Map updating system, moving body travel system, and map updating method

Abstract

A map updating system (1000) comprises and manages: a map storage unit (3) that stores a map, including environment information, of a travel area of a moving body (100); a movable object management information acquisition unit (1) that acquires movable object management information including a movable object area (13) in which there exists a movable object (200) capable of changing the position thereof, and movement information on the movable object; and a map updating unit (2) that updates the map by setting the movable object area therein on the basis of the movable object management information, and updates the environment information in the movable object area.

Description

Map update system, mobile body travel system, and map update method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a map update system, a mobile body travel system, and a map update method.

[0002] Scan matching technology has been developed to calculate the current environmental information of a mobile body by associating current scan data obtained from sensors such as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) mounted on the mobile body with map information. For example, by collating point cloud data obtained at two different observation points, the relative displacement between the observation points can be obtained, and the travel of the mobile body in the actual environment can be supported. However, when a movable object is detected in the vicinity, the point cloud data of the movable object in the actual environment deviates from the map information. Therefore, it may be difficult to perform accurate positioning when associating the point cloud data with the map information for scan matching. Thus, for example, in Patent Document 1, a movable object is detected by a camera and removed from the point cloud data, which is the current scan data obtained from the sensor, to avoid inconsistencies. In Patent Document 2, when a state where the calculated amount of change in the position of an object is greater than or equal to a threshold value continues for a predetermined period, a notification is given that the position of the object is different from the map information.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 725422, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-005758

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, in addition to processing the point cloud data, which is the current scan data obtained from sensors such as LiDAR, it is necessary to process image data by a camera. Also, there is a problem that even if a notification is given that the position of an object is different from the map information, it is impossible to accurately measure one's own position and the surrounding environment.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a map update system capable of stably and accurately positioning even when a movable object is detected in the vicinity. Another object is to provide a mobile body travel system and a map update method.

[0006] The map update system according to this disclosure comprises a map storage unit that stores a map of the area of ​​travel of a moving object including environmental information; a movable object management information acquisition unit that acquires movable object management information including a movable object area where a movable object whose position can be changed exists, and motion information of the movable object; and a map update unit that sets and updates the movable object area on the map and updates the environmental information within the movable object area based on the movable object management information.

[0007] The mobile vehicle driving system described herein includes a map update system described herein, and determines the target driving path of the mobile vehicle based on the map of the map update system.

[0008] The map updating method according to this disclosure comprises the steps of: storing a map of the area of ​​travel of a moving object including environmental information; acquiring movable object management information including a movable object area where a movable object whose position can be changed exists, and motion information of the movable object; and updating the map by setting the movable object area and updating the environmental information within the movable object area based on the movable object management information.

[0009] According to this disclosure, since the map can be updated in accordance with the movement of a moving object, discrepancies do not occur between the map and the scan data of the actual environment, even in environments where moving objects are present, enabling stable and accurate positioning.

[0010] This is a schematic diagram showing the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 1. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device in a movable object according to Embodiment 1. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the movable object detection device according to Embodiment 1. This is a schematic diagram showing the map update system according to Embodiment 2. This is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the map update system according to Embodiment 2. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 2. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 2. This is an explanatory diagram explaining the processing of the map update system according to Embodiment 2. This is a schematic diagram showing the mobile vehicle driving system according to Embodiment 3. This is a flowchart showing the map update processing steps according to Embodiment 4. This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a processing circuit that realizes each function of the map update system according to Embodiment 4.

[0011] Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the same parts and corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0012] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a map update system 1000 according to Embodiment 1. Embodiment 1 describes an example in which the map update system 1000 is provided in an information processing device 91 within a mobile body 100, and movable object management information is acquired from a movable object 200. The map update system 1000 includes a map storage unit 3 that stores a map of the travel area of ​​the mobile body 100 including environmental information, a movable object management information acquisition unit 1 that acquires movable object management information including a movable object area 13 where a movable object 200 whose position can be changed exists, and operation information of the movable object 200, and a map update unit 2 that sets and updates the movable object area 13 on the map based on the movable object management information, and updates the environmental information within the movable object area 13.

