JP7720195B2 - In-vehicle device and transfer control method - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed embodiments relate to an in-vehicle device and a transfer control method.

Conventionally, in order to grasp the situation in an emergency such as an accident, it has been necessary to retrieve and analyze vehicle data recorded in on-board devices. On the other hand, since power lines to the vehicle's power source are often disconnected in the event of an accident, on-board devices are often required to be equipped with an internal battery that acts as an auxiliary power source.

In-vehicle devices are required to be able to record and check various vehicle data when an accident occurs, and when an accident occurs, they will attempt to transfer vehicle data, for example via wireless communication, to a center server that collects and analyzes vehicle data. However, if the accident causes a line break or a dead battery, as mentioned above, the transfer may fail.

To address these issues, technology has been proposed that provides a function that selectively supplies the remaining power remaining in the vehicle to devices the user needs, thereby ensuring sufficient power to operate devices that make emergency calls in an emergency (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2017/222058

However, conventional technology leaves room for further improvement in transferring as much vehicle data as possible in an emergency.

For example, when using the above-mentioned conventional technology, even if enough power is available to operate the equipment that makes emergency calls, poor radio wave conditions make it difficult to transfer vehicle data via wireless communication. Furthermore, when transferring vehicle data, the data is generally compressed, but if the memory area of the on-board device required for such compression in an emergency is insufficient, transferring vehicle data also becomes difficult.

One aspect of the embodiment has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an in-vehicle device and data transfer method that can transfer as much vehicle data as possible in an emergency.

According to one embodiment, an in-vehicle device includes a work memory area that can be used to compress vehicle data, and a transfer control unit that transfers acquired vehicle data to an external device in an emergency. When a radio wave condition for communication with the external device is good and the work memory area has available capacity for compression, the transfer control unit transfers the acquired vehicle data to the external device as compressed vehicle data. When the radio wave condition for communication with the external device is good and the work memory area has insufficient available capacity for compression, the transfer control unit transfers the acquired vehicle data to the external device as compressed vehicle data.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, vehicle data can be transferred as much as possible in an emergency.

FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) outlining a data transfer method according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) outlining the data transfer method according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram (part 3) outlining the data transfer method according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a data transfer system according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the control content of the vehicle data transfer process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment.

Embodiments of the in-vehicle device and data transfer method disclosed herein will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

Furthermore, below, when "vehicle V" is mentioned, it can be read as "on-board device 10" as appropriate. The reverse is also possible.

First, an overview of the data transfer method according to the embodiment will be explained using Figures 1 to 3. Figures 1 to 3 are diagrams (parts 1 to 3) outlining the data transfer method according to the embodiment. Note that Figure 1 shows a data transfer method according to a comparative example for comparison with the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the data transfer system 1' according to the comparative example is a system in which an in-vehicle device 10 transfers vehicle data to a center server 100 via wireless communication or other means in the event of an emergency involving a vehicle V, such as an accident. The center server 100 stores the transferred vehicle data in a vehicle data database and analyzes it to understand the situation when an accident occurs.

However, in the data transfer system 1' according to the comparative example using existing technology, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a risk that the transfer may fail due to, for example, poor radio signal quality, insufficient power in the battery 11, or insufficient memory space in the in-vehicle device 10 (not shown). As a result, the center server 100 is unable to acquire vehicle data and is unable to grasp the situation of the vehicle V in an emergency.

Therefore, in the data transfer method according to the embodiment, various states of the vehicle V in an emergency are acquired, and the vehicle data transfer process is controlled based on the various acquired states.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in the data transfer method according to the embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 acquires various states of the vehicle V in the event of an emergency, such as an accident (step S1). Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the various states are, for example, the radio wave state around the vehicle V. The various states are also, for example, the battery state indicating the remaining amount of power. The various states are also, for example, the memory state indicating the free space in the memory area of the in-vehicle device 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the data transfer method according to the embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 controls the vehicle data transfer process based on the various conditions shown in FIG. 3. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 controls the vehicle data transfer process based on the radio wave condition and battery condition (step S2).

