JP2022042745A - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program, in which a traveling area of a moving object traveling on a road surface is determined more appropriately.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: an information acquisition unit (11) that acquires information indicating a moving object traveling on a road surface and information indicating the road surface; an extended surface generator (12) that generates information indicating an extended surface that virtually extends the road surface; a traveling area generation unit (13) that generates information indicating the traveling area in which the moving object is traveled on a virtual road surface including the road surface and the extended surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for determining a traveling area of a moving body traveling on a road surface.

Conventionally, a technique for determining a traveling area of a moving body traveling on a road surface is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for determining a traveling area of a moving body and outputting a warning when the moving body traveling in the traveling area approaches a dangerous object such as an obstacle.

JP-A-2007-49219 (published on February 22, 2007)

By the way, the road surface may include a part where the moving body is difficult to travel or a part where the moving body cannot travel due to, for example, a road width, an obstacle or the like. In the conventional technique as described above, the determined traveling area may include a portion where it is difficult to travel or a portion where the traveling is not possible, and there is room for improvement in determining an appropriate traveling area.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique for more appropriately determining a traveling area of a moving body traveling on a road surface.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention has an information acquisition unit for acquiring information indicating a moving body traveling on a road surface and information indicating the road surface, and a virtual road surface. It is provided with an expansion surface generation unit that generates information indicating an expanded surface, and a traveling area generation unit that generates information indicating a traveling area on which the moving body is traveled on a virtual road surface including the road surface and the expansion surface. ing.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the traveling area of the moving body traveling on the road surface can be determined more appropriately.

It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of the process executed by the information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining an example of the virtual road surface in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the specific example of the 1st cost in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the cost distribution presented by using the cost function in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the specific example of the 2nd cost in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the specific example of the traveling area in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of the process executed by the information processing apparatus which concerns on modification 2 of one Embodiment of this invention.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the information processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

<Overview of information processing device 1>
The information processing device 1 acquires information indicating a moving body traveling on the road surface and information indicating the road surface, generates information indicating an expanded surface that is a virtual extension of the road surface, and is used on a virtual road surface composed of the road surface and the expanded surface. It is a device that generates information indicating a traveling area in which a moving body is traveled.

Further, the information processing apparatus 1 generates information indicating a repaired area of the extended surface that needs to be repaired in order to run the moving body, based on the information indicating the traveling area.

(Mobile)
A moving body is an object that travels on a road surface. For example, the moving body may have wheels for traveling on the road surface. Further, for example, the moving body may be able to travel autonomously or may be able to travel under the control of the operator. Further, for example, the moving body may be a vehicle on which an operator can be mounted. Specific examples of the moving body include, but are not limited to, work vehicles working on agricultural machinery, construction sites, mines, electric power plants, etc. on farms.

(Road surface)
The road surface is a surface on which a moving body is arranged to travel. The road surface may be a single road surface, or may be a road surface of a plurality of roads connected by crossing, branching, or merging. Hereinafter, the road surface may be referred to as "existing road surface".

The road surface has a boundary line that defines a boundary in the width direction. The width direction is a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction assumed for the moving body on the road surface. It is difficult for a moving body to run outside the boundary line of the road surface. That is, depending on the shape of the moving body, the road surface may include a place where the moving body is difficult to travel or a place where the moving body cannot travel due to the road width or the like.

(Expanded surface and virtual road surface)
The pavement is a virtually expanded area of the road surface. Here, the virtual expansion is assumed to be a virtual widening. In this case, the extended surface is a surface that smoothly connects to the boundary line of the road surface. The area consisting of the road surface and the extended surface is referred to as a virtual road surface.

(Driving area)
The traveling area is an area to be traveled by a moving body on a virtual road surface. On the virtual road surface, the moving body can run on the extended surface from the existing road surface. In other words, the traveling area may include an extended surface.

(Repair area)
The repair area is an area of the expansion surface that needs to be repaired in order to allow the traveling area to travel on the moving body. In other words, the repair area is the part where the expansion surface and the traveling area overlap.

(Effect of information processing device 1)
The information processing apparatus 1 generates information indicating a traveling area including an expanded surface when the moving body can travel by widening even if there is a portion where the moving body is difficult to travel or a portion where the moving body cannot travel on the road surface. As described above, the information processing apparatus 1 can more appropriately determine the traveling area of the moving body traveling on the road surface by considering the widening of the road surface.

<Configuration of information processing device 1>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 1 includes an information acquisition unit 11, an extended surface generation unit 12, a traveling area generation unit 13, and a repair area generation unit 14.

The information acquisition unit 11 acquires information indicating a moving body and information indicating a road surface. In addition, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires information indicating an obstacle. The details of each information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 will be described later.

The expansion surface generation unit 12 generates information indicating the expanded expansion surface by virtually widening the road surface. The details of the process executed by the extended surface generation unit 12 will be described later.

The traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating a traveling area in which the moving body is traveled on the virtual road surface. Specifically, the traveling area generation unit 13 associates each point included in the virtual road surface with a first cost based on the conditions of the road surface and its surroundings and a second cost based on the conditions of the space including the road surface and its surroundings. Further, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the traveling area so that the first cost and the second cost associated with each point included in the traveling area satisfy a predetermined condition. The details of the process executed by the traveling area generation unit 13 will be described later.

