JP7645103B2 - Information processing device and operation verification program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device and an operation verification program for verifying the operation of software used in an external service provided to a vehicle.

Conventionally, there is known a vehicle called a "connected car" that is provided with various connected services (also called external services) via a communication line. The external services are provided to the connected car and the user based on software for providing the external services that is embedded in an external server. Here, when developing software for providing external services, it is necessary to perform operation verification of the software. The operation verification must be performed, for example, while the vehicle is connected to an external server in which the software is embedded. Furthermore, in order to perform operation verification based on reality, it is necessary to perform operation verification of the software while actually driving the vehicle and actually operating the vehicle's on-board equipment. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation verification requires a lot of time, is complicated, and is expensive.

As a means of performing the above-mentioned operational verification, an evaluation system that performs operational verification of a vehicle's control unit is known (for example, Patent Document 1). The vehicle control unit evaluation system according to Patent Document 1 evaluates the on-board engine control unit (also called ECU) by simulating the behavior of the vehicle's engine, etc. on a computer. This makes it possible to evaluate the ECU even if the ECU is not mounted on the vehicle.

JP 2017-1541 A

However, the vehicle control unit evaluation system according to the invention of Patent Document 1 is merely an evaluation system for verifying the operation of the control unit within the vehicle, and does not link with external services such as connect services. In other words, it does not transmit information about the driver's vehicle operation or information based on the vehicle state to an external server (provider of the external service). In addition, the provider of the external service cannot send notifications related to the external service to the user's mobile device, etc.

Therefore, with conventional technology, there was a problem in that it was not possible to comprehensively verify the operation of functions such as requesting vehicle control instructions from an external server from a user's mobile terminal, or controlling an ECU, etc. by sending a request to the vehicle's external communication device (TCU: telematics control unit) via an external server.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device and an operation verification program that enable operation verification of software (including programs) used to provide external services without using an actual vehicle.

(1) The information processing device provided to solve the above-mentioned problems is an information processing device that is connected to a vehicle via a communication line and performs operation verification of software used in an external service providing unit that provides external services to the vehicle, and is characterized in that it includes a pseudo-control signal generating unit that generates a control signal outputted in a control unit mounted on the vehicle to control either one or both of the vehicle and on-board equipment as a pseudo-control signal, and an information communication unit that can communicate the pseudo-control signal to the external service providing unit via the communication line, and the information communication unit transmits the pseudo-control signal to the external service providing unit in response to a request signal transmitted from the external service providing unit or in response to a request signal transmitted to the external service providing unit.

The above-mentioned information processing device can transmit control signals output from the vehicle and in-vehicle equipment to the external service providing unit as pseudo control signals in response to a request from the external service providing unit or in response to a request to the external service providing unit. In other words, the information processing device can pseudo-control (simulate) the vehicle. This makes it possible to verify the operation of software used in the external service providing unit without using an actual vehicle.

Here, the pseudo control signals are generated for various control signals related to the vehicle and in-vehicle devices, such as vehicle control signals such as ignition ON/OFF control signals and engine control signals, and control signals for in-vehicle devices such as the in-vehicle air conditioner, hazard lights, and navigation system. In addition to the above control signals, the request signals transmitted from the external service providing unit include control signals related to door locking transmitted from the external service providing unit when, for example, the vehicle doors are locked. This makes it possible to verify the operation of software (including programs) used to provide external services without using an actual vehicle. This allows the software to be verified quickly, reducing the costs associated with the verification.

The information processing device of the present invention described above can transmit not only a request signal from the external service providing unit, but also a request signal from the information processing device to the external service providing unit as a pseudo control signal. Specifically, for example, if the hazard lights are forgotten to be turned off in a vehicle, the state of the hazard lights is transmitted from the vehicle to the external service providing unit as a pseudo control signal. In this way, the information processing device of the present invention can transmit control signals from the vehicle or on-board equipment to the external service providing unit as pseudo control signals on behalf of the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to perform operation verification of software (including programs) used to provide external services without using an actual vehicle. This allows the operation verification of the software to be performed quickly, reducing the costs associated with the verification.

(2) The information processing device of the present invention described above has a switching unit for changing either one or both of the behavior state of the vehicle and the operating state of the in-vehicle device, and generates the pseudo control signal based on the changed state in the switching unit.

With this configuration, changes to the vehicle's behavior state and the operating state of the on-board equipment can be managed in a centralized manner for each item. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of oversights in operational verification. Here, changes to the vehicle's behavior state are made, for example, for engine output, brake application force, steering angle, etc. Furthermore, changes to the operating state of the on-board equipment are made, for example, for air conditioning of the air conditioner and operation of the navigation system. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide the switching unit in groups for each part mounted on the vehicle, such as the engine, brakes, steering wheel, etc., or for each on-board equipment. This allows for the expectation of systematic evaluation.

(3) In the information processing device of the present invention described above, the external service providing unit may be arranged in a server.

With this configuration, external services can be provided centrally via the server. This makes it easier to manage external services. It also reduces the load on the vehicle's equipment and the user's terminal.

(4) The operation verification program provided to solve the above-mentioned problem is characterized in that it can be executed on the above-mentioned information processing device.

This configuration allows software related to the provision of external services to be verified in various information processing devices. This increases versatility.

The present invention provides an information processing device and an operation verification program that enable operation verification of software (including programs) used to provide an external service without using an actual vehicle.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of an information processing device of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an external service to which the information processing device of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an operation screen in the information processing device of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an operation screen for virtually moving a vehicle in the information processing device of the present invention. 2 is an operational flow illustrating an embodiment of an information processing device and an operation verification program of the present invention. This is a continuation of the operation flow of FIG. 5 .

One embodiment of an information processing device 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the external service providing unit 50 is provided as a server (hereinafter, the external service providing unit 50 will also be referred to as the server 50).

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an external service (e.g., a connect service) is provided based on software 51 stored in a server 50. An information processing device 1 according to the present invention is connected to the server 50 via a communication line such as the Internet. In this embodiment, a mobile terminal 60 (see Fig. 2) is connected to the server 50 via the communication line. Note that various communication lines can be used as the communication line, whether wireless or wired.

The information processing device 1 includes a pseudo control signal generating unit 10, an information communication unit 20 capable of communicating with a server 50, and a switching unit 30 for switching the items to be controlled. In this embodiment, for example, a notebook computer is used as the information processing device 1, and the information processing device 1 is provided as an operation verification program that can be executed on the notebook computer. In addition to the above, the information processing device 1 also has a display screen 40. In the present invention, the information processing device 1 (operation verification program) functions as a simulator in place of an actual vehicle.

The pseudo control signal generating unit 10 can generate a control signal output from a control unit (not shown) mounted on the vehicle as a pseudo control signal that can be recognized by the software 51. Specifically, the pseudo control signal generating unit 10 can generate a control signal output to control either one or both of the vehicle and the on-board equipment (both not shown) as a pseudo control signal. Here, the control unit includes, for example, an engine control unit (also called ECU) that controls the engine, a control unit for brakes, etc., and other control units related to various on-board equipment.

Examples of control signals output for controlling the vehicle include control signals related to the ignition, engine control unit (also called ECU), transmission, brakes, steering wheel, etc. Examples of in-vehicle devices include air conditioners, navigation systems, hazard lights, headlights, etc. Note that the present invention is capable of converting control signals of various in-vehicle devices, in addition to the above-mentioned vehicle devices and in-vehicle devices, into pseudo control signals. Note that various types of pseudo control signals can be used, such as those generated in real time, or those in which pseudo control signals equivalent to control signals are generated in advance and stored in the information processing device 1 or server 50 and then used. Note that the timing of generating the pseudo control signals can be changed as appropriate.

The information and communication unit 20 is configured with a communication device capable of communicating with the outside. The information and communication unit 20 is connected to the server 50 via a communication line such as the Internet, for example, and is capable of communicating with the server 50. The information and communication unit 20 can transmit the generated pseudo control signal to the server 50 via the communication line. That is, the information and communication unit 20 can communicate with the server 50 in place of an on-board external communication device (also called a TCU: telematics control unit). The information and communication unit 20 may be an actual TCU.

When a request for provision of an external service is made starting from the server 50, the information communication unit 20 transmits a pseudo control signal to the server 50 in response to a request signal transmitted from the server 50. Specifically, when the server 50 requests, for example, to lock the doors of a vehicle, a request signal for locking the vehicle is transmitted from the server 50 to the information communication unit 20 (information processing device 1). In response to the request signal, the information communication unit 20 transmits a pseudo control signal for locking the doors to the server 50. This performs an operation verification as to whether or not the control for locking the doors is operating normally in the software 51. In other words, the information processing device 1 performs pseudo control (also called simulation) of the vehicle.

