JP7341176B2 - Map data update method and map information system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a map data updating method and a map information system that executes the map data updating method.

Patent Document 1 discloses a car navigation device for a vehicle that communicates with a map server and downloads the latest map data. The car navigation device according to Patent Document 1 displays characters such as "updating" or "updating" on the display while updating.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-165617

The map data is composed of a plurality of block data divided into blocks on the map, and is updated for each block data. Therefore, the user is interested in whether the block being updated is located on the route to the vehicle's destination. For example, if the map data is high-precision map data necessary for automatic driving, automatic driving may stop if the corresponding block data has not been updated before the vehicle reaches a certain block.

In view of the above background, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for updating map data that can recognize a block whose map data is being updated, and a map information system that executes the method for updating map data.

In order to solve the above problems, an aspect of the present invention is a map data update method executed by a map information system (1), wherein the map data includes a plurality of block data partitioned into blocks on a map. and is stored in the storage device (52) of the map information system, and the map information system communicates with the map server (3) having the latest map data, and stores the latest data corresponding to the block data to be updated. Download update data from the map data, execute an update process to update the map data stored in the storage device based on the downloaded update data, and display the display (23) capable of communicating with the map information system. , displaying a map image in which a block corresponding to the block data for which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed is displayed in a manner that allows it to be distinguished from other blocks;

According to this aspect, the user can view the map image and recognize blocks that are undergoing or scheduled to undergo update processing. This allows the user to predict in advance a phenomenon that may occur due to incomplete updating of map data, such as a stoppage of automatic driving, for example.

In the above aspect, it is preferable that the map information system assigns a color different from other blocks to a block corresponding to the block data in which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed in the map image.

According to this aspect, the user can easily recognize blocks for which update processing is being executed or scheduled to be executed from the map image.

In the above aspect, it is preferable that the map information system displays, in the map image, a numerical value indicating the order of the update process in a block corresponding to the block data in which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed.

According to this aspect, the user can recognize the update order of each block. This makes it possible to estimate whether or not the block data will be updated in time before the own vehicle reaches a predetermined block.

In the above aspect, the map information system provides a numerical value indicating a progress rate of the update process of the corresponding block data to a block corresponding to the block data in which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed in the map image. Or display a figure.

According to this aspect, the user can recognize the progress of updating each block. This makes it possible to estimate whether or not the map data will be updated in time.

In the above aspect, the map data may be a high-precision map including lane information.

According to this aspect, the user can recognize the update status of the high-precision map necessary for automatic vehicle driving.

In the above aspect, the map information system preferably displays the position of the own vehicle and the route to the destination in the map image.

According to this aspect, the relative position between the host vehicle and the block being updated can be recognized.

Another aspect of the present invention is a map information system (1), which includes a storage device (52) that stores map data including a plurality of block data divided into blocks on a map, and the latest map data. The map server (3) having a map server (3) downloads the latest block data corresponding to the block data to be updated from the map data, and stores the map in the storage device based on the downloaded block data A map acquisition unit that executes an update process to update data and displays on a display a map image in which a block corresponding to the block data for which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed is displayed in a manner distinguishable from other blocks. (51).

According to this aspect, the user can view the map image and recognize blocks that are undergoing or scheduled to undergo update processing. This allows the user to predict in advance a phenomenon that may occur due to incomplete updating of map data, such as a stoppage of automatic driving, for example.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a map data updating method that can recognize a block whose map data is being updated, and a map information system that executes the map data updating method.

Configuration diagram of map information system in embodiment Flow diagram showing the procedure of the first update process executed by the map information system Flow diagram showing the procedure of priority determination processing executed by the map information system Example of a map image displayed on the touch panel when updating map data Flow diagram showing the procedure of the second update process executed by the map information system Flow diagram showing the procedure of deletion processing executed by the map information system

Hereinafter, a map information system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the map information system 1 includes a vehicle system 2 mounted on a vehicle, and a map server 3 connected to the vehicle system 2 via a network.

<Vehicle system>
First, the vehicle system 2 will be explained. The vehicle system 2 includes a propulsion device 4, a brake device 5, a steering device 6, an external world sensor 7, a vehicle sensor 8, a communication device 9, a GNSS receiver 10, a navigation device 11, a driving operator 12, a driving operation sensor 13, an HMI 14, It has a start switch 15 and a control device 16. Each component of the vehicle system 2 is connected to each other so that signals can be transmitted by a communication means such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

The propulsion device 4 is a device that provides driving force to the vehicle, and includes, for example, at least one of an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, and an electric motor. The brake device 5 is a device that applies braking force to the vehicle, and includes, for example, a brake caliper that presses a pad against a brake rotor and an electric cylinder that supplies hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper. The brake device 5 may include a parking brake device that restricts rotation of the wheel using a wire cable. The steering device 6 is a device for changing the steering angle of the wheels, and includes, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism that steers the wheels and an electric motor that drives the rack and pinion mechanism. The propulsion device 4, the brake device 5, and the steering device 6 are controlled by a control device 16.