As an example of control in such a case, if the radio wave conditions and battery condition are good (i.e., sufficient power), the in-vehicle device 10 sets the battery 11 to maximum output and transfers data to the center server 100. On the other hand, if the battery condition is good but the radio wave conditions are poor, the in-vehicle device 10 sets the battery 11 to maximum output and transfers data to the memory unit 14, which is the internal storage of the in-vehicle device 10.

Furthermore, for example, the in-vehicle device 10 controls the compression process in the vehicle data transfer process based on the radio wave conditions and memory conditions.

As an example of control in such a case, if the radio wave conditions and memory conditions are good (i.e., there is sufficient free memory space), the in-vehicle device 10 will set the battery 11 to maximum output, compress the vehicle data, and transfer the data to the center server 100. On the other hand, if the radio wave conditions are good but the memory conditions are poor (i.e., it is not possible to secure memory space), the in-vehicle device 10 will set the battery 11 to maximum output, transfer the vehicle data to the center server 100, but not compress it.

As such, in the data transfer method according to the embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 performs control in accordance with the various conditions of the vehicle V in an emergency to secure at least the vehicle data while increasing the success rate of data transfer to the center server 100 or internal storage as much as possible. Details of the control of the transfer process in accordance with the combination of various conditions of the vehicle V will be described later using Figure 6.

As described above, the data transfer method according to the embodiment acquires various states of the vehicle V in an emergency and controls the transfer process of vehicle data based on the acquired various states.

Therefore, the data transfer method according to the embodiment allows vehicle data to be transferred as much as possible in an emergency. Below, we will explain in more detail an example configuration of a data transfer system 1 that applies the data transfer method according to the embodiment.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a data transfer system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the data transfer system 1 includes one or more in-vehicle devices 10 and a center server 100.

As shown in Figure 4, the in-vehicle device 10 and the center server 100 are connected to each other via a network N, such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, and are configured to be able to send and receive data to and from each other via the network N.

The in-vehicle device 10 is a computer installed in the vehicle V, and may be realized as, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or a drive recorder.

The center server 100 is realized, for example, as a cloud server, and is a computer that collects vehicle data from each vehicle V via the network N, stores it in a vehicle data DB, and analyzes the stored vehicle data to grasp the situation of the vehicle V in an emergency.

Next, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an in-vehicle device 10 according to an embodiment. Note that Figure 5 shows only the components necessary to explain the features of the embodiment, and omits a description of general components.

In other words, the components shown in Figure 5 are conceptual functional components and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the specific form of distribution and integration of each block is not limited to that shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

Furthermore, in the explanation using Figure 5, the explanation of components that have already been explained may be simplified or omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment includes a battery 11, an internal communication unit 12, an external communication unit 13, a memory unit 14, and a control unit 15.

The battery 11 is an auxiliary power source installed inside the in-vehicle device 10. The internal communication unit 12 is realized, for example, by a NIC (Network Interface Card). The internal communication unit 12 is connected to various devices 2 installed in the vehicle V via an in-vehicle network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

The various devices 2 are a group of devices that are mounted on the vehicle V and output various vehicle data to the in-vehicle device 10. The various devices 2 include, for example, antennas, cameras, GPS (Global Positioning System) sensors, acceleration sensors, radar, etc.

The antenna detects the radio wave conditions around the vehicle V. The camera is, for example, a drive recorder or a camera mounted in various locations on the vehicle V, and captures video of a predetermined shooting area inside and outside the vehicle V. The GPS sensor detects location information including latitude and longitude. The acceleration sensor detects the speed and acceleration of the vehicle V. The radar detects objects and the like around the vehicle V. Note that these are merely examples of the devices included in the various devices 2.

Like the internal communication unit 12, the external communication unit 13 is realized by, for example, a NIC. The external communication unit 13 is connected to the center server 100 wirelessly, for example, via the network N, and transmits and receives various information to and from the center server 100.

The external communication unit 13 is connected to an external device via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), a wired connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), or a direct connection. The external device is a device capable of extracting recorded data 14b stored in the memory unit 14, which serves as internal storage (described below), and is, for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone, a PC (Personal Computer), or a dedicated maintenance device.

The memory unit 14 is internal storage of the in-vehicle device 10 and is realized, for example, by semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory, or storage devices such as hard disks or optical disks, or auxiliary storage devices such as SSDs (Solid State Drives). In the example of Figure 5, the memory unit 14 has a compressed work area 14a and recorded data 14b.