[0013] For example, as shown in Figure 2, when the mobile body 100 is parked between movable object 200A and movable object 200B at the entrance of the facility 500, the mobile body 100 acquires scan data 411, which is information about the surrounding environment, using its mounted LiDAR or other sensor 41. Then, for example, it matches the scan data 411 with a map made of point cloud data to confirm its surrounding environment. Since the scan data 411 includes scan data 411A based on movable object 200A and scan data 411B based on movable object 200B, it recognizes that movable object 200A and movable object 200B are present on both sides. Then, by comparing it with the stored map made of point cloud data, it is possible to estimate the position of the objects in the actual environment. However, for example, as shown in Figure 3, if the movable object 200A to the left of the mobile body 100 starts moving from the entrance of the facility 500 and is in operation, the scan data 411A based on movable object 200A becomes distorted, making it difficult to match it with the stored point cloud data.

[0014] Therefore, the movable object 200A that starts moving transmits the movable object region 13 and movement information to the mobile body 100. The map update system 1000 inside the mobile body 100 acquires the movement information of the movable object 200 and movable object management information including the movable object region 13, as shown in Figure 4, using the movable object management information acquisition unit 1 (step S101). The map update unit 2 then determines whether the movable object 200 has changed from a stationary state to a moving state (step S102). If it is determined that it has changed to a moving state (YES in step S102), the point cloud data of the movable object 200 within the movable object region 13 in the map is deleted (step S103). The movable object region 13 is then deleted (step S104). If it is not determined that it is moving (NO in step S102), it continues to wait for the transmission of movable object management information (step S101).

[0015] For example, in the example shown in Figure 5, the movable object 200A transmits to the map update system 1000 an operational information that it is in motion, along with a movable object region 13A based on its own position and shape. Since the movable object 200B is stationary, the map stores the movable object region 13B in the previous processing. The map update unit 2 determines that the movable object 200A has changed from a stationary state to an operational state, and deletes the point cloud data within the movable object region 13A in the map. Then it deletes the movable object region 13A. In this way, no discrepancy occurs between the map and the current scan data 411, enabling positioning with maintained accuracy and allowing for good control of the movement of the mobile body 100.

[0016] Figure 6 shows an example in which the motion information that the movable object 200A is stationary and the movable object region 13A are transmitted to the map update system 1000. For the movable object 200B, the movable object region 13B is stored in the map from the previous process. In this case, the map update unit 2 checks whether the movable object region 13A of the stationary movable object 200A is stored in the map, and if it is not stored, it sets and updates the point cloud data of the movable object region 13A and the movable object 200A. The map allows it to recognize that the movable objects 200A and 200B are parked.

[0017] Here, the map storage unit 3 stores, for example, environmental information of the travel area of ​​the mobile body 100 as a map. The map may be formed by accumulating environmental information while the mobile body 100 is traveling, or the mobile body 100 may travel over the entire travel area or a part of it in advance and store the environmental information as a map in the map storage unit 3. The map can be made by storing two-dimensional point cloud data in the map storage unit 3, which is a storage medium in the information processing device 91, but it may also be three-dimensional point cloud data, or it may be made using voxels 12 as shown in Figure 7. For example, in Figure 7, the mobile body 100 and equipment 500 are represented by point cloud data, and the movable object areas 13A and 13B are represented by voxels 12. A numerical representation format may also be used, as shown in Figure 8. In Figure 8, for example, the movable object area 13A is represented numerically as having a center position (100, 120), a width of 4000, and a height of 1000. The map update unit 2 updates the map storage unit 3 by adding or deleting maps based on information that manages the movable object 200, such as the operation information of the movable object 200 and the movable object area 13. The movable object 200 is, for example, a vehicle similar to the moving body 100, but it may also be a trailer towed by the moving body 100, or cargo that changes position due to other external forces.

[0018] Among the movable object management information, the operation information is information that indicates whether the movable object 200 is in operation or stationary. For example, the movable object 200 has a self-operation acquisition unit 201 and a self-operation state determination unit 202 as shown in Figure 9. The self-operation acquisition unit 201 acquires, for example, the vehicle speed information of the vehicle, and the self-operation state determination unit 202 determines that if the vehicle speed is above a vehicle speed threshold, it is in operation, and if it is below the vehicle speed threshold, it is stationary. The movable object region 13 is the region in which the movable object 200 exists. For example, the movable object 200 has an information processing device 92 inside the movable object 200 as shown in Figure 9, which has a self-position calculation unit 203, a shape storage unit 204, and a movable object region calculation unit 205. The self-position calculation unit 203 calculates the position of the object from the detected position and orientation of the object, and the movable object region calculation unit 205 calculates the movable object region 13 by combining the position information with the shape information of the object stored in the shape storage unit 204. The movable object management information calculated by the movable object 200 is then transmitted from the movable object management information transmission unit 206 to the mobile body 100, for example, via a wireless communication channel 95. The movable object management information may include information other than operation information and the movable object area 13.

[0019] Alternatively, for example, a movable object detection device 600 located in the mobile vehicle's travel area may detect the movable object 200 and transmit movable object management information from the movable object detection device 600. For example, a movable object detection device 600 having a movable object detection unit 601, an operating state determination unit 602, a position calculation unit 603, a shape estimation unit 604, a movable object area calculation unit 605, and a movable object management information transmission unit 606 as shown in Figure 10 may be used. The movable object detection device 600 detects the movable object 200 with the movable object detection unit 601 and determines its operating state with the operating state determination unit 602. Furthermore, the position is calculated by the position calculation unit 603 from the position and orientation of the detected movable object 200, the shape of the detected movable object 200 is estimated by the shape estimation unit 604, and the movable object area calculation unit 605 calculates the movable object area 13 by combining the shape information of the movable object 200 estimated by the shape estimation unit 604 with the position information. Then, the motion information of the movable object 200 calculated by the movable object detection device 600, and the movable object management information including the movable object region 13, are transmitted from the movable object management information transmission unit 606 to the mobile body 100 via the communication channel 95.

[0020] Thus, by using a map update system 1000 comprising a map storage unit 3 that stores a map of the travel area of ​​a mobile body 100 including environmental information, a movable object management information acquisition unit 1 that acquires movable object management information including a movable object area 13 where a movable object 200 whose position can be changed exists, and operation information of the movable object 200, and a map update unit 2 that sets and updates the movable object area 13 on the map and updates the environmental information within the movable object area 13 based on the movable object management information, the map can be updated in accordance with the operation of the movable object 200. As a result, even in environments where a movable object 200 exists, no discrepancy occurs between the map and the scan data of the actual environment, enabling stable and accurate positioning. When the operation information of the movable object 200 indicates that it is in operation, the map update unit 2 can delete the movable object area 13 and the environmental information within the movable object area 13 on the map and update the map, thereby enabling matching without including areas where discrepancies occur between the map and the actual environment, and enabling stable positioning.

[0021] Embodiment 2. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the map update system 1000 according to Embodiment 2, and Figure 12 is a flowchart of the processing steps. Embodiment 1 described an example in which the movable object 200 changes from a stationary state to an operational state, but Embodiment 2 describes an example in which the movable object 200 changes from an operational state to a stationary state. The other configurations are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0022] As shown in Figure 11, the map update system 1000 includes, for example, a movable object management information acquisition unit 1 that acquires movable object management information including a movable object area 13 and operation information of the movable object 200 from a movable object 200, and an environmental information acquisition unit 4 that acquires environmental information. Based on the movable object management information, it includes a map update unit 2 that sets and updates the movable object area 13 on the map and updates the environmental information within the movable object area 13. When the operation information of the movable object 200 indicates that it has changed from operating to stationary, the map update unit 2 generates a movable object area 13 from the position information of the stationary movable object 200 and stores the movable object area 13 and the environmental information within the movable object area 13 acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 4 on the map.

[0023] As shown in Figure 12, the map update system 1000 detects surrounding information and acquires environmental information using, for example, a sensor 41 mounted on the mobile body 100 (step S201). Then, for example, it acquires movable object management information, including position information and operation information, from the movable object 200 (step S202). Then, it determines from the operation information whether the movable object 200, which was in operation, has changed to a stationary state (step S203). If it is determined that the movable object has changed from an operating state to a stationary state (YES in step S203), the map update unit 2 generates a movable object area 13 from the position information of the movable object 200 and adds it to the map (step S204). Then, it stores the acquired environmental information within the movable object area 13 in the map (step S205). In this case, information that the movable object 200 is stopped within the movable object area 13 is recorded. If it is not determined that the movable object has changed from an operating state to a stationary state (NO in step S203), it continues to acquire environmental information (step S201). In this way, when the position of the movable object 200 changes in the real environment, or when a new movable object 200 appears, it becomes possible to add the movable object 200 to the map. As a result, the discrepancy between the map and the scan data of the real environment is eliminated, enabling highly accurate matching and positioning.

[0024] Figure 13 shows an example of acquiring movable object management information from a movable object 200A operating in a real environment. For example, a sensor 41 mounted on the mobile body 100 detects scan data 411A based on the movable object 200A as environmental information. However, at this stage, it is not determined that the movable object 200A has changed from operating to stationary, so the scan data 411A continues to be acquired as environmental information. Figure 14 shows an example where a movable object 200A that was operating in a real environment has changed from operating to stationary. When the map update unit 2 determines from the operation information of the movable object 200A acquired by the movable object management information acquisition unit 1 that the movable object 200A has changed to stationary, it creates and stores a movable object area 13A on the map. Then, the environmental information within the movable object area 13A acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 4 is stored in the map of the map storage unit 3. In other words, map information indicating that a movable object 200A has been newly parked is added to the movable object area 13A.

[0025] In this way, when the map update unit 2 indicates that the motion information of the movable object 200 has changed from an active state to a stationary state, it generates a movable object region 13 from the position information of the movable object that has become stationary, and updates the map by adding the movable object region 13 and the acquired environmental information within the movable object region 13. This allows the map to be updated to include the stationary movable object 200 whose position has changed, making it possible to update the map while taking into account the positional changes of the movable object 200 in the actual environment.

[0026] In addition, although an example has been described in which ambient information is detected and environmental information is acquired using the sensor 41 mounted on the mobile body 100, environmental information may also be acquired using other sensors such as sensors installed on the equipment 500 or roadside sensors installed in the travel area of ​​the mobile body 100. Environmental information within the movable object area 13 may also be calculated based on the sensor information and movable object management information such as the shape of the movable object area 13 and the movable object 200.

[0027] Alternatively, the map may be updated using a pre-prepared map instead of environmental information. In the map update system 1000, the map storage unit 3 stores the movable object stationary area, which is the area where the movable object 200 is stationary, at a predetermined position on the map. The map update unit 2 updates the map by changing the movable object stationary area to the movable object area 13 when the operation information of the movable object 200 changes from an operational state to a stationary state and the stationary position corresponds to the movable object stationary area. By preparing a high-precision map in advance, it becomes unnecessary to perform high-precision positioning each time the movable object 200 is parked.

[0028] Embodiment 3. Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the processing of the map update system 1000 according to Embodiment 3. Embodiments 1 and 2 described an example in which the map update system 1000 is provided within the mobile body 100, but Embodiment 3 differs in that the map update system 1000 is provided in the control unit 300 that manages the operation of at least one of the mobile body 100 and the movable object 200. The other configurations are the same as in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2.

[0029] In Figure 15, the information processing device 93 within the control unit 300 monitors the mobile body 100 and the movable object 200 using roadside sensors 42 installed in the travel area where the mobile body 100 and the movable object 200 travel, and exchanges information with the mobile body 100 and the movable object 200 using a communication channel 95.

[0030] For example, if the mobile body 100 is parked between movable object 200A and movable object 200B at the entrance of the facility 500, the control unit 300 acquires scan data 411, which is current environmental information, from the mobile body 100. Then, for example, it matches a map made of point cloud data with the scan data 411 to control the movement of the mobile body 100. The control unit 300 can also receive movable object areas 13A and 13B in which the movable objects 200A and 200B under its management exist. For example, as shown in Figure 15, if the movable object 200A to the left of the mobile body 100 starts moving from the entrance of the facility 500 and is in operation, the scan data 411A based on the movable object 200A becomes distorted, making it difficult to match with the stored point cloud data. Therefore, the map update system 1000 in the control unit 300 acquires movable object management information, including the operation information of the movable object 200 and the movable object area 13, using the movable object management information acquisition unit 1. The map update unit 2 then determines whether the movable object 200 has changed from a stationary state to an operational state. If it is determined to be operational, it deletes the point cloud data relating to the movable object region 13 and the movable object 200 within the movable object region 13 in the map. Figure 15 shows an example in which the point cloud data relating to the movable object region 13A and the movable object 200 has been deleted. In this way, no discrepancy occurs between the map and the current scan data 411, enabling positioning with maintained accuracy and allowing for good control of the movement of the mobile body 100.

[0031] Furthermore, the map update system 1000 controlled by the control unit 300 can, similar to the second embodiment, generate a movable object region 13 from the position information of the movable object 200 using the map update unit 2 and add it to the map when the movable object 200, which is in motion, changes to a stationary state. The acquired environmental information within the movable object region 13 can also be stored in the map. This makes it possible to update the map while taking into account the position changes of the movable object 200 in the actual environment.