The external sensor 7 is a sensor that detects objects outside the vehicle by capturing electromagnetic waves, sound waves, etc. from the surroundings of the vehicle. The external sensor 7 includes a sonar 17 and an external camera 18. The external sensor 7 may include a millimeter wave radar or a laser lidar. The external sensor 7 outputs the detection result to the control device 16.

The sonar 17 is a so-called ultrasonic sensor, and detects the position (distance and direction) of an object by emitting ultrasonic waves around the vehicle and capturing the reflected waves. A plurality of sonar units 17 are provided at each of the rear and front portions of the vehicle.

The vehicle exterior camera 18 is a device that images the surroundings of the vehicle, and is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or CMOS. The vehicle exterior camera 18 may be a stereo camera or a monocular camera. The exterior camera 18 includes a front camera that images the front of the vehicle, a rear camera that images the rear of the vehicle, and a pair of side cameras that image the left and right sides of the vehicle.

Vehicle sensor 8 is a sensor that measures the state of the vehicle. The vehicle sensor 8 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around the vertical axis of the vehicle, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the vehicle, and the like. The yaw rate sensor is, for example, a gyro sensor. The vehicle sensor 8 may include a tilt sensor that detects the tilt of the vehicle body and a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the wheels.

The communication device 9 mediates communication between the control device 16 and equipment outside the vehicle (for example, the map server 3). Communication device 9 includes a router that connects control device 16 to the Internet. The communication device 9 preferably has a wireless communication function that mediates wireless communication between the control device 16 and the control device 16 of a nearby vehicle, and wireless communication between the control device 16 and a roadside machine on the road.

The GNSS receiver 10 (vehicle position identification device) receives signals (hereinafter referred to as "GNSS signals") from a plurality of satellites that constitute the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The GNSS receiver 10 outputs the received GNSS signal to the navigation device 11 and the control device 16.

The navigation device 11 is configured by a computer using known hardware. The navigation device 11 identifies the current position (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle based on the previous driving history and the GNSS signal output from the GNSS receiver 10. The navigation device 11 stores data (hereinafter referred to as "navigation map data") regarding road information of the region or country in which the vehicle travels in the RAM, HDD, SSD, or the like.

The navigation device 11 sets a route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination input by the occupant based on the GNSS signal and navigation map data, and outputs the route to the control device 16. When the vehicle starts traveling, the navigation device 11 provides route guidance to the occupants to the destination.

The navigation device 11 holds information regarding points (nodes) placed on the road and line segments (links) connecting the nodes as information regarding roads on the map. The nodes held in the navigation device 11 may be provided at feature points such as intersections and merging points, for example. The navigation device 11 associates and stores the distance between connected nodes with each link. The navigation device 11 obtains an appropriate route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination based on the distance between the nodes, and outputs information indicating the route to the control device 16. The output information indicating the route includes points (nodes) on the road corresponding to the route and links corresponding to vectors connecting the nodes.

The driving operator 12 is provided in the vehicle interior and receives input operations performed by a passenger to control the vehicle. The driving controls 12 include a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal. Further, the driving operator 12 may include a shift lever, a parking brake lever, a turn signal lever, and the like.

The driving operation sensor 13 is a sensor that detects the amount of operation of the driving operator 12 . The driving operation sensor 13 includes a steering angle sensor that detects the amount of operation of the steering wheel, an accelerator sensor that detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal, and a brake sensor that detects the amount of operation of the brake pedal. The driving operation sensor 13 outputs the detected operation amount to the control device 16. The driving operation sensor 13 may include a grip sensor that detects that the occupant grips the steering wheel. The grip sensor is configured by, for example, a capacitance sensor provided on the outer periphery of the steering wheel.

The HMI 14 notifies the occupant of various information through display and audio, and also accepts input operations from the occupant. The HMI 14 includes, for example, a liquid crystal, an organic EL, etc., a touch panel 23 that accepts input operations by a passenger, and a sound generating device 24 such as a buzzer or a speaker. The HMI 14 can display an operation mode switching button on the touch panel 23. The driving mode switching button is a button that accepts an operation by an occupant to switch the driving mode of the vehicle (for example, automatic driving mode and manual driving mode).

The HMI 14 also functions as an interface that mediates input/output to the navigation device 11. That is, when the HMI 14 receives a destination input operation by a passenger, the navigation device 11 starts setting a route to the destination. Furthermore, the HMI 14 displays the current position of the vehicle and the route to the destination when the navigation device 11 provides route guidance to the destination.

