Wireless communication device and wireless communication system

Abstract

The present application relates to a wireless communication device and a wireless communication system. The wireless communication device includes: an application execution unit, which generates first transmission data including first application identification information; a communication unit, which receives a message including first reception data, wherein the first reception data includes the first application identification information; and an occupancy determination unit, which includes a transmission ID number counter, a reception ID number counter and a comparison unit, wherein the transmission ID number counter counts the number of first application identification information included in the first transmission data and outputs the counting result as a first transmission ID count value, the reception ID number counter counts the number of first application identification information included in the first reception data and outputs the counting result as a first reception ID count value, and the comparison unit compares the first transmission ID count value with the first reception ID count value to determine that the number of transmission data and the number of reception data have a predetermined ratio.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-094401 filed on May 20, 2019 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication device and a wireless communication system. Background Art

[0004] In order to perform safe driving support and autonomous driving, there is known a technology for performing inter-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and road-to-road communication using a wireless communication device and a wireless communication system.

[0005] The disclosed technologies are listed below.

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-156776

[0007] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a charging station obtains product information of an electronic device left in a vehicle using a wireless communication system and supplies power to the vehicle based on the obtained product information.

[0008] Specifically, the vehicle receives encrypted product information from the electronic device left in the vehicle, and sends the received product information to the charging pile. The charging pile obtains a public key from the manufacturer of the electronic device via the network. The charging pile uses the obtained public key to decrypt the product information sent from the vehicle. The charging pile identifies the electronic device left in the vehicle from the decrypted product information, and controls the power supplied to the vehicle based on the allowed current value of the identified electronic device. Summary of the invention

[0009] As described above, in the wireless communication system of patent document 1, multiple applications are activated in multiple wireless communication devices installed on vehicles, electronic devices, and charging piles, and various types of wireless communication are performed. Multiple wireless communication devices and applications use a method for identifying the corresponding wireless communication system to identify the data to be sent and received. Therefore, necessary data is read in the own device, and unnecessary data is discarded. In this way, communication between the wireless communication device and the application is established.

[0010] However, as the number of applications installed on wireless communication devices, wireless communication devices constituting wireless communication systems, and wireless communication systems conforming to the same wireless communication standard increases, there is a possibility that stable communication cannot be performed in active applications. For example, when a specific application occupies many communication resources, another application will not be able to secure sufficient communication resources.

[0011] Other objects and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0012] According to one embodiment, a wireless communication device includes: an application execution unit, which generates first transmission data including first application identification information; a communication unit, which receives a message including first reception data, the first reception data including the first application identification information; and an occupancy determination unit, which includes a transmission ID number counter, a reception ID number counter and a comparison unit, the transmission ID number counter counts the number of first application identification information included in the first transmission data and outputs the counting result as a first transmission ID count value, the reception ID number counter counts the number of first application identification information included in the first reception data and outputs the counting result as a first reception ID count value, and the comparison unit compares the first transmission ID count value with the first reception ID count value to determine that the number of transmission data and the number of reception data have a predetermined ratio.

[0013] According to one embodiment, even if applications installed in a wireless communication device, wireless communication devices constituting a wireless communication system, and wireless communication systems conforming to the same wireless communication standard increase, stable communication can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a wireless communication system according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the wireless communication device according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the wireless communication device according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the second embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the second embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the second embodiment.

[0021] Figure 8is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the second embodiment.

[0022] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the third embodiment.

[0023] Fig.10 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a wireless communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the specification and the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components are represented by the same reference numerals, and their repeated description is omitted. In the accompanying drawings, for the convenience of description, the configuration may be omitted or simplified. Moreover, each embodiment may be arbitrarily combined with at least some of the embodiments in the other embodiments.

[0025] First embodiment

[0026] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a wireless communication system 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication system 100 includes a vehicle 101, a vehicle 102, a vehicle 103, and a roadside device 104. A wireless communication device 111 is installed on the vehicle 101. A wireless communication device 112 is installed on the vehicle 102. A wireless communication device 113 is installed on the vehicle 103. The vehicles 101, 102, and 103 send and receive messages to each other using the wireless communication devices installed on each of them.

[0027] Vehicle 101 and vehicle 102 travel in the same direction, with vehicle 101 leading and vehicle 102 following. In vehicle 101 and vehicle 102, a preceding vehicle following application 121 is activated. Hereinafter, the preceding vehicle following application is referred to as a following application. Vehicle 101 and vehicle 102 exchange inter-vehicle messages 131 including first vehicle information using wireless communication devices installed on each. The first vehicle information is, for example, a modification of the speed, acceleration, deceleration, or driving direction of the own vehicle. By exchanging the inter-vehicle messages 131 including the first vehicle information, vehicle 102 can follow vehicle 101 at a predetermined interval.

[0028] Vehicle 102 and vehicle 103 are not in sight. In vehicle 102 and vehicle 103, a non-line-of-sight vehicle alert application 122 is activated. Hereinafter, the non-line-of-sight vehicle alert application is referred to as a non-line-of-sight application. Vehicle 102 and vehicle 103 use wireless communication devices installed on each other to exchange road-to-vehicle messages 132 including second vehicle information via roadside equipment 104. The second vehicle information is, for example, the speed, driving direction, or coordinates of the own vehicle. By exchanging road-to-vehicle messages 132 including the second vehicle information, vehicle 102 and vehicle 103 can output a proximity alert indicating that the vehicles are approaching each other at a predetermined interval to the on-board monitor.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In the wireless communication system 100, the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 are activated at the same time. As described above, in the case where multiple applications coexist in the wireless communication system, if a specific application uses many communication resources, other applications cannot ensure sufficient communication resources, and stable communication cannot be performed. Hereinafter, a mechanism for detecting a situation where a specific application uses a large amount of communication and improving the situation will be described.

