JP7703874B2 - Communication Systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a communication system.

Systems in which an in-vehicle computer performs wireless communication are becoming widespread. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle communication system that has multiple in-vehicle transmitting and receiving antennas, and controls the transmission of emergency data using a second transmitting and receiving antenna when a first transmitting and receiving antenna becomes unusable.

Patent No. 6031460

The purpose of this disclosure is to improve the reliability of communications conducted by vehicles.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle communication system including a first in-vehicle device that communicates via a built-in communication module and a second in-vehicle device that communicates via the first in-vehicle device. Specifically, when the first in-vehicle device communicates independently, the first in-vehicle device communicates via a first access point among a plurality of access points that provide access to a wide area network, and when the first in-vehicle device communicates based on a request from the second in-vehicle device, the first in-vehicle device communicates via a second access point different from the first access point.

Other aspects include an information processing method executed by the first or second in-vehicle device, a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method, or a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program.

This disclosure makes it possible to improve the reliability of communications conducted by vehicles.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing components of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a module configuration of a control unit included in the DCM. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a module configuration of a control unit included in an air conditioning ECU. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing components of a center server. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process executed by a DCM. 11 is a flowchart of a process executed by a DCM.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle communication system including a first in-vehicle device that communicates via an integrated communication module, and a second in-vehicle device that communicates via the first in-vehicle device.
Specifically, the first in-vehicle device is characterized in that, when the first in-vehicle device communicates alone, it communicates via a first access point among a plurality of access points that provide access to a wide area network, and, when communicating based on a request of the second in-vehicle device, it communicates via a second access point different from the first access point.

The first in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device having a built-in communication module. The first in-vehicle device is also called, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module). The first in-vehicle device can independently perform communication using the built-in communication module.
The second in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device that does not incorporate a communication module. The second in-vehicle device is, for example, a car navigation device, an infotainment device, a head unit, or the like. The second in-vehicle device may also be an ECU (Electric Control Unit). The second in-vehicle device can communicate with the outside of the vehicle via the first in-vehicle device.

If the communication module provides a connection to a wide area network such as the Internet via a mobile communication network, it is necessary to specify an access point name. An access point is a gateway that connects a mobile communication network and a wide area network.
However, when a single access point is used, problems may arise in terms of reliability and load balancing. For example, some vehicle functions that use the network require high reliability, such as emergency call functions and security functions, while others, such as traffic information functions, do not. If all of these communications are performed through the same route, there is a risk that necessary functions will not be available in the event of communication congestion or communication failure.

To address this, in the vehicle communication system disclosed herein, different access points are used when the first in-vehicle device communicates independently and when the second in-vehicle device communicates via the first in-vehicle device. For example, communications that require a higher degree of reliability can be performed independently by the first in-vehicle device, and other communications can be performed by the second in-vehicle device, thereby distributing the communication paths. This reduces the load and provides a high degree of reliability.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

An overview of the vehicle system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The vehicle system according to the embodiment includes a vehicle 1 and a center server 100.

The vehicle 1 is a connected car having a communication function. The vehicle 1 includes a DCM 10, which is a communication module, an ECU 20, and an in-vehicle device 30. Although a single ECU 20 is illustrated in the figure, the vehicle may include a plurality of ECUs 20. Examples of the plurality of ECUs included in the vehicle include an engine ECU, a body ECU, a powertrain ECU, and a hybrid ECU.
The in-vehicle device 30 is a device (for example, a car navigation device) that provides information to a vehicle occupant.

The center server 100 is a server device capable of communicating with the vehicle 1. The center server 100 provides various remote services by communicating with the vehicle 1. One example of a remote service is a service for remotely controlling the air conditioning device of the vehicle 1. By using such a service, the user can operate the heating and cooling of the vehicle to maintain an appropriate temperature inside the vehicle before getting into the vehicle.

The components of the system will be explained in detail.
2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle 1 includes a DCM 10, an ECU 20, and an in-vehicle device 30. These components are connected to each other by a CAN bus 40. In this example, an air conditioning ECU 20A is shown as an example of the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20 mounted on the vehicle 1.
The CU 20A is an ECU that controls a plurality of air conditioners in the vehicle, and is one of the plurality of ECUs 20. Examples of the plurality of air conditioners in the vehicle include an air conditioner, a defogger, a seat heater, a steering heater, etc. Other ECUs 20 that manage other vehicle components may be connected to the CAN bus 40.
In the following description, the term ECU 20 will be used to collectively refer to multiple ECUs provided in a vehicle.

DCM10 is an interface unit that connects the in-vehicle network with a communication network external to vehicle 1 (hereinafter, external network). DCM10 is configured to be able to communicate with a mobile communication network via wireless communication. The mobile communication network is interconnected with a wide area network (e.g., the Internet), and this allows DCM10 to communicate with devices on the wide area network.

The DCM 10 executes a function of mediating communication between an external network and the vehicle 1. For example, when the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30 of the vehicle 1 needs to communicate with the external network, the DCM 10 relays data transmitted from the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30 to the external network. The DCM 10 also receives data transmitted from the external network and transfers the data to an appropriate ECU 20 or in-vehicle device 30.
For example, the DCM 10 receives a request (air conditioning request) to operate the air conditioning of the vehicle 1 from the center server 100 , and executes a process of transferring the air conditioning request to the air conditioning ECU 20 .

Furthermore, DCM 10 can execute functions specific to the device itself. For example, DCM 10 has a security monitoring function and a calling function, and can make security reports, emergency calls, etc. based on a trigger that occurs inside the vehicle.

The DCM 10 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a main storage device such as a RAM or a ROM, and an auxiliary storage device such as an EPROM, a disk drive, or a removable medium. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

The DCM 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13A that is an interface for communicating with the CAN bus 40, a communication unit 13B that is an interface for communicating with an external network, and an input/output unit 14.

The control unit 11 is a computing unit (processor) that realizes various functions of the DCM 10 by executing predetermined programs.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the logical configuration of the control unit 11 of the DCM 10. As shown in FIG.
The control unit 11 has three functional modules: a data relay unit 111, an emergency notification unit 112, and a security unit 113. Each functional module may be realized by the control unit 11 (i.e., a CPU or the like) executing a program stored in a storage unit such as a ROM.

For example, the data relay unit 111 receives a message sent by a first device connected to the in-vehicle network, and, if necessary, executes a process of transferring the message to a second device connected to the in-vehicle network. If the vehicle 1 has multiple CAN buses, the data relay unit 111 may send the message to an appropriate CAN bus. The first and second devices may be the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30.
Furthermore, when the data relay unit 111 receives a message addressed to an external network from the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30, the data relay unit 111 relays the message to the external network. Also, the data relay unit 111 receives data transmitted from the external network, and transfers the data to an appropriate ECU 20 or in-vehicle device 30.

If an abnormality occurs in the vehicle 1, the emergency notification unit 112 makes an emergency call to an operator outside the vehicle. Examples of abnormalities include a traffic accident or a vehicle breakdown. For example, if a predetermined trigger occurs, such as pressing a call button provided in the vehicle or deploying an airbag, the emergency notification unit 112 starts a connection with an operator and enables a call between the vehicle occupants and the operator.

The security unit 113 performs security monitoring processing. For example, based on data received from the ECU 20 that manages the electronic lock of the vehicle, the security unit 113 detects that the vehicle has been unlocked without following the correct procedure, and sends a security report to a specified device. The security report may include vehicle location information. In this case, the security unit 113 may be configured to be able to obtain location information from other components of the vehicle 1.

Returning to FIG. 2, the explanation will be continued.
The storage unit 12 is a memory device including a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and the programs stored therein can be loaded into the main storage device and executed to realize various functions that meet specific purposes, as described below.

The communication unit 13A is a communication interface that connects the DCM 10 to the in-vehicle network (CAN bus 40). The communication unit 13A executes a process of converting a message of a predetermined format generated by the control unit 11 into CAN data, and a process of converting received CAN data into a message of a predetermined format and transmitting the message to the control unit 11.
The communication unit 13B is a communication interface that connects the DCM 10 to a mobile communication network. The communication unit 13B executes a process of converting a message of a predetermined format generated by the control unit 11 into a packet, and a process of converting a received packet into a message of the predetermined format and transmitting the message to the control unit 11.

The input/output unit 14 is a unit that inputs and outputs information between the vehicle and the vehicle occupants. The input/output unit 14 can be, for example, an audio input/output unit including a microphone and a speaker. Using the input/output unit 14, the DCM 10 can provide functions such as a telephone call function.

Next, a description will be given of the ECU 20. Here, as an example of the ECU 20, an air conditioning ECU 20A will be illustrated.
The air conditioning ECU 20A is an electronic control unit that controls the air conditioning devices mounted on the vehicle 1. A plurality of air conditioning devices are connected to the air conditioning ECU 20, and the air conditioning ECU 20 controls these air conditioning devices based on instructions from a user. Examples of the plurality of air conditioning devices that the vehicle 1 has include a car air conditioner, a defogger (defroster), a seat heater, a steering heater, and the like.

The air conditioning ECU 20A operates the air conditioning device based on operations performed on a control panel installed inside the vehicle, and also performs remote air conditioning based on air conditioning requests sent from the center server 100. The mode in which remote air conditioning is performed is called the remote air conditioning mode. When the vehicle 1 is in the remote air conditioning mode, driving is prohibited. When the vehicle 1 is in the remote air conditioning mode, for example, changing the shift position, releasing the parking brake, releasing the steering lock, etc. are prohibited.

