Map information acquisition device, driving control apparatus, driving control system, map information acquisition method, driving control method, and program

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to realize autonomous driving while suppressing the data amount of map information. This map information acquisition device comprises: an extraction unit that extracts, as a prescribed position range from a route in which a mobile body is driven by autonomous driving, a position range in which a traveling track of the mobile body cannot be defined on the basis of a partition line of a road recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body; and an acquisition unit that acquires map information having lane information on the road for the extracted prescribed position range from the route in which the mobile body is driven by autonomous driving.

Description

Map information acquisition device, driving control device, driving control system, map information acquisition method, driving control method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a map information acquisition device, a driving control device, a driving control system, a map information acquisition method, a driving control method, and a program.

[0002] As a related technique, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device. The vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 performs autonomous driving based on autonomous driving map information. The autonomous driving map information is detailed map information used for autonomous driving of a vehicle. The autonomous driving map information includes information such as lane position information, lane shape, and intersection position information. The autonomous driving map information is also called high-precision map information. The vehicle control device generates a driving plan for the vehicle based on a target route for autonomous driving, the autonomous driving map information, and the vehicle's position on the map. The vehicle control device performs autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the driving plan.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, the autonomous driving map information does not cover all of the areas in which the vehicle will be driven. The vehicle control device recognizes unmapped areas for which the autonomous driving map information does not contain information. The vehicle control device determines whether the vehicle will travel in an unmapped area based on the autonomous driving map information and the vehicle's position on the map. When the vehicle travels in an unmapped area, the vehicle control device generates a map-less driving plan based on past driving plans and driving results of the past driving plans. In the unmapped area, the vehicle control device performs autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the map-less driving plan.

[0004] JP 2019-109700 A

[0005] Here, the longer the route a vehicle travels or the larger the area in which the vehicle travels autonomously, the larger the amount of map information data used for autonomous driving. High-precision map information is often provided by specialized map data creation companies, and the larger the amount of data, the higher the cost of acquiring map information for achieving autonomous driving. Patent Document 1 only discloses generating a map-less driving plan for areas not covered by maps, and the technology described in Patent Document 1 is not applicable to applications that reduce the amount of high-precision map information data used in autonomous driving of vehicles.

[0006] One of the objectives of the present disclosure is to provide a map information acquisition device, a driving control device, a driving control system, a map information acquisition method, a driving control method, and a program that enable autonomous driving to be achieved while reducing the amount of map information data.

[0007] A map information acquisition device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes an extraction unit that extracts, as a predetermined position range, a position range from a route along which a mobile body is driven autonomously, within which the travel trajectory of the mobile body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body, and an acquisition unit that acquires map information having lane information on the road for the extracted predetermined position range of the route.

[0008] A driving control device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes the map information acquisition device and a driving control unit that causes the mobile body to travel autonomously within the specified location range using map information acquired by the acquisition unit, and causes the mobile body to travel autonomously within a location range other than the specified location range included in the route using information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body.

[0009] A driving control system according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes the driving control device described above and a map information providing server that provides the map information.

[0010] A map information acquisition method according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure includes extracting, as a predetermined position range, a position range from a route along which a mobile body is driven autonomously, within which the travel trajectory of the mobile body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body, and acquiring map information having lane information on the road for the extracted predetermined position range of the route.

[0011] A driving control method according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure includes extracting, from a route along which a moving body is driven autonomously, a location range within which the driving trajectory of the moving body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body, as a predetermined location range; acquiring map information having lane information for the road for the extracted predetermined location range of the route; driving the moving body autonomously within the predetermined location range using the acquired map information; and driving the moving body autonomously within a location range included in the route other than the predetermined location range using information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body.

[0012] A program according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process including extracting, from a route along which a mobile body is driven autonomously, a location range within which the travel trajectory of the mobile body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body, as a predetermined location range, and acquiring map information having lane information for the road for the extracted predetermined location range of the route.

