JP7715326B2 - Server and vehicle management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a server and a vehicle management system.

Devices that prevent theft of vehicles used for rental cars, car sharing, etc. are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle theft prevention device that includes a determination unit that determines whether the rental period has expired, a lock unit that locks the engine or motor in an off state or locks the gearbox shift position in the park position, and a control unit that activates the lock unit to lock the vehicle when the vehicle rental period has expired. The control unit rewrites the rental period to zero when it receives information to forcibly terminate the rental, which is sent from the center when the vehicle is stolen.

Patent Document 2 also discloses an anti-theft device that includes a vehicle transceiver that receives a set area from a communication source, a position measurement means that measures the vehicle's current position, an anti-theft means installed in the vehicle, and a controller that activates the anti-theft means. The controller compares the set area with the current position and activates the vehicle's anti-theft means if the current position is outside the set area, and determines whether signals periodically transmitted from the communication source can be received and activates the vehicle's anti-theft means if signals can no longer be received. The anti-theft means does not execute the anti-theft function when the engine is running, but stores a command to activate the anti-theft function and executes the anti-theft function after the engine is stopped.

JP 2017-114156 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-173004

However, the vehicle anti-theft device described in Patent Document 1 activates its locking mechanism after the rental period has expired, making it unable to deal with theft during the rental period. Furthermore, in recent years, an increasing number of automobiles have been equipped with features that automatically shut off the engine when waiting at traffic lights, for example, in order to reduce environmental impact and improve fuel efficiency. For such automobiles, if the anti-theft function is activated when the engine is stopped, as in the anti-theft device described in Patent Document 2, the engine will not start while waiting at a traffic light. This can cause traffic congestion and even put the driver and other drivers in danger, so a mechanism for preventing the engine from starting in a safer manner is needed.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a server and vehicle management system that reduces the risk of theft and prevents the engine from starting in a safer environment.

The server of the present invention comprises a receiving unit, a memory unit, a position determination unit, an accessory power state determination unit, a voltage determination unit, a sound determination unit, a motion determination unit, and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit receives, from an on-board terminal mounted on the vehicle, positioning data indicating the vehicle's position, accessory power state data indicating the on/off state of the vehicle's accessory power, vehicle battery voltage data, acquired sound data of idling noise when the vehicle is idling, and motion data indicating three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle. The memory unit stores an allowed area in which the vehicle is permitted to travel, a voltage threshold value for the vehicle's battery voltage, reference sound data of the vehicle's periodic idling noise, a similarity threshold value for the similarity with the reference sound data, and a stop state and preset stop conditions based on the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity. The position determination unit compares the positioning data with the allowed area stored in the memory unit and determines whether the location indicated by the positioning data is within a non-allowed area, not a permitted area. The accessory power state determination unit determines whether the accessory power state indicated in the accessory power state data is off. The voltage determination unit determines whether the battery voltage indicated in the battery voltage data is less than a voltage threshold stored in the memory unit. The sound determination unit compares the acquired sound data with reference sound data and determines whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than a similarity threshold. The motion determination unit determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the conditions stored in the memory unit. If the position determination unit, power state determination unit, voltage determination unit, sound determination unit, and motion determination unit make a positive determination, the transmission unit transmits a start prevention instruction to the in-vehicle terminal to prevent the vehicle engine from starting after idling sound is no longer acquired.

It is preferable that the accessory power state determination unit makes a determination if the position determination unit makes a positive determination, the voltage determination unit makes a determination if the accessory power state determination unit makes a positive determination, the sound determination unit makes a determination if the power determination unit makes a positive determination, and the motion determination unit makes a determination if the sound determination unit makes a positive determination.

The vehicle management system of the present invention comprises an on-board terminal mounted on a vehicle and a server that communicates with the on-board terminal. The on-board terminal has a positioning data acquisition unit, an accessory power supply status acquisition unit, a battery voltage acquisition unit, a sound acquisition unit, a motion data acquisition unit, an on-board terminal transceiver unit, and a start-up prevention unit. The positioning data acquisition unit acquires positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle. The accessory power supply status acquisition unit detects the on/off state of the vehicle's accessory power supply. The battery voltage acquisition unit acquires the vehicle's battery voltage. The sound acquisition unit acquires idling sound when the vehicle is idling. The motion data acquisition unit acquires motion data indicating three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle. The on-board terminal transceiver unit transmits the positioning data, accessory power supply status data indicating the on/off state of the accessory power supply, battery voltage data, acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each motion data indicating three-axis acceleration and angular velocity to the server, and receives instructions from the server. The start prevention unit prevents the vehicle from starting after idling sound is no longer acquired when the in-vehicle terminal transceiver unit receives a start prevention instruction to prevent the vehicle's engine from starting from the server. The server has a receiving unit, a memory unit, a position determination unit, an accessory power state determination unit, a voltage determination unit, a sound determination unit, a motion determination unit, and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit receives from the in-vehicle terminal positioning data, accessory power state data indicating the on/off state of the acquired accessory power, battery voltage data, acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each motion data indicating triaxial acceleration and angular velocity. The memory unit stores an allowed region in which the vehicle is permitted to travel, a voltage threshold value of the vehicle's battery voltage, reference sound data of the vehicle's periodic idling sound, a similarity threshold value of the similarity to the reference sound data, and a stop state and a preset stop condition based on the triaxial acceleration and angular velocity. The position determination unit compares the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the memory unit to determine whether the position indicated in the positioning data is within a non-permitted area, not a permitted area. The accessory power state determination unit determines whether the accessory power state indicated in the accessory power state data is off. The voltage determination unit determines whether the battery voltage indicated in the battery voltage data is below a voltage threshold stored in the memory unit. The sound determination unit compares the acquired sound data with reference sound data to determine whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is below a similarity threshold. The motion determination unit determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the conditions stored in the memory unit. The transmission unit transmits a start-up prevention instruction to the in-vehicle terminal when the position determination unit, power state determination unit, voltage determination unit, sound determination unit, and motion determination unit all make positive determinations.