Like the DCM 10, the air conditioning ECU 20A can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main memory device such as a RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary memory device such as an EPROM, a disk drive, or removable media.

In this embodiment, the air conditioning ECU 20A includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.
The control unit 21 is a calculation unit (processor) that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the air conditioning ECU 20A.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a logical configuration of the control unit 21 of the air conditioning ECU 20A.
The control unit 21 has, as a functional module, a remote air conditioning unit 211. The functional module may be realized by causing the control unit 21 (i.e., a CPU or the like) to execute a program stored in a storage unit such as a ROM.

The remote air conditioning unit 211 generates a command to operate one or more air conditioning devices based on the received air conditioning request. This starts remote air conditioning of the vehicle 1. The remote air conditioning unit 211 also stops the remote air conditioning when a predetermined condition is met. For example, the remote air conditioning unit 211 stops the remote air conditioning when a predetermined timer expires or when the user gets into the vehicle 1.

The storage unit 22 is a memory device including a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The functions of these are similar to those of the control unit 11 and the storage unit 12, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.
The communication unit 23 is a communication interface that connects the air conditioning ECU 20A to the in-vehicle network (CAN bus 40). The communication unit 23 executes a process of converting a message of a predetermined format generated by the control unit 21 into CAN data, and a process of converting received CAN data into a message of a predetermined format and transmitting the message to the control unit 21.

The in-vehicle device 30 is a device that provides information to the vehicle occupants, and is also called a car navigation system, infotainment system, or head unit. The in-vehicle device 30 can provide navigation and entertainment to the vehicle occupants. The in-vehicle device 30 also has the function of downloading traffic information, road map data, music, videos, etc. by communicating with an external network of the vehicle 1.

Like the DCM 10, the in-vehicle device 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main memory device such as a RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary memory device such as an EPROM, a disk drive, or removable media.

In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 30 includes a control unit 31 , a storage unit 32 , a communication unit 33 , and an input/output unit 34 .
The control unit 31 is an arithmetic unit (processor) that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the in-vehicle device 30. The control unit 31 executes a navigation function, an audio/visual function, and other information providing functions.
The storage unit 32 is a memory device including a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The functions of these are similar to those of the control unit 11 and the storage unit 12, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The communication unit 33 is a communication interface that connects the in-vehicle device 30 to an in-vehicle network (CAN bus 40).
The input/output unit 34 is a unit that receives input operations performed by the user and presents information to the user. In this embodiment, the input/output unit 34 is made up of a single touch panel display. That is, the input/output unit 34 is made up of a liquid crystal display and its control means, and a touch panel and its control means.

The CAN bus 40 is a communication bus that constitutes an in-vehicle network based on the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol. Although one CAN bus 40 is illustrated in this example, the in-vehicle network may have multiple communication buses. Also, the in-vehicle network may have a gateway that connects these multiple communication buses to each other. In this case, the DCM 10 may also function as the gateway. Also, a network such as Ethernet (registered trademark) may be used instead of the CAN bus.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the center server 100 illustrated in FIG.
The center server 100 is a server device that remotely controls the vehicle 1. The center server 100 is configured to be able to execute, for example, a program for instructing the vehicle 1 to operate a remote air conditioning system. The center server 100 may instruct the vehicle 1 to operate a remote air conditioning system based on, for example, a request transmitted from a user terminal.

The center server 100 can be configured as a general-purpose computer. That is, the center server 100 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main memory such as a RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary memory such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or a removable media. The auxiliary memory stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions that match a specific purpose, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as an ASIC or FPGA.

The center server 100 is configured with a control unit 101, a memory unit 102, and a communication unit 103.

The control unit 101 is a unit that controls the center server 100. The control unit 101 is configured with an information processing unit such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU), for example.
The control unit 101 has, as a functional module, an air conditioning request unit 1011. The functional module may be realized by causing a CPU to execute a program stored in a storage unit such as a ROM.

The air conditioning request unit 1011 generates a request (air conditioning request) to operate the remote air conditioning of the specified vehicle 1 based on data sent from the user terminal, and sends it to the vehicle 1. The air conditioning request includes, for example, the air conditioning device to be operated, the set temperature, and the operation time. The generated air conditioning request is sent via the network to the DCM 10 installed in the target vehicle.

The storage unit 102 is a means for storing information, and is configured with a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 102 stores various programs executed by the control unit 101, data used by the programs, etc. The storage unit 102 also stores data related to the vehicle 1 (e.g., an identifier of the vehicle 1, identification information of the DCM 10, etc.).

The communication unit 103 is an interface for connecting the center server 100 to a network. The communication unit 103 can communicate with the vehicle 1, for example, via the Internet or a mobile communication network.