The repair area generation unit 14 generates information indicating a repair area that needs to be repaired in order to run the moving body in the extended surface, based on the information indicating the travel area. The details of the process executed by the repair area generation unit 14 will be described later.

<Flow of information processing method S1 executed by the information processing apparatus 1>
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the information processing method S1 executed by the information processing apparatus 1.

(Step S101)
In step S101, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires information indicating the road surface and information indicating an obstacle.

(Information indicating the road surface)
The information indicating the road surface includes information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the road surface. The information indicating the road surface may be information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the terrain including the road surface. Information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the terrain including the road surface is represented by, for example, point cloud data, mesh data, orthoimages, and the like.

(Information indicating obstacles)
Information indicating obstacles indicates obstacles existing on or around the road surface. In addition, the information indicating the obstacle includes information indicating the position and the three-dimensional shape of the obstacle. Information indicating the three-dimensional shape of an obstacle is represented by, for example, point cloud data, mesh data, or the like.

For example, the information acquisition unit 11 may extract information indicating a road surface and information indicating an obstacle from information measured using a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), an MMS (Mobile Mapping System), or the like. Further, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating the road surface and information indicating obstacles by reading from the memory included in the information processing apparatus 1 or the memory connected to the outside. Further, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating the road surface and information indicating obstacles from other devices connected via the network. Further, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating the road surface and information indicating an obstacle based on the information input via the input device.

(Step S102)
In step S102, the expansion surface generation unit 12 generates an expanded expansion surface by virtually widening the road surface. Specifically, the expansion surface generation unit 12 generates information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the expansion surface that is smoothly connected to the road surface at each boundary line in the width direction of the road surface. Further, the expansion surface generation unit 12 generates information indicating a virtual road surface including the road surface and the expansion surface.

(Specific examples of expansion surface and virtual road surface)
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the virtual road surface. In FIG. 3, the width direction of the existing road surface R0 is the x-axis, the traveling direction of the moving body assumed on the road surface R0 is the y-axis, and the vertical direction is the z-axis. In other words, FIG. 3 is a top view of the road surface R0 from the z-axis direction. However, FIG. 3 does not show that the road surface R0 is a plane included in the xy plane. The road surface R0 is not necessarily limited to a flat surface, and includes one or both of a flat surface and a curved surface. In FIG. 3, the virtual road surface R0a includes the road surface R0 and the extended surfaces R1 and R2. The boundary lines L1 and L2 indicate the widthwise end of the road surface R0. The expansion surface R1 is a surface that smoothly connects to the road surface R0 at the boundary line L1. The expansion surface R2 is a surface that smoothly connects to the road surface R0 at the boundary line L2. In FIG. 3, the virtual road surface R0a is defined as a surface composed of the road surface R0, the extended surface R1 and R2.

Here, it is assumed that as the information indicating the road surface R0, the information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the terrain including the existing road surface R0 is obtained based on the actual measurement. In this case, for example, the expansion surface generation unit 12 specifies the boundary lines L1 and L2 based on the three-dimensional shape of the terrain including the road surface R0. The area inside the specified boundary lines L1 and L2 indicates the road surface R0. For example, the expansion surface generation unit 12 generates information indicating the expansion surfaces R1 and R2 by extrapolation based on the road surface R0. As a specific example, the expansion surface generation unit 12 creates mesh data of the road surface R0, obtains the normal vector of each mesh, and estimates the normal vector in the region outside the boundary lines L1 and L2 by extrapolation. As a result, the expansion surface generation unit 12 generates expansion surfaces R1 and R2 composed of a mesh having an estimated normal vector. In FIG. 3, the solid triangle group shown inside the road surface R0 schematically shows the mesh data of the road surface data R0. Further, the broken line triangle group shown inside the expansion surfaces R1 and R2 schematically shows the mesh data of the expansion surfaces R1 and R2 generated by extrapolation.

(Step S103)
In step S103, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires information indicating a moving body. For example, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating a mobile object by reading it from a memory included in the information processing apparatus 1 or a memory connected to the outside. Further, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating a mobile object from another device connected via a network. Further, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating a moving body based on the information input via the input device.

(Information indicating a moving object)
The information indicating the moving body includes the information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the moving body and the traveling parameters of the moving body.

Information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the moving body is represented by, for example, point cloud data, mesh data, or the like. For example, the information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the moving body may be the information acquired by the three-dimensional scanner. Further, for example, the information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the moving body may be information generated from the specification information of the moving body. Further, for example, the information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the moving body may be information provided by the manufacturer of the moving body.

Further, the information indicating the moving body includes the traveling parameters of the moving body. The traveling parameters include, for example, information indicating a turning radius, a vehicle body width, a front wheel width, a rear wheel width, a wheelbase, a total length, a total height, and non-land followability.

(Step S104)
In step S104, the traveling area generation unit 13 associates the first cost and the second cost with each point included in the virtual road surface.