[0013] A program according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is for causing a computer to execute processing including extracting, from a route along which a mobile body is driven autonomously, a location range within which the driving trajectory of the mobile body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body, as a predetermined location range, acquiring map information having lane information for the road for the extracted predetermined location range of the route, driving the mobile body autonomously within the predetermined location range using the acquired map information, and driving the mobile body autonomously within a location range included in the route other than the predetermined location range using information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body.

[0014] The map information acquisition device, driving control device, driving control system, map information acquisition method, driving control method, and program disclosed herein can realize automatic driving of a mobile body while reducing the amount of map information data.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving control system according to the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving control system according to the present disclosure; Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle; Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a position range extracted as a predetermined position range; Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in a vehicle; Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electronic control device;

[0016] Prior to describing embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a driving control system according to the present disclosure. The driving control system 10 includes a driving control device 20 and a map information providing server 30. The driving control device 20 includes a map information acquisition device 21 and a driving control unit 24. The map information providing server 30 is a server that provides map information including lane information for roads. The map information acquisition device 21 is a device that acquires map information from the map information providing server 30.

[0017] The map information acquisition device 21 includes an extraction unit 22 and an acquisition unit 23. The extraction unit 22 extracts a predetermined position range from a route along which a mobile object is driven autonomously. In the present disclosure, the extraction unit 22 extracts, as the predetermined position range, a position range along the route within which the travel trajectory of the mobile object cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile object. The acquisition unit 23 acquires map information from the map information providing server 30 for the predetermined position range of the route extracted by the extraction unit 22.

[0018] The driving control unit 24 causes the mobile body to travel in an autonomous driving manner within the predetermined position range extracted by the extraction unit 22, using the map information acquired by the acquisition unit 23. The driving control unit 24 causes the mobile body to travel in an autonomous driving manner within a position range other than the predetermined position range included in the route, using information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body.

[0019] In the present disclosure, the extraction unit 22 extracts, as a predetermined location range, a location range in which the traveling trajectory of the mobile body cannot be generated using a sensor mounted on the mobile body. The acquisition unit 23 acquires map information for the predetermined location range, i.e., a location range in which the traveling trajectory of the mobile body cannot be generated using a sensor mounted on the mobile body. In this case, the acquisition unit 23 can reduce the amount of data of the acquired map information compared to when map information for all location ranges of the route is acquired. For location ranges outside the predetermined location range, it is considered possible to generate the traveling trajectory of the mobile body by recognizing lane markings using a sensor mounted on the mobile body. Therefore, the present disclosure makes it possible to realize autonomous driving of a mobile body while suppressing the amount of data of acquired map information.

[0020] In addition, in the present disclosure, the driving control unit 24 automatically drives the mobile body within a predetermined location range using the acquired map information, and automatically drives the mobile body within a location range outside the predetermined location range using information acquired from the sensor. In this way, the driving control device 20 can automatically drive the mobile body while reducing the amount of map information data acquired.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. In addition, in the following drawings, the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows an example configuration of a driving control system according to the present disclosure. The driving control system 100 shown in FIG. 2 includes a vehicle 110 and a map information providing server 130. The vehicle 110 is configured as a mobile object such as an automobile, truck, bus, or taxi. The map information providing server 130 is a server that provides map information to the vehicle 110. The map information includes, for example, lane link information for each lane on a road. The map information may also include the number of lanes on the road, the width of each lane, and the type of road dividing lines that separate the lanes. The map information is also referred to as high-precision map information. The map information providing server 130 may be installed, for example, in a company or organization that sells map information. The map information providing server 130 corresponds to the map information providing server 30 shown in FIG. 1.

[0023] The vehicle 110 and the map information providing server 130 are connected to each other via a network 150. The network 150 includes, for example, a network using a communication line standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or a wireless network such as a fifth-generation mobile communication system. The network 150 may also include a network such as the Internet.