When a request is made to the external service providing unit 50 originating from the vehicle side, a request signal is sent from the information communication unit 20 to the server 50. Specifically, when the vehicle side requests the server 50 to notify the server 50 that the hazard lights have been left on, for example, a pseudo control signal corresponding to the request signal regarding the notification of the hazard lights being left on is sent to the server 50. This performs an operation verification as to whether the control regarding the notification of the hazard lights being left on is operating normally in the software 51. In other words, the information processing device 1 performs pseudo control of the vehicle.

Next, the switching unit 30 used when changing various control targets of the vehicle and in-vehicle devices will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the switching unit 30 is provided as a control menu for the vehicle's CAN (Controller Area Network), for example. Note that the control targets are not limited to those controlled by the CAN, and can be those controlled by various control methods.

In this embodiment, the switching unit 30 is provided as an operation switch realized on software. The switching unit 30 has a slide switch 31, a pull-down menu 32, and the like. The switching unit 30 can change either or both of the vehicle behavior state and the operating state of the in-vehicle device (both are also collectively referred to as the control target).

As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, a control menu related to the vehicle's CAN is displayed. Slide switches 31 are arranged for items such as the ignition switch, hazard lights, doors, air conditioner, lights, and WiFi connection on the user and system sides. Pull-down menus 32 are arranged for carelessness detection mode and theft detection alarm issuance. The carelessness detection mode is used when verifying the operation of items that occur due to careless user mistakes, such as forgetting to turn off the hazard lights. The theft detection alarm is used when verifying the operation of an alarm that is issued when the vehicle is stolen.

When the slide switch 31 or the pull-down menu 32 is changed by the switching unit 30, a pseudo control signal is generated by the pseudo control signal generating unit 10 based on the state of the change.

By providing the switching unit 30 as described above, changes to the vehicle's behavior state and the operating state of the on-board equipment can be managed in a centralized manner for each item. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of missed operation verifications. Here, changes to the vehicle's behavior state are made, for example, for engine output, brake operating force, steering angle, etc. Also, changes to the operating state of the on-board equipment are made, for example, for air conditioning of the air conditioner and operation of the navigation system. Also, it is preferable to provide the switching unit 30 in groups for each part mounted on the vehicle, such as the engine, brakes, steering wheel, etc., or for each on-board equipment. This allows for systematic evaluation. Also, grouping can be made for each mode of the control target.

The configuration of the switching unit 30 can be changed as appropriate depending on the object to be controlled by the software 51. The switching unit 30 may be formed of a physical switch. It is also possible to configure the system without the switching unit 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 60 is a terminal such as various commercially available smartphones or tablets. The mobile terminal 60 can communicate with the server 50 via a communication line. The mobile terminal 60 can obtain notifications and the like in response to pseudo control signals transmitted from the information processing device 1 via the server 50. The mobile terminal 60 can also transmit a request signal regarding vehicle control to the server 50. The server 50 can transmit a request signal to the information processing device 1 in response to the request signal. In this way, in this embodiment, it is also possible to verify the operation of the information processing device 1 using the mobile terminal 60.

By using the server 50 as described above, external services can be provided in a centralized manner. This makes it easier to manage external services. In addition, the load on the vehicle's equipment and the user's terminal can be reduced.

The above is the configuration of the information processing device 1 according to the present invention. Next, one embodiment of the operation of the information processing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen 40 when verifying the operation of software 51 while driving a virtual vehicle 41 in information processing device 1. A map for driving virtual vehicle 41 is displayed on display screen 40. In this embodiment, an example of verifying the operation of issuing a theft detection alarm when a vehicle is stolen will be described.

If the vehicle is stolen, it is expected that the vehicle will be moved, so the information processing device 1 needs to simulate the movement of the vehicle. Therefore, the control target in the switching unit 30 (see Figure 3) is switched to the mode for issuing a theft detection alarm. As a result, a pseudo control signal corresponding to a request signal for issuing a theft detection alarm is sent from the information communication unit 20 to the server 50. In addition, the map shown in Figure 4 is displayed on the display screen 40.

When the display screen 40 is displayed, point A is set as the starting point as location information, and point B is set as the destination. Note that instead of the display screen 40, location information may be input by other means such as character input. When the starting point and destination are input, the information processing device 1 drives the virtual vehicle 41. At this time, the information processing device 1 transmits the location information when moving from point A to point B to the server 50 as a pseudo control signal.

Instead of inputting location information from the display screen 40, a driving route created in advance using another tool may be stored in the information processing device 1, etc., and the driving route may be read and used, for example, when the ignition is turned on or the theft detection alarm mode is activated.

