour ct calculated in step S102, and, if necessary, based on the type of object obj identified in step S102. After the calculation, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0066] In step S104, the control unit 19 generates second information. If step S103 has been performed, the control unit 19 includes the calculated position of the specific location sp in the second information. If step S103 has not been performed, the control unit 19 generates the second information without including the position of the specific location sp. After generation, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0067] In step S105, the control unit 19 broadcasts the second information generated in step S104, and the transmission process ends.

[0068] The information processing device 15 of one embodiment configured as described above transmits second information including first information indicating the position of a common specific location sp for each of the detected multiple objects obj. With this configuration, the information processing device 15 can standardize the relative positions of the objects obj detected in any of the vehicles 10 or roadside devices 11 in the traffic assistance system 12. Therefore, the information processing device 15 can reduce the deviation in the positions of the same object obj detected by multiple devices in different vehicles 10 and roadside devices 11. As a result, the information processing device 15 can reduce the possibility of identifying duplicate objects obj.

[0069] Furthermore, the information processing device 15 generates first information based on the distance dst between each of a plurality of object points on the surface of the surrounding object obj and the reference position rp. With this configuration, the information processing device 15 can calculate the position of the specific point sp using a common relative position of the object obj even when the specific point sp is not detected by a sensor or the like.

[0070] Furthermore, the information processing device 15 generates the first information based on the image of the object obj. With this configuration, the information processing device 15 can improve the accuracy of calculating the position of the specific location sp.

[0071] Furthermore, the information processing device 15 calculates the first information based on the type of the object obj identified based on the image. With this configuration, the information processing device 15 can further improve the accuracy of calculating the position of the specific location sp.

[0072] Furthermore, in the information processing device 15, the second information includes third information indicating a specific location sp of the object obj. With this configuration, the information processing device 15 can standardize the relative position of the object obj even among multiple information processing devices 15 that do not share the specific location sp.

[0073] In one embodiment, (1) the information processing device includes: a control unit that transmits first information indicating a position of a common specific point for each of a plurality of detected objects.

[0074] (2) In the information processing device of (1) above, the control unit generates the first information based on a distance between each of a plurality of object points on a surface of the target object present in the periphery and a reference position.

[0075] (3) In the information processing device of (1) or (2), the control unit generates the first information based on an image of the object.

[0076] (4) In the information processing device of (3), the control unit calculates the first information based on the type of the object identified based on the image.

[0077] (5) In any of the information processing devices described in (2) to (4), the control unit calculates the first information based on a corner portion included in the object and a contour of the object extending horizontally from the corner portion.

[0078] (6) In the information processing device according to any one of (2) to (5), the control unit calculates the first information based on a contour of a surface of the object that faces the reference position.

[0079] (7) In any of the information processing devices described in (1) to (6) above, the control unit transmits second information including the first information and third information indicating the specific location of the object.

[0080] (8) In the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (7), the specific location is a center position on a front side of the object.

[0081] (9) In any of the information processing devices described in (1) to (8), the control unit generates the first information based on fourth information, in which the specific location is specified, obtained from another communication device.

[0082] In one embodiment, (10) the communication device transmits fourth information specifying a specific location to an information processing device that transmits first information indicating the position of the specific location for each detected object.

[0083] The above has described an embodiment of the information processing device 15, but the embodiment of the present disclosure can also be implemented as a method or program for implementing the device, as well as a storage medium on which a program is recorded (for example, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a magnetic tape, a hard disk, or a memory card, etc.).

[0084] Furthermore, the implementation form of the program is not limited to application programs such as object code compiled by a compiler or program code executed by an interpreter, but may also be in the form of a program module incorporated into an operating system. Furthermore, the program may or may not be configured so that all processing is performed solely by the CPU on the control board. The program may also be configured so that part or all of it is executed by another processing unit mounted on an expansion board or expansion unit added to the board as needed.

[0085] The drawings illustrating the embodiments of the present disclosure are schematic, and the dimensional ratios and the like in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones.

[0086] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art could make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components can be combined or divided into one.

[0087] All of the features described in this disclosure and / or all steps of all of the disclosed methods or processes may be combined in any combination except combinations in which these features are mutually exclusive. Furthermore, each feature described in this disclosure may be replaced by an alternative feature serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose, unless expressly denied. Thus, unless expressly denied, each disclosed feature is only one example of a generic series of identical or equivalent features.

[0088] Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific configurations of any of the above-described embodiments, but rather extend to any novel feature or combination thereof described herein, or any novel method or process step or combination thereof described herein.

[0089] In this disclosure, descriptions such as "first" and "second" are identifiers for distinguishing the configuration. In this disclosure, configurations distinguished by descriptions such as "first" and "second" can have their numbers exchanged. For example, the first line segment can exchange the identifiers "first" and "second" with the second line segment. The exchange of identifiers is performed simultaneously. The configurations remain distinguished even after the identifier exchange. Identifiers may be deleted. A configuration from which an identifier has been deleted is distinguished by a symbol. The descriptions of identifiers such as "first" and "second" in this disclosure should not be used solely to interpret the order of the configurations or to justify the existence of an identifier with a smaller number.

[0090] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Vehicle 11 Roadside device 12 Traffic assistance system 13 Sensor unit 14 ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 15 Information processing device 16 In-vehicle wireless device 17 Sensor unit 18 Communication unit 19 Control unit 20 Acquisition unit 21 Memory unit 22 Sensor cp Each part ct Contour dax Detection axis dr Detection range fs Front surface obj Object obj1 First object obj2 Second object obj3 Third object obj4 Fourth object rp Reference position rs Rear surface sp Specific location ss Side surface L1 First line segment L2 Second line segment L3 Third line segment L4 Fourth line segment p1 First position p2 Second position

Claims

1. a control unit that transmits first information indicating the position of a common specific point for each of the detected objects; Information processing device.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit generates the first information based on a distance between each of a plurality of object points on a surface of the target object present in the surrounding area and a reference position. Information processing device.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit generates the first information based on an image of the object. Information processing device.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3, The control unit calculates the first information based on the type of the object identified based on the image. Information processing device.

5. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, The control unit calculates the first information based on a corner portion included in the object and a contour of the object extending horizontally from the corner portion. Information processing device.

6. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, The control unit calculates the first information based on a contour of a surface of the object facing the reference position. Information processing device.

7. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit transmits second information including the first information and third information indicating the specific location of the object. Information processing device.

8. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, The specific location is the center position on the front side of the object. Information processing device.

9. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit generates the first information based on fourth information in which the specific location is designated and which is acquired from another communication device. Information processing device.

10. For each of the detected objects, fourth information specifying the specific location is transmitted to an information processing device that transmits first information indicating the position of the specific location. Communication equipment.