INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, AND MAP DATA UPDATING SYSTEM

• US 20160282127A1
• Filed: 03/08/2016
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: GOTO, Kunihiro, YAMAGUCHI, Koichiro, MEGURO, Junichi, KIDONO, Kiyosumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,891,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile

Abstract

A position measurement section of an on-board device measures a position of a vehicle. A travelling position identification section identifies a travelling position of the vehicle on map data based on the measured position of the vehicle and the map data. Then, a position error measurement section computes error information indicating the difference between the measured position of the vehicle and travelling position. Then, a communications section transmits the error information and the position information to a server. A communication section of the server receives the transmitted error information and position information. An error registration section stores the error information in an error database in association with the received position information. Then, for each respective item of position information, a priority level setting section sets a priority level corresponding to the position information based on the error information stored in the error database.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising:

a difference registration unit that associates (A) difference information indicating a difference between (a) a position of a moving object measured based on a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite and (b) a travelling position of the moving object on map data identified based on (i) at least one of the position of the moving object or external environment information indicating an environment of surroundings of the moving object and (ii) the map data, with (B) position information indicating at least one of the position of the moving object or the travelling position, and stores the associated information in a difference database; and

an update information setting unit that, for each item of the position information, sets information indicating whether or not the map data, which is associated with the item of position information, is to be updated, based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database.

2. The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the update information setting unit measures an amount of change for each item of the position information, based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database, and sets information indicating whether or not the map data associated with the item of position information is to be updated based on the measured amount of change of the item of position information.

3. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein, for each item of the position information, the update information setting unit measures an average of the difference information associated with the item of position information as the amount of change, based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database, and sets information indicating whether or not the map data associated with the item of position information is to be updated based on a time series of the measured average of the difference information associated with the item of position information.

4. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein, for each item of the position information, the update information setting unit measures a variance of the difference information associated with the item of position information as the amount of change, based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database, and sets information indicating whether or not the map data associated with the item of position information is to be updated based on a time series of the measured variance of the difference information associated with the item of position information.

5. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein, for each item of the position information, the update information setting unit measures the number of items of the difference information associated with the item of position information of a predetermined threshold value or greater as the amount of change, based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database, and sets information indicating whether or not the map data associated with the item of position information is to be updated based on a time series of the measured number of items of difference information associated with the item of position information.

6. A map data updating system, comprising:

an installed device that is installed in a moving object; and

the information processing device of claim 1, wherein the installed device comprises;

an external environment detection unit that detects external environment information indicating an environment of the surroundings of the moving object;

a position measurement unit that measures the position of the moving object based on a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite; and

a transmission unit that transmits, to the information processing device, the external environment information detected by the external environment detection unit and the position information indicating the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit, and

wherein, in the information processing device, the difference registration unit associates the difference information indicating the difference between positions of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit with the position information, and stores the difference information in a difference database.

7. The map data updating system of claim 6, wherein:

the installed device further comprises;

a travelling position identification unit that identifies the travelling position of the moving object on map data based on the map data and on at least one of the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit or the external environment information detected by the external environment detection unit that detects external environment information indicating the environment of the surroundings of the moving object;

a difference information generation unit that computes difference information indicating the difference between the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit and the travelling position identified by the travelling position identification unit; and

a transmission unit that transmits, to the information processing device, the difference information computed by the difference information generation unit, and transmits the position information indicating at least one of the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit or the travelling position identified by the travelling position identification unit;

the information processing device further comprises a reception unit that receives the difference information and the position information transmitted by the transmission unit; and

the difference registration unit stores the difference information in the difference database in association with the position information received by the reception unit.

8. The map data updating system of claim 7, wherein:

the installed device further comprises a determination unit that determines whether or not the difference information and the position information are to be transmitted, according to at least one of the difference information computed by the difference information generation unit, a travelling date and time at which the moving object was travelling, or a number of times that the moving object has travelled through a place on the map data associated with the position information; and

the transmission unit transmits the difference information and the position information according to a determination result made by the determination unit.

9. The map data updating system of claim 6, wherein:

the installed device further comprises a determination unit that determines whether or not data is to be transmitted from the installed device, according to at least one of a travelling date and time at which the moving object was travelling, or a number of times that the moving object has travelled through a position on the map data; and

the transmission unit transmits the data according to a determination result made by the determination unit.

10. The map data updating system of claim 6, wherein:

the information processing device further comprises a map data updating unit that updates the map data based on information set by the update information setting unit indicating whether or not the map data is to be updated; and

a travelling position of the moving object on the map data is identified based on the external environment information and the map data that has been updated by the map data updating unit.

11. An information processing device, comprising:

a difference registration unit that associates (A) difference information indicating a difference between (a) a travel path of a moving object generated from a time series of travelling positions of the moving object on map data, the travel path being identified based on external environment information indicating an environment of surroundings of the moving object and on the map data, and (b) an integrated path of the moving object generated from a time series of motion amounts of the moving object generated based on at least one of the external environment information or a travelling state of the moving object, with (B) position information indicating a travelling position, and stores the associated information in a difference database; and

an update information setting unit that, for each item of the position information, sets information indicating whether or not the map data, which is associated with the item of position information, is to be updated based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database.

12. A map data updating system, comprising:

an installed device that is installed in a moving object; and

the information processing device of claim 11, wherein the installed device comprises;

an external environment detection unit that detects external environment information indicating an environment of the surroundings of the moving object; and

a transmission unit that transmits the external environment information detected by the external environment detection unit to the information processing device, and

wherein, in the information processing device, the difference registration unit associates the difference information indicating a difference in the travel path generated from a time series of travelling positions identified based on the external environment information detected by the external environment detection unit, with the position information indicating the travelling position, and stores the associated difference information in the difference database.

13. The map data updating system of claim 12, wherein:

the installed device further comprises;

a travelling position identification unit that identifies the travelling position of the moving object on map data, based on the external environment information detected by the external environment detection unit and the map data,

a travel path generation unit that generates the travel path of the moving object based on a time series of travelling positions identified by the travelling position identification unit,

a motion amount estimation unit that estimates an amount of movement of the moving object based on at least one of the external environment information or the travelling state of the moving object,

an integrated path generation unit that generates an integrated path of the moving object based on a time series of motion amounts estimated by the motion amount estimation unit,

a difference information generation unit that computes the difference information indicating the difference between the travel path generated by the travel path generation unit and the integrated path generated by the integrated path generation unit, and

a transmission unit that transmits the difference information computed by the difference information generation unit, and position information indicating the travelling position identified by the travelling position identification unit, to the information processing device;

the information processing device further comprises a reception unit that receives the difference information and the position information transmitted by the transmission unit; and

the difference registration unit stores the difference information in a difference database in association with the position information received by the reception unit.

14. An information processing device, comprising:

a difference registration unit that associates (A) difference information indicating a difference between (a) at least one of surrounding environment information generated from external environment information indicating an environment of surroundings of a moving object or a positioning path of the moving object generated from a position of the moving object, and (b) map data, the difference information being generated according to at least one of (i) a result of a comparison between the position of the moving object measured based on a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite and road information included in the map data, or (ii) an identification result for a travelling position of the moving object on the map data identified from the external environment information and the map data, with (B) position information indicating at least one of a position of the moving object or the travelling position, and stores the associated information in a difference database; and

an update information setting unit that, for each item of the position information, sets information indicating whether or not the map data, which is associated with the item of position information, is to be updated, based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database.

15. The information processing device of claim 14, wherein:

the difference information is generated for a predetermined range over which difference information is to be generated, according to at least one of a result of a comparison of the positioning path of the moving object generated from positions of the moving object against the road information included in the map data, or an identification result for a travelling position of the moving object in the predetermined range on the map data for which the difference information is to be generated, the identification result being identified from the external environment information and the map data; and

the difference information is generated for each of a plurality of part regions derived by dividing a region of a predetermined range over which the difference information is to be generated.

16. A map data updating system, comprising:

an installed device that is installed in a moving object; and

the information processing device of claim 14, wherein;

the installed device comprises;

an external environment detection unit that detects external environment information indicating an environment of the surroundings of the moving object,

a position measurement unit that measures positions of the moving object based on a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite, and

a transmission unit that transmits the external environment information detected by the external environment detection unit, and the position information indicating a position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit, to the information processing device; and

in the information processing device, the difference registration unit associates (1) difference information that is generated according to at least one of the identification result or a result of comparing the positioning path of the moving object generated from the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit against the road information included in the map data, and that indicates a difference between the map data and at least one of surrounding environment information generated from the external environment information or the positioning path of the moving object generated from the positions of the moving object, with (2) at least one of the position of the moving object or the travelling position, and stores the difference information in the difference database.

17. The map data updating system of claim 16, wherein:

the installed device further comprises;

a comparison unit that compares the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit against the road information included in the map data,

a travelling position identification unit that identifies a travelling position of the moving object on the map data based on the map data and at least one of the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit or the external environment information detected by the external environment detection unit that detects external environment information indicating an environment of the surroundings of the moving object,

a difference information generation unit that generates difference information indicating a difference between the external environment information and the map data, based on at least one of a comparison result obtained by the comparison unit or an identification result obtained by the travelling position identification unit, and

a transmission unit that transmits, to the information processing device, the difference information computed by the difference information generation unit, and the position information indicating at least one of the position of the moving object measured by the position measurement unit or the travelling position identified by the travelling position identification unit;

the information processing device further comprises a reception unit that receives the difference information and the position information transmitted by the transmission unit; and

the difference registration unit stores the difference information in a difference database in association with the position information received by the reception unit.

18. A non-transitory compute readable medium storing a program executable by a computer to perform a process for information processing, the process comprising:

associating (A) difference information indicating a difference between (a) a position of a moving object measured based on a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite and (b) a travelling position of the moving object on map data identified based on (i) at least one of the position of the moving object or external environment information indicating an environment of surroundings of the moving object and (ii) the map data, with (B) position information indicating at least one of the position of the moving object or the travelling position, and storing the associated information in a difference database; and

for each item of the position information, setting information indicating whether or not the map data, which is associated with the item of position information, is to be updated based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program executable by a computer to perform a process for information processing, the process comprising:

associating (A) difference information indicating a difference between (a) a travel path of a moving object generated from a time series of travelling positions of the moving object on map data identified based on external environment information indicating an environment of surroundings of the moving object and on the map data, and (b) an integrated path of the moving object generated from a time series of motion amounts of the moving object generated based on at least one of the external environment information or a travelling state of the moving object, with (B) position information indicating the travelling position, and storing the associated information in a difference database; and

for each item of the position information, setting information indicating whether or not the map data, which is associated with the item of position information, is to be updated based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program executable by a computer to perform a process for information processing, the process comprising:

associating (A) difference information indicating a difference between (a) at least one of surrounding environment information generated from external environment information indicating an environment of surroundings of a moving object or a positioning path of the moving object generated from positions of the moving object, and (b) map data, the difference information being generated according to at least one of (i) a result of a comparison between a position of the moving object measured based on a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite and road information included in the map data, or (ii) an identification result for a travelling position of the moving object on the map data identified from the external environment information and the map data, with (B) position information indicating at least one of a position of the moving object or the travelling position, and storing the associated information in a difference database; and

for each item of the position information, setting information indicating whether or not the map data, which is associated with the item of position information, is to be updated, based on the difference information associated with the position information stored in the difference database.