Computing device, own-position estimating device, and map information generating method

An own-position estimating device comprising

• a storage unit which stores a partial map group which is a set of converted partial maps having different coordinate conversion parameters to be applied, and a gap parameter including at least information regarding a correlation of the coordinate conversion parameters between the converted partial maps adjacent to each other,
• wherein the coordinate conversion parameter is a parameter for conversion into a first coordinate system adopted by the converted partial map from a second coordinate system different from the first coordinate system, and
• in any of the converted partial maps, an amount of offset from a reference map which is a map of the first coordinate system created in advance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold,
• the own-position estimating device further comprising:
• an own-position estimating unit which specifies a position of a vehicle on the converted partial map on a basis of an output of a sensor mounted on the vehicle;
• and
• a continuous map generating unit which corrects relative positions of two converted partial maps adjacent to each other on a basis of the gap parameter regarding the two converted partial maps when the position of the vehicle estimated by the own-position estimating unit approaches a boundary between the two converted partial maps, and generates a continuous map in which the two converted partial maps are continuous.

A map information generating method executed by a computing device including a sensor information acquiring unit which acquires sensor information output by a sensor which is mounted on a vehicle and measures a surrounding environment, a storage unit which stores a reference map which is created in advance and is a map of a reference coordinate system which is a predetermined world coordinate system, and an odometry information acquiring unit which acquires movement information which is information regarding movement of the vehicle on a basis of an output of the sensor mounted on the vehicle,

• the map information generating method comprising:
• a generating step of generating a periphery map, which is a map in a vehicle coordinate system which is a coordinate system different from the reference coordinate system, on a basis of the sensor information and the movement information;
• an extracting step of extracting partial maps, which are regions not overlapping each other, from the periphery map;
• and
• a calculating step of calculates, for a coordinate conversion parameter for converting each of the partial maps into a converted partial map which is a map in the reference coordinate system, a gap parameter which is information regarding at least a correlation of the coordinate conversion parameter between the partial maps adjacent to each other,
• wherein the extracting step generates a new partial map when an amount of offset from the reference map is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold.