Information processing method, information processing device, and information processing system

Abstract

An information processing device according to the present embodiment: registers in advance the road surface height, which is detected by a vehicle, at a position where embarking / disembarking is possible in a high-accuracy three-dimensional map stored in a server; receives, from the server, candidate location information indicating the road surface height at each of one or more positions where embarking / disembarking is possible, each of which is a position where embarking / disembarking is possible in a peripheral area of a destination, when the destination is designated; and sets, as an embarking / disembarking position, a position where embarking / disembarking is possible having a small height difference from the height of the vehicle among the one or more embarking / disembarking candidate positions.

Description

Information Processing Method, Information Processing Apparatus, and Information Processing System

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing system.

[0002] Conventionally, various techniques have been known for appropriately setting a parking position (boarding / alighting position) for a user to board or alight from a vehicle. For example, in the following Patent Document 1, based on peripheral information regarding the periphery of a vehicle and the position of a passenger waiting for the arrival of the vehicle, a parking position determination device is disclosed that determines a position where it is estimated that such a passenger can easily board the vehicle as the parking position where the vehicle should stop.

[0003] International Publication No. 2022 / 044179

[0004] The above-described conventional technology attempts to set a parking position (boarding / alighting position) using peripheral information obtained from sensors provided in a vehicle. And, for example, when the right or left turn destination at an intersection is the destination or there are obstacles such as parked vehicles in front of the destination, the sensors provided in the vehicle may not be able to detect a step such as a curb existing in front of the destination until just before arriving at the destination. Therefore, when detecting the above-described step or the like for the first time just before arriving at the destination, the above-described conventional technology will set the stop position while avoiding such a step or the like, that is, it will inevitably set a position that has passed the destination and is far from the destination as the stop position.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its object is to provide an information processing method, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing system capable of setting a boarding / alighting position in front of a destination when there is a step or the like in front of the destination where the user wishes to board or alight.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method that causes a processor to perform a process of setting a boarding / alighting position that is recommended as a position for a user to board or alight from a vehicle, wherein the processor performs the steps of: acquiring road surface height information that associates the road surface height from the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling with the boarding / alighting position, which is detected by the vehicle and where the user can wait or alight from the vehicle; transmitting the road surface height information to a server outside the vehicle and registering it in a high-precision 3D map stored on the server; and The system performs the following steps: obtain destination information indicating a destination specified by the user as a location where the user wishes to get on or off the vehicle; if a map relating to the area surrounding the destination is included in the high-precision 3D map stored on the server, receive candidate location information from the server indicating one or more candidate locations for getting on or off in the surrounding area, and the road surface height of each of the one or more candidate locations for getting on or off; and set the candidate location among the one or more candidate locations for getting on or off that has a small height difference between the road surface height and the vehicle height as the boarding / alighting location corresponding to the destination.

[0007] According to the present invention, if there is a step or other obstacle before the destination where the user wishes to get on or off, it is possible to provide an information processing method, information processing device, and information processing system that can set a boarding / alighting position before the destination.

[0008] This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the information processing system according to the embodiment. It shows an example of the relationship between the boarding / alighting position set by the information processing device according to the embodiment and the vehicle height. An example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment is schematically illustrated. An example of the software configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment is schematically illustrated. An overview of the processing procedure of the information processing device according to the embodiment is illustrated.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment relating to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "this embodiment") will be described based on the drawings. However, this embodiment described below is merely illustrative in all respects of the present invention. Needless to say, various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, in carrying out the present invention, specific configurations according to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted. Although the data appearing in this embodiment is described in natural language, more specifically, it is specified in pseudo-language, commands, parameters, machine code, etc., that can be recognized by a computer.

[0010] §1 Application Example Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the information processing system (information processing system Sys) according to this embodiment. The information processing system Sys is an information system that sets the recommended boarding / alighting position BAP as "the position where user Us boards or alights from vehicle 1". The information processing system Sys includes vehicle 1 and server 2 configured to communicate with vehicle 1.

[0011] In the illustrated example, vehicle 1 includes an information processing device (information processing device 10) according to this embodiment, a vehicle transmission / reception unit 11, a vehicle control unit 12, a drive unit 13, a vehicle height adjustment device 14, and a detection unit 15. Each of the vehicle transmission / reception unit 11 to the detection unit 15 is connected to each other by, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can communicate with each other (send and receive information).