[0030] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the wireless communication device 111 according to the first embodiment. Since the wireless communication device 111, the wireless communication device 112, and the wireless communication device 113 have the same configuration, only the configuration of the wireless communication device 111 is described here. Figure 2 As shown, the wireless communication device 111 includes an application execution unit 210, a communication unit 220, and an occupancy rate determination unit 230. The application execution unit 210, the communication unit 220, and the occupancy rate determination unit 230 are connected to each other.

[0031] The application execution unit 210 executes an application. Multiple applications can be executed. For example, Figure 1 In the wireless communication system 100 of the embodiment, the following application 121 is activated by the vehicles 101 and 102, and the non-line-of-sight application 122 is activated by the vehicles 102 and 103. Therefore, the application execution unit 210 of the wireless communication device 111 executes the following application 121. The application execution unit 210 of the wireless communication device 112 executes the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122. The application execution unit 210 of the wireless communication device 113 executes the non-line-of-sight application 122.

[0032] The application execution unit 210 executes an application to generate transmission data. The generated transmission data is output to the communication unit 220 and the occupancy determination unit 230. The transmission data includes an application identification (ID) and main data. The application ID is application identification information for indicating which application has been executed to generate the transmission data. That is, the application ID, which is also application identification information, is information for specifying an application related to the transmission data including the application ID. For example, the transmission data generated by the execution of the following application 121 includes the following application ID as the application ID. The following application ID indicates that the transmission data including the following application ID is data related to the following application 121. On the other hand, the transmission data generated by executing the non-line-of-sight application 122 includes the non-line-of-sight application ID as the application ID. The non-line-of-sight application ID indicates that the transmission data including the non-line-of-sight application ID is data related to the non-line-of-sight application 122. The main data is the data itself to be transmitted to another vehicle as the transmission destination. For example, the transmission data generated by the execution of the following application 121 includes first vehicle information. On the other hand, the transmission data generated by the execution of the non-line-of-sight application 122 includes second vehicle information.

[0033] The application execution unit 210 receives the received data from the communication unit 220. The received data includes an application ID and main data. Similar to the above-mentioned transmission data, the application ID, which is also application identification information, is information for specifying an application related to the received data including the application ID. The application execution unit 210 determines whether the received data is addressed to itself by referring to the application ID included in the received data. For example, when the received data received by the application execution unit 210 of the wireless communication device 111 includes a follow-up application ID, the application execution unit 210 of the wireless communication device 111 determines that the received data is for itself and receives the received data. On the other hand, if the received data received by the application execution unit 210 of the wireless communication device 111 includes a non-line-of-sight application ID, the application execution unit 210 of the wireless communication device 111 determines that the received data is not for itself and discards the received data.

[0034] The communication unit 220 receives the transmission data from the application execution unit 210. The communication unit 220 generates a message including the received transmission data, and transmits the generated message to another vehicle. For example, the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 111 and the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 112 transmit an inter-vehicle message 131 including a follow-up application ID and transmission data including first vehicle information (hereinafter, also referred to as follow-up application transmission data). On the other hand, the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 112 and the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 113 transmit a road-to-vehicle message 132 including a non-line-of-sight application ID and transmission data including second vehicle information (hereinafter, also referred to as non-line-of-sight application transmission data).

[0035] In addition, the communication unit 220 receives a message from another vehicle. For example, the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 111 and the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 112 receive an inter-vehicle message 131, which includes a follow-up application ID and received data including first vehicle information (hereinafter, also referred to as follow-up application received data). On the other hand, the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 112 and the communication unit 220 of the wireless communication device 113 receive a road-to-vehicle message 132, which includes a non-line-of-sight application ID and received data including second vehicle information (hereinafter, also referred to as non-line-of-sight application received data). The communication unit 220 extracts the received data from the received message and outputs the extracted received data to the application execution unit 210 and the occupancy determination unit 230.

[0036] The occupancy rate determination unit 230 includes a transmission ID number counter 231, a reception ID number counter 232, and a comparison unit 233. The transmission ID number counter 231 and the reception ID number counter 232 are connected to the comparison unit 233.

[0037] The transmission ID number counter 231 receives transmission data from the application execution unit 210. The transmission ID number counter 231 counts the application ID included in the transmission data for each application. For example, since the follow-up application 121 is executed in the wireless communication device 111, the transmission ID number counter 231 of the wireless communication device 111 counts the number of follow-up application IDs included in the transmission data. Since the follow-up application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 are executed in the wireless communication device 112, the transmission ID number counter 231 of the wireless communication device 112 counts the number of non-line-of-sight applications and the number of follow-up application IDs included in the transmission data separately. Since the non-line-of-sight application 122 is executed in the wireless communication device 113, the transmission ID number counter 231 of the wireless communication device 113 counts the number of non-line-of-sight application IDs included in the transmission data. The transmission ID number counter 231 outputs the result of counting the application IDs included in the transmission data (i.e., the transmission ID count value) to the comparison unit 233.