The start switch 15 is a switch for starting the vehicle system 2. That is, when a passenger is seated in the driver's seat and presses the start switch 15 while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle system 2 is started.

The control device 16 is configured by one or more electronic control units (ECUs) including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. The control device 16 executes various vehicle controls by the CPU executing arithmetic processing according to a program. The control device 16 may be configured as a single piece of hardware, or may be configured as a unit consisting of multiple pieces of hardware. At least a portion of each functional unit of the control device 16 may be realized by hardware such as an LSI, an ASIC, or an FPGA, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

<Control device 16>
As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 16 includes an external world recognition section 31, an automatic driving control section 32 (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems, ADAS), a map positioning unit 33 (Map positioning unit, MPU), and probe information. It has an acquisition section 34. These components may be configured by separate electronic control devices and may be connected to each other via a gateway (central gateway, CGW). Moreover, each component may be configured by an integrated electronic control device.

The external world recognition unit 31 recognizes targets existing around the vehicle based on the detection results of the external world sensor 7, and acquires information regarding the position and size of the targets. The targets recognized by the external world recognition unit 31 include marking lines, lanes, road edges, road shoulders, obstacles, etc. provided on the road where the vehicle is traveling.

The marking line is a line displayed along the vehicle traveling direction. A lane is an area demarcated by one or more lane markings. The road edge is the end of the road on which the vehicle travels. The road shoulder is an area between the partition line and the road edge located at the end in the vehicle width direction. Obstacles include, for example, barriers (guardrails), telephone poles, surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, and the like.

The external world recognition unit 31 recognizes the positions of targets existing around the vehicle relative to the vehicle by analyzing images taken by the camera 18 outside the vehicle. For example, the external world recognition unit 31 may recognize the distance and direction from the vehicle to the target when viewed from directly above with the vehicle body as a reference using a known method such as a triangulation method or a motion stereo method. Furthermore, the external world recognition unit 31 analyzes the image taken by the camera 18 outside the vehicle, and identifies the type of each target (e.g., marking line, lane, road edge, shoulder, obstacle, etc.) based on a known method. judge.

The automatic driving control section 32 includes an action planning section 41, a travel control section 42, and a mode setting section 43.

The action planning unit 41 creates an action plan for driving the vehicle. The action planning section 41 outputs a travel control signal corresponding to the created action plan to the travel control section 42.

The travel control section 42 controls the propulsion device 4, the brake device 5, and the steering device 6 based on the travel control signal from the action planning section 41. That is, the driving control unit 42 causes the vehicle to travel according to the action plan created by the action planning unit 41.

The mode setting unit 43 switches the driving mode of the vehicle between a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode based on input to the HMI 14. In the manual driving mode, the travel control unit 42 operates the propulsion device 4, the brake device 5, and the steering device 6 in response to input operations by the occupant on the driving controls 12 (e.g., steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and/or brake pedal). control and drive the vehicle. On the other hand, in the automatic driving mode, there is no need for the occupant to perform input operations on the driving controls 12, and the driving control unit 42 controls the propulsion device 4, the brake device 5, and the steering device 6, and causes the vehicle to travel autonomously. . In other words, the driving automation level in the automatic driving mode is higher than the driving automation level in the manual driving mode.

The map position specifying section 33 includes a map acquisition section 51 , a map storage section 52 , an own vehicle position specifying section 53 , and a map cooperation section 54 .

The map acquisition unit 51 accesses the map server 3 and acquires dynamic map data, which is highly accurate map information, from the map server 3. For example, when the navigation device 11 sets a route, the map acquisition unit 51 may acquire the latest dynamic map data of the area corresponding to the route from the map server 3 via the communication device 9.

The dynamic map data is more detailed map data than the map data held in the navigation device 11, and includes static information, semi-static information, semi-dynamic information, and dynamic information. The static information includes three-dimensional map data that is more accurate than navigation map data. Semi-static information includes traffic regulation information, road construction information, and wide-area weather information. Semi-dynamic information includes accident information, traffic jam information, and local weather information. The dynamic information includes signal information, surrounding vehicle information, and pedestrian information.

The static information (high-precision map) of the dynamic map data includes information about lanes on the driving road (for example, the number of lanes) and information about the marking lines on the driving road (for example, the type of marking lines). For example, the demarcation lines of static information are expressed by nodes arranged at smaller distances than the nodes of navigation map data and links connecting the nodes.

In addition, a roadway in static information is also expressed by nodes (hereinafter referred to as roadway nodes) arranged at predetermined intervals and links connecting the nodes (hereinafter referred to as roadway links). The roadway node is created between the partition line node set at the left end of the road and the partition line node set at the right end of the road. Roadway link nodes are provided at predetermined intervals along the road.