[0032] The control unit 300 may be located within the travel area of ​​the mobile unit 100, for example, within equipment 500, or within a building that manages multiple pieces of equipment 500. When monitoring remotely, it may be located outside the travel area of ​​the mobile unit 100.

[0033] The control unit 300, which manages the operation of the mobile body 100 and movable objects 200, can send and receive movable object management information with multiple mobile bodies 100 and movable objects 200. Therefore, when the movable object management information is transmitted to the map update unit 2 via the control unit 300, the efficiency of information exchange necessary for map updates can be improved. Security can also be enhanced.

[0034] When the map update system 1000 is controlled by the control unit 300, it is assumed that the map storage unit 3 is located within the control unit 300, but it may also be located on a server or other location elsewhere. The same map storage unit 3 may also be possessed by the mobile body 100, the movable object 200, etc., and managed by the control unit 300. The map storage unit 3 managed by the control unit 300 may also be shared and used.

[0035] Furthermore, although an example of acquiring scan data 411, which represents current environmental information, from the mobile body 100 has been described, other sensors such as sensors installed on the equipment 500 or roadside sensors installed in the travel area of ​​the mobile body 100 may also be used.

[0036] Furthermore, although the example described above shows that the movable object management information is transmitted from the control unit 300 or the mobile body 100, which has a movable object management information acquisition unit 1, to the map update unit 2, the movable object management information may also be transmitted from the movable object 200 to the map update unit 2. By transmitting the movable object management information directly from the device that calculates the movable object management information to the map update unit 2, the information necessary for map updating can be acquired with a simple configuration.

[0037] In embodiments 1 and 2, the movable object 200 is described as transmitting to the moving body 100, as movable object management information, its positional information and its own operation information indicating whether it is operating or stationary. However, it may also transmit this information to the movable object management information acquisition unit 1 of the control unit 300. The movable object 200 may also transmit to the control unit 300 a movable object region 13 calculated based on its stored shape and its position calculated. Furthermore, the movable object management information may be calculated by a device other than the movable object 200, such as the movable object detection device 600 described above. This can reduce the information processing load on the movable object 200.

[0038] Furthermore, if the movable object 200 has an accessory object such as a trailer that can be attached to or detached, an accessory object shape storage unit that stores shape information of the accessory object and an accessory object connection determination unit that determines the connection or detachment state between the accessory object and the movable object may be provided, and the movable object region 13 may be changed based on the determination result of the accessory object connection determination unit. This makes it possible to calculate the movable object region 13 while taking into account the shape changes of the movable object 200. The movable object management information includes accessory object information indicating whether or not there is an accessory object that can be attached to or detached from the movable object 200, and if the map update unit 2 determines that an accessory object is attached to the movable object 200, it should calculate the movable object region 13 based on the shape including the attached accessory object and the positions of the movable object 200 and the accessory object calculated by positioning calculation.

[0039] Furthermore, the map update unit 2 may calculate the similarity between the map in the map storage unit 3 and the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 4, and update the position of the movable object 200 and the movable object area 13 on the map by increasing the weight of the similarity as the similarity increases. For example, the system may include a similarity calculation unit that calculates the similarity between the current environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 4 and the map, and the matching weight for locations included in the movable object area 13 may be smaller than the matching weight for other locations. By reducing the matching weight within the movable object area 13, where the map accuracy is considered low, it becomes possible to prioritize the use of matching results from locations with higher accuracy, enabling high-precision matching and positioning even after the map has been updated.

[0040] Embodiment 4. Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing a mobile vehicle travel system 2000 according to Embodiment 4. The mobile vehicle travel system 2000 in Embodiment 4 includes the map update system 1000 described in Embodiments 1 to 3, and determines the target travel path of the mobile vehicle 100 based on the map of the map update system 1000.

[0041] For example, as shown in Figure 16, the map update system 1000 within the mobile vehicle driving system 2000 includes a map storage unit 3 that stores a map of the driving area of ​​the mobile vehicle 100 including environmental information, a movable object management information acquisition unit 1 that acquires movable object management information including a movable object area 13 where a movable object 200 whose position can be changed exists, and operation information of the movable object 200, and a map update unit 2 that sets and updates the movable object area 13 on the map and updates the environmental information within the movable object area 13 based on the movable object management information. The map update system 1000 performs positioning calculation processing in a positioning calculation processing unit 6 by associating the map with the acquired current environmental information, the target driving path determination unit 7 determines the target driving path of the mobile vehicle 100, and the driving control unit 8 controls the driving of the mobile vehicle 100. The movable object management information may be transmitted from other devices such as a movable object detection device 600.