[0038] The reception ID number counter 232 receives the reception data from the communication unit 220. The reception ID number counter 232 counts the application ID included in the reception data for each application. For example, since the follow-up application 121 is executed in the wireless communication device 111, the reception ID number counter 232 of the wireless communication device 111 counts the number of follow-up application IDs included in the reception data. Since the follow-up application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 are executed in the wireless communication device 112, the reception ID number counter 232 of the wireless communication device 112 counts the number of non-line-of-sight applications and the number of follow-up application IDs included in the reception data separately. Since the non-line-of-sight application 122 is executed in the wireless communication device 113, the reception ID number counter 232 of the wireless communication device 113 counts the number of non-line-of-sight application IDs included in the reception data. The reception ID number counter 232 outputs the result of counting the application IDs included in the reception data (i.e., the reception ID count value) to the comparison unit 233.

[0039] Figure 3 1 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the transmission ID number counter 231 and the reception ID number counter 232 of the wireless communication device 112 according to the first embodiment. Here, although there is a difference between transmission data and reception data, only the wireless communication device 112 will be described here, and the wireless communication device 111 and the wireless communication device 113 operate in the same manner. Figure 3 The horizontal direction in corresponds to time. Figure 3The vertical direction in represents the timing of changes in the digital data signals (0 / 1) indicating the transmission data, the transmission ID count value, the reception data, and the reception ID count value. In addition, ID1 indicates the following application ID, ID2 indicates the non-line-of-sight application ID, and data indicates the main data. Therefore, the transmission data including ID1 indicates that the following application transmits data, and the reception data including ID1 indicates that the following application receives data. The transmission data including ID2 indicates that the non-line-of-sight application transmits data, and the reception data including ID2 indicates that the non-line-of-sight application receives data.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, at timing t0, the application execution unit 210 starts to output the following application transmission data. At this time, the transmission ID count value of the transmission ID number counter 231 is "M" for the following application ID and "N" for the non-line-of-sight application ID, and the reception ID count value of the reception ID number counter 232 is "X" for the following application ID and "Y" for the non-line-of-sight application ID. At timing t1, the transmission ID number counter 231 completes the reception of the following application ID and sets the transmission ID count value of the following application ID to "M+1".

[0041] At timing t2, the application execution unit 210 starts outputting non-line-of-sight application transmission data. At timing t3, the transmission ID number counter 231 completes reception of the non-line-of-sight application ID and sets the transmission ID count value of the non-line-of-sight application ID to "N+1".

[0042] At timing t4, the communication unit 220 starts outputting the following application reception data. At timing t5, the reception ID number counter 232 completes reception of the following application ID and then sets the reception ID count value of the following application ID to "X+1".

[0043] At timing t6, the communication unit 220 starts outputting non-line-of-sight application reception data. At timing t7, the reception ID number counter 232 completes reception of the non-line-of-sight application ID and sets the reception ID count value of the non-line-of-sight application ID to "Y+1".

[0044] At timing t8, the application execution unit 210 starts outputting the following application transmission data again. At timing t9, the transmission ID number counter 231 completes reception of the following application ID, and sets the transmission ID count value of the following application ID to "M+2".

[0045] return Figure 2, the configuration of the wireless communication device 111 will be described. The comparison unit 233 receives the transmission ID count value from the transmission ID number counter 231, and receives the reception ID count value from the reception ID number counter 232. The comparison unit 233 compares the transmission ID count value with the reception ID count value for each application, and determines whether the number of transmission data and the number of reception data for each application have a predetermined ratio. Specifically, the determination is made, for example, based on whether the ratio of the number of transmission data to the number of reception data for each application falls within the range of an appropriate ratio. When the number of transmission data and the number of reception data for each application do not have a predetermined ratio, the comparison unit 233 determines the communication occupancy rate of the application based on the assumption that the occupancy rate of the communication resources by the application is high or low. The comparison unit 233 outputs the determination result to the application execution unit 210 as an occupancy rate determination result. The application execution unit 210 can adjust the communication frequency based on the occupancy rate determination result.

[0046] In addition, when the ratio between the transmission ID count value (the number of transmission data) and the reception ID count value (the number of reception data) does not have a predetermined ratio because the transmission ID count value is greater than the reception ID count value, the comparison unit 233 determines that the occupancy rate of the application to the communication resource is high. The comparison unit 233 may also include the following control: reducing the communication frequency of the application determined to have a high occupancy rate in the occupancy rate determination result, and outputting the result to the application execution unit 210. The application execution unit 210 reduces the communication frequency of the application determined to have a high occupancy rate, thereby releasing communication resources for other applications in the wireless communication system 100.

[0047] On the other hand, when the ratio between the sending ID count value and the receiving ID count value does not have a predetermined ratio because the receiving ID count value is greater than the sending ID count value, the comparison unit 233 determines that the occupancy rate of the application to the communication resource is low. The comparison unit 233 may also include the following control: increasing the communication frequency of the application determined to have a low occupancy rate in the occupancy rate determination result, and outputting the result to the application execution unit 210. The application execution unit 210 increases the communication frequency of the application determined to have a low occupancy rate, thereby ensuring sufficient communication resources for the application, and can perform effective communication in the wireless communication system 100.