This invention reduces the risk of theft and other crimes, and makes it possible to prevent the vehicle engine from starting in a safer environment.

1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle management system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a process performed by a vehicle management system.

The vehicle management system 11 shown in Figure 1 is one embodiment of the present invention and is used to manage multiple vehicles. The vehicles are rental cars. In this example, all of the vehicles are automobiles, but they may also be vehicles other than automobiles, such as motorcycles, construction machinery, or heavy machinery. Each vehicle is equipped with an on-board terminal, which is designated by the reference numerals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. in Figure 1. The vehicle management system 11 includes a server 14 and on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. The server 14 and each of the on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. are connected to each other via a communication network 18 such as the Internet, thereby enabling communication, i.e., the sending and receiving of various data (information). Each of the on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. transmits various data acquired about the vehicle to the server 14.

Server 14 performs various processes based on the data received from each of on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ..., and transmits a start prevention instruction to on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ... to prevent the vehicle engine from starting, for example, to prevent the vehicle from being stolen. When each of on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ... receives a start prevention instruction from server 14, it prevents the vehicle engine from starting. In this way, server 14 remotely controls the vehicle.

The vehicle management system 11 preferably further includes a management terminal 17 that manages vehicles via the server 14, and this is also the case in this example. The management terminal 17 is, for example, a terminal used by an administrator who manages the vehicles. The management terminal 17 and the server 14 are communicatively connected via a communications network (not shown) such as a LAN (local area network). When the server 14 is communicatively connected to the management terminal 17, various data about the vehicles received from each of the in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. is sent to the management terminal 17. Based on this data, the administrator can use the management terminal 17 to, for example, determine the vehicle's location and status, and input a start-up prevention command to prevent the vehicle's engine from starting. The management terminal 17 transmits a start-up prevention command to the server 14 in response to the administrator's input of the start-up prevention command, and the server 14 transmits the start-up prevention command to the in-vehicle terminal in response to receiving the start-up prevention command. In this way, the management terminal 17 can remotely control the vehicle by sending commands to the server 14.

In this example, the timing for transmitting the start-up prevention instruction from the server 14 to the on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. can be set (reserved) in advance by the management terminal 17. As a result, the management terminal 17 transmits an instruction (transmission timing instruction) for the timing of transmitting the start-up prevention instruction to the server 14, and the server 14 transmits the start-up prevention instruction to the on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C at a predetermined timing based on this transmission timing instruction. The transmission timing indicated by the transmission timing instruction may be a date and time, or may be a timing based on the point in time when a predetermined condition is met. The connection between the management terminal 17 and the server 14 is not particularly limited as long as communication is possible, and they may be connected via the communication network 18. In the following description, when the on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. are not to be distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as on-board terminals 13.

In FIG. 2, the in-vehicle terminal 13 of the vehicle management system 11 is configured as a computer, and functions as the following units by executing a predetermined application program. The in-vehicle terminal 13 includes a transmitter 21, a receiver 22, a positioning data acquisition unit 23, an accessory power supply status acquisition unit (hereinafter referred to as the ACC status acquisition unit) 26, a switch circuit status acquisition unit (hereinafter referred to as the SW circuit status acquisition unit) 27, a battery voltage acquisition unit 28, an engine status acquisition unit 31, a sound acquisition unit 32, a motion data acquisition unit 33, and a start-up prevention unit 36. The SW circuit status acquisition unit 27 and the engine status acquisition unit 31 are not necessarily provided, but it is preferable to provide them as in this example.

The transmitter 21 and receiver 22 constitute an in-vehicle terminal transmitter/receiver that transmits and receives data to and from the server 14 via the communication network 18 (see Figure 1). The transmitter 21 transmits to the server 14 the data acquired by the positioning data acquisition unit 23, ACC status acquisition unit 26, SW circuit status acquisition unit 27, battery voltage acquisition unit 28, engine status acquisition unit 31, sound acquisition unit 32, and motion data acquisition unit 33. The receiver 22 receives a start-up prevention command from the server 14.

The positioning data acquisition unit 23 acquires positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle 19 equipped with the in-vehicle terminal 13. The positioning data acquisition unit 23 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and measures the current position of the vehicle 19 to acquire position data, i.e., positioning data. In this example, the positioning data acquisition unit 23 measures the position of the vehicle 19. However, if the vehicle 19 is equipped with a GPS receiver, the positioning data measured by the GPS receiver of the vehicle 19 may be acquired from the GPS receiver, or may be used in conjunction with the GPS receiver of the vehicle 19. If the GPS receiver of the vehicle 19 is used in conjunction with the GPS receiver, it is preferable to set the in-vehicle terminal's positioning data acquisition unit to be used preferentially, or to prioritize the use of positioning data acquired by the positioning data acquisition unit 23. Each time the positioning data acquisition unit 23 acquires positioning data, it outputs the positioning data to the transmission unit 21, and the transmission unit 21 transmits the measurement data to the server 14 in response to the input of the positioning data.

The ACC status acquisition unit 26, SW circuit status acquisition unit 27, battery voltage acquisition unit 28, engine status acquisition unit 31, sound acquisition unit 32, and motion data acquisition unit 33 are used to acquire vehicle status data indicating the status of the vehicle 19. The vehicle status data is used by the server 14 to determine whether the engine of the vehicle 19 is not running (hereinafter referred to as the engine-off state).

The ACC status acquisition unit 26 detects the on/off state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle 19. The accessory power supply is a power supply that drives electrical components of the vehicle 19, such as a car stereo or car navigation system. The connection of the ACC status acquisition unit 26 to the vehicle 19 is not particularly limited as long as it is a connection that can detect the on/off state of the accessory power supply. In this example, the ACC status acquisition unit 26 is wired to a circuit line that is energized when the accessory power supply is on. In this way, the ACC status acquisition unit 26 detects and acquires the on/off state of the accessory power supply, generates accessory power supply state data (hereinafter referred to as ACC state data) that indicates the on/off state of the accessory power supply, and outputs this to the transmission unit 21 as first vehicle state data.

The ACC status acquisition unit 26 may output ACC status data indicating the ON or OFF state to the transmission unit 21 each time it generates it, or may output it to the transmission unit 21 only when it generates ACC status data indicating the OFF state by switching the accessory power from ON to OFF, or ACC status data indicating the ON state by switching from OFF to ON.

The SW circuit status acquisition unit 27 detects the on/off state of switch circuits that are energized only when the vehicle 19 is stopped. "When the vehicle is stopped" refers to when the engine is off or when the engine is running (hereinafter referred to as "engine on") but the vehicle is not moving. Examples of switch circuits that are energized only when the vehicle is stopped include a brake pedal switch circuit that is on when the brake is applied, a parking brake switch circuit that is on when the parking brake is applied, and a parking position switch circuit that is on when the gear shift mechanism is in the parking position. Switch circuits that are energized only when the vehicle is stopped are connected to a constant power source. The SW circuit status acquisition unit 27 may be connected to any circuit line that is energized when the switch circuit is on. In this way, the SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 detects and acquires the on/off state of the above-mentioned switch circuits, generates switch circuit state data (hereinafter referred to as SW circuit state data) indicating the on/off state, and outputs this as second vehicle state data to the transmission unit 21. In response to the input of the SW circuit state data, the transmission unit 21 transmits the input SW circuit state data to the server 14.

The SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 may output SW circuit state data indicating an on or off state to the transmission unit 21 each time it generates the data, or it may output the data to the transmission unit 21 only when the switch circuit switches from on to off and generates SW circuit state data indicating an off state, or when it switches from off to on and generates SW circuit state data indicating an on state.

The battery voltage acquisition unit 28 acquires the battery voltage of the vehicle 19 as the third vehicle state. The battery voltage acquisition unit 28 is connected to the OBD2 connector of the vehicle 19, acquires the battery voltage as data from the ECU via OBD2, and outputs this battery voltage data to the transmission unit 21 as third vehicle state data. The battery voltage acquisition unit 28 outputs the battery voltage data to the transmission unit 21 every time it acquires it from the ECU, and the transmission unit 21 transmits the input battery voltage data to the server 14 in response to the input of the battery voltage data.

The engine state acquisition unit 31 acquires the engine speed and accelerator pedal position of the vehicle 19 from the vehicle 19 as the engine state, and outputs this to the transmission unit 21 as engine state data, which is fourth vehicle state data. The engine speed and accelerator pedal position as the engine state specifically refer to whether the engine speed is 0 (zero) and whether the accelerator pedal position is 0 (zero) (accelerator pedal position rate is 0%). Note that when the engine speed and accelerator pedal position are acquired from the ECU as numerical data, digital data indicating whether the acquired numerical data is 0 or not can be generated, and the generated digital data can be output to the transmission unit 21 as engine state data. In response to the input of the engine state data, the transmission unit 21 transmits the input engine state data to the server 14.

The sound acquisition unit 32 acquires idling sound when the vehicle 19 is idling. The sound acquisition unit 32 is provided inside the vehicle 19, in this example, in the dashboard near the engine compartment of the vehicle 19, from the perspective of collecting idling sound effectively and suppressing the collection of sounds other than idling sound. The sound acquisition unit 32 has a transducer that converts sound into sound data (electrical signals), collects surrounding sounds, and converts the collected sounds into sound data. The sound acquisition unit 32 outputs the acquired sound data as acquired idling sound data to both the transmission unit 21 and the start prevention unit 36. This acquired sound data is fifth vehicle state data, and in response to input of the acquired sound data, the transmission unit 21 transmits the input acquired sound data to the server 14.

The motion data acquisition unit 33 acquires motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle as the sixth vehicle state data. The motion data acquisition unit 33 is composed of an acceleration sensor that detects the above-mentioned three-axis acceleration to acquire acceleration data, a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity (roll) to acquire angular velocity data, and the like. As such, the motion data acquisition unit 33 in this example detects acceleration and angular velocity to acquire each data. However, if the vehicle 19 is equipped with an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, the acceleration and angular velocity data detected by the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor of the vehicle 19 may be acquired from these sensors, or may be used in conjunction with the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor of the vehicle 19. If the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor of the vehicle 19 are used in conjunction, it is preferable to set the motion data acquisition unit 33 to be used preferentially, or to use the motion data acquired by the motion data acquisition unit 33 preferentially. Each time the motion data acquisition unit 33 acquires acceleration data and angular velocity data, it outputs the data to the transmission unit 21 as motion data indicating the movement of the vehicle, and in response to the input of the motion data, the transmission unit 21 transmits the input motion data to the server 14.

When the receiver 22 constituting the in-vehicle terminal transceiver receives a start prevention instruction from the server 14, the start prevention unit 36 prevents the start of the vehicle 19 engine after idling sound is no longer acquired. Specifically, if no acquired sound data is input from the sound acquisition unit 32, the start prevention unit 36 determines that idling sound has not been acquired and prevents the engine from starting. On the other hand, if acquired sound data is input, the start prevention unit 36 determines that idling sound has been acquired and does not prevent the engine from starting, but waits until the input of acquired sound data ceases before preventing the engine from starting. The start prevention unit 36 prevents the engine from starting, for example, by preventing the operation of at least one of the circuits required to start the engine. In this example, the wiring circuit to the engine start push switch is interrupted.

The in-vehicle terminal 13 preferably further includes a removal detection unit (not shown), and this is also the case in this example. The removal detection unit is used to detect when the in-vehicle terminal 13 has been removed from the vehicle 19, and is provided in at least one of the connection lines connected to the vehicle 19, such as the connection line connecting the engine status acquisition unit 31 to the OBD2 connector or the connection line connecting the ACC status acquisition unit 26 to a specific circuit in the vehicle 19. The in-vehicle terminal 13 in this example is equipped with an internal battery (not shown). When the removal detection unit generates a removal signal indicating that the connection with the vehicle 19 has been severed, the internal battery sends the removal signal from the removal detection unit to the transmitter 21, which then transmits the signal to the management terminal 17 via the server 14 to notify the administrator.

The management terminal 17 comprises an input unit 45, a display unit 46, and a control unit 47. The management terminal 17 is configured as a computer, and can function as the management terminal 17 by executing a specific application program. The display unit 46 is a display device such as an LCD display, and displays a display image input from the control unit 47 under the control of the control unit 47. The input unit 45 is, for example, a keyboard or mouse, and if a touch panel display is used as the display unit 46, the display unit 46 can also function as the input unit 45. The input unit 45 is used to perform various input operations, such as input operations for setting the permission area and battery voltage threshold, which will be described later, and input operations for inputting a start-up prevention command.

The server 14 includes a receiving unit 51, a transmitting unit 52, a memory unit (DB), a control unit 53, a position determination unit 56, an accessory power supply state determination unit (hereinafter referred to as the ACC state determination unit) 57, a switch circuit state determination unit (hereinafter referred to as the SW circuit state determination unit) 58, a voltage determination unit 61, an engine state determination unit 62, a sound determination unit 63, and a motion determination unit 66. The server 14 is configured as a computer and functions as each of the above units by executing a predetermined application program. The position determination unit 56, the ACC state determination unit 57, the SW circuit state determination unit 58, the voltage determination unit 61, the engine state determination unit 62, the sound determination unit 63, and the motion determination unit 66 constitute a determination unit 70. The determination unit 70 does not necessarily have to include the SW circuit state determination unit 58 and the engine state determination unit 62, but it is preferable to do so.

The receiver 51 and transmitter 52 constitute a server transmitter/receiver that transmits and receives data to and from the in-vehicle terminal 13 via the communication network 18 (see Figure 1). The receiver 52 receives positioning data, ACC status data, SW circuit status data, battery voltage data, engine status data, acquired sound data, motion data indicating each of the three axial accelerations of the vehicle 19, and motion data indicating each of the three axial angular velocities from the transmitter 21 of the in-vehicle terminal 13, and outputs this to the control unit 53. The transmitter 52 transmits a start-up prevention instruction to the in-vehicle terminal 13.