The server 50, which has received the pseudo control signal, transmits a request signal corresponding to the alarm designated by the switching unit 30 to the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 receives the request signal via the information communication unit 20. The pseudo control signal generating unit 10 generates a pseudo control signal corresponding to the request signal and transmits the pseudo control signal to the server 50 via the information communication unit 20. That is, the pseudo control signal related to the alarm is transmitted from the virtual vehicle 41 to the server 50, thereby verifying that there is no problem with the operation related to the alarm. Here, if there is a problem with the operation (for example, if the pseudo control signal is not transmitted within a specified time), an error message is notified in the information processing device 1. In addition, in this embodiment, a notification that the vehicle has been stolen is transmitted from the server 50 to the mobile terminal 60.

In the theft detection alarm mode, for example, the ignition setting may be switched to OFF, and vehicle location information may be sent to the external service providing unit 50 at regular intervals. Furthermore, regardless of whether the ignition is ON or OFF, if the vehicle is detected moving, a notification may be sent to the mobile terminal 60 or the like. This makes it possible to verify the operation of the software 51 assuming that the vehicle has actually been stolen.

The above is an embodiment of the operation of the information processing device 1 (operation verification program) according to the present invention. Next, an embodiment of the operation flow of the information processing device 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the operation of the information processing device 1 is started, the switching unit 30 specifies the control target (step S1). At this time, a request signal regarding the control target is transmitted to the server 50.

When the designation of the control target is completed in step S1, it is determined whether or not the control of the control target is performed based on a command from the server 50 (external service providing unit 50) (step S2). In other words, it is determined whether or not the control of the control target is performed starting from the server 50 side.

In step S2, if the control of the control target is performed by a command from the server 50, the control by the server 50 is started (step S10). In other words, if the control originates from the server 50 side, the control by the server 50 is started.

Next, a request signal for an external service is sent from the server 50 to the information processing device 1 (step S11).

In step S2, if the control of the control target is not performed by a command from the server 50, pseudo-control by the information processing device 1 is started (step S20). In other words, if the control originates from the information processing device 1 side, pseudo-control by the information processing device 1 is started.

When the process of step S11 or step S20 is completed, the information processing device 1 generates a pseudo control signal according to the request signal of the control target (step S12). Then, the generated pseudo control signal is transmitted from the information communication unit 20 to the server 50 (step S13).

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether the server 50 has responded to the pseudo control signal from the information processing device 1 (step S14).

If the server 50 responds to the pseudo control signal in step S14, the server 50 executes control based on the pseudo control signal (step S15). On the other hand, if the server 50 does not respond to the pseudo control signal in step S14, it is assumed that an abnormality has occurred and an error notification is sent to the information processing device 1 (step S30). The error notification can also be sent to the server 50 or the mobile terminal 60.

When the processing of step S15 or step S30 is completed, the process returns to step S1 and is repeated. Note that when all processing is completed, the process may be terminated.

As described above, the information processing device 1 and the operation verification program of the present invention can simulate a vehicle. This allows the operation verification of the software 51 (including programs) used in the external service providing unit 50 to be performed without using an actual vehicle. This allows the software's operation to be verified quickly, reducing the effort and cost involved in the verification.

In addition, by providing the information processing device 1 as an operation verification program, it is possible to verify the operation of the software 51 related to the provision of external services in various information processing devices. This makes it possible to increase versatility.

The above is one embodiment of the information processing device 1 and operation verification program according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and various modifications can be made.

In this embodiment, the connect service is exemplified as an external service, but the external service can use various services provided by connecting to the vehicle. In addition, in this embodiment, the notification of forgetting to turn off the hazard lamps and the issuance of an alarm in the event of vehicle theft are exemplified as the control objects of the vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to these control objects, and various controls in the vehicle and in-vehicle devices can be performed in a simulated manner. For example, the information processing device and operation verification program of the present invention can notify the external service providing unit 50 of various control information such as lights, doors, vehicle running conditions, engine information, transmission information, brake and accelerator operation information, ignition ON/OFF, and acquisition of GPS information. In addition, according to the present invention, it is also possible to perform a simulated operation verification of items such as towing of the vehicle as the control object of the vehicle, without using an actual vehicle. In addition, in this embodiment, the control object of the vehicle is exemplified by CAN, but the information processing device 1 of the present invention is not limited to control by CAN, and can be used for various control objects.

