JP7745974B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a vehicle control device that controls an air conditioner based on input audio through serial communication via a communication bus between a display audio control means and an air conditioner control means.

Conventionally, there are vehicle air conditioning systems that control the air conditioning inside the vehicle cabin using voice commands, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. This type of system includes a voice input unit that accepts voice-generated operating instructions for the air conditioning unit, a voice recognition unit that recognizes the content of the operating instructions accepted by the voice input unit, and a control unit that controls the air conditioning in accordance with the operating instructions recognized by the voice recognition unit.

In recent years, vehicles have begun to be equipped with car audio systems equipped with displays known as Display Audio (hereinafter referred to as DA). These DA systems enable the tuner to receive FM and AM radio broadcasts and output them from speakers, display videos stored on USB devices on the display and play and output music, connect designated smartphone apps via Bluetooth (registered trademark) and output them from speakers, and even enable voice control of compatible smartphone navigation apps, displaying navigation images on the display and providing voice guidance for navigation routes.

The DA can also be operated by voice input, and it is conceivable that the voice input function of such a DA could be used to control the air conditioning inside the vehicle cabin. In this case, a communication system based on the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol, which is generally installed for on-board communication, is used, and the air conditioning is controlled by serial communication via a communication bus at a predetermined communication cycle (e.g., 60 msec) between the DAECU (Electronic Control Unit), which controls the DA, and the air conditioning ECU, which controls the air conditioning inside the vehicle cabin.

More specifically, when the air conditioner is controlled to a temperature of 20°C, the air conditioner ECU repeatedly transmits air conditioner display information indicating that the air conditioner is controlled to a temperature of 20°C at a predetermined communication cycle (60 msec) to the DAECU. In this state, if the user vocally requests air conditioner control to raise the temperature to 24°C, the DAECU recognizes the user's voice, and at the next communication timing, the DAECU transmits a request to change the air conditioner temperature to 24°C. Upon receiving this request, the air conditioner ECU executes control to change the air conditioner temperature to 24°C. When control to change the air conditioner temperature to 24°C is executed, air conditioner display information indicating that the air conditioner temperature is 24°C is transmitted from the air conditioner ECU to the DAECU. Upon receiving this air conditioner display information, the DAECU synthesizes a voice message indicating that the air conditioner temperature has been set to 24°C and outputs it from the speaker.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-209808

However, in the conventional CAN communication between the DA ECU and the air conditioner ECU described above, in response to a user's voice request for air conditioner control, the DA ECU sends a request to change the air conditioning temperature to 24°C. Even if the air conditioner ECU receives the request to change the air conditioning temperature to 24°C from the DA ECU, depending on the timing of the communication, the air conditioner ECU may not be able to immediately execute the air conditioning control in response to this temperature change request. In such a case, the next communication will send air conditioner display information indicating that the previous air conditioning temperature was 20°C, and the DA ECU will not change the air conditioning temperature to 24°C. It is determined that the request to increase the temperature has not been carried out, and a synthesized voice (such as "The operation was not performed correctly") is output to indicate that the user's request was not carried out correctly. The air conditioner ECU then carries out air conditioner control in response to the request to change the air conditioning temperature to 24°C. As a result, air conditioner display information indicating that the air conditioning temperature is 24°C is sent from the air conditioner ECU at the communication timing after the air conditioning control is carried out, and a synthesized voice (such as "The air conditioning temperature will be changed to 24°C") is output by the DAECU to indicate that the air conditioning temperature has been changed to 24°C as requested by the user.

In other words, when a user makes a vocal request to raise the air conditioning temperature to 24°C, the user will initially hear a voice message indicating that the request was not executed correctly, and the user will not be able to recognize that the vocal instruction was correctly accepted. It is only when the user subsequently hears a voice message indicating that the air conditioning control has been executed based on the user's request and the air conditioning temperature has been changed to 24°C that the user will recognize that the request was correctly accepted.

As a result, even if a user issues a voice command to request air conditioning control, the user may not realize that their voice request has been properly accepted until they hear the voice indicating that the air conditioning temperature has been changed to 24°C, which can be a sense of discomfort.

In another scenario, when a user vocally requests to raise the air conditioning temperature to 24°C, the user may recognize that the request has been accepted correctly. However, depending on the timing, even if the user vocally requests air conditioning control, the system may respond with "control not successful," and the vocal request may not be accepted correctly.

The present invention aims to prevent a user from feeling uncomfortable when making a voice command to control an air conditioner by allowing the user to recognize that the voice command has been correctly accepted.

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle control device of the present invention comprises display audio control means for controlling a display audio and air conditioning control means for controlling air conditioning in a vehicle cabin, and controls serial communication between the display audio control means and the air conditioning control means via a communication bus at a predetermined communication cycle, the display audio control means comprising a voice recognition unit for recognizing voice input from the outside through a microphone, a voice synthesis output unit for outputting synthesized voice via a speaker, and a DA communication unit for performing the serial communication for transmitting and receiving information via the communication bus, the air conditioning control means comprising an AC communication unit for performing the serial communication for transmitting and receiving information via the communication bus, and when the voice recognition unit recognizes a voice requesting air conditioning control to the air conditioning control means, the DA communication unit of the display audio control means transmits request command information as transmission information of the serial communication, and the AC communication unit of the air conditioning control means receives the request command information as reception information of the serial communication. and transmits response information indicating that the request command information has been received as transmission information of the serial communication, the air conditioning control means performs the air conditioning control in accordance with the request command information received by the AC communication unit, the response information transmitted from the AC communication unit includes a plurality of response codes whose contents correspond to the status of the air conditioning control based on the request command information, the display audio control means, upon receiving the response information from the AC communication unit via the DA communication unit as reception information of the serial communication, synthesizes voice whose contents are based on the response code included in the response information by the voice synthesis output unit and outputs the synthesized voice from the speaker, and transmits transmission stop information of the request command information to the air conditioning control means as transmission information of the serial communication, and the air conditioning control means, upon receiving the transmission stop information of the request command information from the DA communication unit via the AC communication unit as reception information of the serial communication, transmits transmission stop information of the response information as transmission information of the serial communication .

With this configuration, when the voice recognition unit of the display audio control means recognizes a voice requesting air conditioning control from the air conditioning control means, request command information is transmitted from the DA communication unit as serial communication transmission information. When the AC communication unit of the air conditioning control means receives the request command information from the DA communication unit as serial communication reception information, response information indicating that the request command information has been received is transmitted from the AC communication unit as serial communication transmission information. The air conditioning control means then performs air conditioning control in accordance with the request command information received by the AC communication unit.

As a result, when a user vocally requests air conditioning control, the DA communication unit of the display audio control means and the AC communication unit of the air conditioning control means can send and receive request command information based on the user's vocal request for air conditioning control, as well as response information indicating that this request command information has been received.The display audio control means can then notify the user that the vocal request for air conditioning control has been correctly received, based on the response information indicating that the request command information has been received, preventing the user from feeling uncomfortable.

Furthermore , the response information transmitted from the AC communication unit of the air conditioning control means includes a plurality of response codes whose content corresponds to the status of air conditioning control based on the request command information from the DA communication unit of the display audio control means, and when the DA communication unit receives the response information from the AC communication unit, a voice whose content is based on the response codes included in the response information is output from the speaker, so that the user can know the stage of the air conditioning control status in response to the air conditioning control request that the user has made via voice, based on the voice whose content is based on the plurality of response codes, and the voice whose content is detailed based on the plurality of response codes can give the user a sense of security. Furthermore, because the DA communication unit transmits information to stop transmission of request command information to the air conditioning control means, the DA communication unit can notify the AC communication unit that it will not transmit request command information, and because the AC communication unit transmits information to stop transmission of response information, the AC communication unit can notify the DA communication unit that it will not transmit response information.

According to this invention, when a user vocally requests air conditioning control, request command information based on the user's vocal request for air conditioning control and response information indicating that this request command information has been received can be transmitted and received between the DA communication unit of the display audio control means and the AC communication unit of the air conditioning control means. Based on the response information indicating that the request command information has been received, the display audio control means notifies the user that their vocal request for air conditioning control has been properly accepted, allowing the user to recognize that their vocal request has been properly accepted and preventing the user from feeling uncomfortable.

