Sensor selection device, driving assistance server, sensor selection method, and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention reduces measurement data that can be transmitted from a plurality of transmission sources.　A sensor selection device comprises: collection means for collecting sensor capability information including information capable of specifying the sensing area of individual sensors in a plurality of transmission sources in which the sensors are provided; first selection means for selecting, on the basis of the sensor capability information, two or more sensors having overlapping sensing areas; second selection means for selecting a first sensor for requesting transmission of measurement data from the selected sensors according to a predetermined rule; and instruction means for instructing the transmission sources to transmit measurement data associated with the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor having no overlapping sensing area.

Description

Sensor selection device, driving assistance server, sensor selection method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor selection device, a driving assistance server, a sensor selection method, and a recording medium.

[0002] In recent years, road-to-vehicle cooperation systems have become known that, in addition to dynamic maps, predict the positions of objects and vehicles on the road and provide driving assistance information to traffic participants. Such road-to-vehicle cooperation systems are expected to collect information from sensors mounted on vehicles as well as from devices installed on the roadside. Meanwhile, the performance of sensors such as cameras mounted on vehicles has improved, resulting in an increase in data volume, creating a demand for reducing the amount of data transmitted. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a data volume reduction device that reduces the amount of data transmitted by transmitting, when transmitting an image from an imaging device to a dynamic map creation device, a target area including an image of an object in the image at high resolution and a region other than the target area at low resolution.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-10903

[0004] Creating driving assistance information may require a huge amount of measurement data, and the measurement data transmitted from a sensor may include redundant measurement data, such as data measured by the same type of sensor in a nearby location. In this regard, the data amount reduction device in Patent Document 1 can reduce the amount of transmission data transmitted from each imaging device, but has the problem of generating redundant data because transmission data from multiple vehicles is collected on the dynamic map creation device side.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a sensor selection device, a driving assistance server, a sensor selection method, and a recording medium that are capable of reducing measurement data that may be transmitted from multiple transmission sources.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a sensor selection device comprising: a collection means for collecting sensor capability information from a plurality of transmitters, each equipped with a sensor, the information including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​each of the sensors; a first selection means for selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on the sensor capability information; a second selection means for selecting a first sensor from the selected sensors that is to be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule; and an instruction means for instructing the transmitter to transmit measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap.

[0007] According to a second aspect, there is provided a driving assistance server that functions as the above-mentioned sensor selection device.

[0008] According to a third aspect, there is provided a sensor selection method that collects sensor capability information including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​each of a plurality of transmitters, each equipped with a sensor, selects two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on at least the sensor capability information, selects a first sensor from the selected sensors that is required to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule, and instructs the transmitter to transmit the measurement data of the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: collecting sensor capability information, including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​each of a plurality of transmitters, each equipped with a sensor; selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based at least on the sensor capability information; selecting a first sensor from the selected sensors that is to be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule; and instructing the transmitter to transmit the measurement data of the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a sensor selection device, a driving assistance server, a sensor selection method, and a recording medium that are capable of reducing measurement data that may be transmitted from multiple transmission sources.

[0011] 1 is a diagram illustrating one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of sensors of a vehicle used in explaining the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a cooperative automatic driving server of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a dynamic map. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a space-time grid. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a driving plan using a space-time grid. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a driving plan using a space-time grid. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating another operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between inter-vehicle distance and sensing area. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining another configuration of the cooperative automatic driving server of the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is another sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between a roadside device and a sensing area of ​​a vehicle. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining sensors selected by the cooperative automatic driving server. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining another configuration of the cooperative automatic driving server of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is another sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining another operation of the cooperative automatic driving server of the present disclosure.

[0012] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings attached to this overview are attached to each element for convenience as an example to facilitate understanding, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the illustrated form. Furthermore, connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and the like referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows are used to schematically indicate the flow of main signals (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. A program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and, if necessary, a display device. Furthermore, this computer device is configured to be able to communicate with internal or external devices (including computers) via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. Although ports or interfaces are present at the input / output connection points of each block in the drawings, they are not shown.

[0013] In one embodiment, the present disclosure can be realized by a sensor selecting device 10 including a collection unit 11, a first selection unit 12, a second selection unit 13, and an instruction unit 14, as shown in FIG. 1 . More specifically, the collection unit 11 collects sensor capability information from multiple transmission sources V1 and V2 equipped with sensors C11 to C22, including information capable of identifying the sensing areas of the sensors C11 to C22. The first selection unit 12 selects two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on the sensor capability information. The second selection unit 13 selects a first sensor from the selected sensors that is to be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule. The instruction unit 14 instructs the transmission source to transmit measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap. The connection form between the sender and the receiver of the measurement data is not particularly limited, but for example, wide area communication (V2N) using LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system) standardized by 3GPP etc. can be used. 3GPP is an abbreviation for 3rd Generation Partnership Project.

[0014] The sensor selecting device 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the sensor selecting device 10 collects sensor capability information from multiple transmission sources, including information that can identify the sensing area of ​​each sensor (step S01 in FIG. 2). This sensor capability information may be, for example, information that identifies the sensing area using coordinates, or in the case of a camera, the position, orientation, angle of view, etc. of the camera.

[0015] Next, the sensor selecting device 10 selects two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on the sensor capability information (step S02 in FIG. 2).

[0016] Next, the sensor selection device 10 selects a first sensor (transmitting sensor) from among the selected sensors that will be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule (step S03 in FIG. 2). Examples of the predetermined rule include selecting a sensor with a high priority, selecting a sensor that can obtain higher quality measurement data, selecting a sensor that can reduce data size, selecting a sensor that can reduce communication traffic, etc. The processes in steps S02 to S03 may be repeated until there are no more than two sensors with overlapping sensing areas.

[0017] Finally, the sensor selecting device 10 instructs the transmission source to transmit the measurement data from the first sensor and the measurement data from the second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap (step S04).

[0018] For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , three vehicles V1 to V3 are traveling from left to right in the figure. The sensing area in front of vehicle Vn is represented as An1, and the sensing area behind vehicle Vn is represented as An2. In the example of FIG. 3 , the sensing area A12 of vehicle V1 overlaps with the sensing area A21 of vehicle V2, so the sensor selecting device 10 selects the rear sensor of vehicle V1 and the front sensor of vehicle V2. The sensor selecting device 10 then selects either the rear sensor of vehicle V1 or the front sensor of vehicle V2 as the first sensor. For example, the sensor selecting device 10 selects the front sensor of vehicle V2, which can obtain sensing results over a wider range, and instructs vehicle V2, the source of the data transmission, to transmit measurement data for sensing area A21 and sensing area A22. On the other hand, the sensor selecting device 10 does not request measurement data for sensing area A12 from vehicle V1, but instead instructs vehicle V1 to transmit measurement data for sensing area A11. In this way, it is possible to reduce redundant measurement data that may be transmitted from the transmission source.

[0019] In the above example, the transmission sources are vehicles, but the transmission source is not limited to a vehicle. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the transmission source may include a transmitting device equipped with camera C3. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the sensor selecting device 10 determines the overlap between the vehicle's sensing area A21 and the sensing area A3 of camera C3 based on the sensor capability information, and selects the front sensor of vehicle V2 and camera C3. Then, the sensor selecting device 10 selects either the front sensor of vehicle V2 or camera C3 as the first sensor. For example, the sensor selecting device 10 selects the front sensor of vehicle V2, which is more important, and instructs the transmission source vehicle V2 to transmit measurement data for sensing area A21 and sensing area A22.

[0020] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce redundant measurement data that may be transmitted from a transmission source.

[0021] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment will be described in which the functions of the sensor selection device of the present disclosure are implemented in a cooperative autonomous driving server of a road-vehicle cooperative system that creates driving plans associated with map data for autonomously driving vehicles, etc. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 is shown receiving measurement data from multiple vehicles V1 to V4, each equipped with a sensor, via a network in which a base station N1 is located. The present disclosure attempts to reduce the amount of measurement data transmitted from the sensors of the vehicles V1 to V4.

[0022] 7 is a diagram showing the arrangement of sensors (cameras) mounted on vehicles V1 to V4 (referred to as vehicle Vn) used in the description of this disclosure. In the following description, measurement data obtained by the front camera of vehicle Vn will be referred to as Vna, and measurement data obtained by the rear sensor (camera) will be referred to as Vnb. For example, measurement data obtained by the front camera of vehicle V1 will be referred to as V1a.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the cooperative automatic driving server 100 of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 8, the cooperative automatic driving server 100 is shown to include a dynamic map management unit 101, a spatiotemporal grid management unit 102, a driving plan creation unit 103, a sensor selection unit 104, and a scheduler 105. In the following description, it is assumed that vehicles V1 to V4 receive driving plans from the cooperative automatic driving server 100. As will be understood from the description below, the cooperative automatic driving server 100 can also be called a driving assistance server because it provides vehicles with driving plans, which are a type of driving assistance information.

[0024] The vehicles V1 to V4 send a reservation request for a driving plan to the cooperative automatic driving server 100 via the network N. The vehicles V1 to V4 then drive according to the driving plan provided by the cooperative automatic driving server 100. The vehicles V1 to V4 also transmit measurement data measured by their sensors according to the transmission schedule received from the cooperative automatic driving server 100. The vehicles V1 to V4 also transmit vehicle information and sensor capability information to the cooperative automatic driving server 100 via the network N.

[0025] The vehicle information includes information on the position, speed, length, number and arrangement of sensors mounted on each vehicle, traveling direction, inter-vehicle distance, etc. This vehicle information is used to create a dynamic map, and in this embodiment, is also provided to the sensor selection unit 104.

[0026] The sensor capability information includes information for identifying the sensing area of ​​each sensor, such as the sensor's recognition accuracy, coverage range performance, or measurement values. The sensor's coverage range may be expressed as coordinates or distance with the host vehicle as the origin, but for example, if the sensor is a camera, it may also be expressed as the camera's orientation and angle of view (lens focal length). The sensor's coverage range may also be expressed in a common coordinate system managed by the cooperative autonomous driving server 100.

[0027] The measurement data is measurement data from sensors mounted on vehicles V1 to V4, and although there is no particular limitation, in the following description the measurement data is described as being large volume data such as video or images from a camera.

[0028] The dynamic map management unit 101 updates the dynamic map using measurement data and the like received from the vehicles V1 to V4. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the dynamic map. In the example of FIG. 9, the dynamic map is composed of several layers. The first layer in FIG. 9 manages nearly permanent static data such as road maps and road signs. The second layer manages quasi-static data such as construction schedules and traffic regulations. The third layer manages quasi-dynamic data such as congestion conditions and accident information. The fourth layer manages dynamic data such as vehicles and pedestrians on the road and traffic signal phases. The measurement data received from the vehicles V1 to V4 is used to update the data in the third and fourth layers. The dynamic map management unit 101 updates the dynamic map using information obtained from the vehicles V1 to V4, as well as from roadside devices installed on the road and servers managing wide-area information. Using such a dynamic map makes it possible to grasp the dynamic traffic environment and to create and distribute driving plans for the vehicles V1 to V4 from the cooperative automated driving server 100.

[0029] The spatiotemporal grid management unit 102 manages a spatiotemporal grid in which grids of space and time axes are created based on the dynamic map. Fig. 10 is a diagram in which cells are set in a merging section of a road.

[0030] In response to a reservation request from a vehicle, the driving plan creation unit 103 reserves a cell on the time-space grid and creates a driving plan. For example, as shown in Figure 11, when vehicle V1 enters cell L3-04 and vehicle V2 enters cell L2-04, the driving plan creation unit 103 reserves cells for each time on the time-space grid for vehicles V1 and V2 and creates a driving plan, as shown in Figure 12. The driving plan creation unit 103 then sends the created driving plan to the scheduler 105.

[0031] The sensor selection unit 104 selects two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on the vehicle information and sensor capability information received from the vehicle. Furthermore, the sensor selection unit 104 selects a first sensor from among the selected sensors that is to be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule. Therefore, the sensor selection unit 104 combines the functions of the collection means 11, first selection means 12, and second selection means 13, and corresponds to a combination of these processing means.

[0032] Examples of the predetermined rule include the following. A combination of these may be used. (1) Selection based on the importance of the sensor For example, if the sensors are cameras with different resolutions and angles of view, the sensor selection unit 104 selects the sensor with the higher resolution and wider angle of view as the first sensor. Furthermore, if it is defined that the sensors located at the front of the vehicles V1 to V4 are more important than the other sensors, the sensor selection unit 104 selects the sensors located at the front of each of the vehicles V1 to V4.

[0033] (2) Selection based on a preset allowable overlap number of measurement data The allowable overlap number is the number of first sensors whose sensing areas overlap to be selected. For example, if the allowable overlap number is 2, the sensor selection unit 104 selects two sensors from two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap.

[0034] (3) Selection Based on Priority of Source Vehicle The sensor selection unit 104 selects the first sensor based on the location, moving speed, total number of vehicles, and communication volume of each vehicle of the source vehicle. For example, if a rule is established that, among two vehicles each equipped with two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap, the vehicle closer to the intersection is given priority, the sensor selection unit 104 selects the sensor equipped in the vehicle closer to the intersection as the first sensor. Alternatively, for example, if a rule is established that, among two vehicles each equipped with two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap, the vehicle traveling at a slower speed is given priority, the sensor selection unit 104 selects the sensor equipped in the vehicle traveling at a slower speed as the first sensor. Alternatively, for example, a rule may be established that, among two vehicles each equipped with two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap, the vehicle with the lowest communication volume over a certain period of time is given priority. In this case, the sensor selection unit 104 selects the sensor equipped in the vehicle with the lowest communication volume as the first sensor. Furthermore, the sensor selection unit 104 can select a sensor based on the total number of vehicles equipped with sensors whose sensing areas overlap. For example, if there are many vehicles equipped with sensors whose sensing areas overlap, blind spots may increase due to the proximity of the vehicles, so a rule can be set to increase the number of sensors to be selected as the first sensor.

[0035] (4) Selection Based on the Direction of Travel of the Vehicle That is the Source and the Total Number of Surrounding Vehicles The sensor selection unit 104 can use a rule that selects vehicles that have the same direction of travel among vehicles whose sensing areas overlap, and selects the first sensor from among them. Furthermore, when the total number of surrounding vehicles is large or congestion occurs, the sensor selection unit 104 can use a rule that selects nearby vehicles regardless of their direction of travel, and selects the first sensor from among them.

[0036] The above-described first sensor selection rule does not need to be fixed, and its content may be changed based on any one or a combination of road conditions, communication conditions, and the needs of the automated driving manager. For example, when the road conditions are such that there are many pedestrians and bicycles, the rule may be switched to one that selects more first sensors. Furthermore, when the communication conditions are such that the lines for transmitting measurement data are congested, the rule may be switched to one that selects fewer first sensors. Furthermore, when a more precise dynamic map is required due to the needs of the automated driving manager, weather, time of day, etc., the rule may be switched to one that selects more first sensors.

[0037] The above-described selection rule for the first sensor may be changed based on one or a combination of the position, travel speed, length, etc. of a vehicle not participating in the cooperative autonomous driving system. For example, if a vehicle not participating in the cooperative autonomous driving system is located between vehicles whose sensing areas overlap, that vehicle may create a blind spot in the sensing area. In this case, the blind spot can be reduced by increasing the number of first sensors selected.

[0038] The scheduler 105 transmits the driving plan created by the driving plan creation unit 103 to the vehicles V1 to V4. Furthermore, the scheduler 105 creates a measurement data transmission schedule to transmit measurement data from a sensor (second sensor) whose sensing area does not overlap with that of the first sensor selected by the sensor selection unit 104, and transmits the measurement data transmission schedule to the vehicles V1 to V4. This transmission schedule includes information about the sensor from which each vehicle will next transmit (or not transmit) measurement data. The transmission schedule may also be applied to the vehicle for a certain period of time. Such a scheduler 105 corresponds to the instruction means 14 described above. The driving plan and the transmission schedule may be integrated.

[0039] The cooperative autonomous driving server 100 includes the sensor selection unit 104 as described above, and therefore corresponds to the sensor selection device 10.

[0040] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 13 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 13, first, vehicles V1 to V4 send a reservation request including vehicle information and sensor capability information to the cooperative automatic driving server 100 (step S001). Of course, the reservation request, vehicle information, and sensor capability information may each be sent separately.

[0041] Next, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 refers to the dynamic map (step S002) and creates a driving plan on a space-time grid (step S003).

[0042] Next, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 thins out overlapping sensors using the procedure illustrated in Fig. 2 (step S004). Specifically, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 selects sensors whose sensing areas overlap, and selects the first sensor (transmitting sensor) using a predetermined rule.

[0043] Next, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 creates a transmission schedule that specifies the first sensor and another sensor (second sensor) whose sensing area does not overlap. Furthermore, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 transmits the driving plan created in step S003 and the transmission schedule to the vehicles V1 to V4 (step S005).

[0044] The vehicles V1 to V4 travel according to the travel plan and transmit the measurement data to the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 according to the transmission schedule (step S006).

[0045] The cooperative autonomous driving server 100 that has received the measurement data updates the dynamic map using the measurement data (step S007).

[0046] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a vehicle according to the present disclosure. In the example of FIG. 14 , between vehicles V1 and V2, it is assumed that the sensing areas of the rear sensor of vehicle V2 and the front sensor of vehicle V1 overlap. In this case, the front sensor of vehicle V1 is selected as the first sensor. Similarly, between vehicles V2 and V3, it is assumed that the sensing areas of the rear sensor of vehicle V3 and the front sensor of vehicle V2 overlap. In this case, the front sensor of vehicle V2 is selected as the first sensor. Similarly, between vehicles V3 and V4, it is assumed that the sensing areas of the rear sensor of vehicle V4 and the front sensor of vehicle V3 overlap. In this case, the front sensor of vehicle V3 is selected as the first sensor. As a result, transmission of measurement data V2b behind vehicle V2, measurement data V3b behind vehicle V3, and measurement data V4b behind vehicle V4 is suppressed, making it possible to reduce the amount of communication in the uplink direction. In contrast, if the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 does not thin out the sensors, the vehicles V1 to V4 shown in Fig. 14 would transmit measurement data V1a, V1b to V4a, and V4b from their front and rear sensors, respectively. Therefore, in the example of Fig. 14, the transmission of measurement data V2b, V3b, and V4b is suppressed.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce redundant measurement data that may be transmitted from vehicles V1 to V4. The reason for this is that a configuration is adopted in which sensors with overlapping sensing areas are selected based on the vehicle positions, etc., and sensors with measurement data that can be reduced are further selected from those sensors, and the selected sensors are reflected in the transmission schedule.

[0048] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described in which conditions are added to the selection of sensors whose sensing areas overlap, while maintaining the effect of transmission suppression. This embodiment can be realized with a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, so the differences in operation will be described below.

[0049] Figure 15 is a flow chart showing another operation of the present disclosure, illustrating another form of the process of thinning out overlapping sensors in step S004 of the sequence diagram of Figure 12. Referring to Figure 15, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 collects vehicle information and sensor capability information from vehicles V1 to V4 (step S101).

[0050] Next, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 selects vehicles in the same lane, within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, and with a relative speed within a predetermined value, based on the vehicle information (step S102).

[0051] Next, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 uses a predetermined rule to select a first sensor (transmitting sensor) from sensors whose sensing areas overlap with those of the selected vehicle (step S103). The predetermined rule will be described in detail later with reference to the drawings.

[0052] Finally, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100 transmits to each of the vehicles V1 to V4 a driving plan and a transmission schedule instructing them to transmit the measurement data of the selected first and second sensors (step S104).

[0053] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between inter-vehicle distance and sensing area. In the upper part of FIG. 16 , the inter-vehicle distance t between vehicles V1 and V2 is sufficiently large, and their sensing areas A12 and A21 do not overlap. In this case, the cooperative automatic driving server 100 does not thin out the sensors. On the other hand, in the lower part of FIG. 16 , the inter-vehicle distance between vehicles V3 and V4 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and their sensing areas A32 and A41 overlap. In this case, the cooperative automatic driving server 100 thins out the sensors. For example, if a rule that prioritizes front sensors over rear sensors of the vehicles in FIG. 16 is applied, the cooperative automatic driving server 100 selects the front sensor of vehicle V4 as the first sensor from the rear sensor of vehicle V3 and the front sensor of vehicle V4. This makes it possible to omit transmission of measurement data from the rear sensor of vehicle V3.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cooperative automated driving server 100 creates a transmission schedule that continues the selection of the sensor for a certain period of time. This allows the effect of reducing the amount of measurement data to be sustained. The reason why the selection of the sensor can be continued for a certain period of time is that, as described above, the selection of sensors to be thinned out is limited to vehicles in the same lane, within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, and with a relative speed within a predetermined value. This is because, when these conditions are met, the inter-vehicle distance is unlikely to suddenly increase, and the overlapping state of the sensing areas is expected to continue. Of course, after the certain period of time has elapsed, the selection of the sensor is stopped, and sensor re-selection is performed again based on the traveling direction, inter-vehicle distance, and relative speed of each vehicle.

[0055] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the calculation cost in the cooperative automatic driving server 100. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to create a transmission schedule that maintains its effectiveness for a certain period of time, and therefore it is also possible to extend the interval at which the transmission schedule is created.

[0056] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described in which roadside units are added to the transmission sources in addition to vehicles. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 17, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, roadside units I1 to I3 equipped with sensors Ic1 to Ic3, respectively, are shown. The roadside units I1 to I3 transmit measurement data to the cooperative automatic driving server 100a. Note that the connection between the roadside units I1 to I3 and the cooperative automatic driving server 100a is not particularly limited. It may be a dedicated wired network, or the measurement data may be transmitted to the cooperative automatic driving server 100a via a network in which base station N1 is located.

[0057] Figure 18 is a diagram showing another configuration of the cooperative automatic driving server 100a of the present disclosure. The configuration differs from the first embodiment shown in Figure 8 in that roadside units I1 to I3 are added as senders that transmit measurement data to the cooperative automatic driving server 100a via the network N. In addition, the roadside units I1 to I3 transmit sensor position information and sensor capability information to the cooperative automatic driving server 100a. The other configurations are almost the same as those of the first embodiment, so the following description will focus on the operational differences.

[0058] The sensor position information of the roadside units I1 to I3 is information on the position, arrangement, etc. of each sensor. This sensor position information is used to create a dynamic map, and in this embodiment, the sensor position information is provided to the sensor selection unit 104a of the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a.

[0059] The sensor capability information of the roadside units I1 to I3 includes information for identifying the sensing area of ​​each sensor, such as the sensor's recognition accuracy, coverage range performance, or measurement values. The sensor's coverage range may be expressed as coordinates or distance from the origin of the vehicle, but for example, if the sensor is a camera, it may also be expressed as the camera's orientation and angle of view (lens focal length). The sensor's coverage range may also be expressed in a common coordinate system managed by the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a.

[0060] The dynamic map management unit 101a updates the dynamic map using measurement data received from the vehicles V1 to V4 and roadside units I1 to I3.

[0061] The measurement data is measurement data from sensors mounted on roadside units I1 to I3, and although there is no particular limitation, in the following description the measurement data is described as being large volume data such as video or images from a camera.

[0062] The sensor selection unit 104a selects two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on vehicle information, sensor position information, and sensor capability information received from the vehicle and the roadside device. Furthermore, the sensor selection unit 104a selects a first sensor from among the selected sensors, from which measurement data transmission is requested according to a predetermined rule. At this time, if a sensor of the roadside device is included in the two or more selected sensors, the sensor selection unit 104a selects the sensor of the roadside device as the first sensor.

[0063] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 19 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. The difference from the operation of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 13 is that a roadside unit is added as an operating subject. The following description will focus on this difference in operation.

[0064] Similar to the vehicles V1 to V4, the roadside units I1 to I3 transmit sensor position information and sensor capability information to the cooperative automatic driving server 100a (step S201). Note that if there are no changes in the sensor position information and sensor capability information, the roadside units I1 to I3 may omit transmitting the sensor position information and sensor capability information. In this case, the sensor position information and sensor capability information can be stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the cooperative automatic driving server 100a.

[0065] As in the first embodiment, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a refers to the dynamic map (step S002) and creates a driving plan on a space-time grid (step S003).

[0066] Next, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a thins out overlapping sensors using the procedure illustrated in Fig. 2 (step S004). Specifically, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a selects sensors whose sensing areas overlap, and selects the first sensor (transmitting sensor) using a predetermined rule.

[0067] Next, the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a creates a transmission schedule for the driving plan created in step S003 and for other sensors (second sensors) whose sensing areas do not overlap with the first sensor, and transmits the schedule to vehicles V1 to V4 (step S005).

[0068] The vehicles V1 to V4 travel according to the travel plan and transmit the measurement data to the cooperative automatic driving server 100a according to the transmission schedule (step S006). In addition, the roadside units I1 to I3 transmit the measurement data to the cooperative automatic driving server 100a (step S202).

[0069] The cooperative autonomous driving server 100a that has received the measurement data updates the dynamic map using the measurement data (step S007).

[0070] 20 and 21 are diagrams illustrating the sensor selection operation according to the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 20 , the sensing areas of vehicles V1 and V2 and the sensing area IA of roadside device I1 are shown. In the example of FIG. 20 , the sensing area V1L of the left sensor of vehicle V1 and the sensing area V1B of the rear sensor of vehicle V1 are almost entirely covered by the sensing area IA of sensor Ic1 of roadside device I1. In this case, the sensor selector 104a selects sensor Ic1 of roadside device I1 as the first sensor from among the sensors with competing sensing areas. Also, in the example of FIG. 20 , the sensing area V2B of the rear sensor of vehicle V2 overlaps with the sensing area V1A of the front sensor of vehicle V1. In this case, the sensor selector 104a selects the front sensor of vehicle V1 as the first sensor from among the two sensors. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the sensing areas from which measurement data is transmitted to the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a after the selection. 20 and 21, it can be seen that the sensor selection makes it possible to suppress transmission of measurement data from the left sensor and rear sensor of vehicle V1 and the rear sensor of vehicle V2. As mentioned above, the sensing area from which transmission is suppressed is covered by another sensor (first sensor), so the impact on updating the dynamic map at the cooperative autonomous driving server 100a is also minor.

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, the presence of the roadside sensors is taken into consideration, and the transmission of measurement data from the vehicles V1 to V4 can be further reduced.

[0072] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described in which measurement data transmitted from roadside units is also subject to reduction. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing another configuration of the cooperative automatic driving server 100b of the present disclosure. This configuration is almost the same as the cooperative automatic driving server 100a of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 18, but differs in that the cooperative automatic driving server 100b creates and transmits a transmission schedule for roadside units I1 to I3. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment, the following description will focus on the differences.

[0073] The sensor selection unit 104a selects two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on the vehicle information, sensor position information, and sensor capability information received from the vehicle and roadside device. Furthermore, the sensor selection unit 104a selects a first sensor from among the selected sensors that will be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule, and at this time, the sensor of the roadside device is treated equally to the sensor of the vehicle.

[0074] The scheduler 105b transmits to the vehicles V1 to V4 the driving plans created by the driving plan creation unit 103. Furthermore, the scheduler 105b creates a transmission schedule for the roadside units I1 to I3 in addition to the transmission schedule for the vehicles, and transmits the transmission schedule to the vehicles V1 to V4 and the roadside units I1 to I3, respectively.

[0075] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. The first difference from the operation of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 19 is that after the cooperative automatic driving server 100b transmits a driving plan and a transmission schedule to the vehicles V1 to V4, it creates and transmits a transmission schedule for the roadside units I1 to I3 (step S203). The second difference from the operation of the third embodiment is that the roadside units I1 to I3 transmit measurement data to the cooperative automatic driving server 100b based on the transmission schedule (step S202a).

[0076] According to this embodiment, measurement data that may be transmitted from roadside devices can also be included as a target for reduction. In particular, when the road is congested or there are many vehicles, and the required area can be covered with measurement data from the vehicles, measurement data from the roadside devices can be included as a target for reduction. Furthermore, when the sensor of the roadside device is a camera, image quality may be degraded due to backlighting, etc. In such cases, measurement data from the roadside devices can be included as a target for reduction by applying an appropriate first sensor selection rule.

[0077] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of the present disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representation formats shown in the drawings are examples intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0078] For example, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the vehicles V1 to V4 and roadside units I1 to I3 transmit measured data as is according to a transmission schedule. However, the cooperative automatic driving servers 100 to 100b may instruct the senders to process the measured data. For example, if partial overlap of measured data is predicted, the cooperative automatic driving servers 100 to 100b may instruct the senders to process the measured data. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the sensing area A12 and the sensing area A21 of the sensing area A21 are described as being the transmission targets. However, there is a portion of the sensing area A12 that is not covered by the sensing area A21. In such a case, the cooperative automatic driving servers 100 to 100b may instruct the vehicle V1 to transmit the measured data of that portion.

[0079] In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the cooperative automatic driving servers 100 to 100b are described as selecting the first sensor (transmitting sensor), but the cooperative automatic driving servers 100 to 100b may also select sensors from which transmission is to be suppressed. Furthermore, the transmission schedule may be in a form that specifies sensors that are not to be transmitted, rather than specifying sensors that are to be transmitted.