[0048] exist Figure 1In the wireless communication system 100 of the present invention, the wireless communication device 111 executes the follow-up application 121. Therefore, in the wireless communication device 111, the communication occupancy rate for the follow-up application 121 is determined, and the communication frequency of the follow-up application 121 is adjusted based on the determination result. Specifically, the comparison unit 233 of the wireless communication device 111 compares the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value of the follow-up application 121, and determines whether the number of transmission data and the number of reception data of the follow-up application 121 have a predetermined ratio. The application execution unit 210 adjusts the communication frequency of the follow-up application 121 based on the occupancy rate determination result of the comparison unit 233. When it is determined that the occupancy rate of the follow-up application 121 is high, the application execution unit 210 performs control so as to reduce the communication frequency of the follow-up application 121. Conversely, when it is determined that the occupancy rate of the follow-up application 121 is low, the application execution unit 210 performs control to increase the communication frequency of the follow-up application 121.

[0049] In addition, the same processing as that of the wireless communication device 111 is performed for the wireless communication device 112 and the wireless communication device 113, except that the applications to be processed are different. That is, since the wireless communication device 112 executes the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122, the wireless communication device 112 determines the communication occupancy rate for the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122, and adjusts the communication frequency of the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 based on the determination result. Since the wireless communication device 113 executes the non-line-of-sight application 122, the wireless communication device 113 determines the communication occupancy rate of the non-line-of-sight application 122, and adjusts the communication frequency of the non-line-of-sight application based on the determination result.

[0050] In the wireless communication device 112 , since the transmission IDs and reception IDs of two applications (ie, the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 ) are counted, the communication frequency of the applications can be adjusted based on the comparison of the transmission IDs and reception IDs between the applications. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the occupancy rate determination unit 230 of the wireless communication device 112 according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 The transmission ID count value, the reception ID count value, the transmission ID proper ratio, the reception ID proper ratio, and the control of the communication frequency for each of the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 are shown.

[0051] like Figure 4As shown, since the send ID count value of the following application 121 is 10 and the send ID count value of the non-line-of-sight application 122 is 100, the send ID ratio between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 is 10:100 (i.e., 1:10). On the other hand, the send ID proper ratio between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 is 1:5. Since the receive ID count value of the following application 121 is 9 and the receive ID count value of the non-line-of-sight application 122 is 90, the receive ID ratio between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 is 9:90 (i.e., 1:10). On the other hand, the receive ID proper ratio between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 is 2:5.

[0052] By comparing the transmission ID ratio and the reception ID ratio between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 with the respective appropriate ratios, it can be seen that the communication ratio of the following application 121 is low and the communication ratio of the non-line-of-sight application 122 is high. Based on the result, control is performed to increase the communication frequency of the following application 121, and control is performed to reduce the communication frequency of the non-line-of-sight application 122. That is, the comparison unit 233 compares the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122, respectively, and determines whether the number of transmission data and the number of reception data between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 have a predetermined ratio. The comparison unit 233 includes the determination result in the occupancy determination result and outputs the result. The application execution unit 210 adjusts the communication frequency of the following application 121 or the non-line-of-sight application 122 based on the occupancy determination result (i.e., the result of determining whether the number of reception data and the number of transmission data between the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 have a predetermined ratio). In this manner, by comparing the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value between the plurality of applications, the communication frequency of the plurality of applications can be adjusted.

[0053] In the above description, a wireless communication device conforming to one wireless communication standard is used. However, for example, by using a signal of another wireless communication standard having a different wireless frequency band, communication resources can be increased and necessary communication volume can be ensured.

[0054] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the application execution unit 210 executes one or more applications, and outputs the transmission data including the application identification information for each application. The communication unit 220 receives a message having the reception data including the application identification information from another vehicle, and outputs the reception data including the application identification information. The transmission ID number counter 231 counts the number of application identification information included in the transmission data for each application. In other words, the transmission ID number counter 231 counts the number of transmission data according to the application for each application. On the other hand, the reception ID number counter 232 counts the number of application identification information included in the reception data for each application. In other words, the reception ID number counter 232 counts the number of reception data according to the application for each application. The comparison unit 233 compares the transmission ID count value (which is the counting result of the transmission ID number counter 231) with the reception ID count value (which is the counting result of the reception ID number counter 232) for each application, and determines whether the number of transmission data and the number of reception data according to the application have a predetermined ratio.

[0055] The application execution unit 210 can adjust the communication frequency of the application to be executed based on the determination result of the comparison unit 233. For example, when it is determined that the ratio between the transmission ID count value (the number of transmission data) and the reception ID count value (the number of reception data) of the application being executed does not have a predetermined ratio, the application execution unit 210 performs control to reduce the transmission frequency of the application being executed or increase the transmission frequency of the application being executed. This releases communication resources for other applications or ensures that the application being executed has sufficient communication resources. This can achieve stable communication even if the number of applications installed in the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device constituting the wireless communication system, and the wireless communication system conforming to the same wireless communication standard increases.

[0056] Second embodiment

[0057] Next, the second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the communication occupancy rate is determined based on the number of transmission IDs and reception IDs used within a predetermined period. Figure 5 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the wireless communication device 300 according to the second embodiment. Figure 5 As shown, Figure 2 The application execution unit 210, the occupancy rate determination unit 230, the transmission ID number counter 231, and the reception ID number counter 232 in FIG. 2 are respectively changed to the application execution unit 210a, the occupancy rate determination unit 230a, the transmission ID number counter 231a, and the reception ID number counter 232a. Figure 2In addition to the configuration of the occupancy determination unit 230 shown, the occupancy determination unit 230 a further includes a first resetting unit 301 .

[0058] The first reset unit 301 is connected to the application execution unit 210a, the sending ID number counter 231a and the receiving ID number counter 232a. The first reset unit 301 receives the communication cycle required for each application from the application execution unit 210a as cycle information. The application executed by the application execution unit 210a obtains the information required for the execution from another vehicle, but the cycle in which the information needs to be updated varies depending on the application. For example, in the following application 121, since it is necessary to follow the leading vehicle at an appropriate inter-vehicle distance, it is necessary to constantly exchange acceleration / deceleration information, and it is necessary to shorten the communication cycle. On the other hand, in the non-line-of-sight application 122, since the driver notices the alarm and needs to perform appropriate processing such as deceleration, the communication cycle may be long when the distance between the vehicles has a collision margin.

[0059] The first reset unit 301 outputs a reset signal for each application to the send ID number counter 231a and the receive ID number counter 232a based on the cycle information received from the application execution unit 210a. In response to the reset signal received from the first reset unit 301, the send ID number counter 231a and the receive ID number counter 232a reset the send ID count value and the receive ID count value of the corresponding application. For example, when the reset signal based on the cycle information according to the follow-up application 121 is output from the first reset unit 301, the send ID count value and the receive ID count value of the follow-up application 121 are reset.

[0060] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the transmission ID count and the reception ID count are periodically reset based on the communication cycle of each application, so that the occupancy determination unit 230a can accurately determine the occupancy reflecting whether the communication occupancy is within a required range.

[0061] First Modification of the Second Embodiment

[0062] Next, a first modification of the second embodiment will be described. The first modification of the second embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that a reset signal is generated based on retransmission information of transmission data. Figure 6 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device 400 according to a first modification example of the second embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, Figure 2The application execution unit 210, the occupancy rate determination unit 230, the transmission ID number counter 231, and the reception ID number counter 232 in FIG. 2 are respectively changed to the application execution unit 210b, the occupancy rate determination unit 230b, the transmission ID number counter 231b, and the reception ID number counter 232b. Figure 2 In addition to the configuration of the occupancy determination unit 230 shown, the occupancy determination unit 230 b further includes a second resetting unit 401 .

[0063] The second reset unit 401 is connected to the application execution unit 210b, the transmission ID number counter 231b and the reception ID number counter 232b. The second reset unit 401 receives the number of retransmissions of the transmission data of each application from the application execution unit 210b as retransmission information. In a wireless communication system, the connection with the communication partner is often cut off, and the transmission data output from the application execution unit 210b can be notified to the application execution unit 210b as a transmission error. In this case, the application execution unit 210b retransmits the transmission data with the transmission error. The application execution unit 210b outputs the number of retransmissions (which is information indicating the stability of communication) as retransmission information to the second reset unit 401.

[0064] The second reset unit 401 outputs a reset signal for each application to the transmission ID number counter 231b and the reception ID number counter 232b based on the retransmission information received from the application execution unit 210b. The transmission ID number counter 231b and the reception ID number counter 232b reset the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value of the corresponding application in response to the reset signal received from the second reset unit 401. For example, when the reset signal based on the retransmission information according to the follow-up application 121 is output from the second reset unit 401, the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value of the follow-up application 121 are reset.

[0065] As described above, according to the first modification of the second embodiment, the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value are periodically reset based on the retransmission cycle of the corresponding application, so that the occupancy determination unit 230b can determine the occupancy rate in view of communication stability.

[0066] Second Modification of the Second Embodiment

[0067] Next, a second modification of the second embodiment will be described. The second modification of the second embodiment is different from the first modification of the second embodiment in that a reset signal is generated based on discard ID information. Figure 7 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device 500 according to a second modification example of the second embodiment. Figure 7As shown, the application execution unit 210, the occupancy rate determination unit 230, the transmission ID number counter 231 and the reception ID number counter 232 are respectively changed to the application execution unit 210c, the occupancy rate determination unit 230c, the transmission ID number counter 231c and the reception ID number counter 232c. Figure 2 In addition to the configuration of the occupancy determination unit 230 shown, the occupancy determination unit 230 c further includes a third resetting unit 501 .

[0068] The third reset unit 501 is connected to the application execution unit 210c, the transmission ID number counter 231c and the reception ID number counter 232c. The third reset unit 501 receives the discard ID information from the application execution unit 210c. The application execution unit 210c determines whether the received data is addressed to itself by referring to the application ID included in the received data output from the communication unit 220. More specifically, the application execution unit 210c confirms whether the received data includes the application ID according to the application being executed. When it is confirmed that the application ID according to the application being executed is included in the received data, the application execution unit 210c determines that the received data is addressed to itself. On the other hand, when it is confirmed that the application ID other than the application ID according to the application being executed is included in the received data, the application execution unit 210c determines that the received data is not addressed to itself and discards the received data. For example, when the application execution unit 210c executes only the follow-up application 121, the received data including the non-line-of-sight application ID is discarded as data according to the application other than its own device. The application execution unit 210 c outputs the discarding ID information to the third resetting unit 501 at the same time as discarding.

[0069] The third reset unit 501 outputs a reset signal to the transmission ID number counter 231c and the reception ID number counter 232c based on the discard ID information received from the application execution unit 210c. The transmission ID number counter 231c and the reception ID number counter 232c reset the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value in response to the reset signal received from the third reset unit 501.

[0070] As described above, according to the second modification of the second embodiment, the transmission ID count and the reception ID count are periodically reset based on the discard ID information so that the occupancy determination unit 230c can accurately determine the occupancy reflecting whether the communication occupancy is within a required range.

[0071] Third Modification of the Second Embodiment

[0072] Next, a third modification of the second embodiment will be described. The third modification of the second embodiment is different from the first modification of the second embodiment and the second modification of the second embodiment in that the communication history of each position is incorporated into a database, and a reset signal is generated based on the communication history information incorporated into the database. Figure 8 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device 600 according to a third modification example of the second embodiment. Figure 8 As shown, Figure 2 The occupancy rate determination unit 230, the transmission ID number counter 231, and the reception ID number counter 232 in FIG. 2 are respectively changed to an occupancy rate determination unit 230d, a transmission ID number counter 231d, and a reception ID number counter 232d. Figure 2 In addition to the configuration of the occupancy determination unit 230 shown in FIG. 2 , the occupancy determination unit 230d further includes a fourth resetting unit 601. Figure 2 In addition to the configuration of the wireless communication device 111 in FIG. 1 , the wireless communication device 600 further includes a communication history management unit 610 .

[0073] The communication history management unit 610 includes a mapping data storage unit 611, a coordinate data output unit 612, a position range setting unit 613, and a communication history storage unit 614. The mapping data storage unit 611 stores mapping data. The mapping data storage unit 611 is connected to the communication history storage unit 614 and outputs the mapping data to the communication history storage unit 614. The mapping data storage unit 611 does not need to store mapping data in advance, and can obtain mapping data from an Internet line via a communication module (not shown), for example. The coordinate data output unit 612 obtains coordinate data for specifying the vehicle position of the own vehicle from a global positioning system (GPS) module (not shown), for example. The coordinate data output unit 612 is connected to the communication history storage unit 614 and outputs the coordinate data to the communication history storage unit 614. The position range setting unit 613 is connected to the communication history storage unit 614 and outputs setting information for setting the position to the communication history storage unit 614.

[0074] The communication history storage unit 614 is connected to the sending ID number counter 231d and the receiving ID number counter 232d. The communication history storage unit 614 receives the sending ID count value and the receiving ID count value for each application from the sending ID number counter 231d and the receiving ID number counter 232d. The communication history storage unit 614 generates the position information based on the mapping data, the coordinate data and the setting information. The communication history storage unit 614 stores the sending ID count value and the receiving ID count value for each application associated with the position information as the communication history information. That is, the communication history storage unit 614 incorporates the communication history of each application for each location into the database.

[0075] The communication history storage unit 614 is also connected to the fourth reset unit 601. The communication history storage unit 614 outputs the communication history information of each application associated with the location information to the fourth reset unit 601. The fourth reset unit 601 is connected to the transmission ID number counter 231d and the reception ID number counter 232d. The fourth reset unit 601 outputs a reset signal to the transmission ID number counter 231d and the reception ID number counter 232d based on the communication history information of each application associated with the location information. The transmission ID number counter 231d and the reception ID number counter 232d reset the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value in response to the reset signal output from the fourth reset unit 601.

[0076] As described above, according to the third modification of the second embodiment, for example, when a vehicle having started the non-line-of-sight application 122 performs communication at a predetermined location, the vehicle resets the transmission ID count value and the reception ID count value of the non-line-of-sight application 122 based on the communication history information of the non-line-of-sight application 122 according to the predetermined location. That is, the communication frequency of the non-line-of-sight application 122 can be adjusted by taking as information whether it is a location where another application communication may be performed. Therefore, the non-line-of-sight application 122 can secure sufficient communication resources and perform efficient communication.

[0077] There is no particular limitation on the timing of updating the communication history information by the communication history storage unit 614. For example, even if the fourth reset unit 601 outputs a reset signal based on the communication history information output from the communication history storage unit 614, the communication history storage unit 614 can update the communication history information by receiving the transmission ID count value from the transmission ID number counter 231d and the reception ID count value from the reception ID number counter 232d.

[0078] In the third modification of the second embodiment described above, the communication history for each location is incorporated into the database, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the communication history for each time may be incorporated into the database. In addition, both the location and the time, that is, the communication history for each location and time may be incorporated into the database.

[0079] Third embodiment

[0080] Next, a third embodiment will be described. When a wireless communication device performs vehicle-to-vehicle, road-to-vehicle, or road-to-road communication, multiple applications may issue different or conflicting instructions. For example, when it is determined that a vehicle out of sight is at a distance where there is a risk of collision, the non-line-of-sight application 122 provides a notification such as "Be careful, non-line-of-sight vehicles are approaching, slow down recommended". On the other hand, when the following application 121 receives acceleration information of the preceding vehicle, the following application 121 notifies "accelerate to keep the distance between vehicles constant". If the driver or the vehicle performing autonomous driving complies with these two notifications, conflicting controls are required and cannot be performed. In the third embodiment, the configuration and operation of a wireless communication device for solving this problem will be described.

[0081] Fig. 9 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device 700 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 9 As shown, Figure 5 The application execution unit 210a in is changed to the application execution unit 210e. Figure 5 In addition to the configuration of the wireless communication device 300 shown in , the wireless communication device 700 further includes an information update determination unit 701.

[0082] The application execution unit 210e executes a plurality of applications. The application execution unit 210e is connected to the information update determination unit 701, and outputs the changed content as an information update request for each application to the information update determination unit 701. For example, when the application execution unit 210e executes the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122, the application execution unit 210e outputs the changed content according to the following application 121 and the changed content according to the non-line-of-sight application 122 to the information update determination unit 701.

[0083] The information update determination unit 701 is connected to the first reset unit 301, and receives a reset signal indicating an information update cycle for each application. The information update determination unit 701 determines an update time for executing an information update request for each application based on the reset signal for each application output from the first reset unit 301. The information update determination unit 701 notifies the application execution unit 210e of the determined update time as an information update determination result. The application execution unit 210e outputs an information update instruction at a specified update time for each application. Needless to say, for example, when a plurality of applications request conflicting control, an executable time may not be given as an information update determination result.

[0084] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the information update determination unit 701 receives information update requests from multiple applications, confirms these information update requests, and specifies the determined update time for each application based on the information update cycle of each application. Therefore, conflicting control of multiple applications can be prevented, and a more stable wireless communication device and wireless communication system can be configured.

[0085] When the application execution unit 210e simultaneously outputs an information update request including information that cannot be matched during the execution of multiple applications, the information update determination unit 701 can determine whether the information that cannot be matched is included, and can notify the application execution unit 210e of the determination result as the information update determination result. For example, when information update requests including different current vehicle position coordinates are simultaneously output based on the processing of the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122, the information update determination unit 701 can notify the application execution unit 210e that the current vehicle position coordinates are different. In this case, the following application 121 and the non-line-of-sight application 122 may be able to confirm the accuracy (validity) of the information.

[0086] When the validity of the information cannot be confirmed by an application that can be activated in a wireless communication device or a vehicle, the information can be managed, recognized, or repaired as fault information of the entire application using a wireless communication system. In this case, it is expected that the wireless communication device that has detected the fault transmits a message informing of the fault information including target application information.

[0087] In order for each application to correctly receive the message notifying the failure information, a read position in the message or a newly determined read position is required. For example, an ID confirmed by all applications in a single service standard provided in a wireless communication system may be defined as a single service standard ID. In this case, a message including the defined single service standard ID and target application information (e.g., application ID) is sent as a message for notifying the failure information. It should be noted that a message readable by all service standards can be obtained by allocating a dedicated single service standard ID for the failure information notification.

[0088] In the first to third embodiments, relative to Figure 2 , Figures 5 to 9 The configuration and functions of the wireless communication device have been described in the block diagrams, but the functions of the blocks in these diagrams can be configured by hardware (H / W) or software (S / W). For example, Figure 2 The application execution unit 210 shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented by executing an application program by a central processing unit (CPU). Fig.10 is a diagram showing an example of the H / W configuration of a wireless communication device. Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 8 , a CPU 801 , a memory 802 , and a radio frequency unit 804 are connected to each other via a bus 803 . Figure 2 The application execution unit 210 in the embodiment can be implemented by the CPU 801 reading an application program (eg, an application program according to the following application 121 or the non-line-of-sight application 122) stored in the memory 802 via the bus 803 and executing the read application program. Similarly, Figure 2 The communication unit 220 and the occupancy rate determination unit 230 may be implemented by using all or part of the CPU 801 , the memory 802 , the program stored in the memory 802 , and the radio frequency unit 804 .

[0089] in addition, Figure 2 The communication unit 220 and the occupancy determination unit 230 in the embodiment may be configured using only H / W. In this case, for example, the communication unit 220 and the occupancy determination unit 230 are configured by using circuits of semiconductor devices. These circuits may be formed by dividing them into a plurality of semiconductor devices or semiconductor chips, or may be formed collectively on one semiconductor device or one semiconductor chip.

[0090] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments, although the wireless communication device installed in the vehicle has been described, here, the term "installed in the vehicle" is not limited to the aspect of incorporating the wireless communication device as part of the component in the vehicle body. For example, it may also include the aspect of incorporating a mobile terminal such as a smart phone in the vehicle.