The map storage unit 52 includes a storage device such as an HDD or an SSD, and holds various information necessary for autonomous driving of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode. The map storage unit 52 stores dynamic map data that the map acquisition unit 51 acquired from the map server 3.

The own vehicle position specifying unit 53 specifies the position (latitude, longitude) of the vehicle based on the GNSS signal output from the GNSS receiver 10.

The vehicle position specifying unit 53 calculates the amount of movement of the vehicle (distance and direction of movement of the vehicle; hereinafter referred to as DR movement amount) by dead reckoning (e.g., odometry) using the detection results from the vehicle sensor 8 (IMU, etc.). . For example, when a GNSS signal cannot be received, the own vehicle position specifying unit 53 identifies the own vehicle position based on the DR movement amount. Further, the own vehicle position specifying unit 53 may perform processing to improve the identification accuracy of the own vehicle position by correcting the own vehicle position specified from the GNSS signal based on the DR movement amount.

The map cooperation unit 54 extracts a corresponding route from the high-precision map held in the map storage unit 52 based on the route output from the navigation device 11, and outputs it to the localization function unit.

When the vehicle is instructed to start autonomous driving, the action planning unit 41 creates a global action plan (for example, changing lanes, merging, branching, etc.) based on the route extracted by the map linking unit 54. plan. After that, when the autonomous driving of the vehicle starts, the action planning section 41 generates a global action plan, the own vehicle position specified by the own vehicle position specifying section 53, objects recognized by the external world recognition section 31, and a map storage section. A more detailed action plan (for example, danger avoidance, etc.) is drawn up based on the high-precision map etc. held by the vehicle controller 52, and the driving control unit 42 controls the driving of the vehicle based on the plan.

The probe information acquisition unit 34 detects the position of the own vehicle specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit 53 based on the GNSS signal, and the position detected by at least one of the vehicle sensor 8, the driving operation sensor 13, and the external sensor 7. It is associated with data, acquired and retained as probe information.

<Map server 3>
Next, the map server 3 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, the map server 3 is connected to a control device 16 via a network (in this embodiment, the Internet). The map server 3 is a computer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, and a storage device such as an HDD or SSD.

The storage device of the map server 3 stores dynamic map data (high-precision map data). Note that the dynamic map data stored in the storage device of the map server 3 is dynamic map data that covers a wider area than the dynamic map data stored in the map storage unit 52 of the control device 16. The dynamic map data includes a plurality of block data (partial map data) corresponding to each block (region) on the map. Each block data is preferably data corresponding to a rectangular block divided in the latitude and longitude directions on the map.

When the map server 3 receives a request for data from the control device 16 (map acquisition unit 51) via the communication device 9, it transmits a dynamic map corresponding to the requested data to the corresponding control device 16. The transmitted data preferably includes traffic jam information, weather information, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the map server 3 includes a dynamic map storage section 61, a block data transmission section 62, a probe information management section 63, and a probe information storage section 64.

The dynamic map storage unit 61 is constituted by a storage device, and stores a dynamic map of a wider area than the area in which the vehicle travels. The block data transmitter 62 receives a request to transmit specific block data from a vehicle, and transmits block data corresponding to the transmission request to the vehicle.

The probe information management unit 63 receives probe information appropriately transmitted from the vehicle. The probe information storage section 64 stores and holds the probe information acquired by the probe information reception section. The probe information management unit 63 performs appropriate statistical processing and the like based on the probe information held by the probe information storage unit 64, and performs an update process to update the dynamic map.

The method of updating dynamic map data executed by the map acquisition unit 51 will be described below. The map acquisition unit 51 uses a dynamic map data update method in both the startup state of the vehicle system 2 (vehicle) with the start switch 15 turned on and the sleep state of the vehicle system 2 (vehicle) with the start switch 15 turned off. Execute.

When the vehicle system 2 is in the activated state, the map acquisition unit 51 executes the first update process shown in FIG. 2 at predetermined time intervals. In the first update process, the map acquisition unit 51 first communicates with the map server 3 via the network and acquires the latest version information of the dynamic map (S1). Version information is given to each block data. The map acquisition unit 51 may acquire version information corresponding to a plurality of blocks within a predetermined distance from the vehicle location based on the vehicle location.

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 determines the priority order of the block data of the dynamic map data (high-precision map data) to be updated based on at least one of the position of the own vehicle, the route to the destination, and the traffic history. (S2). At this time, it is preferable that the map acquisition unit 51 determines the priority order by considering the version information.

The priority of block data to be updated may be set based on various criteria. For example, based on the route to the destination set by the navigation device 11, a plurality of block data corresponding to a block (area) including the route to the destination may be set to have a high priority. Moreover, among a plurality of block data corresponding to a block including a route to a destination, block data corresponding to an area closer to the position of the host vehicle may be given a higher priority. As the position of the own vehicle, the position acquired by the own vehicle position specifying unit 53 may be used.

