Vehicle control system, vehicle control device, and control method for a vehicle

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a memory configured to store relationship definition data that defines a relationship between a state of a vehicle and an action variable, which is a variable relating to an operation of electronic equipment in the vehicle;
• a first processor mounted in the vehicle;
• and
• a second processor different from an in-vehicle device, wherein:
• the first processor and the second processor are configured to execute
• acquisition processing for acquiring a detection value of a sensor configured to detect the state of the vehicle,
• operation processing for operating the electronic equipment,
• reward calculation processing for providing, based on the detection value acquired through the acquisition processing, a greater reward when a characteristic of the vehicle satisfies a criterion than when the characteristic of the vehicle does not satisfy the criterion, and
• update processing for updating the relationship definition data with the state of the vehicle, a value of the action variable used for the operation of the electronic equipment, and the reward corresponding to the operation based on the detection value acquired through the acquisition processing as inputs to update mapping determined in advance;
• the first processor is configured to execute at least the acquisition processing and the operation processing;
• the second processor is configured to execute the update processing;
• the operation processing includes processing for operating the electronic equipment according to the relationship definition data updated through the update processing and the state of the vehicle;
• the second processor is configured to, based on the update mapping, output the relationship definition data updated to increase an expected return on the reward when the electronic equipment is operated in compliance with the relationship definition data;
• a plurality of the vehicles is provided, and the update processing has the states of the vehicles, the values of the action variables of the vehicles, and the rewards of the vehicles as inputs to the update mapping;
• the operation processing includes exploration processing for executing an operation different from an operation to maximize the expected return ascertained from the relationship definition data;
• and
• the second processor is configured to execute instruction processing for issuing different values between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, which are two vehicles among the vehicles, as the value of the action variable to be executed as the exploration processing.

A control method for a vehicle including a memory configured to store relationship definition data that defines a relationship between a state of a vehicle and an action variable, which is a variable relating to an operation of electronic equipment in the vehicle, a first processor mounted in the vehicle and a second processor different from an in-vehicle device, the control method comprising:

• acquisition processing for acquiring by the first processor and the second processor, a detection value of a sensor configured to detect the state of the vehicle,
• operation processing for operating by the first processor and the second processor, the electronic equipment,
• reward calculation processing for providing by the first processor and the second processor, based on the detection value acquired through the acquisition processing, a greater reward when a characteristic of the vehicle satisfies a criterion than when the characteristic of the vehicle does not satisfy the criterion, and
• update processing for updating by the first processor and the second processor, the relationship definition data with the state of the vehicle, a value of the action variable used for the operation of the electronic equipment, and the reward corresponding to the operation based on the detection value acquired through the acquisition processing as inputs to update mapping determined in advance, wherein
• the first processor is configured to execute at least the acquisition processing and the operation processing;
• the second processor is configured to execute the update processing;
• the operation processing includes processing for operating the electronic equipment according to the relationship definition data updated through the update processing and the state of the vehicle;
• the second processor is configured to, based on the update mapping, output the relationship definition data updated to increase an expected return on the reward when the electronic equipment is operated in compliance with the relationship definition data;
• a plurality of the vehicles is provided, and the update processing has the states of the vehicles, the values of the action variables of the vehicles, and the rewards of the vehicles as inputs to the update mapping;
• the operation processing includes exploration processing for executing an operation different from an operation to maximize the expected return ascertained from the relationship definition data;
• and
• the second processor is configured to execute instruction processing for issuing different values between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, which are two vehicles among the vehicles, as the value of the action variable to be executed as the exploration processing.