When the control unit 53 receives the above-mentioned data from the receiving unit 51, it controls the determination unit 70 and causes the position determination unit 56, ACC state determination unit 57, SW circuit state determination unit 58, voltage determination unit 61, engine state determination unit 62, sound determination unit 63, and motion determination unit 66 to perform predetermined processing in this order. The control unit 53 is communicatively connected to the control unit 47 of the management terminal 17 via a communication unit (not shown), and when a start/stop command is received from the control unit 47, it transmits the start/stop command from the transmitting unit 52 to the receiving unit 22 of the in-vehicle terminal 13. In this way, the control unit 53 comprehensively controls each unit of the server 14.

The memory unit DB stores the permitted area in which vehicle 19 is permitted to travel, the vehicle 19's battery voltage threshold (hereinafter referred to as the voltage threshold), reference sound data of the vehicle 19's periodic idling sound, the threshold of similarity to the reference sound data (hereinafter referred to as the similarity threshold), and a stop state and preset stop conditions (hereinafter referred to as the motion conditions) based on three-axis acceleration and angular velocity. The permitted area, voltage threshold, reference sound data, similarity threshold, and motion conditions are stored for each vehicle 19, i.e., are stored in association with the vehicle 19.

Allowed areas are set in advance, and are set, for example, based on input on the management terminal 17, and can be areas such as within a specific prefecture, or routes such as specific driving routes. Allowed areas can also be set by establishing non-allowed areas that are not allowed areas. For example, because cars can be stolen and taken overseas, a specific area of a port can be set as a non-allowed area where entry is prohibited, or an area across prefectural borders can be set as a non-allowed area where entry is prohibited.

The voltage threshold, the reference sound data and similarity threshold, and the motion conditions are all criteria for determining whether the vehicle 19 is in an engine-off state. The voltage threshold is VB + Vα, where VB is the vehicle 19's normal battery voltage (e.g., the battery voltage when the engine is off). Vα is set taking into account the normal battery voltage fluctuation between the engine-off state and when driving. For most vehicle types, Vα is preferably at least 1.5V, and in this example, it is set to 1.5V. The battery voltage of a passenger car is typically 12V, and the battery voltage of a large vehicle such as a truck is typically 24V. While these values may be used as the reference voltage VB, battery voltages decrease over time due to factors such as aging. Therefore, it is advisable to check the battery voltage for each vehicle 19, for example, periodically, and use the most recent battery voltage as the reference voltage VB. Because the voltage threshold is thus a value obtained from the reference voltage VB and Vα, the reference voltages VB and Vα may be stored as voltage thresholds. In this example, VB and Vα are input via the input unit 45 and stored in the memory unit DB, but Vα may also be set in advance in the program.

The reference sound data is sound data including the vibration pattern of the idling sound of the vehicle 19, and the idling sound is acquired for each vehicle and stored. Note that after noise is removed from the sound data, an average value may be calculated, and the data obtained by subtracting the average value from the noise-removed data may be used as the reference sound data, and this is also done in this example. Because idling sound is periodic, the reference sound data is data for at least one cycle and is stored in association with the vehicle 19. In this example, one cycle of data obtained by removing noise from the acquired sound data is defined as f ₁ (t) (where t is time), and the average value Avg ₁ for this one cycle is calculated. Then, Avg ₁ is subtracted from f ₁ (t) to obtain f ₂ (t), or f ₁ (t) - Avg ₁ , and this f ₂ (t) is used as the reference sound data.

The similarity threshold is a threshold set in advance for the similarity that indicates the degree of similarity of the acquired sound data to the reference sound data. In this example, the similarity threshold is set to 8% of the reference sound data, that is, 0.08×f ₂ (t).

Motion conditions are conditions set for the physical movement state of the vehicle 19. Motion conditions can be set, for example, as follows: First, the vehicle 19, which is pre-installed with the in-vehicle terminal 13, is placed in various states, such as engine on, driving, stopped, and engine off, and motion data acquired in these various states is prepared. Then, a learning calculation unit (not shown) learns this motion data and the vehicle state when each motion data is displayed, constructing a learning model. If the vehicle 19 is equipped with an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, the motion data acquired by the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor may be used instead of or in addition to the motion data acquisition unit 33 of the in-vehicle terminal 13. If motion data is acquired by both the motion data acquisition unit 33 and the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor, these data may be trained as AND conditions. The learning model is constructed to determine whether the vehicle 19 is in an engine-off state, and is used as a motion condition that serves as the criterion for this determination. In this example, the learning model is stored in the memory unit DB, and a learning calculation unit is provided in the control unit 53, but the learning model stored in the memory unit DB may also be stored in the memory within the control unit 53.

When positioning data is input under the control of the control unit 53, the position determination unit 56 compares the position indicated by the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the memory unit DB and determines whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within a prohibited area. The position determination unit 56 outputs a positive determination (determining that the position is within a prohibited area) or a negative determination (determining that the position is not within a prohibited area) to the control unit 53.

When ACC status data is input from the control unit 53, the ACC status determination unit 57 determines whether the accessory power status indicated in the ACC status data is in the off state. The ACC status determination unit 57 outputs a positive determination (determined to be in the off state) or a negative determination (determined to be not in the off state) to the control unit 53.