Next, a logical communication path between the vehicle 1 and an external network will be described with reference to FIG.
In this embodiment, the DCM 10 accesses a wide area network (Internet) via a mobile communication network. When accessing a wide area network such as the Internet via a mobile communication network, it is necessary to specify a gateway (also called an access point) which is a connection point between networks. The name of the access point is also called an Access Point Name (APN).

In this embodiment, the DCM 10 can communicate with the wide area network using two types of APNs. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a communication path from the vehicle 1 to the wide area network. The DCM 10 communicates via the first APN when the communication to be performed is performed solely by the DCM 10 itself. Examples of communication performed solely by the DCM 10 include communication performed by the emergency call unit 112 (emergency call related communication) and communication performed by the security unit 113 (security related communication). Furthermore, the DCM 10 communicates via the second APN when the communication to be performed is due to a request from a device other than the DCM 10 itself. Examples of such communication include communication related to remote air conditioning performed by the air conditioning ECU 20A and communication performed by the in-vehicle device 30.

If DCM10 communicates using only a single APN (e.g., the first APN), a failure in the access point being used will result in a disruption of communication. In addition, a high load on the access point can also cause a communication failure. On the other hand, by using multiple APNs depending on the communication source, as in this embodiment, it is possible to continue providing services even if a communication failure or delay occurs in one of the sources. Furthermore, development efficiency can be improved because communication paths can be separated for multiple services.

7 is a flowchart of a process executed by the DCM 10 (data relay unit 111) when data addressed to a wide area network is generated inside the vehicle 1. The process shown in the figure is repeatedly executed during operation of the vehicle system.
First, in step S11, data is received. The data may be transmitted from a module in the device itself (i.e., the emergency notification unit 112 or the security unit 113), or may be transmitted from the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30.
Next, in step S12, the source of the data is determined. If the source of the data is a module in the device itself, the process proceeds to step S13. If the source of the data is another device (i.e., the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30), the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S13, the first APN is used to establish communication with the external network and relay data. In step S14, the second APN is used to establish communication with the external network and relay data.

8 is a flowchart of a process executed by the DCM 10 (data relay unit 111) when data addressed to a component of the vehicle 1 is received from the wide area network. The process shown in the figure is repeatedly executed during operation of the vehicle system.
First, in step S21, data is received. The data may be addressed to a module in the device itself (i.e., the emergency notification unit 112 or the security unit 113), or may be addressed to one of the multiple ECUs 20 included in the vehicle 1, or to the in-vehicle device 30.
Next, in step S22, the channel through which the data was received is determined. If the channel through which the data was received is a communication channel using the first APN, the process proceeds to step S23. If the channel through which the data was received is a communication channel using the second APN, the process proceeds to step S24.

In step S23, the received data is processed within the device itself, specifically, the data is transferred to the module that is the destination of the data (i.e., the emergency notification section 112 or the security section 113).
In step S24, the received data is transferred to the ECU 20 (or the in-vehicle device 30) which is the destination of the data.

As described above, in the vehicle system according to this embodiment, the communication path is dynamically switched depending on whether the subject of data communication is the own device (DCM 10) or another device (ECU 20, in-vehicle device 30). This configuration makes it possible to distribute the communication load and provide a communication system that is resistant to failures.

(Modification)
The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be modified and implemented as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

In addition, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Or, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

1...vehicle 10...DCM
20...ECU
30: In-vehicle device 11, 21, 31: Control unit 12, 22, 32: Storage unit 13, 23, 33: Storage unit 14, 34: Input/output unit 100: Center server 101: Control unit 102: Storage unit 103: Communication unit

Claims (1)

A communication system including a first in-vehicle device that communicates via a built-in communication module, and a second in-vehicle device that is connected to the first in-vehicle device via an in-vehicle network and communicates with an external wide area network via the first in-vehicle device,
When the first in-vehicle device receives first data which is data from inside the vehicle in which the first in-vehicle device is mounted,
the first in-vehicle device determines whether a source of the first data is a module in the first in-vehicle device or a source of the first data is the second in-vehicle device;
The first in-vehicle device is
when the source of the first data is the module in the first vehicle-mounted device , establishing communication with the wide area network via a first access point among a plurality of access points that provide access to the wide area network, and relaying the first data ;
when the source of the first data is the second in-vehicle device, establishing communication with the wide area network via a second access point different from the first access point, and relaying the first data;
When the first in-vehicle device receives second data that is data transmitted from the wide area network to the vehicle,
the first in-vehicle device determines whether the second data is received via the first access point or the second access point;
The first in-vehicle device is
When the second data is received via the first access point, processing the second data in the first in-vehicle device;
When the second data is received via the second access point, transmitting the second data to the second in-vehicle device.
Communication systems.

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