[0042] When the movable object 200 changes from a stationary state to an operational state, and even when the movable object 200 is operational, no discrepancy occurs between the map and the current environmental information. This allows the positioning calculation processing unit 6 to maintain accurate positioning, the target travel path determination unit 7 to appropriately determine the target travel path, and the travel control unit 8 to effectively control the movement of the mobile body 100. Furthermore, when the movable object 200 changes from an operational state to a stationary state, the map can be updated by adding the movable object region 13, thereby adding the stationary movable object 200 to the map. This prevents discrepancies between the map and the current environmental information, enabling the positioning calculation processing unit 6 to maintain accurate positioning, the target travel path determination unit 7 to appropriately determine the target travel path, and the travel control unit 8 to effectively control the movement of the mobile body 100.

[0043] Further, the target travel route determination unit 7 may change the target travel route of the mobile body 100 based on the presence or absence of the moving object 200. For example, if a target travel route that avoids the moving object area 13, which is an area where the moving object 200 exists in the map of the map update system 1000, is determined, the travel around the moving object area 13 where the accuracy of the map is considered low can be avoided, and the travel of the mobile body 100 can be controlled with higher accuracy.

[0044] Embodiment 5. In Embodiment 5, the operation of the map update system 1000 will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a schematic flow of the processing of the map update system 1000 according to Embodiment 5. First, a map of the travel area of the mobile body 100 including environmental information is stored (step S301). Then, a moving object area 13 where a moving object 200 whose position can be changed exists and moving object management information including the operation information of the moving object 200 are acquired (step S302). Then, based on the moving object management information, the moving object area 13 is set and updated in the map, and the environmental information within the moving object area 13 is updated (step S302).

[0045] The devices and data transfer / reception methods constituting the map update system 1000 are not limited to the above examples. In each information processing device 90 provided with the functions of the map update system 1000, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, a communication I / F (interface) 903, a processor 901, and a memory 902 are provided. For the processor 901, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is used. The memory 902 transmits and receives data to and from the processor 901 and stores the data. The moving object management information, environmental information, etc. are acquired via the communication I / F 903 of the information processing device 91 of the mobile body 100, the information processing device 93 of the control unit 300, etc. Each process such as the setting update of the map by the map update unit 2, the determination of the operation information of the moving object 200, and the calculation of the moving object management information by the moving object 200 is executed by the processor 901. The map, reference data, arithmetic expressions, etc. are stored in the memory 902.

[0046] The processor 901 and the memory 902 may be shared and used singly or there may be a plurality of them. Also, the processor 901 may be equipped with, for example, a logic circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), IC (Integrated Circuit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., and various signal processing circuits. As the processor 901, a plurality of the same type or different types may be provided so that each process may be executed in parallel by a plurality of arithmetic processing units.

[0047] As the plurality of memories 902, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) configured to enable reading and writing of data from the processor 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) configured to enable reading of data from the processor 901, a hard disk (HDD), etc. are provided.

[0048] Each function of the map update system 1000 is realized by the processor 901 executing software or a program stored in the memory 902 and cooperating with the hardware. The set data may be stored in the memory 902 as part of the software or program, or may be input by the user. A non-temporary recording medium 905 in which the map update program 904 is recorded may be distributed and installed in the map update system 1000 (memory 902).

[0049] In this way, a map of the traveling area of the moving body 100 including environmental information is stored, the movable object area 13 where the movable object 200 whose position can be changed exists, and the movable object management information including the operation information of the movable object 200 are acquired, and based on the movable object management information, the movable object area 13 is set and updated on the map, and the environmental information within the movable object area 13 is updated, so that the map can be updated according to the change in the operation of the movable object 200 in the map. As a result, even in an environment where the movable object 200 exists, no deviation occurs between the map and the actual environment, and stable and highly accurate positioning becomes possible.

[0050] While this disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but are applicable individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are conceivable within the scope of the art disclosed herein. For example, these include modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component, or even extracting at least one component and combining it with a component from another embodiment.