When battery voltage data is input from the control unit 53, the voltage determination unit 61 determines whether the battery voltage is below the voltage threshold stored in the memory unit DB. The voltage determination unit 61 outputs a positive determination (determined that the voltage is below the voltage threshold) or a negative determination (determined that the voltage is not below the voltage threshold) to the control unit 53.

When engine state data is input from the control unit 53, the engine state determination unit 62 determines whether the engine state (engine speed and accelerator opening) indicated in the engine state data is 0 (zero). The engine state determination unit 62 outputs a positive determination (determined to be 0) or negative determination (determined to be not 0) to the control unit 53.

When acquired sound data is input from the control unit 53, the sound determination unit 63 compares the acquired sound data with reference sound data stored in the memory unit DB, calculates the similarity between the acquired sound data and the reference sound data, and determines whether the similarity is less than the similarity threshold stored in the memory unit DB. The sound determination unit 63 outputs a positive determination (determined to be less than the similarity threshold) or a negative determination (determined to be not less than the similarity threshold) to the control unit 53.

Specifically, the determination is performed as follows. First, when acquired sound data is input, the sound determination unit 63 identifies, from the storage unit DB, the reference sound data of the vehicle 19 from which the acquired sound data was acquired. The sound determination unit identifies, from the acquired sound data, a data portion that has periodicity and whose period is closest to the reference sound data, for example, at least one period, as in the case of the reference sound data, and sets this as the acquired sound data for which similarity is to be determined. The acquired sound data thus identified is defined as g ₁ (t), the average value of g ₁ (t) is defined as Avg2, and g ₂ (t) - Avg2, obtained by subtracting Avg2 from g ₁ (t), is defined as g ₂ (t). Then, the difference between f ₂ (t) and g ₂ (t), |f ₂ (t) - g ₂ (t)|, is calculated, and this difference |f ₂ (t) - g ₂ (t)| is compared with the similarity threshold to determine whether or not this difference |f ₂ (t) - g ₂ (t)| is less than the similarity threshold.

When motion data is input from the control unit 53, the motion determination unit 66 determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the motion conditions stored in the memory unit DB. The motion determination unit 66 outputs a positive determination (determination that the motion conditions are satisfied) or a negative determination (determination that the motion conditions are not satisfied) to the control unit 53.

When a positive determination is input from the motion determination unit 66, the control unit 53 sends an engine-off notification to the management terminal 17. If a start-up prevention instruction is input from the input unit 45 after the management terminal 17 receives the engine-off notification, the start-up prevention instruction is sent from the control unit 53 of the server 14 to the in-vehicle terminal 13, and the start-up prevention unit 36 of the in-vehicle terminal 13 executes processing to prevent the start of the engine of the vehicle 19 after the sound acquisition unit 32 no longer acquires idling sound.

The operation of the above configuration will now be explained. As shown in Figure 3, before a vehicle 19 is rented, the permission area, battery voltage threshold, etc. are entered in advance via the management terminal 17 and stored in the memory DB of the server 14. The reference sound data and similarity threshold are also stored in advance in the memory DB.

While the vehicle 19 is being rented, the server 14 and the in-vehicle terminal 13 perform predetermined processing. The positioning data acquisition unit 23 of the in-vehicle terminal 13 measures the position of the vehicle 19, for example, at predetermined time intervals (timings), and generates positioning data.

Some accessory power supplies can be turned on even before the engine is started, but when the engine goes from an on state (when the engine is running) to an off state (when the engine is turned off), the state switches from on to off. In other words, when the accessory power supply is off, it can be considered that the engine is off. Therefore, the ACC status acquisition unit 26 detects whether the accessory power supply is off and outputs this to the transmission unit 21. The status of the accessory power supply is detected based on the presence or absence of voltage, so it can be detected quickly.

The SW circuit status acquisition unit 27 detects whether circuits that are energized only when the vehicle 19 is stopped are on or off, and outputs the detection result to the transmission unit 21 as SW circuit status data. The SW circuit status data is also detected based on the presence or absence of voltage, so it can be detected quickly.

The battery voltage acquisition unit 28 acquires battery voltage data of the vehicle 19, and the engine state acquisition unit 31 acquires engine state data, which are then output to the transmission unit 21. The sound acquisition unit 32 acquires idling sound and converts it into acquired sound data, and the motion data acquisition unit 33 acquires motion data, which are then output to the transmission unit 21. The transmission unit 21 transmits each of the data thus input to the server 14.

When the server 14 receives the above data in the control unit 53, the control unit 53 controls the judgment unit 70 and causes each component of the judgment unit 70 to execute predetermined processing. When the positioning data is received, the control unit 53 inputs the positioning data to the position determination unit 56 and causes the position determination unit 56 to execute a determination. In response to the input of the positioning data, the position determination unit 56 determines whether the position indicated in the positioning data is within a non-permitted area and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53.

In response to a positive determination input from the position determination unit 56, the control unit 53 inputs ACC state data to the ACC state determination unit 57 to cause it to perform a determination. If a negative determination input is received from the position determination unit 56, the control unit 53 terminates the determination by the determination unit 70 without causing any further determinations to be performed by the ACC state determination unit 57. In response to the determination result input from the position determination unit 56, the control unit 53 may transmit the determination result to the management terminal 17. In this example, the management terminal 17 is configured to display the determination result on the display unit 46. Similarly, the control unit 53 may transmit the determination results input to the control unit 53 from the ACC state determination unit 57, SW circuit state determination unit 58, voltage determination unit 61, engine state determination unit 62, sound determination unit 63, and motion determination unit 66 to the management terminal 17, which may then process them in the same manner.

In response to the input of ACC state data, the ACC state determination unit 57 determines whether the accessory power supply is off and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to the input of a positive determination from the ACC state determination unit 57, the control unit 53 inputs SW circuit state data to the SW circuit state determination unit 58 to make a determination. Note that if the determination unit 70 does not include the SW circuit state determination unit 58, the control unit 53 inputs battery voltage data to the voltage determination unit 61 to make a determination. On the other hand, if a negative determination is input from the ACC state determination unit 57, the control unit 53 terminates the determination by the determination unit 70 without making any further determinations after the determination by the SW circuit state determination unit 58. Because the ACC state data determines whether the power supply is on or off, the determination is made quickly, and therefore it is quickly determined that the engine is on. As a result, it is quickly determined that subsequent determinations will not be made, thereby more quickly ensuring the safe driving of the vehicle 19.

In response to input of battery voltage data, the voltage determination unit 61 determines whether the battery voltage is below the voltage threshold and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to input of a positive determination from the voltage determination unit 61, the control unit 53 inputs engine state data to the engine state determination unit 62 to make a determination. Note that if the determination unit 70 does not include an engine state determination unit 62, the control unit 53 inputs acquired sound data to the sound determination unit 63 to make a determination. On the other hand, if a negative determination is input from the voltage determination unit 61, the control unit 53 terminates the determination by the determination unit 70 without making any further determinations after the determination by the engine state determination unit 62. Because the voltage determination unit 61 determines whether the battery voltage is below the threshold, the determination is made quickly, and therefore it is quickly determined that the engine is on. Therefore, it is quickly determined that no further determinations will be made, thereby more quickly ensuring the safety of the vehicle 19. Furthermore, even if the ACC status acquisition unit 26 accidentally disconnects from a specific circuit in the vehicle 19, the voltage determination unit 61 can acquire battery voltage data from the vehicle 19 to understand and determine the status of the vehicle 19, further ensuring the safety of the vehicle 19.

In response to input of engine state data, the engine state determination unit 62 determines whether the engine state (engine speed and accelerator opening) is 0 and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to input of a positive determination from the engine state determination unit 62, the control unit 53 inputs the acquired sound data to the sound determination unit 63 to make a determination. On the other hand, if a negative determination is input from the engine state determination unit 62, the control unit 53 terminates the determination by the determination unit 70 without executing any further determinations after the determination by the sound determination unit 63. Because the engine state determination unit 62 determines the engine state based on the engine state (engine speed and accelerator opening), the safety of the vehicle 19 is further ensured, and because the determination is based on whether the state is 0, the determination is quick.

In response to input of acquired sound data, the sound determination unit 63 compares the acquired sound data with reference sound data, calculates the similarity of the acquired sound data to the reference sound data, and outputs the determination result of whether the similarity is less than the similarity threshold to the control unit 53. When a positive determination is input from the sound determination unit 63, the control unit 53 responds by inputting motion data to the motion determination unit 66 to make a determination. On the other hand, when a negative determination is input from the sound determination unit 63, the control unit 53 does not make a determination by the motion determination unit 66, but instead ends the determination by the determination unit 70. Because the sound determination unit 63 determines whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the similarity threshold, it is possible to prevent erroneous engine start prevention operation from being performed when movement of the vehicle 19 is not detected and the vehicle is idling.

In response to input of motion data, the motion determination unit 66 determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the motion conditions and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to input of a positive determination from the motion determination unit 66, the control unit 53 sends an engine-off notification to the management terminal 17, indicating that the vehicle 19 is in an engine-off state. If a start-blocking instruction is input from the input unit 45 after the management terminal 17 receives the notification, the control unit 47 transmits the start-blocking instruction to the server 14, and then the control unit 53 transmits the start-blocking instruction to the in-vehicle terminal 13. When a start-blocking instruction is input, the start-blocking unit 36 of the in-vehicle terminal 13 does not block the start of the vehicle's engine while acquired sound data is being input from the sound acquisition unit 32, and blocks the start of the vehicle's engine 19, for example, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the input of acquired sound data ceased. Furthermore, when a start-blocking instruction is input, the start-blocking unit 36 blocks the start of the vehicle's engine 19 if acquired sound data is not being input from the sound acquisition unit 32. The engine of the vehicle 19 is prevented from starting, making it impossible to drive. On the other hand, if a negative determination is input from the motion determination unit 66, the control unit 53 sends a determination completion notification to the management terminal 17 indicating that the determination by the determination unit 70 has been completed.