[0024] 3 shows an example configuration of a vehicle 110. The vehicle 110 includes a perimeter monitoring sensor 111, a vehicle sensor 112, a vehicle control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 113, an autonomous driving ECU 114, a communication device 115, and a map information acquisition device 120. In the vehicle 110, these components are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network such as an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) or CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0025] The perimeter monitoring sensor 111 is a sensor that monitors the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 110. The perimeter monitoring sensor 111 includes, for example, an imaging device such as a camera. The perimeter monitoring sensor 111 may include, for example, a plurality of cameras that capture images of the areas in front of, behind, to the right, and to the left of the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 111 may include, for example, a ranging sensor such as a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a millimeter-wave radar, or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0026] The vehicle sensors 112 are sensors for detecting various states of the vehicle 110. The vehicle sensors 112 include, for example, sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle, an accelerator pedal position sensor that detects the accelerator pedal position, and a brake pedal force sensor that detects the amount of depression of the brake pedal.

[0027] The vehicle control ECU 113 is an electronic control device that performs driving control of the vehicle 110. Generally, an electronic control device has one or more processors, one or more memories, I / O (Input / Output), and a bus connecting these. The vehicle control ECU 113 performs various controls, such as control of the fuel injection amount, control of the engine ignition timing, control of the power steering assist amount, and control of the brake pressure, based on sensor information output by the vehicle sensors 112. Furthermore, if the vehicle 110 is a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, the vehicle control ECU 113 may also perform motor output control.

[0028] The communication device 115 is configured as a device for performing wireless communication with the map information providing server 130 and other vehicles. The communication device 115 includes, as hardware components, a wireless communication antenna, a transmitter, and a receiver.

[0029] The map information acquisition device 120 acquires map information from the map information providing server 130. The map information acquisition device 120 includes an extraction unit 121 and an acquisition unit 122. The map information acquisition device 120 may be physically configured as a device including one or more processors and one or more memories. At least a portion of the functions of each unit in the map information acquisition device 120 may be realized by the one or more processors executing processing in accordance with instructions read from the one or more memories. The map information acquisition device 120 corresponds to the map information acquisition device 21 shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] The extraction unit 121 extracts a predetermined location range from a route along which the vehicle 110 is driven autonomously. In this embodiment, the extraction unit 121 extracts, as the predetermined location range, a location range in which the vehicle's travel trajectory cannot be defined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the vehicle 110. In other words, the extraction unit 121 extracts, as the predetermined location range, a location range in which high-precision map information is required for the autonomous driving of the vehicle 110. Alternatively, the extraction unit 121 may examine a location range in which the vehicle's travel trajectory can be defined by recognizing road dividing lines using a sensor mounted on the vehicle 110, and extract, as the predetermined location range, a location range other than the examined location range.

[0031] The extraction unit 121 extracts, for example, the position range of intersections where the vehicle 110 turns right or left on a route where the vehicle 110 is driven autonomously as the predetermined position range. The extraction unit 121 does not extract, as the predetermined position range, intersections where the vehicle 110 travels straight. Instead of or in addition to the position range of intersections, the extraction unit 121 extracts, as the predetermined position range, a position range where a sensor mounted on the vehicle 110 cannot recognize lane markings on the road on a route where the vehicle 110 is driven autonomously. The extraction unit 121 extracts, as the predetermined position range, a location where a sensor has difficulty recognizing lane markings, for example, because there is no center line or the lane markings are blurred. The extraction unit 121 corresponds to the extraction unit 22 shown in FIG. 1 .

[0032] The extraction unit 121 may extract the predetermined location range using, for example, map data used in a car navigation device with low accuracy. Alternatively, a database generation unit (not shown) may use data from when a vehicle has traveled along a road in the past, such as data from an on-board camera, to create a database of location ranges where road markings cannot be recognized by a sensor mounted on the vehicle. In this case, the extraction unit 121 may refer to the database to extract the predetermined location range on the route. If the state of the markings has changed due to road construction or the like, the database generation unit may identify the location of the change using data such as on-board camera images and change the data registered in the database.

[0033] The acquisition unit 122 acquires map information from the map information providing server 130 for a predetermined position range extracted by the extraction unit 121 out of the route along which the vehicle 110 is driven in an autonomous driving manner. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 122 does not acquire map information for a portion of the route along which the vehicle 110 is driven in an autonomous driving manner outside the predetermined position range. The acquisition unit 122 corresponds to the acquisition unit 23 shown in FIG. 1 .