[0051] 1 Movable object management information acquisition unit, 2 Map update unit, 3 Map storage unit, 4 Environmental information acquisition unit, 6 Positioning calculation processing unit, 7 Target driving route determination unit, 8 Driving control unit, 90, 91, 92, 93 Information processing device, 95 Communication channel, 13, 13A, 13B Movable object area, 41 Sensor, 100 Moving body, 200, 200A, 200B Movable object, 201 Self-motion acquisition unit, 202 Self-motion state determination unit, 203 Self-position calculation unit, 204 Shape storage unit, 205, 605 Movable object area calculation unit, 206, 606 Movable object management information transmission unit, 300 Control unit, 411, 411A, 411B Scan data, 500 Equipment, 600 Movable object detection device, 601 Movable object detection unit, 602 Operation state determination unit, 603 Position calculation unit, 604 Shape estimation unit, 1000 Map update system, 2000 Mobile vehicle driving system

Claims

1. A map update system comprising: a map storage unit that stores a map of the area of ​​travel of a moving object including environmental information; a movable object management information acquisition unit that acquires movable object management information including a movable object area where a movable object whose position can be changed exists, and operation information of the movable object; and a map update unit that sets and updates the movable object area on the map and updates the environmental information within the movable object area based on the movable object management information.

2. The map update system according to claim 1, wherein the map update unit updates the map by deleting the movable object region and the environmental information within the movable object region of the map when the operation information of the movable object indicates that it is in operation.

3. A map update system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising an environmental information acquisition unit for acquiring the environmental information, wherein when the operation information of the movable object indicates that the operation information of the movable object has changed from an operating state to a stationary state, the map update unit generates a movable object region from the position information of the movable object that has become stationary, and updates the map by adding the movable object region and the acquired environmental information within the movable object region.

4. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the map storage unit stores a movable object stationary area, which is an area where the movable object is stationary, at a predetermined position on the map, and the map update unit updates the map by changing the movable object stationary area to the movable object area when the operation information of the movable object changes from an operating state to a stationary state and the stationary position corresponds to the movable object stationary area.

5. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a control unit that manages the operation of at least one of the moving body and the movable object is capable of sending and receiving the movable object management information with at least one of a plurality of the moving body and the movable object, and the movable object management information is transmitted to the map update unit via the control unit.

6. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the movable object management information is transmitted directly from the device that calculates the movable object management information to the map update unit.

7. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the movable object transmits its own location information and its own operation information indicating whether it is in motion or stationary as movable object management information to the movable object management information unit having a control unit that manages the operation of the moving body or at least one of the moving body and the movable object.

8. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the movable object transmits the movable object region calculated based on its stored shape and its measured position to a control unit that manages the operation of the moving body or at least one of the moving body and the movable object.

9. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the movable object is detected by a movable object detection device that detects the movable object, the movable object detection device comprises an object detection unit, an motion information determination unit that determines the motion information of the movable object detected by the object detection unit, a position calculation unit that detects and calculates the position where the movable object is located, a shape estimation unit that estimates the shape of the movable object, a movable object region calculation unit that calculates the movable object region based on the position and the shape, and a movable object management information transmission unit, and transmits movable object management information, including the motion information of the movable object determined by the motion information determination unit and the movable object region calculated by the movable object region calculation unit, to a control unit that manages the motion of the moving body or at least one of the motion of the moving body and the movable object.

10. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the movable object management information includes information on whether or not there are attached objects that can be attached to or detached from the movable object, and the map update unit calculates the movable object region based on the shape including the attached attached objects and the positions of the movable object and the attached objects calculated by positioning calculation when it is determined that the attached objects are attached to the movable object.

11. The map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the map update unit calculates the similarity between the map in the map storage unit and the acquired environmental information, and updates the position of the movable object and the area of ​​the movable object on the map by increasing the weight as the similarity is higher.

12. A mobile vehicle driving system comprising a map update system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the system determines a target driving path for a mobile vehicle based on the map of the map update system.

13. The mobile body travel system according to claim 12, wherein the target travel path is determined by avoiding the movable object region, which is a region in the map of the map update system in which a movable object exists.

14. A map updating method comprising the steps of: storing a map of the area of ​​travel of a moving object including environmental information; acquiring movable object management information including a movable object area where a movable object whose position can be changed exists, and operation information of the movable object; and updating the map by setting the movable object area and updating the environmental information within the movable object area based on the movable object management information.

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