1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of FIG. 1;

One embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

(composition)
The vehicle control device in this embodiment is configured as shown in Fig. 1. That is, the vehicle control device 1 includes a microcomputer-configured DAECU 2 that is DA control means that controls the display audio (hereinafter referred to as DA), a microcomputer-configured air conditioner ECU 3 that is air conditioner control means that controls the air conditioner, and a communication bus 4 for performing serial communication (hereinafter also referred to as CAN communication) between the DAECU 2 and the air conditioner ECU 3 at a predetermined communication cycle (60 msec) using the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol.

The DAECU 2 also includes a voice recognition unit 21 that recognizes the user's voice input through the microphone 6, a voice synthesis output unit 22 that outputs synthesized voice through the speaker 7, and a DA communication unit 23 that performs CAN communication using the CAN protocol to send and receive information via the communication bus 4. The microphone 6 is enabled by operating a microphone switch located on the vehicle's steering wheel or the like. When the user issues a voice command to control the air conditioner through the microphone 6, the voice recognition unit 21 recognizes the voice request for air conditioner control to the air conditioner ECU 3, and the DA communication unit 23 transmits the request command information via the communication bus 4 as CAN communication transmission information.

The air conditioner ECU 3 is equipped with an AC communication unit 31 that performs serial communication using the CAN protocol to send and receive information via the communication bus 4. When the AC communication unit 31 receives request command information from the DA communication unit 23 as received information via CAN communication, response information indicating that the request command information has been received is transmitted from the AC communication unit 31 via the communication bus 4 as transmitted information via CAN communication.

The air conditioning ECU 3 also receives temperature information detected by temperature sensors 9 that detect the outside air temperature and the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. The air conditioning ECU 3 controls the air conditioning using the air conditioning unit 11 in response to switch operations on the air conditioning operation unit 10 located on the instrument panel or the like. When request command information is received by the AC communication unit 31, the air conditioning unit 11 controls the air conditioning in response to the request command information received by the AC communication unit 31 from the DA communication unit 23.

The DAECU 2 basically controls the audio system 8, playing music and outputting it from the speaker 7, and displaying screens related to audio control and other controls on the display 8a of the audio system 8. More specifically, the DAECU 2 causes the built-in tuner to receive FM and AM radio broadcasts and output them from the speaker 7, displays videos stored on a connected USB device on the display 8a, plays music and output it from the speaker 7, connects to a specified app on the user's smartphone via Bluetooth (registered trademark) and outputs music from the speaker 7, and even controls the corresponding navigation app on the smartphone via voice, displaying navigation images on the display 8a and providing voice guidance on the navigation route via the speaker 7.

The response information sent from the AC communication unit 31 also includes multiple response codes as shown in Figure 2, and these response codes are set to contents corresponding to the status of air conditioning control based on the request command information from the DA communication unit 23. Examples of these response codes include "000" which indicates no voice request, "001" which indicates that the voice request has been successfully accepted, "010" which indicates that the status is the same as the content of the voice request, "011" which indicates that the air conditioner operation unit 10 is given priority, "100" which indicates that the voice request cannot be accepted, and other codes that are not currently defined.

On the DAECU2 side, when the DA communication unit 23 receives response information from the AC communication unit 31 as received information in CAN communication, the voice synthesis output unit 22 synthesizes voice based on the response code included in the response information and outputs it from the speaker 7, and also transmits transmission stop information to stop the transmission of request command information to the air conditioner ECU 3 as transmitted information in CAN communication. On the air conditioner ECU3 side, when the AC communication unit 31 receives transmission stop information for request command information as received information in CAN communication, it transmits transmission stop information to stop the transmission of response information as transmitted information in serial communication.

(operation)
The operation procedure for controlling the air conditioner by voice in the vehicle control device 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

When the air conditioner is currently set to a temperature of 20°C, and the user issues a voice command through the microphone 6 requesting air conditioner control, such as "set the temperature to 24°C," as shown in Figure 3, the voice recognition unit 21 of the DAECU 2 recognizes the voice request for air conditioner control, "set the temperature to 24°C," and the DA communication unit 23 transmits request command information to set the air conditioner temperature to 24°C via the communication bus 4 as transmission information for CAN communication.

Then, when the AC communication unit 31 of the air conditioner ECU 3 receives request command information from the DA communication unit 23 to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C, as shown in Figure 3, 60 msec after the reception, which is the communication cycle of CAN communication, response information indicating that the request command information to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C has been received is transmitted from the AC communication unit 31 as transmission information for CAN communication.

The response information transmitted from the AC communication unit 31 includes a response code such as that shown in Figure 2. Therefore, when the response information is received by the DA communication unit 23 of the DAECU 2, a voice based on the response code included in the received response information is synthesized by the voice synthesis output unit 22 and output from the speaker 7.

At this time, as described above, when the AC communication unit 31 receives request command information to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C, the air conditioning ECU 3 controls the air conditioning unit 11 to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C in accordance with the request command information received by the AC communication unit 31 from the DA communication unit 23. Response information containing "001" as shown in FIG. 2 is sent from the AC communication unit 31 as a response code to indicate that the request has been accepted, and control is executed to change the air conditioning temperature to 24°C as requested. Then, when the response information containing the response code "001" is received by the DA communication unit 23 of the DAECU 2, the voice synthesis output unit 22 synthesizes a voice such as "Your request to set the temperature to 24°C has been accepted" based on the received response code and outputs it from the speaker 7.

Furthermore, when the AC communication unit 31 receives request command information to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C, if the air conditioning control status is already in a control status to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C, response information including the response code "010" shown in Figure 2 is transmitted from the AC communication unit 31. When response information including the response code "010" is received by the DA communication unit 23, the voice synthesis output unit 22 synthesizes a voice such as "The temperature is now set to 24°C" based on the received response code and outputs it from the speaker 7, notifying the user that the air conditioning temperature is already in a control status to set it to 24°C.

On the other hand, when the AC communication unit 31 receives request command information to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C, if the air conditioner ECU 3 determines that priority should be given to the air conditioner operation unit 10, response information including the response code "011" shown in Figure 2 is transmitted from the AC communication unit 31. When the DA communication unit 23 receives response information including the response code "011", the voice synthesis output unit 22 synthesizes a voice such as "Priority will be given to operation of the air conditioner operation unit" based on the received response code and outputs it from the speaker 7.

Furthermore, when the user vocally requests that the air conditioning temperature be set to 24°C, and the AC communication unit 31 receives request command information to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C based on this instruction, if the air conditioner ECU 3 is unable to accept the voice request for some reason, response information including the response code "100" shown in Figure 2 is transmitted from the AC communication unit 31, and when response information including the response code "100" is received by the DA communication unit 23, the voice synthesis output unit 22 synthesizes a voice such as "Voice request cannot be accepted" based on the received response code and outputs it from the speaker 7, informing the user that the voice request cannot be accepted.

Then, as described above, when the voice synthesis output unit 22 of the DAECU 2 synthesizes voice based on the response code contained in the response information and outputs it from the speaker 7, as shown in Figure 3, 200 msec (the processing time required on the DA ECU 2 side) after the air conditioner ECU 3 transmits the response information, transmission stop information to stop the transmission of request command information to the air conditioner ECU 3 is transmitted from the DA communication unit 23, and the DA communication unit 23 notifies the AC communication unit 31 that request command information will not be transmitted.

In addition, on the air conditioner ECU 3 side, when the AC communication unit 31 receives the request command information transmission stop information, 60 msec after the reception, which is the communication cycle of CAN communication, the AC communication unit 31 transmits transmission stop information for stopping the transmission of response information as CAN communication transmission information, and the AC communication unit 31 notifies the DA communication unit 23 that the response information will not be transmitted.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, when a user vocally requests air conditioning control through the microphone 6, the DA communication unit 23 of the DAECU 2 and the AC communication unit 31 of the air conditioning ECU 3 exchange request command information based on the user's vocal request for air conditioning control, and also exchange response information indicating that this request command information has been received, in the form of handshake communication. Therefore, when air conditioning control is performed as requested, the DAECU 2 can notify the user that the vocal request for air conditioning control has been correctly received based on the response information indicating that the request command information has been received, preventing the user from feeling uncomfortable.

In addition, the response information transmitted from the AC communication unit 31 of the air conditioner ECU 3 includes multiple response codes whose content corresponds to the status of air conditioning control based on the request command information from the DA communication unit 23 of the DAECU 2. When the DA communication unit 23 receives the response information from the AC communication unit 31, a voice message based on the response code included in the response information is output from the speaker 7. This allows the user to easily know the current stage of the air conditioning control status in response to the air conditioning control request they made via voice command, based on the voice message based on the multiple response codes. The detailed voice message based on the multiple response codes provides the user with a sense of security.

In particular, when the AC communication unit 31 receives request command information to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C as transmitted information via CAN communication and the air conditioner ECU 3 determines that priority is being given to the air conditioner operation unit 10, the AC communication unit 31 transmits response information including the response code "011" (see Figure 2), and the voice synthesis output unit 22 of the DAECU 2 synthesizes a voice such as "Air conditioner operation unit priority will be given" and outputs it from the speaker 7. Furthermore, when request command information to set the air conditioning temperature to 24°C is received as transmitted information via CAN communication and the air conditioner ECU 3 is unable to accept the voice request for some reason, the AC communication unit 31 transmits response information including the response code "100" (see Figure 2), and the voice synthesis output unit 22 synthesizes a voice such as "Voice request cannot be accepted" and outputs it from the speaker 7, allowing the user to easily recognize situations in which the request is not being fulfilled.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications other than those described above are possible as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the display audio control means is a microcomputer-configured DAECU2, and the air conditioning control means is a microcomputer-configured air conditioning ECU3, but the display audio control means and the air conditioning control means are not limited to being configured using these ECUs 2 and 3.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the response codes included in the response information from the AC communication unit 31 are exemplified by those shown in Figure 2, but it goes without saying that the types and meanings of response codes are not limited to those shown in Figure 2.

Of course, the configuration of the vehicle control device 1 is not limited to that shown in Figure 1.

The present invention can also be applied to a vehicle control device that includes a display audio control means for controlling the display audio and an air conditioning control means for controlling the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin, and that controls serial communication between the display audio control means and the air conditioning control means at a predetermined communication cycle via a communication bus.

1 ... vehicle control device 2 ... DAECU (display audio control means)
3...Air conditioner ECU (air conditioner control means)
4: Communication bus 6: Microphone 21: Voice recognition unit 22: Voice synthesis output unit 23: DA communication unit 31: AC communication unit

Claims (1)

A vehicle control device comprising: a display audio control means for controlling a display audio; and an air conditioning control means for controlling air conditioning in a vehicle cabin, the vehicle control device controlling serial communication between the display audio control means and the air conditioning control means at a predetermined communication cycle via a communication bus,
The display audio control means
a voice recognition unit that recognizes voice input from the outside through a microphone;
a speech synthesis output unit that outputs synthesized speech via a speaker;
a DA communication unit that performs the serial communication for transmitting and receiving information via the communication bus,
The air conditioner control means
an AC communication unit that performs the serial communication for transmitting and receiving information via the communication bus;
The DA communication unit of the display audio control means
When the voice recognition unit recognizes a voice requesting control of an air conditioner to the air conditioner control means, the voice recognition unit transmits request command information as transmission information of the serial communication;
The AC communication unit of the air conditioner control means
When the request command information is received as the received information of the serial communication, response information indicating that the request command information has been received is transmitted as the transmitted information of the serial communication;
the air conditioner control means performs the air conditioning control in accordance with the request command information received by the AC communication unit ,
the response information transmitted from the AC communication unit includes a plurality of response codes whose contents correspond to the status of the air conditioning control based on the request command information,
The display audio control means
when the DA communication unit receives the response information from the AC communication unit as received information of the serial communication, the voice synthesis output unit synthesizes a voice based on the response code included in the response information and outputs the synthesized voice from the speaker, and also transmits information to stop transmission of the request command information to the air conditioner control means as transmitted information of the serial communication;
The air conditioner control means
When the AC communication unit receives the request command information transmission stop information from the DA communication unit as the serial communication reception information, the AC communication unit transmits the response information transmission stop information as the serial communication transmission information.
A vehicle control device characterized by: