JP7700703B2 - Vehicle body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with mounting equipment.

Conventionally, mounted vehicles equipped with special machinery and equipment (mounted equipment) for specific purposes, such as refrigerated trucks equipped with transport refrigeration equipment and mixer trucks equipped with concrete mixer equipment, have been known.

Various proposals have been made regarding such mounted vehicles. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle equipped with an acquisition unit that acquires mounting information of a mounted body (mounted equipment) mounted on the loading platform, and a driving control unit that selects a driving mode according to the mounted body based on the mounting information and drives the vehicle in the selected driving mode.

According to Patent Document 1, the vehicle can be driven in a manner suited to the function and use of the mounted body, such as when the mounted body is equipped with a bus, a truck, or an unmanned transport vehicle.

JP 2021-104724 A

Incidentally, there are many mounted vehicles that do not only exchange a single piece of mounting information (type of mounting equipment) like the vehicle in Patent Document 1, but also have mounting equipment equipped with multiple devices and equipment (hereinafter also referred to as "mounted items"), and receive information (data) output from these multiple mounted items via an on-board device (for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a central gateway, or a wireless communication device capable of transmitting data to a server installed in an external management center, etc.).

In such vehicles, the data output from the multiple mounted items is typically first received by electronic equipment (such as a converter) that connects the vehicle and the mounted equipment via a communication line, and then the received data is transferred from the electronic equipment to an on-board device.

However, because communication lines have bandwidth limitations, if the amount of data output by multiple mounted devices becomes large, the communication bandwidth may be strained, causing noise when transferring data to the on-board device, or in the worst case scenario, making it difficult to transfer data to the on-board device.

As such, in a vehicle with a body mounted on it, the number of mounted items that can be connected, in other words the number of mounted items that can be installed, is limited due to the constraints on the allowable data volume of the communication lines that transmit information (data) from the body mounted equipment to the vehicle.

This type of problem can occur not only when the mounted object and electronic device are connected by a communication line (wired), but also when they are connected by wireless communication.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to provide technology that avoids restrictions on the number of mounted items that can be installed in a mounted vehicle due to restrictions on the amount of data.

To achieve the above objective, the mounted vehicle of the present invention is designed to set a reception cycle for each mounted object.

Specifically, the present invention is directed to a vehicle equipped with mounting equipment that includes multiple mountings that can output acquired data.

The vehicle is equipped with an on-board device capable of receiving data output by each of the mounted objects, and an electronic device that receives the data output by the mounted objects and transfers the received data to the on-board device, and the electronic device is configured to acquire parameter information of each of the mounted objects including the amount of data output by each of the mounted objects, and when it is determined that the total amount of data output by the mounted objects exceeds the upper limit of the communication band, set a reception cycle for each of the mounted objects so that the total amount of data received at the same timing does not exceed the upper limit of the communication band. In addition, when setting the reception cycle, the electronic device determines the priority of each of the mounted objects based on the parameter information, and sets the reception cycle for each of the mounted objects so that the data output by the mounted object with a higher priority is received more frequently and the reception timing of the data from each of the mounted objects is shifted.

According to this configuration, when it is determined that the total amount of data output by multiple mounted objects exceeds the upper limit of the communication bandwidth, the electronic device sets the reception cycle for each mounted object so that the total amount of data received at the same time does not exceed the upper limit of the communication bandwidth, thereby preventing the communication bandwidth from being overloaded. Therefore, it is possible to prevent restrictions on the number of mounted objects due to restrictions on the amount of data, making it possible to mount as many mounted objects as necessary.

With this configuration, data output by equipment with a higher priority is received more frequently, and the timing of data reception from each equipment is staggered, making it possible to receive more important data (data with a higher priority) at shorter intervals while minimizing conflicts in the reception of data from the equipment.

Furthermore, in the mounted vehicle, the electronic device may be configured to determine the priority of each mounted object so that the mounted object that outputs a larger amount of data is given a higher priority.

In many cases, the larger the amount of data, the more important it is. With this configuration, the higher the priority is given to the equipment that outputs the larger amount of data, so it is possible to reliably receive data of high importance in a short period of time.

In addition, in the above-mentioned mounted vehicle, the above-mentioned parameter information may include a priority set by the user, and the above-mentioned electronic device may be configured to determine the priority of each of the above-mentioned mounted objects so that the higher the priority set by the user of the mounted object, the higher the priority is.

With this configuration, the higher the priority level set by the user for the mounted equipment, the higher the priority level is assigned, making it possible for the user to reliably receive data that they consider to be highly important at short intervals.

As described above, the mounted vehicle of the present invention makes it possible to avoid restrictions on the number of mounted items that can be installed due to data volume constraints.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic overview of a mounted vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a communication configuration in a mounted vehicle; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a typical reception cycle. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed in a mounted vehicle. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a typical reception cycle according to a modified example. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a typical problem caused by a bandwidth limitation of a communication line in a conventional mounted vehicle.

The following describes how to implement the present invention with reference to the drawings.

- Overall configuration of the mounted vehicle -
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic overview of a mounted vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic communication configuration in the mounted vehicle 1. In Fig. 1, the size of each device is exaggerated to make the diagram easier to see. As shown in Fig. 1, the mounted vehicle 1 of this embodiment is configured as a refrigerated vehicle in which a transport refrigeration unit (refrigerator) 20 is mounted on a vehicle 10 as mounted equipment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport refrigeration unit 20 is equipped with a thermometer/hygrometer 21 and first and second cameras 23 and 25.

The thermo-hygrometer 21 is for measuring the temperature and humidity inside the transport refrigeration unit 20, and is configured to output the measured temperature and humidity inside the transport refrigeration unit 20 as a signal representing the temperature and a signal representing the humidity, respectively. Therefore, in relation to the claims, the thermo-hygrometer 21 of this embodiment corresponds to the "mounted object capable of outputting acquired data" as defined in the present invention, and therefore, hereinafter, the thermo-hygrometer 21 is also referred to as the "mounted object 21."

The first and second cameras 23, 25 are used to photograph the interior of the transport refrigeration unit 20 from different positions and angles, and are used to monitor the occurrence of cargo collapse and the like. These first and second cameras 23, 25 are configured to output the photographed images of the interior of the transport refrigeration unit 20 as image data. Therefore, in relation to the claims, the first and second cameras 23, 25 of this embodiment also correspond to the "mounted structure capable of outputting acquired data" as defined in the present invention, and therefore, hereinafter, the first camera 23 and the second camera 25 are also referred to as the "mounted structure 23" and the "mounted structure 25", respectively.

On the other hand, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a wireless communication device 40 and an interface box 30, as shown in FIG. 1.

The wireless communication device (vehicle device) 40 is configured to be connectable to a network via a wireless base station (not shown) or a wireless access point (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, a management server 50 provided in a management center (not shown) outside the mounted vehicle 1 is connected to the network, which allows the management server 50 and the wireless communication device 40 to communicate with each other via the network.

The interface box (electronic device) 30 is intended to simplify wiring, which generally tends to become complicated when connecting multiple devices. As shown in FIG. 1, it is connected to the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25 via communication lines 21a, 23a, and 25a, respectively, and is also connected to the wireless communication device 40 via communication line 40a (e.g., an Ethernet cable, etc.).

This allows the interface box 30 to receive data output by the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25, and to transfer the received data from the interface box 30 to the wireless communication device 40. In other words, in this embodiment, the interface box 30 serves to connect the mounted equipment side (thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25) and the vehicle 10 side (wireless communication device 40).

In the mounted vehicle 1 of this embodiment configured as described above, signals indicating the temperature and humidity inside the transport refrigeration unit 20 measured by the thermo-hygrometer 21 and image data of the inside of the transport refrigeration unit 20 captured by the first and second cameras 23, 25 are transferred to the wireless communication device 40 via the interface box 30, and are then transmitted from the wireless communication device 40 to the external management server 50 via the network.

This allows the management center to grasp in real time, for example, if some malfunction has caused the temperature inside the transport refrigeration unit 20 to rise, or if the cargo inside the transport refrigeration unit 20 has collapsed. Then, the management center can communicate the temperature rise or cargo collapse, as well as how to deal with these issues, to the driver of the mounted vehicle 1 via the wireless communication device 40, making it possible to transport the cargo safely.

- Bandwidth restrictions -
Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining a problem caused by the band restriction of the communication line in a conventional mounted vehicle. The reference numeral 127 in Fig. 6 represents a mounted object in general.

As shown in FIG. 6, in a conventional mounted vehicle, similar to the mounted vehicle 1 of this embodiment, data output from multiple mounted objects 121, 123, 125, and 127 is first received by an interface box 130 that connects the vehicle 110 and the mounted equipment via a communication line, and the received data is then transferred from the interface box 130 to the vehicle 110.

However, since communication lines have bandwidth limitations, if the amount of data output by multiple mounted objects 121, 123, 125, and 127 becomes large, the communication bandwidth will be compressed at the location indicated by the hatched arrow in Figure 6 (the location corresponding to communication line 40a), which may cause noise to occur when transferring data to vehicle 110, or in the worst case, may make it difficult to transfer data to vehicle 110.

As such, in conventional mounted vehicles, the number of mounted items that can be connected is limited due to the constraints on the allowable data volume of the communication lines used to transmit information (data) from the mounted equipment to the vehicle 110, so there was a problem in that it was not possible to add mounted items even if one wanted to.

-Interface box-
Therefore, in the mounted vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the interface box 30 is configured to set a reception period for each of the mounted objects 21, 23, and 25.

Specifically, the interface box 30 is configured to acquire parameter information for each of the mountings 21, 23, and 25, including the amount of data output by the mountings 21, 23, and 25, and if it is determined that the total amount of data output by the multiple mountings 21, 23, and 25 exceeds the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of the communication line 40a, set the reception period for each of the mountings 21, 23, and 25 so that the total amount of data received at the same time does not exceed the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of the communication line 40a.

Moreover, in the mounted vehicle 1 of this embodiment, when the reception cycle is set in this manner, the interface box 30 is configured to determine the priority of each mounted object 21, 23, 25 based on the parameter information, and to set the reception cycle for each mounted object 21, 23, 25 so that the data output by the mounted object with a higher priority is received more frequently and the timing of receiving data from each mounted object 21, 23, 25 is shifted. This configuration will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the interface box 30 includes a control unit 31, a receiving unit 33, a transmitting unit 35, an acquiring unit 37, and a determining unit 39. The interface box 30 includes a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing processing programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data, and is configured to realize the functions and processes of the control unit 31, the receiving unit 33, the transmitting unit 35, the acquiring unit 37, and the determining unit 39 by having the CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. work together.

When the ignition switch (not shown) is turned on, for example, and communication between the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25 and the interface box 30 is established, the receiver 33 is configured to receive parameter information relating to the thermometer/hygrometer 21 from the thermometer/hygrometer 21, and to receive parameter information relating to the first and second cameras 23, 25 from the first and second cameras 23, 25.

The acquisition unit 37 is configured to acquire the amount of data of the signals representing the temperature and humidity output by the thermo-hygrometer 21, and the amount of data of the image data output by the first and second cameras 23, 25, from the parameter information received by the receiving unit 33. In addition, when the parameter information includes a priority set by the user, the acquisition unit 37 is configured to acquire information regarding the priority along with the amount of data.

The determination unit 39 is configured to determine whether or not the total amount of data output by the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25 exceeds the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of the communication line 40a, based on the amount of data acquired by the acquisition unit 37.

When the determination unit 39 determines that the total amount of data exceeds the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of the communication line 40a, the control unit 31 is configured to determine the priorities of the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25 based on the parameter information acquired by the acquisition unit 37. At this time, when the parameter information includes a priority order, the control unit 31 determines the priority order so that the higher the priority order set by the user, the higher the priority order is, whereas when the parameter information does not include a priority order set by the user, the control unit 31 determines the priority order so that the higher the priority order is, the higher the priority order is,

Figure 3 is a diagram that illustrates the reception cycle. As shown in Figure 3(a), it is assumed that when attachments A, B, and C output data at the same start timing t0 and cycle t, the total amount of data will exceed the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of communication line 40a.