[0012] The vehicle transmission / reception unit 11 enables wireless communication between the vehicle 1 and the server 2. The vehicle transmission / reception unit 11 includes a vehicle transmission unit that transmits predetermined information (for example, road surface height information IRH, described later) to the server 2, and a vehicle reception unit that receives predetermined information (for example, candidate location information ICP, described later) from the server 2. The vehicle control unit 12 detects the state of the vehicle 1 and controls the state of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 12 may be implemented by a so-called vehicle control ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The vehicle control unit 12 may include a plurality of vehicle control ECUs. The vehicle control unit 12 may include, for example, a driving system ECU that controls the drive of a drive source (specifically, an engine, motor, etc.), the drive of brakes, the drive of power steering, etc., and an information system ECU that controls, for example, a car navigation system, audio equipment, etc. The vehicle control unit 12 may be configured to enable autonomous driving of the vehicle 1, that is, the vehicle 1 may be an autonomous driving vehicle. However, it is not essential that vehicle 1 is an autonomous vehicle; acceleration, deceleration, and steering of vehicle 1 may be controlled by the driver's operation. The drive unit 13 drives vehicle 1 (for example, acceleration, steering, and deceleration (braking), etc.), and in this embodiment, the drive of vehicle 1 is realized according to the control of the vehicle control unit 12.

[0013] The vehicle height adjustment device 14 is a device capable of adjusting at least one of the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 and the roll tilt of the vehicle 1, and is implemented, for example, by the suspension of the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle height adjustment device 14 adjusts at least one of the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 and the roll tilt of the vehicle 1 according to a control signal from the information processing device 10. However, it is not essential that the vehicle 1 is equipped with the vehicle height adjustment device 14, that is, it is not essential that the vehicle 1 is configured to allow adjustment of at least one of the vehicle height VH and the roll tilt of the vehicle 1.

[0014] The detection unit 15 detects the height RH of the road surface from the roadway on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, at the boarding / alighting position PP where the user Us can wait or alight from the vehicle 1. As illustrated in Figure 1, the detection unit 15 may include at least one of the following: an imaging unit 15A, a distance detection unit 15B, a position detection unit 15C, a direction detection unit 15D, and an object detection unit 15E. The imaging unit 15A is capable of imaging objects (targets) around the vehicle 1 and is implemented, for example, by an imaging device (camera). The distance detection unit 15B is a sensor capable of measuring the distance from the vehicle 1 to the target object, and further capable of measuring the size of the target object (vertical height, horizontal length, etc.). The position detection unit 15C is a sensor capable of detecting the position of the target object. The direction detection unit 15D is a sensor capable of detecting the direction from the vehicle 1 to the target object. The object detection unit 15E is a sensor capable of detecting the target object. However, it is not essential for the detection unit 15 to include at least one of the imaging unit 15A to the object detection unit 15E; the detection unit 15 only needs to be able to detect the road surface height RH at the boarding / alighting position PP. The detection unit 15 may also include radar and LiDAR in place of at least one of the imaging unit 15A to the object detection unit 15E, or in addition to the imaging unit 15A to the object detection unit 15E. The detection unit 15 may detect the presence or absence of road structures that may exist at the boundary between the roadway and the sidewalk, such as curbs, which create a step between the roadway and the sidewalk on which the vehicle 1 travels, and if such road structures exist, it may detect the height of those road structures as the road surface height RH at the boarding / alighting position PP.

[0015] In the illustrated example, server 2 includes a server transmission / reception unit 20, a server storage area 21, and a location information acquisition unit 22. The server transmission / reception unit 20 enables communication between server 2 and vehicle 1. The server transmission / reception unit 20 includes a server transmission unit that transmits predetermined information (e.g., candidate location information ICP) to vehicle 1, and a vehicle reception unit that receives predetermined information (e.g., road surface height information IRH) from vehicle 1. The server storage area 21 stores a high-precision three-dimensional map 212. The high-precision three-dimensional map 212 is data also called an HD map (High-definition map), and the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting location PP detected by the detection unit 15 is registered therein. The server storage area 21 may also store a passenger table 214, which contains information related to the attributes and status of user Us. The passenger table 214 may associate user Us attributes, circumstances, etc., with a reference elevation difference RHD. For example, the reference elevation difference RHD may be defined for each attribute or circumstances, such as being elderly, having a physical disability, being a child, or carrying large luggage. However, it is not essential that the passenger table 214 is stored in the server storage area 21. The location information acquisition unit 22 acquires the location of a boarding / alighting position PP where the road surface height RH has been detected by the detection unit 15, and registers this location, along with the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position PP, in the high-precision 3D map 212.

[0016] The information processing device 10 is an information processing device that sets the boarding / alighting position BAP. The information processing device 10 pre-registers the road surface height RH (road surface height information IRH indicating the road surface height RH) of the boarding / alighting possible position PP detected by the detection unit 15 in the high-precision 3D map 212 of the server 2 (road surface height registration process). Then, when the destination DS is specified by the user Us, the information processing device 10 sets the boarding / alighting position BAP using the road surface height information IRH that has been pre-registered in the high-precision 3D map 212 (boarding / alighting position setting process). In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 obtains candidate location information ICP for one or more boarding / alighting possible positions PP (candidate boarding / alighting positions CP) in the area SA surrounding the destination DS from the server 2, and sets the boarding / alighting position BAP from among the one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions CP. The information processing device 10 can use information pre-registered in the server 2 to determine possible boarding / alighting locations (one or more candidate boarding / alighting locations CP) in the surrounding service area before arriving at the destination service area (DS). Therefore, if there is a step or other obstacle before reaching the destination DS where the user Us wishes to board or alight, the information processing device 10 can set a boarding / alighting location BAP before reaching that destination DS.