(Association process of the first cost)
The first cost is a cost given to the virtual road surface based on the existing road surface and the surrounding conditions. The first cost is associated with each point for the purpose that the installation surface of the moving object does not deviate from the existing road surface. Here, the installation surface of the moving body is, for example, the outermost point in the region where the wheels of the moving body and the road surface are in contact with each other. In consideration of the case where the installation surface of the moving body deviates from the existing road surface and protrudes from the extended surface, a first cost having a size and spread is given in advance. That is, the first cost is given so that the total can be kept low so that the installation surface of the moving body does not deviate from the existing road surface. In other words, the first cost is given so that the total is high if the installation surface of the moving object deviates from the boundary of the existing road surface. It is desirable that the designer's intention is reflected in the first cost given in advance. The final travel area is determined with reference to the total cost including the second cost and the like.

Here, among the virtual road surfaces, the first cost associated with each point included in the expansion surface is a cost based on the expandability of the expansion surface. The ease of expansion means the ease of repair, for example, the ease of widening work. The ease of widening work is determined, for example, according to the degree of freedom in land use. For example, when it is shown that the smaller the value of the first cost is, the easier it is to expand, in terms of expansion, the higher the degree of freedom in land use, the smaller the first cost, and the smaller the degree of freedom, the larger the first cost.

Further, the first cost associated with each point included in the existing road surface may be a cost based on the ease of traveling of the moving body. For example, when the smaller the value of the first cost is, the easier it is to drive, the closer to the center line (center in the width direction) of the road surface, the smaller the first cost, and the closer to the boundary, the larger the first cost. Such a first cost indicates that it is easier to drive along the center line of the road surface.

The maximum value in the definition range of the first cost may indicate that the vehicle cannot be driven or repaired, and the minimum value may indicate that repair is not required.

(Second cost association process)
Further, in step S104, the traveling area generation unit 13 associates a second cost with each point included in the virtual road surface. The second cost is a cost based on the situation of the space including the virtual road surface. The second cost is associated with each point for the purpose of securing the spatial area required for the moving body to travel on the virtual road surface.

Specifically, the second cost is a cost based on the ease of relocation of an object existing in the space including the virtual road surface. For example, even if the installation surface of the moving object is a traveling area that does not deviate from the virtual road surface, if an object exists in the space on the traveling area or the space around it, the moving object may move depending on the three-dimensional shape of the moving object. The body may collide with an object. Therefore, as the second cost, a value according to the ease of relocation of such an object is associated. For example, it is assumed that a street lamp and a tree exist in a space including a virtual road surface, and the street lamp is easier to relocate. When it is shown that the smaller the value of the second cost is, the easier it is to relocate, the second cost of the area where the streetlight is present on the virtual road surface is smaller than the second cost of the area where the tree is present above. Further, the maximum value in the definition range of the second cost may indicate that relocation is not possible, and the minimum value may indicate that relocation is unnecessary.

As described above, the second cost is given in advance so that the total will be high if the moving body collides with an object in the space even if the installation surface of the moving body does not deviate from the boundary of the existing road surface. Such a second cost is provided to consider, for example, a case where the moving body is a vehicle and a working machine mounted on the vehicle. In such a case, the working machine when the moving body is viewed from above may have a portion protruding from the vehicle. In that case, the work equipment on the vehicle may collide with an object around the road surface even if the vehicle does not deviate from the existing road surface boundary. Such a case cannot be considered only by the first cost. The second cost is given for the purpose of considering such a case.

In step S102, for example, the expansion surface generation unit 12 may display information indicating a virtual road surface including the road surface and the expansion surface on the display device. Further, for example, the traveling area generation unit 13 may associate the first cost and the second cost with each point based on the information input via the input device in step S104. Further, for example, the traveling area generation unit 13 may superimpose the associated first cost and second cost on the virtual road surface displayed on the display device.

(Specific example of the association of the first cost)
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a specific example of the first cost. The virtual road surface to which the first cost is associated is also described as a ground map. In FIG. 4, in the ground map, the first cost is associated with each point included in the virtual road surface R0a. In this example, the first cost is represented by an integer of 0 or more and 255 or less in 256 steps. Further, in this example, the first cost indicates that the smaller the numerical value is, the easier it is to drive. In addition, the first cost indicates that the smaller the value, the easier it is to repair. Further, for example, the maximum value 255 of the first cost indicates that the repair is impossible or the traveling is impossible. Further, the minimum value 0 of the first cost indicates that the vehicle is the easiest to drive or does not require repair.

In FIG. 4, each point included in the center line L9 of the road surface R0 is associated with the minimum value 0 of the first cost indicating that the vehicle is the easiest to drive.

Further, the area R1a is a vacant lot, and the area R2a is a residential area. The region R1b is a region included in the region R1a of the expansion surface R1. The region R2b is a region included in the region R2a of the expansion surface R2.

Since the area R1b is a vacant lot, it is relatively easy to widen. Therefore, each point included in the region R1b is associated with a first cost 100, which indicates that the ease of repair is moderate. As a result, each point included in the range d1 of the boundary line L1 in contact with the region R1b is also associated with the first cost 100 indicating that the ease of repair is moderate.

Since the area R2b is a residential area, it cannot be widened. Therefore, each point included in the region R2b is associated with a first cost 255 indicating that it cannot be repaired. Thereby, each point included in the range d2 in contact with the region R2b in the boundary line L2 is also associated with the first cost 100 indicating that the repairability is moderate.