Furthermore, based on the past traffic history stored by the navigation device 11, it is preferable that block data corresponding to a block that is frequently traveled is given a higher priority. The traffic history may be position data of the own vehicle acquired at predetermined time intervals. In this case, it is preferable that the priority is set higher for block data corresponding to a block that includes more points where the host vehicle has existed in the past. By limiting the travel history to a period a predetermined time before the current time, it is possible to increase the influence of the recent travel history on the priority order.

Furthermore, based on the position of the own vehicle, block data corresponding to a block closer to the position of the own vehicle may be given a higher priority. Furthermore, the priority order may be set based on the direction of the host vehicle. For example, the priority of block data corresponding to a block located on the front side with respect to the direction of travel of the own vehicle is higher than the priority of block data corresponding to a block located on the rear side with respect to the direction of travel of the own vehicle. It is good to set this. The orientation of the host vehicle may be obtained based on changes in the position of the host vehicle over time.

Further, since the block data that is the latest version does not need to be updated, it is preferable to set the priority to the lowest. Whether each block data is the latest version can be determined by comparing the latest version information acquired from the map server 3 with the version information of each block data stored in the map storage unit 52. It is preferable that version information of block data not stored in the map storage unit 52 is set to Null.

The map acquisition unit 51 may determine the priority order of the block data to be updated, for example, by the priority order determination process shown in FIG. The map acquisition unit 51 first extracts a plurality of blocks whose distance from the own vehicle is less than or equal to a predetermined value based on the position of the own vehicle (S11).

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 extracts a block whose corresponding block data version is not the latest from among the plurality of extracted blocks (S12). That is, the map acquisition unit 51 determines whether updating is necessary based on the version information of the block data stored in the map storage unit 52 and the version information of the block data stored in the map server 3.

The map acquisition unit 51 next initializes the priorities of the plurality of blocks extracted in step S12, that is, sets them to 0 (S13).

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 adds a first addition value to the priority of the block including the route to the destination among the plurality of blocks based on the route to the destination (S14). The first addition value may be a predetermined value. Next, the map acquisition unit 51 adds a second additional value to the priority of the block that has been passed through frequently in the past based on the traffic history among the plurality of blocks (S15). The second additional value may be, for example, a value obtained by multiplying a predetermined value by the traffic frequency of each block. Next, the map acquisition unit 51 adds a third additional value to the priority so that among the plurality of blocks, the block closer to the position of the own vehicle has a larger value (S16). The third additional value is preferably a value obtained by dividing a predetermined value by the distance between the position of the own vehicle and each block. Next, the map acquisition unit 51 sets a higher priority order for each block data (S17) in descending order of the priority value of each block.

By changing the values of the first additional value, second additional value, and third additional value, it is possible to change the influence of the route to the destination, the traffic history, and the distance from the own vehicle on the priority order. . For example, if you want to prioritize the route to the destination, the traffic history, and the distance from your vehicle in that order, the first additional value will be greater than the maximum value of the second additional values, and the second additional value It is preferable to set the values of the first to third added values such that the minimum value of is larger than the maximum value of the third added value.

As shown in FIG. 2, after determining the priority order of the block data to be updated in step S1, the map acquisition unit 51 initializes the measurement time to 0 in order to measure the period during which the determined priority order is valid. , starts time measurement (S3).

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 selects the block data with the highest priority based on the priority (S4). Then, the map acquisition unit 51 generates a transmission request corresponding to the block data with the highest priority, and transmits the transmission request to the map server 3 via the network (S5). Each block of data stored in the map storage unit 52 includes version information indicating the newness of the data. The transmission request includes information for identifying the own vehicle, an identification number for identifying the target block data, and version information of the target block data.

Upon receiving the transmission request, the block data transmission unit 62 of the map server 3 transmits update data of the target block data to the vehicle system 2 based on the transmission request. The update data may be the latest block data stored in the dynamic map storage unit 61, or may be difference data for changing the block data stored in the vehicle system 2 to the latest block data. The block data transmitter 62 may identify corresponding difference data based on the version information included in the transmission request and the latest version information. The amount of communication can be reduced by updating using differential data.

The map acquisition unit 51 downloads update data of the target block data from the map server 3 (S6), and updates the block data stored in the map storage unit 52 based on the downloaded update data (S7).

After updating the block data, the map acquisition unit 51 sets the priority of the target block data to the lowest level (S8). Then, the map acquisition unit 51 determines whether the elapsed time is equal to or longer than a predetermined valid time (S9). The valid time is set as a period during which the priority set in step S1 is valid. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the valid time (the determination result in S9 is Yes), the map acquisition unit 51 executes the first update process again from step S1 to update the priority order. If the elapsed time is less than the valid time (No in S9), the map acquisition unit 51 repeats steps S4 to S8. This allows block data to be updated in order starting from the highest priority.

Furthermore, while downloading block data, the map acquisition unit 51 determines, based on the position of the vehicle, that the vehicle will not pass through the area corresponding to the block data being downloaded within a predetermined period of time. When it is determined, downloading of the block data that is currently being downloaded may be stopped. For example, if the block corresponding to the block data being downloaded does not include a route to the destination and is located at the rear based on the direction of the host vehicle, the download may be stopped. Free space in the map storage unit 52 can be maintained by stopping the download of block data that has been determined not to be used.

According to the first update process executed by the map acquisition unit 51, block data to be updated is selected based on at least one of the position of the own vehicle, the route to the destination, and the traffic history. The capacity of partial map data to be stored can be reduced. In particular, when the map data is a dynamic map with a large data capacity, the amount of data to be stored in the map storage unit 52 can be reduced by a large amount.

The map acquisition unit 51 executes an update display process during execution of the first update process. In the update display process, the map acquisition unit 51 displays a block (area) corresponding to the block data (partial map data) on which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed on the touch panel 23, which is the display of the map information system 1, in a different area. The map image 80 is displayed in a manner that allows the user to identify the map image 80. Moreover, the map information system 1 may display the map image 80 on the display of a mobile terminal such as a user's smartphone.

The map acquisition unit 51 may display a map image 80 shown in FIG. 4 on the touch panel 23, for example. The map image 80 may be displayed in combination with the route guidance image displayed on the touch panel 23 by the navigation device 11. The map image 80 displays a cursor 81 representing the position of the own vehicle and a route 82 to the destination. Further, the map image 80 may be displayed independently of the route guidance image displayed on the touch panel 23 by the navigation device 11. In this case, the touch panel 23 may switch the image displayed on the touch panel 23 between the route guide image and the map image 80 showing only the update progress in response to the user's touch operation. In this embodiment, the map acquisition unit 51 displays a map image 80 indicating the update progress in combination with a route guidance image.

For example, the map acquisition unit 51 attaches a first display 85 to a block corresponding to block data that is being downloaded and updated or is scheduled to be downloaded and updated, and attaches a second display to a block that has the latest block data. 86 and no additional display is added to blocks that are not scheduled for download. The first and second displays 85 and 86 may be symbols or colors. The map acquisition unit 51 may display the map image 80 in which blocks corresponding to block data undergoing or scheduled to undergo update processing are colored differently from other blocks. That is, the first display 85 and the second display 86 are given different colors. As a result, the user can recognize blocks that are being updated or scheduled to be updated, blocks that have the latest block data (including blocks that have been updated), and blocks that are not scheduled to be updated, from the map image 80 displayed on the touch panel 23. can do.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the map image 80 displayed on the touch panel 23, the map acquisition unit 51 displays an order display 88 indicating the order of update processing in the block corresponding to the block data that is undergoing or scheduled to undergo update processing. It is good to display it. The order display 88 is a numerical value indicating the order of update processing, and may be the priority order determined in the priority order determination process. The order display 88 allows the user to recognize the order of update processing.

The map acquisition unit 51 includes, in the map image 80 displayed on the touch panel 23, a numerical value or a figure indicating the progress rate of the update process of the corresponding block data in the block corresponding to the block data that is undergoing or scheduled to be updated. It is preferable to display a progress display 89. The progress display 89 may be, for example, a bar graph corresponding to 0% to 100%. The user can recognize the update status of each block data by looking at the progress display 89. Alternatively, the total amount of data or the number of blocks of all block data scheduled to be updated at a certain point in time may be obtained, and a progress display 89 indicating the download progress rate relative to the total may be displayed on the map image 80. For example, if block data corresponding to 10 blocks is scheduled to be downloaded at a certain point in time, and block data corresponding to 5 blocks has been downloaded at a certain point thereafter, " It is preferable to display a numerical or graphical progress display 89 corresponding to "5/10". The data amount or the total number of blocks of all block data scheduled to be updated may be updated at predetermined time intervals.

When the vehicle system 2 (vehicle) is in the sleep state, the map acquisition unit 51 executes the second update process at predetermined time intervals. In the second update process, the map acquisition unit 51 determines block data to be updated based on at least one of the travel history and the expected future route. Then, the map acquisition unit 51 communicates with the map server 3, downloads the latest block data corresponding to the block data to be updated from the map server 3, and stores the latest block data in the map storage unit 52 based on the downloaded block data. Update the map data.

It is preferable that the map acquisition unit 51 acquires the user's schedule information by communicating with the schedule management server 71 that stores the user's schedule information via a network, and determines a future expected route based on the schedule information. The schedule management server 71 stores schedule information of multiple users. A user can rewrite the schedule information stored in the schedule management server 71 using an application on a mobile terminal or a personal computer. The schedule information is composed of records including, for example, a user ID, date and time, location, content, and the like.

The map acquisition unit 51 preferably communicates with the schedule management server 71 and acquires schedule information of the target user based on the user ID. It is preferable that the map acquisition unit 51 extracts the date and time and location from the acquired schedule information, and creates an expected route at that date and time based on the extracted date and time and location. The map acquisition unit 51 may limit target schedule information based on the date and time included in the schedule information. The map acquisition unit 51 may create an expected route for schedule information for dates and times included within a predetermined period from the date and time when the second update process is executed.

The map acquisition unit 51 may create a predicted route using the location included in the schedule information as the destination and the current position of the own vehicle as the departure point. Additionally, the map acquisition unit 51 sets the location included in the schedule information as the destination, the current position of the own vehicle as the departure point, outputs the destination and the departure point to the navigation device 11, and allows the navigation device 11 to set the future location as the departure point. A predicted route may also be created.

Details of the second update process will be described below with reference to FIG. 5. In the second update process, the map acquisition unit 51 first communicates with the map server 3 via the network and acquires the latest version information of the dynamic map (S21).

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 communicates with the schedule management server 71 and acquires schedule information of the target user from the schedule management server 71 (S22). Next, the map acquisition unit 51 creates a future expected route based on the user's schedule information (S23).

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 determines the block data to be updated based on the created predicted route, and determines the update priority (S24). For example, the map acquisition unit 51 extracts a block including the created predicted route. Then, the map acquisition unit 51 compares the version information of the block data stored in the map storage unit 52 with the version information of the latest block data acquired from the map server 3 for the extracted block, and updates the block data to the latest version. Exclude blocks that already have block data. The map acquisition unit 51 then assigns update priorities to the extracted blocks in descending order of the location of the vehicle. As a result, blocks that include a predicted route and whose block data version is not the latest are given a higher priority in the order of distance from the own vehicle's position.

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 determines the block data to be updated based on the traffic history, and determines the update priority order (S25). For example, the map acquisition unit 51 extracts blocks whose traffic frequency is equal to or higher than the first determination value, based on the traffic history. The first determination value is set to determine that the traffic frequency is relatively high. In another embodiment, the map acquisition unit 51 may extract blocks whose traffic frequency is equal to or greater than the first determination value and which exist within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle. Then, the map acquisition unit 51 compares the version information of the block data stored in the map storage unit 52 with the version information of the latest block data acquired from the map server 3 for the extracted block, and updates the block data to the latest version. Exclude blocks that already have block data. Then, the map acquisition unit 51 assigns update priorities to the extracted blocks in order of proximity to the location of the own vehicle. As a result, blocks whose traffic frequency is equal to or greater than the first determination value and whose block data version is not the latest are given higher priority in the order of their proximity to the vehicle's position. The highest priority assigned in step S25 is set lower than the lowest priority assigned in step S24.

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 determines the block data to be updated based on the position of the host vehicle, and determines the update priority order (S26). For example, based on the position of the own vehicle, the map acquisition unit 51 extracts block data corresponding to blocks existing within a predetermined distance from the position of the own vehicle as block data to be updated. Then, the map acquisition unit 51 compares the version information of the block data stored in the map storage unit 52 with the version information of the latest block data acquired from the map server 3 for the extracted block, and updates the block data to the latest version. Exclude blocks that already have block data. Then, the map acquisition unit 51 assigns update priorities to the extracted blocks in order of proximity to the position of the own vehicle. As a result, blocks that exist within a predetermined distance from the own vehicle and whose block data version is not the latest are given higher priority in the order of their proximity to the own vehicle. The highest priority assigned in step S26 is set lower than the lowest priority assigned in step S25.

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 communicates with the map server 3, outputs a transmission request for corresponding update data to the map server 3 in order of block data having the highest priority, and downloads the corresponding update data from the map server 3. (S27). Then, the map acquisition unit 51 updates the block data stored in the map storage unit 52 based on the downloaded update data (S28).

According to the second update process, since the map acquisition unit 51 updates the map data when the vehicle is in sleep mode, the update process can be performed with sufficient time. Thereby, the map information system 1 can prepare map data necessary for traveling when the vehicle starts traveling. Since the map acquisition unit 51 determines the block data to be updated based on the schedule information, it can prepare in advance the block data necessary for the next run. Moreover, since the map acquisition unit 51 determines the block data to be updated based on the travel history, it is possible to prepare the block data of the area where there is a possibility of passing by the start of the next trip. Moreover, since the map acquisition unit 51 determines the block data to be updated based on the position of the own vehicle, it is possible to prepare block data of areas that the vehicle may pass by the time of starting the next trip.

In the second update process, a future expected route may be set based on a planned destination input in advance by the user. The planned destination is preferably input by the user operating the touch panel 23 and stored in the storage device of the navigation device 11 or the control device 16. A plurality of scheduled destinations may be stored in the storage device of the navigation device 11 or the control device 16.

The map acquisition unit 51 executes the deletion process at predetermined time intervals in the startup state and sleep state of the vehicle. In the deletion process, block data that is estimated to be used less frequently in the future is deleted, and the remaining capacity of the map storage unit 52 is increased.

The map acquisition unit 51 may delete block data corresponding to blocks whose traffic frequency is less than or equal to a predetermined second determination value, based on the traffic history. The second determination value is set to determine that the traffic frequency is low. The traffic history may be position data of the own vehicle acquired at predetermined time intervals. In this case, block data corresponding to a block in which there are few locations where the host vehicle has existed in the past is deleted. By limiting the traffic history to a period a predetermined time before the current time, block data can be deleted based on the recent traffic frequency.

Furthermore, the map acquisition unit 51 may delete block data corresponding to a map area where the traffic frequency is less than or equal to the second determination value and does not include a route to the destination, based on the traffic history.

The map acquisition unit 51 may perform the deletion process according to the procedure shown in FIG. 6, for example. In the deletion process, the map acquisition unit 51 first extracts blocks that do not include the route to the destination or the expected future route (S31).

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 extracts blocks whose traffic frequency is less than or equal to the second determination value based on the traffic history from among the blocks extracted in step S31 (S32). The second determination value may be changed depending on the distance between the position of the host vehicle and the block. For example, the value of the second determination value may be increased as the distance between the position of the own vehicle and the block increases. This makes it easier to extract blocks that are far from the position of the own vehicle.

Next, the map acquisition unit 51 deletes the block data corresponding to the block extracted in step S32 (S33).

According to the deletion process, it is possible to increase the remaining capacity of the map storage unit 52 by deleting block data that is unlikely to be used. In other embodiments, the second determination value may be changed depending on the remaining capacity of the map storage unit 52. For example, the value of the second determination value may be increased as the remaining capacity of the map storage unit 52 decreases. As a result, as the remaining capacity of the map storage section 52 decreases, block data becomes more likely to be deleted.

Although the description of the specific embodiments has been completed above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be widely modified and implemented.

1: Map information system 2: Vehicle system 3: Map server 7: External sensor 8: Vehicle sensor 9: Communication device 10: GNSS receiver 16: Control device 11: Navigation device 23: Touch panel (display)
31: External world recognition unit 32: Automatic driving control unit 33: Map position identification unit 51: Map acquisition unit 52: Map storage unit 61: Dynamic map storage unit 62: Block data transmission unit 63: Probe information management unit 64: Probe information storage Part 71: Schedule management server

Claims (5)

A map data update method executed by a map information system, the method comprising:
The map data is a high-precision map including lane information, includes a plurality of block data divided into blocks on the map, and is stored in a storage device of the map information system,
The map information system is
Communicating with a map server having the latest map data, downloading the latest update data corresponding to the block data to be updated from the map data, and updating the data stored in the storage device based on the downloaded update data. Execute the update process to update the map data,
The block that does not include a route to the destination or a predicted future route is extracted as a first block, and from among the first blocks, the block whose traffic frequency is equal to or less than a determination value based on the traffic history is extracted as a second block. Executing a deletion process to extract block data corresponding to the second block,
Displaying on a display capable of communicating with the map information system a map image in which a block corresponding to the block data undergoing or scheduled to undergo the update process is displayed in a manner distinguishable from other blocks;
A method for updating map data, in which a numerical value indicating the order of the update process is displayed in a block corresponding to the block data in which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed in the map image. 2. The map data updating method according to claim 1, wherein the map information system applies a color different from other blocks to a block corresponding to the block data in which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed in the map image. The map information system displays, in the map image, a numerical value or a figure indicating a progress rate of the update process of the corresponding block data in a block corresponding to the block data that is undergoing or scheduled to undergo the update process. The method for updating map data according to claim 1 or claim 2 . 4. The method for updating map data according to claim 1, wherein the map information system displays the position of the own vehicle and the route to the destination in the map image. A map information system,
a storage device that stores map data including a plurality of block data divided into blocks on a map;
Communicating with a map server having the latest map data, downloading the latest block data corresponding to the block data to be updated from the map data, and storing the latest block data in the storage device based on the downloaded block data. A map in which an update process for updating the map data is executed, and a map image is displayed on a display in which a block corresponding to the block data for which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed is displayed in a manner distinguishable from other blocks. has an acquisition department;
The map information system, wherein the map acquisition unit displays a numerical value indicating the order of the update process in a block corresponding to the block data in which the update process is being executed or scheduled to be executed in the map image.

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