The information processing device and operation verification program of the present invention can also simulate various vehicle controls, such as turning on and off lights and doors, setting a destination in a navigation system, etc. The information processing device and operation verification program of the present invention can also start up the vehicle TCU by communication such as SMS from the server 50 when the TCU is stopped.

In addition, in this embodiment, the virtual vehicle 41 is moved on a map to detect theft, but the movement of the virtual vehicle 41 can be used for various purposes other than issuance of a theft detection alarm. For example, the shape and road surface information of a test course can be registered in advance, and various control information of the vehicle and in-vehicle devices can be verified while the virtual vehicle 41 is driven on the test course. This is expected to contribute to the development of self-driving vehicles and driving assistance devices. In addition, in this embodiment, an alarm is issued based on the movement of the vehicle to detect theft, but the timing of the theft detection can be changed as appropriate. In addition, various events can be adopted as the occurrence of events related to theft detection, not only due to the movement of the vehicle's position. In addition to control related to theft detection, various events can be generated at a predetermined timing or randomly for various control objects. In addition, it is possible to output not only normal control information but also intentionally NG control information. This makes it possible to verify the operation of control based on errors.

The pseudo control signal generating unit 10 may be realized as hardware or as a program. The pseudo control signal generated may be in various formats that can be recognized by the external service providing unit 50 (software 51).

In this embodiment, the external service providing unit 50 is placed in the server 50, but the external service providing unit 50 is not limited to being placed in the server 50 and can be placed in various locations. Also, when the external service providing unit 50 is placed in the server 50, the server 50 can be placed in various locations.

In this embodiment, a terminal device such as a laptop computer is used as the information processing device 1, and the operation verification program is executed on the terminal device. However, the information processing device 1 may be configured as a dedicated device. Various devices can be used as the information processing device 1. The operation verification program can be installed in various devices. The operation verification program can also be installed in a mobile terminal such as a tablet or smartphone. The operation verification program can also be incorporated into the information processing device as a dedicated device. In this embodiment, the operation verification of the software 51 in the external service providing unit 50 is performed, but if a mobile terminal 60 or the like is connected, the software on the mobile terminal 60 can also be verified.

The above are various embodiments and modifications of the information processing device and operation verification program according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, and it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the teachings and spirit of the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims.

The information processing device and operation verification program of the present invention can be used to verify the operation of software related to various external services, such as connect services, provided to various vehicles, such as automobiles. The information processing device and operation verification program of the present invention can also be used for autonomous driving and remote control of vehicles.

1: Information processing device 10: Pseudo control signal generating unit 20: Information communication unit 30: Switching unit 50: Server 51: Software 60: Mobile terminal

Claims (4)

An information processing device that is connected to a vehicle via a communication line and performs operation verification of software used in an external service providing unit that provides an external service to the vehicle,
The external service providing unit is disposed in a server,
a pseudo control signal generating unit configured to generate a pseudo control signal as a control signal outputted from a control unit mounted on the vehicle for controlling either or both of the vehicle and an in-vehicle device;
an information communication unit capable of communicating the pseudo control signal to the external service providing unit via the communication line;
The information processing device is characterized in that the information communication unit transmits the pseudo control signal to the external service providing unit in response to a request signal transmitted from the external service providing unit or in response to a request signal transmitted to the external service providing unit. An information processing device that is connected to a vehicle via a communication line and performs operation verification of software used in an external service providing unit that provides an external service to the vehicle,
The external service providing unit is disposed in a server,
a mobile terminal capable of communicating with the server through the communication line;
a pseudo control signal generating unit configured to generate a pseudo control signal as a control signal outputted from a control unit mounted on the vehicle for controlling either or both of the vehicle and an in-vehicle device;
an information communication unit capable of communicating the pseudo control signal to the external service providing unit via the communication line;
the mobile terminal is capable of either or both of receiving a notification in response to the pseudo control signal transmitted from the information communication unit via the server and transmitting a request signal regarding control of the vehicle to the server;
The information processing device is characterized in that the information communication unit transmits the pseudo control signal to the external service providing unit in response to a request signal transmitted from the external service providing unit or in response to a request signal transmitted to the external service providing unit. A switching unit is provided for changing one or both of a behavior state of the vehicle and an operation state of the in-vehicle device,
3. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pseudo control signal is generated based on a changed state in the switching unit. the switching unit has a theft detection alarm issuance mode for issuing a theft detection alarm when the vehicle is stolen,
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a pseudo control signal corresponding to a request signal for issuing the theft detection alarm can be transmitted from the information communication unit to the server.

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