[0091] Although the invention made by the present inventors has been specifically described based on the embodiments, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising: an application execution unit, configured to execute a first application to generate first transmission data including first application identification information; a communication unit configured to receive a message including first received data, the first received data including the first application identification information, and the communication unit configured to output the first received data including the first application identification information; as well as The occupancy determination unit includes: a transmission identification (ID) number counter configured to count the number of first application identification information included in the first transmission data, and output the counting result as a first transmission ID count value; a reception ID number counter configured to count the number of first application identification information included in the first reception data, and output the counting result as a first reception ID count value; and a comparing unit configured to compare the first sending ID count value with the first receiving ID count value to determine that the number of the first sending data of the first application and the number of the first receiving data have a predetermined ratio, wherein the comparison unit is configured to output a result of determining whether the number of the first transmission data and the number of the first reception data of the first application have the predetermined ratio as an occupancy determination result, and The application execution unit is configured to adjust a communication frequency of the first application based on the occupancy determination result.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein: When the number of the first transmitted data and the number of the first received data of the first application do not have the predetermined ratio, the comparing unit is configured to: If the first transmission ID count value is greater than the first reception ID count value, comprising control of reducing the communication frequency of the first application; and If the first reception ID count value is greater than the first transmission ID count value, control of increasing the communication frequency of the first application is included.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, The application execution unit is configured to execute the second application to generate second transmission data including second application identification information, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive a message including second received data, the second received data including the second application identification information, and the communication unit is configured to output the second received data including the second application identification information, wherein the transmission ID number counter is configured to count the number of second application identification information included in the second transmission data and output the counting result as a second transmission ID count value, wherein the reception ID number counter is configured to: count the number of the second application identification information included in the second reception data, and output the counting result as a second reception ID count value; The comparison unit is configured to compare the second transmission ID count value with the second reception ID count value to determine that the number of the second transmission data and the number of the second reception data of the second application have a predetermined ratio.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 3, The comparison unit is configured as follows: comparing the first send ID count value and the second send ID count value; comparing the first receiving ID count value and the second receiving ID count value; and respectively determining whether the number of the first transmitted data and the number of the second transmitted data, and the number of the first received data and the number of the second received data between the first application and the second application have corresponding predetermined ratios, The application execution unit is configured to adjust a communication frequency of the first application or a communication frequency of the second application based on a result of the determination.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the application execution unit is configured to output cycle information indicating a communication cycle of the first application, The occupancy determination unit further includes a first reset unit configured to output a reset signal based on the period information. The sending ID number counter is configured to: in response to the reset signal, reset the first sending ID count value, and The receiving ID number counter is configured to reset the first receiving ID count value in response to the reset signal.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, The application execution unit is configured to output the number of retransmissions of the first transmitted data as retransmission information, The occupancy rate determining unit further includes a second resetting unit configured to output a reset signal based on the retransmission information. The sending ID number counter is configured to: in response to the reset signal, reset the first sending ID count value, and The receiving ID number counter is configured to reset the first receiving ID count value in response to the reset signal.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the application execution unit is configured to: when the received data output from the communication unit includes application identification information other than the first application identification information, output discard ID information, The occupancy rate determining unit further comprises a third resetting unit, wherein the third resetting unit is configured to output a reset signal based on the discard ID information. The sending ID number counter is configured to: in response to the reset signal, reset the first sending ID count value, and The receiving ID number counter is configured to reset the first receiving ID count value in response to the reset signal.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: a communication history management unit, the communication history management unit including a communication history storage unit configured to store the communication history of the first application associated with the location information as first communication history information, The occupancy rate determination unit further includes a fourth resetting unit configured to output a reset signal based on the first communication history information. The sending ID number counter is configured to: in response to the reset signal, reset the first sending ID count value, and The receiving ID number counter is configured to reset the first receiving ID count value in response to the reset signal.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communication device is installed on the vehicle, The communication history management unit comprises: A mapping data storage unit configured to store mapping data; a coordinate data output unit configured to output coordinate data for specifying the position of the vehicle; as well as a position range setting unit configured to output setting information for setting a position, wherein the communication history storage unit is configured to: generating the location information based on the mapping data, the coordinate data and the setting information; as well as The first transmission ID count value and the first reception ID count value as the communication history of the first application are stored in association with the position information.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 3, further comprising an information update determination unit, The occupancy determination unit further includes a first reset unit configured to output a first reset signal and a second reset signal. The application execution unit is configured as follows: outputting first cycle information indicating a communication cycle of the first application; outputting second cycle information indicating a communication cycle of the second application; outputting the changed content of the first application as a first information update request; as well as Outputting the changed content of the second application as a second information update request, wherein the first resetting unit is configured to: generating the first reset signal based on the first cycle information; and generating the second reset signal based on the second cycle information, Wherein the information update determination unit is configured as follows: determining a first update time for executing the first information update request based on the first reset signal; and determining a second update time for executing the second information update request based on the second reset signal, The application execution unit is configured as follows: outputting an information update instruction for the first application at the first update time; and An information update instruction for the second application is output at the second update time. 11 . The wireless communication device according to claim 10 , wherein the information update determination unit is configured to determine whether information that cannot be matched is included in the first information update request and the second information update request. 12 . The wireless communication device according to claim 11 , wherein when it is determined that the information that cannot be matched is included in the first information update request and the second information update request, a message informing of failure information is transmitted. 13 . The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first application identification information indicates that the first transmission data and the first reception data including the first application identification information include data related to the first application.

14. A wireless communication system, comprising: A first vehicle, equipped with the wireless communication device according to claim 3; as well as a second vehicle, equipped with the wireless communication device according to claim 3, The wireless communication device installed on the first vehicle is configured as follows: transmitting a message including the first transmission data to the wireless communication device mounted on the second vehicle; and The message including the first reception data is received from the wireless communication device mounted on the second vehicle.

15. The wireless communication system according to claim 14, further comprising: a third vehicle, equipped with the wireless communication device according to claim 3; as well as Roadside equipment, The wireless communication device installed on the second vehicle is configured as follows: transmitting, via the roadside device, a message including second transmission data to the wireless communication device mounted on the third vehicle; and The message including the second reception data is received from the wireless communication device mounted on the third vehicle via the roadside device.

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