Here, it is assumed that the control unit 31 has determined that the priorities of the mountings A, B, and C are "high" for mounting A, "medium" for mounting B, and "low" for mounting C. In this case, the control unit 31 sets the period of mounting A to 2t, the period of mounting B to 4t, and the period of mounting C to 8t, as shown in FIG. 3(b), so that the data output by mountings with higher priorities is received more frequently. In addition, the control unit 31 sets the start timing of output (reception) of mounting A to t0, the start timing of output of mounting B to t0+t, and the start timing of output of mounting C to t0+3t, so that the timing of receiving data from mountings A, B, and C is shifted.

In this way, the determined start timing and period are transmitted as command signals from the transmitter 35 to the thermo-hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25. As a result, the mounted object A (e.g., the first camera 23) outputs data at a start timing of t0 and a period of 2t, the mounted object B (e.g., the second camera 25) outputs data at a start timing of t0+t and a period of 4t, and the mounted object C (e.g., the thermo-hygrometer 21) outputs data at a start timing of t0+3t and a period of 8t.

The receiving unit 33 receives signals indicating the temperature and humidity inside the transport refrigeration unit 20 measured by the thermometer/hygrometer 21, and image data inside the transport refrigeration unit 20 captured by the first and second cameras 23, 25. At this time, by setting the reception cycles of the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25, respectively, it is possible to prevent conflicts in the reception of data from the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25, as in FIG. 3(b), and it is possible to receive data from the mounted object A with a higher priority (e.g., the first camera 23) at shorter cycles (higher frequency).

The transmitter 35 is configured to transmit the data received by the receiver 33 to the wireless communication device 40. At this time, since there is no competition between the reception of data from the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25, the communication bandwidth is not constricted, and it is possible to transmit data to the wireless communication device 40 smoothly and accurately without generating noise, etc.

-flowchart-
Next, an example of a processing procedure executed in the mounted vehicle 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. Note that this flowchart starts when, for example, the ignition is turned ON and communication is established between the thermo-hygrometer 21, the first camera 23, and the second camera 25 and the interface box 30.

First, in step S1, the acquisition unit 37 of the interface box 30 acquires parameter information of the mounted objects (thermo-hygrometer 21, first camera 23, and second camera 25) received by the receiving unit 33.

In the next step S2, the judgment unit 39 of the interface box 30 judges whether or not the total amount of data output by the mounted objects 21, 23, 25 exceeds the upper limit of the communication bandwidth based on the parameter information (amount of data) acquired by the acquisition unit 37. If the judgment in this step S2 is NO, that is, if the total amount of data from the multiple mounted objects 21, 23, 25 does not exceed the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of the communication line 40a, the communication bandwidth is not compressed when the data is transferred to the wireless communication device 40, so the process ends as it is. On the other hand, if the judgment in step S2 is YES, the process proceeds to step S3.

In the next step S3, the control unit 31 of the interface box 30 determines the priority of each of the mountings 21, 23, and 25 based on the parameter information acquired by the acquisition unit 37, and then proceeds to step S4.

In the next step S4, the control unit 31 sets the reception period for each of the mountings 21, 23, and 25 based on the priority determined in step S3, and then ends.

-Action and Effects-
According to the mounted vehicle 1 of this embodiment, when it is determined that the total amount of data output by the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23 and the second camera 25 exceeds the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of the communication line 40a, the reception cycles of the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23 and the second camera 25 are set so that the data output by the mounted object with a higher priority is received more frequently and the timing of reception of data from the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23 and the second camera 25 is staggered. This makes it possible to receive more important data in shorter cycles while suppressing competition in the reception of data from the thermometer/hygrometer 21, the first camera 23 and the second camera 25.

This means that the number of mounted objects is not limited by data volume constraints, making it possible to add a third camera 27, for example, as shown in Figure 1.

In addition, if the parameter information includes a priority set by the user, the control unit 31 determines the priority of each of the mountings 21, 23, and 25 so that the higher the priority of the mounting, the higher the priority, making it possible to reliably receive data that the user considers to be highly important at short intervals.

Furthermore, since the larger the amount of data, the higher the importance of the data, in cases where the parameter information does not include a priority set by the user, the control unit 31 determines the priority of each of the mountings 21, 23, 25 so that the mountings that output the larger amount of data have a higher priority, thereby making it possible to reliably receive data of high importance in a short period of time.

--Modifications--
This modified example differs from the above embodiment in that the control unit 31 sets the reception period for each mounting object without determining the priority of each mounting object. The following mainly describes the differences from the embodiment.

Figure 5 is a diagram that illustrates the reception cycle according to this modified example. As shown in Figure 5(a), it is assumed that equipment A outputs data of 2D, equipment B outputs data of D, and equipment C outputs data of D, all with the same start timing t0 and the same cycle t.

Here, if we assume that the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of communication line 40a is 2.5D, the total amount of data output by mountings A, B, and C is 4D, which exceeds the upper limit of the communication bandwidth, but the amount of data output by mountings A (2D) does not exceed the upper limit of the communication bandwidth, and the total amount of data output by mountings B and C (2D) does not exceed the upper limit of the communication bandwidth either.

In such a case, the control unit 31 of this modified example is configured to set the reception periods of the mountings A, B, and C so that the total amount of data received at the same timing does not exceed the upper limit of the communication bandwidth of the communication line 40a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the control unit 31 sets the start timing of the mounting A to t0, and the start timing of the mountings B and C to t0+t, and sets the periods of the mountings A, B, and C to 2t.

As a result, although there is competition for receiving data from mountings B and C, the communication bandwidth is not strained, and it is possible to receive data output from mountings A, B, and C at the same frequency.

Other Embodiments
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the spirit or main characteristics thereof.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a refrigerated vehicle equipped with a transport refrigeration unit, but the present invention may also be applied to vehicles other than refrigerated vehicles as long as the vehicle is equipped with multiple mounted items capable of outputting data.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the mountings 21, 23, 25 and the interface box 30, and the interface box 30 and the wireless communication device 40 are connected by communication lines (wired), but this is not limited to the above, and either or both of the mountings 21, 23, 25 and the interface box 30 and the interface box 30 and the wireless communication device 40 may be connected wirelessly.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a wireless communication device 40 capable of receiving data output by each of the mounted objects 21, 23, and 25 and transmitting the data to an external management server 50 is used as an in-vehicle device capable of receiving the data. However, this is not limited to this, and an autonomous driving ECU or a central gateway that does not communicate with the outside may be used as the in-vehicle device.

As such, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limiting manner. Furthermore, all modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention makes it possible to avoid restrictions on the number of mounted objects that can be installed due to data volume constraints, making it extremely useful when applied to mounted vehicles equipped with mounting equipment that includes multiple mounted objects.

1 Vehicle to be mounted 20 Transport refrigeration unit (mounting equipment)
21 Temperature and humidity meter (mounted)
23 First camera (mounted)
25 Second camera (mounted)
30 Interface box (electronic device)
40 Wireless communication device (vehicle-mounted device)

Claims (3)

A vehicle equipped with a plurality of mounting equipment each capable of outputting acquired data,
An on-board device capable of receiving data output from each of the above-mentioned mounted objects;
and an electronic device that receives data output from the plurality of mounted objects and transfers the received data to the in-vehicle device.
The electronic device is
The parameter information of each of the above-mentioned mounted objects, including the amount of data output by each of the above-mentioned mounted objects, is acquired, and when it is determined that the total amount of data output by the above-mentioned multiple mounted objects exceeds the upper limit of the communication band, the reception period for each of the above-mentioned mounted objects is set so that the total amount of data received at the same timing does not exceed the upper limit of the communication band;
A mounted vehicle characterized in that, when setting the reception period, the priority of each mounted object is determined based on the parameter information, and the reception period for each mounted object is set so that the data output by a mounted object with a higher priority is received more frequently, and the timing of receiving data from each mounted object is staggered. In the vehicle according to claim 1,
The electronic device is configured to determine a priority of each of the mounted equipment so that a mounted equipment that outputs a larger amount of data has a higher priority. In the vehicle according to claim 1,
The above parameter information includes the priority set by the user.
The electronic device is configured to determine a priority of each of the mounted equipment so that the higher the priority level set by the user of the mounted equipment, the higher the priority level of the mounted equipment.

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