[0034] The autonomous driving ECU 114 is an electronic control device that controls autonomous driving of the vehicle 110. The autonomous driving ECU 114 acquires sensor information from the perimeter monitoring sensor 111 and the vehicle sensor 112 and controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 110 based on the acquired sensor information. The autonomous driving ECU 114 uses map information acquired by the map information acquisition device 120 to drive the mobile body autonomously within the predetermined position range. The autonomous driving ECU 114 uses information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile body to drive the mobile body autonomously within a position range other than the predetermined position range included in the route. The autonomous driving ECU 114 compares the position of the vehicle 110 measured using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), for example, with the predetermined position range. The autonomous driving ECU 114 may determine, based on the comparison result, whether the vehicle 110 is driving within the predetermined position range or within a position range other than the predetermined position range.

[0035] For example, the autonomous driving ECU 114 generates a driving trajectory indicating the location along which the vehicle 110 will travel during autonomous driving, based on lane link information included in the map information, within a predetermined location range for which map information is acquired. In a location range outside the predetermined location range, i.e., a location for which map information is not acquired, the autonomous driving ECU 114 recognizes lane markings on the road based on images acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 111. The autonomous driving ECU 114 generates a driving trajectory based on the recognized lane markings. The autonomous driving ECU 114 corresponds to the driving control unit 24 shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] The autonomous driving ECU 114 may store the driving trajectory of a place that has been traveled once in a storage device (not shown). For a place that has been traveled in the past, the autonomous driving ECU 114 may set the driving trajectory stored in the storage device as the driving trajectory of the vehicle 110 during autonomous driving. In this case, the acquisition unit 122 of the map information acquisition device 120 does not need to acquire, from the map information providing server 130, map information for the place where the driving trajectory is stored.

[0037] FIG. 4 schematically shows a location range extracted as a predetermined location range. For example, the route along which the vehicle 110 is driven in an autonomous driving mode includes the intersection 170 shown in FIG. 4. During autonomous driving, the vehicle 110 turns right at the intersection 170. In this case, the extraction unit 121 extracts the location range of the intersection 170 as a predetermined location range. The acquisition unit 122 acquires high-precision map information for the intersection 170 from the map information providing server 130. The extraction unit 121 extracts, as a predetermined location range, a location range in which road dividing lines, such as white lines, cannot be recognized in the camera image, in addition to the intersection. The acquisition unit 122 acquires high-precision map information for the location range in which road dividing lines cannot be recognized in the camera image from the map information providing server 130.

[0038] Generally, high-precision map information includes information on lane centerlines or lane links for each lane. For example, for an intersection such as a four-way intersection, the map information includes information on lane links for going straight, lane links for turning left, and lane links for turning right for each lane. When map information is available, the autonomous driving ECU 114 can set a driving trajectory or a target trajectory on the lane links during autonomous driving. In the following description, autonomous driving that uses high-precision map information is referred to as autonomous driving with a map, and autonomous driving that does not use high-precision map information is referred to as autonomous driving without a map.

[0039] A challenge with map-less autonomous driving is that the autonomous driving ECU 114 cannot determine the trajectory to follow on roads where road dividing lines cannot be recognized. When high-precision map information is not used and the vehicle 110 travels straight on a road with center lines or lane dividing lines, the autonomous driving ECU 114 can detect dividing lines such as center lines from camera images. In this case, the autonomous driving ECU 114 can set a driving trajectory in a direction that follows the detected dividing lines. However, if there are no dividing lines on the road or if the dividing lines are faded, the dividing lines cannot be recognized from the camera images, making it difficult to set a driving trajectory.

[0040] Also, for example, consider a case where the vehicle 110 turns right at an intersection. In this case, the autonomous driving ECU 114 cannot use the camera images to define which trajectory the vehicle 110 will take to head toward the lane after the right turn while the vehicle 110 is turning right. Therefore, the autonomous driving ECU 114 cannot generate a driving trajectory during the right turn from the camera images without high-precision map information.

[0041] In this embodiment, the extraction unit 121 extracts a location range where mapless autonomous driving is difficult as a predetermined location range. The acquisition unit 122 acquires map information for the extracted location range where mapless autonomous driving is difficult from the map information providing server 130. The acquisition unit 122 does not acquire map information for a location range where mapless autonomous driving is possible. The autonomous driving ECU 114 performs autonomous driving using the acquired high-precision map information in a location range where mapless autonomous driving is difficult. On the other hand, in a location range where mapless autonomous driving is possible, the autonomous driving ECU 114 generates a driving trajectory using information from sensors mounted on the vehicle 110 and performs autonomous driving.

[0042] When a person is in the vehicle 110 and sets a destination for autonomous driving while inside the vehicle, the map information acquisition device 120 may extract a predetermined position range and acquire map information for the predetermined position range. Alternatively, for example, when a route along which the vehicle 110 will travel in autonomous driving is set in advance, the map information acquisition device 120 may extract a predetermined position range in advance and acquire map information for the predetermined position range. When the vehicle is traveling in autonomous driving, the map information acquisition device 120 may extract a predetermined position range on the route the vehicle is traveling to at a predetermined timing, such as when turning right or left, and acquire map information for the predetermined position range. The map information may be stored in a storage device (not shown) within the vehicle 110. The stored map information is deleted from the storage device after autonomous driving ends. Alternatively, the stored map information may be made unusable. The map information may be stored in cloud storage, and the map information may be transmitted from the cloud storage to the vehicle 110 while the vehicle 110 is driving.

[0043] In this embodiment, the company selling the map information may, for example, collect a fee from the user or owner of the vehicle 110 according to the amount of map data that the map information acquisition device 120 acquires from the map information providing server 130. Alternatively, the company selling the map information may conclude a contract with the user or owner of the vehicle 110 that allows the user or owner to use the map information for a certain period of time for a certain usage fee, and allow the subscriber to use the map information.

[0044] In this embodiment, the autonomous driving is not necessarily limited to fully autonomous driving. The autonomous driving in this embodiment may refer to driving in which a vehicle's driving trajectory is automatically generated and the vehicle is driven along the generated driving trajectory. The autonomous driving in this embodiment may also include, for example, driving assistance, autonomous driving under specific conditions, and conditional autonomous driving that requires some driver intervention.

[0045] Next, the operation procedure will be described. Figure 5 shows the operation procedure in the vehicle 110. The operation procedure shown in Figure 5 corresponds to a driving control method. The extraction unit 121 of the map information acquisition device 120 extracts, as a predetermined position range, a position range on a route along which the vehicle 110 is driven autonomously, within which the vehicle's travel trajectory cannot be determined using information output from sensors mounted on the vehicle (step S1). The acquisition unit 122 acquires map information for the predetermined position range extracted in step S1 from the map information providing server 130 via the network 150 (step S2). Steps S1 and S2 correspond to the map information acquisition method.

[0046] The autonomous driving ECU 114 generates a driving trajectory for the vehicle 110 during autonomous driving (step S3). For a predetermined position range, the autonomous driving ECU 114 generates a driving trajectory for the vehicle 110 based on lane link information included in the map information. For a position range outside the predetermined position range, the autonomous driving ECU 114 recognizes lane markings on the road based on images acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 111, and generates a driving trajectory based on the recognized lane markings. The autonomous driving ECU 114 drives the vehicle 110 in autonomous driving mode along the generated driving trajectory (step S4).

[0047] In this embodiment, the map information acquisition device 120 acquires map information for a location range where map-less autonomous driving is difficult from the map information providing server 130. The map information acquisition device 120 does not acquire map information for a location range where map-less autonomous driving is not difficult, i.e., a location range where map-less autonomous driving is possible, from the map information providing server 130. In this way, the map information acquisition device 120 can reduce the amount of map information data acquired from the map information providing server 130 when the vehicle 110 is driven autonomously. In other words, the amount of map data prepared for autonomous driving can be reduced. When fees are charged according to the amount of map data acquired from the map information providing server 130, costs can be reduced by reducing the amount of map data prepared.

[0048] In this embodiment, in a predetermined location range for which map information is acquired, the autonomous driving ECU 114 uses information included in the map information to generate a driving trajectory for the autonomously driven vehicle 110. In a location range other than the predetermined location range for which map information is not acquired, the autonomous driving ECU 114 uses information acquired from the periphery monitoring sensor 111 to generate a driving trajectory for the autonomously driven vehicle 110. In this way, the autonomous driving ECU 114 can drive the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode while reducing the amount of map information data used.

[0049] In the present disclosure, the autonomous driving ECU 114 and the map information acquisition device 120 may each be configured as an electronic control device or a computer device. Fig. 6 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an electronic control device that may be used as the autonomous driving ECU 114 and the map information acquisition device 120. The electronic control device 500 has a processor (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (read only memory) 502, and a RAM (random access memory) 503. In the electronic control device 500, the processor 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503 are connected to each other via a bus 504. Although not shown, the autonomous driving ECU 114 and the map information acquisition device 120 may include other circuits such as peripheral circuits, communication circuits, and interface circuits.

[0050] The ROM 502 is a non-volatile storage device. For example, a semiconductor storage device with a relatively small capacity, such as a flash memory, is used as the ROM 502. The ROM 502 stores the programs executed by the processor 501.

[0051] The program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include RAM, ROM, flash memory, SSD or other memory technologies, Compact Disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0052] The RAM 503 is a volatile storage device. Various semiconductor memory devices such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM) are used for the RAM 503. The RAM 503 can be used as an internal buffer for temporarily storing data and the like.

[0053] The processor 501 loads the program stored in the ROM 502 into the RAM 503 and executes the program. When the CPU 501 executes the program, the functions of each part in the autonomous driving ECU 114 or the functions of each part in the map information acquisition device 120 can be realized.

[0054] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the autonomous driving ECU 114 and the map information acquisition device 120 are configured as separate devices. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The autonomous driving ECU 114 and the map information acquisition device 120 may be configured as a single device. Furthermore, the autonomous driving ECU 114 and the map information acquisition device 120 may each be configured using multiple devices.

[0055] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the map information acquisition device 120 is mounted on the vehicle 110. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Some of the functions of the map information acquisition device 120 may be mounted on the vehicle 110, and the remaining functions may be located outside the vehicle 110.

[0056] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] Each drawing is merely an example for describing one or more embodiments. Each drawing may not relate to only one particular embodiment, but may also relate to one or more other embodiments. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings to create, for example, an embodiment not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing are necessary to describe an exemplary embodiment, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

[0058] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0059] [Supplementary Note 1] A map information acquisition device comprising: an extraction unit that extracts, from a route along which a moving body is driven autonomously, a position range within which the traveling trajectory of the moving body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body, as a predetermined position range; and an acquisition unit that acquires map information including lane information on roads for the extracted predetermined position range within the route.

[0060] [Supplementary Note 2] The map information acquisition device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the extraction unit extracts, as the predetermined position range, a position range of an intersection on the route at which the moving object turns right or left.

[0061] [Supplementary Note 3] The map information acquisition device according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the extraction unit extracts, as the predetermined position range, a position range on the route in which the road dividing lines cannot be recognized based on information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body.

[0062] [Supplementary Note 4] The map information acquisition device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the map information includes lane link information for each lane on a road.

[0063] [Supplementary Note 5] A driving control device comprising: the map information acquisition device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4; and a driving control unit that causes the mobile body to travel in an autonomous driving manner within the predetermined position range using the map information acquired by the acquisition unit, and causes the mobile body to travel in an autonomous driving manner within a position range other than the predetermined position range included in the route using information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body.

[0064] [Appendix 6] The driving control device according to Appendix 5, wherein the sensor includes an imaging device, and the driving control unit generates a driving trajectory indicating a position along which the moving body will travel during the autonomous driving based on an image acquired from the imaging device within a position range other than the predetermined position range.

[0065] [Supplementary Note 7] The driving control device according to Supplementary Note 5 or 6, wherein the map information includes lane link information for each lane on a road, and the driving control unit generates a driving trajectory indicating the position along which the moving body will travel during the autonomous driving within the predetermined position range based on the lane link information.

[0066] [Supplementary Note 8] A driving control system comprising: the driving control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 5 to 7; and a map information providing server that provides the map information.

[0067] [Supplementary Note 9] A map information acquisition method comprising: extracting, from a route along which a moving body is driven autonomously, a position range within which the traveling trajectory of the moving body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body, as a predetermined position range; and acquiring map information containing lane information on the road for the extracted predetermined position range of the route.

[0068] [Supplementary Note 10] The map information acquisition method according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein a position range of an intersection at which the moving object turns right or left on the route is extracted as the predetermined position range.

[0069] [Supplementary Note 11] The map information acquisition method according to Supplementary Note 9 or 10, wherein a position range on the route in which the road dividing lines cannot be recognized based on information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body is extracted as the predetermined position range.

[0070] [Supplementary Note 12] The map information acquisition method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 9 to 11, wherein the map information includes lane link information for each lane on a road.

[0071] [Supplementary Note 13] A driving control method comprising: extracting, from a route along which a moving body is driven autonomously, a positional range within which the driving trajectory of the moving body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body, as a predetermined positional range; acquiring map information having lane information for the road for the extracted predetermined positional range of the route; causing the moving body to drive autonomously within the predetermined positional range using the acquired map information; and causing the moving body to drive autonomously within a positional range included in the route other than the predetermined positional range using information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body.

[0072] [Supplementary Note 14] The driving control method according to Supplementary Note 13, wherein the sensor includes an imaging device, and a driving trajectory indicating a position along which the moving body will travel during the autonomous driving is generated based on an image acquired from the imaging device in a position range other than the predetermined position range.

[0073] [Supplementary Note 15] The driving control method according to Supplementary Note 13 or 14, wherein the map information includes lane link information for each lane on a road, and a driving trajectory indicating a position along which the moving body will travel during the automated driving is generated based on the lane link information within the predetermined position range.

[0074] [Supplementary Note 16] A program for causing a computer to execute a process including: extracting, from a route along which a moving body is driven autonomously, a position range within which the traveling trajectory of the moving body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body, as a predetermined position range; and acquiring map information containing lane information on the road for the extracted predetermined position range of the route.

[0075] [Supplementary Note 17] The program according to Supplementary Note 16, wherein a position range of an intersection at which the moving object turns right or left on the route is extracted as the predetermined position range.

[0076] [Supplementary Note 18] The program according to Supplementary Note 16 or 17, wherein a position range on the route in which the road dividing lines cannot be recognized based on information acquired from a sensor mounted on the mobile body is extracted as the predetermined position range.

[0077] [Supplementary Note 19] The program according to any one of Supplementary Notes 16 to 18, wherein the map information includes lane link information for each lane on a road.

[0078] [Supplementary Note 20] A program for causing a computer to execute processing including: extracting, from a route along which a moving body is driven autonomously, a positional range within which the driving trajectory of the moving body cannot be determined based on road dividing lines recognized by information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body, as a predetermined positional range; acquiring map information having lane information for the road for the extracted predetermined positional range of the route; driving the moving body autonomously within the predetermined positional range using the acquired map information; and driving the moving body autonomously within a positional range included in the route other than the predetermined positional range using information acquired from a sensor mounted on the moving body.

[0079] Some or all of the elements (e.g., configurations and functions) described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 4 that are dependent on Supplementary Note 1 may also be dependent on Supplementary Note 13 and Supplementary Note 20 in the same dependency relationship as Supplementary Note 2 to Supplementary Note 4. Also, some or all of the elements (e.g., configurations and functions) described in Supplementary Note 14 to Supplementary Note 15 that are dependent on Supplementary Note 13 may also be dependent on Supplementary Note 20 in the same dependency relationship as Supplementary Note 14 to Supplementary Note 15. Some or all of the elements described in any Supplementary Note may be applicable to various hardware, software, recording means for recording software, systems, and methods.

[0080] 10: Driving control system 20: Driving control device 21: Map information acquisition device 22: Extraction unit 23: Acquisition unit 24: Driving control unit 30: Map information providing server 100: Driving control system 110: Vehicle 111: Surroundings monitoring sensor 112: Vehicle sensor 113: Vehicle control ECU 114: Autonomous driving ECU 115: Communication device 120: Map information acquisition device 121: Extraction unit 122: Acquisition unit 130: Map information providing server 150: Network 500: Electronic control device 501: Processor 502: ROM 503: RAM

Claims

1. An extraction unit extracts a predetermined range of locations from the route along which the mobile vehicle is driven by autonomous driving, in which the driving trajectory of the mobile vehicle cannot be defined based on road markings recognized by information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile vehicle. A map information acquisition device comprising an acquisition unit that acquires map information having lane information on a road for the extracted predetermined position range among the aforementioned routes.

2. The map information acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit extracts the position range of intersections in the route where the moving body turns right or left as the predetermined position range.

3. The map information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the extraction unit extracts a range of locations in the route where the road markings cannot be recognized by information obtained from a sensor mounted on the moving body, as the predetermined range of locations.

4. The map information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the map information includes lane link information for each lane on the road.

5. A map information acquisition device, An extraction unit extracts a predetermined range of locations from the route along which the mobile vehicle is driven by autonomous driving, in which the driving trajectory of the mobile vehicle cannot be defined based on road markings recognized by information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile vehicle. A map information acquisition device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires map information having lane information on the road for the extracted predetermined position range of the aforementioned route; A driving control device comprising: a driving control unit that drives the mobile body automatically using map information acquired by the acquisition unit within the predetermined position range, and a driving control unit that drives the mobile body automatically using information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile body within a position range other than the predetermined position range included in the route.

6. An operation control device, A map information acquisition device comprising: an extraction unit that extracts a predetermined position range from a route on which a mobile body is driven by an autonomous vehicle, in which the driving trajectory of the mobile body cannot be defined based on road lane markings recognized by information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile body; and an acquisition unit that acquires map information having road lane information for the extracted predetermined position range within the route; A driving control device comprising: a driving control unit that drives the mobile body automatically using map information acquired by the acquisition unit within the predetermined position range, and a driving control unit that drives the mobile body automatically using information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile body within a position range other than the predetermined position range included in the route; A driving control system comprising a map information providing server that provides the aforementioned map information.

7. From the route along which the mobile vehicle is driven autonomously, a predetermined range of locations is extracted where the vehicle's trajectory cannot be defined based on road markings recognized by information acquired from sensors mounted on the vehicle. A method for acquiring map information, comprising acquiring map information having lane information on a road for the extracted predetermined position range among the aforementioned routes.

8. From the route along which the mobile vehicle is driven autonomously, a predetermined range of locations is extracted where the vehicle's trajectory cannot be defined based on road markings recognized by information acquired from sensors mounted on the vehicle. For the predetermined location range extracted from the aforementioned route, map information having lane information on the road is acquired. A driving control method comprising: driving the mobile body autonomously using the acquired map information within the predetermined position range; and driving the mobile body autonomously using information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile body within a position range other than the predetermined position range included in the route.

9. From the route along which the mobile vehicle is driven autonomously, a predetermined range of locations is extracted where the vehicle's trajectory cannot be defined based on road markings recognized by information acquired from sensors mounted on the vehicle. A program for causing a computer to perform a process that includes acquiring map information having lane information on a road for the extracted predetermined location range of the aforementioned route.

10. From the route along which the mobile vehicle is driven autonomously, a predetermined range of locations is extracted where the vehicle's trajectory cannot be defined based on road markings recognized by information acquired from sensors mounted on the vehicle. For the predetermined location range extracted from the aforementioned route, map information having lane information on the road is acquired. A program for causing a computer to execute a process that includes driving the mobile body autonomously using the acquired map information within the predetermined location range, and driving the mobile body autonomously using information acquired from sensors mounted on the mobile body within a location range other than the predetermined location range included in the route.