[0017] In particular, the information processing device 10 sets, among one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions CP, the boarding / alighting position CP with a small height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 as the boarding / alighting position BAP corresponding to the destination DS. Unlike conventional techniques that "set boarding / alighting positions while avoiding road structures that create a step between the roadway and the sidewalk, such as curbs," the information processing device 10 sets the boarding / alighting position BAP such that the height difference HD between the vehicle height VH and the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position BAP is small. Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 2, the information processing device 10 can, for example, actively set a position with a step between the roadway and the boarding / alighting position as the boarding / alighting position BAP. In the example shown in Figure 2, because the boarding / alighting position BAP is set so that the height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH is small, the user Us can board and alight the vehicle 1 more easily compared to when the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position BAP is low (i.e., the height difference HD with the vehicle height VH is large).

[0018] As illustrated in Figure 2, the information processing device 10 may use the height of the floor (floor surface) of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 as the vehicle height VH. Furthermore, if the vehicle 1 is configured to allow adjustment of at least one of the vehicle height VH and the tilt in the roll direction of the vehicle 1, the vehicle height VH may be the adjusted vehicle height VH (for example, after adjustment to reduce the height difference HD with respect to the road surface height RH). Additionally, the height difference HD may be rephrased as "the amount of movement (e.g., vertical) of the user Us's waist when getting in or out of the vehicle." In other words, the information processing device 10 may set the boarding / alighting candidate position CP, among one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP, that has a small amount of movement of the user Us's waist when getting in or out of the vehicle as the boarding / alighting position BAP. In this embodiment, "a small height difference HD" may also mean that it is less than or equal to the reference height difference RHD; that is, the information processing device 10 may determine that "a small height difference HD" exists if the height difference HD is less than or equal to the reference height difference RHD. As mentioned above, the reference elevation difference RHD may be defined for each user Us attribute and situation. The information processing device 10, whose outline has been described above, will now be explained in detail using Figures 3 to 5.

[0019] §2 Configuration Example [Hardware Configuration] Figure 3 schematically illustrates an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 120, and a non-volatile memory 130. The CPU 110, RAM 120, and non-volatile memory 130 constitute, for example, a microcomputer (MPC). In the illustrated example, the non-volatile memory 130 stores an information processing program PG and vehicle height information IVH.

[0020] The information processing program PG is a program that causes the information processing device 10 to execute the information processing described later (Figure 5, etc.) for setting the boarding / alighting position BAP. The information processing program PG includes a series of instructions for said information processing. The CPU 110 executes the information processing described above for setting the boarding / alighting position BAP by reading the information processing program PG from the non-volatile memory 130 and using the RAM 120 as a working area.

[0021] The vehicle height information IVH indicates the vehicle height VH of vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the vehicle height VH is preset based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class of vehicle 1. With this configuration, the information processing device 10 can accurately and easily determine the vehicle height VH of vehicle 1 based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class of vehicle 1.

[0022] If vehicle 1 is configured to allow adjustment of at least one of the vehicle height VH and the tilt of vehicle 1 in the roll direction, the vehicle height information IVH may indicate the range of the adjustable vehicle height VH (maximum adjustment amount). This maximum adjustment amount may be preset based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class of vehicle 1. With this configuration, the information processing device 10 can accurately and easily determine the range of the adjustable vehicle height VH (maximum adjustment amount) for vehicle 1 based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class of vehicle 1.

[0023] [Software Configuration] Figure 4 schematically illustrates an example of the software configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The CPU 110 expands the information processing program PG stored in the non-volatile memory 130 into the RAM 120, and controls each component by interpreting and executing the instructions contained in the expanded information processing program PG. As a result, as shown in Figure 4, the information processing device 10 operates as a computer equipped with the following software modules: road surface height information acquisition unit 111, road surface height information registration unit 112, destination information acquisition unit 113, surrounding area setting unit 114, candidate location information acquisition unit 115, boarding / alighting position setting unit 116, vehicle height control unit 117, and notification control unit 118. In other words, in this embodiment, each software module of the information processing device 10 is implemented by the CPU 110.

[0024] The road surface height information acquisition unit 111 acquires road surface height information IRH. The road surface height information IRH shows the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position PP detected by the vehicle 1 (particularly the detection unit 15) in association with the boarding / alighting position PP.

[0025] The road surface height information registration unit 112 transmits the road surface height information IRH acquired by the road surface height information acquisition unit 111 to the server 2 and registers it in the high-precision 3D map 212 stored in the server 2. In this embodiment, the road surface height information registration unit 112 outputs the road surface height information IRH to the vehicle transmission / reception unit 11 (particularly the vehicle transmission unit), causing the server 2 to transmit the road surface height information IRH and register the road surface height information IRH in the high-precision 3D map 212.