The compression work area 14a is a work area used when compressing vehicle data. The recorded data area 14b records vehicle data when the vehicle data is transferred to internal storage.

The control unit 15 is a controller, and is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs (not shown) stored in the memory unit 14 using RAM as a working area. The control unit 15 can also be realized, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The control unit 15 has a detection unit 15a, an acquisition unit 15b, a determination unit 15c, a transfer control unit 15d, a battery control unit 15e, a memory control unit 15f, and a compression processing unit 15g, and realizes or executes the information processing functions and actions described below.

The detection unit 15a detects the occurrence of an emergency event, such as an accident, based on various vehicle data output by the various devices 2. Note that an emergency event is not limited to an accident, and may be, for example, a failure of the various devices 2 that impairs the running of the vehicle V or the safety of the occupants. The detection unit 15a also notifies the acquisition unit 15b that an emergency event has occurred.

When the detection unit 15a detects the occurrence of an emergency event, the acquisition unit 15b acquires various states of the vehicle V in the event of an emergency from the various devices 2, the battery 11, and the memory unit 14. For example, the acquisition unit 15b acquires radio wave states from the various devices 2. Also, for example, the acquisition unit 15b acquires battery states from the battery 11. Also, for example, the acquisition unit 15b acquires memory states from the memory unit 14. Also, the acquisition unit 15b notifies the determination unit 15c of the various acquired states.

The determination unit 15c determines the radio wave condition, memory condition, and memory status acquired by the acquisition unit 15b. Furthermore, the determination unit 15c causes the transfer control unit 15d to control the transfer process of vehicle data based on the various conditions determined.

The transfer control unit 15d causes the battery control unit 15e to control the battery 11 in accordance with the various conditions determined by the determination unit 15c. Similarly, the transfer control unit 15d causes the memory control unit 15f to control the storage unit 14 in accordance with the various conditions determined. Similarly, the transfer control unit 15d causes the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing of vehicle data in accordance with the various conditions determined.

The battery control unit 15e controls the battery 11 in accordance with instructions from the transfer control unit 15d. The memory control unit 15f controls the storage unit 14 in accordance with instructions from the transfer control unit 15d.

The compression processing unit 15g performs compression processing of the vehicle data using the compression work area 14a in response to instructions from the transfer control unit 15d. Furthermore, the compression processing unit 15g transfers the vehicle data to the center server 100 via the external communication unit 13 in response to instructions from the transfer control unit 15d. Alternatively, the compression processing unit 15g transfers the vehicle data to the memory unit 14 and records it as record data 14b in response to instructions from the transfer control unit 15d.

Next, the specific control content of the vehicle data transfer process based on various states of vehicle V will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the control content of the vehicle data transfer process.

First, we will explain the case where the radio wave conditions are good. As shown in Figure 6, when the radio wave conditions are good, it is assumed that the battery condition is also good. In this case, regardless of the memory condition, the transfer control unit 15d sets the transfer destination to the center server 100. The transfer control unit 15d also causes the battery control unit 15e to set the battery 11 to maximum output.

If the memory condition is good, the transfer control unit 15d causes the memory control unit 15f to normally allocate the compression work area 14a, and causes the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing before transferring the vehicle data to the center server 100.

Furthermore, if there is little free memory, the transfer control unit 15d forcibly secures the compression work area 14a in the memory control unit 15f, causes the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, and then transfers the vehicle data to the center server 100.

Furthermore, if the memory condition is poor, the transfer control unit 15d does not cause the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a, and does not cause the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, and instead causes the uncompressed vehicle data to be transferred to the center server 100.

Next, assume that the radio wave conditions are good, but the battery condition is poor (i.e., insufficient power). In such a case, if the memory condition is good, the transfer control unit 15d causes the battery control unit 15e to secure power from the battery 11 by, for example, stopping other functions, and then causes the determination unit 15c to determine the power after it has been secured.

If there is enough power to perform both compression and transmission, the transfer control unit 15d causes the memory control unit 15f to normally reserve the compression work area 14a, and causes the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing before transferring the vehicle data to the center server 100.

Furthermore, if there is enough power for transmission only, the transfer control unit 15d does not cause the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a, and does not cause the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, and instead causes the uncompressed vehicle data to be transferred to the center server 100.

Furthermore, if neither compression nor transmission is possible, the transfer control unit 15d does not cause the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a, and does not cause the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, but instead transfers the uncompressed vehicle data to the internal storage.

Also, if the radio wave conditions are good but the battery condition is poor and there is little free memory, the transfer control unit 15d causes the battery control unit 15e to secure power from the battery 11 by, for example, stopping other functions, and then causes the determination unit 15c to determine the amount of power after it has been secured.

If there is enough power to perform both compression and transmission, the transfer control unit 15d forcibly secures the compression work area 14a in the memory control unit 15f, causes the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, and then transfers the vehicle data to the center server 100.

Furthermore, if there is enough power for transmission only, the transfer control unit 15d does not cause the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a, and does not cause the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, and instead causes the uncompressed vehicle data to be transferred to the center server 100.

Furthermore, if neither compression nor transmission is possible, the transfer control unit 15d does not cause the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a, and does not cause the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, but instead transfers the uncompressed vehicle data to the internal storage.

Furthermore, if the radio wave condition is good but the battery condition is poor, and the memory condition is poor, the transfer control unit 15d will cause the battery control unit 15e to stop other functions, etc., in order to ensure power is retained in the battery 11.

Then, the transfer control unit 15d transfers the uncompressed vehicle data to the center server 100 without causing the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a and without causing the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing.

If the battery condition is poor, the transfer control unit 15d uses as much power available for transmission as possible from the power secured by the battery control unit 15e to transfer vehicle data to the center server 100. At this time, if all vehicle data cannot be transferred to the center server 100, the transfer control unit 15d can transfer the remaining vehicle data to internal storage.

Next, we will explain what happens when the radio wave conditions are poor. As shown in Figure 6, when the radio wave conditions are poor, the transfer control unit 15d selects internal storage as the transfer destination, regardless of the battery status and memory status.

If the radio wave conditions are poor but the battery condition is good, the transfer control unit 15d causes the battery control unit 15e to set the battery 11 to maximum output, regardless of the memory condition.

If the memory condition is good, the transfer control unit 15d causes the memory control unit 15f to normally allocate the compression work area 14a, and causes the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing before transferring the vehicle data to the internal storage.

Furthermore, if there is little free memory, the transfer control unit 15d forcibly instructs the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a, and causes the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing before transferring the vehicle data to the internal storage.

Also, if the memory condition is poor, the transfer control unit 15d does not cause the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a, and does not cause the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing, but instead transfers the uncompressed vehicle data to the internal storage.

Furthermore, if the radio wave conditions are poor and the battery condition is poor, regardless of the memory condition, the transfer control unit 15d will cause the battery control unit 15e to conserve power from the battery 11 by, for example, suspending other functions.

Then, the transfer control unit 15d transfers the uncompressed vehicle data to the internal storage without causing the memory control unit 15f to reserve the compression work area 14a and without causing the compression processing unit 15g to perform compression processing.

This means that when radio wave conditions are poor, vehicle data can be stored in internal storage without being transferred to the center server 100. Once radio wave conditions are restored, the vehicle data can be acquired by transferring it to the center server 100 or by extracting it using an external device.

Note that Figure 6 shows the control details for each combination of radio wave status, battery status, and memory status as examples of various states, but control may also be performed taking into account various other conditions, such as the free space in the internal storage and the transfer speed to the center server 100.

Next, the processing steps executed by the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment will be described using FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing steps executed by the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the detection unit 15a detects whether an emergency event such as an accident has occurred (step S101). If no emergency event has occurred (step S101, No), step S101 is repeated.

If this occurs (step S101, Yes), the acquisition unit 15b acquires various conditions of the vehicle V (step S102).

Then, the transfer control unit 15d controls the vehicle data transfer process based on various conditions (step S103) and ends the process.

As described above, the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 15b and a transfer control unit 15d. The acquisition unit 15b acquires various vehicle conditions in an emergency. The transfer control unit 15d controls the compression process in the transfer process of vehicle data based on the radio wave conditions and memory conditions around the vehicle V, which are included in the various conditions acquired by the acquisition unit 15b.

Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment can transfer as much vehicle data as possible in an emergency.

In addition, when the radio wave conditions are good but the memory status indicates little free space, the transfer control unit 15d forcibly secures the compression work area 14a (equivalent to an example of a "work area for compression processing"), performs compression processing using the compression work area 14a, and then transfers the vehicle data to the center server 100.

Therefore, with the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment, when radio wave conditions are good and at least compression processing is possible, communication costs can be reduced by performing compression processing.

In addition, if the radio wave conditions are good but the memory conditions are poor, the transfer control unit 15d transfers the vehicle data to the center server 100 without performing compression processing.

Therefore, with the in-vehicle device 10 according to this embodiment, when radio wave conditions are good but compression processing is difficult, the vehicle data can be transferred without compression processing, thereby prioritizing at least securing the vehicle data at the center server 100.

In addition, when the radio wave conditions are poor and the memory status indicates little free space, the transfer control unit 15d forcibly secures the compression work area 14a, performs compression processing using the compression work area 14a, and then transfers the vehicle data to internal storage.

Therefore, with the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment, when radio wave conditions are poor but compression processing is at least possible, compression processing can be performed to reduce the amount of space used in the internal storage to which data is transferred.

In addition, if both the radio wave conditions and memory conditions are poor, the transfer control unit 15d transfers the vehicle data to internal storage without performing compression processing.

Therefore, with the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment, even if both the radio wave conditions and memory conditions are poor, it is possible to prioritize at least securing vehicle data in internal storage.

In the above-described embodiment, the power is mainly from the battery 11 provided in the in-vehicle device 10, but the configuration may also be such that power can be supplied and used from other power sources provided in the vehicle V.

Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Data transfer system 2 Various devices 10 Vehicle-mounted device 11 Battery 12 Internal communication unit 13 External communication unit 14 Storage unit 14a Compression work area 14b Recorded data 15 Control unit 15a Detection unit 15b Acquisition unit 15c Determination unit 15d Transfer control unit 15e Battery control unit 15f Memory control unit 15g Compression processing unit 100 Center server V Vehicle

Claims (5)

An in-vehicle device comprising: a working memory area that can be used to compress vehicle data; and a transfer control unit that transfers acquired vehicle data to an external device in an emergency,
The transfer control unit
If the radio wave condition for communication with the external device is good and there is free space for compression in the work memory area, the acquired vehicle data is compressed and transferred to the external device.
Even if the communication radio wave condition is good, if the free space for the compression is insufficient in the memory area for the work, the acquired vehicle data is transferred to the external device as is.
In-vehicle device. An in-vehicle device comprising: a working memory area that can be used to compress vehicle data; and a transfer control unit that transfers acquired vehicle data to an external device in an emergency,
The transfer control unit
If the radio wave condition for communication with the external device is good but the free space for the compression in the memory area for the work is insufficient , the memory area for the work is secured in the internal storage , the compression process is performed, and the acquired vehicle data is then transferred to the external device .
In-vehicle device. The transfer control unit
When the communication radio wave condition is poor, the acquired vehicle data is transferred to an internal storage instead of being transferred to the external device.
The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2 . A transfer control method for compressing vehicle data using a work memory area and transferring the acquired vehicle data to an external device in an emergency, comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring various states of the vehicle ;
If the radio wave condition for communication with the external device is good and there is free space for the compression in the work memory area, the compressed vehicle data obtained by compressing the acquired vehicle data is transferred to the external device;
and a transfer control step of transferring the acquired vehicle data as is to the external device when the communication radio wave condition is good but there is insufficient free space in the work memory area for the compression . An in-vehicle device including a working memory area that can be used to compress vehicle data, and a transfer control unit that transfers acquired vehicle data to an internal storage in an emergency,
The transfer control unit
If there is free space for the compression in the working memory area and if the compression is possible using the power of a battery of the in-vehicle device, compress the acquired vehicle data and transfer the compressed vehicle data to the internal storage;
If the battery power of the in-vehicle device is not sufficient for compression, the acquired vehicle data is transferred to the internal storage as is.
In-vehicle device.