In this way, the server 14 determines the status of the vehicle 19 based on the location of the vehicle 19, allowing measures to be taken to prevent theft of the vehicle 19 even during the rental period. Furthermore, because whether the vehicle 19's engine is on or off is determined based on at least the accessory power supply state, battery voltage, idling sound, and acceleration and angular velocity motion data, the operating state of the vehicle 19 can be more reliably grasped. As a result, engine start-up can be prevented while further ensuring the safety of the vehicle 19. Furthermore, because the vehicle ACC status determination, battery voltage determination, idling sound determination, and motion determination are performed in this order, determinations can be made quickly. As a result, the safety of the vehicle 19 can be more reliably ensured.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Vehicle management system 13A, 13B, 13C In-vehicle terminal 14 Server 17 Management terminal 18 Communication network 19 Vehicle 21 Transmitter 22 Receiver 23 Positioning data acquisition unit 26 ACC status acquisition unit 28 Battery voltage acquisition unit 32 Sound acquisition unit 33 Motion data acquisition unit 36 Start inhibition unit 51 Receiver 52 Transmitter 53 Control unit 56 Position determination unit 57 ACC status determination unit 61 Voltage determination unit 63 Sound determination unit 66 Motion determination unit 70 Determination unit 76 Control unit DB Storage unit

Claims (3)

a receiving unit that receives, from an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle, positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle, accessory power supply state data indicating an on/off state of an accessory power supply of the vehicle, battery voltage data of the vehicle, acquired sound data of idling sound when the vehicle is idling, and each motion data indicating three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle;
a storage unit that stores a permitted area in which the vehicle is permitted to travel, a voltage threshold value of the battery voltage of the vehicle, reference sound data of the periodic idling sound of the vehicle, a similarity threshold value of the similarity to the reference sound data, and a stop state and a preset stop condition based on three-axis acceleration and angular velocity;
a position determination unit that compares the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the storage unit and determines whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within a non-permitted area that is not the permitted area;
an accessory power state determination unit that determines whether the accessory power state indicated in the accessory power state data is an off state;
a voltage determination unit that determines whether the battery voltage indicated by the battery voltage data is less than the voltage threshold value stored in the storage unit;
a sound determination unit that compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data and determines whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the similarity threshold;
a motion determination unit that determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the condition stored in the storage unit;
a transmitting unit that, when a positive judgment is made by the position determining unit, the power supply state determining unit, the voltage determining unit, the sound determining unit, and the motion determining unit, transmits to the in-vehicle terminal a start prevention instruction to prevent the engine of the vehicle from starting after the idling sound is no longer acquired. the accessory power state determination unit performs a determination when the position determination unit makes a positive determination,
the voltage determination unit performs a determination when the accessory power state determination unit makes a positive determination,
the sound determination unit performs a determination when the power supply determination unit makes a positive determination,
The server according to claim 1 , wherein the motion determination unit performs a determination when the sound determination unit makes a positive determination. an in-vehicle terminal mounted in a vehicle;
a server that communicates with the in-vehicle terminal,
The in-vehicle terminal
a positioning data acquisition unit that acquires positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle;
an accessory power supply state acquisition unit that detects an on/off state of an accessory power supply of the vehicle;
a battery voltage acquisition unit that acquires a battery voltage of the vehicle;
a sound acquisition unit that acquires idling sound when the vehicle is idling;
a motion data acquisition unit that acquires motion data indicating three-axis accelerations and angular velocities applied to the vehicle;
an in-vehicle terminal transceiver unit that transmits the positioning data, accessory power supply state data indicating an on/off state of the accessory power supply, battery voltage data, acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each motion data indicating the acceleration and angular velocity of the three axes to the server, and receives instructions from the server;
a start prevention unit that, when the in-vehicle terminal transceiver unit receives a start prevention instruction to prevent the start of the engine of the vehicle from the server, prevents the start of the vehicle after the idling sound is no longer acquired;
The server
a receiving unit that receives the positioning data, accessory power supply state data indicating the acquired on/off state of the accessory power supply, battery voltage data, the acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each of the motion data indicating the acceleration and angular velocity of the three axes from the in-vehicle terminal;
a storage unit that stores a permitted area in which the vehicle is permitted to travel, a voltage threshold value of the battery voltage of the vehicle, reference sound data of the periodic idling sound of the vehicle, a similarity threshold value of the similarity to the reference sound data, and a stop state and a preset stop condition based on three-axis acceleration and angular velocity;
a position determination unit that compares the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the storage unit and determines whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within a non-permitted area that is not the permitted area;
an accessory power state determination unit that determines whether the accessory power state indicated in the accessory power state data is an off state;
a voltage determination unit that determines whether the battery voltage indicated by the battery voltage data is less than the voltage threshold value stored in the storage unit;
a sound determination unit that compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data and determines whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the similarity threshold;
a motion determination unit that determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the condition stored in the storage unit;
A vehicle management system characterized by having a transmission unit that transmits the start-up prevention instruction to the in-vehicle terminal when a positive judgment is made by all of the position determination unit, the power supply state determination unit, the voltage determination unit, the sound determination unit, and the motion determination unit.