Further, the expansion surface generation unit 12 creates a ground map by associating not only the center line L9 and the regions R1b and R2b but also the first cost indicating the ease of repair with each point included in the virtual road surface R0a. Generate. Specifically, the expansion surface generation unit 12 calculates the first cost for each point included in the virtual road surface R0a by using the cost function. The cost function is a function that calculates the cost of each point according to the distance from the reference point included in the virtual road surface R0a. The extended surface generation unit 12 sets one or a plurality of reference points on the virtual road surface R0a.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cost function. In FIG. 5, the cost function c1 is a function that calculates the cost according to the distance from the reference point p1. The cost function c2 is a function that calculates the cost according to the distance from the reference point p2. The reference point p1 is included in, for example, the vacant lot area R1b. Further, the reference point p2 is included in, for example, the area R2b of the residential area. The cost function c is a function that calculates the maximum value of the costs calculated by the cost functions c1 and c2 as the first cost. In this example, the expansion surface generation unit 12 associates the first cost calculated by the cost function c with each point included in the virtual road surface R0a. The cost function c for calculating the first cost is not limited to the maximum value as long as it is a value obtained based on the cost functions c1 and c2, and other values may be used as the first cost. For example, the extended surface generation unit 12 may use the sum, minimum value, average value, and the like of the costs calculated by the cost functions c1 and c2 as the first cost. The cost functions c1 and c2 shown in FIG. 5 are functions in which the cost at the reference point takes the maximum value, respectively. In other words, these cost functions c1 and c2 calculate lower costs as the distance from the reference point increases. However, the cost function used to generate the ground map may be a function having the minimum cost at the reference point. For example, in the cost function with the point included in the center line L9 as the reference point, the larger the distance from the reference point, the higher the cost is calculated.

(Specific example of the association of the second cost)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a specific example of the second cost. The virtual road surface to which the second cost is associated is also described as a spatial map. In FIG. 6, in the spatial map, a second cost is associated with each point included in the virtual road surface R0a. In this example, the second cost is represented by an integer of 0 or more and 255 or less in 256 steps. Further, in this example, the second cost indicates that the smaller the value, the easier it is to relocate. In this case, the maximum value 255 of the second cost indicates that the relocation is not possible, and the minimum value 0 of the second cost indicates that the relocation is unnecessary.

In FIG. 6, the obstacles B1 and B2 are objects existing in the space including the virtual road surface R0a. In this example, the obstacle B1 is a streetlight and the obstacle B2 is a tree. Here, it is assumed that the obstacle B1 is easier to relocate than the obstacle B2. For example, a second cost 100 is associated with each point included in the region where the obstacle B1 exists on the virtual road surface R0a. Further, a second cost 150 is associated with each point included in the region where the obstacle B2 exists on the virtual road surface R0a.

Further, the expansion surface generation unit 12 has a second cost indicating the ease of relocation not only to the area where the obstacles B1 and B2 exist on the virtual road surface R0a but also to each point included in the virtual road surface R0a. Generate a spatial map by associating. Specifically, the expansion surface generation unit 12 calculates a second cost for each point included in the virtual road surface R0a by using a cost function. The cost function is a function that calculates the cost of each point according to the distance from the reference point included in the virtual road surface R0a. The extended surface generation unit 12 sets one or a plurality of reference points on the virtual road surface R0a.

The cost function for calculating the second cost will be similarly described by replacing the first cost with the second cost in the description of FIG. In this case, for example, the reference point p1 shown in FIG. 5 is included in the spatial region where the obstacle B1 is located. The reference point p2 is included in the spatial region where the obstacle B2 is located.

(Step S105)
In step S105, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating a traveling area in which the moving body is traveled on the virtual road surface. Here, a start point and an end point are given, and the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating a traveling area in which the moving body is traveled from the start point to the end point on the virtual road surface.

Specifically, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the traveling area so that the first cost and the second cost associated with each point included in the traveling area satisfy a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition may be, for example, that the total of the first costs is the minimum and the total of the second costs is the minimum. Further, the predetermined condition may be that the sum of the weights of the total of the first costs and the total of the second costs is minimized. However, the predetermined conditions are not limited to those described above. Further, the traveling area generation unit 13 displays information indicating the generated traveling area on the display device.

(Specific example of traveling area)
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of a process in which the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating a traveling area. In the example of FIG. 7, the road surface R0 is T-shaped. Therefore, the road surface R0 has boundary lines L1, L2, and L3. The expansion surface R1 is a surface that smoothly connects to the road surface R0 at the boundary line L1. The expansion surface R2 is a surface that smoothly connects to the road surface R0 at the boundary line L2. The expansion surface R3 is a surface that smoothly connects to the road surface R0 at the boundary line L3. In FIG. 5, the virtual road surface R0a is defined as a surface including the road surface R0 and the extended surfaces R1 to R3. For the virtual road surface R0a, a ground map showing the first cost of each point and a spatial map including the second cost of each point are generated.

Here, an example will be described in which the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating a traveling area in which the moving body V is traveled from the start point Q1 to the end point Q2. The traveling area generation unit 13 generates a determination box D in which the margin width required for traveling is added to the polygon data indicating the moving body V, arranges the determination box D on the virtual road surface R0a, and arranges the determination box D from the start point Q1 to the end point Q2. Let it run. The traveling area generation unit 13 searches for a route for traveling the determination box D on the virtual road surface R0a. The traveling area generation unit 13 has the first cost associated with the outermost point in the area where the wheel of the moving body V is in contact with the virtual road surface R0a among the paths for traveling the determination box D on the virtual road surface R0a. The path C having the smallest total value and (ii) the total value of the second cost associated with the points colliding with each polygon in the determination box D in the virtual road surface R0a is determined. The traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating an area through which the determination box D passes when the moving body V is moved along the route C as information indicating the traveling area R9. Further, in the traveling region R9, the regions R1a and R2a in which the determination box D straddles the boundary lines L1 and L2 from the road surface R0 and protrudes to the outside are stored as new surfaces that need to appear by repair.

Examples of the objective function and the constraint conditions used by the traveling area generation unit 13 to generate information indicating the optimum traveling area are shown in the following equations (1), (2), and (3).

The objective function shown in the equation (1) is an objective function applied when the first cost or the second cost is arranged in a grid pattern on the virtual road surface R0a. The objective function shown in the equation (1) shows that the sum of the first cost Ci associated with the points included within a predetermined distance from the point of the outer edge where the moving body V is in contact with the virtual road surface R0a is minimized. The "outer edge point where the moving body V is in contact with the virtual road surface" is the outermost point in the region where the wheels of the moving body V are in contact with the virtual road surface R0a. Alternatively, the objective function shown in equation (1) indicates that the sum of the second cost Ci associated with the points included in the determination box D is minimized.

The objective function shown in the equation (2) is an objective function applied when the cost is arranged at the apex of the polygon constituting the virtual road surface R0a. The objective function shown in the equation (2) linearly interpolates the second cost given to the vertices of each polygon to calculate the second cost density in the polygon, and in the area of each polygon included in the determination box D. It is shown that the second cost is counted and the sum is minimized. Further, the objective function shown in the equation (2) linearly interpolates the first cost given to the vertices of each polygon to calculate the first cost density in the polygon, and includes the objective function within a predetermined distance from the above-mentioned outer edge point. It is shown that the first cost in the area of each polygon to be counted is counted and the sum is minimized.

The constraint condition shown in the equation (3) indicates that the upper limit of the first cost associated with each point included in the traveling range of the moving body is 255 or less. This indicates that, in this example, the point associated with the cost 255, which indicates that it cannot be repaired, is not travelable.

(Step S106)
In step S106, the repair area generation unit 14 updates each boundary line of the road surface based on the information indicating the traveling area.

For example, in the example of FIG. 7, the regions R1a and R2a are new surfaces of the traveling region R9 of the moving body V that need to be refurbished. Therefore, the repair region generation unit 14 updates the portion of the boundary line L1 in the range d4 in contact with the region R1a to the boundary line L4 outside the region R1a. Further, the repair area generation unit 14 updates the portion of the boundary line L2 in the range d5 in contact with the area R2a to the boundary line L5 outside the area R2a.

(Step S107)
In step S107, the information processing apparatus 1 determines whether or not there is another combination of a start point and an end point that is a target for determining the traveling region. For example, in the example of the T-shaped road shown in FIG. 7, in addition to (i) start point Q1 and end point Q2 already described, (ii) start point Q1 and end point Q3, (iii) start point Q2 and end point Q1, (iv). There are a total of six combinations, such as start point Q2 and end point Q3, (v) start point Q3 and end point Q1, (vi) start point Q3 and end point Q2. Even when the same T-junction is driven by the same moving body, the traveling area may differ depending on the combination of the start point and the end point. Therefore, when there are other combinations of the start point and the end point, it is preferable to execute the process from step S104 for the combination. The information processing device 1 may execute the determination in the step based on the information input via the input device.

(For Yes in step S107: Update processing of the traveling area)
In the case of Yes in the step, the information processing apparatus 1 repeats the processes from step S104 to step S107 with reference to the updated boundary lines for the other combinations of the start point and the end point. In this way, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the traveling area described above for each of the plurality of routes (combination of start point and end point). When there are a plurality of combinations of start points and end points, the order in which the iterative processing is executed may be random or may be any other order.

Steps S104 to S107 to be executed again by the iterative process will be described. The steps S104 to S107 to be executed again by the iterative process are referred to as the current steps S104 to S107, and the steps S104 to S107 executed most recently before the iterative process are referred to as the previous steps S104 to S107.

In this step S104, the traveling area generation unit 13 updates the ground map with reference to the boundary line updated in the previous step S106. Specifically, the traveling area generation unit 13 may associate the boundary line after the update with the first cost calculated by linearly interpolating the first cost associated with the boundary line before the update. Further, for example, the traveling area generation unit 13 may associate the updated boundary line with the first cost based on the information input via the input device. If there is no change in the state of the space including the virtual road surface in this step S104, the process of associating the second cost is omitted, and the previously generated space map is applied.

Further, in step S105 of this time, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the traveling area by using the ground map and the space map generated or applied in step S104 of this time. At this time, the traveling area generation unit 13 uses the combination of the start point and the end point applied in this iterative process. That is, the traveling area generation unit indicates the traveling area so that the first cost and the second cost associated with each point included in the traveling area for moving the moving body from the start point to the end point satisfy a predetermined condition. Generate information.