[0080] Furthermore, in the third and fourth embodiments described above, the first sensor (transmitting sensor) is selected from the roadside unit and vehicle sensors. However, as shown in FIG. 24, sections where many roadside units I1 to I4 are located may also be assumed. In such sections, the cooperative autonomous driving servers 100 to 100b may exclude the sensors of vehicles V1 to V4 from the transmission targets, regardless of whether their sensing areas overlap. This can avoid line congestion caused by transmitting uplink data via base station N1.

[0081] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of the present disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of each device are realized by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in FIG. 25 . FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 Drive device 907 that reads and writes to a recording medium 906 Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 Input / output interface 910 that inputs and outputs data Bus 911 that connects each component

[0082] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes the function. That is, the CPU 901 in FIG. 25 executes a sensor selection program and a transmission schedule creation program, and performs an update process for each calculation parameter stored in the RAM 903, the storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in advance in, for example, the storage device 905 or the ROM 902, and is read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via the communication network 909, or may be stored in advance on the recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0083] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device may be realized by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components provided in each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. In other words, the above-described sensor selection device and each unit (processing means, function) of the cooperative autonomous driving server shown in the first to fourth embodiments can be realized by a computer program that causes a processor installed in the device to execute each of the above-described processes using its hardware.

[0084] In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0085] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and programs.

[0086] When some or all of the components of each device are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each device is connected via a communication network.

[0087] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the above-described embodiments. In other words, those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the above-described embodiments to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0088] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0089] [Supplementary Note 1] A sensor selection device comprising: a collection means for collecting sensor capability information, including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​each sensor, from a plurality of transmission sources, each equipped with a sensor; a first selection means for selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on the sensor capability information; a second selection means for selecting a first sensor from the selected sensors according to a predetermined rule for transmitting measurement data; and an instruction means for instructing the transmission source to transmit measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap. [Supplementary Note 2] The instruction means of the sensor selection device may be configured to create a transmission schedule specifying the sensors to which the measurement data should be transmitted, thereby instructing the transmission source from which the measurement data should be transmitted. [Supplementary Note 3] The predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be a rule for selecting the first sensor based on the importance of the sensor. [Supplementary Note 4] The predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be a rule for selecting, as the first sensor, a sensor with a predetermined allowable overlap number of measurement data based on a predetermined allowable overlap number of the measurement data. [Supplementary Note 5] The sensor selection device may further be configured to predict partial overlap of the measurement data of the first sensor and instruct the source to process the measurement data. [Supplementary Note 6] The predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be a rule for selecting the first sensor using a priority based on at least one of the location of the source, the moving speed, the number of source sources, and the communication volume of the source. [Supplementary Note 7] The predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be a rule for selecting the first sensor based on the traveling direction of the two source sources and the total number of surrounding vehicles in the traveling direction. [Supplementary Note 8] One of the source sources is a vehicle, and the predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be set based on any one or a combination of road conditions, communication conditions, and the needs of an autonomous driving manager.[Supplementary Note 9] The predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be a rule for selecting the first sensor based on any one or a combination of the position, moving speed, vehicle length, etc. of a vehicle not participating in the cooperative automated driving system. [Supplementary Note 10] One of the transmission sources is a roadside unit and the other of the transmission sources is a vehicle. The predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be a rule for selecting the first sensor based on any one or a combination of the sensor performance of the roadside unit, the position, moving speed, vehicle length, sensor performance, etc. of the vehicle. [Supplementary Note 11] The two transmission sources are vehicles. The first selection means of the sensor selection device may be configured to calculate the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the vehicles based on any one or a combination of the positions and moving speeds of the vehicles, and to select a combination of sensors mounted on vehicles traveling in the same lane within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance and whose relative speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value as the two sensors whose sensing areas overlap. [Supplementary Note 12] The predetermined rule of the sensor selection device may be a rule that excludes sensors that sense an area that overlaps with the sensing area of ​​a roadside device from targets for transmission. [Supplementary Note 13] The instruction means of the sensor selection device may be configured to instruct the source of measurement data to transmit measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap, by instructing the source of measurement data from the first sensor to be suppressed. [Supplementary Note 14] A scheduler device that instructs the source of measurement data to transmit the measurement data by transmitting a transmission schedule that specifies the sensors from which the measurement data should be transmitted, based on an instruction from the sensor selection device.[Supplementary Note 15] A sensor selection method comprising: collecting sensor capability information, including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​each of a plurality of transmitters each equipped with a sensor; selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on at least the sensor capability information; selecting a first sensor from the selected sensors for which measurement data is to be transmitted according to a predetermined rule; and instructing the transmitter to transmit the measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap. [Supplementary Note 16] A recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: collecting sensor capability information, including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​each of a plurality of transmitters each equipped with a sensor; selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on at least the sensor capability information; selecting a first sensor from the selected sensors for which measurement data is to be transmitted according to a predetermined rule; and instructing the transmitter to transmit the measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap. Note that the aspects described in the above supplementary notes can be combined with each other after making necessary modifications. For example, the scope of disclosure of this specification also includes a configuration that combines the contents described in Supplementary Note 2 and the contents described in Supplementary Note 3, has a transmission schedule creation function, and selects the first sensor based on the importance of the sensor. Note that the forms of Supplementary Note 15 and Supplementary Note 16 can be expanded into the forms of Supplementary Note 2 to 13, similar to Supplementary Note 1.

[0090] The disclosures of the above-cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure, as necessary. Modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible within the scope of this disclosure (including the claims), and further based on its basic technical concept. Furthermore, various combinations and selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including elements of each claim, elements of each embodiment or example, elements of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the scope of this disclosure. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical concept. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described herein, any numerical value or subrange within that range should be construed as specifically described, even if not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited documents, when used in part or in whole in combination with the disclosures herein as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, are also deemed to be included in the disclosures of this application.

[0091] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Sensor selection device 11 Collection means 12 First selection means 13 Second selection means 14 Instruction means 100, 100a, 100b Cooperative autonomous driving server 101, 101a Dynamic map management unit 102 Space-time grid management unit 103 Travel plan creation unit 104, 104a Sensor selection unit 105, 105a, 105b Scheduler 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus A11-A42 Sensing area C3 Camera C11-C22 Sensor I1-I3 Roadside unit Ic1-Ic3 Roadside unit sensor N Network N1 Base station V1-V4 Source (vehicle) V1a-V4b Measurement data V1A, V1B, V1L, V1R, V2A, V2B, V2L, V2R, IA Sensing area

Claims

1. A sensor selection device comprising: a collection means for collecting sensor capability information from a plurality of transmitters, each equipped with a sensor, including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​the sensor; a first selection means for selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based on the sensor capability information; a second selection means for selecting a first sensor from the selected sensors that is to be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule; and an instruction means for instructing the transmitter to transmit measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap.

2. The sensor selection device according to claim 1, wherein said instruction means creates a transmission schedule specifying the sensors that should transmit said measurement data, thereby instructing said source of transmission from which sensors said measurement data should be requested.

3. The sensor selecting device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule is a rule for selecting the first sensor based on the importance of the sensor.

4. The sensor selection device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule is a rule for selecting, as the first sensor, a sensor having a predetermined allowable overlap number of measurement data based on the allowable overlap number.

5. The sensor selection device according to claim 1, further comprising: predicting partial overlap of the measurement data of said first sensor; and instructing said sender to process said measurement data.

6. The sensor selection device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule is a rule for selecting the first sensor using a priority based on at least one of the location of the source, the moving speed, the number of source, and the communication volume of the source.

7. The sensor selection device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule is a rule for selecting the first sensor based on the traveling direction of the two transmission sources and the total number of surrounding vehicles in the traveling direction.

8. The sensor selection device of claim 1, wherein one of the transmission sources is a vehicle, and the predetermined rule is set based on road conditions, communication conditions, the needs of an automated driving manager, or a combination thereof.

9. The sensor selection device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule is a rule for selecting the first sensor based on one or a combination of the position, travel speed, length, etc. of a vehicle not participating in the cooperative automated driving system.

10. The sensor selection device of claim 1, wherein one of the transmission sources is a roadside device and the other of the transmission sources is a vehicle, and the predetermined rule is a rule for selecting the first sensor based on the sensor performance of the roadside device, the position, moving speed, vehicle length, sensor performance, etc. of the vehicle, or a combination thereof.

11. The sensor selection device of claim 1, wherein the two transmission sources are vehicles, and the first selection means calculates the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the vehicles based on either the position or the moving speed of the vehicles or a combination thereof, and selects a combination of sensors mounted on vehicles traveling in the same lane within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance and whose relative speed is below a predetermined value as the two sensors whose sensing areas overlap.

12. The sensor selection device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule is a rule that excludes sensors that sense an area that overlaps with the sensing area of ​​the roadside device from the transmission targets.

13. The sensor selection device of claim 1, wherein the instruction means instructs the source of transmission to transmit the measurement data from the first sensor and the measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap, by instructing the source of transmission to the sensor from which the measurement data should be suppressed.

14. A driving assistance server that functions as a sensor selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A sensor selection method comprising: collecting sensor capability information from a plurality of transmitters, each equipped with a sensor, including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​the sensor; selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based at least on the sensor capability information; selecting a first sensor from among the selected sensors that is to request transmission of measurement data according to a predetermined rule; and instructing the transmitter to transmit the measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap.

16. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of collecting sensor capability information, including information capable of identifying the sensing area of ​​each of a plurality of transmitters, each equipped with a sensor; a process of selecting two or more sensors whose sensing areas overlap based at least on the sensor capability information; a process of selecting a first sensor from the selected sensors that will be requested to transmit measurement data according to a predetermined rule; and a process of instructing the transmitter to transmit the measurement data from the first sensor and measurement data from a second sensor whose sensing area does not overlap.

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