[0026] The destination information acquisition unit 113 acquires destination information IDS, which indicates the destination DS specified by the user Us as the location where the user wishes to get on or off the vehicle 1.

[0027] The surrounding area setting unit 114 sets a surrounding area SA for the destination DS indicated by the destination information IDS acquired by the destination information acquisition unit 113. The surrounding area setting unit 114 sets the surrounding area SA with the destination DS as the center, such that at least one of the walking distance and walking time from the destination DS is less than or equal to a predetermined value. By setting the surrounding area SA in this manner and setting the boarding / alighting position BAP corresponding to the destination DS within the surrounding area SA, the information processing device 10 achieves the following effect. That is, the information processing device 10 can appropriately set the surrounding area SA for setting the boarding / alighting position BAP so that at least one of the walking distance and walking time from the destination DS is less than or equal to a predetermined value, i.e., in the vicinity of the destination DS.

[0028] The candidate location information acquisition unit 115 acquires candidate location information ICP from the server 2 if the map relating to the surrounding area SA set by the surrounding area setting unit 114 is included in the high-precision 3D map 212 stored in the server 2. The candidate location information ICP indicates one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP, each of which is a boarding / alighting position PP in the surrounding area SA, and the road surface height RH of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP. In this embodiment, the candidate location information acquisition unit 115 causes the vehicle transmission / reception unit 11 (particularly the vehicle receiving unit) to receive the candidate location information ICP from the server 2, and the vehicle transmission / reception unit 11 acquires the candidate location information ICP received from the server 2.

[0029] The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 sets a boarding / alighting position BAP corresponding to the destination DS from among one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP indicated by the candidate position information ICP acquired by the candidate position information acquisition unit 115. If the candidate position information acquisition unit 115 does not acquire candidate position information ICP, that is, if the map relating to the surrounding area SA is not included in the high-precision 3D map 212, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set the destination DS as the boarding / alighting position BAP. The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 sets a boarding / alighting candidate position CP in which the height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 is small, among one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP indicated by the candidate position information ICP, as the boarding / alighting position BAP corresponding to the destination DS. For example, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 sets a boarding / alighting candidate position CP in which the height difference HD is less than or equal to the reference height difference RHD, among one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP, as the boarding / alighting position BAP. The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set the boarding / alighting position BAP using the reference height difference RHD which is associated with "the attributes and status of user Us detected by the detection unit 15, etc." in the passenger table 214.

[0030] Furthermore, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set as the boarding / alighting position BAP a candidate boarding / alighting position CP from among one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions CP, which has a small amount of waist movement for the user Us when boarding or alighting. In other words, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set as the boarding / alighting position BAP a candidate boarding / alighting position CP from among one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions CP, where the road surface height RH is a "height that makes it easy for the user Us to board and alight from the vehicle 1". The "height that makes it easy to board and alight from the vehicle 1" may be predetermined based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the "height that makes it easy to board and alight from the vehicle 1" may be predetermined for each attribute and situation of the user Us detected by the detection unit 15, etc. Moreover, if the vehicle 1 is configured to allow adjustment of at least one of the vehicle height VH and the tilt of the vehicle 1 in the roll direction, the "height that makes it easy to board and alight from the vehicle 1" may be predetermined based on the range (maximum adjustment amount) of the adjustable vehicle height VH. The maximum adjustment amount is determined based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class of vehicle 1.

[0031] The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set the boarding / alighting position BAP as the boarding / alighting position BAP, which is the boarding / alighting position CP with the smallest height difference HD among one or more boarding / alighting position CPs. By setting the boarding / alighting position BAP as the boarding / alighting position BAP, the information processing device 10 can set the boarding / alighting position BAP as the boarding / alighting position BAP that is assumed to cause the least physical burden on the user Us when boarding or alighting.

[0032] The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set the boarding / alighting position BAP considering at least one of the walking distance and walking time from the destination DS. For example, if there are multiple candidate boarding / alighting positions CP where the elevation difference HD is less than or equal to the reference elevation difference RHD, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set the boarding / alighting position CP that has the smallest walking distance or walking time from the destination DS among the multiple candidate boarding / alighting positions CP as the boarding / alighting position BAP.

[0033] If the vehicle 1 is configured to allow adjustment of at least one of the vehicle height VH and the tilt of the vehicle 1 in the roll direction, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set the boarding / alighting position BAP as follows. That is, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may set as the boarding / alighting position BAP one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP such that the height difference HD between the adjusted vehicle height VH (adjusted vehicle height VH) and the road surface height RH is small. By setting as the boarding / alighting position BAP one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP such that the height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the adjusted vehicle height VH is small, the information processing device 10 achieves the following effects. In other words, the information processing device 10 can appropriately set the boarding / alighting position BAP for a vehicle 1 that is configured to allow adjustment of at least one of the vehicle height VH and the tilt of the vehicle 1 in the roll direction, taking into consideration the adjustment of the vehicle height VH.

[0034] When the acceleration, deceleration, and steering of vehicle 1 are controlled by the driver's operation, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may notify the driver of at least one of the destination DS and the boarding / alighting position BAP. For example, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may output a signal indicating at least one of the destination DS and the boarding / alighting position BAP to the notification control unit 118, causing the notification control unit 118 to notify the driver of at least one of the destination DS and the boarding / alighting position BAP. Through this process, the driver of vehicle 1 can ascertain at least one of the destination DS and the boarding / alighting position BAP.

[0035] If vehicle 1 is an autonomous vehicle, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may stop vehicle 1 at the destination DS or boarding / alighting position BAP. For example, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may output a signal indicating at least one of the destination DS and boarding / alighting position BAP to the vehicle control unit 12 that enables autonomous driving of vehicle 1, thereby stopping vehicle 1 at the destination DS or boarding / alighting position BAP. Through this process, vehicle 1, which is an autonomous vehicle, can stop at at least one of the destination DS and boarding / alighting position BAP.

[0036] The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may ask the user Us whether it is acceptable to change the stopping position of the vehicle 1 from the destination DS to the boarding / alighting position BAP before the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination DS or boarding / alighting position BAP. For example, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may output a signal indicating the boarding / alighting position BAP to the notification control unit 118, causing the notification control unit 118 to notify the user Us of the above-mentioned inquiry. If the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 receives consent from the user Us for the above-mentioned change, it may change the stopping position of the vehicle 1 from the destination DS to the boarding / alighting position BAP. Through this process, the information processing device 10 can stop the vehicle 1 at at least one of the destination DS and the boarding / alighting position BAP according to the user Us's selection.

[0037] The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may notify the user Us of the boarding / alighting position BAP and at least one of the reasons for recommending the boarding / alighting position BAP before the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination DS or boarding / alighting position BAP. The "reasons for recommending the boarding / alighting position BAP" are, for example, reasons such as "the height difference HD between the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position BAP and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 is small, and the physical burden on the user Us when getting on and off is small." For example, the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 may have the notification control unit 118 notify the user Us of the boarding / alighting position BAP and at least one of the reasons for recommending the boarding / alighting position BAP. Through this process, the user Us can understand the boarding / alighting position BAP and at least one of the reasons for recommending the boarding / alighting position BAP before the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination DS or boarding / alighting position BAP.

[0038] The vehicle height control unit 117 adjusts at least one of the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 and the tilt of the vehicle 1 in the roll direction, and adjusts at least one of the vehicle height VH and the tilt of the vehicle 1 in the roll direction by, for example, transmitting a control signal to the vehicle height adjustment device 14. In this embodiment, the vehicle height control unit 117 adjusts the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1, for example, so that the height difference HD between the vehicle height VH and the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position BAP set by the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 becomes small.

[0039] The notification control unit 118 notifies the user Us, driver, etc. of vehicle 1 of various information. The notification control unit 118 outputs various information to at least one of the following: an information display terminal carried by the user Us, etc. (for example, a smartphone), or an in-vehicle interface such as an image display device or speaker provided by vehicle 1. The information output by the notification control unit 118 has already been explained, so a further explanation will be omitted.

[0040] §3 Operation Example Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The processing procedure described below is an example of the processing procedure of the information processing method PM that causes the processor (for example, CPU 110) to execute the process of "setting the boarding / alighting position BAP, which is the position where user Us boards or alights from vehicle 1". However, the processing procedure described below is merely an example, and each step may be changed as much as possible. Furthermore, steps in the processing procedure described below can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate, depending on the embodiment.

[0041] In the information processing method PM, the CPU 110 performs a road surface height registration process (step S100) and a boarding / alighting position setting process (step S200). In the road surface height registration process, the CPU 110 associates the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position PP detected by the detection unit 15 with the boarding / alighting position PP and registers it in the high-precision 3D map 212 of the server 2. In the boarding / alighting position setting process, the CPU 110 uses the information previously registered in the high-precision 3D map 212 of the server 2 during the road surface height registration process to set the boarding / alighting position BAP corresponding to the destination DS specified by the user Us. Specifically, the CPU 110 uses the road surface height information IRH (i.e., the road surface height RH of each boarding / alighting position PP) previously registered in the high-precision 3D map 212 to set the boarding / alighting position BAP. The road surface height registration process (step S100) includes steps S110 and S120, and the boarding / alighting position setting process (step S200) includes steps S210, S220, S230 and S240.

[0042] (Step S110) In step S110, the CPU 110 operates as a road surface height information acquisition unit 111 and acquires road surface height information IRH that associates the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position PP detected by the detection unit 15 with the boarding / alighting position PP.

[0043] (Step S120) In step S120, the CPU 110 operates as the road surface height information registration unit 112, and registers the road surface height information IRH acquired in step S110 in the high-precision 3D map 212 stored in the server 2. That is, the CPU 110 registers each boarding / alighting possible position PP and the road surface height RH of each boarding / alighting possible position PP in the high-precision 3D map 212.

[0044] (Step S210) In step S210, the CPU 110 operates as the destination information acquisition unit 113, and acquires destination information IDS indicating the destination DS. The destination DS is a position designated by the user Us as a position where boarding / alighting on the vehicle 1 is desired.

[0045] (Step S220) In step S220, the CPU 110 operates as the candidate area information acquisition unit 115, and acquires candidate area information ICP indicating boarding / alighting possible positions PP (that is, boarding / alighting candidate positions CP) around the destination. That is, when the map related to the surrounding area SA of the destination DS indicated by the destination information IDS acquired in step S210 is included in the high-precision 3D map 212 stored in the server 2, the CPU 110 acquires the candidate area information ICP from the server 2. The candidate area information ICP indicates one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP in the surrounding area SA and the road surface height RH of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP.

[0046] (Step S230) In step S230, the CPU 110 operates as the boarding / alighting position setting unit 116, and sets the boarding / alighting position BAP from the road surface height RH of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP indicated by the candidate area information ICP acquired in step S220 and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, the CPU 110 sets, as the boarding / alighting position BAP corresponding to the destination DS, the boarding / alighting candidate position CP having a small height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 among the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP.

[0047] The CPU 110 may set, as the boarding / alighting position BAP, the boarding / alighting candidate position CP with the smallest height difference HD among one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP. When the vehicle 1 is configured to be able to adjust at least one of the vehicle height VH and the roll-direction inclination of the vehicle 1, the CPU 110 may set, as the boarding / alighting position BAP, the boarding / alighting candidate position CP with a small height difference HD between the adjusted vehicle height VH (for example, the vehicle height VH adjusted so that the height difference HD from the road surface height RH becomes small) and the road surface height RH.

[0048] When the acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the vehicle 1 are controlled by the driving operation of the driver, the CPU 110 may notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of at least one of the destination DS and the boarding / alighting position BAP. When the vehicle 1 is an autonomous driving vehicle, the CPU 110 may stop the vehicle 1 at the destination DS or the boarding / alighting position BAP. Before the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination DS or the boarding / alighting position BAP, the CPU 110 may inquire the user Us whether it is possible to change the stopping position of the vehicle 1 from the destination DS to the boarding / alighting position BAP. When the CPU 110 receives the consent of the user Us for such a change, the CPU 110 may change the stopping position of the vehicle 1 from the destination DS to the boarding / alighting position BAP. Before the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination DS or the boarding / alighting position BAP, the CPU 110 may notify the user Us of at least one of the boarding / alighting position BAP and the reason for recommending the boarding / alighting position BAP.

[0049] (Step S240) In step S240, the CPU 110 operates as the vehicle height control unit 117 and adjusts at least one of the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 and the roll-direction inclination of the vehicle 1. For example, the CPU 110 adjusts the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1 so that the height difference HD between the boarding / alighting position BAP set in step S230 and the road surface height RH becomes small.

[0050] When the vehicle 1 arrives near the destination DS or boarding / alighting position BAP, the CPU 110 may check whether the road surface height RH of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP (boarding / alighting possible positions PP) detected by the detection unit 15 matches the road surface height RH of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP indicated by the candidate location information ICP. If they do not match, the CPU 110 may reset the boarding / alighting position BAP based on the road surface height RH of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP detected by the detection unit 15 and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1. In other words, the CPU 110 may reset the boarding / alighting position BAP to the boarding / alighting candidate position CP among the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions CP detected by the detection unit 15 that has a small height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1.

[0051] [Features] As described above, the information processing system Sys according to this embodiment sets a boarding / alighting position BAP, which is recommended as the position where a user Us boards or alights from the vehicle 1. The information processing system Sys includes a vehicle 1 and a server 2 configured to communicate with the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 includes a detection unit 15 and a vehicle transmission / reception unit 11. The detection unit 15 detects the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position PP. The vehicle transmission unit of the vehicle transmission / reception unit 11 transmits road surface height information IRH, which shows the relationship between the boarding / alighting position PP detected by the detection unit 15 and the road surface height RH, to the server 2. The server 2 includes a server transmission / reception unit 20 and a server storage area 21. The server reception unit of the server transmission / reception unit 20 receives the road surface height information IRH transmitted from the vehicle 1. The server storage area 21 stores a high-precision three-dimensional map 212 in which the road surface height information IRH is registered. Vehicle 1 further includes a destination information acquisition unit 113 and a boarding / alighting position setting unit 116. The destination information acquisition unit 113 acquires destination information IDS indicating the destination DS. The vehicle receiving unit of the vehicle transmitting / receiving unit 11 receives candidate location information ICP from the server 2, indicating one or more boarding / alighting candidate locations CP and the road surface height RH of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate locations CP, if the map relating to the surrounding area SA of the destination DS is included in the high-precision 3D map 212 stored in the server 2. The boarding / alighting candidate locations CP are boarding / alighting possible locations PP in the surrounding area SA. The boarding / alighting position setting unit 116 sets the boarding / alighting candidate location CP with a small height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH of vehicle 1 from among the one or more boarding / alighting candidate locations CP indicated by the candidate location information ICP as the boarding / alighting location BAP corresponding to the destination DS.

[0052] The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is an information processing device for setting boarding / alighting position BAP, and comprises a road surface height information acquisition unit 111, a road surface height information registration unit 112, a destination information acquisition unit 113, a candidate location information acquisition unit 115, and a boarding / alighting position setting unit 116. The road surface height information acquisition unit 111 acquires road surface height information IRH, for example, by acquiring road surface height information IRH from a detection unit 15. The road surface height information registration unit 112 transmits the road surface height information IRH to a server 2 and registers the road surface height information IRH in a high-precision 3D map 212 stored in the server 2. The candidate location information acquisition unit 115 acquires candidate location information ICP from the server 2, for example, by acquiring the candidate location information ICP received from the server 2 by the vehicle receiving unit of the vehicle transmitting / receiving unit 11 from the vehicle receiving unit of the vehicle transmitting / receiving unit 11.

[0053] The information processing method PM according to this embodiment is an information processing method that causes a processor (for example, the CPU 110 of the information processing device 10) to perform the process of setting the boarding / alighting position BAP. The information processing method PM causes the processor to perform steps S110, S120, S210, S220, and S230 illustrated in Figure 5. In step S110, the processor acquires road surface height information IRH that shows the road surface height RH of the boarding / alighting position PP detected by the vehicle 1 (particularly the detection unit 15) in association with the boarding / alighting position PP. In step S120, the processor transmits the road surface height information IRH acquired in step S110 to the server 2 and registers it in the high-precision 3D map 212 stored in the server 2. In step S210, the processor acquires destination information IDS that shows the destination DS specified by the user Us. In step S220, the processor obtains candidate location information ICP from the server 2 if the map relating to the area SA surrounding the destination DS indicated by the destination information IDS obtained in step S210 is included in the high-precision 3D map 212. In step S230, the processor sets the boarding / alighting candidate location CP, from among the one or more boarding / alighting candidate locations CP indicated by the candidate location information ICP obtained in step S220, which has a small height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH of the vehicle 1, as the boarding / alighting location BAP corresponding to the destination DS.

[0054] As described above, the information processing method PM, etc. according to this embodiment, pre-registers the boarding / alighting positions PP (road surface height information IRH related to the boarding / alighting positions PP) detected by the vehicle 1 (particularly the detection unit 15) in the high-precision 3D map 212 (road surface height registration process). Then, when a destination DS is specified by the user Us, the information processing method PM, etc. sets the boarding / alighting position BAP using the road surface height information IRH pre-registered in the high-precision 3D map 212 (boarding / alighting position setting process). By using the high-precision 3D map 212 in which the boarding / alighting positions PP are pre-registered, the information processing method PM, etc. can grasp one or more boarding / alighting positions PP (candidate boarding / alighting positions CP) in the surrounding area SA before arriving at the destination DS. Therefore, if there is a step or the like before the destination DS where the user Us wishes to board or alight, the information processing method PM, etc. can set the boarding / alighting position BAP before the destination DS.

[0055] In particular, the information processing method PM sets, among one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions CP in the surrounding area SA, the boarding / alighting position CP where the height difference HD between the road surface height RH and the vehicle height VH of vehicle 1 is small, as the boarding / alighting position BAP corresponding to the destination DS. Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 2, the information processing method PM can actively set positions with a step between them and the roadway as boarding / alighting positions BAP, making it easier for the user Us to board and alight from vehicle 1 and reducing the physical burden on the user Us when boarding and alighting.

[0056] §4 Modifications While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the descriptions above are merely illustrative of the present invention in all respects. It goes without saying that various improvements or modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are possible. In the following, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those in the above embodiments, and explanations of similar points are omitted as appropriate. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0057] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the information processing device 10, the vehicle control unit 12, and the detection unit 15 are each configured by separate computers. However, the configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment is not limited to this example and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the information processing device 10 may be configured as a computer integrated with at least one of the vehicle control unit 12 and the detection unit 15. Also, at least one of the information processing device 10, the vehicle control unit 12, and the detection unit 15 may be configured by multiple computers.

[0058] 1...Vehicle, 2...Server, 10...Information processing device, 11...Vehicle transmission / reception unit (vehicle transmission unit, vehicle reception unit), 15...Detection unit, 20...Server transmission / reception unit (server transmission unit, server reception unit), 21...Server storage area, 111...Road surface height information acquisition unit, 112...Road surface height information registration unit, 113...Destination information acquisition unit, 115...Candidate location information acquisition unit, 116...Boarding / alighting position setting unit, 212...High-precision 3D map, BAP...Boarding / alighting position, CP...Candidate boarding / alighting position, DS...Destination, HD...Elevation difference, ICP...Candidate location information, IDS...Destination information, IRH...Road surface height information, PM...Information processing method, PP...Boarding / alighting possible position, RH...Road surface height, SA...Surrounding area, Sys...Information processing system, Us...User, VH...Vehicle height

Claims

1. An information processing method that causes a processor to perform a process to set a boarding / alighting position that is recommended as a position for a user to board or alight from a vehicle, wherein the processor takes the steps of: acquiring road surface height information that associates the road surface height from the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling with the boarding / alighting position detected by the vehicle, where the user can wait or alight from the vehicle; transmitting the road surface height information to a server outside the vehicle and registering it in a high-precision 3D map stored on the server; acquiring destination information that indicates a destination designated by the user as a position where they wish to board or alight from the vehicle; and, if a map relating to the area surrounding the destination is included in the high-precision 3D map stored on the server, receiving candidate location information from the server that indicates one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions in the surrounding area, and the road surface height of each of the one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions. An information processing method comprising the steps of: setting, among the one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions, a candidate boarding / alighting position in which the height difference between the road surface height and the vehicle height is small as the boarding / alighting position corresponding to the destination; 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the processor further performs the step of notifying the user of the boarding / alighting location and at least one of the reasons for recommending the boarding / alighting location before the vehicle arrives at the destination or the boarding / alighting location.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor further performs the step of asking the user whether it is permissible to change the vehicle's stopping position from the destination to the stopping position before the vehicle arrives at the destination or the pick-up / drop-off position, and when the processor receives consent from the user to change the stopping position from the destination to the pick-up / drop-off position, the processor changes the stopping position from the destination to the pick-up / drop-off position.

4. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surrounding area is set such that at least one of the walking distance from the destination and the walking time is less than or equal to a predetermined value, with the destination as the center.

5. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle height is set in advance based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class.

6. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the step of setting the boarding / alighting position, the processor sets the boarding / alighting candidate position with the smallest height difference between the road surface height and the vehicle height from among the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions as the boarding / alighting position.

7. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle is adjustable in at least one of the vehicle height and the vehicle's tilt in the roll direction, and in the step of setting the boarding / alighting position, the processor sets as the boarding / alighting position a candidate boarding / alighting position among the one or more candidate boarding / alighting positions in which the height difference between the road surface height and the adjusted vehicle height is small.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7, wherein the adjusted vehicle height is set based on at least one of the vehicle type and vehicle class.

9. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and the processor further performs the step of stopping the vehicle at the destination or the boarding / alighting location.

10. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle's acceleration, deceleration, and steering are controlled by the driver's driving operations, and the processor further performs the step of notifying the driver of at least one of the destination and the boarding / alighting location.

11. An information processing device for setting a recommended boarding / alighting position where a user boards or alights from a vehicle, comprising: a road surface height information acquisition unit that acquires road surface height information indicating the relationship between the road surface height from the roadway on which the vehicle travels and the boarding / alighting position detected by the vehicle where the user can wait or alight from the vehicle; a road surface height information registration unit that transmits the road surface height information to a server outside the vehicle and registers it in a high-precision 3D map stored on the server; a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information indicating a destination designated by the user as a position where they wish to board or alight from the vehicle; and, if a map relating to the area surrounding the destination is included in the high-precision 3D map stored on the server, a candidate location information acquisition unit that acquires candidate location information from the server indicating one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions in the surrounding area and the road surface height of each of the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions. An information processing device comprising: a boarding / alighting position setting unit that sets a boarding / alighting position among the one or more boarding / alighting candidate positions in which the height difference between the road surface height and the vehicle height is small as the boarding / alighting position corresponding to the destination.

12. An information processing system for setting recommended boarding and alighting positions for a user to board or alight from a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle; a server configured to communicate with the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes: a detection unit for detecting the height of the road surface from the roadway on which the vehicle travels at boarding and alighting positions where the user can wait or alight from the vehicle; a vehicle transmission unit for transmitting road surface height information to the server, relating the boarding and alighting positions to the road surface height; the server includes: a server receiving unit for receiving the road surface height information transmitted from the vehicle; a server storage area for storing a high-precision 3D map on which the road surface height information is registered; and the vehicle further includes: a destination information acquisition unit for acquiring destination information indicating a destination designated by the user as a location where the user wishes to board or alight from the vehicle; and, if a map relating to the area surrounding the destination is included in the high-precision 3D map stored on the server, one or more boarding and alighting candidate positions which are the boarding and alighting positions in the surrounding area; An information processing system comprising: a vehicle receiving unit that receives candidate location information from the server, indicating the road surface height for each of the one or more candidate boarding / alighting locations; and a boarding / alighting location setting unit that sets a candidate boarding / alighting location among the one or more candidate boarding / alighting locations in which the height difference between the road surface height and the vehicle height is small as the boarding / alighting location corresponding to the destination.

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