Further, in step S106 of this time, the repair area generation unit 14 further updates each boundary line of the previous time based on the information indicating the traveling area generated in step S105 of this time. Each of the previous boundary lines is each boundary line after the update in the previous step S106. Specifically, of the traveling regions generated in step S105 this time, the regions outside the previous boundary line are additional regions that need to be further made to appear by repair. Therefore, the repair area generation unit 14 updates the portion of each of the previous boundary lines in contact with the additional area to the boundary line outside the additional area. In other words, the boundary line updated in step S106 this time is composed of the boundary line of the plurality of traveling areas generated so far and the boundary line which is the outermost of the boundary lines of the existing road surface.

(When No in step S107)
If No in the step, the information processing apparatus 1 executes the process of the next step S108.

(Step S108)
In step S108, the information processing apparatus 1 determines whether or not there is another moving object for which the traveling area is determined. For example, when a plurality of moving bodies having different shapes are run on the same road surface, it is preferable to execute the process from step S103 for each moving body. The information processing device 1 may execute the determination in the step based on the information input via the input device.

(For Yes in step S108: Update processing of the traveling area)
In the case of Yes in the step, the information processing apparatus 1 repeats the processes from step S103 to step S107. As a result, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the above-mentioned traveling area for each of the plurality of moving bodies. When there are a plurality of moving objects, the order in which the iterative processing is executed may be random or may be any other order.

In this case, in step S103 to be executed again by the iterative process, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires information indicating another moving body. Then, the information processing apparatus 1 updates the traveling area of the other mobile body. The process of updating the traveling area is as described in the case of Yes in step S107.

(When No in step S108)
If No in the step, the information processing apparatus 1 executes the process of the next step S109.

(Step S109)
In step S109, the repair area generation unit 14 generates information indicating the repair area based on the information indicating the traveling area generated in step S105. When the traveling area is generated for each of the plurality of moving bodies or the plurality of routes, the repair area generation unit 14 generates information indicating the repair area based on the plurality of traveling areas. The repaired area is an area surrounded by the updated boundary line in the latest step S106 and the existing road surface boundary line extracted in the first step S102. In the example of FIG. 7, the repair regions are the inner region R1a surrounded by the boundary line L1 and the boundary line L4, and the inner region R2a surrounded by the boundary line L2 and the boundary line L5. Further, the repair area generation unit 14 displays information indicating the generated repair area on the display device.

<Effect of this embodiment>
As described above, in the present embodiment, since the virtual expansion surface is generated so that the moving body may protrude from the existing road surface, the traveling area of the moving body is determined more appropriately in consideration of the widening of the road surface. be able to.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the information indicating the traveling area is generated so that the first cost indicating the ease of expansion and the second cost indicating the ease of relocation satisfy predetermined conditions, the traveling area is provided to the moving body. It is possible to make it easier to repair the road surface necessary for driving.

Further, since the present embodiment generates information indicating a traveling area in which the first cost and the second cost satisfy a predetermined condition in the entire traveling area, a more appropriate traveling area can be determined.

Further, in the present embodiment, even when there are a plurality of combinations of start points and end points for traveling the moving body, or even when a plurality of moving bodies are driven, a traveling area in which the moving body can travel more reliably is provided. Can be decided.

Further, in the present embodiment, information indicating a repaired area required for applying a traveling area in consideration of widening is generated and displayed on a display device. Therefore, the user can easily obtain information indicating the repaired area necessary for adopting the traveling area in consideration of widening. Further, in the present embodiment, when a plurality of moving bodies having different shapes are run on the same road surface, it is possible to easily obtain information indicating a repaired area for adopting a route capable of running any of the moving bodies. Can be done.

<Effect of this embodiment as compared with the conventional one>
Here, when the information processing apparatus 1 is not used, conventionally, the designer manually determines the traveling area. For example, the designer examines the relationship between the survey data and the shape of the moving body by manually drawing the trajectory of the moving body on the drawing of the surveyed road surface, and secures the traveling area required for the moving body. I was deciding if there was any. Further, when the designer determines that the traveling area required for the moving body is not secured, the designer determines the traveling area after manually considering widening the road surface or changing the vehicle.

Further, when the information processing device 1 is not used, the conventional computer searches for a route different from the route when it is determined that the travel region of the searched route includes a portion where the route is difficult to travel or a portion where the route cannot be traveled. rice field.

As described above, conventionally, there has been no technology in which a computer considers the widening of a road in order to determine the traveling area of a moving body on a road surface.

On the other hand, as described above, since the information processing apparatus 1 determines the traveling area of the moving body in consideration of the widening of the road surface, the traveling area of the moving body can be determined more appropriately.

Further, as described above, since the information processing apparatus 1 determines the traveling area using the first cost and the second cost reflecting the designer's intention, the traveling area is determined in consideration of the designer's intention. be able to.

Further, as described above, the information processing apparatus 1 generates information indicating a traveling area for traveling the moving body from the start point to the end point only by inputting information indicating the road surface and information indicating the moving body. Area and route data can be determined automatically. This automates the manual work that was previously done by designers.

[Modification 1]
One embodiment of the present invention described above can be modified as follows so as to consider the posture angle of the moving body. The posture angle of the moving body is an example of the "running state of the moving body" in the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the information processing method S1A executed by the information processing apparatus 1 according to the modification 1. The information processing method S1A is different from the information processing method S1 shown in FIG. 2 in that it includes steps S103A and S105A instead of steps S103 and S105. Here, these replaced steps will be described. Since the other steps are as described with reference to FIG. 2, detailed description will not be repeated.

(Step S103A)
In step S103A, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires information indicating the constraint condition of the posture angle in addition to the processing of step S103 described above. For example, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating the constraint condition of the posture angle by reading the information from the memory included in the information processing apparatus 1 or the memory connected to the outside. Further, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating the constraint condition of the posture angle from another device connected via the network. Further, the information acquisition unit 11 may acquire information indicating a constraint condition of the posture angle based on the information input via the input device.

(Information indicating constraints)
The information indicating the constraint condition includes the constraint condition regarding the posture angle of the moving body. For example, examples of posture angles include pitch angle, roll angle, and twist angle. In this case, the information indicating the constraint condition includes the permissible value of each of these posture angles. The permissible value of each posture angle is determined according to the moving body.

(Step S105A)
In step S105A, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the traveling area so that the posture angle of the moving body satisfies the constraint condition indicated by the information acquired in step S103A, in addition to the processing of step S105 described above. The constraint condition is, for example, that the total value of various costs including the cost due to the posture angle is minimized, but the constraint condition is not limited to this.

For example, the traveling area generation unit 13 adds the cost due to the posture angle every time the posture angle of the moving body exceeds the permissible value while traveling the moving body from the start point to the end point on the virtual road surface. Further, the traveling area generation unit 13 obtains a route that minimizes the total of various costs including the cost due to the posture angle. For example, the traveling area generation unit 13 obtains a route that minimizes the total of the first cost, the second cost, and the cost due to the posture angle. Further, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the traveling area based on the obtained route. The traveling area generation unit 13 may add costs according to the type of posture angle. Further, the traveling area generation unit 13 may add a larger cost as the posture angle exceeds the permissible value. Further, when the posture angles of a plurality of types exceed the permissible values at the same time, the traveling area generation unit 13 may add a cost for each posture angle.

(Effect of variant 1)
Since the information processing device 1 deformed in this way determines the route on which the moving body travels in consideration of the posture angle of the moving body, it is necessary to determine a safer traveling area in which the possibility of the moving body falling is reduced. Can be done.

[Modification 2]
The above-mentioned modification 1 can be modified to a posture angle, or in addition, so that another traveling state of the moving body determines a route satisfying the constraint condition. Other traveling conditions include, but are not limited to, the distance from the wheels of the moving body to the boundary of the road surface, the number of turns of the steering wheel, the number of forward / backward switching, the backward movement, and the total length of the route.

In this case, for example, in step S105B, the traveling area generation unit 13 travels the moving body from the start point to the end point on the virtual road surface, and the distance from the wheels of the moving body to the boundary line of the road surface is less than the allowable value each time. By adding the costs due to the above distances, the route that minimizes the total cost due to the distance is obtained. Further, the traveling area generation unit 13 generates information indicating the traveling area based on the obtained route. Similarly, the traveling area generation unit 13 has a cost due to the distance from the moving body to the obstacle, a cost due to the number of turns of the handle, a cost due to the number of forward / backward switching, a cost due to the backward operation, and a cost due to the total length of the route. The route is searched while adding the costs of each type, and the route that satisfies the conditions of each type of cost is determined. The condition may be, for example, that the total cost of each type is the minimum, or the total cost of all types may be the minimum, but the condition is not limited to this.

(Effect of variant 2)
In this modification, the route on which the moving body travels is determined in consideration of the costs of each type incurred when the moving body travels, so that a more appropriate route can be determined.

[Other variants]
The above-described embodiment and each modification can be applied to an application for determining a traveling area of an agricultural machine that autonomously travels between a plurality of fields on a farm. Further, the above-described embodiment and each modification can be applied to, for example, an application for determining a traveling area of a work vehicle working at a construction site, a mine, an electric power plant, or the like.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and each modification, the expansion surface generation unit is not limited to virtually widening the road surface, and may generate an expansion surface by other virtual modifications. For example, the expansion surface generation unit may generate an expansion surface by modifying the altitude of the road surface.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and each modification, as the situation of the virtual road surface based on the first cost, the ease of traveling and the ease of repair have been described as an example, but the situation of the virtual road surface is not limited to this. .. For example, the situation of the virtual road surface based on the first cost may be a situation such as a passable area, an inaccessible area, and a dangerous area defined on the road surface. Further, as the situation of the space including the virtual road surface based on the second cost, the ease of relocation of the object has been described as an example, but the situation of the space including the virtual road surface is not limited to this. The situation of the space including the virtual road surface based on the second cost may be a situation such as a passable area, an inaccessible area, and a dangerous area defined in the space.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and each modification, the information indicating the moving body, the information indicating the road surface, and the information indicating the obstacle may not include the information indicating the three-dimensional shape, for example, the two-dimensional shape. May include information indicating.

Further, the above-described embodiment can be modified by combining a part or all of the modified examples 1 and 2.

[Example of implementation by software]
The control block of the information processing apparatus 1 (particularly, the information acquisition unit 11, the extended surface generation unit 12, the traveling area generation unit 13, and the repair area generation unit 14) is a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like. It may be realized by hardware) or by software.

In the latter case, the information processing apparatus 1 includes a computer that executes instructions of a program that is software that realizes each function. The computer includes, for example, one or more processors and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. Then, in the computer, the processor reads the program from the recording medium and executes the program, thereby achieving the object of the present invention. As the processor, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used. As the recording medium, a "non-temporary tangible medium", for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. Further, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the above program may be further provided. Further, the program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.) capable of transmitting the program. It should be noted that one aspect of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the above program is embodied by electronic transmission.

〔summary〕
The information processing apparatus 1 according to one aspect of the present invention includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a moving body traveling on a road surface, information indicating the road surface, and information indicating an extended surface that is a virtual extension of the road surface. It is provided with an extended surface generating unit for generating

According to the above configuration, the traveling area of the moving body can be determined more appropriately by considering the improvement of the road surface.

In the information processing apparatus 1 described above, the expansion surface generation unit may expand the road surface by virtually widening it to generate the expansion surface.

According to the above configuration, the traveling area of the moving body can be determined more appropriately by considering the widening of the road surface.

In the information processing apparatus 1 described above, the traveling area generation unit has a first cost based on the conditions of the road surface and its surroundings and a first cost based on the conditions of the space including the road surface and its surroundings at each point included in the virtual road surface. The information indicating the traveling area may be generated in association with the two costs so that the first cost and the second cost associated with each point included in the traveling area satisfy a predetermined condition.

According to the above configuration, since the cost based on the conditions of the road surface and the surroundings and the conditions of the space including the road surface and the surroundings is taken into consideration, the traveling area in which the moving body is traveled can be determined more appropriately.

In the information processing apparatus 1 described above, the first cost associated with each point included in the expansion surface is based on the expandability of the expansion surface, and the second cost is the space including the virtual road surface. It may be based on the ease of relocation of an object existing in.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to make it easier to repair the road surface required for the moving body to travel in the traveling area.

In the information processing apparatus 1 described above, the traveling area generation unit 13 may generate information indicating the traveling area so that the traveling state of the moving body satisfies a predetermined constraint condition.

According to the above configuration, by considering the traveling state of the moving body, it is possible to determine the traveling area in which the moving body can travel in a better traveling state.

In the information processing apparatus 1 described above, a repair area generation unit that generates information indicating a repair area that needs to be repaired in order to run the moving body in the expansion surface is further provided based on the information indicating the travel area. You may prepare.

According to the above configuration, the user can easily obtain information indicating the repair area necessary for adopting the travel area generated in consideration of the road surface repair.

In the information processing apparatus 1 described above, the traveling area generation unit generates information indicating the traveling area for each of the plurality of moving bodies or the plurality of routes, and the repair area generating unit is used in the plurality of traveling areas. Based on this, information indicating the repair area may be generated.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to determine a traveling area that can be traveled more reliably in common to a plurality of moving objects or a plurality of routes.

The information processing method S1 according to one aspect of the present invention is the information processing method S1 executed by the information processing apparatus 1, and includes a step of acquiring information indicating a moving body traveling on a road surface and information indicating the road surface. The present invention includes a step of generating information indicating an extended surface in which the road surface is virtually expanded, and a step of generating information indicating a traveling region in which the moving object is traveled on the virtual road surface including the road surface and the expanded surface.

According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of the information processing apparatus 1 described above is obtained.

The program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for operating a computer as the above-mentioned information processing apparatus 1, and causes the computer to function as each of the above-mentioned parts.

According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of the information processing apparatus 1 described above is obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and the embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 Information processing device 11 Information acquisition unit 12 Extended surface generation unit 13 Traveling area generation unit 14 Repair area generation unit

Claims (9)

An information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a moving body traveling on a road surface and information indicating the road surface, and an information acquisition unit.
An expansion surface generation unit that generates information indicating an expansion surface that is a virtual extension of the road surface, and an expansion surface generation unit.
A traveling area generation unit that generates information indicating a traveling area in which the moving body is traveled on a virtual road surface composed of the road surface and the extended surface, and a traveling area generation unit.
An information processing device characterized by being equipped with. The expansion surface generation unit expands the road surface by virtually widening it to generate the expansion surface.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The traveling area generation unit associates each point included in the virtual road surface with a first cost based on the conditions of the road surface and its surroundings and a second cost based on the conditions of the space including the road surface and its surroundings.
Information indicating the travel area is generated so that the first cost and the second cost associated with each point included in the travel area satisfy a predetermined condition.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The first cost associated with each point included in the expansion surface is based on the expandability of the expansion surface.
The second cost is based on the ease of relocation of an object existing in the space including the virtual road surface.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3. The traveling area generation unit generates information indicating the traveling area so that the traveling state of the moving body satisfies a predetermined constraint condition.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information processing apparatus is characterized. Further provided with a repair area generation unit that generates information indicating a repair area that needs to be repaired in order to run the moving body in the expansion surface based on the information indicating the travel area.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the information processing apparatus is characterized. The traveling area generation unit generates information indicating the traveling area for each of the plurality of moving objects or the plurality of routes.
The repair area generation unit generates information indicating the repair area based on the plurality of traveling areas.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 6. It is an information processing method executed by an information processing device.
A step of acquiring information indicating a moving object traveling on a road surface and information indicating the road surface, and
A step of generating information indicating an expanded surface that is a virtual extension of the road surface, and
A step of generating information indicating a traveling region in which the moving body travels on a virtual road surface including the road surface and the extended surface, and a step of generating information.
Information processing methods including. A program for operating a computer as the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and a program for operating the computer as each of the above parts.

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